There’s nothing I can say about Stan Lee’s cultural impact that won’t already be said better and more extensively by a thousand people who worked with Stan and knew him well.

All I can talk about is the way his exuberance for what he did inspired me to bust my butt.

Stan’s voice, his cadence, and his infectious barker-style salesmanship is as intrinsic to superhero comics for me as a heroic name, a mask, or a set of super powers. It’s part of the whole package.

Stan’s mannerisms and catchphrases were larger than life and when I was young I was swept up in its spell.

Every time I put myself and my work out there, I’m channeling a bit of Stan Lee.

I know it can be annoying at times, but I can’t help it. That exuberance gives me courage.

Writing is ego and fear and struggling to say something human. It’s solitary in the work and public in the presentation and it never quite feels right as you try and bridge that divide.

Stan did it with bravado. He did it with enthusiasm and heart, with bombast and a big smile.

Thanks for the alliterative inspiration and voluminous vocabulary, sir.

We’ll do our best to keep the House warm.

• Black Nerd Problems: 8.5/10 “I always praise the art in Champions for always nailing the look of each heroes powers on the page. Max Dunbar does an amazing job working off of Jim Zub’s story.”

• Comic Book.com: 10/10 “The wild character designs for the new versions of the Champions are absolutely stunning, not to mention a ton of fun. “

• Comic Book University: “Consistently one of the best books on the market.”

• Geeked Out Nation: 8.5/10 “The artwork once again blew me away. I love to use the world fantastical to describe the appeal of the art, but that doesn’t do it justice at this point. I felt truly engaged by the way that Max Dunbar and Nolan Woodard engage us with this medieval-fantasy style to Weirdworld and the way that these characters have adapted to that setting.”

• Shoot The Breeze: “I’m on the edge of my seat awaiting the storyline’s conclusion with next month’s Champions #27, the sign of a truly great comic!”

Up Here Magazine, a publication focused on Northern Canada and its people, has a special interview with Snowguard in their October/November 2018 issue.

The in-character interview covers Amka’s thoughts on being a superhero and representing Nunavut and the North. On top of that, Alpha Flight gets a little shout out and there’s a concise explanation of Snowguard’s powers. GIVE IT A READ!

Arriving in January, pre-order now!

CHAMPIONS #1
JIM ZUB (W) • STEVEN CUMMINGS (A) • Cover by Kim Jacinto
Variant Cover by Michael Cho
Variant Cover by Lee Garbett
MARVEL 80TH VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
Variant Cover by Skottie Young

THE WORLD STILL NEEDS HEROES – AND THERE ARE HEROES ALL OVER THE WORLD!

The Champions have gone global! The team has seen explosive growth under Ms. Marvel’s leadership, with super-powered members ready to answer the call in a dozen different countries. They’re saving people and improving lives across the planet while they inspire the next generation… but something sinister lurks beneath the surface of their expanded mission. It’s a dark secret that could destroy the team and everything they stand for!

Jim Zub (AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER, UNCANNY AVENGERS) and Steven Cummings (Wayward, Legends of the Dark Knight) ignite a new era of CHAMPIONS, filled to the brim with action, adventure and drama in the Mighty Marvel Manner!

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Announced at New York Comic Con, there’s a new weekly AVENGERS story launching in February 2019. The creative team that brought you Avengers: No Surrender is back with AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME, a 10-part mythic monument drawn by Paco Medina and Sean Izaakse, and co-written by Al Ewing, Mark Waid, and me!

Check out our first three covers, beautifully illustrated by Yasmine Putri:

Why is there a new weekly Avengers story?

Avengers: No Surrender rode the wave of interest surrounding the Avengers: Infinity War movie and, in that same way, No Road Home looks to capitalize on the excitement for the movie sequel. It’s a wonderful time for both long time fans and new readers to start reading The Avengers.

Our creative team on No Surrender ran a tight ship in terms of organization and production and was well received by readers, retailers, and reviewers, so it was a natural fit to see if we wanted to dive back in and do it again. The chance to tackle another Avengers epic was too good an opportunity to pass by.

That said, the pressure is on to make sure we deliver a story worthy of the format. We’re not an untested experiment anymore, we’re veterans of the weekly war with a desire to prove No Surrender wasn’t a fluke.

Is this a sequel?

No. It’s a spiritual successor in the sense that it’s almost entirely the same creative team involved, but you do not need to have read Avengers: No Surrender in order to enjoy Avengers: No Road Home. They are distinct and self-contained stories. Obviously I want you to read both because they’re entertaining and we put our hearts into them, but they can each be enjoyed all on their own.

How many heroes are in the cast of No Road Home?

No Surrender had 26 heroes as three Avengers teams combined to battle 16 villains. It was epic, but also a ridiculous task keeping track of them all.

No Road Home is a tighter cast of Avengers, less than half the size, but no less exciting in terms of stakes and action. We wanted a leaner crew so we could spend more time with each character and advance their individual story lines more fully.

Revealed so far on the covers you see above are Hawkeye, Hercules, Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Spectrum, Vision, Voyager, and Rocket Raccoon.

Wait a sec – Rocket isn’t an Avenger!

Yeah, well he’s been drafted into the team, whether he likes it or not.

How does this tie into Jason Aaron’s flagship Avengers series?

Last time, Avengers: No Surrender was the only Avengers book on the stands for 16 weeks as we cleared the field for what Jason had planned. This time we’ll be running alongside his series, showcasing what’s happening to some of the Avengers who aren’t in his cast. The two books will be doing their own thing, though there will be some little plot threads that carry over between them. That’s why we’re 10 issues this time instead of 16. We want to leave some room on your pull list for Jason’s story. 🙂

Midway through No Surrender you guys resurrected the Hulk. Will there be big stuff in No Road Home as well?

You betcha. Our mid-point has a huge reveal that will definitely have readers talking. It’s going to be wild.

Who are those creepy villains on the left half of the issue #2 cover?

To be revealed.

Who’s that lady with the big face in the back?

To be revealed.

You sound really excited.

Absolutely.

I want you to pre-order Avengers: No Road Home and wait at your local comic shop in frothing anticipation. I want every issue to hit you like a Kirby-crackling fist.

Paco and Sean are drawing the best pages of their career. Mark and Al are two of the best writers I’ve ever met and we’re all in sync with our plans and the way it’s delivered on the page. Writing epic action in the Mighty Marvel Manner™ is my jam and getting the chance to contribute new characters and key moments to No Road Home has been a thrill.

In February 2019, we are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes once again. I hope you join us.

• Black Nerd Problems: 9/10 “I’m digging the medieval fantasy vibe, especially the dope fits our young heroes are wearing. You got my boy Miles in his ninja mode, kunais and all, and I’m digging it.”

• Caped-Joel: 9/10 “You can tell this is the sort of passion project that only comes around once in a lifetime and Jim Zub is perfectly suited for this material.”

• Comic Book.com: 10/10 “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, because it’s worth repeating: Champions is one of Marvel’s best team-up books. If you’re not already, you should be reading it.”

• Comic Book University: “I knew it was going to be weird, but I didn’t expect it to be this good.”

• Comics: The Gathering: 8/10 “The Champions’ arrival in Weirdworld gives us a lot of changes to adapt to. It’s a swing-for-the-fences story premise.”

• DVS: “Jim Zub’s characters brim with youthful energy and hope, even when things look dark. He also balances quiet reverence when one character has to tap into the sentient source of her powers to solve a problem.”

• Geeked Out Nation: 8.5/10 “this was the perfect statement that this books has so much more to offer than your average superhero team book. They go through the things that you find genuine about the importance of heroes to one another, they tackle the importance of sacrifice, and emphasize the importance of having a sense of duty to those who matter.”

• Multiversity: 8.1/10 “An engaging start to the new arc, with good pacing, character moments, world-building, and of course, great art. The creative team is in their zone for this one.”

• Shoot the Breeze: “The set-up for this new storyline is very intriguing, and I absolutely love all the cool redesigns the Champions have each received, Sean Izaakse made each of them look great, balancing medieval/fantasy aesthetics with the visual core of each hero perfectly! “

Graeme McMillan at The Hollywood Reporter covered Saturday’s Marvel announcements at New York Comic Con, including my latest projects, Avengers: No Road Home and the Champions relaunch.
Check it out!