bmb group ( formerly brunei merchant bank ) is an advisory and asset management platform for ruling families and forbes 500 investors .

in 2015 the firm refocused its business to provide capital and specialist advice exclusively for forbes 500 families .

the company works only with ultra high-net-worth investors in private off-market initiatives .

providing specialist advice in the form of business development and strategic advisory services , with a focus on emerging markets of asia , latin america , cis and the middle east .

in an investigative report , euromoney described bmb as " one of the world ’s most exclusive financial institutions .

the group calls to mind an era when courts of asian empires were the global centers of money , technology , culture and power .

its growing number of investors are drawn from eastern ruling families with vast riches gleaned from the long term growth demand for commodities . "

the firm was founded in 2006 by prominent financier rayo withanage , originally an attorney and strategist who developed a successful career as a direct investor .

mr. withanage , who was named in the financial times 100 rising stars of finance , recently handed the reins of bmb to new ceo mr. rahula withanage .

bmb and its affiliates have invested upwards of us$ 12 billion around the world in the areas of private equity , real estate , natural resources , wealth management , hospitality and philanthropy .

bmb is headquartered in bermuda .

bmb group

glassdoor has 1 the bmb group reviews submitted anonymously by the bmb group employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if the bmb group is right for you .
following the acquisition , bmb group has more than $ 12 billion under management .
ask a question about working or interviewing at bmb group . our community is ready to answer .
based on our strong belief that the future and success of the group lies in the development of our people , bmb group places great value on its pool of highly skilled and dedicated professionals .
driven by passion , three determined young men took their business to another level . bmb group : the story . .
islamic finance experts working for deutsche bank subsidiary dar al istithmar have left the company to work for the cayman islands - registered bmb group .
another division of withanages group , bmb islamic , was therefore created to structure islamic products and advise institutions on the use of these products , or on becoming shariah compliant . mirzan mahathir , the eldest son of the former prime minister of malaysia , mahathir mohamad , supervises bmb islamic and is the president of the division . he was one of the first people to join the group .
late last year , bmb set up a special vehicle , bmb bank acquisitions , to take advantage of lower valuations of financial services firms . this is part of a division of the group called bmb wealth management , which has more than $ 5 billion in client - specified mandates . david gibson - moore , former head of the middle east operation of dutch fund manager robeco , heads bmb wealth management .
bmb group , an investment office that manages money for the sultan of brunei’s family , is expected to table an offer for paris - listed club med that would value the company at €800m ( £675m ) .
bmb group claims a staff of 45 . it has offices in london and new york , a parent company in brunei , and is registered in the cayman islands . bmb claims that it will open ‘flagship’ offices in riyadh in 2007 , as well as in malaysia and the uae this year .
based on our guiding philosophy of being
share the joy
, bmb group offers a culture of performance , effectiveness and fairness . we look to recruit highly qualified professionals with a passion , an entrepreneurial spirit and unmatched drive .
alternative asset manager bmb group has bought emerging markets private equity firm emp global . the combined entity will become one of the worldæs leading alternative asset management houses , with assets in excess of $ 12 billion . the terms of the deal were not released . with emp now in its fold , bmb group is expected to position a significant portion of its global business in china , while serving as a conduit for middle eastern investment into the region . the groupæs efforts in . . .
energy and infrastructure were two of emps strengths . prices of energy - related companies have fallen because of the crash in commodities and there is a mini - infrastructure boom in some emerging markets . bmb group plans to launch a series of private equity funds targeting energy and infrastructure in asia , the middle east and north africa . this will be mainly done through bmb private equity , a new subsidiary in bmbs principal investments division .
while deutsche and bmb dispute the exact number of staff involved , it is thought that between five and seven london - based staff will move to create a new arm called bmb islamic .
“it’s been very amicable . i don’t want to use the word ‘poaching’ , ” a spokesperson for bmb told arabianbusiness . com . “the team decided it would be better to go to bmb . ”
bmb group is one of the worlds most exclusive financial institutions . its growing numbers of investors are often drawn from eastern ruling families with vast riches gleaned from the long - term growth in demand for commodities . it makes some institutions based in londons mayfair look dreary and mundane by comparison .
the very positive traits of the group were also its downfall : youth often equated to immature decisions , entrepreneurial to corner - cutting , and dynamism to quixotic , dictatorial and bullying management traits .
the group calls to mind an era when the courts of asian empires were the global centres of money , technology , culture , and power . but this is not an artefact in a museum .
withanage , who is based in brunei , likes to think of bmb as akin to a swiss - style unlimited partnership private bank . in other words , bmbs senior managers and stakeholders often put their own capital at risk when deploying clients assets .
the two men who co - founded emp global in the early 1990s after working together at the world bank have thrown in their lot with bmb group . moeen qureshi , who was interim prime minister of pakistan for three months in 1993 , is now vice - chairman . don roth , former head of merrill lynch europe , has become head of principal investments .
given its stakeholders and client base , bmb is always careful to offer options for both islamic and non - shariah - compliant investors . islam originated in the middle east , after all , and although bruneis royals are also muslim , some bmb clients are not .
sources close to the situation described the deal as friendly , with three of the four main shareholders supporting it . they include glg , the london - based hedge fund , rolaco , a saudi arabian investment firm , and fosun group , china’s largest non - state company .
bmb islamic will also be based in london , dealing with the ‘structuring and introduction of products that [ . . . ] adhere to the highest sharia standards . ’
however , bmb islamic as it exists today came into being after the recruitment in 2007 of a team of islamic finance technicians responsible for many of deutsche banks islamic products . they left dar al istithmar , a subsidiary of deutsche bank . dar al istithmars former managing director , humayon dar , is now chief executive of bmb islamic .
it is estimated that the team poached by bmb – and led by islamic economist dr . humayon dar – has advised on products worth over $ 20 billion by total volume .
bmb has two main businesses : trading and confectionery . with our head quarters based in dubai , united arab emirates , we have widened our distribution network to be able to have
it is like a family office dealing with other family offices ,
says one bmb worker of his company . but these family offices are only the richest of family offices .
the antithesis to bmbs approach , according to withanage , would be a method of focusing on short - term revenues , and multiplying transactions through thousands of employees and millions of customers .
bmb is a very good company to learn but you have to be a very fast learner to stay longer . working environment is strict so be ready for any news any time .
bmb has acquired emps offices in bahrain , buenos aires , hong kong , johannesburg , singapore , and washington dc . new offices in beijing , saudi arabia and uae are planned for this year .
nevertheless , withanage is still attached to the idea of having a small group of partners that clients know and trust . he says big firms with a constant ebb and flow of bankers can become impersonal and take undue risks with clients capital , partly because of the limited recourse to the bankers own pockets .
were in this for life ,
he says .
even so , bmb group is likely to steer away from buying local islamic retail or commercial banks in the middle east and asia . this is because it wants to be a support rather than a rival to these institutions .
one reason why we exist in the islamic space is to empower local islamic banks in the middle east and asia ,
says withanage .
we saw , certainly until last year , that the largest islamic banks in the world were the western bulge - bracket banks . investors go where they have the greatest offering of products .
bmb also harbours a desire to snap up more financial institutions around the world , with its stakeholders own money , and with the money of its clients .
this year is poised to be our biggest year of growth ,
says withanage .
prince abdul ali and i played on a polo team together ,
says withanage when describing how the idea behind bmb was first born . it made for a small new company that , like its senior management , was very young and extremely well connected .
thanks to the emp acquisition , bmbs staff numbers have grown from about 30 to about 100 . an advisory body consisting of high - profile ex - government officials from around the world is soon to be announced . this will be meeting in brunei in october .
having an eye for detail , stamina and a thorough approach to work duties . excellent organisation and troubleshooting skills . experience of dealing with short shelf life food products . proven ability to lead , motivate and build successful teams . understand all legal , regulatory , information security and compliance requirements . team leading & people development skills . able to manage and develop a diverse group of highly skilled people . a pragmatic approach to getting the required results . ability to manage operations within budgetary constraints .
we see a lot of interest among middle eastern investors in east asian assets . similarly , we see a lot of interest among east asian investors in middle eastern assets ,
says rayo withanage , the co - founder , co - chairman , and chief executive of bmb .
at bmb its not just how much money you make at the end of the year ,
he says .
we ask about the longer - term risk for the firm and the clients when awarding employees compensation . we dont promote investment opportunities we wouldnt be interested in ourselves .
however , a development for bmb that might contribute more to the wealth if not to the glory of its regal patrons came in december last year , with the acquisition of emp global . this emerging markets private equity firm , based in washington dc , had made investments of more than $ 7 billion .
“through its unique investment platform , bmb is currently engaged in a $ 5 billion deployment across the alternative asset spectrum , ” the company said in a statement . “ [ it ] is exploiting diverse investment opportunities through its core businesses of asset management , hydrocarbons and real estate , developing strategic relationships throughout the islamic world . ”
bmb islamic has not restricted itself to helping non - western institutions . one of the schemes it has been working on recently is a new fund from uk asset manager f & c ; for investments that are shariah - compliant , and  to appeal to non - muslims  that are deemed and marketed as generally socially responsible .
bmb , short for ‘baklawa made better’ ; is an innovative confectionery business that was founded on the principles of providing solutions for chocolate & bakery professionals . our values and ethics mean we only work with quality ingredients that support good ‘livelihoods’ and to stay at the forefront of providing an exceptional service in a world where relationships mean everything .
indeed , the royal nature of the companys connections , clients and stakeholders is reflected in bmb collections , a division being created to advise royal families on the acquisition and management of crown jewellery , art and other valuable collectable items . the division will help royals extract value from such assets by renting them to galleries , or through other means .
withanage , a former lawyer with roots in brunei and new zealand , set up bmb in 2004 , when he was in his mid - 20s . he had the help of prince abdul ali , a son of the sultan of bruneis sister . prince abdul ali , who is still co - chairman , is just two years older than withanage .
bmb islamics credentials include helping dubais shuaa capital create a shariah - compliant equity fund . it has also helped national bank of dubai create a sukuk fund , and abu dhabi bank adcb and australias macquarie bank create a shariah - compliant swap structure for an infrastructure fund . it also submitted a report to commercial bank of dubai on how that institution could enter the islamic market .
bmbs wide and widening connections at the top of eastern societies are shown in its role as investment manager for a charitable fund created this spring by the 56 states of the organization of islamic conference .
the fund will act as a rallying call for wealthy islamic countries to help needy communities around the world ,
says mat hassan esa , chief executive of the newly formed international zakat organization .
it is at a nexus of the contemporary redirection of wealth to the industrializing nations of the east , from the west , via petrodollars . bmb is a bridge for elite investment between the middle east and east asia . indeed , it was co - founded and is co - chaired by prince ali yil kabier , a member of bruneis royal family , which traces its roots to both arabia and china .
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“dar al istithmar continues to service clients . we are in the process of staffing up again , ” a deutsche bank spokesperson said .
“it’s not part of deutsche bank – our islamic team is completely in place . our middle east structuring team – who deal with islamic and non - islamic products – in dubai is very strong . ”
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club med , the company that pioneered all - inclusive holiday resorts , could be taken private by a brunei - based firm this week .
negotiations with fipar , club med’s largest shareholder , are continuing and are expected to be finalised this week . fipar is an investment…
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the alternative asset management firm buys emp global and is expected to position itself in china and the middle east .
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this is the oics first attempt to create a common initiative for the global distribution of zakat , the charitable donations of muslims . contribution to zakat by those able to do so is one of the five pillars of islam . the fund will have $ 750 million by the end of its first year , rising to more than $ 3 billion once other commitments are realized . it will build schools , hospitals , and social housing , develop agriculture , give emergency aid , and provide venture capital to small and medium - sized enterprises .
any acquisition would not be small ,
says withanage . in particular he mentions private banks in europe as targets in the financial services sector .
the fact that most alternative assets are managed in the west is to be short lived ,
withanage says .
the two brought in funds from various asian royals , and realized the potential for inviting friendly middle eastern royals into the project too . an idea emerged for a platform for islamic - focused investment , especially between asia and the middle east .
whatever we do we provide a strong shariah - compliant structure , window , or parallel structure ,
says withanage .
the team has helped structure shariah - compliant funds for germanys allianz , state bank of india , and deutsche bank . it also helped msci barra fashion islamic indices and helped société générale with a range of islamic structured products .
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exclusive behind the scenes footage from the # mwc right now . we are waiting for you on monday - stand 7m35 ! # lebanesepavilion
question of the campaign raffle draw on 1 prize ! answer & win cisco digital network architecture ( dna ) is the industry’s first network with the ability to find threats in encrypted traffic . eta is now available on more platforms
good environment in the company with co - workers . everyday is a lesson to learn from it . i like the job and what it gives . the hardest , the non recognition of the achievements .
experienced changing shift from day to night shift , and i ' ve learned a lot on the other field of works and sharing of ideas , superiors are strict but manageable the workgroup are very cooperative and help each other , the hardest thing is on changing of shift it takes a week to get back from normal , and the good thing i ' ve learned a lot from this job .
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mc2 ( marvel comics 2 ) is an imprint from marvel comics whose comic books depict an alternative future timeline for the marvel universe .

the imprint was spun off from the events of what if ?

# 105 ( february 1998 ) , which was the first appearance of the character spider-girl , spider-man 's daughter from an alternative future .

marvel comics 2

steve ditko , who co - created spider - man and doctor strange for marvel comics , has died . he was 90 . urltoken 2 days ago
preview pages from
john carter : the gods of mars .
( marvel comics )
this is a subreddit dedicated to marvel comics , its publications and hundreds of characters . it is not affiliated with marvel entertainment , llc and is an unofficial community operated by dedicated fans .
hydra - aligned captain america holds aloft the hammer of thor , which can only be held by those who are “worthy . ” andrea sorrentino / marvel comics
a few weeks ago , the assembled heroes of the marvel universe took on the hydra - aligned captain america with the fate of all reality at stake , in the final issue in marvel comics’ controversial secret empire event .
was a really enjoyable update on the captain marvel / shazam ! idea , and the lack of any collected editions is one of the great losses of the 1990s comics world .
rt @ jenyamato : hannah john - kamen had a * pretty * good recommendation letter for the # antmanandthewasp gig .
it said , ' dear peyton : ‘ [ i ] wan… 2 hours ago
lasting legacy : outside of digital comics coloring , there is none : marvel ' s desire to keep the ultraverse locked away has effectively removed any legacy the line had outside of fans ' memories .
doing a traditional style tattoo marvel themed sleeve on my leg . this is my second installment , a tin toy iron - man . : marvel
now , in
avengers arena
they ' re squaring off against each other , costume - clad pawns in a decidedly deadlier game they ' ve no control over and no hope of escaping from in the series from marvel comics that came out wednesday .
marvel’s controversial secret empire event is over . was it worth it ? - polygon
dc ' s wildstorm acquisition ) , the ultraverse started life as the premiere line of indie malibu comics with such characters as prime , hardcase , and rune quickly becoming fan - favorites .
one of the most important and well - remembered marvel imprints , epic was vertigo years before karen berger got the go - ahead from the powers that be at dc ; offering creator - owned and mature reader titles shepherded by one of comics ' most well - respected editors , archie goodwin .
, the line aimed to present iconic versions of marvel’s characters unfettered by decades of byzantine continuity .
, which brought brian michael bendis to marvel and arguably built his reputation into what it is today .
“the mentioned artwork in x - men gold # 1 was inserted without knowledge behind its reported meanings . these implied references do not reflect the views of the writer , editors or anyone else at marvel and are in direct opposition of the inclusiveness of marvel comics and what the x - men have stood for since their creation . this artwork will be removed from subsequent printings , digital versions , and trade paperbacks and disciplinary action is being taken . ”
marvel has terminated ardian syaf’s contract effective immediately . ‘x - men gold’ # 2 and # 3 featuring his work have already been sent to the printer and will continue to ship bi - weekly . issues # 4 , # 5 , and # 6 will be drawn by r . b . silva and issues # 7 , # 8 , and # 9 will be drawn by ken lashley . a permanent replacement artist will be assigned to ‘x - men gold’ in the coming weeks .
on saturday , marvel released a statement about the controversy to urltoken saying syaf’s views are not shared by the company . marvel added that the artwork will edited to remove from all future publications , and others will be disciplined .
since the original captain america - as - hydra reveal in may 2016 , the message from marvel comics has been “wait and see . ” criticism towards the series’ themes and events was met with pleas to stick it out to the end , because it would all be explained and it would all be worth it . marvel even released a statement to abc news — also a subsidiary of disney — asking for patience from fans and assurances that it would all be worth it in the end .
with this happening , we thought back to other popular marvel imprints that have come and gone in the publisher ' s storied history . here ' s a look back at some of marvel ' s now defunct ( or dormant ) publishing lines .
) , but a whole raft of books offering the look at a possible future marvel universe . even when the line faded ,
the mods of / r / marvel reserve the right to remove any posts or comments that we see fit at our discretion .
a marvel universe set in a fantasy world would be amazing . fing fang foom could be the like sacred dragon or something .
with the recent exodus of bendis from marvel , icon is only technically still around with no ongoing or solicited titles under the umbrella .
doing a traditional style tattoo marvel themed sleeve on my leg . this is my second installment , a tin toy iron - man .
an oddity on this list , marvel knights was an imprint that outlived its usefulness when essentially the entire marvel line became a marvel knights book . started as a boutique line headed up by joe quesada and jimmy palmiotti to attract top creators to lesser - known properties by offering reduced continuity and increased production quality , the success of the line led to quesada being offered the editor - in - chief position of the entire publisher . . . a move that revitalized marvel as a whole , but left the knights line without much of an identity .
update : marvel has released a statement to comic book resources announcing it was terminating its contract with syaf . it can be read in full below .
philadelphia — marvel ' s younger heroes have dealt with life - threatening challenges before in the pages of
young avengers
from foes earthbound and beyond .
sh : there’s a prison break in issue 2 . john carter must escape from the gods of mars to make it back to his true love , princess dejah thoris . in the original novel , it takes place over 50 or so pages . in the comic , we were far more limited . but we were able to create a bad ass sequence full of false exits , reversals of fortune , close calls and tons of action . ramon really knocked it out of the park . please consult with your doctor before reading this scene if you have a history of heart problems .
last week brian michael bendis announced that as part of his multi - year exclusive deal with dc he was taking his creator - owned titles away from marvel ' s icon imprint to dc . with that , it functionally put a
closed
sign over icon - an imprint founded in 2004 by marvel for bendis and other
a - list
marvel creators . while it might be premature to say icon is dead , it hasn ' t had a new title since 2014 ' s
syaf’s actions upset many within marvel’s creative family , including g . willow wilson , best known for writing ms . marvel . wilson , who is also muslim , tweeted angrily about syaf after hearing the news . she later published her more in - depth thoughts on the translation of the koranic verses he referenced on her personal blog .
just saw the syaf x - men stuff . this on top of the diversity doesn ' t sell and secret empire ? someone at marvel is cursed , right ?
“john carter , ” the film , arrives on march 9 , but that’s only one way to visit the red ridges and valleys of barsoom . on march 21 , marvel comics will release the first issue of “john carter : the gods of mars , ” written by sam humphries ( “sacrifice” ) with art by ramon perez ( “jim henson’s tale of sand” ) and created in collaboration with the edgar rice burroughs estate . this adaptation is considered part of canon — a fact that is not lost on humphries , who was interviewed recently by hero complex lead writer geoff boucher .
what would the marvel universe look like 107 years in the future ? an odd number , sure , but that was apparently the thinking behind the 1992 line that took a peek into marvel ' s world of tomorrow , mixing sci - fi with the traditional super heroics . born out of a failed concept by stan lee and john byrne ( one actually titled
an ill - advised attempt at bandwagon jumping , the mangaverse was marvel ' s attempt to lure manga fans to its characters by . . . drawing them differently . . . ?
lasting legacy : again , ultimate spider - man . though the ultimate universe is no more in the wake of secret wars , miles morales and his family now inhabit the mainstream marvel universe , operating as spider - man alongside peter parker , and as part of the champions . numerous other elements from the series have made their way to the mainstream marvel universe as well .
lasting legacy : the marvel knights line has been dormant since a brief revival in 2013 with hulk , spider - man , and x - men titles , but it ' s never technically been cancelled .
x - men gold # 1 is being heavily promoted by marvel as a resurgence of its long - running mutant franchise . the full breakdown of each hidden reference and what they mean can be read here .
that success ( and malibu ' s state - of - the - art computer coloring set - up ) drew marvel ' s attention and , one corporate takeover later , the ultraverse characters were mixing things up with the x - men , avengers and the marvel universe as a whole - well , at least until sales fell and the line was forever filed away , with mysterious legal reasons apparently meaning it shall never be seen again .
no one comic or story is going turn things around for marvel . it’ll take some really good stories and a sincere sign that things will change for the better to regain the trust of those driven away from secret empire . at the end of this month , secret empire will be a distant memory in the marvel universe — or at least that seems to be the hope — but whether fans can forgive and forget remains to be seen .
secret empire is the second worst selling event comic in marvel’s history . furthermore , it failed to bolster sales of its tie - in issues — series launched out of secret empire , such as secret warriors , were already hovering around the cancellation line just a couple of issues in . marvel has spent a lot of time and money on this event , and has come out of the other side with lower sales and lower confidence from readers and retailers alike .
marvel ' s icon line was the publisher ' s latest attempt at cultivating a line of creator - owned releases for its top writing talents . anchored by titles from mark millar and brian michael bendis , the line launched favorites such as bendis '
congrats to marvel for putting out a quality book . i ' m excited to see the series come to life in the movies and in print . in honor of the anniversary i made my own illustration . check it out here : urltoken …
mark waid is a truly legendary creator at this point , responsible for masterpieces across more than three decades . in recent years , however , he has developed a habit of attempting to broach divisive topics such as race and religion in his comics . often , his attempts have struggled to accurately convey the experiences of the people the story represents — at worst , they have come off as out - of - touch and offensive portrayals of communities that waid is not a part of . unfortunately , the idea of a legendary writer who already has two classic runs with captain america under his belt isn’t as appealing a concept as it first might seem , regardless of how gorgeous chris samnee’s art surely will be .
eventually , after adding the x - men , a version of the avengers , the fantastic four , and countless other characters of the marvel universe , the ultimate universe was also bogged down with 15 years of continuity , with many of its fan favorite characters and titles having been launched and relaunched numerous times .
although secret empire touted itself as a timely story about unchecked power and limited responsibility , the majority of the event instead featured a ‘round the world macguffin hunt for the shattered pieces of the cosmic cube . the understanding was that whomever assembled the reality - shaping plot device would decide the fate of the marvel universe .
writer dennis hopeless called the series — which sees 16 characters from marvel entertainment awake on an island run by the villain arcade — as a chance to look at the individual characters , including mettle , x - 23 and darkhawk , among others , and glean what type of heroes they could be , provided they survive .
on the horizon is marvel legacy , in which much of marvel’s line will revert back to something resembling the title’s original numbering scheme if it hadn’t be rebooted or renumbered , as a tribute to the decades of continuity that came before . the true , good , all - american steve rogers returns to captain america under the guidance of a new creative team : daredevil and black widow ’s mark waid and chris samnee . following the end of secret empire , the damage left by hydra is still present throughout america and it seems like the new captain america story will see steve addressing the population’s concerns and fears following his doppelganger’s takeover of the united states .
horror novelist clive barker created an entire superhero line for the publisher , with the output being something that brought a little vertigo flavor to marvel , complete with magical heroes and art that bucked the trends of the time . launched as the 1990s sales bubble was beginning to burst , the line lasted less than a year , with an entire second wave of titles written but never released .
that ' s the interesting thing about the concept of fighting for your life or being in a death match ; it gets down to the core of who a person is . they ' re making decisions that are going to shape who they are as adults ,
said hopeless , whose writing credits at marvel include
legion of monsters
and
x - men : season one .
lasting legacy : mark gruenwald brought the new universe into marvel continuity in 1994 ' s starblast event . an attempt to relaunch the concept as new universal under the pen of warren ellis was abandoned after low sales and a computer crash that destroyed months of work on the series . recently , several characters from the new universe appeared as central components of jonathan hickman’s avengers , with starbrand and nightmask later receiving their own joint title in the wake of secret wars .
it’s the latest in a series of embarrassing controversies marvel has faced . many fans were offended by the company’s decision to essentially make captain america the leader of a neo - nazi organization — especially in light of the fact that the character’s co - creator , jack kirby , is jewish . things got worse last week when david gabriel , the company’s vice president of sales , remarked that the company’s efforts to make their characters more diverse tanked sales at the end of last year . he later retracted the statement .
a glance at marvel’s schedule for the next few months shows a surprisingly meagre amount of secret empire fallout , especially for a publisher that usually ends events with line - wide branding , like “the initiative” after civil war and “dark reign” after secret invasion . the x - men books are going straight into a crossover event in the mojoverse ; the punisher is taking over the war machine armor , after working with hydra of his own free will ; and the avengers are going straight into a crossover with the champions featuring the high evolutionary .
marvel ' s much - heralded 25th birthday present to itself , the new universe was intended to be an all - new line and an all - new fictional universe updating stan lee ' s original concept of fantastic adventures set in
the world outside your window
for the then - modern day , headed up by editor - in - chief jim shooter ' s star brand , showcasing what he believed was a more complex style of superhero storytelling . unfortunately hampered by low budget , low concept and low sales , the line staggered to a close within just three years .
furthermore , hydra - cap survived the fight and changes to reality and is currently in custody , a supervillain available to return at a writer’s whim , just like any other . though his personal history and memories were altered by the cosmic cube , this captain america is the original captain america of the marvel universe ; the red , white and blue one summoned by kobik is an artificially created cap with all of the original steve rogers’ memories . nick spencer has stated on twitter that once the original steve rogers came back , he became the “real” captain america again and hydracap became the imposter . but , even if you find it a convincing explanation , it ' s one that is wholly absent from the comic itself .
sh : i actually remained in a state of ignorance about john carter until marvel contacted me about the book . when i picked up the original novel , i felt like a stranger in a strange land — much like the hero of my book “sacrifice , ” who finds himself transported to the aztec empire . as any world traveler can tell you , dropping into a foreign land is an exhilarating experience — you’re flooded with a constant sense of awe and discovery , your eyes and ears go wide like dinner plates , you don’t know where you’re going but you’re thrilled to take the journey . that’s what it feels like to go to barsoom with john carter for the first time . that’s what we’re bringing to life in the comic . and you don’t have to pay extra to check your luggage .
lasting legacy : it ' s tempting to speculate that the only book not to fill the dollar bins are the two star wars titles , droids and ewoks , but we ' re still holding out for a royal roy revival .
lasting legacy : the line faded into obscurity , but barker stole the name of one of the series , saint sinner , for a later project , saying that the series was
a waste of a good title .
lived on in various incarnations for some time - - as well as in many fans ' hearts to this day .
lasting legacy : spider - girl ' s continued success was a testimony to fan activism , with the title simply refusing to die on more than one occasion thanks to the outpouring of support the book enjoyed . while the title may be off the shelves currently , the example it provided of a publisher listening to its fan base will live on for some time . . .
that ' s unfair ; the line offered alternate versions of signature characters like spider - man , the punisher and the x - men , recreated with backstories that , it was hoped , would resonate with manga readers . any lessons about the importance of format and price point to the appeal of manga were ignored , however , and the line faded away after two years , only to enjoy a short - lived revival three years later .
, which turned the gun - toting frank castle into a bdsm - themed heroine named hashi brown ( yes , really ) who spanked and tickled her way through crime . fan service , anyone ?
lasting legacy : the spider - man : legends of the spider - clan mini - series brought both kaare andrews and skottie young to a wider audience .
. that confusion seemed to doom the line , which ended within 18 months , although a couple of titles survived its shuttering .
, which gave the line ( and the publisher ) a book with the kind of critical appeal that many wouldn ' t have expected .
lasting legacy : a new runaways ongoing series recently hit shelves - just in time for a tv adaptation that hews closely to the comic books , bringing tsunami’s biggest success to a new generation of fans .
) , the line lasted six years , and has since undergone a couple of revivals and reappearances in other titles .
, the launch book of the line and the one that outlasted almost everything else published as part of the imprint .
lasting legacy : spider - man 2099 just ended another run at his own title and the x - men of 2099 recently appeared in x - men blue .
epic lasted from 1982 through 1994 , before being revived for about two seconds in 2003 as an imprint to bring new talent to the publisher that never quite gelled .
. one of the strengths of epic was that it didn ' t have one core title .
lasting legacy : epic provided a model for countless other publishers of how to do this kind of thing right . there might have been a vertigo without epic , but it might not have been the same without this model to look to .
, an upscale , if somewhat desperate , one - shot intended to bring attention to the line by nuking pittsburgh is probably a more honest way of remembering the line as a whole .
was undoubtedly the flagship of the ultimate line . working for over 100 issues with mark bagley , bendis redefined peter parker and his supporting cast before eventually killing parker off and replacing him with a new ultimate spider - man , miles morales .
, about ordinary cops in a world full of superheroes , launched the icon line in 2004 . it grew into a tv show , and lasted with the line until bendis ' recent jump to dc , where
lasting legacy : stories that originated with icon are still making waves throughout the industry and being adapted to new media . and really , icon could still continue . considering it was still going up until a few months ago with work from bendis , we ' re calling icon
dormant
rather than
defunct
- for now .
the series and the stories leading into it have been subject to much debate about the responsibility of storytelling within the superhero genre . now that everything is officially over — with the publication of the event’s epilogue issue , secret empire : omega # 1 — it’s a good time to reflect on the events both in and outside of the comic , and to assess whether secret empire was worth all the hubbub .
while the lead - in to secret empire seemed like the event itself was going to have something to say about the nature of american fascism , the actual series focused more on being a standard superhero romp without much to say . over the course of eighteen months , the story of captain america’s turn towards outright fascism has caused pain , anger and outrage and ultimately just wasn’t worth the the offense , the excuses or the effort .
at the beginning of secret empire ’s final issue , the hydra - aligned steve rogers had assembled most of a cosmic cube . rogers’ was able to rewrite reality into one where hydra truly won world war ii and had influenced the growth of american culture for close to a century . sam wilson , who had survived the change in reality unaltered , held the final piece of the cosmic cube , and , in a surprise move , he handed it over to rogers to complete his power .
what rogers didn’t know was that ant - man and the winter soldier had hitched a ride at the microscopic level into the pocket dimension within the cube itself . there , the true steve rogers’ consciousness had been kept safe by kobik , the childlike manifestation of the cosmic cube’s sentience . within the vanishing point , bucky was able to bring kobik back into the world , and she promptly undid hydra - rogers ' changes to reality and created a new physical form for the true steve’s personality .
from there , it was a clash between two captains america ; one who represented the american dream and one who was a twisted reflection of the country’s worst traits . as people across the united states watched the fight on the news , the hydra - aligned cap reached for mjolnir but was no longer able to wield it , due to no longer being in possession of any cosmic cube fragments . the real steve rogers however , can and did , smashing it into his doppelganger and ending the fight .
in this week’s epilogue , the real steve rogers visited his imposter in prison to get the measure of the man who ruined his reputation . the event ended with a tease that there are still hydra followers loyal to their supreme leader , ready to take up arms for their cause .
many of the criticisms levelled towards the story over the past eighteen months have been about the symbolism of corrupting a jewish - created american icon with a nazi - aligned terrorist organisation . it doesn’t matter if you eventually explain that thor’s hammer was affected by the cosmic cube when that image is all too easily exists separated from the rest of the comic book explanation . it’s irresponsible to play sleight of hand with potentially volatile and offensive imagery just because “it all works out in the end . ”
over the course of the past eighteen months or so , spencer has gone out of his way to clarify that some factions of hydra are nazis , but not all of them are , and hydra - cap’s faction is not . however , in the final moments of secret empire omega # 1 , steve rogers says to his doppelganger “i know what you are , and i’ve been fighting you my whole life , ” a reference to captain america’s history and origin — which is indelibly tied to world war ii and the fight against the third reich .
so the hydra - aligned captain america was the real steve rogers until the end of the comic when he wasn’t , and hydra weren’t nazis until the end of the comic where they were . so much of secret empire has revolved around splitting hairs over semantics and arguing subtle differences to explain how the story isn’t offensive . a big summer event from a major superhero publisher should not need to thread that needle . if you start a sentence with “well , actually it’s not a nazi thing , because…” you’ve already lost your argument . “is this supposed to be a nazi thing ? ” isn’t a question readers should have to ask in the first place .
it also doesn’t help that much of the storytelling was straight - up sloppy , with plot holes , dropped narratives and unanswered questions throughout . the series glossed over important and pivotal moments in the development of the hydra nation , going from captain america defeating the avengers in washington straight to an america where hydra is the norm and everyone’s used to it . similarly , secret empire # 10 jumps from the defeat of hydracap to the reconstruction efforts in a post - hydra society — it seems like deposing hydra is as simple as beating up the guy currently in charge .
secret empire : omega # 1 pays some lip service to the reconstruction efforts , including the mutants surrendering new tian , the sovereign nation they established in california , back to the us government . but there’s no time to address the fact that hydra wouldn’t fall apart at the defeat of one man in a green rocket suit , if it was embedded as deeply throughout america as we’ve been shown . but secret empire never actually wanted to address the systemic and troubling nature of the ways fascism and totalitarianism worms its way into democracy , it just wanted to play with the symbology — like a big green octopus shaped toy .
there’s also the matter of the other captain america , sam wilson . since donning the red - white - and - blue , sam has lead sidekicks to their death , let billionaires off the hook , stood on the sidelines while private police terrorise minority communities and eventually decided it was all too hard and quit to go camp out in montana . while it’s hardly the character’s fault — he deserved much better — sam wilson was a terrible captain america . and now that the real steve rogers is back , he’s heading back to becoming the falcon . it’s a missed opportunity to have him to actually live up to the name and mantle of captain america in the wake of hydra’s takeover .
kieran shiach is a salford , u . k . - based freelance writer and one half of good egg podcasts . he is on twitter , @ kingimpulse . he wishes in the past he tried more things ’cause now he knows being in trouble is a fake idea .
fallout 76’s todd howard : no cross - console play because ‘sony is not as helpful as everyone would like . ’
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illustrator ardian syaf has apologized on facebook for including two panels he drew in x - men gold # 1 that made references to a koranic verse sometimes interpreted as having anti - christian and anti - jewish meanings , and a controversy surrounding it in indonesia .
in the details of a panel , syaf , an indonesian , muslim artist , had included a reference to a verse in the quran that is linked to a blasphemy investigation of the governor of indonesia’s capital . the verse referenced has been used by some to argue that christians and jews cannot be trusted . last year , basuki tjahaja purnama , who is jakarta’s first christian governor , spoke against the verse in a manner viewed by some as disrespectful to islam .
there is a second reference to an anti - basuki protest , the appearance of the number 212 on a storefront in the background . and in a third panel , kitty pryde — a jewish super - hero — stands with her back to the viewer , and a jewelry store sign in the distance frames her with the letters j - e - w .
“my career is over now , ” syaf wrote . “it ' s the consequence what i did , and i take it . please no more mockery , debate , no more hate . i hope all in peace . in this last chance , i want to tell you the true meaning of the numbers , 212 and qs 5 : 51 . it is number of justice . it is number of love . my love to holy qur ' an . . . my love to the last prophet , the messenger . . . my love to allah , the one god .
“my apologize for all the noise . good bye , may god bless you all . i love all of you . ”
yeah pardon my french but f * * k this guy . kiss your career goodbye . urltoken
x - men gold # 1 published just weeks before the final round of elections in jakarta . basuki , who is ethnically chinese , is running for re - election . more information about the issues occurring in jakarta can be read here . the first issue of x - men gold can not currently be purchased through digital retailers .
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the color is phenomenal , the line work is immaculate , the idea is top notch . 10 / 10
looks great , maybe think about adding the wind up key coming out the back .
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must only go far back as the 90s . just look at his lack of feet !
confession : whenever i read namor in a comic , i imagine his voice sounding a lot like vegeta . both are haughty princes , both are powerful , both are impulsive , and neither of them are gonna take your shit .
namor and vegeta are a lot alike ! i hope namor gets some love in the mcu in the future .
i love the vaguely racist asian eyes on him . that ' s definitely old - school comic book .
i get when he ' s going for , but their hair is still too much .
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blown away by hawkeye . best take on him i think i ' ve ever seen .
the rest are awesome too . now can we get a full story of this please ? . . . .
great pics , but i probably would lead the set with thor ' s nose there .
gb : writing for canon is exciting but also intimidating . what was your starting - point philosophy as far as expressing your own ideas but also matching the spirit of the edgar rice burroughs bookshelf ?
sh : the characters were my north star . there’s so many awesome ideas and kick - ass , stand - up - and - cheer moments in edgar rice burroughs’ books . but all of that falls apart if you lose sight of these noble , courageous , reckless and beautiful characters who make up the beating heart of barsoom . these are characters with epic emotions as grand and breathtaking as the alien environment that surrounds them . also , getting out of the way of artist ramon perez , so he could work his magic . ramon just came off the amazing “tale of sand” graphic novel and we were so lucky to snatch him up . his john carter pages with colorist jordie bellaire are stunning . mars never looked so good .
gb : “john carter” is reaching a whole new audience with the disney film and many of them don’t know the heritage . when you explain the history and stature of the barsoom works , what do you say ?
sh : i tell them the john carter epic is literally a hundred years old . the first novel was published in 1911 . it puts it all into perspective , because the barsoom novels inform every sci - fi , fantasy and action genre franchise that has come since . before “star wars , ” before “lord of the rings , ” before “the matrix” — edgar rice burroughs did it first . john carter is the foundation of the culture that rules our imaginations today .
gb : tell us a scene or sequence for your series that was a particular challenge or one that you’re especially proud of and explain a bit about why .
gb : when did you first read edgar rice burroughs ? give us a sense of the time and place and how you felt as you wandered the landscape of his mars .
the characters were my north star . there’s so many awesome ideas and kick - ass , stand - up - and - cheer moments in edgar rice burroughs’ books . but all of that falls apart if you lose sight of these noble , courageous , reckless and beautiful characters who make up the beating heart of barsoom . these are characters with epic emotions as grand and breathtaking as the alien environment that surrounds them .
sigh . if only the filmmakers believed as you do , sir , the disney picture might be worth looking forward to . for that statement , mr . humphries , i shall purchase your adaptation .
to be honest , i was never 100 % invested in [ carter ] … it was almost in spite of the character that i loved the books .
_ a . stanton
rt @ tracycbrown : # summercampisland weekend ! i talked to creator julia pott about the show ' s magic . plus she shared some advice she got from… 16 hours ago
our legion of super contributors includes noelene clark , tracy brown , patrick kevin day , blake hennon , , todd martens and jevon phillips .
in the latest edition of
avengers arena ,
out wednesday , young heroes square off against each other on an island run by the villain arcade .
and if comparisons to
the hunger games
or the film
battle royale
or even william golding ' s
lord of the flies
arise that ' s ok , he said , but ultimately the series is about individuals learning who they are and what they ' re willing to do to survive .
bill rosemann , who edits the title illustrated by artist kev walker , said
avengers arena
centers on conflict and strife between friends , and foes alike , but it also explores the deeper topic of how one generation is willing to sacrifice another .
go back to the myth of the minotaur and sending in the young people to sacrifice them and fight him ,
rosemann said .
look at the wars : who do we send to fight ? our youngest generation . reality shows ? it ' s all young people competing . and we , as a culture , are obsessed with that .
who ' s going to rebel , who ' s going to give in ? who ' s going to sacrifice their morals to survive ? how far will people go to save their friends ?
rosemann asked .
it ' s young adults who are walking a fine line and we ' re going to find out if they ' re going to become the next generation of greatest heroes or the next generation of the masters of evil .
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