4 Marvel Anime Announced: Iron Man and Wolverine in Spring 2010

[Lil Brother]

Source.

The New York Times newspaper reports that the American comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment is working with the Japanese animation company Madhouse (Death Note, Paprika, Vampire Hunter D) to create four anime series with Marvel's superheroes that will premiere in Spring of 2010 in Japan. Marvel International President Simon Philips said that the characters will be re-imagined for Japan to create “something that is part of the fabric of society" and "an entire parallel universe for Marvel.”

Madhouse President and CEO Jungo Maruta said that the modern-day Marvel team is "so open minded" and added, "Although they say, 'I want Japanese anime,' it's not what they actually want. They want a hybrid between Japanese and Western animation." The only superhero specified by name in the actual production effort was Iron Man, a character that appears in drawings that have already been created. Philips told the newspaper that there will also be comics, as well as downloadable versions of the anime titles for mobile phones.

Manga versions of Spider-Man (pictured above) and X-Men have already been created by Ryoichi Ikegami (Crying Freeman, Mai the Psychic Girl, Sanctuary) and several Shogakukan artists in Japan. In fact, there was a live-action Spider-Man television series that had a parallel-world Japanese Spider-Man piloting a giant robot. C.B. Cebulski brought Kia Asamiya (Silent Möbius, Dark Angel), Takehiko Ito (Outlaw Star), Katsuya Terada (Zenbu, Blood: The Last Vampire), and others to various Marvel Comics titles after he became an editor there. Del Rey is collaborating with Marvel to create an X-Men shōjo title with writers Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman and Indonesia-based artist Anzu, as well as a Wolverine title with writer Anthony Johnston and an unnamed artist. (Marvel created a Mangaverse line of comics with mostly American and Canadian creators in 2001.)

Pow! Entertainment, the production company of former Marvel Comics president and comic creator Stan Lee, revealed that it is working with Shueisha, BONES, and GDH (Gonzo's parent company) on three separate projects: Ultimo, Heroman, and Quartz, respectively.

Update: Marvel's press release states that the first of the four series will launch on Japan's Animax premium anime channel in Spring 2010, but does not list the dates for the other three. Each series will have 12 30-minute episodes. The first series will include the characters Iron Man and Wolverine.

First manga, now anime? I'm kinda hoping for a show staring the New X-Men kids for some reason, but it'll never happen.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

I...I...wtf? I...am very wary of how this will turn out. Though, Iron Man as an anime might be cool. Ultimately, I have a feeling this will just be random anime patterned after Marvel characters. But...we'll see.

 

[Adamant]

(Marvel created a Mangaverse line of comics with mostly American and Canadian creators in 2001.)

Someone please tell these idiots that the word "manga", as used internationally, refers to the comic's country of origin and not whatever the hell they think it does (drawing style? Writing style? Random Japanese sound effects? Japanese suffixes thrown around at random? People yelling out the names of their attacks when using them? Lack of color? Who knows?)

 

[Zeta]

Someone please tell these idiots that the word "manga", as used internationally, refers to the comic's country of origin and not whatever the hell they think it does (drawing style? Writing style? Random Japanese sound effects? Japanese suffixes thrown around at random? People yelling out the names of their attacks when using them? Lack of color? Who knows?)

From what I saw of the Marvel mangaverse, according to Marvel, manga is any comic featuring people with big eyes, tiny noses, big boobs, young-looking faces, and spiked hair. And MUCH more ninjas.

I remember one "manga" version of the Fantastic Four was just Evangelion x Fantastic Four. Reed was Gendo, Shinji was the Thing, Susan was Rei, and Johnny Storm was Asuka. REALLY.

 

[Dogasu]

Wow.

That's one reason I don't really care for the way people use the terms "anime" and "manga" instead of just saying "Japanese cartoons" or "Japanese comics." Because then you get stereotypical crap like this :/

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Someone please tell these idiots that the word "manga", as used internationally, refers to the comic's country of origin and not whatever the hell they think it does (drawing style? Writing style? Random Japanese sound effects? Japanese suffixes thrown around at random? People yelling out the names of their attacks when using them? Lack of color? Who knows?)

The Marvel Mangaverse was...bad. It was an attempt by Marvel to cash in on the manga/anime craze by re-envisioning their bigger characters. Which is NOT to be confused with the times that they've licensed their properties to Japanese creators (which is a COMPLETELY different can of worms. Though I hear Spider-Man J was actually...not shitty).

The Mangaverse in one...horrible picture.

The second attempt at a Mangaverse. I think with this, they went back and re-did some of the ideas. Somehow that meant Iron Man was a...girl. And I believe that's Ant-Man with the guitar. Because...yeah.

New Mangaverse, the series. Gotta love Wolverine's 3 foot long FLAMING CLAWS.

And...there's Wikipedia...for real information.

That's one reason I don't really care for the way people use the terms "anime" and "manga" instead of just saying "Japanese cartoons" or "Japanese comics."

See...I've never understood whether manga and anime were supposed to be a STYLE or if it was the comics and cartoons from Japan.

 

[Zeta]

Anyone can draw in a Japanese style with enough practice. If a Japanese person draws art in a Western-style it doesn't make it a "comic book" instead of a manga. Similarly, if an American draws huge eyes no noses and wildhairdos, it doesn't make it a manga. Which is why I loathe all these American artists chipping in on the fad and trying to sell themselves as "American mangaka".

 

[bell02+]

I like to think I'm completely open to Americans, Canadians, and other people outside of Japan for wanting to do the Japanese Comics style, but I haven't seen a comic yet that does that well, unfortunately. (Which is really confusing to me because you can go on Deviant Art and see some artist do some pretty good stuff)

I'm not completely ready to condemn them... well, I mean, I read the first chapter of Ultimo, it was very... different, seemed more like a Mangaverse title, because of all the Narration and how it was written made it feel more American than anything. It just reminds me of Crazy Stan Lee. Maybe it'll get better, but I don't intend on buying it to find out.

But of all the characters to get leased out to a Japanese property, the character with the Robotic Suit of Armor is the best choice. I'm also always curious about the re-imaging of things, but I agree that from what I've seen, past experiences have been bad.

 

[Silverwynde]

I'm willing to give Iron Man a chance. The others? I'm not so sure about.

 

[Cferra]

I just wonder how they are going to do Iron Man seeeing as he took a shrapnel to the heart in Nam. This could be good or bad. I dunno.

Really not keen on a Wolvie anime.

LX

 

[Zeta]

The only Marvel property I can think of that would look decent in an anime style is Runaways.

 

[h1tm0nl33]

it might work if it stick to the spirit of the individual comic series

 

[MondoTR]

The only Marvel property I can think of that would look decent in an anime style is Runaways.

That'd rock.

All this does is remind me of Teen Titans. People constantly mistake its cartoon for an anime.