The Best Defense Comes In December

This news is a few days old now. I tend to be more preoccupied with Namor's past appearances but I decided to make note of it as a reminder.

Marvel's promotion of this event began with single-character images. Hulk came first, I believe, and Namor shortly thereafter.

Before long, they revealed a full team picture.

Several comics and general entertainment news outlets have reported on it, clearly parroting a press release. Of the few I've read, Graeme McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter did the best job of explaining the set up so let's turn it over to him for a couple of paragraphs. I've changed the punctuation a bit to make it (in my opinion) easier to read.

Spread across five special issues, The Best Defense will feature the original comic book membership of the Defenders — the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Strange — in one-off issues featuring all-new stories, alongside a fifth release titled The Defenders: The Best Defense. Marvel is describing the five titles as “interconnected specials that tell a unique and captivating story for each original Defender.” 

Both the Immortal Hulk: The Best Defense and the Defenders issue will be written by regular Hulk writer Al Ewing, with art by Simone Di Meo on Hulk and Joe Bennett on Defenders. Namor: The Best Defense will be by Chip Zdarsky and Carlos Magno, with Doctor Strange: The Best Defense by Gerry Duggan and Greg Smallwood. Jason Latour will both write and illustrate Silver Surfer: The Best Defense.

Let's also note that Namor is not wearing the Rockabilly Lobo outfit that is expected to debut in Avengers #9. We may then have some confidence that the image change will be only temporary.