Back in March, Marvel announced that Neil Gaimans character Angela would become a part of the Marvel Universe, making her debut in the final instalment of the Marvel Event, Age of Ultron #10. From there she will appear in Guardians of the Galaxy #5 with Gaiman co-writing the issue with series writer Brian Michael Bendis. Angela a bounty hunter from heaven and one-time love interest of Spawns first appeared in Spawn #9 written by Gaiman in 1993. Angela has been the subject of a legal dispute between McFarlane and Gaiman over who owns the character with a court ruling in 2002 that both writers were to be credited as co-creators. Last year, McFarlane and Gaiman settled their dispute with Gaiman having full ownership. Of Angelas forthcoming appearance in Age of Ultron #10, Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada said:
Angela is going to make her mark rather quickly. She's going to hit the ground running and cut a large swath through the Marvel Universe both literally and metaphorically, Quesada said. We have huge plans for her, and the mystery of who she is and where she comes from is something I think Marvel fans are going to be blown away by. Actually, I know they will!
Marvels Editor-in-Chief, Axel Alonso, said:
We took what Neil had laid down for the character and found a way to collaboratively fold her into the Marvel Universe in a seamless way, Alonso said. Whats fascinating to me about what we have done is Angela is clearly a part of the Marvel universe by the time people understand her back-story. Its as if shes always been there. It doesnt feel like weve just opened some portal and brought something new and strange and completely different into our universe.
Gaiman said of his characters inclusion in the Marvel Universe:
Im ridiculously proud of Angela: a hunter, a warrior, a take-no-prisoners kick-ass lady angel with whom you would never want to mess, he said. Creating her was fun, writing her early exploits was a delight. It made me sad that her time in comics was cut short, and that people who loved her (including me) thought theyd never see her again. I am happy that, after a long time in the wilderness of non-existence, she has come back to us again.
Quesadas re-design of Angela was
unveiled yesterday: Guardians of the Galaxy #5 will be Gaimans first comic in 4 years since Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? with DC. Gaiman will also be writing a prequel to his critically acclaimed, bestselling Vertigo comics series The Sandman with artist JH Williams III with publication expected later this year.
Age of Ultron #10 and Gaimans new prose novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane are both out in June