DeMatteis + Baldeon will tell stories from Ben Reilly’s past

‘Ben Reilly: Spider-Man’ launches in December.

As Ben Reilly prepares to retake the mantle of Spider-Man from Peter Parker, Marvel has announced that J.M. DeMatteis, David Baldeon and Israel Silva will tell a story from Reilly’s past, set during his first run at being Spider-Man.

Ben Reilly: Spider-Man is set in the 1990s era and will involve the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane. DeMatteis was one of the writers of the original clone saga, which he talked about extensively in this blog post.

“Peter and Mary Jane have headed off to Portland to have their baby and live happily ever after while, in New York, our titular hero is taking his first steps toward building a new life as both Ben Reilly and Spider-Man,” DeMatteis said on his blog. “But it’s not going to be easy!”

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Mail Call | Tynion offers first ‘Blue Book’ for free

Check out news and updates from Marvel, Dark Horse, Top Shelf, Image Comics and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of cool things we’ve received in our mailboxes recently from comics publishers, creators and more. Hit the links for more information.

James Tynion IV was one of the first creators out of the gate with his plans for his premium Substack newsletter subscription, announcing a new comic called Blue Book with artist Michael Avon Oeming that he planned to share with paid subscribers.

But even if you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can still check out the first one, which he posted for free a couple days ago.

Blue Book is a passion project for myself and Michael Avon Oeming,” Tynion wrote. “We share a lifelong fascination with UFOs and a lifelong frustration with how those stories have been adapted into other media. There is a strangeness in the original accounts of UFO sightings that usually gets swept aside, but Michael and I want to lean into the strangeness. These are human stories of ordinary people who brush against the unknown and must grapple with what they see there. There is a deeper truth, whether you believe in the accounts or not, that lies in the many ways people tell these stories.”

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Avengers of the Multiverse will assemble in ‘Avengers Forever’

Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder send ‘shockwaves across all of reality’ this December.

Marvel is resurrecting the “Avengers Forever” name for a new series from Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder. While the Kurt Busiek/Carlos Pacheco classic miniseries brought together Avengers from throughout time, this new series will bring together Avengers from throughout the multiverse.

Avengers Forever, one of the eight new tentpole titles coming this winter that Marvel announced last week, will arrive in December. But Aaron says the story actually begins in Avengers #50.

Avengers #50 lights the fire. Avengers Forever is the explosion that follows,” Jason Aaron told Marvel.com. “A slam bang supernova of a megabomb that sends shockwaves across all of reality, to earth after earth that’s been defaced by the new Multiversal Masters of Evil, to the ruins of Asgard at the end of time, to an Avengers Tower that sits atop a bedrock of fallen gods at Infinity’s End. Along the way, we meet some new versions of Avengers we know, as well as witness the return of some dear old friends, in a series that will swing for the fences with each and every issue, as the Mightiest Heroes of all the Earths in the heavens look to assemble as never before.”

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‘Timeless’ sets up Marvel’s future this December

The one-shot written by Jed MacKay has an artist change since it was announced last week.

Timeless, one of the eight new tentpole titles coming out this winter that Marvel announced last week, will arrive in December with a boom — but without Joe Bennett.

The Immortal Hulk artist was originally announced to be working on the one-shot, but as confirmed by Newsarama, the artist will not be working on any future Marvel projects. While Marvel did not give a reason, Bennett has been in the news lately both for the anti-semitic imagery being displayed in the background of a panel of Immortal Hulk and for a controversial drawing he did of Brazil President Jair Messias Bolsonaro.

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Marvel Unlimited rolls out new features, exclusive comics

Marvel announces new ‘vertical comics’ from Jonathan Hickman, Declan Shalvey, Skottie Young, Kelly Thompson, Kaare Andrews and more that debut today on Marvel Unlimited.

After some teasers this week for their Marvel Unlimited app, Marvel has announced several enhancements for the digital comics subscription service, including the addition of new, exclusive comics under the banner “Infinity Comics.”

Other changes they announced include:

  • A streamlined design.
  • “Enhanced curation” and personalization, which will help recommend comics to read based on your reading habits.
  • The ability to follow your favorite series, stories and characters.
  • Unlimited downloads, for on-the-go reading.
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Aaron + Asrar’s ‘King Conan’ will reign in December

Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar and Matt Wilson reunite to tell stories about an older Conan and his son.

Jason Aaron, Mahmud Asrar and Matt Wilson’s King Conan, which the creators first teased in early 2020, will finally take the throne in December.

The trio previously worked together on Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian title in 2019, on the first 12 issues of that title, but Aaron knew that wasn’t his final word on the character.

“I knew as soon as Mahmud, Matt and I finished ‘The Life and Death of Conan’ in Conan the Barbarian, one of the absolute personal highlights from my career as a comic book writer, that I wasn’t done hanging out with everyone’s favorite Cimmerian,” Aaron told Marvel.com. “As King Conan rode into the sunset at the end of that story, with his son, Prince Conn, by his side, I always knew where I wanted that story to take us next. Now at last comes that next chapter, as Mahmud, Matt and I reunite to reveal a pivotal moment in Conan’s life as a king, as a father, as a mortal enemy of snake-worshipping Stygian wizards and as a barbarian who was born to chase the wind, even to the ends of the earth.”

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Kingpin unleashes Marvel’s ‘dark secrets’ in ‘Devil’s Reign’

Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s ‘Daredevil’ plans spill out into the rest of the Marvel Universe this December.

The latest boiling point in the eternal conflict between the Kingpin and Daredevil will arrive in December, as New York Mayor Wilson Fisk decides to take aim at the rest of the Marvel Universe’s heroes in Devil’s Reign.

Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, who have been killing it on the ongoing Daredevil title, are the creative team behind the crossover event’s main miniseries, which will run for six issues. Marvel promises that it will be a “classic” crossover, spilling over into other Marvel titles and setting the stage for new ongoing series as well. Which makes sense, given that the regular Daredevil title will end right before the event begins.

“Our Daredevil plan just kept getting bigger and bigger, to the point where it would clearly affect the Marvel Universe in huge ways,” Zdarsky said. “Thankfully, Marvel recognized this as well and gave Marco and I the opportunity to tell the story on a massive stage with Devil’s Reign. This is a proper Marvel event springing from the pages of Daredevil and I think all Marvel readers will love what’s coming!”

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Momoko’s ‘Demon Days’ continues in December with ‘Rising Storm’

Marvel will also release a ‘Creator’s Cut” edition of the first ‘Demon Days’ comic by Peach Momoko.

Over the last year Peach Momoko has been building out her own alternate universe that combines Japanese folklore with the Marvel Universe. Those stories continue in December with Demon Days: Rising Storm, the second-to-last one-shot set in the same world as the previous Demon Days comics.

The comic will continue to focus on Mariko’s journey, introducing Momoko’s version of Thor and Storm into the story.

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Mail Call | More on Al Ewing + Ram V’s symbiotic relationship on ‘Venom’

Check out news, announcements and previews from Image, DC, BOOM! Studios and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.

When Venom returns in a new series from Marvel later this fall, it’ll be co-written by Al Ewing and Ram V. Each writer, it turns out, will be writing a separate character in the series, as the book focuses both on Eddie Brock and his son Dylan.

“How me and Ram are working together—we’re a band, essentially. Every issue is a new single, every trade is an album, and Eddie and Dylan are our instruments,” Ewing told Marvel.com. “They’re similar, but they make different notes, produce different sounds, build different stories. And for a while—so you should get used to it now—we’re going to be taking turns in the spotlight, playing Dylan songs or Eddie songs, while the other band member stays in the background. As each new single comes out, you’ll see how it fits together, forms one big concept album—or maybe a symphony. And then, when we’re ready, we bring all the instruments in for the crescendo—and that’s going to be something to hear.”

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Marvel announces eight new ‘tentpole’ titles for this coming winter

Daredevil, Fantastic Four, She-Hulk and more have new projects lined up at the House of Ideas.

Marvel revealed today eight new titles for the coming winter that they’re referring to as “tentpole” titles — or titles that “will shape the future of the Marvel Universe in the months to come.”

Marvel announced earlier this month plans to reveal several new projects today in celebration of their birthday — so, Happy Birthday, Marvel!

The projects range from event titles to new ones featuring some characters you’ll soon see on Disney+.

Here’s the lowdown on the eight titles:

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Comics Lowdown | Supply chain issues cause delays for DC Comics

Plus: Free Comic Book Day woes for New York library, Marvel’s vaccination comic, Osamu Tezuka and more.

Newsarama has reported that several titles from DC scheduled to come out over the next few months have been delayed due to supply chain issues.

“DC faces an unprecedented strain on the global supply chain, affecting all of us in the comic industry and beyond,” DC Marketing Manager Albert Ching said in a statement to retailers. “Up to this point, we’ve been able to keep delays and shortages to a minimum, but with recent notifications about COVID-related port closures, international and domestic freight delays, workforce shortages, and a severely allocated paper supply, we are unable to continue to manage this situation without disruption.”

Some Batman Day comics, DC has said, will be allocated to retailers as well due to these same issues, but

Supply chain issues have been in the news recently as manufacturers face raw materials shortages, transportation delays, higher energy costs and of course COVID-related issues. They are expected to continue into next year and will likely be exasperated with the upcoming holiday season.

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‘Marvel’s Voices: Heritage’ will spotlight Indigenous creators and characters

The anthology will arrive in November.

Marvel has announced another issue of their anthology series Marvel’s Voices for November, titled Marvel’s Voices: Heritage. Like last year’s Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous, this one will feature creators and characters from Indigenous communities.

Contributors include Nyla Innuksuk, David Cutler, Jim Terry, Maria Wolf and Rebecca Roanhorse.

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