MY FIRST DAY AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AT MARVEL COMICS

I can tell already that my tenure at Marvel is going to anger many readers. No more Ultimate line. It failed. The original point of the line was to make the books accessible to new readers. Ultimate continuity is as boggled as mainstream Marvel U. Instead of a ground zero relaunch, I'm proposing a new take. We're instituting some major changes, but how it fits into the history of the Marvel Universe doesn't matter.

Clear, concise storytelling.

The most major change is that no longer was Steve Rogers Captain America during World War 2. The original Captain America was Nick Fury, who fought as Captain America alongside his Howling Commandos during the second World War. He is currently the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and leads the Avengers in a Mission Impossible type scenario. If you are a super-hero in the Marvel Universe, you're an Avenger. Each mission designates it's own group of characters, which in turn allows more action, less soap opera and more opportunities to create interesting stories.

Here are my first five books, their creative teams and the pitch.

1. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by Jeph Loeb and J. Scott Campbell





















Teen-age Peter Parker has been Spidey for 18 months or so (all the characters throughout the line have been active for approximately 1-2 years). No need to reintroduce bad guys, but gives the opportunity to play around with the strong Lee/Ditko/Romita supporting cast.


2. THE FANTASTIC FOUR by Darwyn Cooke

The best cartoonist in comics today needs an opportunity to tinker in Stan and Jack's toybox.

3. THE UNCANNY X-MEN by Warren Ellis and Salvador Larocca


Warren Ellis' strengths include incorporating science into pulp conventions. If the next stage of evolution isn't scientific enough of an opportunity to play around with genetics, pop-sci and futurism, then I don't know what is. Larocca has proven to collaborate well with Ellis with his clear storytelling on newuniversal and has a history with the characters. Excelsior!

4. THE AVENGERS by Joe Casey and Arthur Adams

Nick Fury runs the Avengers (as a division of S.H.I.E.L.D)

Every super-hero in the Marvel Universe is game.

Including the new Captain America, Steve Rogers.

5. THE INCREDIBLE HULK by Erik Larsen



Larsen can draw action and mayhem (and monsters!) Make the Hulk a book about a man on the run searching for a cure and redemption, throw in plenty of destruction, the military and creatures and you've got the opportunity to tell Hulk stories on par with Lee and Kirby's first six issues.