Tag: Marvel

‘Phoenix Song: Echo’ tells the next chapter in Maya Lopez’s story

The new Phoenix takes the spotlight in a miniseries by Rebecca Roanhorse and Luca Maresca.

Science fiction writer Rebecca Roanhorse will team with artist Luca Maresca for a new miniseries focused on Echo, the Marvel character who recently gained the power of the Phoenix in the pages of Avengers.

Phoenix Song: Echo — a title that parallels the Phoenix: Endsong and Phoenix: Warsong miniseries from 2005-2006 — will have Roanhorse returning to the character of Maya Lopez, who she wrote in last year’s Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1.

“I am excited to return to Echo in her first solo series and follow this thrilling new direction Jason Aaron has taken her,” Roanhorse told Marvel.com. “Readers will see some old favorites re-imagined and some entirely new characters as Echo comes to terms with the incredible and dangerous powers of the Phoenix.” 

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‘Amazing Spider-Man’ returns to a ‘writer’s room’ approach in October

Zeb Wells, Kelly Thompson, Saladin Ahmed, Cody Ziglar and Patrick Gleason will tell stories starring a different Spider-Man — Ben Reilly.

With Nick Spencer set to wrap up his run on Amazing Spider-Man this fall, Marvel has announced his replacement — well, make that replacements.

Marvel has announced five creators will take over the thrice-monthly title in October — Zeb Wells, Kelly Thompson, Saladin Ahmed, Cody Ziglar and Patrick Gleason.

“When Zeb Wells started building this story it became apparent that it needed a narrative velocity and a team of the best of the best to make it happen,” Editor Nick Lowe said. “So we gathered some of the greatest writers and artists in comics to join us and the story got even better and bigger and more surprising.”

Spider-fans are likely familiar with Wells, who was part of the Spider-Man “Brand New Day” era that saw several writers take over the title following the retconning of Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s marriage. Thompson and Ahmed have been writing various Marvel titles for awhile, while Ziglar is currently working on the She-Hulk TV series for Disney+. He also wrote the Siege Society one-shot as part of the Heroes Reborn event. And while Gleason is known more for his art, it sounds like he’ll be writing Amazing as well.

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Mail Call | Scout Comics combines trading cards + digital comics with Comic Tags

Check out news and announcements from Marvel, Image, First Second, Dark Horse 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.

Scout Comics has announced a new digital publishing initiative called Comic Tags, which they describe as “a  way to both distribute and collect digital comic books that addresses some of the biggest problems that comic publishers and comic collectors face.”

These comic/trading card hybrids are limited edition collectible cards, but the kicker is that each of them comes with a scratch-off code to download a PDF copy of the graphic novel featured on the card.

“They’re attached to hangable backers that open, close, and look like a mini-comic book,” the press release reads. “These backers have interiors that are pulled right from the comic, giving you a glimpse at what you’re getting and a fun art piece to hang on to along with the collectible card.”

Don Handfield, a member of the Scout Comics board of directors, said, “I always felt like digital sales for comics were not near the numbers they should be. Digital comics should be for comic publishers what the CD was for the music labels or DVDs were for film studios. But digital comic sales account for less than 8-9% of overall sales industry wide. I think this is because collectors want something they can touch and feel. Collectors want to collect.”

You can find more information on them at the Comic Tags website. Scout Comics is selling several of them for $6.99 each, for titles like Mindbender, The Source, Solar Flare and more.

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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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‘The Dark Ages’ by Taylor + Coello shines in September

The six-issue miniseries will feature the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man and more.

After being teased in one of Marvel’s Free Comic Book Day titles last year, The Dark Ages miniseries by Tom Taylor and Iban Coello will see the light of day in September.

The six-issue series will feature the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Watcher and more, as they fail to stop a huge threat to the Marvel Universe.

“I’m excited to team up with the brilliant Iban Coello on one of the most epic stories I’ve ever been involved in,” Taylor told Marvel.com. “Marvel’s Dark Ages is a story unlike any we’ve told before. And it all begins with the shocking revelation of what the Watcher has been watching for. A danger older than the Earth threatens everything. And for once, the heroes who have saved the planet time and again find themselves almost completely powerless in the face of it. X-Men and Avengers will assemble. Spider-people and the Fantastic Four will come together. Heroes for Hire will fight alongside Champions. But none of it will be enough. The lights are about to go out…forever.”

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Nick Spencer’s run on ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ will end with issue #74

The 80-page issue will include artwork by Mark Bagley, Patrick Gleason and more.

Writer Nick Spencer’s final issue of Amazing Spider-Man will be September’s issue #74 — or, if you’re using “legacy” numbering, issue #875.

For his final, 80-page issue, Spencer will work with Patrick Gleason, Mark Bagley, Marcelo Ferreira and other artists who have drawn his run over the last three years. Gleason did the cover art:

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Samira Ahmed + Andrés Genolet will push Ms. Marvel ‘Beyond the Limit’

The new miniseries will kick of in September and will explore Kamala Khan’s powers.

Marvel has recruited Young Adult author Samira Ahmed to work with Runaways artist Andrés Genolet on a new miniseries starring one of their most popular young adult characters, Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit will run for five issues, starting in September, and will address questions about “the source of her powers and what that means.”

“For kids of color, Muslim kids, there was literally zero representation when I was growing up,” Ahmed told Entertainment Weekly. “Just the fact that Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman was brunette and from someplace outside America was like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing!’ So when Sana and Willow announced Ms. Marvel, I was just so stunned. My heart soars for all the kids who will have Ms. Marvel comics as part of their childhood. For me, what’s cool about her is that she’s a girl like all the other girls. She’s balancing all this stuff: Parental expectations – which I can 100 percent relate to now even in adulthood – plus school, crushes and then this extraordinary side job. I feel so much that that is teen life, where you’re struggling to balance all those things and find your voice and where you fit in.” 

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Stellar motorcycle shots: Heroes Reborn roundtable, week 6

Carla, Tom, Shane and JK continue to discuss Marvel’s latest comics event and its tie-in one-shots.

The Smash Pages team is back this week for our sixth Heroes Reborn roundtable, where we break down the latest Marvel crossover issue by issue. This week Shane Bailey, Tom Bondurant, Carla Hoffman and I talk about Heroes Reborn #6, as well as two tie-in issues: Night-Gwen and Squadron Savage.

You can read part one of our roundtable discussions here, part two here, part three here, part four here and part five here.

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Ka-Zar rises again in a new miniseries by Thompson + Garcia

‘Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land’ #1 arrives in September.

Marvel’s headed back to the Savage Land this fall, and writer Zac Thompson and artist Germán Garcia will be your tour guides.

Following his appearance in Empyre last year — where he died and came back — Ka-Zar will headline a new miniseries — Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land. The comic will flesh out Ka-Zar’s new abilities since his resurrection, as well as introduce a new Savage Land villain.

“Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land is the book I’ve always wanted to write,” Thompson said to Marvel.com. “It’s an absolute dream-come-true to take a character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and propel them into the modern Marvel universe with a whole host of horrifying new powers! It’s been years since Ka-Zar had his own series and we wanted to mark the occasion with an evolution that channels something like Immortal Hulk but with a distinct throwback to the old adventure pulps that inspired the character’s creation 65 years ago.”

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Mail Call | ‘Spawn’s Universe’ #1 orders exceed 200,000

Check out all kinds of announcements and previews from Skybound, Marvel, Bad Idea, AfterShock 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.

Never let it be said that kids don’t still love chains. Image Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions sent out a release this week touting that the upcoming Spawn’s Universe #1 has shattered the record for “Image Comics’ top selling, first issue comic book of the 21st century by selling well over 200K units.”

The release goes on to mention that the comic is only the beginning for this year’s Spawn-pocalypse; Spawn’s Universe #1 will arrive in June, followed by King Spawn #1 in August, Gunslinger #1 in October and The Scorched #1 in December.

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Marvel’s ‘Darkhold’ event returns to the schedule in September

The event, which was delayed by the pandemic, will feature Scarlet Witch, Doctor Doom and more.

Marvel’s long-brewing Darkhold event returns to the schedule for September with Darkhold Alpha by Steve Orlando and Cian Tormey.

The event, which would feature the return of the most evil tome in the Marvel Universe, was originally slated to start last June, but then the pandemic hit, the world shut down and publishers had to revisit their planned releases for the spring and summer.

The event will kick off with an “Alpha” issue, which will be followed by a series of one-shots starring different Marvel characters — a format Marvel used for its recent Man-Thing anniversary event, which was also spearheaded by Orlando. This event will feature both Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom, as well as characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man and Blade.

“At last, we’re ready to open the Darkhold together,” Orlando told Marvel.com. “Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom are two of Marvel’s most intimidating icons! And I am so excited for you all to get on board with this journey that pushes Wanda to the limit, as five of Marvel’s biggest heroes must overcome the nightmares held by the Darkhold’s pages, to stand with Wanda against one of her oldest enemies.”

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Marvel announces ‘The Death of Doctor Strange’ for September

Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett will show ‘what happens to the world if Doctor Strange isn’t in it.’

In September, a Marvel character will once again face death’s door in The Death of Doctor Strange, a five-issue miniseries by Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett.

The Sorcerer Supreme will follow in the footsteps of Captain America, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Batman and many other heroes who were killed in the line of battle.

“‘What happens to the world if Doctor Strange isn’t in it?’ It’s a question that I’m excited to show people the answer to in Death of Doctor Strange,” MacKay told Marvel.com. “Strange has been a Marvel fixture from the early days, but now, his time has run out and as a Strange fan, it’s been my bittersweet privilege to shepherd him through his last day and the effects that snowball out of it. We’ve cooked up a whale of a story to send Strange off with, and I can’t wait for people to join us on it!”

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