Deaths Head 2019 #1 Cover Inks by Nick Roche

Death’s Head is back! Marvel has announced a new limited series, written by Tini Howard with art by Kei Zama coloured by Felipe Sobreir, edited by Sarah Brunstad – and with regular covers by Nick Roche, launching in July. Here’s what we know so far…

Deaths Head 2019 #1 Cover Colour

Announced at the Women Of Marvel panel at C2E2, in Chicago, the project is one of the first by Tini Howard, who has signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, whose credits include the creator-owned Euthanauts for IDW’s Black Crown and who’s written the upcoming Captain America Annual #1 for Marvel, out in September, and Age of Conan: Belit, the Queen of the Black Coast mini-series which launched earlier this month. She’s also writing a new Thanos six-issue series, launching next month.

Death’s Head’s first appearance in “High Noon Tex”, a strip published in a number of Marvel UK titles in the 1980s, written by Simon Furman, drawn by Bryan Hitch

Originally created for Marvel UK by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior, robot bounty hunter Death’s Head’s first appearance was in a one page house ad, “High Noon Tex” drawn by Bryan Hitch.

(I can remember the excitement in the Marvel UK London offices at Redan Place when series editor Richard Starkings and Simon pondered where the strip should run to establish Marvel’s ownership of the character, even considering offering it to British fanzines).

Appearing in as a giant robot in Marvel UK’s weekly Transformers, Death’s Head was reduced to human size after an encounter with The Doctor in Doctor Who Magazine #135 (“Crossroads in Time”), drawn by Geoff Senior, before starring in one of the company’s first US format books.

Death’s Head II Mini Series – 1990s

Death’s Head II was a 1990s revamp of the character written by Dan Abnett, drawn initially by Liam Sharp at the instigation of Marvel UK Editorial Director Paul Neary. AIM construct Minion, having already absorbed multiple personalities through assassination, absorbed Death’s Head. Death’s Head took over Minion to get an all-new look.

The book was MUK’s most successful US style title in terms of sales and gave a strong foundation to the Marvel UK Genesis 1992 project, which included the weekly Overkill comic, although Death’s Head didn’t appear in that anthology until later in its run.

Ultimate Death’s Head by Liam Sharp

The character was revamped again as Death’s Head 3.0 by Simon Furman in 2005, but despite an attempt to revive Death’s Head II by Liam Sharp back in the 2000s as “Ultimate Death’s Head” , it’s the original version that has held sway in terms of the most appearances, largely, perhaps, due to his memorable appearances in Fantastic Four in 1990 (during a story encompassing #337 – 341) written and drawn by Walt Simonson, who also provided a cover for the original Death’s Head series at Marvel UK.

Roads not taken by Marvel UK back in the 1990s – Punisher versus Death’s Head, art by Bryan Hitch

In recent times, both Death’s Head I and II featured in the mini-series Revolutionary War, back in 2013 and he was revived for SWORD #1-#5 by Kieron Gillen, who also dropped him into issues of Iron Man; and although it seemed a new Death’s Head series was teased by Marvel back in 2016, like many a proposed revival (including a Punisher/ Death’s Head II crossover drawn by Bryan Hitch, it didn’t happen.

Death’s Head was last seen in Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk #1 last year, but clearly you simply can’t keep a robot bounty hunter down.

Tini Howard has revealed the new Death’s Head series – which also features variant covers by John McCrea –  will co-star co-starring Wiccan and Hulkling from Young Avengers. 

“This series is all about fear of obsolescence,” she says. “Death’s Head is a radio star in a video world. Wiccan and Hulkling are ‘Young’ Avengers who are grown ups now with an apartment together. What do you do when the new models are ready but you’re not done yet?”

“I can’t say enough how I am excited to draw him!,” enthuses artist Kei Zama on Twitter, perhaps best known for work on Transformers, whose Twitter stream reveals a clear love of the character, scattered as it is with pictures of not only Death’s Head but MUK’s Hell’s Angel and Death Metal comics, too.

“The stories Tini wrote are so so so so cool, I can’t wait to show more our works for everyone.”

“Death’s Head is my favourite Marvel character,” says cover artist Nick Roche. “It makes me so happy to be even tangentially connected to him. I’m so excited for everyone to read what Tini, Kei, Felipe and Sarah have cooked up.

“Huge hanks to editor Sarah Brunstad for assembling this team of freelance secret-keeping agents. She’s putting the book together with so much love, it’s been unreal. An absolute joy to work with her again.”

One of four interconnecting covers for the new Death’s Head mini series by John McCrea

One of four interconnecting covers for the new Death’s Head mini series by John McCrea

DEATH’S HEAD 2019 PEACE-KEEPING AGENTS

• Tini Howard is on Twitter @TiniHoward

• Kei Zama is on Twitter @kei_zama

• Felipe Sobreiro is on Twitter @therealsobreiro

• Nick Roche is on Twitter @NickRoche – check out his #1 cover sketches here

• Sarah Brunstad is on Twitter @MightyBrunstad

• Check out the Twitter hashtag #DrawDeathsHeadDay

BACKGROUND LINKS

Death’s Head Prelim by Liam Sharp

• Liam Sharp’s “Ultimate Death’s Head” designs are here and here on DeviantArt

• It Came From Darkmoor looks back at “High Noon Tex”

• Marvel Comics Chronology – Fantastic Four #337 – 341

• Death’s Head is cool, yes? An interview with Simon Furman and Geoff Senior in 2013

• Marvel UK – Genesis 1992 – Roads Not Taken

Death’s Head © Marvel Comics

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics

Tags: Adventure Comics, Death's Head, downthetubes News, Felipe Sobreir, Geoff Senior, John McCrea, Kei Zama, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Nick Roche, Richard Starkings, Sarah Brunstad, SF Comics, Simon Furman, Superhero Comics, Tini Howard, Walt Simonson