...Well that didn't take long.

[ShadowBoxing]

If this already has a thread, sorry. I noticed it being discussed in various places, but not in it's own thread (which I think it deserves)

http://www.newsarama.com/Chicago_07/Marvel/Ross_Return.html

by Matt Brady


He’s been away from Marvel for while but later this year or early next Alex Ross is coming back to Marvel, once again paired with Jim Krueger for an as of now, unnamed, in-continuity project with…well, you see that guy in the image to the right?
Yeah – Captain America. With the promise that more information will be coming soon, Ross spoke with Newsarama about his return to Marvel, Captain America, and what the project just might be about.
Newsarama: Alex, you’ve been away form Marvel for a while – what got this whole ball rolling, and what got things started?
Alex Ross: Nick Barrucci of Dynamic Forces. Basically, he had projects like the Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness crossover and Spider-Man/Red Sonja and things like that that he was working on with Marvel. He’s been trying to do a project like this with me for a while, so it was really Nick’s concept for both the story and me that brought this entire project together and got things started moving forward.
NRAMA: So it’s something like a packaging deal?
AR: Not exactly. I won’t get into the specifics, but Nick represents my interests in the deal and has basically mended fences and is building bridges at Marvel for me.
NRAMA: Let’s talk about your role in this project…
AR: Designer, cover artist, co-storyteller with Jim Krueger.
NRAMA: So this isn’t going to be a situation like Justice where you do finishes over someone’s pencils?
AR: Right – I’m on design, covers, and story only. This is more like Earth X or Astro City.
NRAMA: So – this image that has been revealed – Captain America with the word “Return” on it…
AR: Yeah – that was my little cute idea…
NRAMA: Yeah – but you’ve got that word over a character who’s dead. Add them together and you’ve got a pretty provocative image. As much as you’re willing to say, what does the word “Return” mean in this context?
AR: It could mean many things. It implies as much a return of Captain America, sure, as it also implies my return to Marvel – and maybe some other things. But I can tell you that my ego wasn’t fueling the design of that image…
NRAMA: So this is the story about the return of Captain America?
AR: That image would sure lead you to think that, huh? And that’s about all I can say.
NRAMA: So where did the story come from?
AR: Again, it’s all Nick – everything that makes this situation happen were all because of Nick. It’s a simple idea that’s being followed through by him engaging me, Jim Krueger to basically take our Justice pairing, and put us back into a similar situation, but this time at Marvel, and build a bridge for us back to a publisher that we’d spent so many years doing work for.
NRAMA: With a lot of your projects, and acknowledging that not much can be said about this particular one, you’ve stayed outside of continuity or within your own developed continuity that you’ve developed with collaborators…
AR: I’ve never really been anywhere else, honestly. Everything I’ve done has been a ghettoized continuity – “ghetto” in the sense of separate, not the meaning it’s come to be connected with in more modern slang, I guess.
NRAMA: That said, where does this project lie?
AR: This one is full continuity with the cooperation of Tom Brevoort and Steve Wacker to work with what’s happening in the Marvel Universe as closely as we can, so that the series, although it will hopefully comprise its own story successfully and stand alone as its own entertaining tome by the time it’s done, it is immediately responsive to the goings on today.
NRAMA: Given the character and the word, it would seem very suggestive of that.
AR: Yeah – this is not a What If? story or an alternate earth, here.
NRAMA: Touching upon what you mentioned earlier, why have you preferred to stay in your own continuity, or create your own continuity for your projects?
AR: Most of the time I hate the continuity offered by both companies, but down deep, I’m an Avengers and Captain America fan, and as of late, I’ve enjoyed much of what I’ve read from Marvel on those fronts. I like a lot of what Bendis and Brubaker are doing in particular. The Avengers books and Cap are on the top of my stack to read each week that they come out, and it’s cool to be seeing those two titles really being at the top of the list at Marvel in terms of mattering the most. You’ve gotta read that book if you want to really have a clear feeling of what’s going on in the Marvel Universe, and what the larger picture is. For a guy like me, that’s just cool to see.
NRAMA: Speaking specifically of Captain America, what are your thoughts on where things have been going lately in the titles? It’s obviously been a pretty polarizing ride for the fans of late – where do you fall in?
AR: I fall into the category of “I’m going to enjoy the storyline for as long as it takes” and I view it as being such. It’s been a well-handled, interesting story since Brubaker killed him in the 25th issue, and I’m fascinated to see each month, how they continue to play out the situation of Captain America dying, and not being there. But, and I think I’m like a lot of fans here, I see it as a storyline, not the “end all” for the character.
Obviously, given the image [laughs].
NRAMA: That being said – how long as this upcoming project in the planning stages? Was this set up after Captain America #25?
AR: This particular project has been in the planning stages for two years. It’s just very ironic that something like Cap’s death would’ve happened in this same time frame, but as we go forward, we can work with that, and in many ways, that makes our story more poignant.
NRAMA: One more time back to the image – it appears that Cap’s not the only one in what looks to be a larger picture. How much can you say about that?
AR: It certainly looks like he’s not alone, that much is true.
NRAMA: Couldn’t that be said of any Captain America story?
AR: True. But in this case, there are some more…haunting elements in the piece to get the viewers’ attention. And that’s all I can say – for now.
NRAMA: Fair enough. Usually on your projects with Jim, the two of you are looking to imbue them with a more iconic, mythic feel, to add a large theme over the story’s plot. Is that what you’re going for here, even though it is in continuity, and if so, is that approach more difficult because you are, again, in continuity? For example, is it easier to do something more “mythic” in a Justice than it is to do it on Justice League?
AR: Hey, I’m hoping I got some of that out of my system with Justice - that now I can just play along with the toys. I’m really looking forward to playing with certain versions of the characters. I’m looking forward to, of course, illustrating Cap who’s remained class for some 60-some years now, and then, I’m looking forward to working with the current designs on characters that I love.
But as for an “iconic” story – I don’t know how you can’t have an iconic, larger than life feel in a story when Captain America is involved. The very nature of doing any story related to Captain America is about iconography. His very power as a character has less to do with his being part of a super-solder program, and more with him having an effect upon a world of super-humans he is far weaker and more human than. Cap is a living symbol – more than Superman, more than Batman, he is all symbol. When Cap walks in a room, he has an effect upon everyone in it. That’s what’s at the core of his power.
NRAMA: And that’s what makes him in a sense more “powerful” – that he can command and earn the respect of these other beings who are all somewhere between super-human and godlike in their power… AR: Exactly – Spider-Man should be able kick Cap’s ass on a sheer power scale, but the thing is, this is a guy who can figure out how to hold his own against the Hulk for a given length of time if he needs to. He’s a wise tactician, and more than that, he’s an inspiration. He’s the hero that was before any of them came to be, he’s the hero that returned that led a new age of heroes, and now, perhaps even more then ever, has become a larger symbol in his death. This story certainly touches upon that.

 

[PhotoJones]

Clearly this is a marketing tease. Cap's not coming back in anything other than a Brubaker-written issue of his own series.

 

[Zenien]

It could be Captain america (who knows what Steves note to Tony said) but it won't be Steve Rogers.

 

[The Geek Vault]

Yay! He's back!

 

[CaptainCanada]

Based on what we've been told, my guess is this is a time-travel story featuring the original Invaders jumping to the present day for a spell.

Nothing here beyond the image suggests this is his actual return, especially since Ross says this has been gestating for two years.

 

[CConn]

It's Red Herring!

 

[Mr. Green]

Based on what we've been told, my guess is this is a time-travel story featuring the original Invaders jumping to the present day for a spell.

Nothing here beyond the image suggests this is his actual return, especially since Ross says this has been gestating for two years.

It certainly appears as if Namor is to the left and Bucky is to the right.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

he;s not returning unfortunately. i would like bru to handle that.

 

[Anubis]

Don't get your hopes up there punchy. It's likely something completely different.

 

[SenseiofCheese]

It certainly appears as if Namor is to the left and Bucky is to the right.

That makes sense. Bucky to the right, Namor to the left, and what I would guess as being the original Human Torch in the background.

 

[venom892]

Yea it's the return of the invaders and Alex Ross to marvel.At least that's my take.

 

[The Geek Vault]

The Invaders are awsome and so is Alex Ross, I'm so pumped for this!

 

[BigTonyBoy]

Looks like it has potential. Although I'll say that about anything with Ross involved

 

[Harlekin]

It's definitely an Invaders piece. No Cap return just yet.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

it'd be interesting to see the invaders and cap return in a way where someone changes there history... and for one reason or another (similar to captain marvel's return) there all brought from the past (or there past which has it's own timestream now, essentially a new deminsion) and appear in present day 616... ironically fits caps theme of "being out of his time" and brings him back (too soon imo for a story like that though)

 

[Harlekin]

It could just as well be a story about Captain America's return in the 60s. He'd got stuck in the ice while on adventure with Bucky, and he got found by Namor (the two figures that seem to be standing next to him).

 

[spideyboy_1111]

true true true

i thought the avengers found him though?

 

[Apprentice]

No, Namor found him being worshipped by some sort of tribe and freed him.

I don't know what this is, but would Marvel title a piece like this, basically sell it in an article like that as a possible Cap return, only for it to be something completely different? That could cause a big fan backlash.

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

I don't know what this is, but would Marvel title a piece like this, basically sell it in an article like that as a possible Cap return, only for it to be something completely different? That could cause a big fan backlash.

Yes, they absolutely would.

If lil' Joey has made one thing clear, it's that he could not care less what fans think or feel; especially the long-term fans who've actually kept the company running. Seems like a fiscally unsound strategy, but I guess that's only true if you aren't marketing specifically to sheeple.

 

[Kitsune]

It could be Captain america (who knows what Steves note to Tony said) but it won't be Steve Rogers.

DIdn't it say "What is myspace?"

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

Oh yeah, and as an aside: I LOVE it when my idiot boss goes into my office, steals a gift from a dead friend and then gives it away because it gets his name mentioned on TV! Just look:

A fan asked about Steven Colbert's acquiring of a Captain America shield.

"He's a huge fan of comics," Quesada said. "We had a Cap shield in Brevoorts' office. It was Brevoort's, it belonged to [the late] Mark Gruenweld. I sent an e-mail to Colbert… Brevoort was out of the office that day. He was pissed. Gruenwald's widow wrote a nice bit on Colbert's blog, saying that if Mark were still alive, he'd be a huge fan of Colbert."

 

[TheCorpulent1]

If that's true, that is pretty ****ed up. Couldn't Marvel just commission another one from Factory X or whoever made those shields?

Yes, they absolutely would.

If lil' Joey has made one thing clear, it's that he could not care less what fans think or feel; especially the long-term fans who've actually kept the company running. Seems like a fiscally unsound strategy, but I guess that's only true if you aren't marketing specifically to sheeple.

It seems more like he's established that he's willing to resort to whatever outright lies and underhanded marketing strategies he can to whip fans up into a frenzy. "No publicity is bad publicity," after all, and if pissing fans off gets those fans into the shop to pick up the object of their hatred and see what it's about, he's still sold comic books. It's a little despicable, but a lot of things in business are and Joe Q is pretty frank about the fact that Marvel is a business first and a bastion of creativity second.

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

I find it detestable (being a therapist) that people can become sooooooo entrenched in being King of their world that they can't even realize when they are bragging about doing something that a more grounded, self-aware person would be embarrassed by. (And yes, I see it ALL the time.)

 

[Kitsune]

I find it detestable (being a therapist) that people can become sooooooo entrenched in being King of their world that they can't even realize when they are bragging about doing something that a more grounded, self-aware person would be embarrassed by. (And yes, I see it ALL the time.)

Rob Liefeld comes to mind. That and "The Emperor Has No cloths"

 

[Darthphere]

If this already has a thread, sorry. I noticed it being discussed in various places, but not in it's own thread (which I think it deserves)

You thought wrong.