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  • Here's "Teaser 2" from Marvel. First the Kree-Skrull War. and now the Celestial Madonna Saga? Man, these are some deep cuts! But it sure feels nice to see those old outfits in action again.

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  • "Did anyone read Incoming #1?"

    I did. Here's what I posted about it.

    "INCOMING!: This one-shot introduces the direction of the Marvel Universe for 2020, set up by Marvel Comics #1000. It cost $10 and the grammar irritated me. Two key characters are revealed to be Bel-Dann and Raksor, the Kree and Skrull observers from the X-Men #137 (the “Death of Phoenix” issue). Their original fate (they killed each other) was excised from the published version, creating a dangling plot thread, and what happened to them next was revealed in Fantastic Four Annual #18. I really hate the current incarnation of the Champions. A line I did appreciate was the definition of a teenager: “a kid’s idea of a grownup.” One thing I can say about this story is that it was not decompressed; the end couldn’t come quickly enough for me. It was like reading HoX/Pox, except it was about the entire MU and not just the mutants."

    "What did it have to say about this?"

    I have no idea.

    Those covers look promising, but isn't that what you're not supposed to judge a book by? Whenever Marvel messes with continuity, I think "Illuminati."

  • Or "The Crossing," which tried to establish Iron Man as a traitor going back to Avengers #8. Or the Clone Saga, which tried to establish that Peter Parker had died and been replaced by Ben Reilly back in Amazing Spider-Man #150. Or Tony Stark's best friend, whom we'd never heard of, showing up after 30 years of Iron Man stories not mentioning him. *sigh*

    Reading your summary above, Jeff, I realize I'd read it before. Somewhere -- somewhere else, obviously -- I got the idea that Incoming set up several different stories for 2020, among them "Empyre."

  • Here are two more teasers. Again, these are referencing decades-old stories:

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    Somehow I'd forgotten that Hulking (hate that name) is the son of Mar-Vell and Princess Anelle.

  • "Or "The Crossing," which tried to establish Iron Man as a traitor going back to Avengers #8. Or the Clone Saga, which tried to establish that Peter Parker had died and been replaced by Ben Reilly back in Amazing Spider-Man #150. Or Tony Stark's best friend, whom we'd never heard of, showing up after 30 years of Iron Man stories not mentioning him. *sigh*"

    Or Sentry as a founding Avenger. *sigh*

  • Or Tony Stark's best friend, whom we'd never heard of, showing up after 30 years of Iron Man stories not mentioning him.

    Sounds like Batman's "Hush." 

  • Richard Willis said:

    Or Tony Stark's best friend, whom we'd never heard of, showing up after 30 years of Iron Man stories not mentioning him.

    Sounds like Batman's "Hush." 

    And I had the same reaction to both stories: "Bullsh*t"

    Meanwhile, here's today's PR from Marvel:

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    A FINAL BATTLE NO ONE SAW COMING...

    New York, NY— January 15, 2020 — Writers Al Ewing, Dan Slott and Valerito Schiti bring you 2020’s earth-shattering event, EMPYRE! In preparation for this monumental addition to the Marvel Mythos, we’ve been revisiting the classic stories that have led up to it. In four stunning teasers, the industry’s top artists have reenvisioned events such as the Kree-Skrull War and its aftermath, the Celestial Madonna Saga, and of course, the story of Kree-Skrull born Teddy Altman, also known as the Young Avenger Hulkling and now, we are proud to present the glorious cover to EMPYRE #1 by Jim Cheung!

    EMPYRE #1 arrives in comic shops, on the Marvel Comics App, and on Marvel.com this April! And stay alert, True Believers, because later this week, we’ll be announcing the other titles where you can follow this milestone event that Editor-in-Chief CB Cebulski describes as “One of the most incredible science-fiction sagas Marvel has ever put to page!”

  • Did anyone read Incoming #1? My LCS was sold out. What did it have to say about this?

    I had this at the top of my to-read pile, so I decide to knock this out yesterday to give you a response. Man, this was a slog to get through. When I got to the half-way point I was like, "What the hell? I'm only half-way through?"

    I think it also hurt me that I barely read Marvel at all any more. I'm reading only two ongoing titles right now.

    I thought some of the scenes weren't good, and a lot of the dialogue just seemed off to me.

  • Here's the latest PR. You know, I completely forgot that Marvel was publishing Fantastic Four again!

    TWO ALL-NEW EMPYRE #0 ISSUES ILLUMINATE MARVEL'S BIGGEST 2020 EVENT!

    New York, NY— January 17, 2020 — When EMPYRE #1 hits stores in April, it will be a culmination of decades worth of Marvel storytelling in an epic sci-fi tapestry that will delight both longtime comic fans and newcomers! Before the debut issue lands, two all-new essential one-shots will pave the way to this grand event: EMPYRE #0: AVENGERS and EMPYRE #0: FANTASTIC FOUR! This pair of stories will be written by the architects of EMPYRE themselves, Al Ewing and Dan Slott with art by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva! Fresh off their work on HOUSE OF X and POWERS OF X, these two superstar artists will once again complement eachother’s skills in mirroring stories!

    In Ewing and Larraz’s EMPYRE #0: AVENGERS, old allies have returned and the Avengers are called to the new Green Area of the Moon to help face a terrible enemy. And in Slott and Silva’s EMPYRE #0: FANTASTIC FOUR, the Fantastic Four will witness the final conflict of the Kree/Skrull War and meet a long hidden Elder of the Universe… the mysterious Profiteer! Both one-shots will lay the cosmic groundwork for Marvel’s next incredible saga and feature first appearances of major new players in the Marvel Universe!

    "EMPYRE starts with a bang - the Avengers and the Fantastic Four meeting a threat from two sides, with two different strategies - and these #0 issues will let set readers up to see how they got there,” says Ewing. “As the Avengers meet with old friends, and the Fantastic Four run into some brand new ones, both teams face some stark choices and a test of their character as a team. It's the best way to get inside the heads of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four before the main action begins."

    Check out the glorious connecting covers by iconic artist Jim Cheung below, and don’t miss the pivotal start to this legendary event this April in EMPYRE #0: AVENGERS and EMPYRE #0: FANTASTIC FOUR! For more information on EMPYRE, visit marvel.com.

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    EMPYRE #0: AVENGERS

    Written by AL EWING

    Art by PEPE LARRAZ

    Cover by JIM CHEUNG

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    EMPYRE #0: FANTASTIC FOUR

    Written by DAN SLOTT

    Art by R.B. SILVA

    Cover by JIM CHEUNG

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  • It is easy to miss, but the branding very consistently presents this as an Avengers / Fantastic Four event.

    And all of the visuals above go out of their way to emphasize the Kree and the Skrulls.  The only exception is the Celestial Madonna reference, and it is rather noticeable in the Death of Phoenix homage, which somehow manages not to point out that it is about the Death of Phoenix.

    This will clearly be all about the rivality of the Kree and Skrull empires again, at long last after a considerable time.  I believe the fourth teaser above when it says that Hulkling will play a significant role.

    If I had to guess (which is the only way for me to say anything at this point), we are looking forward to an event that deals with the plots of rival factions in both empires, probably involving their monarchs and their successors.  The Avengers and the FF will be uncertain on how to deal with the matters, but for some reason that involves Hulkling and probably Carol Danvers as well will end up having to take sides anyway.

    I wonder if the Shiar will play some sort of role this time.  Back in the 1990s they began to overshadow the Kree and Skrull somewhat.

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