Marvel's "Midnight" Universe to Arrive Simultaneously Later This Year

We're getting a look at more of the covers and expansive world of the upcoming Marvel Midnight Universe, now with all debut issues arriving on the same day.

What's Happening:

• Devotees may recall that last month we learned about a terrifying new world of Marvel heroes with the new Midnight Universe.
• Now, Marvel Comics has announced that there will be a new, unified launch of the upcoming Midnight line.
• The debut issues of all three titles - Midnight X-MEN, Midnight Fantastic Four and Midnight Spider-Man - will hit stands together, arriving on October 7 as the only new Marvel comics released that day, an impactful and rare move reflecting the project’s unique scope and potential to grip readers.

• Fans can see all three debut issue covers, including the reveal of Kev Walker’s Midnight Fantastic Four #1 cover and Steve Beach’s Midnight Spider-Man #1 cover. As previously announced, the main covers of the Midnight titles will be presented in Cloaked Cover trade dress, only revealing the full artwork when turning to the first page. With the exception of the debut issues, the full artwork will remain shrouded in shadow, only revealing themselves to readers who pick them up on stands.
• Dark. Unpredictable. Unmissable. The Midnight Universe draws in longtime fans and newcomers alike to enter a terrifying new world where anything can happen. Interconnected by rich lore, Marvel’s most acclaimed modern creators are given free rein to reimagine heroes with shocking twists and chilling transformations in boundary-less storytelling that will keep readers on edge issue after issue. The X-Men no longer fight for acceptance, they hunger for blood. The Fantastic Four venture into the unknown not to save the world—but to unleash terror upon it. And Spider-Man discovers that with great power… comes something monstrous.

What They're Saying:

• Midnight Universe Executive Editor Dan Buckley: “The more we talked about Midnight, the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another new universe - it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term promise... The world these creators are building is truly special and the passion behind the stories they’re envisioning was palpable. We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right from the start. When the clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that we hope echoes throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.”
• Writer Jonathan Hickman: "I was very excited when Marvel told me the revamped plans for the Midnight launch because when I read both Ben and Phillip’s first scripts—and even more than that when the art started rolling in—I knew that this line was going to be something special. As for me personally, I haven’t been this excited about a book in a very long time. There are certain kinds of projects that I, and I think most fans, prefer for me to be working on: Ambitious stories with intricate plots and long-form payoffs, which is exactly what Midnight X-MEN is.”
• Writer Benjamin Percy: “I have an epic, rich storytelling blueprint for this series, and I don't know that I've ever felt so...in the zone...when writing comics.”
• Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson: "The Midnight meetings with Jonathan and Ben continue to energize me, every time. I want my readers and fans to know I’ve never written a longer series outline than the one for Midnight Spider-Man. By the time the first issue comes out, I’ll have written two 50-plus-issue series for Marvel and DC, but I want and expect Midnight Spider-Man to be the longest, most epic series of my career… the series on which I bring everything I’ve learned to bear.” 

Midnight by the Numbers:

• Recently, I did a deep dive into the Marvel Legacy numbering system, and I can't help but wonder how these Midnight issues will play into that.
• Marvel has a special way of numbering their issues and restoring the historical issue count of a comic series, even after multiple reboots and re-numberings with Marvel Legacy numbering.
• Marvel relaunched many of their series in the 90s and 2000s, with Marvel NOW! and other publishing initiatives. New #1 issues boosted sales because they looked beginner friendly, and would be along for the ride with all the world-building and collectible as well.
• However, longtime readers disliked losing that sense of history with this, so in 2017, Marvel launched the Marvel Legacy publishing initiative, with Legacy Numbers prominently printed on covers. Now, new modern relaunches could remain, but still honor decades of continuity.
• Complicating some of the heroes' numerical history are those with title changes, the relaunches, other characters filling in the shoes of the main hero, and multiple books running simultaneously.
• Midnight feels like such a standalone series, we can't imagine that it will play into the same numbering system, but only time will tell.

• The Midnight issues arrive on October 7, with more details expected in the weeks ahead.