During New York Comic Con, Marvel unveiled several forthcoming titles at their Next Big Thing and Marvel’s Voices panels. During the former, the publisher revealed a roadmap of 2023’s major event storylines, teasing a ‘Summer of Symbiotes’ and the ‘Fall of X’ will unfold in the middle of next year. The emphasis was on ‘Sins of Sinister,’ which will see the X-Men’s future take a dark turn (thanks to Nathaniel Essex) at the start of 2023.
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
The story will kick off with “Sins of Sinister” #1, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Lucas Werneck and more, on January 25. The following titles will then be transformed into three-issue miniseries for the event:
– Al Ewing’s “X-Men: Red” will become “Storm & the Brotherhood of Mutants,” beginning February 8. Here, Storm’s New Brotherhood of Arakko seeks revenge for the destruction of Mars, battling “their way through hell to seek the greatest secret of the Sinister Age… but are they fighting to save the world — or end it?” A character called Ironfire will be introduced.
– “Nightcrawlers,” formerly “Legion of X,” written by Si Spurrier. The series, which starts February 15, follows the Legion of the Night, an army of assassins created by Sinister using Kurt Wagner’s DNA. “Mysterious forces seek to break Sinister’s control over these fatal fanatics — to turn them AGAINST HIM. But who are they? And what are their true motives…? Enter Mother Righteous… and a meeting of the most powerful players in the Universe.”
– “Immoral X-Men,” formerly “Immortal X-Men,” written by Gillen, out later in February. Here, the Quiet Council’s disputes descend into chaos when Sinister’s hubris backfires. “The X-Men are sworn to crush a world that adores and respects them… but Emma can take a few minutes out to crush Mister Sinister first.” The book will also feature the return of Rasputin IV.
Paco Medina, Patch Zircher, and Alessandro Vitti will respectively draw the first, second, and third issues of each title, which respectively take place 10, 100, and 1000 years into the future. All three series will conclude in April with the special “Sins of Sinister: Dominion.”
At the Voices panel, three new, five-issue series were announced for Black History Month in February:
– “Bloodline: Daughter of Blade,” written by Danny Lore with art by Karen S. Darboe. Continuing the story Lore and Darboe created for this year’s “Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/X-Men” issue, the series will see Brielle Brooks contend with her burgeoning vampire powers, antagonistic undead, and learning her father is Blade.
– “Bishop: War College,” written by J. Holtham (“Spider-Verse Unlimited”) with art by Sean Damien Hill (“Wakanda”). Set in a universe where most of the veteran X-Men are Black, the series follows Lucas Bishop as he trains Armor, Surge, Cam Long, Aura Charles, and Amass to defend Krakoa. “Their first lesson: HOW TO FAIL.”
– “Silver Surfer: Ghost Light,” written by John Jennings (“Parable of the Sower”) with art by Valentine De Landro (“Bitch Planet”). The book follows Toni Brooks and her family, who have moved to a new town, where nothing is as it seems. “What mystery did Toni and her family unravel that would call upon the Sentinel of the Spaceways — the Silver Surfer?! And just who or what is Ghost Light?” Described as the introduction of a superhero “54 years in the making” (the span of time since Silver Surfer’s debut), concept art shows Ghost Light is a man made up of nanite gas linked to the Surfer’s Power Cosmic, who requires a suit to maintain his physical form.
A one-shot, “Marvel’s Voices: Wakanda Forever,” was also announced for February. “Bloodline” and “Ghost Light” will debut on February 1, while “Bishop: War College” will begin February 8.
Finally, Marvel confirmed a new Guardians of the Galaxy series for Spring 2023, just in time for Vol. 3‘s theatrical release in May. Displaying a broken Guardians sigil, the teaser asks: “How do you rebuild a family?” The last “Guardians” ongoing, written by Al Ewing with art by Juan Frigeri, concluded in September 2021.
