Marvel and Mouse

SIEGE: THE CABAL #1

Marvel Comics in recent years builds a years worth of stories around a special event or theme. While most characters hum right along in their own continuity these events intrude upon lives.

You know just like real life... except with super-villians.

For example: Spider-Man may be about to solve some big crisis in his life when wham! - alien invasion. So you pretty much got to stop what you're doing and start fighting aliens.

Siege is the big event that starts in a few months.  Like all of these cross-overs there will be a master plan that the main writer and editors agree on in broad stroke. Then each writer sorts out how this story will affect what he's doing with his characters.

Currently, Dark Reign is the over arching story. In this story arc the super hereoes have been replaced by super-villians pretending to be them. Right. Like that's gonna work out.

Before that was Secret Invasion. An alien force had been secretly replacing the super-heroes until is was time to strike.

As these stories play out in the comics they are collected into graphic novels. You can read the core story in one volume: Secret Invasion for example. Also, you can read how the story affects each character. In Secret Invasion - Fantastic Four for example. There is usually one core book and several character specific spin offs.

From Marvel Comics here's the solicitation for the start of the next story:

COVER BY: David Finch
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis 
PENCILS: Michael Lark
INKS: Stefano Gaudiano
THE STORY: 
THE SIEGE STARTS HERE!! Remember when you were first introduced to the Cabal, the gathering of the most sinister members of the Marvel Universe, and you said to yourself: Well, that's going to blow up in everyone's face! Well, you were right and it happens right here!! Norman Osborn faces off with Doctor Doom and his mysterious threat to Doom is revealed. All of this is setting the stage for next month's explosive event: SIEGE! One-Shot/Rated T …$3.99 

PRICE: 3.99
IN STORES: December 2, 2009 

FORMAT: Comic