Marvel Comics News
| First Look: Avengers Vs. X-Men #1
This April, prepare for the biggest super hero war in comics history as Marvel is pleased to present your first look at AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1! From the powerhouse creative team of Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, John Romita Jr., Adam Kubert and Olivier Copiel comes a groundbreaking event pitting Earth’s Mightiest against the X-Men with the entire Marvel Universe at stake. Cyclops and his team believe the arrival of the Phoenix Force will save mutantkind, but Captain America is convinced it will destroy the world! But who is right? Don’t miss out on all the action in AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app this April!
Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX! For more on AVENGERS VS. X-MEN, please visit http://avx.marvel.com AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 (JAN120625)        |
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| Sneak Peek: Age of Apocalypse #1
Marvel is proud to present your first look at AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1, from the creative team of Dave Lapham and Roberto De La Torre. Spinning out of UNCANNY X-FORCE, the Amazing X-Men and the human resistance must fight tooth and nail to end the tyranny that has left their world ravaged! Continuing Apocalypse’s war on humanity, Weapon X leads the genocide that rains down upon this dimension, eliminating any who stand in his way. “This new Age of Apocalypse book does the impossible – it revolutionizes an old concept without a reboot,” explains Senior Editor Nick Lowe. “If you’ve been reading Uncanny X-Force, you know where this is coming from and you’re already in. If you’re an Age of Apocalypse junkie, this builds on the alternate universe’s mythology is fascinating and troubling ways. And if you aren’t either and just want a ground-breaking, easy-entry book that will challenge everything you know about the X-Men, there hasn’t been a better jumping on point.” Can anyone stop the evil Weapon X and who are the X-Terminated? Find out in AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1 with a cover by Humberto Ramos and Dean White that no fan can miss, hitting comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this March! AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1 (JAN120690)      |
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| Next Big Thing: Avengers Assemble Liveblog
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow, come together on March 14 in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1, an all-out action epic in the mighty Marvel manner! But before that, get a taste of what to expect when writer Brian MichaelBendis, artist Mark Bagley and editor Tom Brevoort join us for a special liveblog on Wednesday, February 8 beginning at 3:00 PM EST. Sign up below! <a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=7ebeeb7349″ mce_href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=7ebeeb7349″ >Next Big Thing: Avengers Assemble</a>     |
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| Wolverine & The X-Men: Class in Session
Put down those books and strap on your environmental protection suits, because the Jean Grey School will be redefining the term “field trip” and you’re expected to attend!
At 2 PM EST on Wednesday, February 8, the Jean Grey School returns to Twitter as you’ve been accepted to attend Biology 101 under the tutelage of Vice Principal Hank McCoy! All you need to do is log on and follow the Jean Grey School members list for updates. You can also invidiually follow and interact with @JeanGreySchool, @HenryMcCoyPhD, @IceIceBobby, @GenesisHero, @KidGladiator1, @QQuire, @idie_okonkwo, @_Broodling_, @SANTORULES, @_Anole_, @GlobHerman, @JanitorToad and @JGSHeadmistress. And remember, you’re only getting a taste of what it’s like to be a Jean Grey School student on Twitter, so also pick up WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #5! See you in class! |
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| The Essential Ghost Rider
Johnny Blaze roars into theaters once more in “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” on February 17, and to mark the event Marvel.com will bring you new stories on ol’ Flamehead every day from now until the film’s premiere! From looks at the film to looks at the character’s rich history,check out Marvel.com every day for everything relating to your favorite Flamehead, and don’t miss “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” in theaters February 17! By Jim Beard A blazing skull atop a leather-clad, motorcycle-riding figure–it’s not an image that’s easily forgotten once witnessed. Caught between Heaven and Hell, the Ghost Rider roars into town and everything seems to go to blazes, the result of his quest to bring vengeance to wrong-doers and rid the world of evil. Sometimes he succeeds; other times the line between good and evil blurs and the Ghost Rider must choose a path that may further stain his everlasting soul. First Ride
Johnny Blaze worked as a motorcycle stunt performer for the Crash Simpson Stunt Cycle Extravaganza and looked to its owner as the father he thought he’d lost along with the rest of his family. When Crash grew deathly ill, Johnny made the mistake of trying to sell his soul to Mephisto to save his surrogate father’s life. While Mephisto cured Crash’s cancer, he died shortly thereafter in a stunt. Mephisto attempted to take Johnny’s soul in payment, but ultimately unable to snatch such a pure soul, he grafted a powerful demon onto it instead, transforming poor Johnny into a blazing, nightmarish figure. Ghost Rider’s origin may be found in ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER VOL. 1. Blazing Champion
Now known as the Ghost Rider, Johnny turned it around on the Devil and attempted to use his new-found demonic powers for good. After trial and error he began to control the hellfire within him and used it to become a kind of super hero. His subsequent adventures brought the Ghost Rider into contact with many different entities, including other super heroes and eventually into a team called the Champions. All the while, Johnny worried that his fiery activities would sully the goodness of his sweetheart, Roxanne. After many harrowing missions against the forces of evil, Johnny ran into a man without a soul, Centurious. Immune to Ghost Rider’s hellfire, Centurious captured Johnny’s soul in a crystal and revealed that it was a demon named Zarathos who’d inhabited the young man’s body all along. This situation created an internal struggle between Johnny and the demon, but Centurious attempted to end that clash of wills. Zarathos shattered the crystal, freeing Johnny and the other souls trapped within; its owner reformed the crystal, though, and drew the demon into it, freeingJohnny Blaze from the curse of the Ghost Rider. The original Ghost Rider’s adventures can be found in ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER VOL. 1-4, and CHAMPIONS CLASSIC VOL. 1-2. Resurrecting the Ghost
Freed from Zarathos, Johnny Blaze wandered for a while, unsure of what path to take in his life. He discovered the existence of a new Ghost Rider, a man named Danny Ketch, and joined with him for several adventures once he realized that Zarathos had not returned in a new form. Eventually, Johnny would also discover that he had a brother he’d wiped from his memories…Danny, the new Ghost Rider. Together, they rode out against menaces, but, in some strange cosmic balance, Johnny lost his beloved Roxanne to a demon attack. Trying to start his life anew, Johnny began to transform into Ghost Rider once again. He eventually discovered that a reconstituted Zarathos inhabited his body, but he attempted to make the best of it. Soon, those noble intentions would be shattered when a group of demons snatched up Johnny andtook him straight to Hell to honor his long-ago pact with the infernal realm’s master. These exciting tales may be found in GHOST RIDER: DANNY KETCH CLASSIC VOL. 1-2 and GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO DAMNATION. To Hell and Back
Johnny Blaze, ever the clever and resourceful soul, eventually escaped from Hell, but returning to Earth proved to be no walk in the park. Back in the mortal realm, the Ghost Rider encountered many obstacles including the incredible Hulk, the angel Zadkiel and his own brother Danny, the other Ghost Rider. He also discovered an entire team of Ghost Riders from many different nations, and with them found himself in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. Sadly, there’d be no rest for Johnny Blaze after that ultimate showdown. Killed in a battle against the ninja Hand clan and their strong magic, Ghost Rider received a reprieve from Heaven and returned to vanquish his enemies with an angelic host by his side. Finally, he then believed he’d been freed from the curse of the Ghost Rider. Time will tell if that’s true, or simply another cruel joke on poor Johnny Blaze. Johnny’s later trials and tribulations may be found in GHOST RIDER BY DANIEL WAY ULTIMATE COLLECTION, GHOST RIDER: HELL BENT AND HEAVEN BOUND, GHOST RIDER: THE LAST STAND, GHOST RIDER: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, and GHOST RIDER: HEAVEN’S ON FIRE. Ultimate Ghost Rider
In the Ultimate Universe, Johnny Blaze and Roxanne Simpson ran afoul of a gang of bikers who killed the young man and then tried to make a deal with the devil for power. They received their power, but Johnny made his own deal to save Roxanne and then trained for twenty years to become an instrument of revenge: The Ghost Rider. The Ghost Rider sought out each member of the gang to kill them, but they’d all become very powerful men in business and politics. Johnny’s demonic hunt put him into conflict with the Ultimate Avengers, a battle that led to their initial defeat at the hands of the Ghost Rider. Ultimately, Johnny completed his cycle of revenge and, gaining Roxanne once again, agrees to continue as the Ghost Rider in the service of the Devil. The Ultimate Ghost Rider can be found in ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS: CRIME & PUNISHMENT. |
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| Assembling the Avengers: The Hulk
By Ben Morse On March 14, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes come together like never before as the stars of this summer’s big screen blockbuster “Marvel’s The Avengers” face a different kind of adventure in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 by the celebrated creative team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley. As we count down to this action-packed new ongoing series, over the next five days we will get Bagley’s insider insight on bringing these characters to life and also debut exclusive art from the first issue!
Since he made his first smash on the Marvel Universe, forces from the military to various villains to the Avengers themselves have sought to capture and contain The Hulk, generally with limited success. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE artist Mark Bagley has similarly found nailing down the Green Goliath to an ongoing challenge, albeit one he rises to with vigor. “Drawing The Hulk really pushes me outside of my comfort zone as an artist,” he admits. “I think I naturally tend to have an easier time with slighter figures, so it always takes me a while to get comfortable drawing The Hulk if I haven’t done so in a while. I look forward to having a chance to really settle on a consistent look to him.” Along with writer Brian Michael Bendis, Bagley will be responsible for integrating The Hulk into the Avengers as a regular member of the group he helped found but quickly parted ways from in a fit of characteristic rage, rarely having looked back over the ensuing years. “He’s had so many personality shifts over the years, from raging inarticulate monster, to a scientist’s brain in the [body of a] beast, to innocent childlike victim of the world,” Bagley says of The Hulk. “It’s gonna be interesting to see how Brian and I portray him as a member of the team. I would say it goes against the nature of the character, but as I said, there have been so many deviations from the Hulk’s original theme that I think we have some wiggle room here. “It’s early yet, but I think I’m getting a pretty good handle on him. Our Hulk is capable of being calm, almost contemplative, while just beneath the surface, just behind the eyes is the creature, just ready to rage.” Fortunately for Bagley, he’s got assistance in improving that grasp of the character not only from Bendis, but a variety of artistic influences as well.
“I loved every version [Jack Kirby] did as he evolved the character’s look,” he recalls. “I’m especially fond of the version he drew for a short while that had slightly hairy arms and [a hairy] chest. Both Buscemas [John and Sal] did great versions. Paul Pelletier has been doing some great work with the character lately.” As Bruce Banner continues his struggle to balance his warring personas, the artist conveying his adventures will similarly strive to find middle ground between the Hulk’s most explosive actions and comparatively restrained moments. “In the first issue [of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE] there is a small panel where he casually lifts a Humvee in one hand while gently rescuing a soldier in his other,” previews Bagley. “I think it has a nice sense of scale and decent visual acting. “[But] I love drawing him doing things bigger than life. [Longtime Hulk artist] Herb Trimpe drew him lifting an entire castle out of the ground and flinging it—yeah, it makes no sense, but it did look great.” Finally, when asked about how he’d be outfitting The Hulk as an Avenger, Bagley said he would not be straying from the norm: “As long as we’re dealing with a brutish form of him, The Hulk works best in torn pants. I know Sal Buscema had him in trunks for years, but I’d rather not.” Check in again tomorrow when Mark Bagley assembles another Avenger and shares more exclusive art with us! |
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| Blade Anime Episode 5 Preview
Blade continues to hunt Deacon Frost into the Philippines in a clip from Friday’s new episode of his anime, premiering at 11:00 p.m. ET only on G4! Watch our EXCLUSIVE new clip directly below, as Blade finds himself face to face with a woman who has lost everything to a group ofvampires, and look for new screenshots from Friday’s episode later this week! Stay tuned to Marvel.com for all things “Blade,” and remember to check-in to the series on GetGlue during each week’s episode to earn an exclusive digital sticker!  |
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| Marvel Reads: Spider-Man
You’ve read his amazing adventures in comic books and seen his spectacular stunts on the big and small screens. Now, get ready to experience Spider-Man like never before on the all-new storybook app, Spider-Man: An Origin Story, now available for your iPad or iPhone. As the first release in the new Marvel Reads storybook app line, Spider-Man: An Origin Story combines classic storytelling with state-of-the-art interactive features for only $3.99! Designed to appeal to Spidey fans of all ages, Spider-Man: An Origin Story retells the now classic story of how Peter Parker transformed from a shy teenager to the super hero everyone knows and loves today. The app integrates brand-new illustrations with immersive music and sound effects to bring to life Spider-Man’s world and fan-favorite characters like Flash Thompson, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben. There’s also a series of mini-games that allows you to step into Spidey’s boots and overcome challenges that only Spider-Man can! Last, and most certainly not least, the story is narrated by none other than one of Spider-Man’s creators, Stan “The Man” Lee! With the Spider-Man: An Origin Story app, you can experience the webhead’s first adventure with the aid of one of Marvel’s leading storytellers describing every web sling and Spidey sense tingle that our hero experiences! Swing into adventure and excitement by purchasing Spider-Man: An Origin Story for only $3.99 on iTunes today! And stay tuned to Marvel.com for updates on future releases in the Marvel Reads line. |
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| Omega Effect Q&A: Greg Rucka
By Jim Beard We’re charging up for the onrushing Omega Effect event which spreads out over three Marvel titles—AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6, DAREDEVIL #11 and THE PUNISHER #10—this April. Mark Waid and Greg Rucka, the two gentlemen responsible for the writing end of the story, find their hands full with Spider-Man, Daredevil and The Punisher scrambling to stop the Marvel Universe’s leading crime organizations from securing the Omega Drive. With the info contained therein, one could blow the lid off of just about every single bit of criminal activity on the planet. To celebrate the release of Omega Effect, we’re checking in with both writers and asking them a few pointed questions about this titanic team-up and their own writing relationship with each other on the story. We’ve already talked with Mark Waid, so up now: Greg Rucka!
Marvel.com: Greg, what’s it like working with a writer like Mark Waid? Why’s he a great person to collaborate with on a project like Omega Effect? Greg Rucka: Mark is, in my opinion, one of the best writers comics has ever seen. I’m a bad student of the medium and I don’t know a better way to say it. I loved comics but I was never the guy who growing up with them would [say] comics was it. I had a passion for them, loved them, but my depth of knowledge and my experience in reading them is really insignificant compared with so many other people out there in the medium. And there are a lot of people in the medium who came and got into the industry and work in the industry, and these are people who were raised on comics and loved comics. Comics are their religion. To such an extent, that they don’t know anything else. And that’s a detriment. Your ability to name every single variation of Kryptonite and every first issue in which it appears is a great pop quiz skill, but is not a great writing skill, all right? So just because you can do that doesn’t mean you know how to write. It doesn’t make you a good writer. The same way you if want to write for movies, you don’t only see movies, you know what I mean? You have to actually pick up books and read them as well. Mark is one of the very rare examples of somebody who’s love of comics and of the nature of collecting comics, of pursuing them, all of that is wedded with the knowledge and the skill set of being a writer, a teller of stories. That sounds so simple and you would think it is and it’s not. And it’s actually really very hard. So, when I am reading a Mark Waid script—I’ve had the good fortune of reading his scripts off and on over the last decade or so, and watching how his writing and his script style as evolved—[he] never forgets that he’s writinga comic, he never forgets what the purpose of the comic is, he never forgets the visual aspect. He is always in service of the comic story and his skill is remarkable in life. And I think nowhere is more evident than in the current DAREDEVIL. His work on DAREDEVIL right now is so visual if that makes sense. And then when we think about the craft involved, I mean, that book is incredibly dynamic visually. It’s the story of a blind man and you never ever get to forget that Matt is blind. So I think [Mark] has some extraordinary skills.
Marvel.com: Okay, that said, how do you see yourself in what you do on PUNISHER? Greg Rucka: I come from a prose background. I come from short story background and that led me into novels. So, I try to remember my visuals. My scripts tend to always be far more concerned with the emotional movement of a story than with the visual movement of a story [to the extent] ofbeing a detriment. This is something I do try to address. I’m working on the PUNISHER issue for Omega Effect right now. And I spent all morning working myself into contortions because I’m trying to figure out how to visually get across the information I want to get across rather than just have somebody say it. And I put myself in a hole. I was talking to Mark about this yesterday. The fact is that we set up a book about The Punisher where Frank doesn’t talk a lot, so that the means of getting readers up to speed is completely not fair. And if I try to put it there [for Omega Effect], it’s going to beglaring. This is a totally different thing. I spent today trying to doing a lot of “How would Mark do this?” Marvel.com: We’re to understand there’s a new person in Frank Castle’s life named Rachel Cole who perhaps defies easy categorization. Mark Waid says she figures into what he calls the “emotional heart” of Omega Effect. What can you tell us about her? Greg Rucka: One of the things that Mark had said very early on is that, to Matt Murdock, Frank is a lost cause. A lot of what I think Mark is doing is refreshing Daredevil right now; Matt is sort of “Happy Matt,” for lack of a better phrase. He has made an active decision to be happy, I would point out. As opposed to just deciding “Oh all that other bad stuff never happened—no I’ve just decided to ignore it.” So, when faced with Cole, and Rachel and Frank really come together in THE PUNISHER #9, Matt looks at her and thinks, “Well, I screwed up with Frank but maybe I can save this one.” And it provides a very interesting emotional center to what we’re doing here.
Rachel’s got a very specific story here. Her arc has a beginning, middle, and end. The book is called THE PUNISHER and people right now, I think, are thinking, well it’s not really about Frank, but Frank is sort of a presence in it. Everything that happens is about Frank because of his effect on everything makes it about him. So, Rachel’s story, her whole story is entirely ruled by her association with Frank and his presence in her life. Marvel.com: We asked Mark Waid about how he looked at Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Punisher as characters and the phrase “id, ego and super-ego” came up. Is that how you think of them also? Greg Rucka: I do not. That’s because I don’t tend to apply Freudian standards to my writing [Laughs]. That’s not to say it’s an incorrect assessment, but it’s not one that I’m terribly interested in. I don’t go there. It’s something Mark himself brought up a couple weeks ago, and I think it’s valid. But, I tend not to approach characters in that sort of archetype. I’m much more interested in them as characters I guess; that’s not demeaning [Mark’s opinion], it’s just [not] my value. I was talking to [editor Steve] Wacker yesterday about a bit [in the story], and there’s no way to do it because it’s a film bit rather than a comic bit; it really relies on motion. But I really love the idea of how skittish Spider-Man is around Frank. This is all set up at the end of the first issue, and [they say,] “we all have to press each other for X amount of a plan” and for Peter it’s just watching the fuse burn down. It’s only a question of when. It’s not if, it’s when is Frank going to come off the rails on this thing. And being able to sort of play with that and try to show it—I’m still trying to figure out if the visual is there. Marvel.com: Speaking of visuals, regular PUNISHER artist Marco Checchetto is providing some incredible continuity on Omega Effect by drawing all three parts of the story.
Greg Rucka: He’s amazing. I got pages this morning and they’re just phenomenal. I love working with him and I love how effortlessly he is sort of jumping almost between styles, you know? I mean the AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6 pages look different than the PUNISHER #10 pages. I don’t have another way to put it. They do look different. And it’s not that it’s a different artist at all, it isn’t, and it’s not that it’s not clearly Marco—there’s something else there. I don’t know how to put it [Laughs]. Marvel.com: So you’d say he’s got chameleon ability in his art. Greg Rucka: Absolutely. And yet it still is unmistakably Marco. I love what he’s doing. I, in all honesty, the more I see from him, the more I love it. I certainly don’t want to undermine anyone else [because] I am consistently fortunate in that I get to work with great artists, but every issue that I don’t get to do with Marco, I kind of find myself saying, “Well, oh, I wanted Marco to draw this.” Does that make sense? That’s not me going, “this other artist can’t draw.” You know? Marco’s story telling is just delightful. I really, really like it. It’s got this dynamic and when you get to write 50 of the Hand swarming up the side of a building and then you get to see Marco draw that, it’s like “Aw, man! That’s awesome!” Marvel.com: That allows us to segue into Omega Effect’s villains. Looking at the five distinct criminal organizations in the story, do you think they stand at different levels in the Marvel Universe or will they all end up in the same boat at the end of the story? Greg Rucka: The power is the issue because they’re all holding each other at bay. That’s sort of what starts this off. There has been a stalemate in effect for a certain amount of time and Daredevil knows that isn’t going to last and so he’s going to uncork it. You know, the Exchange, featured in THE PUNISHER, factors into the story and frankly, of all the factions in Omega Effect, they’re the “weakest,” but they’re also acting as brokerage. So, I wouldn’t rate one more than the other; they’re all there to make everybody miserable.
Marvel.com: We’ll wrap this up with same final question we asked Mark: The team-up in comics was once a much stronger “event” in comics—what do you feel is its status with today’s readers? Greg Rucka: Wow. I don’t know. I suppose there is a marketing value to it. I mean, maybe you’ll pull people over from one book to another, if they’re engaged by the story. But I think part of the nature of a crossover, the abusive crossovers I should say, is that readership has come to believe that actually, they don’t really matter much. There’s a lot of sound and fury and it signifies nothing. How is this going to change anything in the books? And even when we’re told, you know, “Nothing will ever be the same!” I honestly don’t know what it means [now] to the readership. Except maybe they’re probably more fed up. I will say that for what I am doing in THE PUNISHER, [Omega Effect] came along at a perfect time. This is the right story to be telling at this point in the overall story that I want to tell. And this actually sets up stuff that I have planned about 12 issues down the line that will actually bring Matt Murdock back in. And it has Peter Parker as well. I think the biggest detriment [of a crossover] is that a lot of people will say, “Well, it’s a stunt,” and there have been a lot of stunts in the industry lately. I’m not sure that’s different than 20, 30 years ago, but I do think that there is a sort of stunt fatigue. That said, we’re telling this story because this made sense. This was not simply an issue of “How can we put these three characters together?” and let’s hammer something into place. This is Mark doing the Omega Drive story, and this led us very organically to, “Wow, Frank would really, really, like to get his hands on that and what he could do with that could be pretty impressive.” And then that by definition sort of led to the policy of “Under no circumstances do you give Frank the nuclear launch codes; especially if you are Peter Parkeror Matt Murdock.” Because you know what he’s going to do and there is a moral obligation there to not let him.
Marvel.com: It sounds like the best, truest definition of an event. Greg Rucka: I hope so! I sincerely hope the readers say, “It’s a good story, and I want to read it. I want to know what happens here.” That, more than anything, else is what matters. And that’s the other thing: Mark and I are on the same page about this; we want to tell a good story. I have to say I’m really excited about it and I think it’s going to kick all sorts of tail [Laughs]. It’s been a lot of fun to write, and that’s always awesome. Omega Effect begins in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6, on sale April 11  |
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| Marvel Select Hulk Coming this April
This past weekend Super Bowl watchers were treated to the new “Marvel’s The Avengers” trailer showing the heroes in action, including our first full look at the gargantuan Hulk. Well, the Marvel Select toy line has been making waves lately with its larger figures, which tower over other entries in the 7-inch-scale line, and last week they finally unveiled their movie version of the Hulk! Standing 8.25 inches tall, he stands a good inch taller than the rest of the movie-based Avengers DST has made, and features 16 points of articulation for a full range of smashing. He’s available for pre-order now from your local comic shop and from online retailers, as are Hawkeye and DST’s figure of one of the movie’s mystery foes!
Here’s your Avengers checklist: Captain America (WWII outfit): Available now Marvel Select figures are sold at comic shops, specialty stores and most online toy retailers, so start your “Marvel’s The Avengers” collection today! |
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| Watch the Second Amazing Spider-Man Trailer
Webheads around the world have been craving a new look at “The Amazing Spider-Man,” out in theaters on July 3, ever since the first trailer debuted…and now we’ve got a second action-packed preview for you to enjoy right here on Marvel.com! Catch a glimpse of Spidey vs. the Lizard, the blossoming relationship between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, new questions about Pete’s past and more in this brand-new trailer directly below! Keep your eyes on Marvel.com as we count down the days until July 3, and in the meantime, what are you still reading this for? Watch the trailer now and enjoy! One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got tobe the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance–leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, the Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.  |
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| Sneak Peek: Ends of the Earth
The next big Spider-Man epic begins in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682, part one of Ends Of The Earth, by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli! The Sinister Six, led by the vengeful Doctor Octopus, is back and they’re looking for revenge! Can Spider-Man & Earth’s Mightiest save the world before Doc Ock’s explosive endgame is revealed? Find out in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682 hitting comic shops and the Marvel Comics app this March! Join the conversation on Twitter with #SpiderMan. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682 (JAN120658)     |
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| Assembling the Avengers: Captain America
By Ben Morse On March 14, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes come together like never before as the stars of this summer’s big screen blockbuster “Marvel’s The Avengers” face a different kind of adventure in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 by the celebrated creative team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley. As we count down to this action-packed new ongoing series, over the next five days we will get Bagley’s insider insight on bringing these characters to life and also debut exclusive art from the first issue!
There’s no hard and fast rule that says Captain America needs to be in charge of every Avengers team he’s a part of, but Mark Bagley tries to make sure Steve Rogers in the driver’s seat whether it’s official or not. “I try and depict him as the de facto leader that all the other Avengers naturally, maybe even subconsciously, defer to,” he admits. “[Tony] Stark has a man crush on him. Thor just flat out respects him. Hawkeye would be jealous of him if he didn’t like and admire him somuch. And [Black Widow] is smart enough to know Cap is the man—in a good way.” Bagley brings his admiration of Captain America to AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, where it will fit well given the Super Soldier’s key role there as well as in this summer’s “Marvel’s The Avengers.” Cap remains relatively newly returned to his familiar place at the forefront of Earth’s Mightiest following his “death” and rebirth as well as succession by Bucky Barnes and the events of Fear Itself, but it doesn’t take long for the Sentinel of Liberty to step back into action; it never has. “He’s a guy who is yanked out of his time and just accepts this wrenching experience with an ‘alright, what’s next?’ attitude,” Bagley reminds of Captain America’s early Avengers adventures. “I’ve always seen Cap as this solid, stoic naturalborn leader; a guy who doesn’t know how to quit. The kind of guy that people just naturally want to follow and are inspired by his mere presence: Perfect posture, chin up and looking ahead to meet any adversity.” While Steve Rogers may not be a towering Thunder God or sporting emerald skin, Bagley wants to make sure the Star-Spangled Avenger still makes an impression, even amongst his impressive allies. “He’s the peak of human development, so while not necessarily the tallest guy around, his musculature and bearing would have him stand out,” he explains. “I draw him with a really strong square chin, the classic dimple in his chin, and a shock of slightly unruly blond hair.
“He can run faster and jump higher than anyone else. While Cap is not super powered, everything he does is amped up just a bit past what any other ‘normal’ human should be capable of. I try and portray him as always balanced and moving with authority, with his years of combat experience enabling him to think two or three steps ahead of his opponents.” Bagley counts Mike Zeck, John Byrne and John Buscema among his artistic influences when it comes to Captain America, but looks to the first man who drew him, Jack Kirby, first and foremost. “If I try and emulate anyone’s sense of power and grace when it comes to Cap, it would have to be him,” he says. While Bagley teases he’s only just begun to focus on Captain America’s part in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, he hopes that before all’s said and done he’ll have a chance to pit the hero against some familiar foes: “I dig when he’s thrust into some sort of ultra-scientific conflict. A.I.M., Hydra—evil scientists coming up with wild things to challenge Cap.” Check in again tomorrow when Mark Bagley assembles another Avenger and shares more exclusive art with us! |
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| Avengers Minimates Assemble
“Thor.” “Iron Man.” “Captain America: The First Avenger.” “The Incredible Hulk.” Diamond Select Toys has made Minimates for each of the key Marvel movies so far, and now they’re making Minimates for the most action-packed Marvel movie yet: “Marvel’s The Avengers”! Hitting stores thisspring will be two assortments of figures, one exclusively available at Toys “R” Us stores and on toysrus.com, and another only at comic book shops and specialty stores. Look for them in late April/early May, and be sure to collect them all! Marvel Minimates – “Marvel’s The Avengers” (Toys “R” Us/toysrus.com) Marvel Minimates Wave 45 (Specialty stores/comic shops) We can’t show you the mysterious “Marvel’s The Avengers” foes who will be in Wave 45, or even tell you their names, but be sure to pre-order them through your local comic shop, because once you see the movie, you won’t want to miss out on them!   |
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| Sneak Peek: Ultimate Comics Ultimates #7
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #7, from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic. After Captain America refuses Nick Fury’s desperate proposal to lead his team, the Ultimates are out of options and must change the rules of the game in order to stand a chance against Reed Richards and the Children of Tomorrow! Can Nick Fury pick up the pieces of his broken team in time to save the world against this super human threat? Find out as ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #7 hits comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this month!      |
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| Watch the Extended Avengers Game Day Spot
Fans who “Liked” the official Facebook page of “Marvel’s The Avengers” yesterday got a special treat with the extended version of the television spot that ran during Super Bowl XLVI, and now we’ve got the full 60-second cut foryou right here on Marvel.com! Watch it in full directly below and catch a new glimpse of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, the Black Widow and Hawkeye in action as they get ready to save the world when the film hits theaters on May 4. Plus, aftter you watch the extended version, scroll down just beneath it to catch the original 30-second spot again! Keep your eyes on Marvel.com in the coming weeks and months as we get ready for the premiere of “Marvel’s The Avengers” on May 4! Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.
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| Free Mondays (2/6/12)
Welcome to FREE Mondays! Each week we focus on all of the newly digitized books you can read for FREE inside the greatest collection of Marvel comics available online: Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited! Plus, we’ll let you know what’s coming up next weekfor FREE, too! With each book, not only are you getting a free peek inside Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, but each free Digital Comic either gives you a look at a book featured in a recent collection or a comic that’s in stores now. How would you like to have two free digital comics to help get you through the school and work week? Here you go! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #667 Find out what next week’s free digital comics will be below!* *All scheduled issues subject to change. |
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| First Look: Scarlet Spider #2
Last week, we spoke to writer Chris Yost about what’s coming up with one of Marvel’s hottest new series, SCARLET SPIDER. Today, we’ve got a special advance look at art from issue #2, shipping this week, by Ryan Stegman. Check out just a taste of Kaine’s first battle with The Salamander below and then be sure to grab SCARLET SPIDER #2 this Wednesday, February 8! SCARLET SPIDER #2     |
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| Like The Avengers on Facebook For an Extended Spot
Did you catch the awesome new TV spot for “Marvel’s The Avengers” during Super Bowl XLVI? “Like” the Avengers on Facebook NOW to see the extended cut!
Plus, if you missed it during the Big Game, check out the 30 second spot right here on Marvel.com!
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| Thunderbolts Sketchbook: Atlas
By Ben Morse This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more! As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
To conclude, we take a look at Atlas, the former Power Man who set aside his villainous ways and took a deliberate but thorough path to heroism as part of the T-Bolts. While he has parted ways with the current team, adventuring on his own and recently clashing with the Avengers anew, Erik Josten remains a looming figure in Thunderbolts history. “Another character I loved from the early issues and another costume I really wanted to draw. Really interesting design by [original THUNDERBOLTS artist Mark] Bagley; I can’t think of any super hero costume quite like it. The battle that Atlas will have with a present-day T-Bolt was one of the most surprisingly entertaining ones to draw.” –Declan Shalvey Check out the rest of Declan’s sketches: Get psyched for THUNDERBOLTS #172, coming April 4!   |
