While we have the first live-action look at Marvel's much-anticipated
Captain America: The First Avenger movie during Sunday's 45th annual Super Bowl, on the same day, Marvel is also launching a new eight-part digital comic book series. Titled
Captain America: First Vengeance, each of the eight issues focuses on a specific character from the movie, heroes and villains alike, and what brought them to the point where the movie begins.
USA Today reports:
Written by Fred Van Lente and featuring a rotation of artists, the story is set in Marvel's "cinematic universe" and ties in with events of the movie. It's a joint production between Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios."
Much of First Vengeance will deal with that origin story — along with an action-packed mission to Nazi-occupied Europe. But the writer is also introducing other characters fans will see in the movie, some of whom are familiar to longtime readers — such as the evil Red Skull and Cap's sidekick Bucky Barnes.
Van Lente says Captain America is "a guy who never gives up. That makes him a hero not just for World War II but for the tough times we're going through right now." Says Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige: "2011 is Cap's 70th anniversary. Characters don't stick around that long unless they remain relevant and vital to the modern era."
The first issue will provide the movie's Cap, Chris Evans, in full superhero garb, on the cover. And the issue will be available free, online only, at
CaptainAmerica.com, followed by a release Feb. 8 on the Marvel Comics iPad app. And
Captain America: The First Avenger hits theaters July 22, in 3D!