Marvel Comics has announced today that writer Al Ewing and artist Javier Rodríguez will follow up their acclaimed work on last year's Defenders: There Are No Rules with a new volume starting in June.
Titled Defenders: Beyond, the mind-bending saga will feature a brand-new lineup that unite to tackle an adversary with the power to end reality as we know it. Yes, it's The Beyonder, and the series promises to reveal shocking destinies for the Defenders and other Marvel heroes, while discovering what secrets lie at the very foundation of the Marvel Universe.
It all kicks off when Doctor Strange sends a dire warning from beyond the grave! Blue Marvel, America Chavez, Taaia (the mother of Galactus), Tigra, and Loki (a variant of the God of Mischief who should be familiar to readers of Ewing's Loki: Agent of Asgard series) will assemble to defend reality itself! Their mission will take them to the very limits of space and time (and beyond it) as they confront questions few heroes have dared to ask and receive answers no one in the Marvel Universe is prepared for.
"In this book, we're going on a magical journey into the Mystery itself, mapping the Marvel Godhead and bringing back knowledge that ties into what has gone before, some seismic things to come," Rodriguez says, "and if we're lucky, maybe a little off-the-page magic to feed your hungry head. We've got an eclectic new crew of Defenders chosen for the task by the final spell of Stephen Strange - I'm saying what's probably a final goodbye to a lot of stuff from the past ten years with this one, and for at least one character, this will be the last adventure."
Defenders: Beyond arrives in comic book stores on June 16. Check out a first look below: