News Roundup – September 22, 2012

For Marvel Now! Point One we have seen teases for Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven on what might be Guardians of the Galaxy. We also see a tease for Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, the team behind Phonogram, on what might be Young Avengers. I do not know if either of these creative teams will launch respective books for these characters (I hope they do), but not only am I getting excited for the Gillen/McKelvie match-up, but it looks like Young Avengers has Little Loki in it! Also in the Point One teaser we will get Nick Spencer and Luke Ross on Agent Coulson! If these three possible books actually happen, Marvel Now! may have finally given me books I am super excited for.

I know what you are thinking: With Marvel Now! coming how many new X-books will be launched? It is true that Marvel has a habit of bloating the market with too many X-books, but there may not be as many X-Men books as you think. Why? Because they are doing two X-Force books! That’s right, in addition to Cable and X-Force I announced last week, there will be a relaunched Uncanny X-Force book! Sam Humphries will write and artist Ron Garney will draw the new Uncanny X-Force, and the team will have Psylocke, Storm, Puck, and Spiral on it. More characters will be added to the roster, but their identities are being kept secret for now. (Well it has been spoiled that Bishop will return in some capacity. Hero? Villain? Who knows?)

In December we are getting the sequel to Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore’s Luther Strode book entitled The Legend of Luther Strode. If you have not read the first volume you can pick it up in the store. It is quite excellent. I cannot wait for the sequel!

Image Comics is launching a new title in December from writer Brian Wood. Together with Ming Doyle and Jordie Bellaire, Wood is bringing us the title Mara. This series is about an especially gifted woman in a sports-and-war-obsessed future who develops superpowers and becomes famous for all of the worst reasons. Sound interesting, and under Mr. Wood, I expect it to be extremely well written.

DC Comics is canceling GI Combat with issue #7. I would like to say I am surprised, but sadly I am really not. They need to rethink how they do their “war” books before launching a new one.

Ardian Syaf will be the new artist on Aquaman starting with issue #15 when the title begins a crossover with Justice League. No word on whether or not he is a permanent replacement.

The Teen Titans collection has Tim Drake narrating that he was always Red Robin, and not Robin as it said in the first issue. The collection also omits any reference to a previous incarnation of Teen Titans that was also revealed in the first issue. One Year into it and DC is already retconning stuff quietly. I am not a big fan of that.

Writer Greg Rucka noted that his Punisher run ends with issue #16, and then he is writing a five-issue War Zone comic. After that he is leaving Marvel Comics. He did an interview with CLiNT magazine and in it he talks quite candidly about leaving both DC Comics and Marvel citing that both companies have become so obsessed with Hollywood use of their characters that they are not creator friendly anymore. It is worth checking out.

James Gunn is officially directing the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and Thanos will be appearing both in that film and in Avengers 2. There was a hint that Thanos might not be the main Avengers baddie until Avengers 3 though. We’ll see.

Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President of Production, hinted recently that post Avengers 2 there might be a standalone Planet Hulk movie and World War Hulk storyline. There is no guarantee that is what will happen, but if it would, that might be kind of cool. As long as they do not adapt any Jeph Loeb Hulk stories I will be fine. Personally, I’d rather they come up with something original, and pay Joss Whedon to write it.

Finally I will leave you all with a great little SHIELD Fan-Film that even has an appearance by Amber Benson, who played Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Enjoy!