NYCC 2012: New SECRET AVENGERS Line-Up

Announced just a little while ago at the “Marvel NOW!: The Avengers” panel at New York Comic Con 2012, Marvel has revealed new plans for Secret Avengers. It involves new members, a new direction, a new #1, a new artist, and a …. not-so-new writer who’s coming back for more.

Launching in February 2013, an “all-new, all different” Secret Avengers will see series’ former writer Nick Spencer rejoin the title with Ultimate Comics The Ultimates’ Luke Ross handling the art. According to Marvel, this new era ofย  the team is organized at the behest of Maria Hill to take on the deadliest threats facing the world — the ones they can’t, shouldn’t, and (if the new team does their job) will never see.

Although this title relaunch is still five months away, we’ve already gotten confirmation on the line-up: Nick Fury and Agent Coulson (last seen in Battle Scars) will act as the team’s handlers, with Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk, Mockingbird, Winter Soldier and an all-new Iron Patriot.

Spencer previously wrote Secret Avengers in the summer of 2011 from issues #12.1 to #15 between Ed Brubaker and Warren Ellis’ runs. The series current writer, Rick Remender, confirmed earlier this year that his final issue of the title will be Secret Avengers #37, before the renumbering.

 

 

Comments

  1. I have read on another site that the team will be “activated” through a code-word triggered memory implant and that once they are “deactivated” they will have no memory of what happened. I’m not keen on that. I’m still wiling to give the first arc a go, though.

    • If that is true, the beauty of that kind of story is when the memories start to leak through from “activated” session to “activated” session and even between activations. Dollhouse is a great example of how something like this could work really well to raise the tension and drama.

  2. I’m interested to find out who this new Iron Patriot’s going to be.

    • Also, no Venom? So, it’s either this or Thunderbolts for him, besides the ongoing? Why can’t Flash pull double duty?

    • Wait isn’t Venom already announced in the new Thunderbolts? He’s on the cover with Red Hulk and Punisher.

    • I’m aware of that fact, Flan. What I’m asking is, why can’t Flash be on both the T-Bolts and the Secret Avengers?

    • Maybe Nick Spencer doesn’t want to use him? It could be as simple as that.

    • That’s a good point. Maybe that’s why Valkyrie’s out as well. She’s gonna be a supporting character in Venom, right? That USA Today article a while back about him moving to Philly and stuff said they’d explore their relationship in that book, since it officially kicked off at the end of the previous issue.

  3. So is this the Avengers equivalent to X-Force?

  4. Is it me or does Hawkeye look weirdly like a blonde Bono on that cover?

    • And Fury is definitely rocking the Sam Jackson scowl, even though I didn’t think this one was meant to have the Sam Jackson looks unlike Ult. Fury did at one point. Also: Popped collar on Fury.

  5. …Hulk? Hulk and Secret don’t fit well next to each other in my head…

  6. lol an espionage team with the Hulk. I guess he can “Hulk Smash” their way through the dark and seedy underbelly of evil governments/ organizations. (jk)

  7. nic Spencer equal pass for me

  8. The line up and premise seem great. Hated Spencer’s previous work on the title though.

  9. Um, does this mean that Winter Soldier’s faked death is no longer a secret from most of the Marvel Universe . . ?

    • Widow’s been working with Bucky, and Hawkeye’s aware that he’s alive as well. Besides, they’re Secret Avengers, so stands to reason he has them keeping him on the down-low.

    • On the other hand, for some reason, Clint doesn’t strike me as the best keeper of secrets . . . ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Plus, how covert could your team be when it includes a Hulk . . ? Sigh. I do like some of Spencer’s work, but, feel as though Marvel is giving this title the “generic” treatment here on out . . .

  10. I’m psyched about Mockingbird, always been a fan of her character and she’s hasn’t really been utilized well in New Avengers

  11. This news doesn’t give me confidence in the handling of Winter Soldier once Brubaker’s gone. Looks like he’s going to become just another pawn to place in whatever book for whatever reason. I greatly prefer his current ‘off in his own world’ status right now. How long before Bucky turns up in Avenging Spider-Man for a team-up? And we’ll probably see him in a mini event soon like the Minimum Carnage or Spidey-Punisher-Daredevil crossovers.

    • I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s a secret team. Him being alive is still a secret. Only a select few know he’s still alive.

  12. Figures that Maria Hill would be into mind control. I wonder if she’ll have them murder people and forget about it.

  13. Is that Samuel L Jackson Fury in the 616 U?

  14. I look forward to reading this in trade.

    From the public library.

    Currently cutting titles, mostly due to budgetary constraints.