Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, held court this past weekend at NYCC to enlighten us about the future and direction of Marvel comics. Joining him on stage was a who’s who of writers and artists that have propelled the industry into an exciting time, making work that is accessible to a new generation of readers as well as old. Such iconic names as Brian Michael Bendis, Kelly Sue DeConnick, and Dan Slott shared the spotlight for a candid conversation. This panel was filled with announcements so lets get down and dirty.

First up was a team mash up announcement of the Guardians of the Galaxy and X-Men comic line coming out in February that will be titled “Black Vortex”. The crux of the plot will be based around the search for a cosmic artifact that will be able to tap into any individual’s internal potential, much the same as what the Phoenix force does to Jean Grey. The story will take the teams all over the galaxy and even test new found relationships in the process. Kitty Pryde and Star Lord’s connection will be highlighted as one of the key struggles.
Marvel will also be releasing a new Star Wars line coming out in January. Princess Leiah #1 and Darth Vader #1 were some of the few titles mentioned, that will follow each character’s story respectively. But the big announcement in the much loved universe was Kanan #1: The Last Padawan. This story will follow the lead character’s survival and journey post order 66. This undertaking will be headed by Greg Weisman(Gargoyles).
So what’s going on in the Avenger’s world these days? Following the events of Axis, a 9 issue 3 month over the top Avengers/X-Men team up dealing with the Red Skull empowered with the abilities of Onslaught, in Avengers Now the power of Thor has been bestowed upon a woman, Sam Wilson has taken up the mantle of Captain America, and Tony Stark has a brand new suit and plans on turning San Francisco into his perfect utopia(which Quesada says might not sit well with Matt Murdock) in Superior Iron Man…the New Avengers will be thrust eight months into the future where they will begin the countdown to final incursion leading right up to the events of Secret Wars. This story arc has been described as one of the biggest events in Marvel history.
The new TV show, Marvel: Agents of Shield, will also hit comic stands with issue #1 of the same title at the end of this year. The series will be directly based off the characters from the show, but with the jump from the small screen to the page comes unlimited access to the entire Marvel universe. Not needing to pay Robert Downey Jr. every time Iron Man shows up will make for much more expansive story arcs. Expect a blockbuster event without having to worry about a Hollywood budget.
One of the biggest announcements came with the news that Maximum Ride, a series of fantasy novels by James Patterson, will have their own comic run in 2015. For those unfamiliar, the original story followed a group of adopted children that are subjected to genetic testing at a secret facility. The experimentation results in combining their human genes with avion DNA, giving them flight capabilities. If The Dark Tower series is any indication of Marvel’s competence in handling literary adaptations, then fans of the original work can expect an honest interpretation that not only does justice to but also improves on the original material. Expect Max Ride: First Flight #1 out sometime next year.
Exciting times ahead for comic fans. Plenty of new stories and events to keep us sated and wanting more. And with the new Daredevil television series airing on Netflix sometime in May, 2015 looks like a busy year for Joe Quesada and the Marvel universe