Two members of the Avengers are about to clash in an epic showdown. Imperial, a four-part event series, is currently underway, and it’s already reshaped the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe with its first issue. We’ve seen the deaths of Hulk’s son, Hiro-Kala, and Star-Lord’s father, Emperor J’son, with the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda framed for the murders. Imperial is setting the stage for a slew of new galaxy-spanning series and developments for characters like Black Panther, Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, and more, and the second issue is already pitting two of these characters against each other.
Marvel released the first look at Imperial #2 by writer Jonathan Hickman and artists Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini. It follows the events of Imperial #1, where two mysterious characters are playing a dangerous game by assassinating intergalactic leaders. Empires like the Shi’ar, Kree/Skrull alliance, and Spartax are looking for retribution, which means an all-out assault on the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Star-Lord and Nova (Richard Rider) are working together to learn the truth behind these heinous acts, but in the meantime, war must go on.
Ronan the Accuser is aboard a ship, speaking to the Supreme Intelligence. Next, we see the Shi’ar’s Imperial Guard launch into action as the defenses for the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda respond. Their response involves sending a group of ships to board a freighter from the Galactic Council. As the Wakandans break through, we see it’s Black Panther leading the raid. He watches as his soldiers engage in combat, but he’s surprised to find that Hulk and Brawn (Amadeus Cho) have snuck up on him from behind.
“Part two of a four-part Marvel cosmic event!” the description of Imperial #2 reads. “Against the fallout of someone mysteriously killing the rulers of the Marvel galactic empires, the fires of war are lit! As that conflict simmers, NOVA and STAR-LORD race to discover who is behind all these evil acts – a journey that takes them to the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda!”
[RELATED: Imperial Artists Showcase How They Are Redesigning Marvel’s Cosmic Landscape]
Covers for Imperial #2 are by Marco Checchetto, Roge Antonio, Gerard Parel, Skottie Young, Javier Garron, and W. Scott Forbes. The main cover by Checchetto features Deathbird, Nova, Gladiator, Shuri, and Ronan the Accuser, with Star-Lord’s ship entering through a space gateway. Other covers highlight Star-Lord and Nova, the Hulks, and Lilandra.
“I’m very excited about this project as I’m obviously a huge fan of all things Marvel Cosmic,” Hickman said. “The goal here is to kind of do what we did with the recent Ultimate line for all of our space titles, except having the setup book (IMPERIAL) be more of an event than a world building exercise (like Ultimate Invasion). The art team is killing it and we’re all just very excited for what’s happening in this special corner of the Marvel Universe.”
“Working with Hickman is a great challenge,” Vicentini shared. “I love his scripts. He writes really brilliant dialogue and puts incredible attention to details when it comes to the story’s setting. I had only knew Hickman as a reader, so it was incredible to be approached to work with him and Iban, who is a phenomenal artist! I’m working hard to produce my best work, and I’m certainly having a lot of fun!”
“Being involved in this project is incredible,” Coello added. “Creating all these new characters and costumes is really fun. Working with Hickman is something I never expected to be able to do, and it’s both cool and intimidating at the same time because of the magnitude of what he’s doing in the scripts. I look forward to being able to rise to the challenge and do a great job!”
Imperial #2 goes on sale Wednesday, July 9th. Let us know your thoughts on the first look in the comments below!
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