10 Best Spider Man Costumes!
Today on Variant Arris counts down his 10 favorite Spider-Man costumes of all time! Plus see what comics you should buy this week!
From VariantComics
Loading Video...
Spider-Man
Character » Spider-Man appears in 17242 issues.
Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, granting him spider-like powers. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that "with great power, comes great responsibility." Swearing to always protect the innocent from harm, Peter Parker became Spider-Man.
Spider-Man Comics Discussion
SPIDER-VERSE PART 3!
@amazingspiderdan said:
I really hate to keep over thinking things, but at some point when Peter's team arrived in 2099 to meet Otto's team, Peter said he "remembers Otto/Him being shoved out of time."
Does that mean Peter remembers everything Otto did while he was in his body ( Also meaning if he still had Otto's memories, he could remember Spider-Verse )
After he returned he couldn't remember what happened. SSM #19
@amazingspiderdan said:
Some of the confrontations in Amazing Spider-Man #10 are just flat-out underwhelming. I was expecting something bigger between Peter and Otto, or even Peter and Miles, but I guess with what was going on around them they didn't really have time to take it all in.
I really hate to keep over thinking things, but at some point when Peter's team arrived in 2099 to meet Otto's team, Peter said he "remembers Otto/Him being shoved out of time."
Does that mean Peter remembers everything Otto did while he was in his body ( Also meaning if he still had Otto's memories, he could remember Spider-Verse ), and that statement just retcon'd Superior Spider-Man #31 when Otto erased all of his memories, or could Peter just have found out at some point from researching all of Otto's actions during Superior? Or is this some Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Doctor Who timey wimey stuff?
If you can recall in the issue (Superior Spider-Man #19) where SpOck was trying to save Horizon Labs (and failed), he concentrated soo hard to think of the formula Peter came up (because that's what he needed to save the day) within The Amazing Spider-Man #648 and in directly Peter, that Peter was able to dig himself from the rumble that fell on him in Superior Spider-Man #9. And since he was now around, and in SpOcks head, he was there when SpOck went time hoping.
and since in Superior Spider-Man #19 it appeared that SpOck couldn't remember what happened, it could be that what ever affected SpOcks memory could be did not affect Peter. Mind you with SpOck body missing and What ever going to happen in Amazing Spider-man #14, there is that possibility he was faking the memory loss or at least managed to retain something that tells him that he will no longer be living in Peter's body and made preparations for that inevitability.
@animehunter said:
@amazingspiderdan said:
Some of the confrontations in Amazing Spider-Man #10 are just flat-out underwhelming. I was expecting something bigger between Peter and Otto, or even Peter and Miles, but I guess with what was going on around them they didn't really have time to take it all in.
I really hate to keep over thinking things, but at some point when Peter's team arrived in 2099 to meet Otto's team, Peter said he "remembers Otto/Him being shoved out of time."
Does that mean Peter remembers everything Otto did while he was in his body ( Also meaning if he still had Otto's memories, he could remember Spider-Verse ), and that statement just retcon'd Superior Spider-Man #31 when Otto erased all of his memories, or could Peter just have found out at some point from researching all of Otto's actions during Superior? Or is this some Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Doctor Who timey wimey stuff?
If you can recall in the issue (Superior Spider-Man #19) where SpOck was trying to save Horizon Labs (and failed), he concentrated soo hard to think of the formula Peter came up (because that's what he needed to save the day) within The Amazing Spider-Man #648 and in directly Peter, that Peter was able to dig himself from the rumble that fell on him in Superior Spider-Man #9. And since he was now around, and in SpOcks head, he was there when SpOck went time hoping.
and since in Superior Spider-Man #19 it appeared that SpOck couldn't remember what happened, it could be that what ever affected SpOcks memory could be did not affect Peter. Mind you with SpOck body missing and What ever going to happen in Amazing Spider-man #14, there is that possibility he was faking the memory loss or at least managed to retain something that tells him that he will no longer be living in Peter's body and made preparations for that inevitability.
That actually makes a lot of sense. When SpOck returned to the present in Superior Spider-Man #19, there is a possibility he could actually remember all of the events of Spider-Verse, and knowing that Peter would eventually get his body back he started preparing for his return ahead of time. We still don't know where Otto's body is, and it was discovered missing in Superior Spider-Man #21, so that could be a seed waiting to grow later.
But, that;s only if Otto did actually retain his memory from the events of Spider-Verse and was just trying to undersell it when he said he didn't remember.
SPIDER-MANDATE: The Debut of "Spider-Woman," Importance of Tie-Ins
Welcome to SPIDER-MANDATE, CBR's regular column featuring the lowdown on everything Spider-Man. Whether it's the core adventures in "Amazing Spider-Man," the recently launched "Spider-Verse" event or the other titles coming to Spidey's corner of the Marvel U, Peter Parker and company have a lot on their plates.
Shepherding the flock of web-swinging titles is Marvel Senior Editor Nick Lowe, who brings his years of experience as head of the X-Men books to Spider-Man -- and it means he's the man with all the answers when it comes to what's up with Peter Parker and Co.
SPIDER-MANDATE: Unlocking the First "Spider-Verse" Issue
This week, Lowe discusses the first meeting of Peter Parker and Superior Spider-Man in "Amazing Spider-Man" #10, as well as the fresh debut of the "Spider-Woman" ongoing by Dennis Hopeless and Greg Land. Plus, get the lowdown on the more humorous sequences of the "Spider-Verse" anthology comic and what's coming down the line for "Spider-Man 2099."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CBR News: Nick, there are quite a few different ancillary issues for the event, including the anthology series "Spider-Verse," whose first issue hit last week. That issue was chock-full of content, including a couple of new spiders and a lot of old familiar faces. Specifically, I wanted to discuss the process of Dan Slott and Tom Grummett's riff on the newspaper strips. How did that story come about?
Nick Lowe: [Laughs] That was all Dan's idea. It was one of the stories that he wanted to tell from day one: he wanted to do a newspaper Spidey and wanted it to be as close to those classic strips as possible.
Anyway, he had this idea that played with the way that daily strips work in newspapers, and it just cracked me up. I wanted to put together a team that would make it seem accurate and vital to those strips -- enter Tom Grummett and Tom Palmer, and they just crushed it. It looks so good -- perfectly fitting for those classic John Romita, Sr. and Stan Lee comic strips.
Nick Lowe checks in with the latest from "Spider-Verse," the debut of "Spider-Woman" and more in this week's SPIDER-MANDATE (Larger versions located at the end of article)
|
Slott & Grummet's strip-style story in "Spider-Verse" #1 
An EXCLUSIVE page from "Amazing Spider-Man" #11 by Olivier CoipelThe faux-Hostess ad was also a nice touch -- can readers expect more of these nods to Spider-Man's history as "Spider-Verse" continues?
Absolutely. First of all, we've got a whole second issue of the "Spider-Verse" anthology coming up that is just as chock-full of stories as that first volume, but we also have a lot of fun little bits and pieces that Dan has been chomping at the bit to tell.
I'm so proud of that first issue. Robbie Thompson, who has been writing for "Supernatural" for years and just wrote the 200th episode last week, it's the first Marvel comic he's ever written, and he's got more coming with "Silk." There's the incredible Katie Cook story that's just so fantastic and cute. And the great Mangaverse Spider-Man story that Skottie Young wrote and Jake Parker drew. I'm just so proud of the issue and the second one is going to be just as good, if not better!
Thompson Traverses the "Spider-Verse" and the "Supernatural"
Both "Spider-Verse" and "Spider-Verse Team-Up" kind of lead into what's going to happen in "Spider-Man 2099" when Miguel heads back to his own time with Six-Armed Spider-Man and Lady Spider. What's the process of coordinating all these moving pieces in such a seamless way?
I've got so many charts on my computer, and I've got a great editorial team working here. We just lost Ellie Pyle last week, going across the street to Vertigo, which stinks but I've got Devin Lewis at the assistant editorial reins on all the Spidey stuff and he's an even bigger Spidey-head than I am. From the beginning we've tried to have as much fun as possible and make this the most special event ever. Lady Spider didn't exist until Robbie, Denis [Medri] and Ellie did that story together. Once that came together, Ellie wanted to make sure she didn't just appear in those ten pages and disappear. That's how she dove into [the] "Spider-Verse" story and into "2099."
And it must be said... so much of the strength of the tie-ins goes into how Dan Slott plans the events that he's the architect of. He really wants the tie-ins to be key to the main story. It's all very important. We'll explain it all in "Amazing Spider-Man," but there's even more richness to be had in the tie-ins.
Something like "Scarlet Spiders" -- you have Mike Costa writing, and he's one of my favorite writers and I'm glad to have him back at Marvel doing something again. His run on "Cobra" over at IDW is a favorite of mine, and it was actually recommended to me by Brian K. Vaughan. That's the whole reason I knew Mike Costa existed, so that's pretty cool! And he's delivering big on "Scarlet Spiders" along with Paco Diaz and Israel Silva!
(Larger version located at the end of article)
|
EXCLUSIVE: Art from "Amazing Spider-Man" #11 by Olivier CoipelThe big entrance of Superior was a huge part of "Amazing Spider-Man" #10. How will the relationship between Peter and Ock continue to progress as "Spider-Verse" moves forward?
One thing that I'm so glad that I can finally talk about in this crossover is the importance of Superior Spider-Man. He and Amazing Spider-Man are the two main characters of this story -- what makes them different and how they both work. For everyone who's read it, you know how this issue ends -- with Superior doing something really strong -- and it's going to have a big ripple effect moving forward. It's going to be a real crucible to see what makes up these two very different Spider-Men.
How much does Ock know about his future after interacting with Peter? Is he going to know anything about his future at all by event's end?
As of right now, in "Amazing Spider-Man" #10, he only knows what's happened in those 19 issues of "Superior Spider-Man" and ["Superior Spider-Man"] #32 and #33. He knows nothing more. The question is, can he maintain that ignorance and what is that going to do to him and his story?
Readers also found out there are two Spider recruitment teams going around the Marvel multiverse -- Superior's and Spider UK's. Does this mean there are more?
It's just those two teams. As you'll read in "Amazing" #10, there's a fine line between those two teams. It's two very different leaders with Old Man Spider-Man on one side and Superior Spider-Man on the other.
We've spoken briefly about it before, but "Spider-Woman" #1 hit stores this week as well, and features Jessica Drew, Silk and puts a spotlight on Spider-Gwen as well. What was the challenge of starting on ongoing series like this one out of an event?
When you want to launch a book and you have an event coming up, you have a couple opportunities: you either launch something in the middle of an event, which might maximize the amount of readers who are going to pick it up -- the one downside is if it's tied into the event is you might scare someone away from it; the other option is waiting until it's over and launching then, but the risk there is less eyes on the book.
I want to get "Spider-Woman" into as many people's hands as humanly possible. I love Jessica Drew, I love who she is, I love what she's done, I'm a big fan of past Spider-Woman books, of her time in the Avengers... and I wanted her character to shine through in all the craziness of this event. That's why I wanted Dennis Hopeless on the book. He's got such a great grasp of character, and I knew he could really dig into the character of Jessica Drew and make people need to come back after "Spider-Verse" is done. With Greg Land, it's hard to find a better superhero artist. I wanted to make sure we had all our pyrotechnics firing as well, and give Jessica her best possible shot out of the gates with this "Spider-Woman" book.
Lowe is excited for the "Spider-Woman" ongoing as a big fan of Jessica Drew and the creative team Art by Greg Land (Larger versions located at the end of article)
|
SDCC: Hopeless Sends "Spider-Woman" to the Front Lines of "Spider-Verse"
In "Amazing" #10, there are a few Spiders that show up that haven't been introduced in "Spider-Verse" yet -- specifically, Ashley Barton from the "Old Man Logan" Earth. Is it just another Easter egg, or does she have a bigger part to play?
She's got a decent-sized part to play. She was briefly seen in "Superior" #32 and #33, so she's on Superior Spider-Man's side. She's got a decent role -- there are so many great Spider-characters, so I wouldn't say her role is major, just because there are other characters.
Next week is the debut of "Scarlet Spiders." You've been keen on the series for quite some time. Now that the issue is out there, what can you tell readers about how important these characters will be to the overall story?
It's hugely important. What we find out in ["Amazing Spider-Man"] #10 is how Morlun is still alive, even though he died in both his previous stories with Spider-Man. We see in the issue that his whole family -- you can't really kill them. You kill them, and they come back. It's up to the Scarlet Spiders -- Ben Reilly and Kaine and Ultimate Jessica Drew -- to get to the bottom of it and see if they can stop it. If they don't, I don't see any way the bad guys can be beaten.
"Spider-Verse" tie-in "Scarlet Spiders" brings together Ben Reilly, Kaine and Ultimate Jessica Drew (Larger version located at the end of article)
|
SDCC EXCLUSIVE: Costa Assembles "Scarlet Spiders" For "Spider-Verse"
Any particular place fans should be looking in the next couple weeks for more hints on what's to come in "Spider-Verse?"
Let's see -- this week is a big "Spider-Verse" week. This week, we've got "Spider-Woman" and "Amazing" #10. Next week, we've got "Scarlet Spiders" #1. In the coming weeks you'll get the first "2099" tie-in issue, and on Thanksgiving, as you're in your tryptophan coma, I want everyone to think of who their favorite Spider is, and make sure that the time we come back in December with more "Spider-Verse" that they're all ready. Be ready to embrace the crazy spider inside of you!
We'll be back in two weeks to discuss all the upcoming developments from "Spider-Verse," including "Scarlet Spiders" #1 and more -- so make sure you get those questions in by heading over to the SPIDER-MANDATE CBR Community thread. Or, alternatively, you can send over e-mail with the subject line "Spider-Mandate". No matter what your preference, get those questions in before November 28!
---
EXCLUSIVE page from "Amazing Spider-Man" #11 by Olivier Coipel
---
EXCLUSIVE: Art from "Amazing Spider-Man" #11 by Olivier Coipel
---
Slott & Grummet's strip-style story in "Spider-Verse" #1
---
Lowe is excited for the "Spider-Woman" ongoing as a big fan of Jessica Drew and the creative team - Art by Greg Land
---
"Spider-Verse" tie-in "Scarlet Spiders" brings together Ben Reilly, Kaine and Ultimate Jessica Drew
He can do it.
@angelalfonso said:
@punyparker: you wicked monster
I'm not even sorry.
Crazy.
Bitch.
i haven't been on here in ages but what do you guys think of this
Assassin Spider-Man Sets Sights On Spider-Man Unlimited
Peter Parker doesn’t kill. Everyone knows that. The Assassin Spider-Man of Earth-8351, though? That guy has no problem with putting enemies to sleep permanently, which is one of the reasons the Superior Spider-Man reached out to him in Spider-Verse. Assassin Spider-Man also won the fan voting in Spider-Man Unlimited, beating out the Ashley Barton Spider-Woman from “Old Man Logan” and a Cyborg Spider-Man to become the game’s latest playable character.
You can nab him right now in the “Amazing Assassin” in-game event, which runs through November 26. You’ll need to finish with a top five score among your group of 1,000 players to do it, but it’s worth the effort since Assassin Spider-Man is a seven-star Legendary character, one of just a few available so far. Cumulative rewards for defeating enemies top out at a Premium Portal and 10 ISO-8, and you can get a score bonus by using either the Rare or new Uncommon versions of Big Time Spider-Man.
Speaking of Big Time Spider-Man, he’s got his own new portal for 25 ISO-8 that features a bunch of new characters at different rarities than you’ve seen before, complete with new artwork. It’s certainly worth a purchase if you can afford it, just for the chance to change things up on your team of Spideys.
David Embroils "Spider-Man 2099" in the Chaos of "Spider-Verse"
The Marvel Universe is filled with potential futures, though some appear to be more likely than others. In one of the publisher's most popular possible futures, a super-powered scientist named Miguel O'Hara was inspired by the heroic legacy of Peter Parker to become the Spider-Man of his time, 2099. These days, Miguel is getting a chance to witness the exploits of his inspiration first hand, having found himself stranded in the current year, his distant past.
In "Spider-Man 2099," writer -- and Miguel's co-creator -- Peter David and artist Will Sliney chronicle the hero's present day exploits to make his future a better place by fighting crime in his heroic identity. Of course he's also attempting to reform his grandfather Tyler Stone and the corrupt megacorporation he helped found, Alchemex.
RELATED: The Debut of "Spider-Woman," Importance of "Spider-Verse" Tie-Ins
In "Spider-Man 2099" #6, David and Sliney take their time tossed protagonist on journey across multiple realities as they kick of their series tie-in to the "Spider-Verse" crossover event, which is pitting "every Spider-Man ever" against the Inheritors, the dimension hopping family of the villainous Morlun. We spoke with David about the arc, The Spider-Men and Women Miguel will find himself working with, and teaming with his Spider-Man 2099 co-creator, artist Rick Leonardi, on issue #5 of the series' current volume
-----------------------------------
CBR News: For "Spider-Man 2099" #5, you reunited with artist Rick Leonardi, who you co-created the title character with back in 1992. How did it feel to be back working with Rick on a Miguel O'Hara story?
Peter David: It was wonderful. One of my favorite memories in comics' history was when we had the first writer/artist get together for 2099. Rick and I sat off to the side and I described what I wanted Spidey's costume to look like, and Rick was drawing it and adding stuff to it. We had this great give and take, and I only wish I'd had the brains to swipe the artwork. In any event, I love that Rick was back with this issue, and I only hope he has the opportunity to make another visit.
In that issue, you and Rick set Miguel on the path to "Spider-Verse." As a writer, what do you find most interesting about this crossover? How does it feel bringing a character you created into an event featuring "every Spider-Man ever?"
What I love about it most is hearing ["Amazing Spider-Man" writer] Dan Slott talk about it. He is so enthusiastic and loves describing various bits of business that he's come up with for it. I'm just pleased to have the chance to be a part of it.
What's it like for Miguel to be a part of the large group of Spider characters gathering in "Spider-Verse?" Is he a team player?
He's definitely a team player. He winds up having a close relationship with one of them in particular, Lady Spider. I think he finds her Steampunk origins to be especially interesting. She has something of a scientific background, just as he does, but it naturally has a very old style feel to it, and that intrigues him.
What can you tell us about what Miguel and Lady Spider will be up to? What sorts of roles will they play, and what mission will they undertake for the larger group of Spider characters?
They will be putting their background to fairly good use. For one thing, they will be leading one of the Morlun family on a chase through 2099, and will also be doing some scientific investigation and dissection. Eventually, they will wind up assembling a rather interesting piece of technology to be of use in the final battle.
Will you be checking in with Alchemex and Miguel's bosses during your "Spider-Verse" tie-ins? What is the company up to while Miguel is off fighting alongside the other Spider heroes?
Oh yes indeed. Alchemax and Tyler Stone will be active and unwilling participants in everything that goes down. They are back with issue #6.
The "Spider-Verse" tie-in issues close out 2014 for Miguel and company - what can we expect from "Spider-Man 2099" in 2015?
There's going to be some serious spillover into 2099 as a result of the crossover that will compel Spider-Man to return to 2014 in order to fix it. Except he may not be able to make the return trip.
------
Luckily for him, Miguel has some help on his Spider-Verse adventure
---
EXCLUSIVE: A look at the returning Will Sliney's "Spider-Man 2099" #6 art
---
EXCLUSIVE: A look at the returning Will Sliney's "Spider-Man 2099" #6 art
Inversions Imperil Ewing's "Captain America & the Mighty Avengers"
The Avengers are known across the Marvel Universe as a team that fights for Earth, taking a big picture approach to super heroics by tackling global and intergalactic threats. Of course, that doesn't mean the Avengers ignore smaller, more localized crime and issues. Recently, Luke Cage, Sam Wilson (formerly known as the Falcon, now known as the all-new Captain America) and several other heroes came together to establish an Avengers team whose focus is on bringing super heroic help to people and communities in need. And, in a nod back to Cage's Power Man days, they even have a hotline that can be used to contact them.
SDCC: Ewing Teams "Captain America" With "The Mighty Avengers"
Writer Al Ewing chronicled the team's formation and initial battle with a powerful supernatural menace in the first volume of "Mighty Avengers." In the debut issue of "Captain America & the Mighty Avengers," Ewing and artist Luke Ross kicked off a dangerous new era for the team that finds two of its founding members mystically corrupted by the events of the "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" event and attempting to destroy and pervert the group's purpose. CBR spoke with Ewing about those team members, his plans for the non-inverted cast -- including the team's newest recruit, the Amazing Spider-Man -- and what dangers await the Mighty Avengers in the new year.
-------------------
CBR News: We kick off this new volume of Mighty Avengers with a different title and two of your main cast's personal codes and alignments inverted thanks to the spell cast in the first act of "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS." What's it like writing an inverted Sam Wilson? What do the Mighty Avengers mean to him now that his personality traits have been inverted? He seems almost offended by their very existence.
Al Ewing: Writing an inverted Sam is easy; I just take some of the attitudes I see every day in the real world and have Sam espouse them. All the stuff about how human rights are so terrible and we need to tear up our most essential freedoms in case someone we don't approve of benefits -- that's a newspaper front page seemingly every single day in my country, and I seriously doubt it's that different across the pond. Regular, non-fictional humans don't seem to need an inversion spell to turn against what's right -- sometimes it feels like we take to it at the drop of a headline. So there's a lot of my own horror and anger going into making Inverse Cap the polar opposite of the real, true Sam Wilson. And make no mistake, horror is on the menu.
To answer your question -- the Mighty Avengers are basically an organization devoted to helping people whether they "deserve" it or not. They're an organization that says anyone can join and hold Avenger status, regardless of power or privilege, as long as they're there to do good for their fellow people. Naturally, Inverse Sam is very much against them, in the same way that Regular Sam -- the true Sam -- was very much in favor.
We've seen the inverted Luke Cage briefly in "AXIS," but it feels like you're getting a chance to develop his inverted personality more here. What are sort of the core traits that define inverted Luke? And do he and Sam Wilson have similar or rival agendas?
While the thing that gets inverted in Sam is his commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights, the thing that gets inverted in Luke is his devotion to his community, and to humanity in general. Essentially, Inverted Luke is all about him and his. He still loves his wife and daughter, after a fashion -- in fact, he wants to spoil Danielle rotten. If that means a thousand other kids starve? Not his problem.
We've seen glimpses of Luke's plan in "CA&MA" #1, when he was on the phone to CORTEX Inc -- we'll be getting more of it, and whether it succeeds or fails, next issue. Right now, his plans for the MAs diverge pretty strongly with Sam's, but as we've seen in the regular "AXIS" book, they're very capable of working together if need be.
Luke's inversion begs the question of how his wife will react to it. Will Jessica Jones-Cage play a role in this "AXIS" tie-in arc?
All next issue! #2 is our big Inverted Luke issue, including a pretty heated discussion with Jess. As solicit-hungry readers will have seen, their marriage is under a strain (Would you want to be married to an evil version of your spouse?) and, much as I'd like to reassure people who, like me, are fans of the Jones-Cage marriage that it'll all be okay -- well, let's just say I've not finished throwing plot beats at Luke yet. Luke's going on a journey into the abyss, and that might not even be a metaphor. There are bad things out in the dark, as Jason Quantrell would say.
We got a glimpse of Power Man and White Tiger, and it was mentioned that some people thought they were dating. What can you tell us about the dynamic between the two teen heroes?
They're definitely dating. They're also very different people, with very different approaches to what they do and how they process the losses they've suffered. But one thing I want to do over the course of the next few months is showcase them as a team, and as the "Next-Generation A-List" I'm trying to set them up as. Remember that both of these kids have potentially unlimited power -- Ava already wields the power of a god, after the Tiger God agreed to surrender its power to her, while Vic's abilities are only constrained by his knowledge, and he's learning more every day. They might seem like the "Gamma-Level Threats" on Tony Stark's little battle-board, but they're a lot more powerful than he thinks.
But then, they'll need to be. Bad moon on the rise and all that.
Spider-Man was in the issue as well, but there was some question as to whether he's with the team since he got thrown out of the Mighty Avengers HQ, the Gem Theater. What can you tell us about Spidey's role in the book? And what's it like writing Spidey in a book like "Captain America & the Mighty Avengers?" So far, Spidey's role seems to be to find redemption for what Spider-Ock did to the team in the first volume of the series. He's not doing a great job yet -- mostly because an inverted Luke refused to accept his apology -- but the day isn't over yet. Spidey is -- intimidating to write. I try and write him funny, but my sense of humor can get a little strange, as readers of "Zombo" may remember. I also try and write him as someone with problems, someone who struggles. If we didn't have a whole support staff of reader-surrogates, he'd be the reader-surrogate, the "hero who could be you". He has bad days. Sometimes he'll get a sudden stab of guilt about something he did, sometimes he'll spend hours in a big hole of self-loathing, sometimes he actually is fine, and sometimes he's just saying he's fine so you don't worry. That's just how it is sometimes, you know? We've all been there. We have bad days and we have to get through them, and it's nice that there's a superhero in this big metaphorical world of tights and fights who has bad days too. |
Do any of the members that we didn't see in this issue get a larger focus in this "AXIS" tie-in arc? Or is this more of a Luke and Sam story?
I decided to lean heavily on the "Captain America" side of the title for #1, mostly for the simmering sense of dread as it becomes increasingly obvious that something's gone horribly wrong. But from here on, the whole team is involved -- in fact, next issue, we get a nice breath of fresh air as the non-inverted team members swing into action against a wild, outrageous and decidedly day-glo threat in the Mighty Avengers manner -- before we're back to the creeping awfulness of some terrifying opposite of your friend staring out at you through their eyes.
Brrr.
The first issue also introduced a new supporting cast member What can you tell us about Soraya Khorasani and her role in this series moving forward?
When I knew we were getting a new #1, I wanted to do a scene that introduced how the Mighty Avengers operate, particularly the whole "hotline" concept. So I figured I'd have a new recruit to the support staff being given the tour on her first day, and Soraya came to be. We'll be seeing more of her as the series continues -- especially as she's become a fan-fave in just a few panels -- and there'll come a time when the support staff, the Mighty Avengers who really could be you, have to come together to help the world in its time of crisis. Soraya's going to be leading that charge.
The solicits suggest we're going to get a big Mighty Avengers vs the inverted Axis of Evil Avengers rumble in this "AXIS" tie in. What can you tell us about that, and what will we see besides it?
I suppose this arc is partly about what makes an Avenger -- whether it's raw power, or having a set place in the great hierarchy of super-heroes, or living in a big tower or a mansion. Or whether, maybe, it's something more than that. The Inverted Avengers are almost the shells of super heroes -- stripped of everything that makes them what they are, all personalities reversed, only the powers remaining. Battle-board super heroes, existing only as sets of powers to play against one another. They're heroes of the abyss, hollowed out. And if that sounds like a horror story -- well, in practice, there might be a little more BIFF, BAM and POW, but if there's one overarching theme to the year ahead, it's horror. The horror of what lurks in the empty spaces, of what's looking out from behind the eyes of the person you thought you knew. What might be outside, in the dark.
Luke Ross had some great action scenes in the first issue, but it really felt like it was a showcase for his character acting skills.
Luke loves the Marvel method, it turns out. I think the only point in the issue where I really micromanaged him was the Spidey apology page, where I specifically asked for a nine-panel grid of supreme awkwardness. I usually try to specify emotions while I'm plotting, especially if I'm putting some dialogue in the plot. But beyond that -- it's all Luke.
I'm seeing his art come in for future issues now, and there are some treats ahead -- he draws a good Odinson in particular.
In January you kick off a new year and a new arc. What can you offer up about your plans for the series in the early months of 2015?
Gideon Mace is dead, and it's murder -- or something worse. Another old enemy gets a very unpleasant upgrade. Jason Quantrell keeps smiling. Luke Cage goes on a mission he might not return from. There's something outside that wants to get in. And that's not even talking about the really scary stuff.
I'd like to finish up with a thank you to all our readers, old and new. We're going into some dark places, my friends, but I think I know the way. And if it turns out I don't -- well, you probably won't feel a thing. What? No, I didn't take your hand. Clammy, you say? Feels like it might be dead? Or maybe never alive? Hmmm.
Creepy.
"Captain America and the Mighty Avengers" #2 goes on sale Nov. 26 from Marvel Comics. Read a preview of the issue here on CBR.
---
Al Ewing explains the "AXIS" effect on "Captain America & the Mighty Avengers" - EXCLUSIVE: Issue #3 variant by Afua Richardson
---
EXCLUSIVE: Art from "Captain America & the Mighty Avengers" #2 by Luke Ross & Rachelle Rosenberg
---
Thanks to the events of "AXIS," inversions have turned both Cap and Luke Cage into antagonists for the rest of their teammates
from ign.com
BETWEEN THE PANELS: WHY MS. MARVEL IS THE NEW SPIDER-MAN
Marvel's All-New Marvel NOW promotion resulted in the launch of a lot of new superhero comics earlier this year. And while there were certainly a fair amount of Avengers and Wolverine-themed comics, there were also plenty of titles that focused on relatively lesser-known characters. Books like She-Hulk, All-New Ghost Rider, and Elektra have tried new things when it comes to storytelling and visual presentation. They've helped address the problem that not enough superhero comics focus on female and minority characters. They've earned Marvel plenty of critical praise, but not a lot of cold, hard cash.
The sluggish sales of these books would seem to support the notion that the general superhero audience just doesn't care for books that don't revolve around A-List characters and big, continuity-driven storylines. However, not every book has struggled to find and maintain a large audience. The new Ms. Marvel series might just be the biggest success story to come out of All-New Marvel NOW. It's new, it's different, and it's built up quite an impressive audience over the past nine months or so. Ms. Marvel (and books like it) taps into a niche that Marvel and DC haven't done enough to cater towards in the past. And it's a niche that will continue to be important not just in terms of comic sales, but the continued growth of the superhero film genre.
It seems to be a case of Kamala's story and ongoing struggles resonating with readers in a way most superheroes don't. She really is the rightful heir to Peter Parker's mantle as the ultimate relatable superhero. Not that Peter doesn't have his own enduring appeal, but he's not the same character he was in 1962. Kamala is young. She's inexperienced. She's charming in a dorky sort of way. She's a hopeless fangirl of all things superhero-y. And Like Peter, she struggles to balance the needs and responsibilities of her day-to-day life with her desire to venture out into the world and do good. Thanks to artist Adrian Alphona, Kamala and her friends are rendered like real teens with unique qualities and fashion choices and not cookie-cutter, impossibly pretty superheroes. All of this serves to make Kamala an identifiable and well-realized character.
And certainly, Kamala's status as a Muslim-American is worth noting. I'm sure the fact that Marvel finally has a comic that hinges squarely on a Muslim character has helped the appeal of Ms. Marvel. There's a segment of the readership that now has a character who can speak directly to their life and experiences. But it's not as if readers need to be Muslim themselves to understand Kamala's struggles. This is a character who bristles under the pressure of her well-meaning but overbearing parents. She has to deal with things like racism and the fear involved in going to high school in a world where violence and shootings are a real possibility (or in her case, a supervillain attack).
There's so much fear and uncertainty and so many mixed messages kids have to wrestle with growing up these days. Characters like Ms. Marvel speak to the drama of young adult life in the 21st Century in a way Spider-Man did in the '60s and '70s. She appeals to a newer and fast-growing segment of comic readers. These readers are younger than the stereotypical age 30-40 male reader. They're less interested in traditional superhero stories. They're more media-savvy and more prone to buying comics digitally than in a comic shop. They've discovered books like Ms. Marvel or DC's Batgirl revamp or any number of indie titles from Image and they're finding something in the comic book medium they weren't before. It's a new audience, and it's one publishers need to court more than they are.
That goes for superhero films as much as it does for comics. Ms. Marvel could easily make a huge splash in Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Looking ahead at Marvel's recently announced Phase 3 lineup, Inhumans stands out as the most difficult sell. The concept is more esoteric and the characters more bizarre and outlandish than most Marvel properties. And unlike Guardians of the Galaxy, the Inhumans franchise doesn't immediately lend itself to humor and snark. Obviously, Marvel has big plans for the Inhumans. There's ample evidence that they're leading up to an Inhumans storyline in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this season. There are rumors that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are being re-imagined as Inhumans for this movie universe. The goal seems to be crafting an X-Men-like movie franchise to replace the actual X-Men franchise that Marvel can't make use of. But the X-Men are wildly popular because they have a broad and very innate appeal. Translating that appeal into the Inhumans movie could be a difficult challenge.
Not if Kamala is brought into the picture, however. She can and should be the face of the Inhumans movie franchise. It wouldn't be a stretch. We've already learned in her comic that Kamala is an Inhuman whose latent abilities were sparked by the events of Infinity. She's been exposed to this strange culture, learned that she has a grand destiny ahead of her, and gained a faithful sidekick in the form of Lockjaw the teleporting dog. Kamala serves a vital purpose in terms of balancing out the grandiose spectacle of the Inhumans and their centuries-old empire with the grounded perspective of a teenage girl who just wants to be a hero. All Marvel needs to do is make Ms. Marvel the focal point of the Inhumans film and they'll give this franchise the broad appeal and relatable protagonist it needs. Given Kamala's ties to her idol, Carol Danvers, it would be a way to tie the Captain Marvel and Inhumans movies together. And it would help Marvel further address the ongoing problem of the lack of diversity in superhero movies.
Sony would do well to think outside the box with their Spider-Man movies as well. The studio doesn't seem to have a clear idea of how to move forward from the critically and commercially underwhelming Amazing Spider-Man 2. Perhaps the best thing they can do is shift focus away from Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker and towards other characters who can appeal to these younger, more diverse readers that Kamala Khan attracts. Just look at the instant success of the Spider-Gwen character. Spider-Gwen hails from an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy, not Peter Parker, was bitten by the radioactive spider. Even though she appeared in one issue of Marvel's Edge of Spider-Verse comic, Spider-Gwen has developed such a rabidly passionate fanbase that Marvel has already announced an ongoing series for the character. Clearly this riff on a familiar hero is filling a void that no one knew existed before now.
The whole problem with Sony's rebooted Spider-Man franchise is that it spends too much time regurgitating elements of the previous trilogy. They need to offer superhero movie lovers something new. So why not shift direction and craft a Spider-Gwen movie instead? Heck, since Emma Stone has been the highlight of these last two movies, why not let her reprise the role and play a super-powered version of Gwen? Or barring that, why not follow the example of Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man comics and pass the Spidey torch from Peter Parker to Miles Morales? Both Gwen and Miles are great characters, and both have the potential to reinvigorate an ailing franchise.
The comic book audience is changing. Big, epic superhero crossovers still have their place, but there's a growing segment of readers who are less interested in spectacle and more interested in characters that can speak to them and their life experiences while still fighting larger-than-life battles. That's why Ms. Marvel has connected with so many readers this year. The comic blends the best elements of the Marvel Universe with great characterization, unique storytelling sensibilities, and a truly relatable protagonist. As the superhero film genre grows, we may see a similar trend of where audiences are no longer satisfied with movies that simply strive to be bigger and louder. Characters like Kamala Khan are going to be key to the long-term health of superhero storytelling in every medium
Take an Advance Look at New Battleworld for Marvel's "Secret Wars"
Marvel revealed the creation of the "Secret Wars" Battleworld in November, following up on the mysterious event teasers released throughout October, but details on how exactly the new Battleworld was set up were still a mystery. The publisher has shed a little more light on the mysterious new Battleworld and how it ties into the many worlds of Marvel events by releasing a full Battleworld map, containing references to a number of concepts across the Marvel Multiverse, and presenting a better idea of which Battleworld "nations" have the highest chance of interacting.
References on the new Battleworld map include the Domain of Apocalypse ("Age of Apocalypse"), King James' England ("Marvel 1602"), Marville ("Marville"), 2099, The Monarchy of M ("House of M") and -- of course -- Manhattan, which contains the Marvel Universe, the Ultimate Universe, Attilan and Monster Metropolis. There are 41 different references on the Battleworld map, but three are classified.
Check out the full Battleworld map below.
"Secret Wars" #1 hits stores May 2015.
------
Marvel Releases Full Map of SECRET WARS' BATTLEWORLD
Every story, every book is leading to Secret Wars.” A convention answer has become Marvel Comics’ credo of late, and a new teaser, accompanied by one heck of a map, shows how true that is:
(Map below)
"When everything ends, there is only Secret Wars” says the teaser. That makes it sound like the incursions, currently being battled in the pages of Jonathan Hickman’s two Avengers titles, are going to wind up worse than expected. Well, either way, we at least know what will survive, and that’s Battleworld. The planet is an amalgam of various timelines, alternate realities, and worlds seen in the pages of Marvel Comics over the year, each representing a “nation” on the world, destined to fight it out for survival. While we previously saw the teasers released for three weeks after the event book’s announcement mapped to the new Battleworld, Marvel has now released a map showing the grand majority of other places, and hinting at what other realities will be involved.
For instance, you have Greenland, which is where the “Planet Hulk” teaser flew up to in the initial Battleworld reveal video. The mystical city of K’un Lun, the source of Iron Fist’s powers, seems to make the trip to Battleworld on its own. There is, no joke, Marville, and a mystical land called “The Eye of Agamotto.”
Perhaps most internist is the Manhattan nation, which is made up of the Earth 616 Manhattan, the Ultimate Universe Manhattan, Attilan plopped down in the middle, and the Monster Metropolis underneath. There’s also “The Wall,” Which seems to separate off “The Deadlands,” “Perfection,” and “New Xandar” from the rest of the world, and three spots that remain Classified.
Take a look at the full map [and click here for a super-large version] and try to make your own guesses at what each location represents. And if you are still doubtful over how much the X-Men are involved in this crossover, just look at this: “Domain of Apocalypse,” “Utopolis” (possibly), “The Monarchy of M,” “Sentinel Territories,” “Mutopia,” “Westchester,” “Bar Sinister,” and even “Limbo” all have decidedly X-involved sounding names.
Just for fun, here’s how the original teasers translate, matching up the reveal video with the new map and guide:
Planet Hulk: 1. Greenland
X-Men ’92: 33. Westchester
Age of Apocalypse: 3. Domain of Apocalypse
Armor Wars: 5. Technopolis
Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows: 8. The Regency
Years of Future Past: 30. Sentinel Territories
Attilan Rising and Ultimate Universe: The End: 20. Manhattan (a, c)
Future Imperfect: 2. Dystopia
House of M: 29. The Monarchy of M
A vs X: 17. Marville
Old Man Logan: 31. The Wastelands
Civil War: 22. The Warzone
The Infinity Gauntlet: 40. New Xandar
Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies: 39. Perfection & 38. The Deadlands
Secret Wars begins in earnest in May 2015, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Esad Ribic. In a moment of correlation, Marvel’s chief competition, DC Comics, is publishing a story called Convergence in April and May 2015, wherein various realities get mashed together on a single planet, forced to fight it out.
----
#DontSaveFantasticFour
Marvel Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso tweets,
#SaveAvengers#SaveX-Men #SaveSpider-Man #SaveThor#SaveMsMarvel#SaveGuardians#SaveIronMan#SaveInhumanpic.twitter.com/taUbP8YLPX
— axel alonso (@axelalonsomarv) November 26, 2014
It does indicate a cancellation of everything.
Of course, one has already been cancelled. And for some reason isn’t even asking to be saved…
Log in to comment