Last week Marvel announced Heroes Reborn, a new series from Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness debuting in May that will follow a Marvel Universe in which the Avengers not only never formed – its members never became heroes. Now the publisher has released additional details and cover artwork by Leinil Francis Yu for the series, which will have four issues out in May by Aaron, McGuinness, and guest-artists including Dale Keown, Federico Vicentini, and James Stokoe. No inkers, colorists, or letterers have been announced for the series yet.
The first issue of the series will feature a book-length tale by Aaron and McGuinness, with future issues featuring main stories by the team and back-up tales by the aforementioned guest-artists:
REBORN #1 will welcome readers to a world where Tony Stark never built the Iron Man armor. Where Thor is a hard-drinking atheist who despises hammers. Where Wakanda is dismissed as a myth. And where Captain America was never found in the ice because there were no Avengers to find him. Instead, this world has always been protected by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: the Squadron Supreme of America. And now, the Squadron faces an attack from some of their fiercest enemies, including Dr. Juggernaut, the Black Skull, the Silver Witch and Thanos with his Infinity Rings. But why is the Daywalker Blade the only man alive who seems to remember that the entire world has somehow been…reborn?
In REBORN #2, make way for the adventures of Marvel’s Mightiest Megastar, the all-powerful Hyperion! When America’s solar-powered, super-sentinel of liberty looks to return his archenemy Victor Von Doom to the Negative Zone, mighty Hyperion must deal with a breakout of his most powerful enemies, such as Ultron, General Annihilus, and the Immortal Hulk. Plus: a special backup tale starring Blade, Earth’s last living vampire.
In REBORN #3, brace yourself for chaos magic at Mach 5! Blur, the swiftest mortal alive, must win a race through the mind-bending Dread Dimension in order to save his soul from the hypersonic hexes of the Speedster Supreme, the Silver Witch. Plu: a back-up tale takes us inside the dark secrets of the Ravencroft Asylum and its newest inmate, the Phoenix.
And finally in REBORN #4, Doctor Spectrum, equipped with the cosmic might of his Power Prism, has become the most feared lawman in the heavens. But now the dark forces of deep space have sent the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunter to end Spectrum once and for all. That’s right, here comes Rocket Raccoon! Plus: in a backup tale, the all-new Starbrand finds herself alone in a strange new universe.
What’s interesting in all of this information is that there’s no indication of just how long Heroes Reborn will last, how it spins out of the Avengers ongoing series (if at all), and/or how long it will keep up its weekly pace. Also how did Thor come to hate hammers so much? Did a hammer kill his parents? How does he feel about axes? Hopefully those important questions will be answered in the series.
Look for the new Heroes Reborn series to debut with four issues in May.