What a strange and difficult year it has been. There were certainly plenty of high points in the comic world in 2020, but most everything has been overshadowed and marred by fear of the coronavirus. As 2020 comes to an end, it’s important for us to look forward and not backward. 2021 will be a new beginning for everyone. In the spirit of that mindset, today we are looking at 4 things to be excited about in 2021 in the world of comics!
#1: Spider-Man Gets Some New Duds
Spider-Man is getting a new costume design for 2021, and it’s unlike any previous incarnation. Gone is the classic red and blue garb (as well as the black), and in is a new tech-savvy design that is sure to give the wall-crawler an advantage in his coming battles against the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk. The modern design features a brand-new color scheme of white, blue, and orange. The new costume was designed in a collaborative effort by artist Dustin Weaver, writer Nick Spencer, and editor Nick Lowe.
Weaver talked about the new design in an interview with Marvel.com:
“This design was really a collaborative effort between Nick Spencer, Editor Nick Lowe, and I. They reined in the weirder and more tech-y features I was bringing and helped create something that I think is simple and both futuristic and classical,” Weaver says. “I can’t wait to see Patrick Gleason really bring it to life!”
The new design can be seen in a variant cover by Weaver of Amazing Spider-Man #62, which comes out in March.
#2: The Joker Gets His Own Limited Series
The Clown Prince of Crime is getting his very own series in 2021, and we have a feeling it’s going to be no laughing matter. The series will be written by James Tynion IV, and drawn by Guillem March. This marks the first time in 45 years that Batman’s arch-nemesis has received a solo-run in DC comics. The storyline picks up following the events of The Joker War, and according to Tynion IV, Commissioner James Gordan plays a pivotal role in the story:
“As much as Joker is a Joker book, Joker is a JIM GORDON book.”
Look for this book to hit stands in March.
#3: King in Black Saga Continues!
Perhaps the biggest comic book storyline in 2020 has been the emergence of Venom as an A-list character in the Marvel Universe. Donny Cates has had a brilliant run writing Venom, and has captured the minds of comic book readers everywhere. Cates has plenty more in store for Eddie Brock, his son Dylan, and the God of Symbiotes in 2021.
This brings us to Marvel’s most recent major event, King in Black, which has finally seen the long-awaited debut of Knull, the God of Symbiotes. Created by Ryan Stegman, Knull has already proven himself to be one of the heavy-hitters in Marvel Comics’ enormous gallery of villains. Even the strongest heroes of Earth have fallen before Knull, and his wrath will continue to be felt through 2021.
#4: Venom: Let There Be Carnage!
Speaking of everyone’s favorite symbiote anti-hero, Venom will also be making waves again on the big screen in 2021, with the release of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Tom Hardy will reprise his role from the original, and he will come face-to-face with Woody Harrelson, who will portray the psychopathic madman Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage. This is a moment that many fans have long-awaited, as Carnage’s arrival on the big screen has been rumored since the release of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 back in 2007.
Perhaps one interesting “Easter egg” that can be derived from the film’s cast is that Naomie Harris will portray Shriek, a fellow patient at Ravencroft Mental Institution. This is enticing, because Shriek’s biggest role to date in Marvel comics was in the epic Maximum Carnage arc in 1993, where she became Carnage’s “lover.” Could we see seeds of that storyline brought to life in Venom 2? Stay tuned!
Venom: Let There be Carnage is scheduled to be released in theatres on June 25th.