A few days ago, Marvel Comics Senior Vice President of Creative & Creator Development C.B. Cebulski announced a truly titanic cross-over.
In two weeks, Japanese publications will run a special “What If?” special, in which the Titans from Attack on Titan invade the world of Marvel’s costumed crusaders. To prove that he was serious about the announcement, Cebulski posted a teaser image to his Twitter Feed, that depicts Spider-Man swinging away from a pair of Titans.
Not a joke, folks. Attack on Titan and the @Marvel universe are crossing over! In 2 weeks. In Japan. Want a teaser? pic.twitter.com/9AF5fqWLfX
— C.B. Cebulski (@CBCebulski) November 3, 2014
Cebulski is no stranger to the world of manga, as he served as an editor at Central Park Media until 2006. His résumé includes an enviable list of properties from the east and west, including Boogiepop Phantom, Nadesico, the Spider-Man manga, and the Marvel Fairy Tales series.
Granted, he’s no Chris Claremont or Jonathan Hickman, but Cebulski’s involvement will hopefully ensure that both the Marvel properties and Attack on Titan will be presented in a way that will appeal to both Marvel fans and Attack on Titan fans.
That said, I have to admit that this is an interesting thing to see. The crossover is incredibly reminiscent of Marvel’s “What If?” series, which explored unusual match-ups, or how history would unfold if certain pivotal moments happened differently. For example, there were issues that explored what would happen if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four (granted, this actually did happen for a short time), or if Thor squared off against Conan the Barbarian.
These stories weren’t canon in any stretch of the word. They were over-the-top, and sometimes quite campy, but these books always seemed to tickle the curiosity of fans, as they opened a world of new possibilities.
Given that Cebulski is echoing these sentiments in his Twitter feed, it will be interesting to see exactly how this cross-over event plays out, once issues start to hit newsstands. And, with the response we’re seeing already, it appears that the “What If?” spirit is alive and well in True Believers everywhere. Speculation has already begun, with some discussing what would happen if Iron Man, The Hulk, and even Galactus were to get involved in the upcoming battle.
With luck, this will be a truly memorable one-shot, that successfully blends the excitement of the Marvel Universe with the sheer horror of Attack on Titan. Both universes are brimming with charming characters and incredible possibilities. At this point, I don’t see Spider-Man trading in his webs for 3D Maneuver Gear, but stranger things have definitely happened!
