Marvel NOW and Kelley Sue DeConnick

I don’t usually report on news that I hear about but I literally squealed like a crazy person when I saw the potential creative team for a new Avengers book coming with the Marvel NOW relaunch. I’ve been singing Kelley Sue DeConnick’s praises for a while now with her work on Captain Marvel and on Avenging Spider-Man and I doubt that will end any time soon. Especially now that she might be writing an Avengers title featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Spider-Woman.

Stefano Caselli’s art is just fantastic.

I’m already excited about Marvel NOW. I can’t wait to see the teams shaken up, creative teams moved around, and new characters getting a focus. When DC started the New 52, I was one of the people swept up in an easy place to start some new titles. DC saw a boost in their sales as new and old fans picked up some books to see what this whole reboot was all about. I’m sure Marvel will experience something very similar and I think that’s a good thing. Maybe they’re false numbers but I think a spike like that indicates that, love it or hate it, people are drawn to something new.

Some new looks, some old faces, and, of course, Wolverine in every book!

Hopefully Marvel will take advantage of that and do something spectacular. I think people are so upset still with DC is that, despite rebooting their line, there hasn’t been anything to make anyone say “Ooooooh, I get it! THIS is what made this a big deal.” Even as a new reader, I can’t say specifically that there has been a defining moment that has made the reboot worth it. Marvel has a distinct advantage in having had an entire year to see what DC did right and what they did wrong. That means I, and I would hope that many others, have high expectations of this relaunch (which is different than a reboot, in so far as at least Marvel isn’t pretending to rebuild an entire universe). Marvel has had some time to really consider what a relaunch might mean to new and old fans and, most importantly, what the point of a relaunch might be.

The New 52 in which they promised pants for Wonder Woman and then promptly took them away!

One of the best writers Marvel has in its house right now is Kelley Sue DeConnick. For one thing, and the thing most important to me, is that she writes strong female characters that aren’t parodies of their male counterparts. Captain Marvel is the epitome of her writing strength and Carol Danvers couldn’t have a better person continuing her legacy. And on Avenging Spider-Man, she has proven just how creative and quippy she can be, writing such different characters like Spider-Man and Captain Marvel with ease. Every word she chooses these characters to say is just perfect, serves to identify the character and push the plot forward. No part of her dialogue is throw-away. She’s just fantastic.

So to give her an opportunity to write one of the most iconic superhero teams in comic-dom is a bold but smart move on Marvel’s part. There aren’t enough powerful female writers writing enough big titles. So for DeConnick to be writing the Avengers would be just huge. On the flipside of the coin, DC does have Gail Simone writing Batgirl but, as much as I like Batgirl, it would be more impressive if Simone was writing Batman. Or any female was writing Superman or even Wonder Woman. I will say, Becky Cloonan’s art in Batman #12 looks absolutely spectacular and she’s the first woman ever to be drawing a Batman book. So, strides are being made.

We can do it!

As a long-time Marvel fan, I am kind of glad those strides are bigger in their house.

I am just over the moon excited about Marvel NOW. I want to read Uncanny Avengers and FF and All New X-Men and keep reading Wolverine and the X-Men. My only concern, really, is the fate of Avengers Academy. I’ve fallen in love with that book over the last few months and I’ll be terribly depressed if it gets cancelled. Unless, of course, they make a new title featuring that cast and maybe the Runaways doing something. I love Karolina Dean and Julie Powers together so much, I’d love to see them interact more. Maybe they’ll get lumped into the Jean Grey School. That would be amazing. Jason Aaron writing all of those characters would be amazing. But maybe it would be too cluttered.

I digress. Hooray for Marvel NOW and hooray especially for Kelley Sue DeConnick!