Marvel’s Next Big Thing – Avengers: X-Sanction

You saw this teaser yesterday, right? It turns out those are Cable’s crosshairs, and they are likely attached to a gun the size of a short schoolbus.

Coming your way in December is Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (of 4) from writer Jeph Loeb, and artist Ed McGuinness, who previously sold a lot of comic books featuring Red Hulk.

Editor Tom Brevoort calls this the first step in the progression of the greater Marvel Universe, leading directly into the events of 2012. Jeph Loeb puts it this way: “We get to light the fuse.”

So what’s it about? Well, that’s an interesting question isn’t it, and it’s not one that we’re getting answered at this time (and yes it makes it as hard to ask questions about as you think it might be). However, here’s what you can know. The last time we saw Cable, he had sacrificed himself for Hope, but like any father, he’ll do anything and everything necessary to protect his daughter, and it appears that the Avengers have something to do with her future, and he’s going to make sure it goes her way. Yes, it’s a little vague.

Brevoort described Loeb a the biggest Cable fan he knows, extending from Loeb’s 3 year run on the title, his first monthly book at Marvel. He thinks of him sort of like the “Captain America of the X-Men world’ in that he’s a soldier from out of time, and he cares deeply about his family.

Loeb and McGuinness have had a long working relationship, and love to come back to it. They first teamed up on a Wolverine Annual in 1996, and the love has only grown since then.

This story will be tighter, given the length of the mini, compared to their longer, drawn out work on Hulk, featuring a very different character in Cable, who is “a very capable soldier and strategist who doesn’t play by the same rules as the other Marvel heroes.” He’s not as dark as The Punisher, Loeb says, but he’s a “total badass.”

McGuinness said that the art will be darker than the Hulk work, right down to the elements, adding that Morry Hollowell is doing the best colors he’s ever seen on his work. When asked if there was any gun that was too big for Cable, he hasn’t found it yet, but he doesn’t think so.

Loeb will also touch on the fact that Cable, due to the techno-organic virus, is living in pain, with a disease all the time, and that’s not addressed all that often, but it will be in this series.

There was also a question about Deadpool as well, and they were vague, but all but confirmed that he’ll show up at some point in the story.

So it’s a big Universe wide story touching off the next cycle, featuring Cable, all full of righteous dad-rage, and the Avengers, who he idolizes and knows all sorts of future stuff about, and it’s be Loeb and McGuinness. Look for the first issue in December.

Comments

  1. ….sigh…..Cable

  2. So they’re just making up words now.

  3. I didn’t think I would be into Superman/Batman or Red Hulk, but I can’t deny me some McGuiness. Should be fun.

  4. Really looking forward to this. Not a big fan of what they did with Cable and Hope, but I’ll hold out that this will be a great story!

  5. Hell yeah this should be fun

  6. I’m glad they finally revealed what that teaser image was representing. I didn’t think I could hold out longer than 24 hours! Phew! Dodged quite a bullet (fired from a rectangular gun barrel) on that one!

  7. Another issue about Cable protecting Hope. I’m sure it’ll be a time traveling thing of how he came back. He’s done it before.

  8. Can this FINALLY be the moment where we figure out why Hope is so god damn important?

  9. I like the idea, I can even get on board with Loeb, but it’s the Ed McGuinness that keeps me away.

  10. I like it

  11. only 4 issues, but the question is, how many tie-in mini-series will there be?

  12. Haters gonna hate.

    This sounds fucking rad.

  13. I wish the book and the creators good luck, and hope that there is a great story for those who pick it up, and that it leads to something great for Marvel in 2012. I’m not too excited about this; creators, character, event preparation. If i hear remarkable things about, we’ll see then about picking it up. Sorry Marvel, you haven’t been doing it lately for me.

  14. I also notice the absence of Thor here and the inclusion of Red Hulk. is this fall out from Fear Itself going to last sometime?

  15. Loeb? Cable? I’m out.

  16. Cable? ok i guess. i like how they covered his tiny ankles w/ bodies. I’ll check it out. i like seeing heroes fall some how. i wonder who is going to die.

  17. I’ve followed Hope since the first Messiah Whatever story, through Cable, into the second Messiah story and then Second Coming. I’m a fan of her and the story she portents. I especially enjoyed Generation Hope.

    First Gillen is off Generation Hope and now this… Bummer.

    Looks like my time with the character will now be limited to her appearances in Uncanny, Wolvie’s X’s, and X-Force (VERY Unlikely).

    • Woulda been way more stoked for Marvel Hobos.

    • I can tell you that Loeb sounded super excited about continuing the Hope story. He really liked the ones that came before.

    • Bendis was really excited about continuing the Sentry’s story, too. How did that work out?

    • It’s one of those things where I really want to get it because the story elements are so interesting to me, yet I’ve been burned by that very mindset before. I have to find the balance of taking chances with new things and staying conservative with the writers and artists I know I can trust. I really really want to take a chance on this one. Especially after reading Loeb’s quotes, even though, in my opinion, he’s faltered in the past. He seems sincere, but sincerity doesn’t always equal talent or a good read. If you can’t tell, I’m very conflicted.

      Another big thing for me, is how satisfying Cable’s death was. It really moved the Hope story forward and placed her into the X-Men and the Marvel universe. Is Cable really the right tool to drive the Hope story line forward again after he already ate it to drive the story line forward?

      One thing to note though is that these story ideas aren’t always the writer’s. This coulda been a room full of people hammering out the broad strokes, and considering it’s only 4 issues I’m starting to cave more to the “OK, give the poor guy a chance” line of thinking. I mean, the art will be nice.

      Why couldn’t Marvel have made this easy on me and let Gillen write it?

      I shook my fist at the sky while writing that last sentence.

    • I don’t think “Let” is the right word in the sentence before the last. “Force” or “Coerce” may be better.

  18. This is the segway into a Marvel reboot? lets hope so…

  19. So…Jean Grey is coming back, right?

  20. not too excited about this . . .

  21. no thanks.

  22. Those are some kick ass knee pads.

  23. Can’t say I care at all about this.

  24. Loeb really should stick to his TV role now. In comics he seems like the kid who comes over, breaks all of your favorite toys (Ultimates, The Ultimate Universe, Hulk) and then walks away. Thankfully we make new friends who fix our toys (Hickman, Parker) so maybe somebody great will come in after to clean up whatever mess he makes.

    Then again maybe we get the Loeb who writes the “color” books and this is him finally putting that talent in a book that impacts the greater Marvel universe.

    I will hope for the latter while keeping my eye peeled for the former.

  25. I can’t forgive Loeb for what he did to the Ultimate universe.

    Also, I’m really sick of Marvel just letting the cat out of the bag with their event announcements. What is the point of having a world changing event book when you pretty much tell us the outcome in future solicits?

  26. I love Loeb’s work. This is an event, that I can’t wait to read.

  27. “Look for the first issue in December.” And the fourth next November.

    But seriously, I’m not the biggest Loeb fan, (who am I kidding, I’ve said some awful things) but I’m down for this. As @Parker said above, I just hope we get the “color” book writer.

    …and don’t be late

  28. Some of my first comics were “Superman/Batman” & “Cable & Deadpool” so I’m really excited for this. I think Loeb’s Hulk run was a lot of fun; his comics tend to be comparable to big blockbuster movies, and I don’t think anything is wrong with that. Sometimes it’s a nice contrast to the books that require a little more thought like Hickman’s “FF”.

  29. What Marvel REALLY needs to get back in the comic book fan’s good graces is a Cable/Sentry team-up.

  30. Why does cable have a dildo attached to his belt?

  31. Cable looks sweet and seeing how its unusual to pit Cable and the New Avengers, Loeb and Mcguinness should be able to pull an interesting mini outta this.

  32. Is that a shoulder mount on the big gun slung over his back? I cant figure out how that the use of the gun is anatomically feasible. For get the whole huge gun thing, why the shoulder mount at the end of the gun? Or am I mistaken and it’s just a pneumatic wrench on steroids ?

  33. Judging by the title, Cable’s laser eye is going to throw the Avengers through time, or maybe just through a series of increasingly discordant crossovers.

  34. Is anyone else just a little bit tired of the Avengers? I just wonder if this would have been more enticing if it didn’t involve Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine and Spider-Man.

  35. This sounds awesome to me. I’ll pick up the HC….

  36. This will be a ton of fun. Loeb and McGuniess are a great team, it’s sounding like this story will be as action packed as that pic above.

  37. Marvel isn’t going to be able to compete with DC if this is the best they can do. A Jeph Loeb Cable event? Really?