The Convention Collective was grateful to have been granted press access to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, with Senior Editor Dan Berry and contributor/reviewer Mike McLarty wandering every corner of the show to take in as much as they could, including many of the panels presented by Comic-Con International.
One of CCI’s Special Guests this year was superstar writer Jonathan Hickman, soon to dismantle the entire Marvel status quo – again! – with the event series IMPERIAL. Here, Mike sat in on Hickman’s Spotlight Panel to take on-board insights into some of what he has done, what he is doing and what he’s got coming up…
Preferring to self-moderate his panels, Jonathan Hickman updated attendees on the past, present and future of his writing endeavors. His present workload is published at Marvel Comics, which has served as his base of operations for the past several years. He’s written hundreds of comics for Marvel including an expansive run on the Fantastic Four and books in the Ultimate Universe.
In the near future, his IMPERIAL miniseries will see print and a host of new titles will hit newsstands in the wake of its release. Hickman says “…to expect it to mirror the template we saw for the launch of the Ultimate Universe, but in a cosmic venue.”
He’s currently working on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN despite “…not the biggest Spider-Man fan on the planet!” When it comes to the character, Hickman says that he “gets him,” but he’s not his favorite. Indeed, it was Jonathan’s son that championed him to write it when it was offered. “The key was to run counter narrative to ONE MORE DAY. It’s been fun, I’ve enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”
Additionally, he’s “…working on stuff I can’t talk about. Probably the most exciting thing I’ve done since HOUSE OF X. It’ll be announced in around six months.”
Hickman shared his perspective on creative control and the process of storytelling when it comes to Marvel Summits – it’s during these summits that a collection of the publisher’s hottest talent come together and plan out the trajectory of the Marvel universe. “It’s not always this way, but usually the best idea wins. We get together and share ideas; everyone’s making pitches,” Hickman shared. “My philosophy is that part of the trick is being able to play with continuity and leave plenty of rope for others.” On taking on new projects at these summits: “If I don’t have an interesting take, I say no.”
In terms of past works, beyond HOUSE OF X, Hickman also expressed fondness for his introduction to the world of comics with his creator-owned book THE NIGHTLY NEWS, published by Image Comics. “I was 35 years old when I got the chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do,” Hickman recalled. The limited series would ultimately culminate in a nomination for an Eisner Award.
In addition to comics, future opportunities exist for him outside of the comics realm. “I have multiple television and movie deals, including EAST OF WEST. As of timing, he was pragmatic and said, “it’ll happen when it happens. “One of his projects was slated to be a show for Amazon, but “…they decided not to spend the money.”
In wrapping up, when asked by a member of the audience to share his dream project, he didn’t hesitate with an answer: “THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES for DC Comics!”
