This week in Super Folk, Publishers Weekly's superhero column, a string of liveblog announcements from Marvel, DC Comics hypes the upcoming “Night of the Owls” crossover, and new series announced from BOOM! Studios, Image, IDW and Dynamite Entertainment.

More “BIG” things from Marvel

Marvel Comics kicked off last week with a new round of its “Next Big Thing” liveblogs, beginning with the reveal of “Exiled,” an upcoming five-part crossover between Journey Into Mystery and New Mutants, beginning in May. The crossover, co-written by Kieron Gillen and Dan Abnett/ Andy Lanning (who are currently writing New Mutants and Journey Into Mystery, respectively), features art by Carmine di Giandomenico, and sees the New Mutants teaming up with a group of displaced Asgardians in San Francisco to defend against the Dsir, a race of zombie-like beings first introduced in the pages of Journey Into Mystery. The two writers admitted that tonally Exiled will be playful and contain a healthy dose of humor, which will no doubt be needed come May, when the Marvel Universe will be mired in the early stages of its Avengers Vs. X-Men event.

The next preview was for “Stay Angry,” another five-issue storyline coming to the pages of The Incredible Hulk in May. The arc, beginning in issue #8, is being written by Jason Aaron, current writer on Wolverine, who discussed his excitement at writing the Jade Giant and to be working with a team of rotating artists, including his PunisherMAX collaborator, Steve Dillion (who draws the initial issue, #8). Aaron explained that “Stay Angry” will be a series of standalone stories which sends the Hulk to a different locale each issue, and likens the non-stop pace to that of popular “Crank” films.

Thursday’s announcement was the addition of Sam Humphries as co-writer of Ultimate Comics: Ultimates, joining Jonathan Hickman and artist Luke Ross. This marks Humphries first foray into mainstream superhero comics, but he admitted to being a lifelong fan and said that working on the Ultimates with Hickman was a chance he “couldn’t pass up.” While the two were rather tight-lipped concerning plot details, they did promise some major shake-ups affecting all the characters.

Finally, Marvel concluded its liveblogs Friday with Uncanny X-Force writer Rick Remender, artist Mike McKone and editor Nick Lowe dishing on the upcoming, ominously titled, “Final Execution” storyline. The three revealed the arc’s antagonist, The Omega Clan (built from the remains of classic X-Men villain, Omega Red) and the “assassin shop” it runs known as the White Sky. They also made mention of a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, containing some surprising new members. The nine-part storyline begins in Uncanny X-Force #25 in May, and while Remender admitted “Final Execution” to be the “gnarliest thing” he’s ever written, he was quick to distinguish the appeal of the 1980s comic book anti-hero versus its much-maligned successor of the 1990s, promising the darker tone of the story would have direction and substance.

“Smaller” things from Marvel

Some more Marvel tidbits that came out amidst the publisher’s liveblogs was the announcement of May release of The Avengers: Black Widow Strikes, a three-part movie tie-in written by Fred Van Lente which follows Scarlett Johannson’s version of the character and takes place between Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Also, despite being announced almost a year ago, comics news site Bleeding Cool is reporting that Marvel will finally publish two issues of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov’s sure-to-be-offensive Fury MAX series (starring Nick Fury) this May.

New Spring series from Boom!, IDW, Image, Dynamite and Dark Horse

The past week saw the announcement of some exciting news series from a handful of non-Big Two publishers. First, Sam Humphries revealed his new series, Higher Earth, to be published by BOOM! Studios in May. The heady sci-fi series is built on the concept of alternate Earths, and the prospect of one of those Earths reigning over the others, hence “Higher Earth.” Humphries also discussed the unlikely pair of protagonists, Rex and Heidi, two characters with nothing to lose who will fight their way to the top for revenge.

IDW provided the first details on Trio, a new retro-styled series from John Byrne which follows the superhero team Trio, consisting of members Rock, Paper and Scissors. Trio #1 hits stands in May.

Image comics announced Epic Kill, a new series from Raffaele Ienco that centers on Song, an eighteen-year-old assassin who’s been highly trained in combat and taught to suppress all emotion and humanity in order to complete her mission. The only problem is that the troubled teen doesn’t know who she is or what her mission entails. Ienco also promised the book would live up to its title, with Song delivering at least one “epic kill” each issue. Epic Kill #1 is out in May.

Following its revival of The Shadow with a new ongoing series, Dynamite Entertainment is reaching back to the past again and giving another hero of old a fresh start. The Spider, the pulp hero of the 1930s and 1940s, is getting his own series, written by David Liss and with art by Colton Worley. Beginning in May, the series will follow a new, contemporary Spider who carries on the mantle of protector of New York City with a brutal brand of justice. Writer David Liss explained that The Spider is a unique hero since he is forced to exhibit the same ferocity as his enemies, many of whom would not hesitate to kill an innocent or decimate an entire city block.

Speaking of pulp, artist Francesco Francavilla opened up about his upcoming miniseries, The Black Beetle. He cites both noir films as well as ancient Egyptian culture as inspiration for the series, and admits to enjoying the freedom that comes with creating a brand new character. The 24-page story titled “Night Shift” will be published in three parts beginning in Dark Horse Presents #11 in April, and will act as an introduction to the Black Beetle and the world he inhabits. Francavilla also hinted at future Black Beetle stories he has to tell, depending on how well the character is received upon his debut.

DC’s Batman crossover promises to be a hoot.

DC Comics spent much of last week hyping the upcoming “Night of the Owls” crossover, which will begin in May in Batman #9, but will spread across all the publisher’s Batman-related titles. Comic Book Resources ran a series of interviews with many of the creators involved in the crossover, beginning with current Batman writer (and “Night of the Owls” mastermind) Scott Snyder, who, along with artist Greg Capullo, has been building up the tension between Batman and the mysterious Court of Owls collective since Batman #1 released in September. Snyder was eager to highlight the broad scope of the event, but described it as different to DC’s events of the past, which are often derided for forcing readers to buy dozens of books to get the full story. Snyder explained how he reached out to all the other Batman writers, offering them the chance to tie into “Night of the Owls” at whatever capacity they choose. The result is a new sort of crossover, according to Batman editor Mike Marts, which took on a more “organic” approach dictated by the story. Snyder and Capullo echoed this and expressed the sheer enjoyment they have gotten from the collaborative project, and hope that excitement will ultimately translate to the reader.

Coupled with the interviews, DC’s The Source blog has been releasing a number of Capullo’s sketches for the Court of Owl’s avatar, Talon. With the inclusion of All-Star Western (which is set in a 19th century Gotham), the “Night of the Owls” story spans centuries, offering readers a chance to see the many variations of the character, influenced by the fashion of a particular era. Each of these versions of Talon will appear in the titles included in the crossover.

DC execs get specific at Megacon

At the Megacon comics convention held this past weekend in Orlando, Florida, DC Co-Publisher Dan Didio answered fans’ questions about the status of some of the DC heroes that have been missing in action since the publisher’s New 52 relaunch. Didio promised more Darkseid (the malevolent deity of the New Gods) at a more dangerous, perhaps crossover-necessitating scale, but admitted that the company has no current plans for the likes of fan favorites Wally West and Donna Troy. Also DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns and DC co-publisher Jim Lee, who also happen to be superstar DC creators, are collaborating on a for DC’s Free Comic Book Day offering that will shed light on the mysterious hooded character Pandora that first appeared at the finale of last year’s Flashpoint, and then in each #1 issue of DC’s New 52. The identity and purpose of the character has been vexing fans for months, as it seems it may have ramifications on the entire extended DCU.