On a previously posted thread, Dellamorte1872, posted that Marvel should do a Dark Reign: Zodiac. Well, here is a preview from Marvel.com
There is some more information mentioned in the "Weekly Watcher" video on Marvel.com
Also, up on Marvel, is an article with Dark Reign: Zodiac creator Joe Casey. Here is what Casey has to say about how Zodiac fits into Dark Reign.
"There's a new badass on the scene, one that doesn't cop to Norman Osborn's vision of having all the villains under his watch," Casey says. So he's going to do something about it. That's basically it. Oh yeah, he beats the living snot out of the Human Torch, too. And then there's the cold-blooded murder of 100 H.A.M.M.E.R. agents. That pretty much sets the tone.
Zodiac is able to round up a crew of villains that are, in many ways, misfits and outsiders," the writer explains. "Meaning, none of them fit in to Osborn's overall plan, either by choice or by circumstance. It's one of the deeper themes that emerged as I was writing the series, the idea that even crooks can form a kind of temporary brotherhood. I think one of the worst things you could do to a villain-pretending-to-be-a-hero is to force him to actually be a real hero," he muses. "It's like the ultimate '[expletive] you.' Well, in DARK REIGN: ZODIAC #2, Zodiac engineers a pretty intense, worldwide scam that absolutely forces Norman into being the heroic leader he purports to be, whether he likes it or not. Well, when super villains are pretending to be Avengers or covertly working for the U.S. government, then I would say, yeah, my guys are an aberration, simply because they're bona fide super villains and proud of it," notes Casey. "They're anarchists and 100% open about it. They ain't hiding. They enjoy being criminals. They like to fight and they don't want anyone telling them what to do, certainly not a nut job like the Green Goblin!"
I for one hope that this comic turns out to be as gritty as it looks and people will be into that. DC's Vertigo line is pretty popular, I think Marvel needs more grittier characters and story lines. Should be cool, Dark Reign: Zodiac #1 comes out June 24. Let me know what you think.
- Aaron