Christos Gage: How to build a Battleworld (and let artists cook)

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NEWS

• Dani Moonstar finally gets her first solo series, and it’s packed with magic, monsters, and a terrifying new foe
• Marvel set to blow up the X-Men status quo and rebuild it into the wildest mutant school ever
• Marvel finally does the impossible: Fantastic Four crash into Planet of the Apes in a crossover 50 years in the making!
• Archie meets Evil Dead?! Riverdale goes full Deadite in the wildest crossover of 2026
• Image/Top Cow resurrects a terrifying Lovecraft classic, but with a twist fans won’t see coming

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

The Infernal Hulk #1 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein)

Escape #4 (Rick Remender, Daniel Acuna)

Chris:​​

Devil on My Shoulder #1 (Kyle Starks and Piotr Kowalski)

DC K.O. #2 (Joshua Williamson, Javier Ferndandez, Scott Snyder, Xermanico, et al.)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Cemetery Kids Run Rabid #4 (Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri)

Dave: Absolute Batman #14 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

Chris: The Voice Said Kill #4 (Si Spurrier and Vanesa R. Del Rey)

Dave: The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1 (PAULINA GANUCHEAU and KENDALL GOODE)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

Dave: Wiccan: Witches' Road #1 (Luciano Vecchio)

Chris: DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 (Jorge Corona and Sarah Stern)

Interview: Christos Gage Battleworld chat (#3 out this week)

Returning to BattleworldThis is the first time Battleworld has been explored since Secret Wars (2015)—what excited you most about revisiting that concept, and how did you want your version to feel distinct?

From CrossGen to Star Brand, you’re pulling characters and worlds readers haven’t seen in years. How do you balance fan-service deep cuts with making the story accessible to newer readers?

Hank Pym at the CenterIn the first issue, Hank Pym feels like the central character. What drew you to spotlight him, and what does his perspective bring to a chaotic mashup world like this?

The Korvac FactorKorvac looms behind it all—what made him the right choice as the architect (or manipulator) of Battleworld, and how did you approach his voice and menace?

Marcus To’s ArtMarcus To brings a sleek, kinetic energy to the book. What’s your collaboration like—were there moments where his art surprised you or even changed how you wrote a scene?

The “Surprising Costume Reveal”Solicits tease the most surprising costume reveal in 40 years. Without spoiling, how did you approach delivering something that lives up to that kind of hype?

The Larger Marvel TapestryDo you see Battleworld as a self-contained throwback, or does it intentionally connect to current Marvel continuity and the broader multiverse storytelling happening now?

Fun QuestionIf you yourself were thrown onto Battleworld, what obscure Marvel power set or artifact would you grab to survive? Fabian Stankowitz