Marvel

Marvel's SXSW panel has started and Twitter is going berserk. (Remember, Twitter was launched at SXSW.) There's also a reporting from CNET who seem to have gotten a heads up, even if the reporter doesn't seem to be aware Jack Kirby and Jerry Robinson are dead (or that the Joker isn't a Marvel character).

It was quietly announced to retailers yesterday that Marvel will be changing the all their $2.99 titles to the "self-cover" format, starting in April. "Self-cover" meaning that the paper of the cover is the same as the paper of the internal pages. Truth be told, this sounds like a bigger change than it is.

Following on what seems to have been a successful run with the Ultimate line, starting in June, Marvel will include a digital download code with ALL its books selling for $3.99. Marvel's moving ahead in this regard is interesting, since DC's John Rood has indicated that redemption of their combo packs has been "astonishingly low." In contrast David Gabriel says Marvel's program has been a big success.

As first noted in the comics blogosphere by Graeme McMillan, Marvel's proposed KISS KISS BANG BANG and ROUTE 666 Crossgen revivals have been shelved indefinitely. Word came via Tom Brevoort's rolling press conference, i.e. Formspring. Graeme wrote:

Based on this teaser, one infers that there is a X-men wedding to come in this June's ASTONISHING by Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins, which has already been hyped as a much talked about issue. So who will tie the knot? We're not up on current X-Men mythology and can't hazard a guess but popular internet speculation is guessing Northstar and Kyle will tie the knot, making this the first blow for marriage equality in the Marvel U. Another gay couple, Hulkling and Wiccan, just kissed, perhaps paving the way.

Marvel is releasing more covers for their epic fisticuffs battle, and here's AVENGERS #27 , written by Brian Michael Bendis with art and cover by Walt Simonson. In this issue, as the battle rages...an Avenger betrays the team!

Just to finish our "digital news Monday," Marvel's recently teased "Infinite" something-or-other will be revealed this Saturday as part of SXSWi's Screenburn video game conference. Despite the gaming setting, it's expected this will have something to do with digital comics, as indicated by the panel description:

With all the chaos and hype going on today, it sometimes comes to pass that not all good books get the attention they deserve. Here's a quick rundown of things you might not be picking up that are worthwhile. (I'm assuming you've already had someone nagging you to pick up Mark Waid's Daredevil run, so we won't get into that here.)

Mark Waid's DAREDEVIL seems to be filling the "superhero comic for people who don't like superheroes" slot with topnotch stories and art. Chris Samnee (THOR: THE MIGHTY AVENGER) is joining the book as a part-time artist in #12, in which busy Matt Murdock makes time for a lady pal, Kirsten McDuffie, who is actually hoping to make time to discover his secret identity.

INCEPTION whoom whoom music? Check.

Avengers Alliance is now live on Facebook. This is basically Mafia Wars with superheroes. You're a SHIELD agent. You recruit superheroes (initially Iron Man, Hawkeye and the Black Widow) to go on missions with you. The story arc involves chasing around Hydra and meteorite fragments as you beat up henchmen and fight bosses like Whiplash and Viper.

New day, new Avengers poster. This time Black Widow is face front and the character in the brokeback pose is....the Hulk? Truly, this is the dawning of a new day.