When you’re doing something as high concept as this, what are the challenges in making it reader-friendly — in terms of “Here’s a bunch of new characters. Here’s a bunch of concepts that are some of the grander stuff in the Marvel Universe,” what are the challenges of molding it so it’s accessible to not just people who are fans of the cosmic side or the magical side of the Marvel universe, but in general, or do you even care about that?
There was a time when I didn’t care. I remember when Marvel was doing the 0.1 issues. I think I wrote an “Avengers” 35.1, and it was supposed to be a jumping-on point. I was doing the press for it, and somebody asked, “What’s a good jumping-on point for your ‘Avengers’ run?” I was like, “Fantastic Four, Issue 570,” right? It was such a ridiculously terrible answer, but it was true. I would answer your question this way. If you’ve been reading my books for 15 years, there’s a lot of stuff in here that you’re really going to enjoy, because we’re always winking at the past, and I’m always reinforcing my own continuity.
I don’t know whether that’s narcissistic, or whether that’s self-preservation, or what other bad therapy explanation there would be of that. I have gotten more responsible and better at writing number one issues that are actually number one issues. Everything that’s in here is everything you need to be introduced to this story, but if I’ve failed, you can always start with “Fantastic Four” Issue 570.
Lastly, the book is coming out as an oversized issue. It is 60-plus pages. What are the challenges of getting new readers into a book that has a bunch of new characters and comes with a higher price point ($9.99 for Issue 1) than usual?
It’s a gamble. We’re asking people to bet on whether or not I can tell a good story, whether or not Marvel can produce a good book, and whether or not the price point is in line with what people can afford. It’s alchemy. I don’t know whether it’s right or wrong until it’s already happened. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. We can pretend like there is, but it’s subjective. This is commercial art, and therefore, it is art. There is a version of it where it hits, or it doesn’t. If it hits, the price point doesn’t matter, and the page count doesn’t matter, and all that stuff. If it misses, they’re going to put us on a cross for all that stuff.
Check out the main cover for “G.O.D.S.” #1 by Mateus Manhanini, which comes out on October 4, 2023.
JONATHAN HICKMAN RE-INVENTS THE COSMOLOGY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE-POWERS-THAT-BE MEET THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS?
The infinite d?tente between THE-NATURAL-ORDER-OF-THINGS and THE-POWERS-THAT-BE nears an end. Old acquaintances are reunited during a Babylon Event. The Lion of Wolves throws the worst parties. Don’t look under the table. There’s a John Wilkes Booth penny on the ground. This ENORMOUS EXTRA-SIZED first issue features DOCTOR STRANGE, who, while not boring at all, is easily the most boring person in the book.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Marvel is moving in a stunning new direction with Jonathan Hickman’s work on “G.O.D.S.” He spoke to Looper about writing this rarely explored setting. Read More