Nextwaveis a humorouscomic bookseriesbyWarren EllisandStuart Immonen,published byMarvel Comicsbetween 2006 and 2007.Nextwaveconsistently features extreme violence and comedy, and simultaneouslysatirizesand celebrates Marvel'ssuperherocomics. The series frequently usesflashbackscenes in which existing Marvel characters such asCaptain America,Ulysses Bloodstoneand theCelestialsact grossly out of character for comedic purposes. In an interview,Ellissaid: "I tookThe Authorityand I stripped out all the plots, logic, character and sanity.[1]It's an absolute distillation of the superhero genre. No plot lines, characters, emotions, nothing whatsoever. It's people posing in the street for no good reason. It is people getting kicked, and then exploding. It is apurecomic book, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. And afterwards, they will explode ".[2]
| Nextwave | |
|---|---|
 Nextwave#11, art by Stuart Immonen. The cover parodies Marvel'sCivil War. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | March2006 – February2007 |
| No.of issues | 12 |
| Main character(s) | Dirk Anger Elsa Bloodstone The Captain Monica Rambeau Tabitha Smith Aaron Stack |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Warren Ellis Stuart Immonen |
| Written by | Warren Ellis |
| Artist(s) | Stuart Immonen |
| Collected editions | |
| This Is What They Want | ISBN0-7851-2278-8 |
| I Kick Your Face | ISBN0-7851-2855-7 |
| Ultimate Collection | ISBN0-7851-4461-7 |
Concept
editThe series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs. Each issue began with a humorousFAQ,in which questions were answered with enthusiastic marketing copy that veers into the strange or disturbing. It was also used to answer questions posed by uninformed readers.
TheNextwaveseries features a collection of minor Marvelsuperheroes:monster hunterElsa Bloodstone;Monica Rambeau,the formerCaptain Marvel;Tabitha Smith,formerly ofX-Force;Aaron Stack,the Machine Man; and new character theCaptain,previously called Captain ☠☠☠☠ (the obscured words being so horrible thatCaptain Americaallegedly "beat seven shades of it out of [him]" and left him in a dumpster with a bar of soap in his mouth).[3]These individuals are assembled byH.A.T.E.,the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, to fight Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction (U.W.M.D.s). The Nextwave team learns that H.A.T.E. is funded by theBeyond Corporation©,an organization formerly known as terrorist group S.I.L.E.N.T. As a result, the heroes leave H.A.T.E., stealing a vehicle called theShockwave Rider[broken anchor].They destroy the U.W.M.D.s that the Beyond Corporation and H.A.T.E. have hidden around the United States, while being pursued by H.A.T.E. Director Dirk Anger, a parody ofNick Fury.[4]The U.W.M.D.s includeFin Fang Foom,[5]Broccoli Men[broken anchor],Ultra Samurai,[6]and theMindless Ones.Using the Shockwave Rider as a mobile base of operations (the vehicle is larger on the inside than out, much like theTARDISofDoctor Who), Nextwave is able to rapidly mount missions in widely separated locations including centralIllinois,Wyoming, North Dakota, andNevada.
Publication history
editNextwavedebuted in 2006 and was cancelled after issue #12, which was published in February 2007.[7]The run of the series was written by Warren Ellis, drawn byStuart Immonenand colored byDave McCaig.Warren Ellis (on his website) stated in October 2006 that he had initially planned to write the series for twelve issues, then pass it off to another writer. However the initial plan was changed and the series was placed on hiatus until Ellis should choose to return. According to Ellis, this was at least partly because monthly sales could not justify keeping artist Stuart Immonen on the project at his then current pay rate. Ellis has stated that "there will be moreNextwaveto come, presented as a sequence of limited series ".[8]
Starting with issue #3, Marvel had changed the series title toNextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.Artist Stuart Immonen has stated that the title change was due to trademark issues.[9]
A variant edition of issue #5, called the "CrayonButchery Variant ", was printed in black and white on newsprint. Marvel (through the websiteComic Book Resources) encouraged readers to color the issue with crayons and enter the results, for a chance to win original artwork from the issue. The winner was announced in the letter column of the tenth issue. Issue #11 contains a series of splash pages that Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen devised so that in order to get the full impact of the scene, a reader might have to purchase six copies. On the last of the pages, a caption reads: "Nextwave: Blatantly wasting your money since 2006".
Atheme songwas created by series editorNick Loweand his brother Matt, by their band Thunder Thighs. It was advertised on theirMyspacepage and lyrics printed in the "Director's Cut" edition of the first issue.[10]The tabs and lyrics are also in the Volume 1 hardcover collected edition.[11]
Awards
editTheYoung Adult Library Services Association(YALSA) has released their Best of 2007 lists andNextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.were named among the 2007 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens.[12]Nextwavewriter Warren Ellis was happy to learn of the title's recognition by YALSA, saying that he did it all for the children. In keeping with the off-beat humor of his book, Ellis added: "It is good to know that the young people of today are ready and waiting for me to form a Church".[13]
Nextwavealso won threeEagle Awardsfor Favourite New Comicbook, Favourite Comics Story Published During 2006 (for issues #1–6), and Favourite Comics Villain (for Dirk Anger).
Continuity
editIn a 2005 interview, writer Warren Ellis commenting on his Nextwave stories stated: "I think it has to be a self contained universe. It takes from Marvel history, but I wouldn't necessarily want to drag mainstream Marvel into it for fear of what I would do to it".[14]In 2006, Marvel Editor-in-ChiefJoe Quesadasaid that "for the time being"Nextwavewas to be considered set in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity.[15]In contradiction to these earlier statements, Marvel publications such asOfficial Handbook of the Marvel UniverseandCivil War: Battle Damage Reportseemed to portray Nextwave's activities as occurring in the mainstream Marvel continuity. To further complicate matters, Nextwave's entry inCivil War: Battle Damage Reportstates: "Recent intelligence suggests some or all Nextwave members unknowingly had their memories and/or personalities altered by their new employers (H.A.T.E.)".[16]InCaptain America and the Mighty Avengers,it is definitively stated that Nextwave happened, with the Beyond Corporation, now revealed to be members of The Beyonders returning, and tauntingly tellingLuke CageandJessica Jonesto ask Monica about "Beyond", making her realize those events were, in fact, real, and reverting to her Nextwave outfit.[17]
Other versions
editA version of the team appears in theMarvel Zombiesuniverse inMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darknesswhere they engage in battle with the infected superheroes. They are killed off-panel by the infectedPower Pack.[18]
Collected editions
editThe series has been collected into a number ofvolumes:
- Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Volume 1 – This Is What They Want(2006), collects issues #1–6
- Hardcover edition:ISBN0-7851-2278-8
- Softcover edition:ISBN0-7851-1909-4
- Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Volume 2 – I Kick Your Face(2007), collects issues #7–12
- Hardcover edition:ISBN0-7851-2855-7
- Softcover edition:ISBN0-7851-1910-8
In March 2010, all twelve issues were collected into a paperbackUltimate Collection(ISBN0-7851-4461-7).
Merchandise
editThe entire Nextwave team was represented inHeroClixform in the Giant Size X-Men (GSX) set. The team of five figures equals an even 500 points.[citation needed]
The Captain
edit| Captain | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Nextwave#1 (January 2006) |
| Created by | Warren Ellis Stuart Immonen |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | H.A.T.E. Nextwave |
| Notable aliases | Captain ☠☠☠☠,Captain Power,Captain Ron,CaptainL. Ron,Captain Universe,Captain Ultra,CaptainAvenger,CaptainAvalon,Captain Marvel,CaptainKerosene |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and endurance Flight Enhanced sight |
The Captain(formerlyCaptain ☠☠☠☠,with the crosses denoting censorship of anexpletive) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.He is a satiric superhero appearing in the bookNextwave.He was created by Warren Ellis andStuart Immonenand first appeared inNextwave#1 (January 2006).
In 2006, Editor-in-ChiefJoe Quesadastated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity.[19]However, recent issues ofOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe,as well asCivil War: Battle Damage Report,[16]consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity.
According to Warren Ellis's series proposal (within Volume 1's collection of stories), he stated that the Captain was pretty much every pointless character who utilized "Captain" in his codename.
Nextwave
editLittle is known about the Captain's past before he joinedH.A.T.E.,the organization which assembled Nextwave. One flashback shows that when he was a child, his mother hanged his favorite teddy bear, Special Bear; due to this, he dislikes teddy bears even in adulthood. As with all of the flashbacks shown in the series, the accuracy of this memory is suspect, asCivil War: Battle Damage Reportstates that members of Nextwave may have had memories altered by theBeyond Corporation©.He claims to be "from ☠☠☠☠ Brooklyn".
The Captain gained his powers from "the Heartstar of the space between the galaxies",[20]also referred to as the "MessianicSiddhe-complex",which was bestowed upon him by a pair of small, green,altruisticextraterrestrialsnamed Spa-Fon and Squa-Tront[21]in order to makeBrooklyna better place. As the Captain was incredibly drunk at the time, it is unknown if he remembers this event exactly, as he immediately attacked both aliens, believing them to be gold-bearingleprechauns.
By his own admission, he used to go by Captain ☠☠☠☠, a moniker so offensive that, when he met Captain America, the Avenger beat him severely and left him unconscious in a dumpster with a bar ofsoapin his mouth. The Captain used a lot of codenames as well, all of them starting with 'Captain', and had to abandon them all because someone else was already using them. InNextwave#7 he mentions that he had to pay a "marine-looking melon farmer" to even use his current codename.
The Captain continues to use his codename in the Nextwave group while the other members have dropped them; according toAaron Stack,this is due to an inability to remember his real name. According to the official theme song of the comic, in tone with the satirical quality of the stories, he doesn't have a name anymore at all, with "The Captain" serving both as a moniker, and as an impromptu first name.
Similar to the rest of Nextwave, the Captain dresses in civilian clothes—sneakers,camouflagepants, a trenchcoat, and a white T-shirt with a black star which resembles the Heartstar—despite becoming a superhero "for the mask", as he stated in issue #1.
The Captain is extremely cynical, foul-mouthed, and hard-drinking. His age is as yet undetermined, but he has said his mother conceived him while listening toRoxy Music's 1982 albumAvalon.
A text box in one issue states that, despite his name, he is not actually the captain of anything.
Initiative
editThe Captain and otherNextwavemembers appear on thesolicited covertoAvengers: The Initiative.[22]
Civil War II
editThe Captain resurfaces in the 2016Civil War IIstoryline, reduced to possible homelessness and whiling away his time in New York City's dive bars. He is spurred back into action whenNova's battle with the forces of Mole Monster causes his beer to spill, an innocuous occurrence that the Captain interprets as an epiphany-inducing "metaphor for something".[23]
References
edit- ^"Wizard Universe chat session".Archived fromthe originalon 2006-07-06.
- ^"Heroes Con 06 Q&A session".[permanent dead link]
- ^Nextwave#1 (March 2006)
- ^Gatevackes, William (March 16, 2006)."Nextwave#1 ".PopMatters.RetrievedFebruary 3,2011.
- ^Nextwave#1-2
- ^Nextwave#5-6
- ^"Warren Ellis' Bad Signal: 'The Things'".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-03-23.
- ^"Nextwave: The News".WarrenEllis.
- ^"Drawing Board forum (Immonen posts as 'Killdozer')".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-03-13.
- ^"NextWave theme song"(MP3).
- ^NEXTWAVEatMusicBrainz
- ^"2007 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens".YALSA.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-04-03.
- ^"Runaways and Nextwave Named to YALSA's Top 10 Graphic Novels of '07".Comics News, Reviews & Discussions.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-27.
- ^Contino, Jennifer M. (December 8, 2005)."Ellis Talks Nextwave & Ultimate Extinction".Comic-Con International.Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2007.
- ^Gum, Wade (July 1, 2006)."Heroes Con: Joe Quesada Panel".Wizard.Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2007.
- ^abFlamini, Anthony,Ronald Byrd (w),Kolins, Scott(a).Civil War: Battle Damage Report,no. 1 (March 2007).Marvel Comics.
- ^Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#6
- ^Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness#3
- ^Wade Gum (2006-07-01). "Heroes Con: Joe Quesada Panel","Wizard Entertainment".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-07-11.Retrieved2007-07-11.
- ^Nextwave#4
- ^Spa-Fon(1968-?) andSqua Tront(1967-?) were the names ofECfanzinesthat have been published and republished intermittently since the late 1960s. Apparently the 'zines names were drawn from EC science fiction comic dialog. "Spa-Fon!" and "Squa Tront!" were derived from alien-language phrases expressing surprise, equivalent to "Oh, My Lord!" (both first used in "The Aliens", drawn byAl Williamson,Weird Fantasy#17 [Jan-Feb 1953]).
- ^Avengers: The Initiative#1 Character Map
- ^Sean Ryan (w), R.B. Silva (p), Adriano Di Benedetto (i), Andres Mossa (col), Deschesne, Albert (let), Devin Lewis (ed).Nova,vol. 6, no. 9 (June 2016). New York: Marvel Comics.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Nextwaveat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
- "The Next Generation: Lowe talks 'Nextwave'".Comic Book Resources.January 6, 2006.
- Review:This Is What They WantandI Kick Your FaceatComics Bulletin
- Nextwave theme songonYouTube
- List of obscure Marvel characters named 'Captain ____'