This week on Multiversity Comics Countdown, I’m following our Marvel THEN! post up with a look at the five Marvel Now! titles that I am most looking forward to. After all, we’re getting into the thick of things now with four books dropping this week. It’s time to look forward to the future, and you can look below to find the five books I am most eagerly anticipating.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy from Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven
Release date: February 2013
While I am a bit skeptical of this book in some ways, I love the Guardians, I love the idea of Bendis handling Star Lord and Rocket Raccoon, and I love the idea of McNiven handling the scope and scale of this book. Do I think McNiven will only last somewhere between 3 and 6 issues, or we’ll see delays? Sure. But I just love the concept of Marvel throwing their weight behind this book, and I really hope it’s a success and this team finally gets the audience they deserve.
With the movie coming, I can’t imagine Marvel won’t give it every chance.
4. Avengers from Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena
Release date: December 5, 2012
Jonathan Hickman said this is life to New Avengers’ death, and it’s the place where the big things are going to be happening. Big things for many writers mean…well, not much. But big things for Jonathan Hickman? They’re massive, sprawling stories with huge payoffs at the end. With a huge cast that includes a blend of old Avengers favorites as well as new ones (CANNONBALL!!!!!), we’re certain to get a lot of interesting team dynamics. With Hickman onboard, I can hardly imagine we aren’t going to get truly epic things here – think Kree/Skrull War on a modern bent.
Then, you have Jerome Opena in the mix, who is truly one of the most gifted artists in the industry. His work has the power and scope you really need to make this book work. The only reason it doesn’t finish higher? I just can’t see Opena making a monthly – or quicker – schedule work, and we’ll either see delays or fill-in artists. But I have hopes.
Update: As David in the comments mentioned (that I conveniently forgot), art teams will be rotating on this book, with awesome people like Dustin Weaver joining up. Yeah, that makes a huge difference. I still like this at #4, but I’m even more excited for it than before.
3. Young Avengers from Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie
Release date: January 2013
The team behind Phonogram (both iterations of it) pairing together to tell a youth team book? Yes, please. Throw in Gillen’s pet character – Kid Loki – and a fun mix of Young Avengers both new and old, and you’ve got quite the team inside the book as well. Not only that, but we’ve already seen a glimpse of this story in Marvel Now! Point One, as the two paired together to tell by far the best segment of that book. We know who they are. We know what they’re doing. Hell, we already know what we’re going to get. What we’re going to get is greatness, so I’m definitely not going to miss this.
2. Thor: God of Thunder from Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic
Release date: November 14, 2012
Thor is not always a character I’m all about, but there is something perfect about the pairing of Aaron and Ribic with the character that makes this so hotly anticipated by me. Aaron, whose writing is stunning plot turns mixed with very grounded, very character based storytelling. Ribic, whose work can only be expressed with mythical, legendary sounding terms. These guys are tailor made for a book with Asgardian roots, and just the name – Thor: God of Thunder – makes me feel like everything about this book just gets it.
That’s definitely something I can get behind.
1. New Avengers from Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting
Release date: January 2013
How can this book not be amazing?
You combine the team behind a large portion of one of the most legendary Fantastic Four runs ever with Marvel’s Illuminati. Let me say that again in a different way: you’re combining Jonathan Hickman – one of most incredible planners/plotters ever in comics, who happens to have the incredible gift of pairing big picture thinking with little picture emotion – with the architects of the Marvel universe. And you’re giving me Steve Epting art, meaning we’ll get some of the most powerful, grounded work in the industry.
So I ask again: how can this book not be amazing?
