Marvel heads back to the beach this summer in ‘Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes, Rivals’

The iconic special returns with a new story by Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs and Nick Bradshaw — and a code for a ‘Marvel Rivals’ in-game skin.

A staple of Marvel’s summer comics line-up will return in July as the company resurrects its infamous Marvel Swimsuit Special.

The special will feature swimsuit pin-ups of Marvel characters by Nic Klein, Marguerite Sauvage, Luciano Vecchio and many more, along with a story by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs — the Local Man team — drawn by artist Nick Bradshaw.

Carla Hoffman revisited the classic Marvel Swimsuit Special back in 2021, noting that these would feature a whole bunch of cheesecake pin-ups as well as a story that explained why Captain America was wearing a bathing suit on Monster Island:

What was thought to be utterly salacious drivel by my mother when I tried to get a copy in my youth, the ‘93 Marvel Swimsuit issue has a story. Seriously: the Infinity Watch play a poker game, Pip the Troll wins, so he makes them all use the Infinity Stones to gather all the superheroes of the Marvel Universe to a party at Monster Island. When they are all suddenly transported there by the Space and Time Gems, they are forced into not fighting one another and having a good time by the Mind Stone, so a big beach party breaks out and Pip the Troll takes pictures of everyone in their swimsuits.

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Gerry Duggan + Javier Garrón team for ‘Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe’

The five-issue miniseries kicks off in July.

Godzilla’s trip through the Marvel Universe in recent time-spanning one-shots will culminate in a new five-issue miniseries, Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe.

Writer Gerry Duggan and artist Javier Garrón will pit the king of all monsters against just about everyone in the Marvel universe, starting in July.

“Godzilla was as important to me as Marvel Comics growing up,” Duggan said. “My father enjoyed watching baseball on TV, and I would root for rain outs so the NYC stations would run a Godzilla movie. When I discovered that Godzilla had appeared in the Marvel Universe, I obsessively collected every issue. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be contributing to the tradition of Godzilla rampaging in the Marvel Universe.”

Mark Brooks provides the wrap-around cover for the first issue:

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Spider-Gwen heads into space for a ‘dark and very personal’ story next year

Stephanie Phillips and Paolo Villanelli send Ghost Spider and Loki to the stars in March.

Stephanie Phillips brought Spider-Gwen to the 616 Earth under mysterious circumstances earlier this year, and now she and Paolo Villanelli will send the Ghost-Spider off-world in a new story arc that also features Loki.

The intergalactic storyline kicks off in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #11, which comes out in March.

“I envisioned a Gwen and Loki storyline from the beginning of my work on Gwen, so this arc feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been building toward,” Phillips said. “Taking Gwen to space has allowed us to explore some unexpected elements of her character, especially as her optimism and hope clashes with King Loki’s nihilism. Paolo and I have worked hard to make this a unique sci-fi adventure—one that’s dark and very personal to Gwen.”

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Slugfest | Here Comes the DOOM! in Marvel’s February solicitations

Doom’s new order faces resistance from ‘Weapon X-Men,’ Deadpool and Miles Morales clash, and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition focuses on Marvel’s February solicitations. Hit the links for more information.

Marvel’s One World Under Doom will kick into high gear in February, as the world’s savior in this past summer’s Blood Hunt event puts his new powers to use as the sorcerer supreme. Marvel announced the event back in October, which will be anchored by a miniseries by Ryan North and R.B. Silva. Originally that miniseries was going to be called The Rise of Emperor Doom, but it looks like Marvel elected to keep things simple and have changed the name of the series to match the event — One World Under Doom. That’s a good choice, although now it doesn’t have a reference to the classic David Michelinie/Bob Hall Marvel Graphic Novel Emperor Doom.

One World Under Doom is a story I’ve been working on since 2023,” North shared. “This huge head start is such a gift when telling a story like this: I can make sure it all hangs together properly, and for other artists working on tie-ins with their books, I can share completed scripts instead of just an idea of what happens.”

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Spider-Gwen swings back into the Marvel Universe next year

Stephanie Phillips and Chris Campana bring the Ghost Spider back to the 616.

After a few recent miniseries detailed what life is like for Spider-Gwen in her own universe, the Spiderverse-hopping hero will once again land in the 616 in a new title coming next year.

Writer Stephanie Phillips (Kicking Ice, Grim) and artist Chris Campana (Red Goblin, The Adventures of Parker Reef) will bring Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider to New York, home of many Marvel heroes and, of course, the home of the deceased 616 Gwen Stacey. Mark Brooks will provide covers.

“Right after I started working on this new Spider-Gwen ongoing, I saw a little girl on Halloween dressed as Gwen and hitting some cool Spidey poses,” Phillips said. “It was kind of a surreal moment to realize that I get to be a part of Gwen’s next big chapter, bringing her into the 616 and giving readers stories that make us rethink who Gwen is and what her role is within this new universe. I’m also working on this story with the incredible Chris Campana, a great collaborator and friend, and I truly believe this is one of the most special books I’ve been a part of.”

Campana echoed Phillips’ comments about working together on the series.

“Stephanie’s writing allows for a ton of artistic freedom, while providing a great framework to work inside of,” Campana said. “I was onboard the moment I heard she was attached.”

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The Quiet Council goes quiet in Gillen + Maresca’s ‘X-Men Forever’

The new miniseries will tie into ‘Fall of the House of X’ next year.

As a part of the big finale for the current Krakoa era of comics, Marvel has announced X-Men: Forever, a four-issue miniseries by Immortal X-Men writer Kieron Gillen and artist Luca Maresca.

The miniseries will tie into Gillen’s work on Rise of the Powers of X, which was announced last month alongside Fall of the House of X.

X-Men: Forever is Luca and myself doing a coda to Immortal X-Men, a requiem for the Krakoan age and generally setting fire to all time and space,” Gillen said. “It’s the manipulative hand in the steel glove that is Rise of the Powers of X. By the time it drops, you’ll be wondering what on Earth is going on with certain characters, and X-Men: Forever will give you all the answers.”

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The Krakoan Age will conclude in two new X-Men miniseries

Marvel announces ‘Fall of the House of X’ and ‘Rise of the Powers of X’ at the New York Comic Con.

All good things, as they say. The Krakoan Age, the current era of X-Men comics that began in 2019 when Jonathan Hickman returned to Marvel for House of X and Powers of X, will come to its official end next year in two miniseries announced today at New York Comic Con.

Fall of the House of X by Gerry Duggan and Lucas Werneck, will continue the story of Cyclops and his capture during Fall of X, as he’s put on trial and faces the death penalty. Rise of the Powers of X by Kieron Gillen and R.B. Silva takes place in the future as mutants attempt to stop Omega Sentinel and Nimrod from summoning “their binary god to consume everything in their accession.”

As they’ve done before, Mark Brooks and Richard Isanove supply the teaser image, which showcases Marvel mutants in various costumes from the comic’s history:

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Slugfest | Mary Jane officially becomes a superhero in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #31

Plus: News on the Witcher’s next comic series, White Widow, ‘Coda’ returns, Ram V and Filipe Andrade reunite, ‘Killer Queens’ is back, and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. Hit the links for more information.

Marvel has been teasing Mary Jane Watson’s new power set, most notably in the recent Mary Jane & Black Cat miniseries, but the longtime supporting character will put on a costume and go full superhero in Amazing Spider-Man #31.

The oversized issue will not only feature a story by the regular creative team of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr., but also will include a story by Celeste Bronfman and Alba Glez that features Mary Jane suiting up to become Jackpot.

Here’s a look at her costume, designed by Humberto Ramos:

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Slugfest | BOOM! offers a limited ‘Fence: Redemption’ cover for Pride Month

Plus: Updates on ‘Norse Mythology,’ Ms. Marvel, Bone Orchard Mythos, ‘The Asiri’ and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. Hit the links for more information.

BOOM! Studios will sell a Pride Month charity cover for Fence: Redemption #1 this month on their webstore, featuring artwork by LySandra Vuong.

The cover is limited to 750 copies, and all proceeds from it will be donated to The Trevor Project.

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Have a nice summer, X-Men

Marvel announces an ‘X-Men: Hellfire Gala’ one-shot and a prelude issue for the upcoming Judgment Day crossover — keeping the X-Men plenty busy this summer.

Although they left their school in Westchester behind for the sunny shores of Krakoa, the gifted youngsters who make up the X-Men are really going to be longing for a summer break this year. In addition to a starring role in Marvel’s upcoming crossover event “A.X.E. Judgment Day” — with the A.X.E. standing for Avengers, X-Men and Eternals — they’ll also be hosting another Hellfire Gala in June.

Unlike last year’s gala, this year’s won’t run through the full line of X-Men comics. Instead, it’ll be a standalone special by Gerry Duggan, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, C.F. Villa and Kris Anka that Marvel promises will be “loaded with high-stakes drama, shocking character developments, and of course, showstopping Super Hero fashion.” Also: a new team of X-Men, including the winner of the latest fan vote.

“Last summer your host Emma Frost invited you to celebrate Krakoa with some fireworks. This year, it’s about celebrating mutantdom’s friendship with humanity,” Duggan said. “Once again, we have a murderer’s row of talent crafting a one-shot with revelations that will chart the biggest stories in the Marvel Universe. All that, and meet a new team of X-Men.” 

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Kieron Gillen + Lucas Werneck convene for ‘Immortal X-Men’

The new title will focus on Krakoa’s Quiet Council ‘with all its muffled screams.’

The Quiet Council is about to get a whole lot louder, as the rulers of Krakoa will take the spotlight in Immortal X-Men, a new series coming from Kieron Gillen and Lucas Werneck next year. It’s part of Marvel’s Destiny of X line of titles, the fancy moniker they’re giving to the next era of X-Men titles.

Gillen returns to the X-Men titles after several years of playing in the Star Wars and creator-owned sandboxes, co-creating titles like Once and Future, Die and The Ludocrats in recent years. Werneck, meanwhile, is fresh off of the Trial of Magneto miniseries.

Gillen talked about the new title (and poked fun at departing Krakoan architect Jonathan Hickman) in a recent newsletter:

“Obviously, I was delighted when I heard that Jon was leaving the X-office, due to our ancient rivalry,” Gillen said in his newsletter. “It’s a complicated story, and involves several duels, all of which I lost. Suffice to say, I have sworn to never enter any office where he is present. When news reached me he was leaving, I realised it was time to sneak in the back door. For a good month or two, I was lurking around pretending to be Jonathan. I donned a disguise (a wig, a different accent, a series of gnomic diagrams as my zoom background) and sort of hung around, making pronouncements. I have since learned everyone realised it was me immediately, but felt so bad for me they decided I could stay.”

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‘Fantastic Four’ #33 provides ‘the greatest reaction page in the history of comics (this week)’

Carla Hoffman offers a quick review of the second chapter of Doctor Doom’s wedding.

So I love superhero weddings almost as much as I love pro wrestling weddings, and the two genres have a lot in common.

After all, none of us are coming to the nuptials to see love triumph or watch people slow dance at the reception; we want to see the carnage. If there’s a big cake, we want someone to go through it. If the officiant asks for anyone to “speak now or forever hold your peace,” there should be at least five people jumping to their feet to object. 

It’s drama, it’s fashion, it’s a comic book wedding for Fantastic Four #33.

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