Marvel Studios founder David Maisel is bringing a whole new comic book universe to fans and has not been this excited about a project since the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The influential executive will guide Aspen Comics‘ upcoming Ekos Universe, based on the late acclaimed comic book artist Michael Turner’s creations.

In an interview with Popverse, Maisel discussed his involvement with Ekos and why he decided to create the universe linking the former Marvel and DC artist Turner’s creations, leveraging the vast experience he gained building the MCU. “I’ve collected Michael Turner’s art. I was a huge Marvel fan and had a huge Marvel collection even before I went there. But I started collecting Michael Turner’s original art in 2008, the year Iron Man came out, at Comic-Con,” he said. “And I got to know his two best friends. Michael passed that year and he left his comic book company and his art to his two best friends who run Aspen now. James Cameron had the rights for all the entertainment stuff then, so I was just a collector.”

Cameron’s rights expired in 2018 and Maisel was offered the opportunity to replace him. “I was like, ‘Of course.’ I mean, it would be so great to bring the beauty of Michael Turner’s line work and Peter Steigerwald’s colors as the visual DNA of a new cinematic universe,” he said. Maisel then went to work building the Ekos Universe and cracked the story during COVID.

“I needed to come up with the idea for the universe because Michael had Fathom – which was the number one comic in the world in 1998, crazy for an independent comic to beat Marvel and DC – but that was set to the present day, Soulfire was 200 years in the future, and Ekos was on another planet,” the producer said.

Maisel continued, “So, over COVID, I finally came up with the idea that I thought was creatively unique and relevant for today’s age, which is what’s going to be in Ekos Volume One, which is of all of these characters together on this planet, in the same time zone. But it comes from the same belief. Like, I really feel strongly about this as a great comic and also as something fresh and new that’s different from my days at Marvel, but also something relevant for everyone alive today. It’s different than 2008 now.”

Ekos launched its Kickstarter campaign last month and its first volume will feature the creative talent of writer J.T. Krul, with art by Alex Konat, colors by Peter Steigerwald, inks by Mark Roslan, and letters by Josh Reed. Volume one will focus on the Inhuman Warrior Grell, created by Turner and acclaimed comic book scribe Geoff Johns. Ekos will also feature the variant cover art of other top industry artists, including Alex Ross, Joe Quesada, J Scott Campbell, Francis Manapul, David Mack, Joe Benitiz, Siya Oum, Jerome Opeña, Khary Randolph, and Kendrick Lim.

Source: Popverse