This is how our way of life ends

[stubbleupdate]

In August, I'm picking up 5 books by Architect #5, Jonathan Hickman. The second volume of SHIELD is coming out, along with FF, The Red Wing, Ultimate Ultimates and Ultimate Hawkeye. Since I'm very excited about the return of SHIELD, I thought I'd post up something from #6 that I didn't get around to posting when it came out.

The War of the Immortal City
Underneath Rome lies The Immortal City, home of the ancient brotherhood of the SHIELD. Founded by Imhotep to combat a Brood invasion SHIELD has protected the world from invasion by Celestials, Galactus and other threats, pushing mankind to achieve greatness.

Sir Isaac Newton has led SHIELD to guide the world towards its inevitable destiny. Their motto in a crisis is "This is not how the world ends" because they know how the world will end.

Leonardo Da Vinci has arrived via the heart of the sun and brings with him a baby Celestial. He and his followers believe that mankind shapes their own destiny and that nothing has truly been predestined for man.

They plunge the Immortal City into civil war.

In the middle is Leonid, the Eternal Dynamo, whose dad is Nikola Tesla, the Night Machine.








And it's coming back.

Comments

[kd_the_movie]

I can't wait to when i have a little more money because I sincerely plan on buying a great deal of Hickman's Marvel work.

I swear, Hickman you make me quote lovesongs up in here

[jazzypom]

Wherever you go, I'll find you. I'll follow you into the dark, and when The Rapture comes, your comics will be in my hands.

[arctis]

Has anyone ever figured out what the numbers in the first panel mean?
Because, you know, with how prominent they're presented, they pretty much have to mean something!

[jarodrussell]

It's part of a clock Isaac Newton built, counting down the days until the war would start...at least it seems it was counting down to the war.

[sherkahn]

It's the Human Machine, built by Da Vinci.

As it evolved, and so did the Celestial child, it evolved, too.

[jarodrussell]

Architect #5

That makes him sound even cooler than before.

But, yeah, I have to remember to get Red Wing along with FF, SHIELD, and collecting the Secret Warrior and Fantastic Four trades by Hickman. I'd get his Ultimate books, but I would gnaw off a finger before knowingly buying a book about Hawkeye again.

But, yeah, Hickman...sorry, I mean...Architect #5 is the only thing keeping me at Marvel these days. His neo-secret-history of the MU is awe inspiring, and not since Warren Ellis in the 90's has a comic writer so nicely written about cities.

[turtlefu]

I believe no writer is perfect, so I'm cautious about the Ultimate Books. They take great writers and make them bad.

But what's the Architect #5 thing about? Are there other Architects? (Confused)

[darkknightjrk]

A while back Marvel did a press thing about the Architects, the guys who are doing the biggest and most important books in Marvel. The other four were Bendis, Matt Fraction, Jason Aaron, and Ed Brubaker.

[ghosty732]

Sucks to be anyone not on that list, but still working for Marvel. Like your parents picking favourite children.

[sherkahn]

Window dressing.

[stubbleupdate]

I imagine that the guy who's writing one off Annuals and fill in issues will know that he's not on the A-list. Yes, you're right that advertising that other writers are better than you does feel a bit like a kick in the teeth.

As one of my old bosses used to say "The best is the enemy of the good." It also puts down a title that isn't written by an architect as not being that important.

[turtlefu]

Yeah, cuz there are some really good writers at Marvel that ARE doing awesome stuff but apparently it's not awesome ENOUGH.

Like Jeff Parker, or Kelly Sue Deconnick, or Van Lente

[valtyr]

Greg Pak, Marjorie Liu - and frankly I'd say they didn't even name their best writers as the five Architects, although my burning hateboner for Invincible Iron Man and the Ultimate Captain America mini probably biases me there.

In fact tbh the only one of the five I'd call a genuinely exciting and awesome writer is Hickman - I like Brubaker's noirish stuff, but don't like his Cap work, and though I love Bendis' work very much, I'll freely admit it's because it caters directly to my wants of having superheroes be adorable and cute together, rather than being fantastic and innovative quality.

But I suppose a lot of comics isn't about being awesome and exciting, but just providing the same old stuff. Sometimes I think we forget that superhero comics are read by a huge number of people, and those people probably watch reality TV and read Dan Brown in approximately the same quantity as the general poplace. No wonder Land and Loeb keep getting work.

I just have a lot of feelings.

[stubbleupdate]

I think that the Architect scheme also does a disservice to creators whose works are really good, but don't serve to shape the future or present of the Marvel Universe.

That doesn't mean that Parker's Hulk book, or Gillen's X-Men aren't good titles that are worth reading, just that they're happening in their own little space.

[valtyr]

mmyes, and that's... not an inherent quality, is it? They shape the world because they're given the books/authority to shape the world.

I suppose one could argue Marvel is just saying these are the people we've given authority to make wide-ranging changes in the MU, but promoting them does kind of give it a value judgment, as I think you're saying?

[stubbleupdate]

Oops. He's Architect #4


Matt Fraction is dishy Architect #5

[turtlefu]

Are those seriously what they look like? Because that is kind of hilarious. I'm not saying they are bad-looking, but they do not look like I expected them too. Especially Bru, because I read he was an army brat, so I was expecting him to look more like an army brat. And Aaron looks like a comic shop employee. And Bendis looks like Boy George.

Fraction looks like a hipster male model. Matt and Kelly Sue: Hottest comic geek couple ever?

[stubbleupdate]

Brubaker looks the same as when he appeared in Immortal Iron Fist, Fraction has changed a bit.

[sir_mikael]

Haha, I never noticed the titles of their books on the shirts!

[jarodrussell]

[jarodrussell]

If Matt Fraction is Architect #5, then I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I SAID!

[stubbleupdate]

Most of the bad Ultimate stuff has come from Jeph Loeb (though Kirkman's X-Men was a definite low point in his career)