Axel Alonso Dishes On Marvel's New Direction

By Michael Lopez

If you ask us, Marvel doesn't have change a thing in the new year. Their movies have been well received (and scored a bundle at the box office), their comics continue to be compelling, and they still put out a ton of great merchandise. But editor-in-chief Axel Alonso and publisher Dan Buckley still feel there's a lot more work to be done.

Speaking specifically about Marvel’s comics, the two emphasized stronger storylines for characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, and The X-Men. Currently, Marvel dominates competitors like DC on the publishing front and they intend to keep it that way.

"This is an American storytelling medium that people love and respect," Buckley explained.

And within the past several months, Marvel has delivered some powerful plotlines. Fantastic Four No. 587 proved to be a huge seller, particularly because it killed off main character, The Human Torch. Miles Morales, the Afro-Latino Spider-Man, turned out to be a big draw as well. It certainly takes a lot of guts to make drastic changes to beloved brands and Marvel continues to pull it off.

Dan also explained how the company's using social media to help promote its new and classic characters.

"It's huge – social media and the way we speak to each other," he added. "The opportunities are just fantastic out there."

Alonso has been a Tr3s fave for years. One of the highest ranking Latinos in the comic world, he oversees dozens of Marvel's top brands. Axel seemed extremely enthusiastic about this year's story arcs and teased about even more shocking plotlines to come.

"We all want to see the best of the best go against each other — Lakers & Celtics; Ali and Frazier; Yankees and Red Sox," Alonso said. "And in comics, it's the Avengers fighting the X-Men. This is the kind of high-octane, action-packed story that fans demand while also having a profound effect on every character involved — and reshaping the Marvel Universe in its wake."

Do you keep up with many of the Marvel storylines? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Axel Alonso, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Comics, Dan Buckley, Fantastic Four, Marvel, Spider Man, The Avengers, X-Men