Marvel is hitting reset on comic editions. Pic: Supplied Source: New York Post
You've heard of Silver Age, Golden Age, Modern Age, and even Marvel has tried a reboot in the 90's where every title were rebooted with the same characters in somewhat different origins. Only to have them change it back again. Now, they've discovered a new angle.
IT’S the Avengers like you’ve never seen them before. Almost.
Marvel Comics is ushering in a new era of with a serious shake-up of its fictional universe — including restarting every title at Issue #1, a smashing new Hulk, at least two Spider-Mans and a revival of “X-Men” favourite Wolverine, who was killed off last October.
“It allows us to bring all the cool toys into the same sandbox,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel’s editor-in-chief. “Look for an influx of really fun, new stuff in the Marvel Universe. It could be an artefact of great power. It could be a region.”
The company is in the midst of a massive company-wide publishing event called Secret Wars, which has basically mashed up characters from different continuities and timelines across dozens of titles. It’s the precursor to hitting the reset button for what will be called the “All-New All-Different Marvel.”
The new books will take place eight months after what happens in Secret Wars.
“We’ve asked [the creative teams] to think big and think fun,” Alonso said. “Maybe a character moved to a new place, has a relationship to someone close to them change or their outlook on life is different.”
One of the most important parts of the new world is to appeal to both diehard fans and new readers who may only know the characters through big box-office blockbusters like “Avengers” or “Iron Man.”
“We don’t want people to feel like they walked into the middle of a movie,” Alonso said.
But he also wanted reassure long-timers: “This isn’t a Marvel Universe where the sky is green or there’s no water,” he told The Post. “This is the Marvel Universe you know with a few constructive tweaks.”
DC Comics had similar fresh start in 2011 and while it was initially a smash, there were some creative ups and downs in the aftermath. Some fans were miffed at what they considered unnecessary changes to some of their favourite characters.
Alonso insisted Marvel’s approach is much different, as they’re not “throwing away decades of history.”
“There may be some new characters. There may be some changes to the relationships. But it’s the Marvel Universe. It’s just the next chapter,” he said.
Alonso added that the creative teams are “cherry picking” some of the best parts of Marvel’s previous universes to bring into the new books.
The rollout will include about 60 titles, released throughout a four-month span.
Among the changes, according to Alonso:
• “An all-new Hulk unlike any Hulk you’ve seen before. It’s so much fun and it makes so much story sense that this Hulk will exist. It will raise questions for long-term fans about Bruce Banner (the Green Giant’s alter ego).”
• Wolverine will also be back, but it’s not necessarily Logan, the version made famous on screen by Hugh Jackman. “Wolverine is going to return to the Marvel Universe — sort of,” the editor explained. “I fully expect that people’s blood will be boiling and excited in equal measure. Whether that’s a resurrected Logan or someone new … when people see the silhouette of the character, they’re going to freak out.”
• Some characters will switch teams — think the Avengers and X-Men … and even sides.
• Promotional artwork shows at least two Spider-Mans — Peter Parker and his alternate-reality counterpart Miles Morales — as well as a recent addition to the Spider-Verse: Spider-Gwen, who is from yet another reality and whose secret identity is Gwen Stacy. If she sounds familiar it’s because the original Gwen was Peter’s girlfriend who was killed years ago. (Roll with it, it’s comics.)
• The original Captain America — best known to audiences as played by hunky Chris Evans — is no longer youthful and is showing his true age. He’ll remain in that state when the line relaunches, with Sam Wilson, the former Falcon, keeping the famous shield.
“We’re allowed to continue doing what we do — which is tell pioneering stories, take chances and have fun and be able to bend the universe without breaking it,” Alonso said.
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