Shattered Heroes Live Blog!

2:59

Strommy:

Hey there everyone! Marvel.com Assistant Editor Marc Strom here for the Shattered Heroes liveblog!

2:59

dreamyeyed:

Hi everyone! This is Social Media Coordinator Janna O'Shea!

3:00

Comment From Teh_Stof

I am....so excited...

3:00

Marvel:

#ShatteredHeroes liveblog is starting! Do you have questions? We have answers! Follow along: http://on.fb.me/pT04E0 and http://bit.ly/qEjDFV[via Twitter]

3:01

Strommy:

Just waiting for everyone to join the call. Remember, we get a lot of comments on these liveblogs but sometimes can't get to them all, so if you don't see your comment show up know that it's still going through.

3:02

Strommy:

Also remember to send in your questions and we'll ask some of them to the creators when we get a chance.

3:03

Strommy:

We've got Fear Itself writer Matt Fraction, SVP/Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and our host James Viscardi on the call so far--just waiting on Ed Brubaker to jump on and we'll get started.

3:03

dreamyeyed:

I hope that you're all as excited as we are about this event!

3:03

Comment From Guest

Will Shattered Heroes follow the fallout from the X-men's Schism as well as Fear Itself?

3:05

Comment From Steve Fell

If Shattered Heros is as good as Fear Itself has been, I will certainly be eager for it.

3:06

Strommy:

All right, and we're getting started! James is describing Shattered Heroes as the new landscape of Marvel Universe following Fear Itself.

3:06

Comment From SpideyFan

I was indeed skeptical about Fear Itself, but book 5 has given me a new eagerness for the conclusion,

3:07

dreamyeyed:

Remember, use the #ShatteredHeroes hashtag when you discuss this on Twitter!

3:08

Strommy:

It starts in November, and kicking things off will be Fear Itself #7.1, 7.2 and 7.3. These tee up what is coming up for Captain America, Thor and Iron Man

3:08

Comment From SpideyEllis

Dreamyeyed has overtaken Agent_M as the Marvel superstar on Twitter!

3:09

dreamyeyed:

@Spidey - Ha! ! I wouldn't quite say that, but thank you!

3:09

Comment From AJPalz

Fear Itself is a fantastic event, and number 5 has me dying to read the conclusion!

3:09

Comment From SpideyFan

Will the 7.1-7.3 issues be released all together or seperate?

3:09

Strommy:

Tom says that Fear Itself was a war, and our heroes have come through the crucible of this battlefield with their faith tested, their bodies shattered, and they're wearied but still moving forward. They'll have to deal with the choices they made and the things they had to do to survive.

3:10

dreamyeyed:

These issues will be released separately!

3:11

Marvel:

"Our heroes will have to deal with the choices they made and the things they had to do to survive." - @TomBrevoort #ShatteredHeroes [via Twitter]

3:11

Strommy:

Matt describes the three issues as the character stuff. It narrows the events of Fear Itself down to the Big Three, in a way that the event itself, by its nature, didn't allow.

3:13

Strommy:

Issue 7.1 is written by Brubaker and spotlights Cap. It deals with the loss of Bucky. He couldn't deal with the end of Fear Itself four months before it ended, so he's finally reflecting the events of the series in a Cap book. He actually wrote this issue a long time ago.

3:13

Strommy:

Brubaker will also be setting the stage for the next year's worth of stories in Cap with this issue, as well as setting the stage for a bunch of secret stuff that they've been planning for a while now.

3:14

Strommy:

It brings all of the threads from Captain America and Fear Itself together finally.

3:15

Marvel:

#FearItself 7.1 is written by @brubaker and spotlights#CaptainAmerica. #ShatteredHeroes #MarvelNBT [via Twitter]

3:15

Strommy:

Issue 7.2 focuses on Thor, 7.3 on Iron Man. The Thor story allows Fraction to narrow the spotlight down to Thor and his immediate circle. He was very cautious in putting together Fear Itself that 1/3 of each issue wasn't action with 2/3 of it being people standing around talking about what it meant.

3:16

Comment From DomPeppiatt

Looking forward to seeing how Stark's coping mechanisms will kick in after he gave up his sobriety to appease Odin. Back on the wagon, perhaps?

3:16

Strommy:

It's a "morning after" type story where you learn what's next. The Thor story is about the immediate effects on Asgard and how the Asgardians deal with all the revelations about their world and its origins.

3:17

Strommy:

Fraction really enjoyed writing Tony Stark and Odin going at each other, and 7.3 is really the second half of that. He says it was like the two biggest egos in the Marvel Universe going against each other.

3:17

Strommy:

Ed says that in his story Steve Rogers punches Nick Fury, but jokes that other than that Matt's books sound more interesting

3:18

Strommy:

Captain America, Thor and Iron Man's ongoing series will fall under the Shattered Heroes banner. Jason Aaron's new Incredible Hulk series also comes out of that. Matt Fraction says that he's read the first few scripts and they're fantastic.

3:19

Comment From x-girl

when i first dicovered fear itself i was very skeptical of but ive come to love it and cant wait for shattred heros

3:19

Comment From SpideyFan

"Steve Rogers punches Nick Fury" FINALLY! :D

3:19

Strommy:

The new Defenders book will also fall under Shattered Heroes, as well as Avengers and Avengers Academy, which will have a different status quo coming out of Fear Itself.

3:20

Comment From saz_bby

I am so excited for Defenders!

3:20

Comment From x-girl

oh yay i love avengers academy !

3:20

Strommy:

Fear Itself: The Fearless deals with the Serpent's hammers and threats that have been unearthed but not dealt with. Battle Scars will feature the emergence of a terribly important character for the Marvel Universe. Both titles are a part of Shattered Heroes.

3:20

Comment From Groove Digglah

Somebody has to punch Nick Fury! How about Cap taking down Donald Trump next?

3:21

Marvel:

.@brubaker will also be setting the stage for the next year's#CaptainAmerica stories as well as a bunch of secret stuff! #ShatteredHeroes[via Twitter]

3:22

Comment From Steve Fell

I have to say that the artwork for Fear Itself has been supremely awesome. The FI team deserves some serious High Fives for the work they have done.

3:23

Comment From Legacyguy

So looking forward to the new Hulk series!

3:24

Strommy:

Time for press questions! First question is about how fans of the regular ongoing series not familiar with Fear Itself will jump onto Fear Itself 7.1 et. al. They're written by the guys who write the ongoing books, and Brevoort says that these stories will hopefully serve all masters.

3:25

Strommy:

Fraction says that they work both as endings and beginnings. If all you know is that there was a huge battle, that's really all you need to know in order to pick this up and go forward.

3:26

Strommy:

Brubaker says that everyone has been through events like this before. He wrote Captain America #25 right after Civil War, and needed to make sure that everyone who picked up that book needed to know everything they needed to know about Civil War.

3:27

Strommy:

Question about who all will show up in Battle Scars: A wide variety of Marvel characters, but mostly from the ground level. Cap, Daisy Johnson, Taskmaster, SHIELD agents, mercenary folks. Fraction describes it as a little bit of a travelogue. They're all of the super espionage ilk

3:27

Comment From Guest

The quality of writing and art in the stories Marvel is telling is where it's at. Nobody else comes close.

3:28

Marvel:

"It was like the two biggest egos in the Marvel Universe going against each other." - @mattfraction on Stark and Odin #ShatteredHeroes [via Twitter]

3:28

Comment From Sandwich

Man, it sounds like next year's event is going to be wild

3:29

Comment From Legion!

Taskmaster? Finally!

3:29

Strommy:

In the Romita, Jr. preview art for Shattered Heroes, Hulk appears to be rocking a mustache. Brevoort jokes that it's a redress for the Red Hulk, where some people complained that he didn't have a mustache.

3:30

Strommy:

Thor is missing from the promo image. What can we take from that? What's he up to?

3:30

Comment From Sandwich

Oh, those previews for Aaron's Hulk are something else. Hulk is rocking that stache and beard

3:30

Comment From Steve Fell

A mustache on Red Hulk, LOL! Way to go Romita Jr!!

3:30

Strommy:

Brevoort says you can take from that whatever you want to take from that, but you should check out Fear Itself 7.2. There is definitely some change coming to the world of Thor and the Asgardians.

3:32

Strommy:

Tanaurus, the new God of Thunder that has been teased, is the face of the change that Fear Itself brings to Thor and the Avengers.

3:32

Comment From DomPool

I can see this ending with Thor kicking seven shades of the bad stuff out of Odin

3:33

Comment From Guest

Who the Hell is that guy in the shadows behind Iron Man?

3:33

Strommy:

How will the ordinary citizens react to the heroes following Fear Itself? Fraction says the role of humanity and the man on the street is major at the end of Fear Itself, so it's very much a part of the story.

3:34

Comment From saz_bby

I honestly don't think Thor could beat Odin. I mean, that would be quite unorthodox.

3:35

Comment From x-girl

but i hate to think of thor loseing to anyone

3:35

Strommy:

What's the backbone of this event, in the way that Dark Avengers was the backbone of Dark Reign? Brevoort says Dark Avengers wasn't necessarily meant to be the spine to that story, it just became that by its nature. There isn't really one overlying storyline to Shattered Heroes--it's more about the inidividual heroes reconstructing their lives.

3:36

Marvel:

#CaptainAmerica, #Thor and #IronMan's ongoing series will fall under the #ShatteredHeroes banner. #MarvelNBT [via Twitter]

3:37

Comment From DomPool

Too soon to mention any guest art for variant covers?

3:37

Strommy:

It seems like this story moves from straight action to contemplation--how do they make that transition? Ed says that one of the Marvel Universe's advantages has always been that it's more character than plot oriented. Having these aftermath moments are really Marvel-centric ideas.

3:38

dreamyeyed:

@Dom we have to save some stuff for later :)

3:39

Comment From DomPool

@dreamyeyed. Damn. Well I guess it's worth it. Can't blame a boy for trying.

3:39

Strommy:

Fraction says that when he killed Bucky he couldn't have the funeral the next issue because there was a war going on. This is the time when they can tell all the stories that they couldn't get to in Fear Itself proper.

3:39

Comment From saz_bby

I absolutely love the idea of #ShatteredHeroes . Super heroes having to deal with these consequences makes for incredibly compelling story possibilities.

3:41

Comment From DomPool

@Saz It's interesting because it's the side of the super-hero you rarely see outside of the comic medium - they're people, too, and the best stories are told from intimate angles - something Marvel has always excelled at.

3:42

dreamyeyed:

That's what I love about Marvel characters! They make mistakes, they lose their jobs, they have to deal with real life problems.

3:43

dreamyeyed:

They're incredibly easy to relate to!

3:43

Strommy:

Brevoort is talking about how these stories re-evaluate the landscape of the Marvel Universe. Everytime we do an event like this, there's a calibration period, such as after Civil War when there was the Conversation one-shot that Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev did that was comparable to what's going on here

3:43

dreamyeyed:

Question: How will the fallout of Schism play out against this storyline?

3:44

Marvel:

The new #Defenders book will also fall under #ShatteredHeroes, as well as #Avengers and Avengers Academy. #MarvelNBT [via Twitter]

3:44

Strommy:

Brevoort says it's no coincidence that the Regenesis in X-Men will be happening parallel to Shattered Heroes. You'll have an inkling of what it will all be leading to in Fear Itself #7

3:44

Comment From Schafersam

@dreamyeyed I imagine there isn't much of a pension in it. I wonder what Peter Parker will do when he retires.

3:44

Strommy:

Fraction sees Schism as a thematic companion to Fear Itself

3:45

Strommy:

What will Stuart Immonen do next? He's taking a break, then after that he's drawing Secret Avengers #21 by Warren Ellis, his partner on Nextwave

3:45

Comment From saz_bby

@Dom So true. And the writers and artists are really churning out some amazing stuff. The talent involved is simply astounding. Not to mention the folks at marvel are just super nice, awesome people.

3:47

Strommy:

How do the Defenders fit into Shattered Heroes? There is a dangling plot thread from the end of Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula that leads to the need for a new incarnation of the Defenders.

3:47

Comment From SpideyEllis

So Warren Ellis is on Secret Avengers for a good while? You'll hear no complaints from me about that fact.

3:48

Comment From Mike

I need Immonen back on a monthly!

3:48

Strommy:

Fraction says that the formation of the Defenders comes out of the Hulk needing a favor. These are the last characters that the Hulk feels owe him something.

3:48

Comment From Schafersam

Is it just me or is Hulk vs. Dracula possibly the greatest titled thing ever?

3:51

Strommy:

Are there any under the radar characters that are going to move into the spotlight in Shattered Heroes? You'll be seeing a lot more of Valkyrie in the next six months, Daisy Johnson and the proto-SHIELD that Hickman set up at the end of Secret Warriors will also be important.

3:51

Strommy:

The Forgiven are pretty important, from Hulk vs. Dracula.

3:53

Strommy:

Fraction notes that the take the opportunity at the end of events like this to re-present some characters.

3:53

Strommy:

Will Cap get a new shield? You'll have to wait and see! In Fear Itself 6 and 7 he's using something that's very different than a shield.

3:53

dreamyeyed:

Question: Will Cap get a new shield, continue using the broken one, or use the cool tech one?

3:54

Strommy:

Brubaker jokes that you should get ready for Cap's boat shield of liberty! But you'll know where we're going beginning with Fear Itself 7 and 7.1.

3:55

Strommy:

Does the shadowy character from Battle Scars have a backstory in the Marvel Universe? He definitely has history, and uncovering that history is at the heart of what Battle Scars is about.

3:55

Strommy:

People will recognize him once he comes fully into the light. Brubaker jokes that it's Gwen Stacy.

3:55

Strommy:

And that's a wrap! Thanks for joining us, guys

3:56

dreamyeyed:

Thanks for coming out! Stay tuned to Marvel's Twitter and Facebook for all of the latest #ShatteredHeroes news!

3:57

Strommy:

Stay tuned to Marvel.com for even more Shattered Heroes, and word on any more liveblogs in the future!

3:57

Strommy:

And big thanks to Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Tom Brevoort and James Viscardi for another great Next Big Thing call.

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