The state of Marvel Cosmic is perhaps the most disappointing side to the current state of affairs. After seeing a massive resurgence thanks to Keith Giffen’s epic Annihilation crossover, the cosmic heroes were elevated to all new heights, only for it to all come crashing down to the point that Nova is now an Earth-Based title. Even after GOTG skyrocketed into the big time, Marvel failed to capitalize on renewing that intergalactic scope. One of the key points in my Relaunch stratagy is to fix that and return Marvel Cosmic to its epic potential, full of intergalactic political intrigue, cosmic mysteries, and good old fashioned swashbuckling space travel. There's a massive wealth of potential Marvel has just let go by the wayside, so the goal here is to recapture that Annihilation-era spirit of epic scale and new developments happening every day, which makes it the perfect environment to elevate newer heroes like Blue Marvel and Quasar, and see a return to form from some of the beloved galactic stars like Ronan, Beta Ray Bill, the Shi'Ar, and of course, the Fantastic Four.
Guardians of the Galaxy (x2) (W) Dan Slott/Nick Spencer/Chip Zdarsky/Gail Simone (A) Greg Pak
The two focal points of the Marvel cosmic world fit well into the classic Space divide of Star Wars/Star Trek. In this situation, the Guardians are Star Wars. Fun, wild adventure in the nitty gritty, “lived in” backwater regions of the galaxy is where Star-Lord, Rocket and company thrive. The current 5 person team doesn’t really need changing, though Cosmo and Mantis would be fun additions, but I think it would be cool to add recent creation Singularity, perhaps first as a “cargo” in need of protection but later a regular member. She’s a unique character who could really shine here.
Picking a creative team for the Guardians is rough. It this theoretical fan relaunch, it really comes down do who goes where. Dan Slott is talented, despite his recent downhill slide on TASM, and I'd hate to see him go away once he leaves that book. Guardians seems like a good fit for him. But he's burnt a lot of bridges with fans, which could prove a problem, and he may not even want to jump into such a big project so soon after TASM. Having taken Nick Spencer off the Cap books, this could be a good fit for his next big job, or a big break for up-and-comer Chip Zdarsky, who is currently penning Star Lord's solo title. Those two are my two top picks to replace Slott on TASM, though. The last author on my list is Gail Simone. I've already inluded her in the big name talent draws for the relaunch at the helm of Captain Marvel, but if she would be up to taking on GOTG as well, it could be a perfect match!
The Fantastic Four (x2) (W) Al Ewing (A) Travel Foreman
It’s high time the Fantastic Four find their way home. I pitch the concept of Ben and Johnny coming back together after having dreams in which its clear they must find their family and bring them back. Teaming with Miss America for her cosmic knowledge and Giant-Man for his intellect, they set forth on a galaxy-wide, universe hopping quest to find the Richards clan. They finally find them in a perfect world Reed created, where he and Sue live normal lives with their children, with no memory of their time in the 616. While Ben questions if maybe they were wrong to come, Johnny forces Reed to remember in time to fight off a force of evil they inadvertently led to Reed’s new world. Together, the family returns to the 616 and the Fantastic Four is officially reborn, taking the place currently occupied by the Ultimates as the high-concept SciFi problem solvers. However, Reed, Sue and the kids are still powerless, and the question remains as to how and if they will restore their powers. But what is truly important is that Marvel’s first family is back together, and with their new friends they’re primed to take on the wildest problems the cosmos can throw at them.
I hear lots of talk about the F4 being too “old-fashioned” and not fitting into modern comics. That’s simply not true. They’re the Star Trek to the Guardians’ Star Wars. That spot in the Marvel universe of exploring the unknown and solving the big, cosmic problems is currently held by The Ultimates, and as much as I love that team, it’s high time the First Family come home. But Ewing/Foreman are doing so well with Ultimates, I kept them on with the F4. The F4 have a very special and unique place in the Marvel Universe. It's high time they get the attention they deserve.
Blue Marvel (W) Jonathon Hickman (A) Mike del Mundo
Blue Marvel is one of the biggest pieces of untapped potential in Marvel’s roster. It’s time he make the jump into the limelight. With a unique background and personality, and close ties to the bizarre Marvel Cosmic world, Adam holds huge potential for exciting, trippy stories. And who better to dabble in the mad, mad world of cosmic concepts than Jonathon Hickman. It’s important to commit big talent when you aim to elevate a character, so that’s a big part of bringing Hickman back. But it also gives him a massive playbox to do what he does best, and pick up on some of the concepts and characters he introduced in his past works that have since fallen by the wayside. This stellar creative team can carry Blue Marvel straight to the center of the new Marvel pantheon.
The Inhumans (W) Rick Remender (A) Luca Pizarri
Lately, Marvel doesn’t really seem to know what to do with the Inhumans. They tried to force them into becoming substitute X-Men, which failed miserably. And it’s a shame, because the Inhumans are great characters, and deserve far better than what they’ve gotten, especially with the heightened media presence. The Inhumans work best when they’re Marvel’s version of Game of Thrones. The politics, scheming, and bizarre, gritty, off the wall sci-fi fantasy stuff is a ton of fun and fits the Royal Family much more than trying to force them into being X-Men knockoffs. This title would focus mainly on the Royals, with some NuHumans involved (Reader, for one) while most of the prominant NuHumans will be joining the new X-Factor. Bring back Rick Remender to build hype and let him go wild with them, characters that fit well with his sensibilities.
Quasar (W) Kelly Thompson (A) Ramon Rosanas
It doesn’t seem like anyone can manage to hold onto the Quantum Bands for very long. Avril Kincaid became the newest host back in Avengers Standoff, and was supposed to be “the next big thing”. It never happened. Instead, she’s only shown up to get caught up in Hydra Steve’s grand scheme, so once Secret Empire blows over, she’s probably going to want to be leaving Earth behind. Now, Kelly Thompson and Ramon Rosanas can pick up her story and deliver on that original promise of great things. A coming of age journey in space, Avril fits well with Thompson’s unique style to create an exciting space adventure. Also set to show up here in a big way is the Shi’Ar Empire, always looking to contain new power players in the galaxy, and the wild heir Kid Gladiator, a potential love interest for Marvel’s newest hero. This book could also serve as a good place to bring another teenage cosmic hero back to prominance in Darkhawk.
Novas (W) Ed Brubaker (A) Mitch Gerads
Another big artist coming back to help reinvigorate Marvel Cosmic, Ed Brubaker is the perfect guy to set up a new, very different Nova series. They finally brought Richard Rider back, and it’s time for him to drag Sam Alexander away from Earth and get started rebuilding the Nova Corps. This book takes on a much more militaristic tone than the current teen hero shtick, and Brubaker and Gerads fit right into the mold needed to restructure the Nova brand and potentially introduce some big new players. Also, get Titus involved, because he’s a giant space tiger with a canon for an arm, and that’s freaking awesome no matter how you look at it.
So that's it, 6 books to rebuild the foundation of the mighty Marvel Cosmic brand! I really don't get what's been holding them back in this field, it's high time they capitalize on it, especially with Infinity War coming up! As always, sound off below with any thoughts and comments!