As Marvel gears up for a new era of some kind, they have tweaked the release schedule for their new Midnight Universe line: all three titles will now debut on October 7th – and they will be the only Marvel titles released that day.
Presenting a new horror-tinged take on classic characters, the three titles were originally planned for an August release. Marvel described the change as “an impactful and rare move reflecting the project’s unique scope and potential to grip readers.” To maintain that impact, there will be a bevy of launch promotions including promo items, orderable incentives, an enhanced Midnight Variant Program, and special exclusive variant offers.
The new date in the chill of Halloween season is a definitely a spookier timeframe for MIDNIGHT X-MEN #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte, MIDNIGHT FANTASTIC FOUR #1 by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker and MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and ScieTronc.
It’s also a way to spotlight what is shaping up to be a very important release for Marvel as they attempt to enliven their line.
Midnight Universe Executive Editor Dan Buckley expressed his excitement for the line in a statement: “The more we talked about Midnight, the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another new universe—it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term promise.
“The world these creators are building is truly special and the passion behind the stories they’re envisioning was palpable,” he continued. “We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right from the start. When the clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that we hope echoes throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.”
Others involved expressed similar enthusiasm in their own statements, with one even finding himself “in the zone.”
Hickman: “I was very excited when Marvel told me the revamped plans for the Midnight launch because when I read both Ben and Phillip’s first scripts—and even more than that when the art started rolling in—I knew that this line was going to be something special. As for me personally, I haven’t been this excited about a book in a very long time. There are certain kinds of projects that I, and I think most fans, prefer for me to be working on: Ambitious stories with intricate plots and long-form payoffs, which is exactly what MIDNIGHT X-MEN is.”
Percy: “I have an epic, rich storytelling blueprint for this series, and I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so…in the zone…when writing comics.”
Johnson: “The Midnight meetings with Jonathan and Ben continue to energize me, every time. I want my readers and fans to know I’ve never written a longer series outline than the one for MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN. By the time the first issue comes out, I’ll have written two 50-plus-issue series for Marvel and DC, but I want and expect MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN to be the longest, most epic series of my career… the series on which I bring everything I’ve learned to bear.”
Marvel revealed more details for the three debut issue covers, including art by Kev Walker and Steve Beach, but the main covers will have a special “Cloaked Cover” trade dress, “only revealing the full artwork when turning to the first page. With the exception of the debut issues, the full artwork will remain shrouded in shadow, only revealing themselves to readers who pick them up on stands.”
That does sound mysterious, but I’m guessing it involved some kind of cut out window. Cloaked and uncloaked shown below.
Dark. Unpredictable. Unmissable. The Midnight Universe draws in longtime fans and newcomers alike to enter a terrifying new world where anything can happen. Interconnected by rich lore, Marvel’s most acclaimed modern creators are given free rein to reimagine heroes with shocking twists and chilling transformations in boundary-less storytelling that will keep readers on edge issue after issue. The X-Men no longer fight for acceptance, they hunger for blood. The Fantastic Four venture into the unknown not to save the world—but to unleash terror upon it. And Spider-Man discovers that with great power… comes something monstrous.
And yet more enthusiasm below:
MIDNIGHT X-MEN #1
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by MATTEO DELLA FONTE
Cover by DIKE RUAN
On Sale October 7
The shadows of New York City are stalked by vampires and the mutant empyres. The sword of Damocles hangs over the peace between these two species and the factions within them. An outright war is brewing and the unturned will be caught in the crossfire.
MIDNIGHT FANTASTIC FOUR #1
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art and cover by KEV WALKER
On Sale October 7
An obsessive scientist delves into the secrets of the universe perhaps best left unknown to humankind, leaving himself and three others warped in strange and horrifying ways. What horrible secrets lie in the new dimensions they have discovered? And can humanity survive the discovery?
On twisting the mythology of Marvel’s original super hero team, Percy said “Let’s be honest: any other circumstances, Marvel wouldn’t let me write the Fantastic Four. Because I’m too mean and evil for the first family. But this is the dark continuity of the Midnight Universe—a fresh origin story for the characters that channels cosmic, Lovecraftian terror—which makes it a perfect match for me. Mad science and cults and hidden realities await. The pacing is patient and full of dread and mystery and rich with a mythology that will feel both familiar and uncanny.”
MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by SCIETRONC
Cover by STEVE BEACH
On Sale October 7
A young man is transformed into a hideous spider hybrid by the ruthless Oscorp Corporation in their pursuit for eternal life. When Oscorp begins to use the secrets unlocked by his mutation to create more human-animal hybrids, he must embrace his grotesque new form to fight back.
“Marvel’s putting a TON of trust in ScieTronc and me on this project, and we’re using that trust to make big asks and take big creative risks. I want to see a Spider-Man that was conceived by H.R. Giger, directed by David Cronenberg, adapted for the comic page by Junji Ito. I want Peter’s origin to be so upsetting it haunts me, and to see the Lizard and Doctor Octopus through the lens of a John Carpenter movie or a Resident Evil game. I’m so stoked for readers to see what we’re making.”
