For those who are enjoying the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series, you're in luck because Marvel announced on Sunday that there's a new series coming to town: S.H.I.E.L.D., which is will be like the show but with an unlimited budget, taking place in the 616 universe. Writer of this upcoming series, Mark Waid, talked to us about the series and what we can expect.
COMIC VINE: What is the new S.H.I.E.L.D. series about?
​MARK WAID: As the Marvel Universe becomes more and more perilous, Fury and Coulson bring a new strategy to certain missions--recruiting specialists whose skill sets line up with the mission at hand. Often, that's other superheroes, many without any prior connection to SHIELD. Sometimes, it's supervillains. Sometimes it's the most obvious candidate, often it's the least. But it's a chance to do a SHIELD series truly spanning the Marvel Universe.​
CV: Who is a part of this new team and what can we expect hero and villainwise in this book?
​MW: The main player in every story is Agent Coulson, and Fury will be a mainstay. Beyond that, what's exciting is the opportunity to introduce some of the other TV cast into the Marvel Universe proper, creating "Marvel Universe" versions of Mae, Fitz, Simmons, and the others. And in terms of guest-stars, the sky's the limit, but we've already figured out stories with guest-stars like Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Daredevil, Baron Mordo, Magneto, Invisible Woman, and the New Warrior kids. Just for starters.​
CV: What kind of tone will this series have? Are you going more along the same lines as the television series?
MW: ​To a large extent, but not by design--more because it's a tone that tends to echo the tone generally in my own writing. ​
CV: Is there any connection to the Hickman run of S.H.I.E.L.D. at all?
​MW: Keep reading.​
CV: Each issue is going to have a single mission. Are all the issues meant to be stand alone or will these stories be building to something bigger?
MW: ​It would seem to make sense that while every mission is a stand-alone story that there'd be some running connection, wouldn't it?​
CV: Another interesting thing about this series is that it has a rotating crew of artists. As a writer, what were the challenges in writing for different artists with each issue?
​MW: No challenge, just opportunity. Carlos Pacheco does bombastic action terrifically. Chris Sprouse brings the humanity with a dash of humor, and Alan Davis can draw anything!​
CV: How much of the new Deathlok will we see?
​MW: All 6'2" of him.
Thanks to Mark Waid and make sure to check out S.H.I.E.L.D. this December.
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