Journeys Into Mystery

Time for a big post in your inbox - not one but two comics coming out today, including a brand new #1! So what's out today?

I SAID WHAT'S OUT TODAY?

Resurrection of Magneto #1, that's what!

This mini functions as a kind of capstone to my time on Krakoa, as well as the culmination of the plan that was always in place when I killed Magneto off, which was not to leave his inevitable resurrection to other hands but to do it myself, in the form of a mythic quest undertaken by Ororo - early on, in the grand Krakoan tradition of repurposing old names, I wanted to call it Lifedeath - and set at the end of the first Krakoan age. And here we are.

It's kind of a stealth sequel to Defenders too, in a way, in that we get into the Mystery, the Tarot etc. - in fact, Magneto died a tarot kind of Death, representative of a major change and transformation. So we bring a lot of that imagery out to play, and Luciano Vecchio does an incredible job of incorporating it into Storm's magical adventure. (It should be no surprise to anyone that I've always been a fan of his style - you will be too after reading this.)

Storm gets the odd-numbered issues in this run, so next month we'll see Magneto's view on all this...

Also out this week - The Immortal Thor #6!

Hey, I remember that Loki! We flash back, via a tale from the Skald, to a particular legend from the original Younger Edda that's extremely relevant to our ongoing tale of Utgard. This one's been adapted before - in Thor #272 by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and the great Tom Palmer - and the Rascally One made several useful tweaks to fit it to Marvel continuity, which we incorporate here while making a few more of our own in a kind of in-continuity retcon made possible by Loki's story-magic. Is Loki the only one with access to those particular magics, though? Well, there's anther powerful magic-user of Thor's acquaintance who might be able to tap in to the same secret fire...

This is a tale of giants and even more giant giants, and I asked a lot from Martin Cóccolo in terms of varying scales, with Thor and Loki treating the glove of one of these beings like a vast cave - needless to say, Martin delivered with absolute aplomb. His storytelling choices are always top-notch.

MARVEL COMICS PANEL BY PANEL

Back after a long hiatus.

Momentum's important with a project like this one and I have a limited supply which I need to spend on real work - as the recent run of NWLTTRS have borne foul witness too - but there's a lot here to get back into. Those who remember the dim and distant days of 2023 will recall that this dude is from the Scientists' Guild, which 80 years later I'll reveal to also be Fantastic Four foes the Enclave... but that part's not relevant and should be ignored. It's 1939, you're a kid who until recently had a shiny dime and now has a copy of Marvel Comics #1, you wake with a start Rome must burn etc. etc. - you know the drill. The Scientists Guild bit is the only information we're allowed to bring in with us when it comes to this dapper fellow.

So what does this panel tell us? Well, he's wearing green - something he reveals here by taking his overcoat off. Green's been established as a Bad Colour, a Forbidden Hue if you will, and associated with wild angry types who want to destroy Horton's work. He's literally showing his true colours! Also, he's got a goatee and a little moustache so you know he's a wrong 'un. He's out and out admitting that he and his cohorts are only there because "the newspapers have aroused the public" (oo-er missus), not for any actual scientific reason. And he's clearly pretty aroused himself - he can't speak the Human Torch's name without an extra hyphen and a boatload of emphasis.

It's a name to conjure with, evidently, and on cue twin flickering flames come into being in the ever-shifting background. Clearly Horton's creation is powerful enough for some aspect of it to manifest when summoned - but why are there two candles? Is the narrative hinting that there might someday be a second Human Torch? I hope they don't leave that particular Chekhov's Gun on the shelf for too long.

AND WITH THAT...

I gotta go. An actual newsletter this time, complete with a feature, despite dropping well into Wednesday! I'm improving. Love and strength to all who need it, and I'll play us out with "Borderline" by Sigrid.