SDCC 2023: Marvel Announces Next Big Crossover Event

From a Hollywood standpoint, this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is a bit more low-key than usual. But for the comics industry, it’s business as usual. Today was Marvel Comics’ annual Next Big Thing panel, where fans gather to learn about all of the upcoming events in the Marvel Universe. And this year’s Next Big Thing is GANG WAR.

Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and Executive Editor Nick Lowe were joined by were joined by Senior Editor Jordan D. White, Editor Sarah Brunstad, Amazing Spider-Man writer Zeb Wells, Guardians of the Galaxy writers Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, X-Men writer Gerry Duggan, and Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant co-writer Sabir Pirzada gathered together on stage to deliver a whole host of exciting announcements, but the biggest news is that GANG WAR will be the next big crossover event.

GANG WAR will spin (pun intended) out of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s hit run of Amazing Spider-Man. As you can probably tell from the title, war erupts between the gang lords of New York City, causing chaos.

Villains are fighting villains. Criminals are fighting criminals. Hobgoblin, Mr. Negative, the Owl, Shotgun, Diamondback, A.I.M., H.Y.D.R.A., and more battle with and against each other for NYC supremacy. For Peter Parker, “going on patrol” isn’t enough.. and he declares his own war on super-crime. It’s General Spidey at the helm, leading a group of heroes that includes fellow Spider-Man Miles Morales, She-Hulk, Daredevil, and Spider-Woman. Their goal: take down the super-gangs in under 48 hours. But what does Mayor Luke Cage and the city’s strong anti-vigilante laws have to say about it? Will Jackpot gamble on getting involved? And is Shang-Chi a friend or foe? They better all figure it out before two classic villains make a game-changing return!

Big things are coming, and the battles will spill over into both Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man, as well as some all-new limited series that will be launching in November and December of this year.

Marvel has released a preview of the prelude issues, GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE, and the first installments of GANG WAR.

Amazing Spider-Man #37
Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by Ed McGuinness
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
Rek-Rap returns! Spider-Man’s fun-house reflection might just be the thing to help the wall-crawler out of the darkness he can’t seem to shake. Well, Rek-Rap MIGHT help if he weren’t targeted by the scariest new Spidey-Villain in decades! GANG WAR IS COMING!

Amazing Spider-Man #38
Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by Ed McGuinness
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
Can Spider-Man and Rek-Rap both survive the repulsive Repo?! The last issue of Amazing Spider-Man before Gang War!

Amazing Spider-Man Gang War: First Strike #1
Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Joey Vasquez
Cover by John Romita Jr.
SPECIAL ONE-SHOT GANG WAR PRELUDE!
The super-crime landscape of New York has been on edge. This issue, they jump over that edge. What incites the war?! Who hired Shotgun and took out Tombstone? What, if anything, can Spider-Man do about it? Everything you need to know before GANG WAR officially kicks off next month is HERE.

Luke Cage: Gang War #1 (of 4)
Written by Rodney Barnes
Art by Ramon F. Bachs
Cover by Caanan White
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
In the wake of the Anti-Vigilante Act, Luke has been trying to save the city from behind a desk. But a meeting with old friend Danny Rand reminds him of the good old days when problems could be punched in order to solve them. As New York descends into a GANG WAR, Luke must use every power he has to protect the innocent and save his city!

Spider-Woman #1 (of 4)
Written by Steve Foxe
Art by Carola Borelli
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
The Web of Destiny restored Spider-Woman’s life, but even Captain Marvel and Madame Web can tell something’s changed. Now Spider-Man wants to recruit her for a new team because Viper has engineered a deadly union between Hydra and Diamondback that’s about to tear the city apart, bringing forth a new foe powerful enough to destroy the city while burning Spider-Woman’s world to the ground. Don’t miss out on this action-packed premiere that introduces a terrifying new force of evil in Spider-Woman’s world!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12
Written by Cody Ziglar
Art by Partha Pratim
Cover by Federico Vicentini
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
Spider-Man is on the hunt to find a terrifying new foe before they sink their fangs into Miles’ best friends. Only the vampire hunter Blade and his daughter, Bloodline, may know the secret of the villain’s past – but are the vampire hunters keeping secrets of their own? And what is Hobgoblin secretly scheming while Spidey is completely overwhelmed? Last issue before GANG WAR!

Amazing Spider-Man #39
Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by John Romita Jr.
GANG WAR STARTS HERE!
Super-crime is running rampant, and Spider-Man can’t solve just one problem at a time. So Spidey builds a team to take down ALL the super-criminals of NYC in 48 hours. Good luck, Spidey.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13
Written by Cody Ziglar
Art and Cover by Federico Vicentini
AMAZING TEAM-UP AS THE GANG WAR RAGES ON!!!
New York is under siege as super villains and criminal gangs violently carve the city up like pie. Miles Morales’ job? Save all of Brooklyn from destruction! But there are too many fires for the Spider-Man to put out on their own. The most unlikely super-allies will rise on BOTH sides. And while Miles has his hands full fighting criminals and escaping Scorpion and the anti-super Cape Killers taskforce, Hobgoblin is making his big move!!!

Daredevil: Gang War #1 (of 4)
Written by Erica Schultz
Art and Cover by Sergio Davila
GANG WAR TIE-IN!
Elektra Natchios, former assassin turned Daredevil, has been recruited by Spider-Man to stop New York City from tearing itself apart from gang rule as every mobster and super villain in town go to war! And Elektra is the only thing standing in the way of Hell’s Kitchen’s annihilation at the hands of a dangerous new gang—the HEAT—whose violent schemes from the pages of DAREDEVIL unfold!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14
Written by Cody Ziglar
Art and Cover by Federico Vicentini
WILL THE PROWLER WIN THE GANG WAR?!
Hobgoblin launches his first strike in the Gang War and he’s offering no quarter for Spider-Man! And the Prowler joins the fight—but is he friend or foe?!

Deadly Hangs of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (of 3)
Written by Greg Pak
Cover by David Aja
Foil Variant Cover by Benjamin Su
THE ART OF GANG WAR!
GANG WAR has thrown the crime lords and super heroes of New York into a deadly conflict and as both, Shang-Chi must play each side against each other in a dangerous game of deception! When he became leader of his family’s Five Weapons Society, he promised to use it for good, but friends and foes alike have been unsure of his true intentions. The stakes of Gang War will force his hand as he vows to protect Chinatown and use the opportunity to eliminate the Five Weapon Society biggest rivals! He’ll use his world class fighting skills as well as deceit, calculation, and manipulation to navigate the battlefields as he learns the Art of War is all about the shades of gray!

What are everyone’s thoughts about this news? Are you excited for GANG WAR?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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