Marvel Now!
| "Marvel Now!" | |
|---|---|
 Promotional image for Marvel NOW!. Art by Joe Quesada. | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Publication date | October 2012 – February 2013 |
| Genre | |
| Main character(s) | Marvel Universe |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Various |
| Artist(s) | Various |
Marvel NOW! is a 2012 relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, scheduled to debut in October 2012 with new #1 issues. One brand new title, Uncanny Avengers is also scheduled to debut with the launch of Marvel NOW! Described as a shifting of the Marvel Universe following the conclusion of the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, Marvel NOW! entails changes to both the publishing format and the fictional universe to attract new readers. Publishing changes include new creative teams for each of the titles and the in-universe changes include changes to character designs and storylines.
Publication history
Marvel Comics first announced the launch of Marvel NOW! in July 2012. Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso described it as "the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the Marvel Universe". "From October through February, we’ll provide at least one great reason for readers—old, lapsed or new—to go into a comic store each week: a new issue #1, featuring an exciting new creative team and driving concept, that’s an easy entry-point into the Marvel Universe." Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada stressed that it is not a reboot but a shifting of the Marvel Universe following the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. Quesada explained that there will be "a lot of changes to the character status quos, alter egos, costumes, creator shifts, design shifts, the way that we do our covers, digital shifts and the way we start delivering our books".[1]
The first title announced was Uncanny Avengers by the creative team of Rick Remender and John Cassaday. Uncanny Avengers is a new team of Avengers that features a line-up of both classic Avengers and X-Men including Captain America, Havok, Rogue, the Scarlet Witch, Thor and Wolverine. The team is a response to the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. Remender said, "There’s something that Cyclops said to [Captain America] on Utopia that’s ringing in his head. He didn’t do enough to help. And Steve (Captain America) is taking that to heart. Coming out of AvX with the landscape shifted and changed as much as it is, there are events that lead Steve to recognizing that he needs to do more".[2]
All-New X-Men by Brian Bendis and Stuart Immonen features the return of the five original X-Men, plucked from different points in time including a teenage Jean Grey, whose adult counterpart died in 2004. Bendis said, "Jean coming back now is unlike Jean coming back before. This isn’t a reincarnated Jean, this isn’t a clone; this is Jean. She is coming here wide-eyed, but you also have to remember she’s coming into a world where she’s died. [It wasn’t] a great death, and I don’t want to spoil anything for AvX but she’s witnessed some things about her friends and loved ones that will make her feel wonderful, but also shock her to her very core and change all of her relationships... She’s going to witness what has happened to the X-Men and what she’ll do to try and change that, at a time when maybe her powers aren’t at their fullest yet".[3]
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena and New Avengers by Hickman and Steve Epting were the next titles to be announced. Hickman said, "Avengers and New Avengers are really just two sides of the same book, of the same story. Thematically, they’re aligned too. Avengers is about life and New Avengers is about death. That’s what the two books are. It’s a big book. In the Avengers, we tackle the biggest things.[4]
Iron Man by Kieron Gillen and Greg Land debuts in November 2012. Gillen said, "The story will focus on him (Iron Man) questioning things about himself and trying to find out exactly how the universe ticks, what’s this all about and why he does this anyway. It’s going to be one of the major themes of the book going forward."[5]
Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic, is set over the course of a millennium. Aaron said, "ultimately it's all about Thor, and by showing him in three very different eras of his life—as the young hotheaded god of the Viking Age, as the accomplished and legendary Avenger of the present, and as an aging king of a broken future Asgard".[6]
Indestructible Hulk by Mark Waid and Leinil Yu, picks up a few weeks after the events of Jason Aaron's Incredible Hulk. Waid said, "No one's seen Hulk or Banner for a few weeks, which has the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. really nervous. S.H.I.E.L.D., in particular, has gone to great lengths in recent years to make absolutely certain that it's impossible for Banner to stay off the grid for any length of time—and yet, he's vanished. And this literally affects the entire planet. Every country is on the equivalent of orange alert. Airport security is a nightmare. World leaders are ready to bunker down at a moment's notice. Surveillance cameras are selling faster than they can be manufactured. Everyone's tense. Maria Hill, in particular, has taken “Finding Banner” as her own personal mission, and when our story opens, she's finally taking her first break in weeks. And as it happens, her timing sucks."[7]
Deadpool is written by comedian Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan and drawn by Tony Moore. In terms of concept, Duggan said, "It starts with a man who has decided that America has a lot of problems that can only be fixed by bringing back our former leaders, our great American Presidents. But that’s not how it works out. Once they’re back, they have a completely different idea of what they need to do and what the country needs. It’s a distasteful job having to send our presidents back, but Deadpool is up for the job and is suited for it."[8]
The next titles to be announced were Fantastic Four by Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley, and FF by Fraction and Mike Allred. In Fantastic Four, the superhero family take a vacation into space to expand their children’s view of life, while FF features a new team consisting of Ant-Man, Miss Thing, Medusa, and She-Hulk. Fraction said that "both titles stand on their own after the initial storyline sets up the status quo for each, but each one relates and interrelates".[9]
Captain America is written by Rick Remender and drawn by John Romita Jr.. Remender described the tone to be "almost like Kirby Sci-Fi Indiana Jones". "High adventure dipped in sci-fi spy fantasy with heavy focus on the man under the suit. Steve’s fabric and his relationships drive our story and the action is the byproduct. Tonally it’s very serious. You want to make sure the characters go up against things that feel like real threats and [put] them into interesting situations. It’s a lot less of the connection with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the spy work and more big high adventure super hero stuff with sci-fi that I tend to lean into."[10]
X-Men: Legacy by Si Spurrier and Tan Eng Huat is centered around Legion (David Haller), the son of Professor X. Spurrier said, "As far as I know the idea of basing the series round David has been in the works since the plotting of Avengers Vs. X-Men. David’s story grows organically from those events. In fact I’d go so far as to say it’s the tale that really needs to be told in the aftermath period. My brief was pretty simple: take a thoroughly screwed-up young character—who’s been handled so differently by so many narrative teams down the years that it’s tricky for anyone to say for sure exactly who he is or what his voice might be and launch him into the Marvel Universe... Show us who he is. What he can do. What he wants to do but can’t yet."[11]
Titles
| Name | Volume | Issue | Creative team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled series | ||||
| Captain America | 6 | #19 (October 2012) | Ed Brubaker (W), Steve Epting (A&C) | [12] |
| Fantastic Four | 1 | #611 (October 2012) | Jonathan Hickman (W), Ryan Stegman (A&C) | [12] |
| FF | 1 | #23 (October 2012) | Jonathan Hickman (W), Nick Dragotta (A) | [12] |
| Incredible Hulk | 4 | #15 (October 2012) | Jason Aaron (W), Jefte Palo (A) | [12] |
| Invincible Iron Man | 1 | #527 (October 2012) | Matt Fraction (W), Salvador Larroca (A&C) | [12] |
| New Mutants | 3 | #50 (October 2012) | Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (W), TBD (A) | [12] |
| The Mighty Thor | 1 | #22 (October 2012) | Matt Fraction (W), Barry Kitson (A) | [12] |
| Uncanny X-Men | 2 | #20 (October 2012) | Kieron Gillen (W), Carlos Pacheco (A&C) | [12] |
| X-Men Legacy | 1 | #275 (October 2012) | Christos Gage (W), David Baldeon (A) | [12] |
| New series | ||||
| All-New X-Men | 1 | #1 (November 2012) | Brian Michael Bendis (W), Stuart Immonen (A) | [3] |
| Avengers | 5 | #1 (December 2012) | Jonathan Hickman (W), Jerome Opena (A) | [4] |
| Captain America | 7 | #1 (November 2012) | Rick Remender (W), John Romita Jr. (A) | [10] |
| Deadpool | 3 | #1 (November 2012) | Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan (W), Tony Moore (A) | [8] |
| Fantastic Four | 4 | #1 (November 2012) | Matt Fraction (W), Mark Bagley (A) | [9] |
| FF | 2 | #1 (November 2012) | Matt Fraction (W), Mike Allred (A) | [9] |
| Indestructible Hulk | 1 | #1 (November 2012) | Mark Waid (W), Leinil Yu (A) | [7] |
| Iron Man | 5 | #1 (November 2012) | Kieron Gillen (W), Greg Land (A) | [5] |
| New Avengers | 3 | #1 (December 2012) | Jonathan Hickman (W), Steve Epting (A) | [4] |
| Thor: God of Thunder | 1 | #1 (November 2012) | Jason Aaron (W), Esad Ribic (A) | [6] |
| Uncanny Avengers | 1 | #1 (October 2012) | Rick Remender (W), John Cassaday (A&C) | [2] |
| X-Men: Legacy | 2 | #1 (November 2012) | Si Spurrier (W), Tan Eng Huat (A) | [11] |
References
- ^ Morse, Ben (5 July 2012). "Marvel NOW!". Marvel.com. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ a b Morse, Ben (27 July 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Uncanny Avengers". Marvel.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ a b White, Brett (1 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: All-New X-Men". Marvel.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Uzumeri, David (2 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Avengers". Marvel.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ a b Haupt, Ryan (6 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Iron Man". Marvel.com. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ a b O'Shea, Tim (7 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Thor: God of Thunder". Marvel.com. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Carla (8 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Indestructible Hulk". Marvel.com. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- ^ a b Zalben, Alex (9 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Deadpool". Marvel.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ a b c Beard, Jim (9 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Fantastic Four". Marvel.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ a b Beard, Jim (10 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: Captain America". Marvel.com. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ a b Montgomery, Paul (10 August 2012). "Marvel NOW! Q&A: X-Men Legacy". Marvel.com. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Melrose, Kevin (July 10, 2012). "Nine titles end in October as Marvel NOW! begins". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-07.