ROMITA JR.: TAKING ON WOLVERINE & PUNISHER

**MattBrady** · 03-01-2004, 09:55 AM

Apparently a bag does not yet exist in which Marvel can keep a cat...

Last night (2/29) on Fanboy Radio, current Amazing Spider-Man artist John Romita Jr. announced that he will be taking over the pencils of Wolverine with Mark Millar writing, as well as an arc of Punisher under Garth Ennis' scripts.

Romita Jr. said that he hasn't started on Wolverine yet, but that he would be taking a break after two more issues to work on the other series. Klaus Janson will reportedly ink on Wolverine.

According to Romita, the two runs on the respective series will be a years' worth of work, and he doesn't know exactly when he will be getting back to Amazing, but he does consider his time away from the series as a sabbatical, rather than a full-out departure.

As for timing, Greg Rucka's commitment on Wolverine was to last 18 issues, which, if the issues continue their monthly shipping, would start Millar and Romita Jr. on the series with #19 in August, presuming no fill-in issues between the completion of Rucka and Darick Robertson's run and that of the new creators.

In regards to Punisher, Lewis Larosa's first arc on the series ends in April, with a new arc by a yet-unnamed artist kicking off in May. Presumably, Romita Jr. would begin following the completion of that arc, possibly in late fall if it is another six-part arc as the first was.

Romita Jr. also said that he's looking to rectify the situation where covers don't match the interiors, and is working on Amazing Spider-Man covers that reflect the interior stories.

When contacted by Newsarama, Marvel would neither confirm nor deny Romita's comments about his future plans.

Updated 3/1: 10:00 pm: When contacted by Newsarama, Romita Jr. was quick to confirm the new duties, saying "Yeah, it's true! I've got two more issues of Amazing ( 507, 508) then I'm on Wolvie and Punisher. I'm gonna do a minimum of 12 issues on Wolverine and at least 6 on Punisher (Max) I think."

Christian Otte · 03-01-2004, 09:56 AM

Wicked cool - looking forward to this!

Egg · 03-01-2004, 10:15 AM

John Romita, Jr. and Mark Millar on Wolverine! That sounds like a perfect match!

Egg
www.KamenComic.com
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saiyanspider · 03-01-2004, 10:19 AM

OMG!!!

Romita JR does a friggin great Punisher, and his Wolverine is killer

I'm pumped I must say!!!

saiyanspider · 03-01-2004, 10:20 AM

I'm Rick James beyatch

LucasSiegel · 03-01-2004, 10:21 AM

Holy crap! Millar and JR JR on Wolvie? Sweeeeeeeet. next you're gonna tell me the x-force rumors are true and we're gonna have a bad ass strike team on our hands again...come on, tell me. ah, well. the Wolvie news is cool still!

Christian Otte · 03-01-2004, 10:25 AM

Nooooo... Romita, don't leave AMS!!

Sammycomic · 03-01-2004, 10:34 AM

no mention of the Grey Area from Image?

e_galston · 03-01-2004, 10:34 AM

I'll be picking up Wolverine for sure now, not that i don't already, but i was going to drop it after Rucka left. Not a big punisher fan though. Hopefully he'll be back on Amazing Spiderman, as he's the reason i pick up the book.

gon · 03-01-2004, 10:54 AM

Only Romita Jr. could consider drawing two series "a sabbatical".

Raphe Cheli · 03-01-2004, 11:08 AM

Romita Jr is a great, great, professional artist, although I can't remember the last comic he drew that I bought (don't buy Spidey or X books... what else has he done the past 5 years?).

But, if I see the word "arc" one more time, I'm gonna puke. Every time I see "4 issue story arc" I immediately think, "2 issue story lasting 4 issues".

Gregg Cummings · 03-01-2004, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Raphe Cheli

But, if I see the word "arc" one more time, I'm gonna puke. Every time I see "4 issue story arc" I immediately think, "2 issue story lasting 4 issues".

Four issue arc? I see mostly six issue arcs... Two story lines per year, yay!

Gregg Cummings · 03-01-2004, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christian Otte
Nooooo... Romita, don't leave AMS!!

My thoughts exactly! I would like to see a rotating art team of Lee Weeks and Duncan Fegredo.

Ian · 03-01-2004, 11:22 AM

Man, doesn't Marvel have anyone on deck besides regulars like Millar, Ennis and JR JR?

Congrats to those guys making a fine living doing so many comics, but diversity thy name is not Marvel.

Gregg Cummings · 03-01-2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Romita Jr. also said that he's looking to rectify the situation where covers don't match the interiors, and is working on Amazing Spider-Man covers that reflect the interior stories.

Thank you! The current "Iconic" images gracing the covers of most Marvel titles are really starting to annoy me. During the "Authoritative Action" story line in Fantastic Four there is a cover of the Human Torch flying through downtown Manhattan... the story takes place in Latveria!

majorjoe23 · 03-01-2004, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gregg Cummings
Thank you! The current "Iconic" images gracing the covers of most Marvel titles are really starting to annoy me. During the "Authoritative Action" story line in Fantastic Four there is a cover of the Human Torch flying through downtown Manhattan... the story takes place in Latveria!

How about the Punisher issue where he's on a motorcycle in Manhattan, but the story takes place in the middle fo the desert?

Christian Otte · 03-01-2004, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gregg Cummings
My thoughts exactly! I would like to see a rotating art team of Lee Weeks and Duncan Fegredo.

On which book?

Kerouac · 03-01-2004, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ian
Man, doesn't Marvel have anyone on deck besides regulars like Millar, Ennis and JR JR?

Of course they do. They also have Brian Bendis, Chuck Austen and Mark Bagley.

Matt

Tom Daylight · 03-01-2004, 11:39 AM

Actually, Greg Rucka has inexplicably had his run extended to #19.

MM and JRjr... that sounds like a match made in heaven... or hell, depending on which way you look at it

What's becoming of Robertson though? Will he be moving onto ASM, making this a full-on switch?

Gregg Cummings · 03-01-2004, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christian Otte
On which book?

Amazing Spider-Man. If JR Jr must leave I feel that they would do a noteworthy job in his absence.

pmpknface · 03-01-2004, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gregg Cummings

Romita Jr. also said that he's looking to rectify the situation where covers don't match the interiors, and is working on Amazing Spider-Man covers that reflect the interior stories.

Thank you! The current "Iconic" images gracing the covers of most Marvel titles are really starting to annoy me. During the "Authoritative Action" story line in Fantastic Four there is a cover of the Human Torch flying through downtown Manhattan... the story takes place in Latveria!

I'm all with you on this. That quote is the best part of the whole press release.

I'll miss JR Jr. On Spidey - but now who's taking his place???

Victor Von Doom · 03-01-2004, 11:49 AM

Guess I'll have to start buying Wolverine again. Always liked the current Punisher but this is a plus.

shakey · 03-01-2004, 11:54 AM

Cut them a little slack, They do have Whedon and Singer comming up, but I agreee, the announcement JQ made that more BIG names were comming did suggest more " BIG surprises"were comming.

Familiar (though highly talented) names just don't give the same
excitement as Joss & Bryan .

It's not like Marvel has a regular "Vertigo-style" imprint filled with artist and writers who had never dipped their creative toes in the mainstream marvel universe. That's why when you heard Azzarello or even Grant Morrison were announced as doing mainstream superhero titles, THAT was NEWS .

By this time Millar has done plenty of mainstream title work, as has JR JR, and Ennis,so while these changes will be nice, it's not that big of a deal.

Fazhoul · 03-01-2004, 11:58 AM

I guess I'm the only one who's going to be glad to see JRJr leaving Spider-Man.

Ace · 03-01-2004, 12:18 PM

There are few things in the world I want to see more comics wise than a Wolverine run where he just fights some of the large corps of regular marvel supervillains. I think it'd be loads of fun to see a costumed Wolvie go up against guys like Doc Ock/Diablo/even the Shocker or AIM/Modok.

If nothing else it'd be something new. I think I remember him fighting Tiger Shark once and that's about it. Rucka's great, but seeing one grim and gritty Wolvie story in rural/desert America after the next was just starting to get ot me.

Unfortunately, that's the last thing we'll see out of a Millar run. I was sort of hoping for PAD on this, but maybe it opens him up for Avengers instead (which I'd probably enjoy more anyway).

Oh well.