It’s almost time for the “Marvel: The Next Big Thing” panel to start at the Emerald City con. We’ll be liveblogging it.
Get ready to start hitting refresh.
Our cast includes, Mark Waid, Sam Humphries, Joe Keating, Matt Fraction, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Sana Amanat, Gerry Duggan and Brian Prosehn (who is late).
DeConnick – Crossover event with Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble is coming up. In May, there’s no Captain Marvel. The story will start with “Enemy Within #1.”
Keating on Morbius – For the first 5 issues, he’s re-establishing who Morbius is. In 6&7 will start reintegrating Morbius into the Marvel universe and will crossover with Superior Spider-Man.
Gerry Duggan – The president storyline ends with #6. #7 is a standalone issue. Deadpool interacting with Tony Stark in the “Demon in a Bottle” era. With #8 things get a little more horrifying. Superior Spider-Man will turn up in Deadpool.
Fraction – Goth kids join the Future Foundation. The Thing returns to Yancy Street.
Humphries – West Coast Ultimates are coming up. Ulitmate Wonder Man, Vision, Black Knight and friends. X-Force and Bishop will clash in the tunnels below LA. We’ll see where Bishop was in the future. Then all 3 Fantomex’s together. Then a big villain enters the book (familiar to X-fans).
Waid – In the next few issues, the mastermind who’s been messing with Daredevil will be revealed. Hulk will have a Walt Simonson arc fighting frost giants. Thor will be in it. Possibly a Hulk/DD teamup.
Q & A time:
Q: What is Age of Ultron?
A: Amanant doesn’t want to say what it is. There’s apparently a big surprise in it. The first issue starts with Ultron already having won. It’s about Ultron wanting to get feelings.
Q: What are the plans for the next year for Nova and GoG? Is Rich Ryder returning?
A: “These are the Avengers in outer space.” Probably not new Novas and Guardians right away. There will be an important event happening “connecting all these stories.”
Q: Will there be more artists rotating on Captain Marvel (person asking the question likes the rotating artists)?
A: Kelly Sue likes seeing different artistic interpretations, too. It will be settling down a little.
Q: Angry Punisher fan wants to know where the Punisher comics are?
A: He’s in Thunderbolts. Editorial is trying to figure out what their Punisher plans are.
Q: Will the Thanos comic involve his relationship with Death?
A: Yes!
Q: What is Marvel First?
A: “I’m not saying anything.”
Q: At the end of Decimation, there was scientific information about what happened. Will there be more info about mutants after AVX?
A: The Phoenix Force and Hex force were yin and yang keeping each other in check. Fraction isn’t sure how much anyone is going to get into the science of it. The AVX writers viewed it as more of a miraculous event.
Q: Will there be other charity covers?
A: You can tweet AgentM and suggest charities.
Q: How far in advance do you plan each book?
A: 1-2 years (2 years for Events). Writer’s retreats are ever few months.
Fraction – there’s a roadmap, but it’s in pencil. There are big landmarks and they check in every 6 months or so. Broad beats are targeted, but things change.
Q: Do like writing the intellectual Hulk or “smash” hulk?
A: The Hulk you get in a transformation is someone dependent on Banner’s mood at the time of transformation. It’s more fun if you don’t know what you’re going to get.
Q: With the Guardians and building the universe answers above, are there going to be more crossovers?
A: Yes, it’s going somewhere. (Jokes about Hickman’s notebooks.)
Q: Will the Deadpool video game tie into the comics?
A: It’s separate.
Q: Marvel is missing the timelessness/classic feel. (Except the questioner likes DD’s classic feel.) It feels like Marvel is trying to be timely and missing the classic feel.
A: Waid – Everyone’s golden age for Marvel is different. You have to be very careful not make the books feel retro. You move back to center for the characters and build from there.
Q: Black Widow solo book?
A: “I don’t know?”
Q: Is Squirrel Girl going to appear in Thanos?
A: She’s his babysitter.
Q: X-Force was like Cowboy Bebop. What were you listening to while writing it?
A: Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed.
Q: Any more “giant queer storyarcs?”
A: Read Fearless Defenders and Young Avengers.
