Comics
Published March 14, 2025

'Imperial' by Jonathan Hickman, Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello Reshapes the Galactic Order of the Marvel Universe

Visionary writer Jonathan Hickman teams up with acclaimed artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello to shatter and redesign the Marvel cosmos in 'Imperial,' a four-issue event series launching in June.

First teased last December, Jonathan Hickman's sweeping new cosmic epic, IMPERIAL, arrives this June. Known for his influential work on FANTASTIC FOUR (1998), AVENGERS (2012), and X-MEN (2019) as well as the creation of Marvel's hit new Ultimate Universe line, the visionary writer will now team up with superstar artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello to revolutionize Marvel’s galactic canon in this four-part event series.

JONATHAN HICKMAN, FEDERICO VICENTINI AND IBAN COELLO TAKE ON THE UNIVERSE!

IMPERIAL finds the galaxies of the Marvel Universe on the brink of major upheaval, following the elimination of several of its most prominent leaders. Nature abhors a vacuum, and empires fall, rulers are overthrown and power is seized in a saga of intrigue, mysteries and war, all taking place against the backdrop of the formation of new galactic order in the Marvel Universe.

With groundbreaking developments for HULKS, BLACK PANTHERS, NOVAS, GUARDIANS and COSMIC KINGS and QUEENS, IMPERIAL lays the foundation for an entire new landscape of interconnected space-set stories, making it the must-read comic book of the summer!

IMPERIAL #1 Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO

IMPERIAL #1 (OF 4)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI & IBAN COELLO

Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
On Sale 6/4

"I'm very excited about this project as I’m obviously a huge fan of all things Marvel Cosmic," Hickman said. "The goal here is to kind of do what we did with the recent Ultimate line for all of our space titles, except having the setup book (IMPERIAL) be more of an event than a world building exercise (like ULTIMATE INVASION). The art team is killing it, and we’re all just very excited for what’s happening in this special corner of the Marvel Universe."

Two of Marvel's Stormbreakers, a group of Marvel’s most elite talent, Vicentini (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN) and Coello (VENOM WAR) have brought their innovative style and creativity to nearly ever corner of the Marvel Universe. Now, these two celebrated artists embark on their boldest venture yet.

In addition to their interior artwork, Vicentini and Coello are delivering spectacular new designs for characters, locales and more as they bring a whole new era of storytelling to life within the pages of IMPERIAL and beyond!

"Working with Hickman is a great challenge," Vicentini shared. "I love his scripts. He writes really brilliant dialogue and puts incredible attention to details when it comes to the story's setting.

"I only knew Hickman as a reader, so it was incredible to be approached to work with him and Iban, who is a phenomenal artist! I'm working hard to produce my best work, and I'm certainly having a lot of fun!"


"Being involved in this project is incredible," Coello added. "Creating all these new characters and costumes is really fun. Working with Hickman is something I never expected to be able to do, and it's both cool and intimidating at the same time because of the magnitude of what he's doing in the scripts. I look forward to being able to rise to the challenge and do a great job!"

Check out the main cover by ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN (2024) superstar Marco Checchetto and stay tuned for more IMPERIAL news in the months ahead.

Grab these comics and more at your local comic book shop! Or redeem then read your digital copy on the Marvel Unlimited app by using the code found in your print comic. Find and support your local comic book shop at ComicShopLocator.com.

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Imperial Character Design Sheets

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