Secret Wars, a continuity-spanning event that will change the Marvel Universe as we know it, doesn't actually arrive until May, but ever since Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso revealed just what's at stake in the event, we've seen plenty of exciting announcements that continue to broaden the scope and enhance the appeal of not just the main Secret Wars series, but all of the tie-in series Marvel's got cooking.
"Growing up, I loved comic books and Western films, so this a crack at something I’ve only dreamt about," Duggan said. "1872 is going to have fistfuls of action, suspense, drama and fun, but I hope that, like so many great Westerns, it will give us the chance to hold a mirror up to certain parts of this great country we live in. Sometimes the mirror ain’t that flattering."
We don't know much about what to expect when it comes to the book's plot, except that Rogers will be battling corruption in Timely and he might be turning to Stark for help, but we do know that it will feature at least one classic Marvel supervillain: Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, whose approach to profitable crime could fit right into this world. It's also simply exciting to see Marvel returning, however briefly, to the once-bountiful territory that is Western comics. Once upon a time, they were among the most successful books on the stands, and now Marvel's hoping to recapture some of that former glory, while also recapturing the success the publisher's had in recasting its heroes in the past, most notably through books like Marvel 1602.
Secret Wars and all of its tie-ins, including 1872, will launch in May. Check out Alex Maleev's cover for the first issue, along with some Shaner character designs, in the gallery below.
(Via The A.V. Club)