Marvel's First Native American Hero RED WOLF Is Getting His Own Comic Series
Marvel teased that Red Wolf would be a part of the "All New, All Different" comic launch a few months ago, but I had no idea that they planned on giving him his very own comic series! Marvel has officially made the announcement, and they released the beautiful art above that was created by Jeffrey Veregge, who is a member of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe based out of Kingston, Washington, and who is also of Suquamish and Duwamish descent. It's been almost 40 years since Red Wolf has had his own comic, so as you can see, the comic publisher is really taking strides to diversify.
Nathan Edmondson will be writing the series, Dalibor Talajić will be doing the art, and Veregge will be doing covers, design, and consulting on it. In an interview with Mashable, Veregge said this about the comic:
"There's not a character like Red Wolf out there right now. As a Native, I’m really excited to see that he can do things, he can figure out things and stand with Captain America, and hold his own in this universe. That’s what’s awesome about it: You have all these characters of different nationalities and ethnicities, but it’s not all about their culture. It’s about them being a hero."
Red Wolf was the first Native American hero character, and he was introduced in 1970 as William Talltrees in Avengers #80. He got his own nine-issue, Old West-set series that started in 1972. According to the report, the new version of Red Wolf will reside in the American Southwest, "where his more grounded powers — think of him as being to New Mexico what Daredevil is to Hell's Kitchen — will be put to the test against some very gnarly criminal elements in what's being described as a gritty, brutal crime series."
That sounds fantastic! This character will not follow any of the versions that we've seen in the past. He will have his own origin, backstory, and powers. I imagine he will have some of the powers that we've seen from him in the past, though. Edmondson explains that, "we’ve made him a little bit of a regular Joe. We’re not too beholden to the Red Wolf of old — this is our take on that character." So if you're a fan of the character, expect to see some differences.
Edmondson goes on to talk about a little bit more about what we can expect:
"Nobody should go to this looking as its historical. He comes from another dimension, after all. But it's very important for us to approach it in as authentic a way as possible. Jeffery offers this, and not just for consultation, but with his creative input — his covers jump out from 100 feet away."
He then discusses the character, describing him as being resourceful above all other things. He continues:
"He’s kind of in a sense the Jason Bourne of the West, who can find a way out of any situation, or a way to use the resources of whatever room or position he may be in — he’s not a gunslinger, but he might use a gun if he has to. ... But beyond all that, he’s just a brawling, tough-as-nails fighter."
Red Wolf definitely sounds like a comic that will be worth reading. I love stories that revolve around the resourceful, brawling heroes.