Introducing The All-New Marvel: Season One Graphic Novels

Marvel: Season One, a line of all-new graphic novels, just got bigger as Marvel is pleased to add three titles to the highly anticipated line-up with Ant-Man: Season One, Hulk: Season One & Doctor Strange: Season One! These all-new complete stories offer fans a chance to immerse themselves in the Marvel Universe like never before. Journey into the unknown with Ant-Man, learn about the mystic arts with Doctor Strange and find out how Hulk balances humanity and monstrosity as each of these graphic novels offer new revelations for long-time fans and give new readers a fresh introduction to the character. With modern retellings of the world’s greatest super heroes seminal origins by some of the most critically acclaimed creators in the business, no fan can miss this! Each of these graphic novels also include a code to download each book for free, via the Marvel Comics app, making them must haves for every fan.

 

“As a result of the great response from fans and retailers, we realized we couldn’t just stop with one wave of titles” said David Gabriel, Marvel SVP of Sales. “We’re showing our continued support for this line by insuring that fans have a reason to come back into comic shops month after month to get the next volumes in the Season One line of original graphic novels.”

 

The complete second wave of Season One graphic novels includes:

·         Ant-Man: Season One by Tom DeFalco (Spider-Girl) and Horacio Domingues (Incorruptible), on-sale in July 2012

·         Hulk: Season One by Fred Van Lente (Alpha Flight, Herc) and Tom Fowler (Venom), on-sale in August 2012

·         Doctor Strange: Season One by Greg Pak (Astonishing X-Men, Red Skull: Incarnate) and Emma Rios (Osborn, Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger), on-sale in September 2012

 

Whether you’re picking up a comic for the first time, or looking to add more to your comics reading experience, then it’s time to discover the world’s greatest super heroes all over again in Marvel: Season One!

I’m really impressed with the characters they’ve chosen for the second wave of Season One. While the first wave was completely expected; of course, the biggest name characters would get the first choice. But where is Iron Man? Captain America? Granted, Hulk is a given, but Ant-Man and Dr. Strange? I wouldn’t have thought Marvel would pick those two.

Could the choice be related to the rumors concerning movies based on those properties? IMDB lists an entry for both Ant-Man and Dr. Strange, but with little more than a director and writer attached to Ant-Man, that’s hardly a guarantee. Is Marvel preparing themselves for the inevitable release of both films with an origin story that accessible to new fans? That seems likely. And if so, it’s a good business choice by Marvel.

Whether these two movies get made or not, I’m happy that Marvel is plowing headlong in the Season One venture. One of the major hurdles the comic industry faces is gaining new readership. The origin stories will help Marvel accomplish that. Longtime fans know all of the backstory and forget how easy it is to get confused. We take our knowledge for granted. But Season One will change that.

And they’re managing it without erasing that last 50 plus years of continuity.  That has to count for something.