EXCLUSIVE: First Look at McNiven's Monsters Unleashed Art

CBR

By Anthony Couto

Published Oct 14, 2016

Ready the onslaught of monsters on the Marvel Universe with newly revealed pages from "Monster Unleashed" #1 by Cullen Bunn and Steve McNiven.

Marvel Comics has exclusively provided CBR News with Steve McNiven's variant cover, and two pages of the "Civil War" illustrator's interior art, for "Monsters Unleashed" #1.

The upcoming bi-weekly crossover from Cullen Bunn and a stable of rotating artists, including McNiven, Greg Land, Leinil Yu, Salvador Larroca and Adam Kubert, promises a collision between the Marvel Universe and the many monsters created in a zanier era of Marvel history by the likes of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Don Heck. "Monsters Unleashed" #1 hits stands in January.

"With this series, I really wanted to focus on the fun and mayhem surrounding these gigantic monsters stomping around the Marvel Universe," Bunn told CBR in a recent interview pertaining to "Monsters Unleashed. "But make no mistake: this is an extinction level event. The Earth will not survive if the superheroes can’t find a way to turn the tables. When we reach the other side of this event, there will be absolutely no doubt that these classic monsters are a force to be reckoned with and taken very seriously." Bunn said he wants readers "to have their own favorites after reading this book."

Discussing the plot of "Monsters Unleashed," Bunn said, "The reasons behind the monster invasion is a bit of a mystery for the heroes to try to figure out. There is a power at work here, a power that has a history going back thousands of years, a power that has impacted numerous worlds besides Earth." He continued, "Early on, we’re going to meet a young man who has the incredible ability to summon monsters out of thin air. Whether these creatures come from the depths of the Earth or the depths of space, this guy can call them up in the blink of an eye. It’s a terribly powerful gift, one that this young man doesn’t really understand. His lack of control could very well bring about the apocalypse."

Take a look at the first issue variant cover for "Monsters Unleashed," in addition to two pencilled pages of interior art by McNiven, below:

steve mcniven monsters unleashed — EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVER: Steve McNiven designed this all-new creature for Marvel's "Monsters Unleashed"

Cullen Bunn, along with Steve McNiven, Greg Land, Adam Kubert, Salvador Larroca and Leinil Yu, bring devastation to the Marvel Universe when “Monsters Unleashed” arrives in January.