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Bryan Hitch's Next Big Book by Mike-oh

Hulk can't wait for Hitch to draw Hulk again. Hulk hate girlie drawings. Hulk smash Hitch's puny pencil if he doesn't draw Hulk, NOW!

An Interview with Bryan Hitch. I had the opportunity to talk with Bryan Hitch recently while he was in Dallas, attending the Cape! comic book fair (during Free Comic Book Day) a few weeks ago. Cape is an outstanding event hosted in Dallas by Zeus Comics. This year's Cape was a standout success boasting such comic book titans as Bryan Hitch and Gail Simone. I had a stack of about 20 or so comics in my hands while I waited in line to meet Bryan. The wait seemed like an eternity. The guy in front of me had an entire long box of comics and he was getting Bryan to sign each and every one. It made my stack seem weak and puny.

Anyway, when I was finally able to approach the genius that is Bryan Hitch, I asked him what was next on his horizon. He responded, "Not allowed to say. It'll be with with Mark (Millar). It'll be Marvel -- the main universe -- not the Ultimate Universe. A project Mark and I both love. It's the biggest project either of us have ever done. Not a crossover. It will be twelve issues. It will have a six issue lead-in series published weekly to be launched in the Summer of 2007 followed by another six issues. It will be announced during one of the cons this summer and it will take a while for everyone to really catch on to how big this is going to be."

Wait a minute... he said a six issue lead-in published weekly. Meaning that Bryan will have or already has the art done for those six issues figuring that the regular series will pick up right after the weekly series is over. Which means that it's already scripted, probably already drawn. Probably a story impacted by the events of the Civil War (which Mark Millar has mentioned several times was the working title of this big mystery series before it was used as the inspiration of the current blockbuster by that name).

You have to give Mark and Bryan credit for being really great at dropping hints.

A recent post on Comicshop Newsarama had several geeks all a flutter, debating which title Mark Millar was refering to in his messageboard posting:

I can't say what I'm reading without giving the game away, but it's for the big project I'm planning with Hitchy which isn't quite as simple as just taking over a book. This is a huge commitment for both of us and you'll understand why I'm being so cagey, probably in early Spring when I think this announcement will be made. But it's good. It's very good. And the original title was Civil War (which is where I nicked the title and idea from for that current little sales buster). It's a THEORETICAL sequel of sorts, but involves a much smaller range of characters. That said, we think it's going to be much, much bigger than even my little 400K beauty. Again, you'll understand why in the Spring and all smack youe foreheads collectively. It's very ambitious.

I was all set to inform the world of my hunch that the next big collaboration of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch would be the relaunch of Thor. I believed this because I had remembered a Wizard article from over a year ago that said Millar and Hitch had been pulled off of Thor to work on Ultimate Fantastic Four. So I got to thinkin', that the run on Ultimate FF was pretty much up, Thor had just been re-introduced in Millar's Civil War, and their Ultimates 2 run was pretty much over. Maybe Marvel delayed a relaunch of Thor just so these two could hit it hard at the end of the Civil War.

So I flipped through my back issues of Wizard until I got to #161 from March 2005. I was at first elated that I found the articel I had remembered reading from over a year ago. And I found it in the second issue I thumbed through! But my elation quickly turned to disappointment when I read that Thor was a title that was going to be drawn by Greg Land and that the creative "team" was pulled off of the Thor relaunch to work together on the Ultimate Fantastic Four. So this was never going to be Hitch's assignment. I'm sure Hitch would like drawing Thor but I guess it's not at the top of his wish list.

The first issue that I thumbed through though was Wizard #163 where Millar hints the "there is a particular project in the Marvel Universe we're very interested in. It'll be a big shock." He has repeatedly mentioned that this big project was originally titled "Civil War" which should be some kind of clue. Someone on the Newsarama board suggested that he thought it would be Punisher. But I don't think it's that simple. Millar is saying that it's not the same as just taking over a title. But, the Punisher is a civilian. I guess that makes sense, considering the title Civil War.

Back at Cape, Bryan also suggested that the Hulk was his favorite character and he was dying for Marvel to give him the chance work on the regular series. Could this be the title that these gys are getting ready to launch. Hulk will be returning from outerspace and Planet Hulk and will need some kind of re-introduction into his adventures back on Earth. There's a lot there that just doesn't fit. Again, Millar says that it's not just as simple as taking over a title. But Bryan said that he's dying to do the Hulk. And these guys reached all new levels of comic book excitment with their spin on Ultimate Hulk. It would be awesome. But let's review what we know:

Originally titled Civil War (who might be civil characters? or characters capable of starting a war? or initiating in-fighting).

Not just a takeover of a title (it won't be Spider-Man).

Not a crossover event (it will be focused on a character's universe).

Biggest thing either of these guys have ever done (what's bigger than the Ultimates?).

A theoretical sequel (could be a sequel to Planet Hulk, Civil War, House of M, a dozen popular X-stories, the Kree Skrull War, Annihilation).

Involves a smaller range of characters (leaves out Namor, Avengers, X-men).

We can assume (for a variety of reasons) that it won't be Spider-Man (Millar recently did a MK run with Dodson and I don't see Hitch playing sloppy seconds to Dodson). It won't be the Fantastic Four (I don't think these characters play to Bryan's art strengths). It won't be the Avengers (everbody is doing the Avengers and these guys already did the Ultimate Avengers). It won't be Daredevil or Captain America (Brubaker's got these well in hand and Marvel would be nuts to spoil that bit of magic). It won't be Astonishing X-Men (though this seems to be the favorite notion of the geeks at Newsarama, I don't see Millar and Hitch agreeing to follow Weedon and Cassaday -- which is another way to tell the difference between Mark Millar and Jeff Loeb). It won't be any X-men book because I don't think the cast is going to be that big. And it won't be Wolverine 'cause Millar just did it. It won't be Thor because that's Millar and Land's little pet.

Who are Marvel's biggest characters? Spider-Man, the Thing, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the Punisher, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer, and Nick Fury. We've already counted most of these guys out except for the Hulk, Iron Man, the Punisher, Doctor Strange, and Nick Fury. I can't see them doing Doctor Strange but it's about time Marvel had a breakout team on the good doctor. Maybe Iron Man but I'm not sure Hitch would get behind having to have his hero's face completely concealed all the time. You can tell he really enjoys drawing the faces of his heroes in battle. Perhaps the Punisher. But doesn't Garth Ennis just totally own this guy? Which leaves Nick Fury, who needs to be re-introduced into Marvel continuity. And the Hulk, who Hitch loves and who also needs to be re-introduced. Ironically, the last we see of either of these guys is at the beginning of Planet Hulk as Fury launches Hulk into outerspace. I guess the whole story can start with the tearful reunion when Hulk returns to Earth, ready to look up his old war buddy, Nicholas. Right now, my money is on a series that conceptually could be called the Incredible Hulk, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Marvel has got to release the official news on this soon. I'm obviously going crazy.

So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Give us your feedback.

ABOUT OUR WRITERS

Disgruntled Dan
Old Danny Boy is not happy. Not happy at all. The state of comics, movies and video games is falling way short of his expectations. Check out Disgruntled Dan's
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Afro Thunder
A man with crazy Kung-Fu abilities and even crazier hair. But please, don't confuse yourself into thinking he's Jewish, or Arabian, or anything other than a curly-haired, half white, half mexican ninja. He also gives the whole low-down on games and movies, but avoids reviewing comics (he's loves 'em, but can't tell you what he thinks of 'em).

Mike-oh
Mike-oh works for an advertising agency which explains his need for all of the escapism he uses to soak up his spare time. At least he spends some of that time sharing his thoughts with us on his various distractions.