Plus, we preview some July-Marvel offerings…

Newsarama: Joe, this week you guys confirmed the Heroes for Hire creative team and gave us an image [below], both of which opens several different tracks of questions, so let’s start there…

First of all, we’re planning a talk with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and Billy Tucci as well, so we can save specific details for them, but anything you’d like to say about the new title? The line-up seems to have taken people by surprise, eh?

Joe Quesada: We’re all about surprises here at Marvel. Yeah, I personally think that this particular team is inspired casting and is going to do an incredible job with this series. Everyone out there by now is aware at how great Jimmy and Justin are as a writing team and I think Billy is going to blow people away. Billy’s energy is legendary and he’s shot out of a cannon right now when it comes to this project!

NRAMA: Tucci came as some surprise. First off, what’s the nature of your relationship with him. So many creators like the Jeff Campbell’s and Joe Madureira’s, etc. are signing exclusives. Is Tucci in line for one?

JQ: Not that I’m aware of. While Billy is best known for his own indy work on Shi, this is his Marvel debut as a penciler. That being said we’re all just happy to have him here and it’s way too early to even think or assume that far in the future.

NRAMA: So many former creators (artists in particular) that had great creator-owned and indy success during the boom have been moving back to Marvel and DC, and Tucci was one of the last (for lack of a better term) “holdouts”. Is Tucci signing up with Marvel a real road mark for the strength of the major publishers and lack thereof of small and indy press?

JQ: I honestly can’t say. I remember when I first met Billy, I was just starting to get known as an artists and he ran into me outside of the old Marvel office as I was on my way to hand in some pages. He literally almost knocked me over he was so excited. He had just shown off his portfolio to Marvel editors and was as hyper as a five year old who just visited Santa at the North Pole and was given a bowl of sugar for breakfast. He literally opened up his portfolio on the street to show me his pencils. I was blown away by his energy and love for Marvel characters, it was infectious.

So, I bet if you ask Billy, and I don’t want to speak for him, but I’m sure like all of us, he has always wanted to draw for Marvel. In his case he caught lightning in a bottle with Shi and that hurricane of success swooped him up and took him in a different direction. Now that the dust has settled I think the time is just right and this is something that Billy has always wanted to do. But that’s just me, you’d have to ask Billy to get the full story.

NRAMA: That all said, what are the odds of seeing Tucci bring Shi over to ICON?

JQ: Man, you’re really getting carried away with yourself here [laughs]… No such thing has been discussed. While Shi is an amazing character, we’re only just getting started working with Billy and all we’ve discussed for the near future is doing an amazingly kick-ass Heroes for Hire book!

NRAMA: Okay, let’s get back to Heroes for Hire and our third track of questions – there is the matter of that poster Humbug is partially obscuring on the cover image. And then there is also the Howard Chaykin preview pages from New Avengers #21 featuring Cap. Cap kind of seems like he’s got some trouble on his hands.

Care to comment on any of the above?

JQ: Absolutely! Marvel Civil War is going to be amazing and lots of great new ideas are going to come out of it! Wanna know what happens with Cap? Well, at the end of issue #1- wait, hang on a second my cell is ringing.

Yeah, hello?

Uh huh, yes sir, no I wasn... no really, I was just going to...

Uh huh, sorry … please don’t yell at me, sir. Yes, I realize it’s irresponsible of me Mr. Millar. Yes I know I am, yes, as you say sir, a big fat …

No, please don’t call him, it was just a silly mistake, it won’t happen again. Yes sir, you too, take care.

Sorry, Matt, I had to take that it was kind of important. Okay, so where was I?

NRAMA: Captain America poster…Humbug?

JQ: Oh yeah, sorry I can’t talk about that.

NRAMA: Ahem…

Now, we also have to reference the interview with Mark Millar we published earlier this week. He mentioned several things in regard to the post-Civil War Marvel Universe. For one he claimed there will be a big change in status quo in the Marvel Universe that will affect all characters and even the biggest established series like Fantastic Four and Spider-Man.

Let’s take a moment here to note the current status quo is superheroes don’t have to be registered.

JQ: Ugh, are you going to buy into all that hype? Jeesh, doesn’t Marvel say that with every big event, “Oh, look at us, we’re going to have big changes, nothing will ever be the same again, blah, blah, blah.” Duh, what is wrong with those guys? Boy, how I long for the quite refined no nonsense, hyperbole-less days of Stan Lee. Stan was so quietly behind the scenes you didn’t even know he was there. God, how I hate this “Nu” Marvel, buy Civil War, buy Annihilation, buy Planet Hulk, check out Spider-Man’s “kewl” new duds, man does that costume blow!

NRAMA: Okay then… back to our point. And though refuting the rumor he is writing it, and that Cap is involved, he seems to confirm aspects of the rumor that a new Alpha Flight involves superheroes from the U.S. fleeing to Canada.

JQ: That may be possible or perhaps Mark is trying to rile you guys up? Did I mention the “evil” Marvel marketing machine? By the way, while I’m thinking about it, how much more money are they going to spend promoting Wolverine?

NRAMA: Brian Bendis has stated at con panels there is a clear winner in the conflict….

JQ: Shhheee-yeah, Marvel’s wallet...

NRAMA: Add to all that the apparent status of Cap – who we now know is anti-registration – later this summer…. well, see where we’re going with this? If Vegas oddsmakers were taking bets, would the smart money be on a pro-registration “victory”?

JQ: Okay, in all seriousness, are you asking me to give away the ending of our story? Come on, you know I ain’t gonna go there. Let me just say this, at the end of the day it’s not really which side wins that’s the most important thing, it’s what’s really happening that is.

NRAMA: Fair enough... back to Mark Millar’s interview. He states that there is already at least a writer attached to Alpha Flight, and a full creative team for a Thor revival. Can we make this a big Joe Fridays’ week and reveal some of these plans today?

JQ: You realize that if we were doing such things we would be talking about books that come out sometime after Civil War, putting them in December or better yet in 2007.

No.

NRAMA: Hey, we had to ask…

Again, because you know how much we like playing Nancy Drew… From the promo art it appears Wolverine is on Cap’s side (which would be consistent with his character), we know that there is a huge split in the Avengers, that Alpha Flight involves (at least in part) heroes fleeing there, and let us add to that Alpha Flight has always been a tough sell, marketing wise. A character like Wolverine (who happens to be from Canada) could go a long way to elevating the status of an Alpha Flight revival…

How we doing so far?

JQ: This feels like an episode of the X-Files with all the conspiracy theories you’re laying on me here. You realize that all these Alpha Flight rumors are based on the word of sneaky ol' Mark Millar. How about this, there will be no Alpha Flight.

NRAMA: All righty…Finally, in respects to the Millar interview, he mentions there are around five series being set-up for a revival he helping set-up via Civil War. We’ll assume something-kind-of-like-but-not-called Alpha Flight, Heroes for Hire, and Thor are three. That would leave (according to Millar) about two more?

We in the ballpark?

JQ: Yes, relatively in the ballpark, and absolutely out in left-field. There’s some very cool and interesting scenarios that no one will be able to guess until we get there so I need to hold onto those cards.

Speaking of cards, Save Spider-Girl! Um, actually that had nothing to do with cards but I figured I’d get it out there. Save Gambit! There, that’s better.

NRAMA: So, any clues to what the other “two” or so may be?

JQ: Not just yet, you’re now talking about many books that won’t ship until the end of the year and 2007.

NRAMA: On this note, last week a Newsarama reader asked about how a series gets chosen for go at an ongoing series, and it is interesting that series like Heroes for Hire, Moon Knight, Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel, and The Eternals are all in the midst or slated for a major push of some sort. Even Omega the Unknown is coming back.

Is the 70’s in particular an era that you and your editors are concentrating on at the moment?

JQ: No, it’s not that calculated. Of course there are some concepts from the 70s that bear looking at again, but we also have some 80s ideas getting looked at as well, so it’s not really any specific era.

NRAMA: In that vein, it seems that there’s a lot of attention being focused now on heroes, teams and groups from the Roy Thomas era, when Roy sat in your chair. Would it be accurate to say that, during your tenure, we’ve seen a mapping of five years to the respective Stan Lee – Roy Thomas reins as Editor-in-Chief, that is, during the first part of your time, you focused on fixing/polishing the icons, and now that you’re 5+ years in, and the icons are okay, you’ve moved on time-wise to what came about during Roy’s run?

JQ: I know everyone looks for patterns or motives in the stuff we do but it’s not that calculated. We are looking at a lot of 70s stuff, and some of it incredibly obscure, but as I said, we’re looking at every dormant idea we have with an eye towards what may play with today’s audience with a little dusting off and a new coat of paint.

NRAMA: Shifting your hat so that the “de facto Marvel Historian” shows on the front, what do you think characterized Marvel in the ‘70s? Meaning, we saw huge expansion with second and third tier characters given the test balloon back then, and there are some very clear similarities with now. Corporate consciousness returning to a familiar pattern?

JQ: Nope. Look, the same can be said about the Silver Age of heroes, we have a project coming up that will put a focus on those ideas, we have Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca working on a revamp of the New Universe. If there is any pattern at all it’s that we’re looking at ideas that haven’t been touched on in years or haven’t been touched on at all since their inception.

By the way, there’s a huge list on my desk of such properties, but I’m always open to fan suggestions if there’s something that they remember fondly. You never know, perhaps we’ve missed one or two, but let me say this, our research has been pretty extensive. What was disappointing to find was how so many of these older concepts weren’t fully owned by Marvel and were licensing deals.

NRAMA: Not to go all negative on you, but something that did characterize teh '70s at Marvel and the expansion it saw was an implosion, as many of the test balloons popped. And that’s when the market was much bigger. How do you keep the balloons flying high this time around, when concepts that first saw the light of day in the ‘70s are coming around again?

JQ: Regardless of what era an idea is from, part of my job as I’ve said before is to keep the plates spinning and to constantly put new product and ideas on the stands, even if it’s a past concept you never know where the next hit may come from. In many cases I’d rather see us do a revival of a failed 30-year-old property than another revival of the Defenders. Not that we wouldn’t do the latter if we got a unique pitch, but there’s so much more fun with the former.

Now, all that said, I do remember that era fondly, I started reading comics by the late 60s and the early 70s where a big part of my collection. Boy, how I love those old Conan black & white magazines.

NRAMA: Okay, staying with this topic a bit, given we know that some more old(er) characters are going to be returning or revamped/revived via or post-Civil War, we’re going to through some names at you, and we be glad for you to confirm if we hit on any with definite plans ... but more than that we’re just going to ask you to share some thoughts on the property. We’ll even give you a format...

JQ: Okay, now before I answer these questions let me just preface this. These answers are given knowing the current state that a character is in now. In other words, all of this can change depending on the climate of the Marvel Universe and what kind of pitch we have in. If you would have asked me about Moon Knight two years ago, you would have gotten a different answer than a year ago when Charlie Huston dropped out of the sky and into our world. So, everyone, please keep that in mind. Oh, and speaking of Moon Knight, check out these pages from issue #2!!!

NRAMA: IRON FIST

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member?

JQ: Some people think Iron Fist’s costume is goofy as hell, I have to admit, if I saw someone walking around at a convention dressed like that I would think that it was dumb too. However, on paper, on the comic’s page, I really dig the costume, something about the lines of it that work for me. Maybe I could live without the yellow slippers, but the whole big collar thing, dragon chest tattoo, and tied mask is cool as all heck. Now, aside from all of that, I think currently he works best as a cast member in a title.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Iron Fist as I remember him, was a product of the martial arts Kung Fu craze that happened around Bruce lee and Enter the Dragon (1973). Back during that time, the idea of martial arts, Ninjas and the like were new to entertainment and comics. A pack of Ninjas in black showed up and it was the coolest thing ever. Back when Iron Fist was created (1974) it was new and different. Today a horde of Ninjas show up and it’s like so what else is new?

What it would need to work today?

JQ: A fresh new take and a better origin for the character. Right now when I get pitches that deal with the mystical city of K’un L’un, my eyes just glaze over. In its time, it was a cool idea, today we need to have a revamped look at K’un L’un - something that makes it relevant and interesting to a modern reader.

Also, I find that his parents were truly interesting, especially his mother the socialite. I’d dig deeper into their world and apply that to Danny’s. We need to see things we never have before and add a new depth to this character.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 60%

NRAMA: CAPTAIN MARVEL

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member:

JQ: I loved the look of the old Captain Marvel and bought his title when I was a kid simply because I was buying everything that had a Marvel slug on it. He still to this day has one of the coolest costumes in comics. Heck even the green and white costume rocks! With the right pitch, I could se him having his own limited series at least. With a great pitch, perhaps an ongoing someday.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Captain Marvel was a product of the cosmic age. It’s what fans were into at the time. The problem with Captain Marvel is that there was nothing really intrinsically different about him as a character, no real traits that you can point a finger to and say, that’s what makes CM different than every hero. The thing he’s most famous for is dying a great death in an incredible classic storyline. Sure, he was attached to Rick Jones, but the Captain himself was dull as all hell.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: A character hook, something that sets him apart. He also happens to be dead so it would require one heck of a great resurrection idea for me to buy into it.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: He’s dead.

NRAMA: QUASAR

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member:

JQ: As a cast member.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Well, Quasar ran for about for about 5 years but it was never a huge seller. I would argue that there were always problems with this character. A cool look obviously derived from Captain Marvel, but I never felt there was much to hold onto with the character.

Arguably, his origin adheres to the Marvel formula in manner so calculated that it’s transparent. He’s a Peter Parker archetype with cosmic powers and the lack of a killer instinct is what made him compatible with his cosmic band doohickeys. I don’t know something about a hero without a killer instinct. Having a killer instinct doesn’t mean you act upon it, it just means that you want to win at all costs.

Captain America has a killer instinct, great athletes have a killer instinct, Wendell couldn’t cut it with S.H.I.E.L.D. so they make him a guy who stands by guarding a door? Sorry, I was never ever able to buy into the whole Quasar thing.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: Find someone new to be Quasar and start from scratch.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 10%

NRAMA: GUARDIANS of the GALAXY

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member(s):

JQ: With the right concept perhaps an ongoing someday, but it has to be a killer concept.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Guardians really seemed to only succeed when Jim Valentino was at the helm and it was coming out during a period in comic’s history when almost every comic was selling ten times what they do today.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: Any premise that is sci-fi based finds that it has to reinvent itself every decade as advances in science are made and new ideas in science fantasy are created.

When Star Trek was at its most popular, suddenly star ships and transporter beams where in every sci-fi or cosmic story, the same with Star Wars and today The Matrix. Writers like William Gibson or Neal Stephenson change the landscape, even the tone of sci-fi.

In order for the Guardians to be relevant, first they need fresh new ideas and a whole new tone. Now, this doesn’t mean it has to be cyberpunk, as a matter of fact that would be all wrong and already dated. But the book would need a new feel.

Mind you, sometimes a new feel could be completely retro. I could see doing GotG as a retro sci-fi Flash Gordon like thing that would work just because of the fact that it hasn’t been seen much today. One of my favorite disastrous movies of the last few years was Sky Captain. I kept thinking about what a fun idea that just didn’t deliver on so many levels. I loved the old 40s feel that it captured with the bogus science that would have been imagined in that era. I also kept thinking about how cool a Superman movie would have been done in that style while saying it was the modern world. It would have been a Fleischer cartoon come to life.

But I digress (sorry, Peter).

Another solution would be to take the name Guardians of the Galaxy and create a whole new idea while using the name.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 20%

NRAMA: NICK FURY

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member

JQ: While Nick has always worked best as a supporting character, he has managed to sustain his own mini-series when written well. That said, Nick is best when juxtaposed against the super or the extraordinary, that’s why he works best when he’s standing next to Cap, Iron Man, or the Avengers. When S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up and you don’t expect it, it always rocks.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D are absolutely a product of their time. It was a time of James Bond, The Prisoner, Mission Impossible, I-Spy and Cold War was hot as heck. The time was perfect for S.H.I.E.L.D. as was the creator working on the book, Jim Steranko. That was the one and only time that S.H.I.E.L.D. as a title was a viable title. There have been a few stories here and there but how many can you point to? Yet as a co-starring element, S.H.I.E.L.D. as a concept has had some amazing effect on storylines and titles across Marvel history.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: It would need an A-list creative team and something that makes it work with today’s audience. You have to look at something like the Bourne Identity as a roll model. They took the idea of the “spy” and turned it on its ear. The danger with doing that with S.H.I.E.L.D. is that then you run into the possibility that by changing it too much you may damage what is arguably one of the best supporting characters in the Marvel Universe.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: Ongoing 10%, limited 50%

NRAMA: X-MAN

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member

JQ: A cast member, perhaps a limited series.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: X-Man was a fun concept but I also feel a product of his time. Why he worked was simple, he spun out of Age of Apocalypse and he had two great creators at the helm.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: There is one huge obstacle with X-Man and that’s that his origin is so complex that it’s hard to wrap your arms around it. Here is mired in X-Men lore and without a working understanding of the world of X-Men he won’t resonate with the reader.

Keep in mind, he was never intended to be a character who stared in his own monthly book, but Jeph Loeb and Steve Skroce tapped into that magic lighting that is so hard to catch in a bottle and fan response was so huge that there was no choice but to launch him in his own title. I don’t think the character of Nate Grey as he exists could sustain an ongoing. I think fans would be thrilled to see appearances by him, but I also believe that the name “X-Man” is one of the coolest titles for a book ever, so who knows.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 10%

NRAMA: NAMOR

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member

JQ: While always an incredible co-star, one of the best, in fact, Namor is one of those great untapped resources. I feel that with the right concept, he could star in an amazing ongoing title.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Namor was one of those great early tragic super heroes - the first counter-culture anti-hero characters in the history of comics. During the 40s, he was as about as cool as they came, he also worked amazingly well juxtaposed to the Human Torch.

Today, the idea of an underwater world just doesn’t have the teeth it use to have and is due for some reinventing. Why is it that whenever you see Atlantis in any sort of fantasy comic story, the residents run around bare-chested holding tridents and spears? Why can’t Atlantis be more than that? I realize this sort of imagery is the stuff of ancient gods and what have you, but it’s played out. There’s also an argument that Namor works best when he’s on dry land kicking in the heads of the FF or some major villain. I would also venture to say that he almost works best as the hero whose motives are misunderstood so he is a villain to those who can’t see things from his point of view.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: First, I would ask for a new vision and of what Atlantis is and what life on Atlantis is like. What’s the social structure, how is it different than our world - really dig deep into the culture and customs.

I would flesh out his origin, find something new within it and also flesh out and dig into Namor’s character and true motivations. Being a child of mixed lineage means something different today than it did back when it was first introduced and the whole angry young man angle needs refreshing.

Also, as I mentioned, I always like the idea of people perceiving him as a villain when in fact his motives are noble. That could bear some deeper investigation and analysis. Namor was designed to be a counter-culture icon, what does that mean today?

There is also something romantic about Namor, perhaps it was his forbidden romance with Sue that set this up, but whatever stories are told with this character, he is someone who is motivated by his passions so romance would seem to be something that has to play a great role in his life.

Also, I would think that there would have to be some paternal issues, some identity issues as well as issues revolving around what his place in this world is all about. Heavy is the head of the king, no?

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 10%

NRAMA: GAMBIT

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member

JQ: Cast member and limited and perhaps with the right concept an ongoing

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Gambit came out during the glut and when everything X-Men was making people rich. That said, he may be one of the most interesting characters to come out of that era. His origin, his ancestry, all of it is fantastically Shakespearean. Add the cool visual and a fantastic name and you have the building blocks of a great character.

Now, and I know I’ll get letters for this but please listen to my words clearly, while the relationship between Gambit and Rogue is truly one of the great love stories in all comics, in many ways it hurt both characters. Why? It’s simple, Rogue and Gambit became so synonymous with each other that it’s very hard to launch solo series with them without having the other in it. The relationship became so strong that one defined the other and fans didn’t want to see them apart.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: I think with some tweaks Gambit could be reinvigorated to starring status but he suffered badly from over exposure. When he reached the height of his popularity he was everywhere, but unlike Wolverine or Spidey he didn’t have the years to incubate and really get engrained in the hearts of fans. Remember this was the glut and many new characters just took off like they were major icons only never to be seen again. I think that Gambit is still remembered fondly is because of the construction of the character.

Here’s a good test that gives you an idea of why I think Gambit is cool, take away his mutant powers, take away his cool black and red eyes and he’s still remarkably interesting. The whole Thieves Guild thing and his upbringing - it’s just fascinating stuff. You could right a movie around this character without ever having to use a single super power.

But for now, as you may or may not know, Gambit's current status is as A Horseman of Apocalypse. Who knows where this new status will lead him?

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 40%

NRAMA: NEW WARRIORS

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member(s)

JQ: Limited or ongoing

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: The concept was simple and already had a successful prototype(s). New Warriors was Marvel’s answer to the Teen Titans which were a huge hit at the time as I’m sure the Titans were an attempt by DC to capture that young X-Men team feel. Whatever. The New Warriors were absolutely a product of their time and probably would still be published today in some new incarnation if not for the comics crash of the late 90s.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: What’s interesting about the New Warriors is that Tom DeFalco came up with the team by looking through a Marvel character handbook in search of characters that hadn’t been used in years or just outright forgotten - sound familiar?

While it all seems different today, nothing has really changed, just the haircuts and fashion. I think with an Allan Heinberg-esque new take, the idea of the New Warriors could be cool as all heck.

But this brings up a very important argument, with the Young Avengers being what they are, do we need a New Warriors?

In essence the Young Avengers are the New Warriors, what’s different about them is how they come together and why and how they are somehow linked historically to the Marvel Universe. I would go so far as to say that if we were going to launch a New Warriors series that the book would need a whole new concept that is considerably different than just the young heroes from the Marvel Universe decide to team up and fight crime. We need a new motivation and inciting incident. Outside of that, it’s not like the concept of young heroes banding is unique in any way. That’s why you really have to tip your hat to Allan, he found something new and unique within an archetype of storytelling that has been mined clean to the bone of ideas.

Now, you ready for this, here's a fun fact i just found out a couple of days ago. What was the original name slated for the New Warriors?

The “Young Avengers” … I kid you not.

Apparently, it was going to be an “Avengers Academy”-type of book. And here I thought I was being original.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 70%

NRAMA: KA-ZAR/SHANNA

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member(s)

JQ: Limited series, perhaps an ongoing with the right twist.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Let’s face it, Ka-Zar was originally created to be a watered down carbon copy of Tarzan - one of many in its time. As far as I’m concerned the character only had a brief stint of real success when Mark Waid and Andy Kubert relaunched him in the late 90s. But then again, what character isn’t going to launch successfully with a creative team like that? There really isn’t much to say about Shanna since for the most part she’s always been relegated to supporting cast status.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: Ka-Zar is the kind of property that’s fine as is but as a genre piece it requires timing. I will bet you dollars to donuts that there will come a time where the idea of Ka-Zar and his dinosaur world beneath the arctic will be cool because it’s different because it’s old. I would almost prefer in many ways to see tales of the 1936 Ka-Zar. But to be honest, Ka-Zar has been in my mind of late, I can’t help but think that if we make Ka-Zar a bit younger that he wouldn’t make a great Marvel Adventures title or perhaps even an interesting storyline in the Ultimate Universe. But as a Marvel Adventures title, the story of young Ka-Zar and his Sabertooth Zabu would be cool as all heck.

As for Shanna, well, Frank Cho has done all the heavy lifting and made her into a much, um… how can I say this, desired character.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 5%

NRAMA: DEFENDERS and/or CHAMPIONS

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member(s)

JQ: None of the above.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: Defenders: Sorry, they just never really worked and I read those Defender issues when I was a kid and even back then I new they were like the scrub Avengers. At ten years-old I was fully aware that Marvel was just publishing another team book to cash in on the Avengers. The Defenders didn’t make sense to me then and they don’t make sense to me now. I love the name and would love to do something with it that makes sense of it all but it’s always been a goofy concept to me.

Champions: What do Ghost Rider, Iceman, Hercules, Angel, Black Widow, and Dark Star all have in common?

Nothing!

Well, that’s not entirely true, what they had in common is that none of them were currently on a team book at the time so free for use. What made them special? Um, they worked the West Coast while the Avengers worked the East. Still, one of the greatest names for a super team ever!

What it would need to work today?

JQ: Complete revamps. I love what Mark did for example with the Defenders in Ultimates. Now I don’t know if that concept would work as an ongoing, but they were wonderful, sad, tragic, and heroic in the issues that they appeared in.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 20% and 40%

NRAMA: DR. STRANGE

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member?

JQ: Fantastic as a cast member and best in limited.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: I would argue that Dr. Strange never really worked as an ongoing title. Even during his inception, he never really stared in his own book, he split Marvel Tales with Johnny Storm and he only ran for a bit more than 20 issues. Still, Doc was truly a product of his time, the psychedelic 60s and the mind of Steve Ditko.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: I’ve always argued that what holds Doc Strange and his stories back is that he is never really in any peril. While we all know in our heart of hearts that when we read a comic story that the heroes going to find a way out of any perilous dilemma, the fun is in watching how he does it. How is he or she going to get out of that one? With Doc the solutions are always easy and require no more thinking from a writer than any grade school child is capable of. Hey, just have him say some magical words and poof, he’s out of his jam.

By the way, this is a problem with many magic based characters and stories. Doc has a great origin that is rich and worthy of inspection, but without rules set up in his world of magic, there will never be any tension to his stories. There never seems to be any more risk for Strange than perhaps being trapped in his astral form for all time or perhaps feeling kind of woozy after a strong spell. Doc Strange is one of the greatest visual characters ever created thanks to Ditko. The magic landscape in which he lives is rich and beautiful but it needs defining and it needs consequences.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 100%, check out the mini series later this year.

NRAMA: POWER MAN/LUKE CAGE

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member?

JQ: Definitely cast member and mini-series, perhaps an ongoing some day.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: The concept behind Luke has always been a strong one. While the attempts at the time to make him “street” are kind of goofy by today’s standard, he’s one of my favorite supporting characters. That said, I don’t know if we could consider Cage’s early publishing days as a success until his title was selling so low that they teamed him up with Iron Fist and made a buddy story out of it.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: Quite frankly I think Luke Cage is working well today. I loved Azzarello’s Cage mini for MAX and Bendis has truly taken Luke up to the next level and made him a major player in the Marvel Universe.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 50%

NRAMA: SILVER SURFER

Best suited for ongoing solo, limited series, or cast member?

JQ: Cast member and limited series.

Why it worked/didn’t work in the past:

JQ: The Surfer always worked as a cast member and never worked as an ongoing title. The character suffers from a few problems. While he looks best and seems coolest in space, the concept behind the Surfer actually works better for me with he’s exiled to Earth and always trying to break through the invisible barrier that keeps him from breaking free and heading home to his loved ones. But, I could also see how that could get tiresome within the context of an ongoing.

What it would need to work today?

JQ: I don’t know, this is a tough one. Surfer works best as the person who is observing our world or any world for that matter from a distance and giving us an outsider’s point of view on our human foibles and frailties. He’s very biblical and such a product of the 60s. I like the Surfer the way he is, I would be very hesitant to change him in any way which also makes it difficult to launch him in an ongoing. There really isn’t much to his alter ego or him as a character, he’s best when juxtaposed against others.

What I always find funny about the Surfer is that if you really think hard about it, an alien riding what is clearly an Earthen recreational piece of equipment is pretty darn funny. What’s even funnier is that this idea was such a hit that Jack Kirby went back to the well and created the Black Racer, a guy on skis for DC. Still, the Surfer remains to this day one of the absolute coolest looking characters in the history of the medium.

Odds of seeing a new starring project in the next 2 years:

JQ: 100%, he’s currently starring in his own Annihilation mini series.

NRAMA: All right Joe, whew! We’ll let you off the hook for now, but perhaps we can revisit this format in the future … maybe our readers can suggest some solo stars and teams with series in the past we can ask about.

But for now, speaking of a character we know is coming back in a limited series, any updates on Peter David’s Wonder Man: My Fair Supervillain limited series?

JQ: The book is being drawn as we speak and is tentatively scheduled for December.

NRAMA: Finally, it’s the Friday before your July solicitations are released, so as we know like to do every month, can you go through and send us info from your catalog on projects readers maybe haven’t heard about yet, and/or send some juicy preview images..?

JQ: Sure...

UNCANNY X-MEN #475 & #476
Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils & Wraparound Cover by Billy Tan
“THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SHI’AR EMPIRE” Parts 1 & 2!
A brand new era for the Uncanny X-Men begins here! Fresh off X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Ed Brubaker takes the helm of Marvel’s mighty mutants. Billy Tan joins Ed for a story that won’t just affect earth, but will rock the foundations of the entire galaxy! Vulcan is out for revenge and has his sites set on the Shi’Ar Empire! Get ready for the ride of your life! A perfect starting point for any new reader!
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+ …$2.99 (each)

X-MEN #188 & #189
Written by Mike Carey
Pencils & Wraparound Cover by Chris Bachalo
Mike Carey (Ultimate Fantastic Four) and Chris Bachalo (Uncanny X-Men) take over the X-Men, or at least what’s left of them! As old threats are still having their effects, new, more deadly threats emerge from the unlikeliest of places. Threats that spell doom for the X-Men. Plus, what could possibly strike terror into the heart of…Sabretooth!? And who are The Children? This is the book you’ve been waiting for! A perfect starting point for any new reader!
32 PGS. (each)/Rated A …$2.99 (each)

INCREDIBLE HULK #96
Written by Greg Pak
Penciled by Aaron Lopresti
Cover by LADRÖNN
PLANET HULK: ANARCHY, Part 1!
On the run from the Imperial Army after escaping from the Great Arena, the Hulk and his crew of Warbound gladiators take refuge in a small farming village with a dark secret. Learn the horrifying truth about Miek’s past—and discover if our heroes know the difference between justice and revenge! The smashing continues!!!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

RUNAWAYS #18
Written by Brian Vaughan
Penciled by Adrian Alphona
Cover by Marcos Martin
“Parental Guidance” Part 5 (of 5)
The shocking conclusion of "Parental Guidance" results in the death of a Runaway. 'Nuff said, true believers.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

SHE-HULK #10
Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by PAUL SMITH
Cover by GREG HORN
You date someone long enough, you think you know them. But people change. And in the case of Colonel John Jameson, change can come with a fur coat, big fangs, and a very nasty appetite! Yeah, that's right, gamma-fans! Get ready for She-Hulk's biggest throw down yet as she goes toe-to-claw with THE MAN-WOLF!
Also a long absent cast member makes their stunning return! An important person from She-Hulk's past barges in! And one character leaves the book in a scene that you'll be talking about for months!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

DAREDEVIL #87
Written by Ed Brubaker
Penciled by Michael Lark
Cover by David Finch
It's the heightened senses-shattering conclusion of "The Devil in Cell-Block D" and many questions are answered! Who is the man behind the Daredevil mask running around Hell's Kitchen? How will Matt get out of the corner he's been painted into? And will he be jumping right out of the frying pan and into a fire of his own making? Mystery and action abounds as fan-favorite creators Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark bring their first Daredevil arc to a close!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

[note: DD image is not the cover, but an interior page]

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Week 45
Week 44
Week 43
Week 42
Week 41