There have been rumors lately that superstar writer, Brian Michael Bendis, who was probably the one writer most responsible for the direction of the Marvel Universe from 2005-2019, was going to be returning to the comic book company that MADE him a superstar all those years ago, and today Marvel announced that Bendis is, in fact, going to be returning to Marvel in a major fashion January 2026, but first, he will be making an advance return in December in a somewhat surprising place.
Marvel revealed that Bendis and his longtime Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator, Mark Bagley (who are responsible for the longest run on a Marvel comic book series by a writer and artist), will be doing a special backup story in December’s Avengers #34, also known as Avengers #800 based on the legacy numbering (legacy numbering continues to count issue numbers as if they original volume of the Avengers had never been restarted). Marvel had previously mentioned in the solicitation for Avengers #800, “A SURPRISE CAN’T-MISS BLOCKBUSTER RETURN CREATIVE TEAM FROM AVENGERS’ PAST!” and the answer is Bendis and Bagley (who also worked together on the series, Avengers Assemble, back in 2012).
What is the solicitation for Bendis’ return to the Avengers?
Image via Marvel
In the press release Marvel put out for this announcement, it first hyped Bendis’ return to Marvel…
For nearly a decade, Bendis redefined Avengers storytelling, revitalizing the franchise for the 21st century. Always at the center of the Marvel Universe and at the pulse of modern pop culture, his groundbreaking run launched now-classic Marvel events like House of M, Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign, and his transformative work on the Marvel mythos is still heavily felt today. Now he’s back, starting with AVENGERS #34 and continuing with more exciting new Marvel stories just on the horizon!
and then described the 14-page story itself:
Taking place on the anniversary of the founding of the Avengers, the all-new story brings together the “Big Three,” Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, for a high-stakes mission to take down Hydra’s latest weapon of mass destruction. They’re soon joined by many more teammates—past and present—for a thrilling showdown that exemplifies the team’s mission and impact!
What does Brian Michael Bendis have to say about his return to Marvel?
The press release quoted Bendis himself on his return: “Returning to the pages of Marvel Comics has been an incredible experience. To reunite with the Avengers on the occasion of an anniversary is doubly wonderful because anniversary issues are where we really celebrate our love of the characters and legacy. I made my Avengers debut on Avengers #500. I love the symmetry. AND I get to reunite with my dear longtime Ultimate Spidey AND Avengers collaborator Mark Bagley. Just reuniting would be magical enough, but him coming out of retirement to do this story with me was an incredible gesture. He has already penciled magical pages. It’s been a wonderful reunion between us AND the characters.”
He added, “Thanks to everyone at Marvel for having me back for such an auspicious occasion. This is the first of some truly special Marvel projects that I will be part of in the near future. Stay tuned…”
Avengers #34/800 is due out on December 3rd.
Source: Marvel