Marvel NOW!

[SDcomics]

Comics: Marvel to Relaunch 22 New Series

by SuperHeroHype

July 03, 2012

It was never a matter of "if" but "when" Marvel decided to relaunch in some capacity, well it looks like it's happening very soon.

According to the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly and Newsarama, it turns out Marvel will be relaunching a slew of new books under what they're calling Marvel NOW!

Starting in October, Marvel will launch one new series every week through February 2013.  Expect to see new titles, new costumes, and all new numbers on these series. Take note that the difference between this and the DC reboot though is this isn't an entire overhaul, just a relaunching of characters/series.

The short list of confirmed titles are Avengers, said to be written by Jonathan Hickman with over 18 members on the team, X-Men, written by Brian Michael Bendis dealing with the original five X-Men time traveling to present day, and The Uncanny Avengers, which will have a roster including Cap, Wolverine, Thor, Rogue, Havok, and others.

Expect a lot more details on this in the coming days but especially next week at Comic-Con.

[Gadabout]

There are no where near enough lines in those costumes. FAIL.

[Marv-El]

But Jean's a redhead. You know what that means. Hot girl-mutant-on-girl-mutant action.

[kcekada]

Will be interesting to see if they can approach this in a way that doesn't alienate the older fans. Something DC obviously wasn't concerned with.

I still say Bendis is better suited to non-action/adventure stories. So, I don't know about Classic X-Men. I would like to say mutants more accepted in the Marel Universe. The anti-mutant hysteria has gotten old.

Guess I need more detail before I can really weigh in on this.

[kcekada]

Some details here: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/marvel-now-reevolution-uncanny-avengers.html

Immomen on Classix X-Men will be hard to resist -- even with Bendis attached.

[Chooch]

Unfortunately this doesn't do much to excite me.  It seems like the normal status quo shift after an event.

[Kimmel Prime]

The original X Men time traveling, oh fuck a duck

[Doghouse Reilly]

If that's the actual line-up for one of the Avengers books... fuck, I don't even know. "Ludicrous" doesn't go far enough. I will admit the idea of Cable hanging out with Rocket Raccoon does have a certain appeal, though.

Also, if Marvel wants to do a continuity reboot, having the original X-Men traveling to the future to see how fucked up the X-universe has become, then going back and changing things seems like the way it'll happen. Of course, that flies in the face of the way Marvel handles time travel in general (changing timelines just creates alternate earths, not a rewritten history). I sincerely doubt that would stop Bendis, though.

Cyclops past should really want to shoot Cyclops present in the face.

[EvilWilma]

Has anyone else noticed that Cyclops' new costume apparently has an X visor?

[Rocko]

Yeah, that picture is stupid. I won't buy the book that picture came from, I don't like one thing about it.

Hickman's good, though. He might do neat stuff. Bendis on X-Men is novel. This might be allright. I won't know, though, it will take something bigger than this to get me invested in new stories with these characters.

If they don't fuck with Winter Soldier and Daredevil, I'll be fine.

Of course, that flies in the face of the way Marvel handles time travel in general (changing timelines just creates alternate earths, not a rewritten history). I sincerely doubt that would stop Bendis, though.

That can be how somebody else fixes it later, though.

[dozymuppet]

Going to take a lot to make me give a shit about this.

I'm assuming Wood's run on X-Men will be relatively short as a result, and probably undone.

[kcekada]

Has anyone else noticed that Cyclops' new costume apparently has an X visor?

Sadly, yes. That's why I'll stick with the classic guys. Old school X-Men just hits all the right notes with me. Present day X-Men -- not so much.

[fishmilkshake]

As a longtime Marvel fan I can only offer you guys a heartfelt apology for not showing you more empathy and compassion when Didio and Lee pissed all over your fondest superhero memories.

[Rocko]

I'm not gonna go that far. I don't think this is really going to stick. Except for making Nick Fury black because of Samuel L., because it's hard to go back on stuff like that without somebody calling you racist, and that's an extremely dangerous thing for any company. I can't imagine that Hulk will still be wearing armor and Cap will still be on a team with Cable 2 years from now.

What this really hammers home for me is that I've had my best times with these characters at this point. There were surely fans in the 80s who were pissed off when they saw Cap and Spidey in black costumes, Thor turned into a frog, gray Hulk and all the other stuff that happened under Shooter that I thought was cool. I was cool with it because I didn't have a critic hat yet, and I was better for it. I still think all that shit was cool.

I don't have an open mind about stuff like this because I'm 33 goddamn years old.

[SDcomics]

I'm not gonna go that far. I don't think this is really going to stick. Except for making Nick Fury black because of Samuel L., because it's hard to go back on stuff like that without somebody calling you racist, and that's an extremely dangerous thing for any company. I can't imagine that Hulk will still be wearing armor and Cap will still be on a team with Cable 2 years from now.

What this really hammers home for me is that I've had my best times with these characters at this point. There were surely fans in the 80s who were pissed off when they saw Cap and Spidey in black costumes, Thor turned into a frog, gray Hulk and all the other stuff that happened under Shooter that I thought was cool. I was cool with it because I didn't have a critic hat yet, and I was better for it. I still think all that shit was cool.

I don't have an open mind about stuff like this because I'm 33 goddamn years old.

The changes that were going on at Marvel during that time were nothing compared to what was happening at DC.  No more Golden Age Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.  No more All-Star Squadron.  No more Barry Allen.  No more Superboy. Hawkman and Wonder Woman starting over from scratch.  It was a mess.  Spider-Man in a black costume was mild in comparison.

I'm 53 goddamn years old and you're right, if you read these things long enough you realize that the status quo almost always returns.

You may be wrong about already having your best times with these characters, though.  As long as Marvel and DC continue to publish, there 'll still be good stories as well as bad ones.

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