A few months back, we reported on a rumor stating that the House of Ideas would be returning many of its top titles to their classic numbering in a post-Secret Empire world. Well, that turned out to be 100% true as Marvel Legacy was announced this past weekend at one of the biggest shows around, C2E2.
But before the wealth of the publishing line reverts back to original numbering as opposed to the annual relaunches we’ve grown accustomed to, a 50-page one-shot by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic dubbed Marvel Legacy #1 will spearhead the movement and is set to include “the Earth-shattering return of a beloved Marvel mainstay,” causing many to believe this has something to do with the Fantastic Four.
Often referred to as “Marvel’s first family,” Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing are referred to as such because they were the ones who kicked off the whole Marvel Universe in the first place. But in recent years, the publisher has downplayed them, specifically due to their film rights being handled by Fox, but we all know that their recent reboot turned out to be a box office bomb anyway. The X-Men saw similar treatment in this medium for a short while, but since things have swung in their favor in recent memory, perhaps Marvel is ready to put more support behind some of their most enduring characters.
Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, had this to say about the upcoming initiative:
“The Marvel Legacy initiative is a celebration of everything that makes Marvel the best in fiction and it’s a signifier of a new era for Marvel Comics. It’s a loving look at the heart of Marvel as we embrace our roots and move enthusiastically forward with all the Marvel characters you know and love starring in the biggest, boldest, best Marvel stories. All of which kicks off with the giant Marvel Legacy special.”
Speaking of Quesada, he can be credited with the promo art seen at the top of this article. And while it does pay tribute to some of the most popular superheroes around, we can’t help but notice that a patriotic Captain America Steve Rogers is front and center, so maybe the Secret Empire finale will set him straight after all.
According to Newsarama, Marvel Legacy will also bring back “the Marvel Value Stamp, the fan magazine FOOM, and corner box art on covers.” Our best guess is that July’s San Diego Comic-Con will be the place to hear what else is to be expected, so stay tuned for news regarding creative teams throughout the coming months.