Axel-In-Charge talks "All-New, All-Different Marvel"

This does sound like a big thing for Marvel -- dozens of new #1s are on the way, and it's coming out of a very big event. But readers have seen a few fresh starts or new jumping-on points from Marvel recently. There was Marvel NOW!, All-New Marvel NOW! -- back in 2010, the Heroic Age brought a few new #1s. Internally at Marvel, how is this seen as being bigger and more definitive than some of the other line refreshes Marvel has had recently?

Alonso: I think it provides the biggest platform we've had for new stories and new directions. Marvel NOW! was a line-wide game of musical chairs that spiced up our core line, giving us "Uncanny Avengers," Brian Bendis on the X-Men, Jonathan Hickman on the Avengers. Every creator treated their book like it was a jumping-on point; a new chapter. And it was extremely well received by fans and retailers. All-New Marvel NOW! expanded the line, adding new series like "She-Hulk," "Black Widow," "All-New Ghost Rider," "Squirrel Girl," "Howard the Duck" -- also well received by fans and retailers. All-New All-Different Marvel combines the recipe of both those initiatives -- and it's possible because of "Secret Wars."

All of this grows out of our larger philosophy that the comic industry is moving into a seasonal model, that isn't too unlike what you see with your favorite binge-worthy TV shows. Every year or so, you offer a new story or direction that provides an accessible entry point to new readers that builds on the experience you've been providing current readers. Sometimes that change is subtle; sometimes that change is seismic -- depends on the character or where the story is going. Each year or so of publishing provides a wild ride that offers some sense of completion, but, of course, doesn't finish the story. That's where the next "season" picks up.

Picking up that thread of the seasonal model -- it's something I've heard you discuss before, but it's coming up more and more now regarding the general philosophy of Marvel moving forward. Is this more of a goal Marvel is working towards, or a definite plan for the future?

Alonso: While our collective gut says this is the direction the market is moving, we are always willing to live and learn and pivot where necessary. That said, in our minds, nothing is more inviting than an issue #1. Nothing says more clearly to readers new and old that this is a place you can jump on. Let's say that a fan is reading books like "Daredevil" and "Black Widow" and "Punisher" -- street-level books are their taste -- but they're becoming curious to sample something on a different scale, like "Avengers" or "Inhuman," or they've heard good things about "Howard the Duck" or "Spider-Gwen," that's where an issue #1, with a great hook and a cool creative team, comes in. And in an era where fans oftentimes follow creators, a new #1 by a new creative team might be just the thing to have them sample a character or team they hadn't previously.

Speaking of those new #1s, as a point of clarification -- it's established that there are 50-60 new #1s coming starting in the fall, but is everything getting a new #1? Even the newer titles, like, say, "All-New Hawkeye?"

Alonso: Every series is getting a new #1, and the rollout will span three to four months. And to help invigorate each title and aid in its accessibility, each creative team will set their first issue eight months after the culmination of "Secret Wars," and establish that during that gap, something big happened to the life or world of the title character that spices things up in a meaningful way. Could be subtle, could be a huge. Maybe the title character exhibits a new approach to life because of something that happened to them during those eight months. Maybe a key relationship in their life has changed, for better or worse. Maybe they moved to a new place. Maybe they hung up their tights for some reason and someone else has picked them up. Maybe they're pregnant. The sky's the limit.

The key thing is we want each issue #1 to be exciting and accessible. And I think our track record for doing just that has been very good over the past few years: providing new reader-friendly stories that build upon the stories that came before them.