By Jim Beard
SIEGE, a four-issue limited series event rolling out in January 2010, reunites not only superstar creators Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel but a certain team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
"We are at the climax," Bendis says of SIEGE's place within the Dark Reign epic. "Norman Osborn's reach has gone as far and wide as one could possibly imagine it ever would and he has set his sights on Asgard. Why he does this and how he does this, the question is, 'Is this the event that will bring not only the Avengers teams that already exist together but the classic Avengers as well?'
"[SIEGE] is an Avengers story but the nature of Dark Reign and the Avengers books and how they have been in the past few years makes it a Marvel Universe story. This is Avengers-focused but also involves the Young Avengers, the Secret Warriors-it's a big pile. Nick Fury is there front and center. But I think the real show stopper is the chance to see Thor, Iron Man and Captain America fighting alongside together. And what could possibly be big enough for them to get over themselves and do such a thing? SIEGE."
As director of H.A.M.M.E.R., Osborn has often raised his sights high-but why the fabled realm of Asgard, and why now?
"It is a very scary proposition to learn that another realm is hovering right over our realm," Bendis explains. "And from [Norman's] point-of-view that is a threat. If all of a sudden another country is hovering over our country it would not be met with a picnic. It would be seen as a threat. And not
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| Preview art by Olivier Coipel |
"This is not only a spin to the public, it's what he believes. Norman isn't a moustache-wielding villain. He is mentally ill and the clock is ticking until that magic puppet makes itself be known. The reality is here that he thinks a certain way. What I like about a good villain is that their [point of view] isn't incorrect. It's arguable. It's what they're doing about that that you may go, 'Hey, that's not right.'"
The writer noted to artist Coipel that SIEGE should be viewed as more of a war story than a super hero adventure. The duo's work on 2005's landmark HOUSE OF M series paved the way for this tale, their latest collaboration.
"When I found out [Coipel was] available for this I thought 'No way,'" he says. "SIEGE has been great because HOUSE OF M was a blast for us and we felt just at the end we were getting into something, not just having fun making comics but you get to this other level where you were feeling each other's brain. Every time we see each other we say 'We have to
Bendis do all of marvel comics a favor and just leave!!!!!!
:0358f3849c="OverlordOfEvil"]Been a while since I've seen a door hanger worthy of gracing my hinges, but I'd buy this one! Hey Marvel... hint hint. :wink: And just a few quick opinions....1.) I agree that it's time for Dark Reign to be drug out into the daylight, beaten with Cap's shield, Thor's hammer, and Iron Man's helmet, shot with Nick's pistol, stomped into a bloody pool of gore by ...
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:0358f3849c="OverlordOfEvil"]Been a while since I've seen a door hanger worthy of gracing my hinges, but I'd buy this one! Hey Marvel... hint hint. :wink: And just a few quick opinions....1.) I agree that it's time for Dark Reign to be drug out into the daylight, beaten with Cap's shield, Thor's hammer, and Iron Man's helmet, shot with Nick's pistol, stomped into a bloody pool of gore by Hulk's green feet, and killed.2.) I like the crossovers and over-arcing plots (when they're well written), but we've been inundated with them for years on end now. Let's return to the title-contained 3 or 4 issue story format for a while. Please? Maybe we could return to [b:0358f3849c][u:0358f3849c]real[/u:0358f3849c][/b:0358f3849c] annuals, that come out in the summer months, are 64 pages long, and run the big crossover stories in them? Remember? Like in the good old days?3.) I, like anyone, hate to pay more for anything, but I don't foresee [i:0358f3849c]fewer[/i:0358f3849c] titles withh $3.99 prices in the future. If anything, I'll be surprised to see titles that [i:0358f3849c]aren't[/i:0358f3849c] $3.99 by the end of 2010. Yes, it's expensive. Yes, that means I may have to cut back on the titles I pick up. And that's why it's time to return to self-contained books and plots. If you want to keep us buying, you can't spread the story all over Stan's red-and-blue Earth-616 and expect us to be able to afford to follow it at $3.99 a chapter. Please keep our finances and desire to be entertained in mind Marvel heads![/quote:0358f3849c]i agree 100%. the crossovers are great when well-written, but there's no way im spending $4 on issues from titles i dont normally follow. everyone thinks im crazy for not picking up X-Men Legacy right now or New Mutants with Necrosha's crossover, but $4 an issue makes me not care in the slightest. eventually i'll figure out what happened once things wrap up
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...will Marvel or Bendis consider an approach to this that maintains some of what has been working presently? Going with the formula of New, Mighty and Initiative [and even Dark and Young, I guess], I for one would be just as happy if the Big Three Avengers do not continue on in one book, at least not full time. Hear me out - [b:97254c529a]how 'rad' would it be if each of the Three leads or ...
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...will Marvel or Bendis consider an approach to this that maintains some of what has been working presently? Going with the formula of New, Mighty and Initiative [and even Dark and Young, I guess], I for one would be just as happy if the Big Three Avengers do not continue on in one book, at least not full time. Hear me out - [b:97254c529a]how 'rad' would it be if each of the Three leads or at least mentors an Avengers squad?[/b:97254c529a] Hank has been doing well enough with Mighty, in regards to big adventure, and hopefully not remaining as the failure tainted hero, but the book could do with another infusion.I say add Ironman (or Cap) to [b:97254c529a]Mighty[/b:97254c529a]and let him continue redeeming himself with Hank still calling shots for a while. Remain titled 'Mighty'. Probably have Bucky replace USAgent as someone who keeps tabs on Stark (also maybe have Ares replace Herc).Then add Cap to [b:97254c529a]New[/b:97254c529a], but I'm all for the name no longer being 'New', it is too often clunky as a title and the characters wouldn't actually use that as their moniker really anyway... besides, with a few years under their belt they can do with a relevant prefix. Also, not keep them only at street level, let them take over the function of the Initiative and train some Young Avengers and others sometime. (Here's where Herc gets deposited, as he is even more loyal to Cap, and Cho would fit with the trainees - age-wise only, his function would be their resident brain).Finally, add Thor to [b:97254c529a]Initiative[/b:97254c529a] but of course it would take another name and also not be focused on the military camp type adventures anymore either since [formerly known as] New will be. Here's where USAgent will end up, and though I am not a Marvel writer nor have their ear, I'd suggest this as an early story (explaining why USAgent ends up here of all places: he gets killed off in Mighty prior to Bucky going in) - in keeping with something slanted to Thor stories, Asgard will factor in highly and John Walker/USAgent will be one of the first heroes shown to exist in their Valhalla, and here's the extra kicker, the Valkyrie that plucks him off the battlefield should be none other than - - - Janet Van Dyne/WASP. (Fittingly bringing Thor's having to slay(?) her full circle.)And with that I am also suggesting the distribution of other original Avengers. We have Hank with Tony, and Janet in Thor's company, so that leaves Bruce Banner to (loosely) affiliate with Steve (who, though unquestionable as one of the Trinity, isn't really strictly an original Avenger). You would also spot that there's a Captain America analogue spread across each title: Cap himself in New, Bucky in Mighty and USAgent in Initiative (and with this suggesting Steve is officially Cap, Bucky will need a new moniker and if he doesn’t want the baggage of the Winter Soldier name, John Walker’s suggested death puts USAgent up for grabs and allows him a solo book of that name too, leaving Walker in need of a name that incorporates his deceased status and America – pity another company already has the American Spirit – I think). There’s also an analogue for Thor across the titles as well, as Herc and Ares are suggested to be shuffled into the other two; therefore, it’d only be fair to have analogues for Iron Man as well, no? Enter War Machine in New and Rescue (Pepper Potts) in Initiative, although it would work just as well (or better) having Rescue counter the role of Bucky watching Stark by being in Cap’s squad (easily as a hero still in training), with War Machine upgrading from the tech assimilating WM getup to be wielding (Stark’s revised) Enchanted Armor alongside Thor.Of course, if even a couple of my ideas work their way into the Avengers titles’ future, those most desired (by me at least) would be 1. the three squads mentored by one each of the Avengers Trinity after SIEGE (and I say mentored because each one of these have situations where outright leadership may not even be wanted: Cap’s state of mind coming out of ‘Reborn’, Tony’s mental faculties and level of regained status after his current situation with erasing his own brain, and Thor’s other duties to Asgard often sees him not officially leading a team despite being one to lead a charge into battle), and 2. Van Dyne coming back (and one of the better yet unused Marvel-plausible resurrections out there is indeed her becoming a Valkyrie – what else could be the point of having all these mythical god realms?)…But not to forget Dark Avengers (or Young Avengers, for that matter). I previously posted how Dark X-Men has more staying power on premise than Dark Avengers does because they are far more reliant on Osborne being in power, but in reality and sales-wise it would be a shame to completely off the book when Oz loses it; however, most of the more psychotic characters will have to be scrapped i.e. Bullseye and Venom. For all Moonstone and Daken are doing, they appear not to be solely fixated on being murderous, so there are ways to keep them both around more heroic characters, but if they get phased out, no biggie to me. Heroic characters being the point, as I see Hawkeye’s current touch of willingness to kill at least qualifying him to lead the remaining, re-imagined Dark Avengers (bringing his Thunderbolts stint full circle as well), not as a group of villains posing as heroes, but a group willing to be rougher around the edges as they deal with threats. If Ares doesn’t indeed drift over to another title (after all, he did serve in Ironman and Ms. Marvel’s Mighty) he’s earned his place in comicdom to keep a spot in DA, and as the god of war his motivations weren’t murderous villainy to begin with – a hero can accept him on the roster. As for Young Avengers, I think dividing them up between the teams for mentoring (we already have Stature and Vision in Mighty) is a good enough idea, but I also see some back up (8 page?) feature treatment as good enough – especially if it will help justify the expected 3.99 price tags people fear and expect will become standard (distribution analogues to be followed puts Hulkling wherever Hulk and She-Hulk do not end up).Longwinded and, at the end of the day, doubtful since post SIEGE direction is probably already mapped out, but I can see great potential in the Trinity divided rosters allowing for more time to heal the divide there is between Cap, Tony and Thor (if only it was coincidentally Bendis's next step).
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:067d3aff5f="squirrel"]Who says WE live on earth-616?[/quote:067d3aff5f]We don't. [b:067d3aff5f][u:067d3aff5f]We[/u:067d3aff5f][/b:067d3aff5f] live on Earth-1218. See New Exiles #3. :wink:
:c9786be702]If you want to keep us buying, you can't spread the story all over Stan's red-and-blue Earth-616 and expect us to be able to affords to follow it at $3.99 a chapter[/quote:c9786be702]Who says WE live on earth-616?