COMING ATTRACTIONS!

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

TIMESTORM 2009/2099 # 1
The Story: 2009…meets 2099? Future history has been shattered by events in the present! If you think you know the heroes and villains from Marvel’s dark future, writer Brian Reed (SECRET INVASION: CAPTAIN MARVEL) and artist Eric Battle (Batman) say it’s time to think again! Get ready for the re-imagined 2099 versions of Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, the X-Men and more! Plus 8 pages of Director's Cut Extras!
Rated T+ …$3.99

New Newsarama article on TIMESTORM: 2009/2099

Brian Reed: Bringing the Timestorm to 2009
By Steve Ekstrom
posted: 30 January 2009 08:50 am ET

Timestorm: 2009-2099


Here’s a little future-history for you: In the winter of 1992, Marvel Comics took two big steps into the 21st Century; actually, to the end of the 21st Century to be more precise. From November of 1992 until February of 1993, Marvel unveiled versions of its characters in he year 2099: Spider-Man, Punisher, Dr. Doom, and Ravager. These characters were the basis for what would become an expanding line of futuristic Marvel comics during the mid ‘90s, and their world was dystopian—a cyberpunk future ruled by power-mongering corporations, and the heroes were “rage against the machine” types with nothing to lose. The future, at least through 1996 (while the 2099 imprint lasted) was not very promising.

Flash forward, nearly 18 years to April 2009: the Marvel Universe, under the guidance of Ms. Marvel writer Brian Reed and artist Eric Battle, finds itself in a paradox of sorts—one that has the mainstream Marvel Universe on a collision course with a futuristic (albeit slightly re-imagined) 2099 universe in a new mini-series, Timestorm 2009-2099.

Newsarama hopped in a time machine to get the scoop from Timestorm 2009-2099 writer Brian Reed on what’s brewing in the stormy times ahead.

Newsarama: First things first, Brian were you a fan of the original 2099 projects from Marvel in the early 90s?

Brian Reed: I read a fair bit of Spider-Man 2099 when it first hit, but I was just moving out on my own for the first time in those days, and money was beyond tight, so I missed out on a few things I've had to read years after the fact. In the time since though, especially while researching this series, I've found myself really falling in love with a lot of what was done back then.

NRAMA: How did you get involved with Timestorm 2009-2099?

BR: Marvel Editor Bill Rosemann called me just before Christmas and said, “I might have a Christmas present for you!” Then he told me of the desire to bring 2099 back to life, and asked if I'd be interested. It sounded like a fun challenge, and I loved working with Bill back when he was the editor on Ms. Marvel, so I said I'd love to take a crack at it and dove into a couple weeks worth of reading and research.

NRAMA: What can you tell us about the premise of the story?

BR: I told Bill that what I'd really like to do is “newuniversal the 2099 setting.” And what I meant by that was I wanted to update the setting, and the characters for a new readership, as well as bring back those readers from 16 years ago who would like to see these futuristic ideas in motion again.

I was a huge fan of the New Universe books when I was a teenager, but I can admit that just relaunching DP7 or Starbrand might not work so well with today's audience. So I'm taking a lot of lessons learned from both newuniversal and from the Ultimate books and applying them here.

NRAMA: Will there be any familiar faces from the original 2099 books returning? Obviously Spider-Man 2099 is on the cover—but is he going to be different?

BR: You can bank on Miguel O’Hara, aka Spidey 2099, but it’s going to be a younger Miguel than we saw before. Also on tap are Cerebra, Ghost Rider, a brand new Human Torch, and a few surprises (What? Who said "Hulks?" Did I really mean more than one?).

There's even a few ideas I threw on the table and expected to be told no, but instead got encouraged to go crazy.

NRAMA: The original 2099 future was extremely...futuristic. Do you think humans as a species will be as advanced or will the 2099 you have in mind be a lot different?

BR: While the year on everyone's calendars is 2099, there's some debate amongst scholars of the age as to if it is 2099, or 2199, or even 2599. We know this much for certain: in our very near future (as in, while everyone we know and love in the Marvel Universe is still alive and kicking) something very bad happens and the world as we know it collapses. An era called the Dark Ages begins, and when our society pulls itself out of that mess, we've reached the era of the 2099 stories.

I'm trying to really root the technology so it feels as if it has evolved from our modern day Marvel, where holograms and repulsors are already a going concern.

I'm also trying to spin in things we know full well are coming our way in the real world. Things like targeted advertising, or government-issued identity cards that could be used to track our every move and erase our private lives.

A big part of the story is also how the heroes of today are perceived in the world of tomorrow. We all see the heroes as these icons that will protect us from any evil. But in the future their identities have been appropriated by the corporations, and used to oppress the citizens of 2099.

NRAMA: Were you inspired by any outside sources? If so, what are some that come to mind?

BR: I was of course inspired by the 2099 books, and like them I was also inspired by the sci-fi (both literary and cinema) of the 1980's. Let's all be honest here—you take Blade Runner and William Gibson's first three novels off the table and I'm not sure there was ever a 2099 to begin with.

That said, time is damn cruel to science-fiction of all makes and models.

There's a lot of dated sci-fi ideas in the 2099 universe that just haven't aged well and would feel tired and maybe even silly if we just brought them back out of storage now and propped them up exactly as they were.

The first thing you realize as a creator when you put your feet down in 2099 is that the 2099 corner of the Marvel Universe is in need of some redesign, a refurbish, and a good paint job before we let characters and readers start romping around in there again.

NRAMA: How important is a futuristic setting in a story about the alteration of time? Can mutability of a setting prove to be a challenge?

BR: I don't know that you need to travel to the future to make a time travel story work. The first Back to the Future seemed to do just fine without it. But since we wanted to have Spidey 2009 play with Spidey 2099, the future became a going concern for us.

As for mutability caused by time travel? Oy vey! You have to be careful how far you push any of that because the whole story can fall apart around you if you're not careful.

NRAMA: How does the aspect of time figure into the story you're telling readers? Are there any paradoxical moments occurring?

BR: There's a Timestorm occurring! Now, as to what a ‘Timestorm’ is, how it starts, and how it plays out...you'll have to read the books.

NRAMA: How involved were you with Eric Battle's work on the project? Do you work closely with the artist when you're scripting or do you just let them do their thing?

BR: Been there every step of the way. As we've been re-designing some of the characters (EVERYONE CALM DOWN -- NOBODY'S TOUCHING A SINGLE WEB ON SPIDER-MAN 2099'S COSTUME) I've explained the new ideas I've had, and Eric's brought some of his own. His take on the new Human Torch made me giddy. And his new model for Cerebra...Wow! His art has inspired more ideas in my writing, and that's one of the greatest gifts you can ask for from an artist.

NRAMA: Which of the 2099 characters has been your favorite so far?

BR: Spider-Man is fun whenever and wherever he is. It takes a special person to put on that costume and adopt that name. In our future the heroes are seen as a tool of oppression, so when Miguel O'Hara puts on a costume and calls himself Spider-Man...there's a lot of "f-you, corporate a-holes" in that action. He's turning the oppressor's greatest weapon against them, and really upsetting the balance of the world in the process.

NRAMA: Will any of these 2099 characters become part of the regular Marvel Universe by the end of this project?

BR: That would be spoiling the ending! But I will tell you this: Bill and I both have the belief that when you're telling stories in a shared universe, you should always leave something behind so the next writer in line (if they're at the keyboard tomorrow, or next decade) has new toys to play with.

NRAMA: Wrapping things up, what gets things rolling in issue #1?

BR: It all starts when Spider-Man encounters a man dressed in an updated Punisher uniform. It's Punisher 2099 and he's here in the present day, trying to kill Spidey. Why? Because the voice of Thor (Remember 2099’s Church of Thor, kids?) has told him to!

And that's just the first four page

Shadowrenderer wrote:

GoZ wrote:

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Well, Saun, I can read! I have no idea who they are, maybe that's Irwin who worked, I think, for Wildstorm. But still... who's the writer?

You can read, but you sure as fuck can't "type"....."Saun"???????(<--Light Yellow)

hmm...

tebowed.

Spoiler:

NYCC '09: Claremont and the X-Men: With a Twist






By Steve Ekstrom
posted: 06 February 2009 03:07 pm ET




ENLARGE IMAGE






Flashback to the summer of 1991—older readers remember that summer well—every time they look at their five copies of X-Men #1.
It wasn’t long after the launch of Marvel’s second X-Men title that
Chris Claremont left his tenured 16 year position as writer of the
X-Men for unknown pastures...

...but What If he hadn’t?

That’s a big “What If?” - so big, in fact, that Marvel is giving
Claremont a new monthly title to pick up where he left off at the end
of X-Men #3. This weekend at the New York Comic Con—Marvel announced its plans for X-Men: Forever. Written by Claremont and drawn by Tom Grummett, X-Men Forever
allows Claremont to pick up where he left off...18 years ago—just
minutes after the Children of the Atom believed they had destroyed
Magneto once and for all.

Newarama contacted Claremont and Grummett to discuss what’s in store for the X-Men of 1992 again...but like never before.

Newsarama: Have these plans for the X-Men been laying in wait for 18 years? Or are these all new?

Chris Claremont: Plans never “lie” in wait; they go out for
strolls, they get into arguments, they strike up a conversation with
other ideas and the next thing you know, they have grandchildren you
never saw coming. Sometimes, they find themselves attracted to a
different project and make a new life for themselves, while other ideas
wander in from parts unknown and take up permanent residence. Sorta
like Wisteria Lane. It would be a sad thing if these ideas had been
sitting in limbo for 18 years. The world that they—and we—inhabit today
is far different from the one that existed in 1991-92. Can you imagine
what it would be like if we were all still listening to Marky Mark and
watching Kevin Costner run around in green tights? Seriously, though,
there are some touchstones with these characters than remain true,
regardless. That’s the foundation on which we build.

NRAMA: Looking back at your body of work on the X-Men--was this
concept difficult to come back to? How hard is it to ignore nearly 20
years of continuity?

CC: Coming back to the X-Men is never difficult. Quite the
contrary, it’s a true pleasure, like visiting old and dear friends.
[X-Men] Forever allows me not just to pick up where I left off, but to show the reader the unexpected. Forever
allows me to pick up where I left off with the freedom to take the
series in whole new—and unfettered—directions. The characters here are
totally up for grabs. All of the presumptions that we’ve gotten used to
over time no longer apply; relationships that we’ve come to take for
granted are suddenly cast in question.

Think about that a moment—say we’re used to a romantic relationship
between a couple of characters. But suppose that applecart gets
overturned, suppose one of the characters finds themselves attracted to
someone new and unexpected, what then? Suppose we go down that road,
where might it lead?

Readers will discover right from the start, in the on-line preview, the
events of the “Magneto” trilogy which appeared to bring that story to
its conclusion, burst open a door on a whole new world. I put it to
readers who think they know me and the X-Canon—to guess correctly where
I’m taking you from here—you have no idea.

NRAMA: What can readers expect initially from X-Men Forever? Will various aspects of both the old-school "adjectiveless" X-Men and Uncanny X-Men be addressed in a single title?

CC: The readers should take nothing for granted. This iteration of X-Men is different, nothing
is guaranteed, their lives are at risk. Actions—decisions, choices—have
consequences and those consequences can’t simply be erased. This series
will be defined by such an event, and that event will have immediate
and profound—and lasting—ramifications on the X-Men as a whole. It’ll
strike at the very foundation of their lives, both as superheroes and
as human beings. The thing I want readers to be aware of from the start
is that they should not expect anything approaching the “same-old,
same-old.” I am blazing new trails, I mean to catch the readers by
surprise.

NRAMA: Tom, is it a little strange drawing older versions of modern characters?

Tom Grummett: I never really thought of it as strange... I was
too busy having fun with it! Admittedly, it's a unique concept we're
playing with, but the X-Men are iconic heroes, whatever incarnation you
choose. I just sit back and enjoy the experience of drawing these great
characters.

NRAMA: Have you been allowed to revise or create new concepts for these characters?

TG: My first task on joining the team was to come up with new
costume designs for the cast...a nice way to ease into a project like
this. It gave me a chance to get over a touch of stage fright, and get
a handle on each character—to acknowledge that they are the X-Men—not
'the Alternate X-Men', or 'the X-Men re-imagined'. Some of the new
designs are a real departure from what fans have been used to, so
reactions should be interesting.

NRAMA: Tom, how different are the comics of today in comparison to the comics of 1991?

Comics have evolved, certainly...just as every other creative
medium—television, film, and books—have changed over time. What hasn't
changed is our mandate: to entertain our audience.

NRAMA: Chris, the X-Men were probably at their largest number when X-Men started in 1991—will you be thinning the ranks somewhat?

CC: The preview sets the stage: this is X-Men honed down to its essence.

NRAMA: How does the continuity of this book exist in terms of
the standard 616 Marvel Universe? Is there now a "Claremont-universe"?

CC: In both form and substance, the world of this series is very
much like that of the standard 616 Marvel Universe. The setting is
contemporary. The year is 2009. The original trilogy that frames the
start of this series occurs just prior to the events of Forever. From that point on, anything goes. Everything is up for grabs.

NRAMA: What sorts of threats will these X-Men be facing initially?

CC: For years, the X-Men think they have it covered. They think,
with Magneto defeated, they’ve won. Their world is secure. They are so
very, very wrong. There is a threat out there that even Charles Xavier
knows nothing about—and a threat within the X-Community that is barely
a glimmering thought.

I may be picking up numerically where I left off but this series is
very much about characters facing the challenges of the early 21st
century. What hasn’t changed—will never change—is that this book is the
story of a group of gifted, haunted people, trying to live their lives
as best they can while facing threats both to their own future and that
of the world around them. They face choices, and those choices will
always have consequences. Nothing can be taken for granted. Especially survival.

NRAMA: Are there any plot points from 1991 that you are not
going to be carrying out that you wanted to address before? And if so,
can you tell readers some of your discarded plans from before...

CC: Why not simply read the book and then tell me?

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

Yeah, I started reading that article & thought, no, just... no. What if Claremont hadn't left X-Men? How is that even a What if??? Sounds too much like the FF book Erik Larsen did. What if? (kinda...) Jack hadn't left for DC...

I don't think it's a What If . . .

Sounds like it could kick some ass, though. I mean, these are ideas from Claremont 18 years ago. When he was good.

True Believer wrote:

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

Yeah, I started reading that article & thought, no, just... no. What if Claremont hadn't left X-Men? How is that even a What if??? Sounds too much like the FF book Erik Larsen did. What if? (kinda...) Jack hadn't left for DC...

I don't think it's a What If . . .

Sounds like it could kick some ass, though. I mean, these are ideas from Claremont 18 years ago. When he was good.

I'm just glad he's off of the Exiles, his running commentary annoyed the hell out of me. Hey Dan I said off of.

Yeah,



So lets all read God Loves, Man Kills, and enjoy the glory days of Chris Claremont.

Shadowrenderer wrote:

True Believer wrote:

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

Yeah, I started reading that article & thought, no, just... no. What if Claremont hadn't left X-Men? How is that even a What if??? Sounds too much like the FF book Erik Larsen did. What if? (kinda...) Jack hadn't left for DC...

I don't think it's a What If . . .

Sounds like it could kick some ass, though. I mean, these are ideas from Claremont 18 years ago. When he was good.

Technically it is. what if claremont hadn't left X-Men? That's what it is.

That doesn't make it a "What If . . ."

Shadowrenderer wrote:

True Believer wrote:

Shadowrenderer wrote:

True Believer wrote:

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

Yeah, I started reading that article & thought, no, just... no. What if Claremont hadn't left X-Men? How is that even a What if??? Sounds too much like the FF book Erik Larsen did. What if? (kinda...) Jack hadn't left for DC...

I don't think it's a What If . . .

Sounds like it could kick some ass, though. I mean, these are ideas from Claremont 18 years ago. When he was good.

Technically it is. what if claremont hadn't left X-Men? That's what it is.

That doesn't make it a "What If . . ."

The definition of a what if? is it's unencombered by continuity & takes place some time in Marvels past. Takeing an event or book in a dif. direction.

That's what this is.

I mostly agree with Dan here except for two things. For one it's not titled "What if?" as many Marvel books are but that's just being really literal and Dan's not being literal,so in a non-literal way this is a "What if?" because the premise is a question that makes the book divert from the original story line. And the second thing is, Dan says, "& takes place some time in Marvels past"--a "What if?" doesn't have to take place in the past and somewhere in the article it was stated that this book takes place in 2009. They are just time adjusting X-Men 1-3 to the present and going from there, so no time has taken place in-between but they are in current time.

Shadowrenderer wrote:

Yeah, it's a matter of semantics really.

There are always some antics going on around here.

But Dan asked "How is that even a 'What If . . .'" Implying that someone at sometime had said this was a "What If . . ." Otherwise you would've just said "That's not a 'What If . . .'"

Which it isn't.

That means you were being literal, not figurative (which was your defense.) Otherwise, why would you have phrased it that way?

Mr.Wholesome wrote:

Today I picked up my comic books. Hopped in the car and thought, "hey now that Claimont isn't doing Exiles he isn't doing an X book any more....ah that's sad. I hope Marvel realizes that he no longer has a fan base and can't hold readers any more. I guess, maybe, they finally did realize that. That's good and bad" (or something like that). Then I got back to the office, hopped online (do I hop too much), surfed them thar internets and found that article. Amazing. I hope it's good. There is no way in hell I'm buying it unless it comes out and generates a ton of positive fan reaction (which wont happen).

I think they're just trying to keep him from going to DC, honestly...Throw him some bones...A few titles that only a small niche will pick up...Keep him busy and keep him out of the main stuff...