When the New Warriors Omnibus was announced, the rumblings began. Then Speedball and Nova were making an appearance in the new Nova series… Was it only a matter of time before a new NEW WARRIORS series was on the horizon! (And this time, it’s not a cruel April Fool’s Joke! This time, it’s for real!
The Spider Man Crawl Space seemed to be the first that cracked out the news, revealing some information:
“The final announcement of the panel, revealing the project behind the“War” teaser: A new “New Warriors,” coming in February from writer Chris Yost and artist Marcus To. Members include, according to Wacker, Justice, Nova, Speedball, Scarlet Spider and Sun Girl. Amanat says it’s brings together members of various groups in the Marvel Universe — mutants, aliens, clones and more — who have been ‘deemed a threat’ by the High Evolutionary.
Along with the action, Amanat says, it’s about the cast becoming friends and learning to work together. Wacker says the creative team is going for a vibe somewhere between the Wolfman/Perez “Teen Titans” and Brian K. Vaughan’s “Runaways.””
Comic Book Resources covered all of the panel, including what was revealed on the Spider Man Crawl Space.
Then the NYCC Exclusive had an interview that I captured here:
‘Diversity’ seem to a theme Marvel is trying to play up in their superhero universe lately, and in February 2014 a new ongoing series will play up that diversity theme in a way only a large superhero universe title can.
New Warriors is another Marvel attempt at the revival of the once hit 90’s series, this time as an All-New Marvel NOW! launch, this time reuniting Speedball, Justice, and Nova (though not the original New Warrior), along with a slew of new members, including a certain fairly-recognizable guy that can do everything a spider can.
Written by Chris Yost with art by Marcus To, according to the publisher a “different kind of war” is coming with “mutants, Inhumans, Atlanteans, Deviants, Clones, alien half-breeds, magical beings” all identified as threats to humanity and “targeted for extinction.”
The two original members and the new Nova assemble a new team from different corners of the MU to “save the world and have fun doing it.”
For more we threw a few questions the way of Chris Yost for this exclusive first interview.
Newsarama: Chris, first of all, New Warriors is one of those titles that had a bright heyday that Marvel has tried several times over the years to revive/relaunch. What’s your attraction to the concept today?
Chris Yost: I’ve been a fan of the New Warriors since day one, when Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley launched it. What I loved about it was that six heroes from all different corners of the Marvel Universe came together to just do good. Mutants, super humans, Atlanteans, space guy… guy with skateboard… it didn’t matter. They were heroes, and they were out there fighting the good fight. If I had powers, or a skateboard, I’d do the same. And they were young. Idealistic. Trying to prove themselves to the world.
I’ve worked on a wide range of Marvel properties in comics, animation, and film, but I always come back to the younger characters. The ones who haven’t seen it all and done it all. They’re our window to the world.
Nrama: So why do you think a New Warriors revival can succeed this time where in the past they’ve been short-lived?
Yost: A few things: Fan favorite characters, huge stories that tie into the core of the Marvel Universe, diversity, huge action, huge fun, and Marcus To.
Nrama: Justice, Speedball and the new Nova (sort of) are certainly iconic members, but can you talk about what interest you guys may or may not have in some of the other well-known members like Firestar, Namorita, Night Thrasher, Richard Rider and some of the others that came after?
Yost: Well, Thrasher and Richard Rider are dead, Namorita is, I believe, trapped in the Cancer-verse, and Firestar… is occupied. Members like Silhouette, Turbo, even newer members like Debrii… maybe down the road. But right now we’re focusing on the core three and some newcomers. We get to see what the concept of New Warriors means to the founding members, and new heroes alike.
Nrama: Of course of course our readers are looking at the image right now wondering about the members (although at least one of them is pretty obvious). Can you give fans any names and whatever you can about them?
Yost: Sun Girl, a human. Haechi, an Inhuman. Aracely, a Demigod. Water Snake, an Atlantean. And a Clone by the name of Scarlet Spider.
Nrama: Can you also give readers a few thoughts on each of the three ‘core’ members – what you like about the character and why you selected them for the team?
Yost: Justice isn’t sure the New Warriors are needed in an Avengers world, especially given how tainted the name became after Stamford. Speedball needs the New Warriors more than ever as he struggles with his personal demons. And Nova… he’s the new kid on the block, curious to be on a team with people who knew the previous Nova.
Nrama: Now, is the team brought together to combat the threats to Earth identified in the Marvel description of the series, or are they serving as similar role as the Uncanny Avengers, bringing together members of those feared groups together to protect the earth and show that they can work together?
Yost: Uncanny Avengers has a very specific mission statement, especially after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. New Warriors has a broader playing field in that every single corner of the Marvel Universe is what we’re protecting. Space, magic, mutants, clones, Atlanteans… you name it, the New Warriors have a specific reason to go there. They’re going to be the Ambassadors of anything not human.
Nrama: Will the team have any relation to the Avengers, which has sort of become a overarching brand in the Marvel Universe, or will this team be going it alone?
Yost: The Avengers will definitely have a presence in the book, as Justice is a former Avenger… but New Warriors is its own thing. The very question of the need for New Warriors when you’ve got the Avengers is front and center.
Nrama: Speaking of which, what do you think distinguishing the New Warriors from say the Young Avengers? Will any rivalry exists between those groups or do you consider them of different generations?
Yost: Fewer connections to the Avengers. And there are a few members of each team that would fight with anybody, I’m sure. But the Warriors, with one or two exceptions, are pros. While still young, they’ve been doing this for a while.
Nrama: Okay then Chris, the standard last question catchall question – what would you like fans know that we haven’t covered so far?
Yost: The stakes are high. The action is huge. The hero-ing is super. This is old school Marvel Universe action that’s international, interplanetary, inter dimensional. There’s drama, romance, and world saving. And it’s fun.
Remember that?
And here’s a hint at what the first issue cover may look like:
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