Jonathan Hickman After Avengers

[Plawsky]

With Jonathan Hickman ending his Avengers run in about a year, what do you think is next? Obviously, it's still a long way out, but it doesn't hurt to think about it.

I don't know if he has an exclusive with Marvel, but I can't see him leaving Big 2 books to work solely on his Image projects, and I can't see Marvel letting him get away. He's done Fantastic Four, he's done SHIELD, and now he's done Avengers - so what's left for him to do?

X-Men - The X-Men might not seem like a great fit for Hickman's style, but it could be really interesting. However, I'm not sure there's room for him in the X-lineup while Bendis is leading it with UXM/ANXM.
Spider-man - I wouldn't have thought of him as a Spidey writer at first, but the Spidey/Torch roommate story (FF #17) was fantastic. However, like X-Men, I'm not sure if there's room for Hickman in the Spideyverse, and I'd be surprised if he just had a satellite book like Superior Foes.
Solo Book - While Secret Warriors was in many ways a Nick Fury ongoing, Hickman hasn't really taken a crack at any solo characters. I think he'd be great on Doctor Strange or Black Panther, expanding what he's done with them in New Avengers. Others, like Iron Man or Doom, would be a good fit, too, but it would also be cool to see him take on someone completely new to him.
Something Cosmic - Hickman already did a good bit of cosmic work with Infinity, but I think he's got a lot more in him. It's right in his wheelhouse. The cosmic line is already getting a small boost for the Guardians movie, and I think there's room for more, even if Bendis stays on GotG. It would also give Hickman free reign to keep using his pet characters, many of which fit perfectly in the cosmic realm. The only downside is that it wouldn't be much different in tone than what he's been doing on Avengers and, to some extent, Fantastic Four.

Personally, I'd love to see him go back and finish his run on the Ultimates. The UU is in a much different place than when he left in 2012, but a lot of his plot points and characters remain untouched, other than mainly Reed. There's not even a true Ultimates book right now, so he could start it from scratch while bringing in elements of his last run. However, as great as it would be for us Ultimate fans, it's hard not to think as that move as somewhat of a step back, returning to the book that he left for Avengers.

I think his best work has been things that are mostly, if not entirely, separated from the main Marvel U. I've liked his Avengers run a lot, but it has suffered in some ways because it's had to be a big part of the MU and use those characters. New Avengers, which is more in the shadows, is definitely the better book. His Fantastic Four run was almost entirely self-contained in its own corner. SHIELD and Secret Warriors were completely separate. Ultimates was in a different universe entirely. That's why something like Cosmic Marvel or a solo that he could keep separate would be best, in my opinion.

What would you like to see him write?

[Captain Astounding]

I'd like to see what he'd do with Thor or Iron Man.

[sax]

I think he might be a good fit on a Defenders book. It would, certainly, be interesting to see his take on them.
Failing that, GOTG.

[zlbenson]

I wouldn't be surprised if he did something much smaller in scope, and more personal - just as a change of pace from what he has done in the past, and following up the Avengers which has been huge in scope.

I'm thinking something on the Micro level vs the Macro. Just a guess. I'd love anything cosmic, or if he did something that was more humor based. His sense of humor killed me in some of the FF run, plus Manhattan Projects is quite hilarious.

[Nomads1]

DC.
Hickman clearly has a thing for DC characters.
However, if he stays at Marvel, and things take of with the movie, and the bbook is still around, I guess GotG would be a good fit for him. Or maybe something mystical instead of cosmic, like Dr. Strange.

Peace

[MindofShadow]

Black Panther- I could see him expanding on his mythos big time. He could do a lot of international stuff that wouldn't bother with most of the MU if he really wanted to as well.

GoG- Seems right up his ally.

Shiar- He says he loves the Shiar... could he do something with Gladiator?

[Ben11345]

Hopefully marvel gives in and finally approves his micronauts pitch.
Failing that, a third shield book but I don't think we'll live long enough to ever see all of it released

[People Of The Earth]

With Jonathan Hickman ending his Avengers run in about a year, what do you think is next? Obviously, it's still a long way out, but it doesn't hurt to think about it.

I don't know if he has an exclusive with Marvel, but I can't see him leaving Big 2 books to work solely on his Image projects, and I can't see Marvel letting him get away. He's done Fantastic Four, he's done SHIELD, and now he's done Avengers - so what's left for him to do?

X-Men - The X-Men might not seem like a great fit for Hickman's style, but it could be really interesting. However, I'm not sure there's room for him in the X-lineup while Bendis is leading it with UXM/ANXM.
Spider-man - I wouldn't have thought of him as a Spidey writer at first, but the Spidey/Torch roommate story (FF #17) was fantastic. However, like X-Men, I'm not sure if there's room for Hickman in the Spideyverse, and I'd be surprised if he just had a satellite book like Superior Foes.
Solo Book - While Secret Warriors was in many ways a Nick Fury ongoing, Hickman hasn't really taken a crack at any solo characters. I think he'd be great on Doctor Strange or Black Panther, expanding what he's done with them in New Avengers. Others, like Iron Man or Doom, would be a good fit, too, but it would also be cool to see him take on someone completely new to him.
Something Cosmic - Hickman already did a good bit of cosmic work with Infinity, but I think he's got a lot more in him. It's right in his wheelhouse. The cosmic line is already getting a small boost for the Guardians movie, and I think there's room for more, even if Bendis stays on GotG. It would also give Hickman free reign to keep using his pet characters, many of which fit perfectly in the cosmic realm. The only downside is that it wouldn't be much different in tone than what he's been doing on Avengers and, to some extent, Fantastic Four.

Personally, I'd love to see him go back and finish his run on the Ultimates. The UU is in a much different place than when he left in 2012, but a lot of his plot points and characters remain untouched, other than mainly Reed. There's not even a true Ultimates book right now, so he could start it from scratch while bringing in elements of his last run. However, as great as it would be for us Ultimate fans, it's hard not to think as that move as somewhat of a step back, returning to the book that he left for Avengers.

I think his best work has been things that are mostly, if not entirely, separated from the main Marvel U. I've liked his Avengers run a lot, but it has suffered in some ways because it's had to be a big part of the MU and use those characters. New Avengers, which is more in the shadows, is definitely the better book. His Fantastic Four run was almost entirely self-contained in its own corner. SHIELD and Secret Warriors were completely separate. Ultimates was in a different universe entirely. That's why something like Cosmic Marvel or a solo that he could keep separate would be best, in my opinion.

What would you like to see him write?

This.

It's simple. Ever since Mark Millar left the Ultimates, I never, EVER, had enjoyed one book of the serie the way I enjoyed issue #1 from Hickman's Ultimates. Then #2. Then #3. And so on... Never.
He was the best thing who happened to the line, and to see how Humphries...handled...everything afterward really frustrated me, to say the least.
So, I'd be definitively more than happy to see him bringing back his mojo on a new volume of the Ultimates. Totally.

Now, as you said it already, it's kind of a far-fetched scenario.
So, with that in mind, I'd be happy to see him write something bold and different, but with a more tighten-up cast than the one he has to handle at the moment with the Avengers.
If he were to follow-up on some of the member of the Illuminati he's currently writing, it would be great.
A book about Kings and kingdoms: Black Panther and Wakanda, or Doom, or Namor would be really nice.
I'd love it if he were to take the X-franchise away from Bendis though.

[victorxd1999]

I want to see more Hickman Image books, East of west is awesome

[Kid A]

DC.
Hickman clearly has a thing for DC characters.
However, if he stays at Marvel, and things take of with the movie, and the bbook is still around, I guess GotG would be a good fit for him. Or maybe something mystical instead of cosmic, like Dr. Strange.

Peace

Yeah, but I don't think he has a thing for DC editors haha.

It would be cool though if he came over to revamp the Legion.

[TheMerc]

Like zlbenson said, I'd like to see Hickman tackle a less grandiose and more personal project after he's done with Avengers. I realise one the beauty about Hickman's comic books is the overarching and complex plots he manages to interweave in his stories, but I'd be curious to see what he could do if he did something like Superior Foes (a personal story with stakes and an overarching story). A smaller story (or one that, at least, doesn't culminate with a giant universal threat. Secret Warriors managed to tell a long interweaving story, and though it had stakes, it felt more personal than his Avengers titles have in a while) could be a nice change of pace!

Otherwise, absolutely Guardians of the Galaxy. By working with the current 5 main Guardians he'd have a small enough cast that he'd be able to devote enough time to each of them and his storytelling style would ensure that the book would have a raison d'étre.

[Juggernaut Punch]

He's expressed a lot of interest in writing an Imperial Guards or Squadron Supreme book. Apparently, he pitches it all the time. Even though his Gladiator has thus far been extremely bland and meek, I'd love to see what he could do with the Imperial Guards.

I'd like to see him take a shot at the X-Men as well. Anyone's better than Bendis or Aaron.

[Diamond]

Ultimate X-Men.

[John Ossie]

I think X-men could be a great fit for Hickman, I'd like to see him do a Phoenix story on his own there. Ultimate X-Men could work as well.

Others I think he could be a good fit for are - Journey Into Mystery, Thor, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy but that's just me.

I don't think he'd work for a Spider-Man book though personally as I don't feel Spider-Man would play to his strengths as a writer.

[Shinglepants]

If he did a Namor solo with a decent artist I would be all over it!

Failing that, something cosmic. Loved what he did with the likes of Ronan and Super Skrull during Infinity. Shiar Empire? Galactic Council? Annihilators? Even an Inhumans book would be cool.