A teaser image has been making its way around the web and the printed page. It’s one phrase full of pregnant potential, consisting of just two aggressively-mysterious words...
Stan Lee is coming back! The scoop comes from Bleeding Cool and I have to ask the same question Rich Johnston asked -- “When was Stan ever gone?” Just over these past few weeks, we’ve talked about his new line of comics at Archie and his cameo as Larry King in IRON MAN 2 (not to mention that manga he was doing.) The man’s unstoppable. Incorrigible. Irredeemable..?
I bring up that last bit because Johnston points out a few clues that this might signal a new Stan project at Boom, since the ad campaign resembles the “MARK WAID IS EVIL” one they ran a few months ago. Following a similar route on that path of logic, I wouldn’t totally rule out this teasing a new Marvel project for Mr. Lee, as it reminds me a lot of the “1602” and “King” (with a crown dotting the “i") - - maddening-in-their-simplicity campaigns they ran to respectively promote 1602 and the DARK TOWER comics.
You know, maybe it’s because I’m half-asleep this early in the morning, but the first thought my warped mind came to when I saw this was the possibility that somebody’s “Bringin' Stan Lee Back” the same way Justin Timberlake was “Bringin' Sexy Back” a couple years ago. I suppose that, for a guy who’s already taken his turn at writing and acting, the only mountain left for him to climb is the music business. Would it be too crazy for Smilin’ Stan to cut his own hip-hop-influenced dance record, oh pop-lockin’ Comic Vine community? Didn’t it work for “Macho Man” Randy Savage? And if that's not what this is about, then what is it about?!!?
-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics. Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.