DC is promising some major changes in their near future, but that's nothing compared to what their comic book rivals have in store. For the first time in their publishing history Marvel are totally rewriting their fictional universe (something the Distinguished Competition does so often it's like a nervous tic) and starting from scratch, all leading out of their current Secret Wars crossover event. Much has been made about what will happen during Secret Wars, but not so much about what comes after it. For the entirety of the event Marvel have put nearly all of their titles on hold or just flat-out cancelled them, with a load of tie-in books involving alternate universe characters and crazy new concepts taking their place. Like the one where Captain America rides a dinosaur on Planet Hulk. Secret Wars has seen the collapse of the Marvel multiverse, with the mainstream and Ultimate continuities smashing together and ceasing to exist. In the meantime there's just Battleworld, a mash-up of different worlds presided over by Doctor Doom. Obviously that won't last, but what will the state of Marvel be when the event ends in September? There are some clues. They've been cagey with the details until now, but the House Of Ideas has at least hinted at the shape of their comics in five months time with recent convention appearances and their Free Comic Book Day offerings. Here are ten things you need to know about the future of Marvel.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
