Today’s round-up includes news and announcements on ‘Life of Wolverine,’ Gatchaman, the Energon Universe, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and more.
Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.
The new title will feature Cyclops leading a team that handle “explosive mutant-specific issues without restrain,” with the first threat being “an existential new enemy that rises out of the remains of Orchis.”
Both MacKay and Stegman are happy to be here.
“Taking on the X-Men is always a daunting prospect, but I’m extremely psyched to take this team of mutants back into the world with Ryan,” MacKay said.
Gail Simone, David Marquez, Eve L. Ewing, Carmen Carnero, Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman will plot a new course for the X-Men following the end of the Krakoa era.
During their panel at South by Southwest today, Marvel revealed their plans for the X-Men post-Krakoa, which include three core titles sporting the name “X-Men” as well as six other titles.
As most fans likely guessed, Gail Simone will write one of the core titles, Uncanny X-Men, joined by artist David Marquez. Current Avengers writer Jed MacKay and artist Ryan Stegman spearhead the adjectiveless X-Men, and Eve Ewing and Carmen Carnero team up for Exceptional X-Men.
“The X-Men are fractured in the aftermath of the end of Krakoa, scattered across the globe without a central base of operation,” Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort said. “What that means in practice is that all three titles carrying the name X-Men are core X-Men series—they all center around one of the major aspects of what the team has been about at different points. This is very much by design. We want to field a wide assortment of X-titles with different styles and tones and approaches, an X-Men book for virtually any taste.”
The other titles teased at the panel include solo titles for Storm, Wolverine and Phoenix, as well as some familiar team titles — X-Factor, X-Force and NYX.
“I think X-Fans are special in that we identify with having something different about us…and you’re going to feel that in this book, and what it means to have that thing about you that’s different, or exceptional. We go deep into the emotional part of that,” Simone told the crowd in Austin.
More details on the three core titles can be found below …
Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s new series will give Spider-Man’s marriage more than one more day.
Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s Ultimate Spider-Man will “zag” instead of “zig” when it debuts in January. Instead of taking the approach of the original Ultimate Universe, where Spider-Man was rebooted as a teenager, they plan to present an older Spider-Man, who is married with a family.
So it’s more Renew Your Vows, less Miles Morales.
“When we decided that we were going to do a book about an older Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man, we really wanted to lean into him starting his super hero life from a very different place than what’s traditionally expected,” Hickman told Marvel.com. “Peter and MJ being married is one of many decisions we made that underline this being quite a ‘different’ kind of Spider-Man story.”
Marvel announces a new one-shot by writer Christos Gage and artist Greg Land.
Marvel has announced that writer Christos Gage and artist Greg Land will bring the original X-Men — the black-and-yellow clad younger versions of Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Beast, Angel and Iceman — to the future for “a sacred mission across the Multiverse.”
You might remember that Marvel teased a new X-Men title called New X-Men during the San Diego Comic Con this year. Per Marvel.com, this special will “set up a brand-new X-Men series launching next year.” For fans of the Brian Michael Bendis run on All-New X-Men, in which the Beast brought these five into the present day, you’ll be happy to know the story will explore some of the themes introduced during that run.
Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman and more will reveal an untold ‘Superior’ tale.
It was 10 years ago that Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman kicked off one of the most controversial — and eventually acclaimed — runs on Spider-Man with Superior Spider-Man, which saw the dying Doctor Octopus switch his mind, Freaky Friday style, with Peter Parker.
Now Slott, Stegman and a host of artists will pay tribute to that anniversary in Superior Spider-Man Returns, a one-shot coming in October.
“The challenge Marvel gave me was: for the 10th anniversary, how can we revisit Superior, without repeating ourselves, and while telling a story that impacts Spider-Man’s world today?” Slott said. “Superior Spider-Man Returns is going to take an untold Superior tale, and drag it kicking, screaming, and violently exploding into the present. It’s going to give you everything you liked about Superior but in new surprising ways. No time travel. No clones. And no way we’re telling you how. Read the book!”
The new ongoing series will debut from Image Comics in August.
Writers Ryan Stegman and Kenny Porter will team up with artist Tyrell Cannon for the Freaky Friday-esque The Schlub, the story 0f a failing dentist who is body-swapped with the world’s greatest superhero.
They’re joined by colorist Mike Spicer and letterer/designer John J. Hill on the Image Comics series, which kicks off in August.
Stegman said the series is something he was thinking about even before his time on Venom.
“A few years back I pitched Image a comic that I would write and draw about a Michael Scott/Kenny Powers type character if they became a superhero that the entire world relied on. It was approved and I had started work on it when Marvel came along and asked me to do a little book called Venom,” said Stegman. “I couldn’t say no, but I couldn’t shake this idea of the superhero that just can’t do the right thing. So I asked my buddies Kenny, Tyrell and John to help me make this book a reality and here we are! The greatest superhero comic book on the planet.”
Kate Pryde becomes Shadowkat again and gets a new costume, Colossus leads X-Force and Tony Stark teams with Emma Frost.
Marvel shared several tidbits and teasers about the upcoming Fall of X crossover event during a panel at this weekend’s MegaCon. The panel featured Senior Editor Jordan D. White, writers Gerry Duggan and Benjamin Percy, and artist Joshua Cassara.
We don’t know a lot about the overall Fall of X storyline just yet, but we do know a few things. For one, it’ll kick off in this year’s Hellfire Gala special, after getting a preview of sorts in four one-shots. It’ll also involve non-mutant heroes like Iron Man, as Tony Stark lost his company to X-Men villain Feilong and it’s now making its own Sentinels. While the overall plot is still unknown, it’ll involve “danger, conspiracy and sacrifice” that “threatens to shatter everything mutantkind accomplished on Krakoa.”
One thing revealed at the panel is a teaser image that lists all the crossover titles that will be part of the event, including several new titles that we haven’t heard about yet. The list includes current titles like X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force, Immortal X-Men and Invincible Iron Man, as well as the new (yet familiar in some cases) Astonishing Iceman, Children of the Vault, Uncanny Spider-Man, Alpha Flight, Dark X-Men, Realm of X and the previously announced Uncanny Avengers.
Alex Paknadel, Cody Ziglar, Julius Ohta and more will pit the “greener” Spider-Man against the sadistic symbiote.
Miles Morales and friends will face off with Carnage in a crossover event that will run through both their titles starting in May.
Carnage Reigns will kick off with an alpha issue by writers Alex Paknadel and Cody Ziglar, and artist Julius Ohta. The seven-part crossover will run through issues of Carnage, Miles Morales: Spider-Man and the recently launched Red Goblin. Oh, and Iron Man is involved, as Carnage is trapped in the “ExtrembioteArmor” Tony Stark created during King in Black. The whole thing will wrap up in an omega issue in June.
“Carnage Reigns is an old-fashioned David and Goliath story pitting a greener Spider-Man against the most sadistic monster in the Marvel Universe—Cletus Kasady!” Paknadel explained to Bloody Disgusting. “Miles has only been this out of his depth on a handful of occasions, which is a gift from a storytelling perspective. I’ve really enjoyed crafting this tale with Cody Ziglar, and we’ve developed a really fun, really productive working shorthand and that fun is present on the page! We know this story will satisfy fans of both characters in their first-ever crossover!”
Two Marvel anti-heroes reunite courtesy of writer Benjamin Percy and artist Geoff Shaw.
Writer Benjamin Percy has been tearing it up in the pages of Ghost Rider and Wolverine, and come this summer he’ll bring the two characters together for Weapons of Vengeance.
The event will kick off, naturally, with an Alpha issue, titled Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance. Drawn by Geoff Shaw, the Alpha issue will recount the first encounter between Johnny Blaze and Wolverine.
“Wolverine is metal. Ghost Rider is metal. Together, their adamantium and chrome weigh in as HEAVY METAL!” Percy told Marvel.com. “You know how Metallica and Iron Maiden have toured together, shredded out songs, wailed on music videos? This is a little like that. I write the sheet music that Geoff Shaw brings to pyrotechnic, guitar-smashing life. You’re in for a head-banging good time, I promise.”
The one-shot anthology includes stories by Jason Aaron, Leinil Francis Yu, Ty Templeton, Ryan Stegman, Peach Momoko and more.
Marvel has revealed more details and some preview artwork from the upcoming Miracleman #0, a one-shot anthology that celebrates the character’s anniversary and return to comics. It will also preview Miracleman: The Silver Age, which marks the return of Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham to a story they began telling several decades ago.
Other creators contributing to the anthology include Jason Aaron, Leinil Francis Yu, Michael Carey, Ty Templeton, Ryan Stegman, Peach Momoko and Paul Davidson.
Stories in the special zero issue include, according to Marvel:
Marvel reveals more about the upcoming ‘Dark Web’ event, plus Gold Goblin, Hallow’s Eve and more.
As the temperatures cool down, the Spider-Verse will heat up — in San Diego this week, Marvel shared details on several Spider-Man related titles and events that will keep the wall-crawler busy through the end of the year.
First let’s talk about Dark Web, the Spider-Man/X-Men crossover event spearheaded by Zeb Wells that involves the Goblyn Queen and Chasm, aka Ben Reilly. The story will begin in “prelude” issues throughout November (in AmazingSpider-Man, for example), followed by December’s Dark Web Alpha #1 where Wells will be joined by Adam Kubert to kick things off in earnest. From there, the story continues in Amazing Spider-Man as well as various tie-in one-shots and limited series.
Marvel released the cover for Dark Web Alpha, by Ryan Stegman. Here’s his line art:
