>When I talked to Jed Mackay about the origins of Nova: Centurion, he mentioned that Jonathan Hickman had the broad strokes of the concept planned before MacKay came on board. Was that roughly the same with Imperial Guardians?>Dan Abnett: It was, because Jonathan had mapped out the event, and what he saw might spring from it. But it was pretty loose, probably all the loosest of the series seeds, so I just jumped in and worked the idea up, devised the roster and so on, while making sure it linked back to the roots he’d set (that particularly applied to the one-shot Imperial Guardians prologue).
>Going all the way back to the Avengers, Marvel has long had a history of throwing a bunch of heroes together and saying, "Okay, I guess we're a team now." You've certainly done that with a number of different Guardians books. What do you find so appealing of putting together mismatched heroes? >With my original Guardians of the Galaxy, it was really a case of finding lost and beat-up characters that weren’t headlining anything, and trying to re-work them - individually, and as a group - into something fun. The fact that they were a rag-tag bunch was part of the team remit. But it can work in other cool ways too, as other writers have demonstrated, usually when you get a really unlikely or interesting combo of characters. With this book, the real hook is the premise - what are they doing and why - and the drama comes from how they deal with it, and get to know each other. There’s a lot of ‘conflict’ within this team… but more on a personal, level rather than open rivalry. I think it works really well, in the spirit of the Guardians of the Galaxy but in an entertainingly different way. These guys are not plucky outsiders doing what they can. They are a “professional” and single-minded special ops squad.
>In Bob Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You," he wrote "Steal a little and they throw you in jail/Steal a lot and they make you king." I think Imperial did a great job in the end of speaking to that idea, that there are never any "clean" decisions in life, and the "happy" ending of Imperial is based on a lot of sketchy actions. How do those sketchy actions play into the new Imperial Guardians series? >Completely. It’s all about hard choices, ethical dilemmas and grey areas. It’s going to make them uneasy about what they’re doing, and whether they can trust the guy calling the shots or not.>One of the joys of a shared universe is that concepts introduced in one comic can pay off decades later in another. You've been slowly developing Darkhawk for nearly twenty years now. Have your plans for the character remained consistent over the years? >They’ve remained pretty consistent, but I’m really leaning into it here… exploring Darkhawk’s uncertainty about himself, and - most of all - WHAT he is and where his powers come from. I think it’s shaping up to be an amazing story that will refresh Darkhawk without losing any of the things about him that people love.
>Speaking of Nova, with him and Star-Lord playing such a major role in Imperial, and you having such history with both characters, will we seeing either of those two heroes interacting with Gamora and her Guardians in this series? >I’d love to… and I have cunning ideas. I’m asking readers, cosmic fans, to get the orders up on the launch, and build time to explore the really great storylines we’ve got planned. Cosmic fans really seem to cry out for “great cosmic stories”, and I’m with them. Let’s hope we can build readership support to properly deliver what they want.>Marcelo Ferreira is coming off of a pair of epic Predator/Marvel miniseries where he got to draw the most famous characters Marvel has (often dying in disgusting ways), and now he gets to draw a very different group of heroes amidst a very different cosmic landscape. What has it been like to work with Marcelo so far? >He’s amazing. The first issue is just full-throttle action with some great character work and some properly funny moments, despite the seriousness of the danger. I’m amazed we got so much into the first 25 pages, and that’s down to Marcelo’s gorgeous work.
>>152394069Darkhawk lost everything people loved about him the second the Raptor shit happened.
>Not even counting your Infinity Comic work with the characters, between Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of Infinity, Guardians 3000, and now Imperial Guardians, you will be THE most prolific Guardians writer in Marvel history. When you reflect on that sort of historical achievement, what comes to your mind? >I’m very proud of it. I love Marvel Cosmic, truly. I will write as much of it as often as they let me. There have been some great stories, and we’ve made some “forgotten” characters major players. And, of course, the legacy of the movies and their impact still astonishes me. But when Marvel asked me to do Imperial Guardians, i realised I still had lots of stories I really wanted to tell… perhaps the time between my first run on Guardians of the Galaxy and now has given me time to think and generate unexpected new ideas. I feel like I’m coming to this fresh, bursting with cosmic blockbusters, and I want to build on the work I’ve done over the last two decades.
>>152394047What interview are you pulling this from?
>>152394106https://www.cbr.com/gamora-imperial-guardians-exclusive-interview-preview/IMPERIAL GUARDIANS #3 (OF 5)Written by Dan AbnettArt by Marcelo FerreiraCover by Sean IzaakseVariant Cover by Lelio BonaccorsoA Kymellian mathematician has just developed the ultimate decryption algorithm – but for reasons of Galactic Union security, that CAN’T be allowed to happen. Time for MAXIMUS of the Inhumans to send in his Imperial Guardians – GAMORA, CAPTAIN MARVEL, AMADEUS CHO, DARKHAWK and COSMIC GHOST RIDER – for a little cleanup operation. Trouble is, the Shi’ar Empire want the algorithm too, and they’ve tasked their Superguardians to retrieve it. Are things going to go well? You do the math.
>>152394118Yeah, I don't think Dan, even with 2000AD pacing, could cram all these story beats in five issues he has been given, since it seems Marvel has no confidence in this post-imperial cosmic-line they have made, we haven't even gotten all the book yet lik exiles
>>152394102>Not even counting your Infinity Comic work with the characters, between Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of Infinity, Guardians 3000, and now Imperial Guardians, you will be THE most prolific Guardians writer in Marvel history. When you reflect on that sort of historical achievement, what comes to your mind?So, Abnett beat Bendis's issue count on guardian book then?
>>152394150I doubt Dan planned to squeeze it all in 5. I think this a case of Marvel pulling the rug early. The writer of Storm didn't know his book was turned into a mini and even said he was told it was ongoing.
>>152394059I wonder if things related to Force Works were banned, or they just didn't feel like picking it up for GotG. Century literally hadn't appeared since it ended and is a "space guy".
>>152394171Century showed up in a new Avengers issue for Bendis to make fun of him
>>152394183Years later.
I want this to succeed if only to break the loop of the D&A guardians team This is the furthest we have departed from it in a long while with Gamora being the only member for the 2008 run returning.
So, the Imperial Guardians are a merging of the Imperial Guard & The Guardians of the Galaxy?)I ask only because it's been ages since I've kept up with the major Marvel lines)
>>152394325It's a team formed by and working for the Inhumans who now run the Kree Empire (again)which is where Dan left the Inhumans after Thanos Imperative and then Hickman sent than back to earth
>>152394325They are just a guardians team the imperial thing just comes from the name of the event. The imperial guard is still it's own thing and they actually seem to be fighting them in chapter 3.
Abnett has always been a fun writer but not even he can save this. Its editorial slop. McKay's Nova is the only one thats been able to crawl from the wreckage and be enjoyable.Because its a basic B level solo book in its comfortable setting
>>152394091They're two separate guys and that's fine.
>>152394047>Black Panther downgraded to miniseries>Imperial Guardians downgraded to miniseries>Exiles probably in the same boat>it's literally just She-Hulk and Novawhat the fuck? this was supposed to be the new ultimate style line, GOTG (2008 team) and Nova are supposed to be the mainstays, and they could have gone with Silver Surfer and/or Adam Warlock for additional series
>>152394922BP was mini series out the gate
>>152394922Cold feet, lower than expected pre-order numbers on related comics.
>>152394922>suppose to be a new hickman status quo in the same vein as Krakoa, and ultimate universe>no Hickman book>the only book that is directly effected by the event is Nova>The book setup to follow up on the major plots from the event isn't coming out until five months after the eventThey fucked this over.
>>152394339>>152394354Ah, gotcha. Thanks!
>>152395025thought we would have gotten a new "Inhumans" by Hickman.
>>152395183That's what everyone expected. Them showing up reignited interest in the event.
This seems so fun.
>>152394059>>152394118Taking away Gamora's tiddy window cements Maximus as evil regardless of his intentions
>>152394047I could get behind this team if it wasn't for Cosmic Frankpool>>152394922>>it's literally just She-Hulk and NovaYou can scratch Nova, the sales are so terrible it's probably cancelled at 6, unless they are really commited to do 10 issues series nowadays.
>>152394650Did the new one they made even show up after his mini was finished?
>>152397444>the sales are so terrible it's probably cancelled at 6damn really?
>>152397888They haven’t done anything with the character in long time and fans moved on. Maybe if they had put him in Rivals it could drum up some new interest in him.
>>152397960a shame - I like the book!
>>152394047>dollar store marvel comicbooksno thanks
>>152394047>>152394059It gets a little tiring that every single time Darkhawk appears, it's a totally new interpretation of him that ignores most versions that came before.
>>152394091The first issue seemed to have brought him back to his 1991 street level powers. None of his War of Kings stuff is present now.
>>152400559which is kinda weird since Dan Abnett wrote that himself
>>152400545Seems like Abnett is leaning on his version from around 2008 at least.
>>152394047>>>>Dan Abnett: It was, because Jonathan had mapped out the event, and what he saw might spring from it. But it was pretty loose, probably all the loosest of the series seeds, so I just jumped in and worked the idea up, devised the roster and so on, while making sure it linked back to the roots he’d set (that particularly applied to the one-shot Imperial Guardians prologue).Read: "Hackman shat the bed and now I'm picking up the pieces!"
>>152401082Same as it ever was.
>>152401189pretty much. Thanks god for Abnett and MacKay, especially if they aren't bound from some stupid editorial decision
>>152394047braniac in the bg lol
>>152394047no starlord no buy
>>152394047So where the fuck is it? First issue was like back in November.
>>152403503Comes out in march. The first one was a one shot to tie into the event and setup the book.
>>152403529So like an ashcan copy, but in color and with a name that no one else would be aiming for?
>>152403529>Wait 5 months for Issue #2>Marvel has no idea why they are not doing so well financially and constantly losing readers.
>>152403570Yep between this and the back to back and even simultaneous events I don't know how they can be confused about DC beating them. They basically sabotaged the cosmic line. Even Axel Alonso's yearly relaunches were better.
>>152403570If anything, they should have had these cosmic books ready to go immediately after Imperial was done. Not sure why they thought waiting after Imperial's momentum had passed was a great idea. And Lowe wanted ASM to tie into Imperial for some stupid reason so that's probably another book that got screwed too… Ugh, how much longer until the Brevoort/Lowe/Cebulski/Buckley bubble bursts? Marvel needed new editoral blood 2-3 years ago!
>>152403911It makes no sense. They had immediate follow ups for Rise of Doom and Age of revelation. Yet the fucking the cosmic books, the books that notoriously have trouble selling, came out on a delay.
>>152403993They're clearly not a priorityMy guess is that Imperial didn't sell as well as expected so Marvel knew there wouldn't be much momentum to build off. This whole push was DoA
>>152396059I sense sarcasm...
>>152402361Rocket is just so cool
