Following on the coattails of DC Comics’ reboot of its entire line last year, Marvel Comics is following suit with a relaunch of its own, called Marvel NOW!  Marvel execs have taken great pains to diffeentiate their line from DC’s re-vamp last year.  First, they claim this is not a reboot.  They also revealed that they are going to be nicer to comic book buyers, by rolling out the new changes week by week, allowing several opportunities for readers to jump on the new storylines.  Marvel NOW! will also restart only “flagship” titles (and Deadpool?), and other titles will continue their storylines.  Either way, it’s another excuse to re-start all the major series and shuffle some others, including merging teams and creating some new titles altogether.

The design of the covers and cover art really looks sharp–I really like the Fantastic Four and Iron Man covers.

So what are the new titles and the creative teams behind them?  Here are all the details, including cover art for the new first issues:

October release:

Uncanny Avengers #1 will be written by Rick Remender with art by John Cassaday.  At least five covers expected to be available.  Here’s Marvel’s detail on the title:  THIS IS IT!  The greatest era of the Marvel Universe starts here!  From the ashes of AvX an all-new, all-different Avengers assemble!  Captain America begins his quest to create a sanctioned Avengers unit  comprised of Avengers and X-Men, humans and mutants working together – so why is Professor Xavier’s dream more at risk than ever?  The first attack of the most loathsome villain in history will quake the Marvel Universe forever!  The funeral of one of Marvel’s greatest heroes!  $3.99

November releases:

Iron Man #1 will be written by Kieron Gillen with art by Greg Land.  Keep a look out for at least six variant covers.  Here is the Marvel explanation: Tony Stark—Iron Man: Technological visionary, wealthy playboy, unparalleled  engineer, and armored Avenger.  His greatest invention becomes his  greatest mistake. Iron Man must act fast…and Tony Stark must build faster!  The lethal techno virus Extremis is out in the wild and out for  grabs to the highest bidder! It’s up to Tony Stark to contain it and  that means creating a new suit of armor…NOW!  $3.99

Thor:  God of Thunder #1 will be written by Jason Aaron with art by Esad Ribic.  Six covers available.  Marvel’s blurb:  Throughout the ages, the gods of the Marvel Universe have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos.  NOW! the Mighty Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future selves.  The only hope for these ravaged worlds lies with the God of Thunder unraveling the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!  $3.99

Captain America #1 will be written by Rick Remender with art by John Romita, Jr.  Six available covers.  The details: Thrust into a bizarre, inhospitable world far from home, the all-new, high-adventure, mind-melting, tough-as-nails, sci-fi, pulp-fantasy era of Captain America is NOW!  With no country and no allies, what’s left for the Sentinel of Liberty to protect?  The Saga of Dimension Z begins here!  $3.99

Indestructible Hulk #1 will be written by Mark Waid with art by Leinil Francis Yu.  Six covers expected.  The detail:  Hulk – Indestructible force more weapon than man.  Banner – smartest man alive.  Combined they are the Strongest, Smartest Weapon on the planet!  And NOW! the INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK is an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!  $3.99

Fantastic Four #1 will be written by Matt Fraction with art by Mark Bagley.  Seven covers available.  Marvel’s description: Four adults. Two kids. One “car.”  NOW! begins a journey through all of infinite time and space.  $2.99

FF #1 will be written by Matt Fraction with art by Mike Allred.  Five available covers.   Marvel’s details:  We have seen the future and it will be fantastic!  In the absence of the Fantastic Four, a substitute Four, hand-picked by the real deal–Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk and Miss Thing–stand ready to guard the Earth and the nascent Future Foundation for four minutes… NOW! what could possibly go wrong?  $2.99

Deadpool #1 will be written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn with art by Tony Moore.  Six covers expected.   Marvel’s description:  Dead former United States presidents, from George Washington to Gerald Ford have been resurrected, and that’s BAD.  The Marvel heroes can’t be the ones to stop them, someone is needed with the reputation, skills and plausible deniability to take out these com-monsters in chiefs…NOW! is the time for Deadpool… In Wade We Trust!  $2.99

X-Men: Legacy #1 will be written by Simon Spurrier with art by Tan Eng Huat.   Five covers expected.  The details: Legion, the most powerful and unstable mutant in the world and son to Professor Charles Xavier, has killed gods and reshaped the face of the universe.  NOW! in the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men, Legion will finally attempt to conquer his demons and embrace his father’s legacy!  $3.99

All New X-men #1 will be written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Stuart Immonen.   Five covers expected to be available.  What’s it about?  It’s a blast from the past as the original five students of Professor X – Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel and Beast – are plucked from the  past and brought to the present.  But what they find, the state that their future selves are in and the state of Xavier’s dream, is far from the future they dreamed of.  And how will the X-Men of the present deal with their past coming crashing forward?  $3.99

A+X #1 will be written by various writers and artists as it will be a new anthology series for Marvel, following on the heels of Avengers v. X-Men coming out earlier than the above titles.  Each issue of the series will feature two team-up stories each focusing on a different Avenger and X-Man working side-by-side.  The first installment has a Hulk/Wolverine story by Jeph Loeb and Dale Keown and a Cable/Captain America tale by Dan Slott and Ron Garney.  $3.99

December releases (preliminary info):

Avengers will be written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Jerome Opeña.  It will be published twice per month.

New Avengers will be written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Steve Epting.

Point One will be a special issue featuring Ant-Man, Hulking and Wiccan, Nick Fury, Starlord, Cable and Nova.  Several creators will be working on this issue:  Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Jeph Loeb, Kieron Gillen, Nick Spencer, Dennis Hopeless, Mike Allred, Ed McGuinness, Steve McNiven, Jamie McKelvie and Salvadore Larroca.

More to come as Marvel Comics releases more information about its new line.

C.J. Bunce
Editor
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