For Marvel Comics, it appears as though 2010 will go down as the year where "Astonishing" became the new "New." The publisher announced today that it would launch a new line of comics this May centered around the "Astonishing" branding popularized by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's best-selling "Astonishing X-Men" series. The connection between that series and the new line comes with the fact that like the high-profile creative team who made the "takes place over a few days" story nature of their X-Men series a perfect jumping on point for new readers, this Astonishing line will focus on in-continuity mini series that provide a similar easy to pick up story by high profile creators.

The line starts with the continuation of the original "Astonishing" comic -the three-issue "Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis" mini by Warren Ellis and artist Kaare Andrews -as well as pairing of two of Marvel's most popular heroes in "Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine" which runs six issues by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert. While each series will take place within the regular continuity of Marvel's Universe now loosened from event shuffling by their Heroic Age effort, the mini series nature of the Astonishing books will ideally allow artists and writers who may not fit the monthly grind of the company's main titles.

Check back in the coming days with interviews with the creators of the first wave of Astonishing comics, right here on CBR!