Who are the New Avengers? Previews Abound

Jonathan Hickman, writer of the forthcoming New Avengers and The Avengers monthly series for Marvel’s relaunch initiative, Marvel NOW!, took to the publisher’s live blog earlier today to discuss his plans for the books with fans and share some preview art. Three upcoming covers in all debuted, including the first issue of New Avengers, which gives fans their first look at the book’s full lineup.The series will follow the Illuminati, still reeling from the loss of Charles Xavier.”It’s about the guys who quietly, secretly run the world,” Hickman told fans. “It’s thematically much different than Avengers. The plan I’ve worked out is that the Avengers are the utopian Avengers, the ideal ones we want, whereas the New Avengers are real world, they live in the dark, apocalyptic world as it is.”After the publisher shared cover art by Jock (seen at left) which shows the lineup of the team in shadow, the writer told fans this book was going to be a bumpy ride.

Brevoort joked, “You’re talking to the man who took Fantastic Four and made it a book about 27 people.”

Added Hickman, “We have monthly books with a lot of these characters, so if you write an Avengers book with only those guys, you limit yourself in terms of what you can do with character development. We’re creating a structure where those characters develop in their own books, and I’ll read those books, but it’s the other characters who really evolve in Avengers.”The writer also echoed something that had been said over and over again by DC writers when they were setting up the New 52 last year: The same old villains breaking out of the same old jails is getting a bit tired.”We need new bad guys. I’m making a lot. Will you see some traditional Avengers favorite villains? Of course.”