[US] Nova Era Heroica - Vingadores

Since the early hints on its "Heroic Age" publishing initiative late last year, Marvel Comics has been hammering home the idea that the branding would not just mean a brighter, shinier Marvel Universe, but also that its marquee titles would walk their own path for the foreseeable future. For Ed Brubaker's "Captain America" ongoing, that solo path involves the armored Captain America that is James Bucky Barnes facing down the one and only Baron Zemo starting in May's issue #606. Joining the fray as the new series ongoing artist is acclaimed creator Butch Guice, who's been contributing to Brubaker's storyline off and on over the past year, including finishing over Bryan Hitch's pencils in the recent "Captain America: Reborn" series.

Speaking first with CBR about the new, permanent gig, Guice explained that for him the story centered around the Cap cast "being re-explored and re-established. Ed wrote a simply terrific bit of Baron Zemo dialogue in 'Captain America' #606 that while I won't give it away, I thought captured the essence of the entire story arc shift perfectly. At their core, I don't believe there is another collective group of characters who better embody the concept, courage, and conviction of what truly defines a hero better than these characters – and for me, Captain America is the poster boy for the word hero."

Though he has been happily contributing work to the Captain America franchise for a while, the artist noted that coming on as the full-time penciler and inker provided a different work circumstance that he's excited to tackle. "I find I have always been more comfortable with having an artistic home, so to speak – a regular series – a title I can focus on and grow with as an artist. There is certainly great fun to be had drawing the big event visuals, but for myself, the long term monthly assignment is where the real heart of this craft occurs."

And as previous "Captain America" artists have brought their own signature style to Brubaker's lengthy run from Steve Epting's cinematic action to Luke Ross' classic superhero stylings through Hitch's epic widescreen event comics, Guice plans on adding his own flourishes now that the Heroic Age is here. "I certainly have a visual look in my head I will be exploring – I started playing a bit with it in the 'Who Will Wield The Shield?' one-shot – but honestly, I try not to overthink my process too much. I'm most comfortable with trusting my instincts and drawing from the gut. I try and let the material lead me in the best direction, as opposed to forcing a particular approach or style upon it. Every issue, really every page, can be like walking through an artistic minefield with a metal detector – you follow the path you are given, and hope something doesn't blow up in your face along the way. But I deliver the most personally satisfying work using that approach.

That personal satisfaction also comes with working solo, as Guice will complete the line art soup to nuts. "My pencil work really isn't intended to be handed off to another inker. I prefer to be solely focused on the storytelling challenges of the job on hand when penciling, instead of fretting and fussing over some silly stylistic finish for the inker to duplicate. So my inking myself frees me up mentally to keep those priorities in order. No amount of decorative finish really hides badly executed drawing underneath.

"As the old saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, but at best, you still only have a pretty pig."

Early details indicate that with #606, the current Baron Helmut Zemo will attempt to "finish the job his father started," so to speak, in killing Bucky Barnes. While Guice couldn't reveal more details as to how the Baron's plan would take shape or whether Steve Rogers would be stepping in along the way, the artist did note that with the familial bent to the villain's plans, more classic Cap flashbacks are in store as those World War II elements have had a strong impact on Brubaker's previous Cap tales. "I'm not sure just how much flashback storyline Ed will include – although I suspect there will be ample opportunities," Guice said. "Ed loves to layer those scenes in a story, and I love to draw them. The actual differentiation might involve something I do myself in the art, such as rendering them in ink wash in order to give the reader an impression of looking at vintage black and white photography – or the effect could ultimately rest with colorist Dean White. We'll be hammering the best approach through numerous emails, I'm sure."

What the artist guarantees will be in store for this arc and beyond is an exploration of the mix between political thriller and superhero spy drama that has become the cornerstone of the modern "Captain America." "I love the genre myself – as a fan and as an artist – so I relish any opportunity to illustrate exotic locations, high tech gadgetry and weapons, remote hidden lairs, fast cars and beautiful women. In fact, I'm pretty sure I used those exact same phrases to Ed in describing what would be my ideal comic assignment, shortly before 'Captain America' was offered to me. Ed seemed to be of like mind on the subject, so while we haven't really discusssed it further, my hope is we can find lots of opportunities in the upcoming issues to explore that sort of material, especially now that the Cap storyline is entering a new dynamic, post-Reborn."

Most importantly, Guice is ready for the Heroic Age's breaking of the event model of comic storytelling, even though it won't necessarily change his job on the boards. "The job requirement is the same – try and do your very best with every page in a timely fashion – but as someone who grew up reading these characters several decades ago, I was inspired as a kid to try and find work in this field by that experience. I couldn't be happier to see this happen now," he concluded. "The big events of the past few years have been engrossing and exciting and nigh overwhelming, but at the end of the day, I think it is vitally important for both the creators and for the fans to break from the big events, and be reminded what genuinely defines a hero. Otherwise, despite our best efforts or intentions, we run the risk of telling stories about a bunch of supers, but not superheroes."

destrutorx escreveu:Fanático só serve pra ser vilão solitário... qualquer tentativa de colocar ele em equipe é perca de tempo.

Ultimate_Avenger escreveu:Mais novas de The Heroic Age:
Butch Guice é o novo artista regular de Capitão América. Começa na edição 606 um novo arco, que traz a vingança do Barão Zemo contra Bucky Barnes.

Since the early hints on its "Heroic Age" publishing initiative late last year, Marvel Comics has been hammering home the idea that the branding would not just mean a brighter, shinier Marvel Universe, but also that its marquee titles would walk their own path for the foreseeable future. For Ed Brubaker's "Captain America" ongoing, that solo path involves the armored Captain America that is James Bucky Barnes facing down the one and only Baron Zemo starting in May's issue #606. Joining the fray as the new series ongoing artist is acclaimed creator Butch Guice, who's been contributing to Brubaker's storyline off and on over the past year, including finishing over Bryan Hitch's pencils in the recent "Captain America: Reborn" series.

Speaking first with CBR about the new, permanent gig, Guice explained that for him the story centered around the Cap cast "being re-explored and re-established. Ed wrote a simply terrific bit of Baron Zemo dialogue in 'Captain America' #606 that while I won't give it away, I thought captured the essence of the entire story arc shift perfectly. At their core, I don't believe there is another collective group of characters who better embody the concept, courage, and conviction of what truly defines a hero better than these characters – and for me, Captain America is the poster boy for the word hero."

Though he has been happily contributing work to the Captain America franchise for a while, the artist noted that coming on as the full-time penciler and inker provided a different work circumstance that he's excited to tackle. "I find I have always been more comfortable with having an artistic home, so to speak – a regular series – a title I can focus on and grow with as an artist. There is certainly great fun to be had drawing the big event visuals, but for myself, the long term monthly assignment is where the real heart of this craft occurs."

And as previous "Captain America" artists have brought their own signature style to Brubaker's lengthy run from Steve Epting's cinematic action to Luke Ross' classic superhero stylings through Hitch's epic widescreen event comics, Guice plans on adding his own flourishes now that the Heroic Age is here. "I certainly have a visual look in my head I will be exploring – I started playing a bit with it in the 'Who Will Wield The Shield?' one-shot – but honestly, I try not to overthink my process too much. I'm most comfortable with trusting my instincts and drawing from the gut. I try and let the material lead me in the best direction, as opposed to forcing a particular approach or style upon it. Every issue, really every page, can be like walking through an artistic minefield with a metal detector – you follow the path you are given, and hope something doesn't blow up in your face along the way. But I deliver the most personally satisfying work using that approach.

That personal satisfaction also comes with working solo, as Guice will complete the line art soup to nuts. "My pencil work really isn't intended to be handed off to another inker. I prefer to be solely focused on the storytelling challenges of the job on hand when penciling, instead of fretting and fussing over some silly stylistic finish for the inker to duplicate. So my inking myself frees me up mentally to keep those priorities in order. No amount of decorative finish really hides badly executed drawing underneath.

"As the old saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, but at best, you still only have a pretty pig."

Early details indicate that with #606, the current Baron Helmut Zemo will attempt to "finish the job his father started," so to speak, in killing Bucky Barnes. While Guice couldn't reveal more details as to how the Baron's plan would take shape or whether Steve Rogers would be stepping in along the way, the artist did note that with the familial bent to the villain's plans, more classic Cap flashbacks are in store as those World War II elements have had a strong impact on Brubaker's previous Cap tales. "I'm not sure just how much flashback storyline Ed will include – although I suspect there will be ample opportunities," Guice said. "Ed loves to layer those scenes in a story, and I love to draw them. The actual differentiation might involve something I do myself in the art, such as rendering them in ink wash in order to give the reader an impression of looking at vintage black and white photography – or the effect could ultimately rest with colorist Dean White. We'll be hammering the best approach through numerous emails, I'm sure."

What the artist guarantees will be in store for this arc and beyond is an exploration of the mix between political thriller and superhero spy drama that has become the cornerstone of the modern "Captain America." "I love the genre myself – as a fan and as an artist – so I relish any opportunity to illustrate exotic locations, high tech gadgetry and weapons, remote hidden lairs, fast cars and beautiful women. In fact, I'm pretty sure I used those exact same phrases to Ed in describing what would be my ideal comic assignment, shortly before 'Captain America' was offered to me. Ed seemed to be of like mind on the subject, so while we haven't really discusssed it further, my hope is we can find lots of opportunities in the upcoming issues to explore that sort of material, especially now that the Cap storyline is entering a new dynamic, post-Reborn."

Most importantly, Guice is ready for the Heroic Age's breaking of the event model of comic storytelling, even though it won't necessarily change his job on the boards. "The job requirement is the same – try and do your very best with every page in a timely fashion – but as someone who grew up reading these characters several decades ago, I was inspired as a kid to try and find work in this field by that experience. I couldn't be happier to see this happen now," he concluded. "The big events of the past few years have been engrossing and exciting and nigh overwhelming, but at the end of the day, I think it is vitally important for both the creators and for the fans to break from the big events, and be reminded what genuinely defines a hero. Otherwise, despite our best efforts or intentions, we run the risk of telling stories about a bunch of supers, but not superheroes."

Ah, e não tem muito a ver, mas Mark Millar vai dirigir um filme de superheróis, um conceito novo, segundo ele.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24782

CBR News: Tom, how did this project came about? What made you guys want to do an anthology style miniseries?

Tom Brevoort: It's a big Marvel Universe out there, and there are dozens of characters and situations that are asked about by our fans, but that we don't really have anyplace to address in print when we go through one of these seismic shifts. So this time out, seeing as how Heroic Age will impact on characters both large and small, we thought it might be fun to do an anthology to delve into some of these stories and to touch upon some of these characters.

Marvel's four issue "Age of Heroes" anthology will shine the spotlight on the company's wide range of characters

About how many stories will be in each issue of "Age of Heroes?" Will it be formatted like the various X-Men anthologies that have been released during periods like "Manifest Destiny" and the current "Nation X?"

Brevoort: I'm not certain offhand how "Manifest Destiny" or "Nation X" were formatted, but "Age of Heroes" looks to have four stories in each issue, two longer ones and two super-short pieces, almost like little blackouts.

Break the first issue down : what can you tell us about the stories that are featured and the creators working on them?

Brevoort: The lead story is by Kurt Busiek and Marko Djurdjevic, and it really serves to frame the overall conversation about what the new Heroic Age means to the common man, framed through the perspective of New York mayor J. Jonah Jameson. After that, there's a Doctor Voodoo story that's

more about the human side of being Sorcerer Supreme, a short MI:13 tale that has those characters meeting with Steve Rogers, and a tiny vignette in which Spider-Man discovers what the new Heroic Age means for him.

Any teases as to other characters and creators that will be involved in in issues 2-4?

Brevoort: Among the various characters who'll be featured in later issues are the Young Masters, Gravity, Harry Osborn, the Gauntlet, the Blue Marvel, Taskmaster, Zodiac, Cloud 9 and Squirrel Girl. Oh, and Captain America in a block of ice.

If the Age of Heroes miniseries does well, might we see another anthology like this in the future?

Brevoort: Absolutely. In a way, "Age of Heroes" is the successor to "Manifest Destiny" and "Nation X" and series such as that. So yes, we'll certainly do more of this kind of thing if the audience seems into it.

Kurt, you've done a lot of work for Marvel over the years, creating the "Thunderbolts," scripting a classic run on "Avengers" and, of course, your ground breaking miniseries "Marvels." It seems like it's been awhile, though, since you last worked at the House of Ideas. How long has it been, and what's it like coming back and working for them now?

Kurt Busiek: It kind of depends how you count. I did the final revision on the dialogue to the last two pages of "Marvels: Eye of the Camera" #6 just over two weeks ago. And since I wrote my "Age of Heroes" script before that, you could say I've never stopped working for Marvel, since we were slowly working on that all through four years of being DC- exclusive, and then some.

Looked at another way, it's been a while, yeah.

It's an interesting adjustment writing something new for Marvel - especially writing something new that's smack in the middle of big and tumultuous events. Aside from the changes in the universe itself (Jonah's the mayor? The Avengers are who?!), there've been a lot of changes in the way things work at the offices, so in some ways it's very familiar, and in others, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

But Lauren Sankovitch and Tom have been very good at backstopping me and getting me the reference I need to fill in what stuff I might be unaware of, so it's gone quite smoothly.

What do you find so interesting about Marvel's stable of characters and their Universe?

Busiek: It's all the stuff Stan, Jack, Steve and the others brought to it, I'd say. We played with this a little in "JLA/Avengers" - but what I like about the DC Universe is that it's this archetypal, practically mythic kind of place, giving it a great and distinct flavor, while Marvel's universe is rougher, more human, more banged-up and bruised along the way, which gives it its own flavor and imparts a different feel to the whole thing. And, of course, it's full of great characters and ideas, from the FF and Spider-Man to the Avengers and X-Men to the Skrulls and the Negative Zone and the Shi'Ar Empire and beyond.

How did your "Age of Heroes" assignment come about? What drew you to the book?

Busiek: It was Brevoort that did it! Tom and I talked after my exclusive was up, just a general, "What might be interesting for you to do over here" conversation, and we mostly talked about stuff that was a little removed from the thick of ongoing events, because I've been out of the loop for a while. And then a few days later, he called me up and said, "Hey, I've got this thing, and it's completely in the thick of things, but I think you'd have fun with it and bring something interesting to it." And he told me about "Age of Heroes" and asked if I'd write the opening story.

So I thought about it for a couple of days, and a story kind of put itself together in my brain, and I liked it, and he liked it, and Lauren liked it. So here we are.

Tom mentioned that J. Jonah Jameson appears in your story. What role does New York's current mayor play in it, and what do you find compelling about him?

Busiek: Jonah's the viewpoint character. Him, and the people of New York. And hey, what's not to like about Jonah? He's cranky, manipulative, stubborn, sneaky, cowardly, courageous, idealistic, heroic, villainous and more, sometimes all at once, and he's got freaky hair.

I've always liked writing Jonah, because he's both unpredictable and consistent - he's a really strongly defined character who's capable of being an enemy at one moment and an ally the next, defending the First Amendment or setting super-robots off on a "Mangle Spider-Man" mission. He's just a treat to write. Plus, the hair.

Is there anything else that you can tell us about the plot, themes, or supporting cast of your story in "Age of Heroes?"

Busiek: It's sort of a "Marvels" or "Astro-City"-like story, set in New York in the wake of the events of "Siege," as the Heroic Age is dawning, but, well, if you had Jonah as your eyes into the story instead of Phil Sheldon. JJJ, as mayor of New York, wants to spin the events of "Siege" in a way that makes people scared of super-powered people and eager to embrace and champion the common man (and their natural leader, Jonah himself). But things happen with the Avengers involving earthquake faults and running around and shouting and busting things up that send things off in a different direction from what Jonah had intended. And, well, to say more would be to give too much away.

But it should make for a good street-level portrait of ordinary people in the Marvel Universe and how they're feeling after "Siege," and just as the Heroic Age is beginning.

I should also mention that the art for my story is being done by Marko Djurdjević, whose stuff I've loved on "Thor," so I can't wait to see what he does with my script. Should be gorgeous.

Do you have a Marvel assignment lined up after the "Age of Heroes" anthology, or will this story be it for awhile?

Busiek: It looks very much like I'll be reuniting with Pat Olliffe to do a new "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" story for Steve Wacker. I say "looks very much like" because there's a guest star we want to use, and Steve has to ask him if it's okay. If we get the okay on that, though, we're good to go.

Any other Marvel characters that you're eager to get back to or try your hand at for the first time?

Busiek: There's always a long list. We've talked about a wide, wide range of characters, from Iron Man and Thor to the pre-hero FF to Woodgod, Skull the Slayer and the denizens of Weirdworld, but right now, it'd be premature to say anything more than that.

leonardobento escreveu:Pior foi o cara falar que não sabe como saiam Manifest Destiny e Nation X. Se ele fosse fã do trabalho da editora, teria pelo menos uma ideia.

When one god falls, another must rise to take their place.

With Hercules missing in action, Amadeus Cho picks up his best friend's legendary-and quite powerful-mace beginning in PRINCE OF POWER #1 this May from INCREDIBLE HERCULES writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by Reilly Brown.

"As Hercules was the greatest hero of the Iron Age, which ended with 'Assault on New Olympus,' Amadeus is destined to be the greatest hero of this new Heroic Age the Marvel Universe finds itself in," Van Lente explains of the power transference.

Pak and Van Lente always had Amadeus' new role planned, as it marks a major turning point in their ongoing story.

"Once the overall plan for INCREDIBLE HERCULES coalesced in our minds around 'Sacred Invasion,' it was conceived as a long single story of about eight story arcs long," notes Van Lente. "'Prince of Power' is the seventh arc."

"We're entering the third act of this first massive epic we envisioned for INCREDIBLE HERCULES," adds Pak. "So get ready for a non-stop series of payoffs and revelations. All of the themes and relationships and emotional storylines that we've been building for Hercules and Amadeus are coming to a head."

Though Amadeus will receive a massive amount of power in the coming months, he may need even more to complete a very personal mission.


"He's going to spend much of the series getting even more power, in order to rescue someone close to him," hints Van Lente.

"Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, has played the role of patron for both Hercules and Amadeus for the last three years," explains Pak. "Now she's finally revealing her true plans for Amadeus. The big question is whether Athena's vision of heroism jibes with Amadeus'. Generally the risk when mortals get tapped by gods to do their work is that the power they receive may be too much for them to handle. But the danger for Amadeus is that he may actually want more. As a bit of a tip-off, the first issue in the series is called 'Blasphemy Can Be Fun.' It gets crazier from there."

Besides Amadeus, a number of familiar faces will leap from the pages of INCREDIBLE HERCULES to PRINCE OF POWER following the events of "Assault on New Olympus."

"The entire supporting cast-or what's left of them-is returning from INCREDIBLE HERCULES, with Athena as the Machiavellian head of the Greek Pantheon [and] allegedly Amadeus' patroness, but he's stopped trusting her long ago," notes Van Lente. "Hebe, Herc's grieving widow, is his executive assistant. And he has a certain snake-haired love interest that may be playing an important role..."

Plus, fans can expect at least a pair of guest stars as the series opens up.

"Keep your eyes open for Amadeus' big-brained colleague Bruce Banner and a certain long haired individual of the Norse persuasion whose name starts with a T and ends with a-oh, heck, he's on the cover," Pak gives up. "We're talking about Thor! The Odinson plays a massive role throughout this storyline. An extra bonus is that [artist] Reilly Brown, who knocked the 'Replacement Thor' storyline out of the park, is back on board for PRINCE OF POWER.' He draws an incredible Thor-and his upgrade of Amadeus's look is swoon-worthy."

Van Lente notes that Thor will play "an important part of the beginning, middle and end" of PRINCE OF POWER, "But whether he's Cho's ally or nemesis remains to be seen," warns the writer.


"As we've seen during the 'Replacement Thor' storyline that ran in INCREDIBLE HERCULES #132, #134, and #136, Thor's rivalry and friendship with Hercules is as strong as ever," reminds Pak. "We'll see Thor's first encounter with Amadeus in the HERCULES: FALL OF AN AVENGER two-parter that starts in March. But not until PRINCE OF POWER will we learn just what the Thunder God thinks of this upstart toting Herc's mace."

As Van Lente noted above, Amadeus Cho will help to usher in the new Heroic Age in the Marvel Universe.

"[PRINCE OF POWER] sets the new status quo for Marvel mythology in the Heroic Age," he elaborates.

"One of the great themes of classic mythology has been the risk that mortal heroes take by encroaching on the turf of the gods," continues Pak. "We're about to see the impact of the biggest transgression a mortal can make upon multiple pantheons in the Marvel Universe. And the end of the story will bring an insane twist that no one's going to see coming that may split the heavens themselves."

Both Amadeus and the Greek Pantheon will have their hands full in PRINCE OF POWER, with Van Lente and Pak hinting at even more menaces on the horizon.

"A team of Hulk sometimes-allies, sometimes-enemies with a mythological bent that we haven't seen for a while returns to enact a hostile takeover of the Olympus Group," teases Van Lente.

"[And] Amadeus is about to acquire his very own arch-nemesis," promises Pak. "Long-time Hulk fans, get ready for a big surprise!"

leonardobento escreveu:E que rumo tomou a mensal do Hércules? Ele tá sumido como? Não acompanho.

For months now, Wade Wilson has done his best to become the hero no one thought he could. Now, with the Heroic Age dawning in the Marvel Universe, the Merc With a Mouth will have to up his game as writer Daniel Way and artist Carlo Barberi begin an all-new story arc, "Tricky," in DEADPOOL #23 this May!

And while the Heroic Age may represent a return to greatness for many of Marvel's heroes, Wade sees it a little differently.

"As far as Deadpool is concerned, everybody's just biting his style, trying to get in on what he's had going for months," explains Way. "While that's bothersome to him, it also means-to him-that he's in competition. And that's something he likes very much."

This latest storyline will push Deadpool's ongoing "hero quest" to new heights, as he attempts to distinguish himself amongst his super-powered peers.

"What's the easiest way to make yourself look good?" wonders Way. "Hmm...could it be to make everyone else looks bad?"


Recent arcs in DEADPOOL have featured a number of guest stars, including the X-Men and Spider-Man. When asked if "Tricky" would include any other party crashers, Way would only offer up the barest of hints:

"Yes, and a pretty damn big one, at that."

As to the story's title and what it entails for Deadpool, the writer remained similarly coy, directing fans to a hip-hop classy.

"Take a look at the Run DMC video," he advises fans. "It's all there, man."

Looking to the future, Way would offer up one last tease for "Tricky" by way of a question to the fans:

"If I were to ask you which Marvel hero is least likely to team up with Deadpool, who would that be?"

leonardobento escreveu:

Me pareceu a Ororo. Será?

Ultimate_Avenger escreveu:Mais notícias de Heroic Age!
Finalmente explicou-se o mistério envolvendo o título mensal do Hércules. Ele será substituído, em maio, por "Prince of Power" estrelando... Amadeus Cho como o Príncipe do Poder, no lugar do desaparecido Leão do Olimpo!! Vejam mais na matéria abaixo (agora, essa história que tudo estava planejado desde o começo não cola mesmo!):

When one god falls, another must rise to take their place.

With Hercules missing in action, Amadeus Cho picks up his best friend's legendary-and quite powerful-mace beginning in PRINCE OF POWER #1 this May from INCREDIBLE HERCULES writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by Reilly Brown.

"As Hercules was the greatest hero of the Iron Age, which ended with 'Assault on New Olympus,' Amadeus is destined to be the greatest hero of this new Heroic Age the Marvel Universe finds itself in," Van Lente explains of the power transference.

Pak and Van Lente always had Amadeus' new role planned, as it marks a major turning point in their ongoing story.

"Once the overall plan for INCREDIBLE HERCULES coalesced in our minds around 'Sacred Invasion,' it was conceived as a long single story of about eight story arcs long," notes Van Lente. "'Prince of Power' is the seventh arc."

"We're entering the third act of this first massive epic we envisioned for INCREDIBLE HERCULES," adds Pak. "So get ready for a non-stop series of payoffs and revelations. All of the themes and relationships and emotional storylines that we've been building for Hercules and Amadeus are coming to a head."

Though Amadeus will receive a massive amount of power in the coming months, he may need even more to complete a very personal mission.


"He's going to spend much of the series getting even more power, in order to rescue someone close to him," hints Van Lente.

"Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, has played the role of patron for both Hercules and Amadeus for the last three years," explains Pak. "Now she's finally revealing her true plans for Amadeus. The big question is whether Athena's vision of heroism jibes with Amadeus'. Generally the risk when mortals get tapped by gods to do their work is that the power they receive may be too much for them to handle. But the danger for Amadeus is that he may actually want more. As a bit of a tip-off, the first issue in the series is called 'Blasphemy Can Be Fun.' It gets crazier from there."

Besides Amadeus, a number of familiar faces will leap from the pages of INCREDIBLE HERCULES to PRINCE OF POWER following the events of "Assault on New Olympus."

"The entire supporting cast-or what's left of them-is returning from INCREDIBLE HERCULES, with Athena as the Machiavellian head of the Greek Pantheon [and] allegedly Amadeus' patroness, but he's stopped trusting her long ago," notes Van Lente. "Hebe, Herc's grieving widow, is his executive assistant. And he has a certain snake-haired love interest that may be playing an important role..."

Plus, fans can expect at least a pair of guest stars as the series opens up.

"Keep your eyes open for Amadeus' big-brained colleague Bruce Banner and a certain long haired individual of the Norse persuasion whose name starts with a T and ends with a-oh, heck, he's on the cover," Pak gives up. "We're talking about Thor! The Odinson plays a massive role throughout this storyline. An extra bonus is that [artist] Reilly Brown, who knocked the 'Replacement Thor' storyline out of the park, is back on board for PRINCE OF POWER.' He draws an incredible Thor-and his upgrade of Amadeus's look is swoon-worthy."

Van Lente notes that Thor will play "an important part of the beginning, middle and end" of PRINCE OF POWER, "But whether he's Cho's ally or nemesis remains to be seen," warns the writer.


"As we've seen during the 'Replacement Thor' storyline that ran in INCREDIBLE HERCULES #132, #134, and #136, Thor's rivalry and friendship with Hercules is as strong as ever," reminds Pak. "We'll see Thor's first encounter with Amadeus in the HERCULES: FALL OF AN AVENGER two-parter that starts in March. But not until PRINCE OF POWER will we learn just what the Thunder God thinks of this upstart toting Herc's mace."

As Van Lente noted above, Amadeus Cho will help to usher in the new Heroic Age in the Marvel Universe.

"[PRINCE OF POWER] sets the new status quo for Marvel mythology in the Heroic Age," he elaborates.

"One of the great themes of classic mythology has been the risk that mortal heroes take by encroaching on the turf of the gods," continues Pak. "We're about to see the impact of the biggest transgression a mortal can make upon multiple pantheons in the Marvel Universe. And the end of the story will bring an insane twist that no one's going to see coming that may split the heavens themselves."

Both Amadeus and the Greek Pantheon will have their hands full in PRINCE OF POWER, with Van Lente and Pak hinting at even more menaces on the horizon.

"A team of Hulk sometimes-allies, sometimes-enemies with a mythological bent that we haven't seen for a while returns to enact a hostile takeover of the Olympus Group," teases Van Lente.

"[And] Amadeus is about to acquire his very own arch-nemesis," promises Pak. "Long-time Hulk fans, get ready for a big surprise!"

As the Heroic Age dawns, writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Neil Edwards propel the First Family of Marvel into the new era in the pages of FANTASTIC FOUR by asking with their upcoming arc: "What is the Future Foundation?"

"It's probably the issue that I've been looking forward to writing the most since I started the book," admits Hickman. "I guess I'd call it my manifesto for the series. How I feel about the FF and what their place is. It's very timely."

It all begins with May's FANTASTIC FOUR #579. The issue kicks off the "Future Foundation" arc as well as introduces the super hero team into the brand-new Heroic Age, a place Hickman says the fantastic family fits into perfectly.

"The FANTASTIC FOUR is a book that does well in an environment where heroes are heroes," explains the writer. "If you look out the window and see how things are, I think it's appropriate and timely that we have a super hero book that's about a super hero family and doing things right. A book that's kind of nostalgic but also about the future and what we can be. I think it's very appropriate for where we're going thematically at Marvel."

In "Future Foundation," Reed Richards takes a journey of discovery into his own hands when the world faces the improbable death of imagination. Hickman says the story addresses the idea of social change through generational shifts and the possible dangers found within.

"One of the things that marks [that change and those dangers] is that the people from the previous generation, they're kind of old and live out of fear," he notes. "Everything is about living one more day and doing things

for the now instead of embracing what it is that makes us human, and that is being explorers and bold and fearless and doing things that are outside the norm."

Hickman also says that the younger generation of characters in the title will continue to play a big part moving forward. Since he began his run, the writer has introduced a number of younger faces into the book, including Artie, Leech, a kid version of the Wizard, and even a group of Moloid children.

"One of the things I wanted to do was fill up the Baxter Building," says Hickman. "I don't think this family is the kind of group that would go on an adventure and then there's fallout and they leave it all behind. I think they take everything home with them, and that demands that they do things a certain way. They're shepherding the next generation of super heroes."

Artist Neil Edwards pencils the arc and Hickman says he really relates to the artist.

"He's excited and exuberant and trying really hard and getting better very quickly," enthuses Hickman. "I kind of identify with him and I think we're working pretty well together and I'm certainly happy with the progression that we're seeing since he's been on the book. The pages he's been turning in are pretty damn solid. I'm interested more than anything else in really solid storytelling and he seems to be doing a good job of that.

"It's funny. Nowadays, you have to prepare yourself for the fact that it's not going to be you and another artist on the book. It's always a team of guys or a rotating cast of guys. The thing you want more than anything else from the body of work of all those guys is that they can tell a solid story. And I'm fortunate that I've got guys who can do that."

As for what the future holds for the World's Greatest Comics Magazine as the Heroic Age continues, Hickman says he already has planned until issue #600, which hits within months of the title's 50th Anniversary:

"We're putting a bunch of pieces on the table. 'Prime Elements,' the story that we're in right now, is really about setting up the return of really big Fantastic Four characters. And doing it bigger and more fantastic and more amazing. If I've done my job correctly, all of the familiar faces will have a new, interesting shine to them and we'll be able to do things a little bit more differently in a way that's interesting."