During C2E2, in Chicago over the weekend, numerous tie-in issues were revealed to the upcoming CIVIL WAR II event and you can read more about that here. We talked to writer Al Ewing about how his series NEW AVENGERS will tie into the greater Civil War story and what that means for the newly revamped A.I.M.
COMIC VINE: How will New Avengers tie-in to Civil War?
AL EWING: Well, I have to be a little bit careful about spoilers here, but readers who followed us through STANDOFF will have seen just how hard that hit Roberto Da Costa's New Avengers. So already, going into CIVIL WAR 2, we're at a point where the status quo is tumbling down around everyone's ears, and A.I.M. are reeling from contact with the US Military and S.H.I.E.L.D., the world's premier super-spies. That was Round One -- but now S.H.I.E.L.D. is moving in for the kill.
Without giving too much away - the events of the new Civil War provide S.H.I.E.L.D. with the information they need to take the fight right to Roberto's door, kicking off Round Two of the spy-battle of this or any other century. Meanwhile W.H.I.S.P.E.R., A.I.M.'s arch-nemeses and the new evil organization on the block, put plans into motion that might mean the Marvel Universe doesn't have a future to protect or change. Look at it from W.H.I.S.P.E.R.'s point of view -- if you were the bad guys, and the good guys were fighting each other instead of looking for you... what couldn't you do? Now think bigger than that.
What is Roberto Da Costa's mission?
His mission, if he chooses to accept it, is to survive long enough to save the world. And survival is going to be a tough thing to achieve -- we've already thrown a metric ton of crap at him and A.I.M. by this point - again, once you've read the book this far, you'll know - and we are just piling it on. CIVIL WAR 2 is just the excuse we need - and we'll see people literally using it as their excuse - to back up a truck of manure, manure that's on fire and also there is lava, just back it right up and dump it all over the New Avengers. This is the fight of their lives, when they're just coming off another one that literally shattered the team, and what nobody knows to begin with -- but what we'll find out -- is that there are real consequences riding on this fight for the entire Marvel Universe. So it's really bad timing that it's happening during another event with vast consequences for the Marvel Universe! Or maybe really good timing, depending whose side you're on...
What other characters will play a pivotal role in this story?
Dum Dum Dugan's back! We saw him in issue #1, and now he's dropping in from his role as leader of the Howling Commandos to lend support to the S.H.I.E.L.D. side. We also have Songbird taking a major role and the White Tiger continuing to grapple with her power loss - not to mention the previous White Tiger leading W.H.I.S.P.E.R.'s New Revengers squad in a battle royale against A.I.M.'s remaining Avengers! Plus we have a couple of guest-stars in the wings that I absolutely, completely, 100% will not spoil before their time. I will keep these secrets until the issue is in your hands, eyes and brain, true believer!
AIM is no longer what it once was, thanks to Da Costa. What kinds of new tech will Avengers Idea Mechanics be bringing into battle and can it stand up to what SHIELD already has?
I've made one Mission: Impossible reference already, but that's kind of how I see this, if I were to do my ten-seconds-in-an-elevator version - as the IMF taking on the CIA while something big and bad attempts to manipulate them both. As CIVIL WAR 2 looms, we'll be getting a look at Avenger Two - whatever that turns out to be - but after what happened to Avengers Island (wait, what happens to Avengers Island?) the emphasis is less on big, ridiculous toys and more on scaled-down spy-gadgets. But S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't exactly a slouch in that department, and they've had a lot longer to practice.
Considering that New Avengers pulls from characters from differents parts of the Marvel Universe (Mutants, Young Avengers, Avengers, solo Heroes, etc) do you find it more enjoyable writing a team dynamic like this, when the characters are a bit unfamiliar with each other?
What I like in a team book is if you can put any two members in a room together - nothing else in the room - and just the presence of those two will create a story. If the members aren't that familiar with each other, putting them in a room or a situation together and seeing what happens is always a fun thing to do. And I guess generally I'm more interested in the lower rungs on the superhero ladder, although I still believe "A-list" and "D-list" are essentially fake ideas in cape comics. That's probably why I like the "D-list" more, actually - I've got an affinity for the metafictional underdogs.
Any chance The Maker (Reed Richards) will be making an appearance?
Where there is W.H.I.S.P.E.R., there's the Maker. The alternate, evil version of Reed Richards has a definite plan for reality - one he's had since issue #1 - and he feels he's got a cosmic mandate to put it into motion. And like I said, there's never been a better time for him to make the attempt than during CIVIL WAR 2. The question is, will anyone see it coming? And even if they can... can he be stopped?
Thanks to Al Ewing for talking to us and make sure to see the A.I.M. vs S.H.I.E.L.D. battle in NEW AVENGERS for the CIVIL WAR II tie-in the upcoming months!