The Black Perspective: The All New All Different Still The Same Marvel

The fall is approaching and new titles have been announced that will appear at the end of the massive Secret Wars event that is currently running this summer. In all, Marvel will be releasing 45 new titles with number ones under the banner of “All New All Different”. This kind of shake up is not new to the publisher, and for some, is usually just a rehashing of the same ol’ thing; much like they did in October 2012 with their Marvel Now! initiative .It was at this time the company devoted themselves to a diversity movement in it’s characters, and has actively tried to maintain the movement, even going as far as changing the gender and/or sex of main characters such as Thor, and even putting a black man in the Captain America suit, and still falling short when it comes to diversity in its writers, with only one person of color writing any of the new books. Fans; specifically fans of the characters of color, have also become accustomed to the appearing and disappearing of the few black heroes that are currently representing the company, and are still left wanting when it comes to new characters of color. This is something we here at WOBH are particularly interested in. We have seen the comings and goings of the heroes of color, and in turn we share this with our fans who are keeping up with them as well. With the huge shake-up taking place, there are definitely some surprises that have been thrown our way, and there are some disappointments as well.

We have scrutinized the titles, and have examined the titles and have compiled a list of those who made the cut into the “All New” and the books they will appear in and those who are both left out and mysteriously missing. We went back to the last big initiative, which was Marvel Now!, and compared who and what we saw then to what they are giving us now to help us in compiling our list. Of the omissions, none stands out more than Luke Cage. With the success of the Mighty Avengers, an upcoming Netflix series, and his tenure with the New Avengers, it is at least considered strange that he didn’t land on someone’s team, if not his own solo series. It has been decades since Luke Cage got another shot at a solo series, and that is way over due. We also lose Cage’s former teammates and budding Hispanic power couple, Power Man and White Tiger. Man what a series that could have made!. It was sad to see the Deathlok series end, and even more a crime to tease us with the inclusion of Micheal Collins reprising his Deathlok just to not even bring him back. The Mighty Avengers are still represented, though. We find Blue Marvel; sporting a new uniform, no less; and Spectrum joining the Black Panther, Miss America Chavez, Captain Marvel, and Galactus, to form the new Ultimates squad, as well as the return of Nighthawk and Blur and the Squadron Supreme.

We witnessed the return of Brother Voodoo back to the old Marvel U, and now he has a spot on teh Uncanny Avengers.Miles Morales will be THE Spider man in the “All New” and will continue not only with his own series, but he will join Captain America, who has his own series as well, as part of the All New All Different Avengers. A recent recipient of a solo series and fan favorite, Storm makes her return in the pages of the Extraordinary X-Men, as we say goodbye to M, who came in during in the Marvel Now!. One of the poster children of the diversity movement of 2012, the newly minted bi-sexual Prodigy, did not make the cut into the “All New”. Although we lose the Deathlok solo series, we get at least three black heroes starring in their own series, with a Blade series announced recently, but when I look at some of the characters  in the “All New” who did get solo books; characters such as Karnak, Carnage, and Howard the Duck; I can’t help but wonder why Black Panther or Blue Marvel aren’t back in their own series.

While we are excited here for what is to come, we would be remiss in our duties if we didn’t mention what’s happening now during the Secret Wars event.  There are three series happening now that are of note that fans may want to check out. those series are Star Wars Lando, which are the adventures of a young Lando Calrissian; Ultron Forever, which is the story of a ragtag group of time displaced Avengers, featuring a grown up Danielle Cage and James “Rhodey” Rhodes in his Iron Man armor, who have been brought together to fight Ultron in the future; Infinity Gauntlet, which is the story of Anwan Bakian and the Bakian family a black family who’s mother went to join the Nova Corps and is presumed dead.Anwan finds an Infinity stone and this launches she and her family into a cosmic adventure.

Here is the list of those who made the cut into the “All New, All Different” and those who didn’t.

Who’s In:

Black Panther– Ultimates

Spectrum– Ultimates

Blue Marvel– Ultimates

Miss America- Ultimates

Nighthawk– Squadron Supreme

Blur– Squadron Supreme

Captain America- All New All Different Avengers; Contest of Champions, Sam Wilson, Captain America

Spider-Man (Miles Morales)– Spider-Man, All New All Different Avengers

Sunspot– New Avengers

Brother Voodoo– Uncanny Avengers

Storm– Extraordinary X-Men

Blade– Blade

Who’s Out:

Luke Cage

Captain Universe

Deathlok

Misty Knight

War Machine

Manifold

M

Nick Fury Jr.

Prodigy

White Tiger

Power Man

Just as the Secret Wars events made changes to the landscape of the Marvel U, this coming October will usher in the “All New, All Different” and give readers a look into the new Marvel and though some characters are not here at the start of the initiative, doesn’t mean they may not reappear later; and just because the big name black heroes such as Black Panther, doesn’t appear in his own series now, doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. We here at WOBH have learned not to hold our breathe on these things, though.