COMIC-CON: MARVEL ADVENTURES' PAUL TOBIN

SAN DIEGO -- Over the weekend at Comic-Con International, Marvel Comics announced a new approach for its Marvel Adventures titles.

The Continuum caught up with writer Paul Tobin to discuss the shift.

The Continuum: Explain the new approach for Marvel Adventures Super Heroes and your role in it.

Tobin: The main change is that we're playing within longer stories, though we are keeping it within the done-in-one format. I've been experimenting with this format in some of my other titles, and we've been happy with the results. Mainly, we just wanted to work with a higher degree of tension, characterization, and have deeper stories overall. There's been this completely wrong attitude that the Marvel Adventures line is a younger reader line, but there's a huge difference between a younger readers line and a line that's accessible to all ages.

The Continuum: Who's in the book and why?

Tobin: For at least the first major arc -- yes, story arc in Marvel Adventures -- I'm ramping up some Avengers material, a whole new team, consisting of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor because they are necessary, and I will duel anyone who says different. And then we also have Nova, who I really wanted because I wanted a powerful rookie, and I love his half-serious, half-wisecracking attitude, and the Vision -- I wanted a robot, and that wretched Jeff Parker took M-11 -- and then Black Widow because I wanted a low power level / spy character, since that opens up all sorts of storytelling and then finally Sue Storm, because once editor Nate Cosby put the idea in my head, I couldn't get away from how interesting it would be to see Sue outside of the Baxter Building, in a wholly different light than she's normally seen.

The Continuum: Can you talk about the art?

Tobin: We have two interior artists on board at this point, and I'm thrilled with both. The first is Ig Guara, fresh from Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. I've worked with Ig in the past, and I'm pleased to have him back as part of the team. His command of expressions really opens up what I can do from a storytelling aspect. And then there's Ronan Cliquet, who just has an incredibly array of tools... I know that I can throw anything at him, and he always surprises me... and I mean, "surprises me for the better." And I'd be really remiss not to talk about cover artist Niko Henrichon. The first cover is exactly what I wanted... and the second cover is a complete departure from the first, and a whole different type of awesome.

The Continuum: Do you enjoy writing for a targeted audience? Does it present any particular challenges?

Tobin: Have to say, I do not, and have never, considered myself as writing for younger audiences. And I've never seen Marvel Adventures as targeted for younger audiences either... I think that's where some of the original writers might have slipped up a bit... writing to an audience rather than just writing. The stories we have here are just as complex and compelling.

The Continuum: Can you say what's coming up in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man?

Tobin: The White Queen. Tombstone. Gwen Stacy. A new love interest. Cloak and Dagger, and some stories that really delve into Peter's personality, and some really deadly foes. I'm really pushing editor Nate Cosby, seeing where he'll cut me off. So far, he ain't done it.