Writer Al Ewing and artist Javier Rodríguez will re-team for another five-issue Defenders mini-series, Defenders: Beyond, this June featuring a brand-new eclectic lineup of heroes not normally associated with the traditional “non-team”.
The Defenders: Beyond line-up includes Blue Marvel, America Chavez, Taaia (the mother of Galactus), Tigra, and a version of Loki from Ewing’s Loki: Agent of Asgard series.
Ewing says that “It’s great to be co-storytelling with Javier again on another Defenders book – he’s more than an artist, he’s the other half of the equation. So in this book, we’re going on a magical journey into the Mystery itself, mapping the Marvel Godhead and bringing back knowledge that ties into what has gone before, some seismic things to come… and if we’re lucky, maybe a little off-the-page magic to feed your hungry head. We’ve got an eclectic new crew of Defenders chosen for the task by the final spell of Stephen Strange – I’m saying what’s probably a final goodbye to a lot of stuff from the past ten years with this one, and for at least one character, this will be the last adventure. Hope you survive the psychedelic experience, pilgrim!”
Rodriguez calls Ewing “…a wizard that opens doors to the greatest ‘larger than life’ stories you could imagine. He could take you through the most cosmic and spectacular passages of the Marvel Universe. And at the same time, he cares about each of the characters on the team, their lives, their particular problems so that you worry about them. And I have a lot of fun translating that to images.”
Check out the classic team and the Beyond line-up wraparound cover by Rodriguez below and look for Defenders: Beyond #1 at your local comic shop on June 15.
