Anghus Houvouras with the five most anticipated All New, All Different Marvel titles…
The comics industry has been relaunch heavy of late. The last few years brought comic fans a number of shake-ups, reboots, and re-imaginings to help bolster interest in everybody’s favorite funnybooks. DC started this trend with the New 52, and Marvel quickly countered with MARVEL NOW. Apparently, the New 52 got old quick and Marvel decided that ‘Now’ wasn’t soon enough. DC once again took great liberties with their characters as part of the new DC YOU line, and Marvel has retooled the vast majority of their titles with the ‘All New, All Different’ moniker. These editorial shake ups and games of creator musical chairs have been met with some resistance of late, but the truth is there have been some really interesting books spinning out of these frequent realignments.
With their announcement this week of so many new Marvel titles featuring new creative pairings [check out all the titles and covers here], I decided to present my five most anticipated titles in the All New, All Different Marvel line.
1. The Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis & David Marquez
Some creators gel with characters better than others. Brian Michael Bendis is a writer with a very distinct voice. While his time with the Avengers was a chore, his take on the X-Men was the most interesting those characters have been in AGES. Tony Stark is a character that lines up well with Bendis’ sensibilities. Especially the new, Robert Downey Jr. version the character has that has been brought into the comics thanks to the multi-billion dollar success of the movies. This feels like a perfect fit for Iron Man and the most anticipated book
2. Sam Wilson, Captain America by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna
One of my biggest gripes with comics is how our favorite characters remained trapped in a state of stagnation. They aren’t given the opportunity to grow and dynamics rarely changes. I’ve been a fan of Captain America and The Falcon for a long time and have loved the direction of Sam Wilson as the Star Spangled Avenger. The new title implies a rift between the two old friends and a potential ideological fissure that could make for some interesting storytelling. Captain America is a character that has greatly benefited from some drastic shifts in the status quo. The Dimension Z and Iron Nail storylines have put Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson through the paces. I’m curious to see where this story goes next.
3. The Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron & Russell Dautermann
People are often quick to judge a comic book by its cover, myself included. When Marvel announced Thor was being replaced with a female protagonist I declared THOR LOOKS LIKE A LADY and wrote off the whole proposition as a cheap sales gimmick. How wrong I was. The new Thor has been a fantastic reinvention of the character that has made one of the most obtuse characters in the Marvel canon far more relatable.
4. Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Frank Barbiere and Brent Schoonover
I always like it when publishers aren’t afraid to get a little weird. Howling Commandos looks to scratch that itch featuring Dum Dum Dugan and a motley crew of Marvel Monsters. This title seems like the most likely of the new batch to be cancelled the quickest, but that also means they have nothing to lose. This is the kind of go-for-broke, all-or-nothing title that I’m looking forward to getting weird with.
5. Vision by Tom King and Gabriel Waits
The Vision has always been one of my favorite characters and one who has rarely been given his own solo adventures. He’s usually paired with the Avengers or given a team to mentor. Many creators have treated him like a Marvel version of the Martian Manhunter i.e. they don’t know what to do with him. In the right hands, the Vision could be a cracking good book. Especially if they unburden him of past continuity gaffes and start with a fresh slate.
6. All-New All-Different Avengers by Mark Waid & Adam Kubert
I know. I said five, but the list wouldn’t be complete without the a new Avengers title written by the great Mark Waid with pencils from the legendary Adam Kubert. The roster has gone through some changes and now features a diverse slate of heroes from the New Ms. Marvel, to Miles Morales’ Spider-Man. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America are on board, but it’s the latest incarnations. The Avengers under the direction of Waid and the mighty pen of Adam Kubert is something to get excited about.
So that’s it: the five (well, six) most anticipated All-New All Different Marvel comics. Which ones are you looking forward to?
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker and the co-host of Across the Pondcast. Follow him on Twitter.
https://youtu.be/_0aWTKimZj4?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
