In 2025, Marvel's comic universe is set to expand with the ambitious launch of Imperial, spearheaded by the visionary Jonathan Hickman, who previously transformed the Marvel landscape with House of X and the new Ultimate Universe. This new series promises to redefine the cosmic realm, featuring iconic characters like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and setting a new status quo within Marvel's vast universe.
To delve deeper into what Imperial brings to the table, IGN had an exclusive email interview with Hickman. Below, you can explore a preview gallery of Imperial #1 and then continue reading for more insights.
Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery
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The genesis of Imperial stemmed from a timely opportunity to refresh Marvel’s cosmic narrative. As Hickman explains, "I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe. That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do Imperial. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book."
Drawing parallels to the successful launch of the new Ultimate line, Hickman sees Imperial as a similar venture in the cosmic space. "You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in the current market," he notes. "A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this." He clarifies, however, that unlike the Ultimate line, Imperial won’t be set in an alternative universe, which presents both challenges and advantages.
While some might compare Imperial to 2006’s Annihilation crossover, Hickman dismisses any direct similarities. "No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that," he states. "The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No."
Although Imperial draws on elements from Hickman’s previous works, such as the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, he emphasizes that the series isn't overly reliant on his past narratives. "Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books," he explains. "Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."
The series also ventures into cosmic territory with the Hulk family, revisiting the war-torn world of Sakaar from the iconic Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman hints at the significance of this move, stating, "All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by."
On the artistic front, Imperial will feature the talents of Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. Hickman praises their contributions, saying, "Both of those guys are crushing it. I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here."
Imperial #1 is slated for release on June 4, 2025.
For more on the world of comics, find out what you should read in this year’s FCBD lineup, and check out our exclusive interview with the writers of TMNT: The Last Ronin II.
