OLD IS NEW AGAIN - TALKING ABOUT THE MARVEL HANDBOOKS, 2007

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

It’s classic, yet, it’s new.

Marvel’s fan-favorite Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe series gets a facelift with a return to the classic art and charts a la the 80s series in 2007.

“Each year we gain a little more creative flexibility,” Jeff Christiansen, lead writer for the Handbooks, explained to Newsarama. “If you've been collecting the 2006 Handbooks you see that the single image profiles are a thing of the past. In many profiles, we will showcase all or most costume variants, as well as action shots and/or insets of normal/unmasked/pre-mutation appearances.

“We will continue to expand on this in 2007, and in some books we will also utilize some new art. We're also bringing back in fan-favorite Elliot R. Brown on several books, showing the detailed diagrams and schematics that the fans loved from the Deluxe Edition. We're also drawing some big name cover artists... the covers for 2007 are very impressive!

“[In 2007, we] will spotlight a mix of features, including seven genre books (including Spider-Man), the final installment of the Marvel Legacy specials (the 1990s), and four quarterly A-Z Updates.

“The Updates will each be treated as individual A-Z volumes (so as not to skip over “early alphabet” characters who first appear later in the year),” he continued. “They will not only feature newer subjects, but will also cover those who haven’t received a profile since the Deluxe Edition (many who haven’t ever received a profile) and updates and expansions on major characters from the 21st century Handbooks who have had major status quo changes and/or figure prominently into current storylines. We'll be featuring giant profiles (in some cases 8 pages long) covering in-depth some of Marvel's biggest guns.

“Several books will feature 5+ page profiles on some of Marvel’s most popular heroes and villains. The 2007 Handbooks will feature teams, technology, alien races, gods, alternate Earths and their residents, alien dimensions, and even events (like Contest of Champions). While there will be plenty of X-Men, Spider-Man, Avengers and other current titles’ characters, we will also be working to cover characters from the Golden Age of Marvel and other past decades; characters from various genres (including War, Westerns, Horror, and Cosmic); characters from the Marvel UK, the Microverse, 2099, MC2, New Universe, and from virtually every Marvel title.

“In addition to these books, which will collectively contain approximately 450 profiles, there are already a few special bonus handbooks (including the much anticipated Official Atlas of the Marvel Universe) in the works.”

Michael Hoskin explained that the Official Atlas of the Marvel Universe is “An indispensable guide to the Earth of the Marvel Universe, featuring in-depth entries ranging from India to Latveria, from Brazil to Genosha, from Germany to Wakanda! An invaluable resource for the next time you have to plan your vacation from Symkaria to Atlantis!”

“The goal of the Handbooks is to leave no corner of the Marvel Megaverse untouched, but, of course, we will not be able to cover everyone. We could easily continue with Handbooks every year and never run out of material! So, if you’re favorite character doesn’t make it into 2007, let us know, keep reading the Handbooks, and we’ll do everything we can get your favorites featured in 2008! Furthermore, the format of 2007’s A-Z Updates allows us to be much more flexible in deciding which characters to include, so write to us at ohotmu@gmail.com and tell us what you want to see! The sky’s the limit!,” Christiansen concluded.

The first three of these Handbook-style projects scheduled to hit early 2007 include:

JANUARY 2007

ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z: UPDATE #1 (of 4)
Written by JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, STUART VANDAL, RONALD BYRD, SEAN MCQUAID, MARK O’ENGLISH, MIKE FICHERA, ANTHONY FLAMINI, ERIC J. MOREELS, MICHAEL HOSKIN, CHRIS BIGGS, MADISON CARTER, RICH GREEN & AL SJOERDSMA
Cover by TOM RANEY
What’s the origin of M-11 the Human Robot? Who are the members of the Circus of Crime? What are the powers of Spider-Man 2099? Who are Digitek and Garko the Man-Frog? Who was Cage’s first costumed foe? Find the answers to all these questions and many more here, as the Official Handbook continues to visit not just the Marvel Universe proper, but all related universes beyond! This one has something for everyone! New characters getting their first Handbook coverage? Freedom Ring, Death’s Head 3.0, Nextwave and more – CHECK! Older characters not covered in 2000s Handbooks? Arcade, Circus of Crime, Graviton, Ikaris, Impossible Man, In-Betweener, Tiger Shark and more – CHECK! Older characters that never had a Handbook entry before? Bug-Eyed Voice, Human Robot, Thundersword and more – CHECK! Major characters getting massive expansions and updates to reflect their new status? Norman Osborn, Quasar, Storm and more – CHECK! Entries for major events, technology, pantheons and alien races – and for characters from different countries, deepest space, other realities, dimensions, and past and future eras – covering more of Marvel’s universes than ever before? Contest of Champions, Digitek, Badoon, MC2’s Fantastic Five, New Universe’s Mark Hazzard, Japanese Gods, the M’kraan Crystal, Spider-Man 2099 and more – CHECK! These updates will ship quarterly in 2007!
64 PGS./NO ADS/Rated T+ ...$3.99

FEBRUARY 2007

CIVIL WAR: BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT
Written by ANTHONY FLAMINI & RONALD BYRD
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Additional art by SCOTT KOLINS
The final shots have been fired. The Civil War has ended. A victor has emerged. Now, S.H.I.E.L.D. has prepared the BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT, an intelligence dossier assessing the impact of the war and the dangers the nation still faces. BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT provides a closing chapter to CIVIL WAR and a glimpse of the new status quo of the Marvel Universe!
64 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99



Writer Anthony Flamini adds:
“Civil War: Battle Damage Report is presented in the form of a S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence dossier addressed to the President of the United States. Part of the 64-page book deals with domestic reaction to the Superhuman Registration Act and part of the book deals with international reaction to the Act (which is currently being touched on in Jenkins' Front Line and Hudlin's Black Panther), but the bulk of the book is dedicated to profiling over 100 characters, teams, and organizations which had an impact on the Civil War. Of course, the big names like Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man will be included; but the book will also profile some of the lesser known participants such as Phone Ranger, Thunderclap, and Coldblood-7. Like its predecessor (September 2006's Civil War Files), Battle Damage Report is a good reference tool for those who weren't able to afford every single Civil War tie-in and now want to get up to speed on everything that happened. Plus, it foreshadows some things to come in 2007 and features original art by Scott Kolins and Ed McGuiness.

MARVEL LEGACY: THE 1990s HANDBOOK
Written by JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, MICHAEL HOSKIN, ERIC J. MOREELS, MARK O'ENGLISH, CHAD ANDERSON, STUART VANDAL, RONALD BYRD, MADISON CARTER, SEAN MCQUAID, AL SJOERDSMA, MIKE FICHERA, ANTHONY FLAMINI, CHRIS BIGGS, RICH GREEN, JACOB ROUGEMONT & ERIC ENGELHARD
Cover by RON LIM
Just what is the 1990s Handbook, you ask? Imagine a Handbook written at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, 1999. The profiles within cover everything published by the hallowed House of Ideas up until that point. So if it's from a comic that has a December 1999 cover date or earlier, you'll find it in this magnificent mag! Featuring 1990s takes on the Avengers, Captain Marvel, the Secret Defenders, Generation X, Dr. Octopus, the Green Goblin, Iron Man and Spider-Man – plus Blackwulf, Clan Destine, Ghost Rider 2099, Lunatik, Necrom, Nightwatch, the Phalanx, Random, the Skrull Kill Krew, Sleepwalker, Solomon Prey, Stunner, Vengeance, X-Men 2099, X-Treme and more!
64 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

[I am MODOK]

Any plans to collect the handbooks in trades like the old 80s series?

[jaredgood1]

I will totally check out the handbooks. The 90s should have a mullet running count.

[Kevin M]

my inner geek is drooling

[deathmasterj]

That image of Union Jack, Captain Britain and (i presume) Pete Wisdom is VERY interesting!

[LOKICEL]

Originally Posted by jaredgood1

I will totally check out the handbooks. The 90s should have a mullet running count.

Longshot: Best mullet ever.

[mparisien]

Guess I missed it, but when did Sunfire become a woman? And why?

[NielsVanEekelen]

A Marvel Atlas?

Pardon me while I go drool.

Maps of fictional countries are an obsession of mine, so I really have to get that one.

[NielsVanEekelen]

Originally Posted by mparisien

Guess I missed it, but when did Sunfire become a woman? And why?

That's why he always used to be so cranky--he just never felt right in his own skin.

But seriously, I believe that this woman is called Sunpyre--or something similarly not quite Sunfire--and is a distant relative of the original.

[tiso_spencer]

Sign me up for the 2099 Handbooks, although I only care for the original 2099 Universe.

[thud2000]

Eliot Brown? Cool. Where's he been anyway?

[Kolimar]

I like Kolins but his art looks kinda rushed here.

[Bird Flu Man]

Originally Posted by NielsVanEekelen

That's why he always used to be so cranky--he just never felt right in his own skin.

But seriously, I believe that this woman is called Sunpyre--or something similarly not quite Sunfire--and is a distant relative of the original.

The original Sunpyre was actually Sunfire's sister, but she was killed.

The current Sunpyre (presumably the one you see in that image) is actually from another dimension and was brought to this world through the interdimensional gateway/purse of the woman in red (Honey Lemon).

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the new Handbooks. It's the one thing from Marvel nowadays (aside from Pak, Nicieza, and Slott) that I look forward to every month.

[Justice]

All good news! These are some of the projects I look most forward to each month (and in the solicits each month, too). The Handbook team does a great job.

And I have to give credit to Jeff Christiansen for the great OHOTMU profile of Santa Claus in this year's Marvel Holiday Special. That was a lot of fun...I hope it gets included in one of the regular OHOTMUs at some point, so that all the Handbook fans get a chance to see it.

[xdemon]

DC really needs to bite the bullet and do a new Who's Who. I know they did the Encyclopedia but after Infinite Crisis, I don't know how accurate that is anymore. And the origins in 52 are a waste of space.

I still love the Marvel Handbooks, all incarnations.

[willyd]

Originally Posted by jaredgood1

I will totally check out the handbooks. The 90s should have a mullet running count.

I'd like to see "Shoulderpads" get its own entry, along with smaller entries for "Cross-hatching" and "Big Guns"

[Eddie Young]

Originally Posted by deathmasterj

That image of Union Jack, Captain Britain and (i presume) Pete Wisdom is VERY interesting!

Yeah, I think that is Wisdom and I thought the same thing. Those 3 in one book would be amazing. Plus, I hear Bryan Hitch is done drawing his last issue of Ultimates Vol. 2...

[ex_mutants]

Originally Posted by I am MODOK

Any plans to collect the handbooks in trades like the old 80s series?

Well they're releasing the old Marvel Handbooks in the Essentials format

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Offi.../dp/0785119337

[Bird Flu Man]

Hey, I just noticed this in the color version of these pictures: are those Red Ronin's legs in the background of the Battle Damage Report Japan image?

[pmpknface]

THIS IS SO FRIGGIN' COOL!!!!!!!

I totally eat this $hit up! Thank you!!!

[Evil Rick Shea]

The Marvel Handbooks are always great and I really applaud the insane attention to detail by Jeff Christiansen and the rest of the crew. Thanks for putting so much work into these great resources.

Evil Rick Shea
Famous Faces & Funnies
Melbourne, FL

[FallenFate]

Hmmm...maybe it's just me, but I think that OHOTMU solicit gave away something...


POTENTIAL SPOILER




an update on Quasar's new status...as in, maybe he's no longer dead and is the subject of "Civil War: The Return." I'm guessing both Nova and Quasar might be back in this.

Just a guess, but hopefully an accurate one. I was rather miffed when Quasar was killed.

[SMARTASS8]

I love handbooks for any genre(especially superheroes). I just wish Marvel would actually make their writers and editors read these. Otherwise, these books just seem like a joke.

[xdemon]

Originally Posted by FallenFate

Hmmm...maybe it's just me, but I think that OHOTMU solicit gave away something...


POTENTIAL SPOILER




an update on Quasar's new status...as in, maybe he's no longer dead and is the subject of "Civil War: The Return." I'm guessing both Nova and Quasar might be back in this.

Just a guess, but hopefully an accurate one. I was rather miffed when Quasar was killed.

I think it was announced that Quasar has a 5 issue miniseries coming out next year.

The Q has always been on of my favorites.

[cyberv]

DARKHAWK! And front and center, too! That's respect, baybee!