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KNOW YOUR GODS PART 3
2008-06-26 14:51:39
Make Mine Mikaboshi!
God-Files returns, good readers, with this spotlight on the demon lord from the land of the rising sun, Amatsu-Mikaboshi!
1. UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED: Mikaboshi hails from the nasty netherworld known as Yomi. From this happy abode, the god of evil raged war against the Amatsu-Kami, the gods worshipped by the Japanese throughout the ages. And like other tricksters, Mikaboshi doesn’t mind stepping into man’s world to get his dirty work done.
2. A SWORD UNLIKE ANY OTHER: Thor has Mjolnir and Zeus has his thunderbolts, but the one weapon that the Japanese Amatsu-Kami prized above all others was the legendary sword called the Grasscutter. This weapon has passed through many a hands, including Mikaboshi’s, who attempted to use it as part of his plan to defeat his better-intentioned brethren. Check out the THOR: BLOOD OATH mini to see this wicked weed-whacker in action!
3. NOT-SO-NICE NEIGHBOR: Mikaboshi may be a god, but that doesn’t make him any less petty than us puny mortals. After Asgard fell, the devious-one decided to make a move on the hallowed halls of Olympus. This is how he came to cross swords with Mighty Avenger and half-brother of Hercules, Ares, as seen in the ARES miniseries. Check the bookracks for the TPB that has all of the gory details of this mythic encounter!
4. UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Maybe you’ve noticed that Ares’ son Alexander, most recently seen in the pages of MIGHTY AVENGERS, didn’t fall that far from the tree. The tyke turned into a warrior that would make any barbarian proud, but you can’t chalk that up entirely to the war god’s parenting skills. As part of his plan to overthrow Olympus, Mikaboshi drugged and brainwashed the boy into becoming a god-killer, armed with that WMD, the Grasscutter!
5. GRANDPA’S GIFT: Mikaboshi succeeded in slaying Zeus, lord of Olympus, but before the old guy disappeared into the great hereafter he cast a spell freeing the young Alexander from Mikaboshi’s control. Alexander avenged his murdered grandfather by using the Grasscutter to cleave Mikaboshi in two.
So how did Mikaboshi go from halved like a watermelon to fighting alongside the incredible Hercules? And how come he’s so nice all of a sudden? These mysteries and more will be answered in the pages of INCREDIBLE HERCULES, as SACRED INVASION continues!
KNOW YOUR GODS! PART 2: SNOWBIRD
2008-05-22 16:33:27
Who you gonna call when the Skrulls come knockin? The God Squad! Our special look at the all-new super-team debuting in Incredible Hercules #117 continues with this spotlight on Narya, the goddess of the Great North known as SNOWBIRD! Keep on reading the God-Files for the five facts you need to know about this frigid princess!
1. GREAT EXPECTATIONS:
Some kids’ parents want them to grow up to be doctors. Snowbird’s mom decided her little girl was going to be the savior of her race. When faced with the evil of the Great Beasts, seven mythic demon spirits, the Arctic Gods decided they needed a champion that could fight this threat on both the mortal and spiritual planes. The goddess Nelvanna took matters into her own hands and mated with a human to produce a child who one day would hunt this monstrous scourge. Wow, mom, no pressure…
2. CAGED BIRD:
Snowbird was raised on Earth by Michael Twoyoungsmen, the human mystic who helped Nelvanna deliver the baby Narya and would later serve with along side her as a member of Alpha Flight, the Canadian government’s super-powered taskforce, as Shaman. For a time, Snowbird was confined to Canada by Michael’s magic and any attempt to leave the country would cause this bird a world of hurt. Snowbird eventually overcame this limitation; she just had to die first. Check out ALPHA FLIGHT CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB for more of Snowbird and Shaman’s early days in Department H!
3. FREE AS A BIRD…OR A BEAR…OR A BEAVER:
Snowbird’s mystic origins make her an animorph, giving her the ability to transform into an white version of any animal native to the Canadian wilderness. And considering that the Great North is home to some pretty feral creatures, Snowbird’s got a quite a collection to choose from. While she mostly sticks to owl form, she’s probably the only superhero able to say that she’s turned into a sperm whale. Take THAT, Wolfsbane!
4. MOUNTIE RETREAT
It’s a tough gig being a god. Some times you just need to get away from it all. That’s why Snowbird setup the secret identity of Anne McKenzie, mounted policewoman. In this identity, Snowbird meted justice out to the more pedestrian criminals that plagued her mother country. She even met the love of her life while serving alongside Canada’s finest. Rangers, horses, and albino polar bears: Who says a girl can’t have it all?
5. LIKE A PHOENIX…
As we said, Snowbird has jumped the mortal coil before, seen in Alpha Flight #44, where she was killed by fellow Flighter Vindicator. Don’t hold it against Vindy, though; Snowbird was possessed by her nemesis Pestilence, whose crimes included murdering Narya’s Ranger hubby and son. But godhood has its quirks, and Snowbird came back, and better for her trip: Shaman’s spell binding her to Canada no longer affected her, meaning that this bird’s wings are no longer clipped.
Want to see more Snowbird? Who doesn’t! Though Alpha Flight is no more, (check NEW AVENGERS: THE COLLECTIVE TPB for the ugly details) Narya is still making her owl-rific presence felt in the Marvel U. She’s most recently appeared in a magic vision to Talisman, Shaman’s daughter, in the pages of the OMEGA FLIGHT mini-series, and word has it that the debut of Ultimate Snowbird might be coming around the corner in the pages of ULTIMATE X-MEN, along with the rest of the Ultimate Alpha Flight. But best of all, coming up in WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #5, writer Fred van Lente and artist Clayton Henry are serving some classic Alpha Flight action as we discover the secret behind Kitty Pryde’s first encounter with the Canadian commandoes! It’s coming at you Flight fans this May, wrapped in this sweet cover by Salvador Espin! Don’t miss it!
PARKER BACK ON MA: AVENGERS!!!!!!!
2008-05-09 18:42:23
Because Marvel Adventures books usually sell out at the direct market level (let’s face it, not enough of these gems are ordered, people!), we in the Panic Room thought we’d give all you JEFF PARKER fans a heads up to his 4-issue return to the book that many consider to be one of the most entertaining titles on the stands. MARVEL ADVENTURES: THE AVENGERS #24 will be on sale May 21st! Check out the full list of available MA: AVENGERS at http://www.marvel.com/catalog/MARVEL_ADVENTURES_THE_AVENGERS
Editorial Assistant Mike Horwitz pulled Jeff away from one of his story trances to ask him a few questions.
MIKE HORWITZ: What is it about writing the MA Avengers that you enjoy most?
JEFF PARKER: I can come up with the most insane concepts, expecting the editors to say "Ha, ha, now really, what's the story going to be about?" And repeatedly they answer instead with, "Great, when will you have that in?"
MH: How does it feel to be back?
JP: Truthfully I was a little worried because I thought some of our past stories were built up so much that readers would find this arc lacking. But I'm really happy with how it's turning out and that's not a problem anymore!
MH: What is your favorite story you’ve written so far with this team?
JP: The Avengers meet Agents of Atlas story in the Giant Size Avengers issue. I felt that one worked on a few levels. And I really liked writing Kang.
MH: You’re known for your imaginative takes on classic Marvel characters in the MA books (Morgan le Fay, Agents of Atlas, MODOK, Ego). Why Hate Monger? What is your take on him for the MA universe?
JP: Well without him, we'd have to assume the Avengers have all been harboring a lot of anger towards each other for a while that finally comes to a head. I'd rather it be the fault of the Hate Monger, because I think they all like their teammates. I can't tell you much about him without spoiling except that he really believes in the Healing Power of Hate.
MH: Will Ego ever find true love?
JP: There's this Black Hole he's starting to get along with...
MH: What classic character do you most want to tackle in MA Avengers in the future?
JP: Probably Thor. I used him briefly in the Valhalla story, but it would be fun to focus on him.
MH: Most importantly: Who would win in tag football, the MA Avengers or the regular Avengers?
JP: New or Mighty? You know we have Hulk on our team, right?
MH: What else are you working on now? Any projects you want to give a shout out to, now’s your chance!
JP: Roger Cruz is returning to X-MEN FIRST CLASS and I have a Hulk vs. Thundra story coming up in HULK: RAGING THUNDER. There are others, but I can't say yet.
KNOW YOUR GODS!
2008-05-06 08:47:59
Part 1: AJAK
Hey there! As you know, INCREDIBLE HERCULES #117 introduces the all-new super team, the GOD SQUAD! They’re the crack-squad of the roughest immortals ever assembled, led by the Jheri-curled son of Zeus himself, out to save the world from the Skrull threat.
But first they’ve gotta stop pummelin’ each other blind! Yeah, those gods are a testy lot, as you may find out in our handy dandy God-Files! We’ve got five facts you need to know about these daring divinities, and first up, the helmeted Eternal, AJAK!
1. ETERNALLY YOURS Ajak is the one member of the God Squad who isn’t TECHNICALLY a god (well, besides Amadeus Cho…and his dog). Instead, Ajak hails from the super-powerful beings known as the Eternals. When the omnipotent (and humungous) Celestials came to Earth, they performed genetic experiments on primitive man, creating the Eternals and their twisted counterparts, the Deviants. The Eternals are still mortal, but unlike you and me, they can live for thousands of years, shoot bolts of energy, and wear really cool headgear.
2. WHAT’S IN A NAME? Ajak is one of two Eternals also known as Ajax. The other is his brother, more commonly called Arex. So how did mom and pop tell the two apart? Simple. They called one Ajax the Greater and other Ajax the Lesser. Like THAT wouldn't cause any resentment…
3. TECUMOTZAWHA? Like other Eternals, Ajak’s been around the block for awhile. Most of his time has been spent in Central America, where the indigenous people worshipped him as the lord of flight, Tucumotzin. Don’t tell that to the Aztecs though, ‘cause they think he’s the god of Creation, Quetzacoatl. Confused? So are we.
4. UNI-MIND ACTIVATE! Every Eternal can combine their psychic energies to form the Uni-Mind, the collective unconscious of the Eternal race, but unlike most of his brethren, Ajak has the ability to communicate with their makers, the Celestials. He’s used this ability to save the Earth on more than one occasion from becoming fodder for the notoriously unchatty aliens.
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5. THOR WAR Though Ajak is reclusive, even by Eternals standards, he’s had a few team ups with some of the more press-friendly gods, namely the goldilocked thunderer himself, Thor. Together, they warded off the threat of Dromedan, a psionic Deviant with a penchant for destruction. Check out THOR: THE ETERNALS SAGA vol. 1 TPB to see this historic meeting of muscle!
So where has Ajak been recently? Well, if you checked out the recent ETERNALS mini-series, you’d know that along with the other Eternals, Ajak was mind-wiped by the mischievous Sprite into thinking he was a normal human. In fact, Sprite’s plot to rewrite reality was powered by Ajak’s special powers to commune with the Dreaming Celestial. When Sprite’s plan was thwarted, Ajak regained his memories, but remained in the human world instead of joining his fellow Eternals in Olympia.
What’s he been up to between then and Herc’s calling? The answer to that question and more can be found in THE ETERNALS, the brand new ongoing by writers CHARLES and DANIEL KNAUF (IRON MAN) and artist DANIEL ACUNA (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters) debuting this May!
AN ISSUE OF MYTHIC IMPORT!!!
2008-05-02 16:19:28
That mohawked punk Ares may be hating on our tempestuous titan, but the critics can’t get enough of the guy! Here’re some of the rave reviews that have been coming in for Incredible Hercules 116:
“This series continues to surprise me with every issue…this is one of Marvel's best ongoing series. Here's hoping for many more issues of this great series that embraces the Marvel U and all of its traditions while providing a refreshing and smart spin on them.”
-AIN’T IT COOL.COM
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/36503
“8.8 (out of 10). Incredible Hercules seems to be getting really formulaic. That formula being it's going to be really good. You know the tune by now: Herc is one of the most consistently enjoyable and well-done books on the stands today.”
-IGN.COM
http://comics.ign.com/articles/867/867210p1.html
“Are you tired of people saying that this book is fun? Too bad. It’s fun.”
-NEWSARAMA.COM
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=154479
He’s slapped leather with SHIELD, mussed up the Mighty Avengers, and gone extreme on the Eternals, but in Incredible Hercules 117 (written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by Rafa Sandoval) the son of Zeus is going toe-to-toe with the threat of those minty green invaders, the Skrulls! Good thing a select pantheon of divinities have been gathered to back up the burly one in his mission. That’s right! Not only does 117 kick off “Sacred Invasion,” an official Secret Invasion tie in, it’s also the debut of the GOD SQUAD!
The Skrulls don’t just want the planet Earth; they want to conquer the holy halls that the gods call home. And if their infiltration succeeds in wiping out the human population, the god’s above will fall prey to the great god-eater, Demogorge! So Athena, goddess of Wisdom, has gathered a motley crew of the roughest and toughest deities this side of the Mortal Plane:
Ajak, Demogorge the God-Eater, Snowbird, and Amatsu-Mikaboshi!
They’re the most powerful beings in the cosmos, and you’ll NEVER guess who Athena’s trusted to lead this crack squad of warriors! Hmmmmm. Maybe she ain’t so wise after all.
Hercules may be a team player, but a team LEADER?
Check out these fantastic interiors from INCREDIBLE HERCULES #117!
THE WORLDBREAKER COMETH!
2007-10-25 11:45:17
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Hey there, all! Sorry I’ve been AWOL recently. Maybe you haven’t heard, but a giant stone ship was hovering over the New York City, so we all had to evacuate.
At last, at last, the giant-sized conclusion to World War Hulk is just around the corner! Hulk’s angry wrath is finally coming to a head, and it’s so big it couldn’t be contained in a mere 22 pages. No, this is an over 40-page mammoth of a tale, bursting at the seams with BIG GREEN VENGEANCE. Will Hulk kill the Illuminati? Will New York City be destroyed? Will the Green Scar truly break our world?
But forget all that. You know what the coolest part of WORLD WAR HULK #5 is? Well, no—you wouldn’t, you haven’t read it yet. But if you read issue 4, you’ll know that Hulk is about to get a visit from a gentleman with the power of a million exploding suns. That’s right, the incredible pencils of John Romita Jr., inked by the amazing Klaus Janson, bring us the mother of all throw-downs—THE HULK VS. THE SENTRY! The Green Goliath vs. the Golden Guardian of Good! The fight the fans have been waiting for finally comes, and believe me, it ain’t pretty.
If I know you, you’re probably wondering when this big angry parcel is going to be shipping to a town near you. “Mark,” you say, “Mark, we can’t all work as editors at Marvel Comics, some of us have to read our comics the old fashioned way: by buying them off the racks.” Alright—I’ll tell you. 11/14. Save the date, you’ve got an engagement with a tall, green, angry emperor. But don’t wait! Tell your local comic-book-seller to reserve you a copy today!
To whet your appetite a little, here’s an appetizer—an all-too-brief glimpse between the covers of the anxiously awaited conclusion. The comic equivalent of fried mozzarella! Oh, how I wish I could show more!
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NEWS FROM THE ROOM
2006-11-27 13:45:01
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On sale this week is WHAT IF? ENEMY OF THE STATE asking the question, “WHAT IF WOLVERINE HADN’T BEEN DEPROGRAMMED?” It’s by Jimmie Robinson (BOMB QUEEN) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (who’s done a bunch of cool stuff for this office including Karl Kesel’s VEGAS from AMAZING FANTASY #13-14 and last year’s WHAT IF? Featuring Earth 717’s Captain America).
Over the weekend, some cool stuff found its way into my mailbox that I’d like to share: First are inked versions of Carlo Pagulayan’s INCREDIBLE HULK #104 pages by Jeffery Huet.
I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. I’ll leave you with a few teasers:
-X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #6 will have a sequence drawn by a special guest artist
-X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #8 will have a special guest star from another favorite Jeff Parker book
-INCREDIBLE HULK #105 (by Greg Pak and Gary Frank) features a plethora of guest stars. One of which has a blood relation to the green goliath and a connection to most of the other characters guest-starring
-SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY will have a new artist as Takeshi leaves for new pastures
More on all of this later.
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HULK ART NEWS
2006-11-22 14:20:33
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Wanted to clarify art chores for those curious as to who’s currently working on which arcs of PLANET HULK. As you know, Carlo Pagulayan did the main story in issue 100 (ALLEGIANCE PART 1) accompanied by a bonus story illustrated by Gary Frank that seems to be quite the buzz amongst fans (a battle of wit between rebellious teen genius Amadeus Cho and smartest man in the world Reed Richards).
Issue 101 also sports art by Pags and Frank, with Aaron Lopresti stepping in for the remaining issues of the ALLEGIANCE arc—102 and 103—while Pags takes on the two-part ARMAGEDDON arc, issues 104 and 105, the final chapter of PLANET HULK.
Over the weekend I received finished pencils of 104 from Pags and they are stupendous. I’ll share only two with you as I don’t want to spoil, just give a taste. Lopresti sent me artwork, too, but showing those pages would give away too much…trust me they are powerful.
Ladrönn’s final two covers should be coming within the next two weeks. Hopefully, he’ll be doing covers for another HULK-related series for us later in 2007. Will keep you updated.
In the meantime, Gary Frank is working on issue 106 which comes out just before WORLD WAR HULK 1 (Greg is a very busy writer right now). Expect to see more of Amadeus as he plays the part of stacking a certain deck for a certain visitor who’s coming to town.
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HYPE!!!
2006-11-20 10:49:32
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Off to press this week is Jeff Parker and Leonard Kirk’s AGENTS OF ATLAS #5, the penultimate issue of the critically acclaimed mini-series starring a batch of Marvel’s 1950’s characters—Marvel Boy, Jimmy Woo, Gorilla-Man, The Human Robot, Venus and Namora. This is the fight issue and I kid you not that it will BLOW your mind. If you’re looking for something different and cool, put this on your pull list. It’ll be on sale 12/6, so there’s plenty of time to reserve a copy! I’m doing this against my better judgment because I don’t want to spoil the story, but here’s a page from the issue that I don’t think will give anything away.
Trusty Assistant Editor, Nathan Cosby, and I are hard at work on issue 101 of THE INCREDIBLE HULK (by Greg Pak and Aaron Lopresti). While you’ll see some pages at the SPY IN THE HOUSE interview, let me skip ahead and say one word about issue 103…Wedding! Check out the awesome Ladronn cover and insert your own Barry White song!
Lastly, I’m gonna show you the cover to Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz’s X-MEN: FIRST CLASS #7, featuring another spectacularly romantic cover, this one by Marko Djurjevic!
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About this blog:
Welcome to the PANIC ROOM, the Editorial Office that brings you some of the finest counter-programming at MARVEL—from instant classics like the off-beat nostalgic trip, AGENTS OF ATLAS to the “Thrill Bill” vibe of HEROES FOR HIRE to the steel, stone and senses-shattering adventure of PLANET HULK!
And let’s not forget books that are built for maximum entertainment with new readers in mind and old readers not forgotten, MARVEL ADVENTURES!
Welcome…to the Room of Ideas!
 | About the author:
Senior Editor Mark Paniccia loves making comics. What more do you need to know? |
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