After more than two decades at Marvel Comics serving in different roles including editor-in-chief and chief creative officer, comic creator Joe Quesada stepped down to launch his own Amazing Comics imprint under Mad Cave Studios. Despite the new creative venture, Quesada isn’t completely saying goodbye to Marvel. In fact, for some time the writer/artist has been teasing a new Marvel project for quite some that that many speculated was related to Marvel Knights. Sure enough, the publisher officially announced details for Marvel Knights: The World to Come, a six-issue miniseries arriving this June.
Joining Quesada for this Marvel Knights miniseries will be writer Christopher Priest who wrote the Black Panther title as part of the original Marvel Knights line launch along with Quesada’s regular colorist Richard Isanove.
Launched in 1998, by Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, the Marvel Knights was an imprint of more “adult focused” titles that provided a much needed invigoration to Marvel as it was digging out of its bankruptcy. The importance of the Marvel Knights line to the publisher and comics in general cannot be overstated.
Here’s how the publisher described the project:
Developed and almost already completed in its entirety, MARVEL KNIGHTS: THE WORLD TO COME is a six-issue series where Quesada and Priest combine their decades of experience crafting masterful comic book sagas to produce an entire new vision of the Marvel Universe. The story begins in Wakanda with startling developments centered around T’Challa, Storm, Shuri and more that will reverberate across the globe, changing the Marvel mythos as you know it and boldly reinventing its most legendary heroes.
The King of Wakanda is DEAD, leaving unguarded the world’s most advanced technology, most precious metal, and a cryptic vault of dark secrets while triggering global conflicts among Marvel’s heroes, villains and mutants. With T’Challa gone and the future of the Marvel Universe teetering on a vibranium knife edge, a tribal challenge ensues for the Wakandan throne and its mysterious victor will emerge as the new leader of Wakanda and usher in THE WORLD TO COME.
Recounting the history behind Marvel Knights, Quesada said,
“In September 1998, Marvel Knights Daredevil #1 hit the stands, followed by The Punisher, Inhumans, and Black Panther. Eight months earlier, Jimmy Palmiotti, Nanci Dakesian, and I, along with our creators, spent endless hours and sleepless nights producing the best books we could. We knew they looked different—edgier than anything Marvel was publishing at the time—but in a struggling comic book industry, there was no guarantee anyone would notice. We were confident they’d do well, but we didn’t anticipate the overwhelming fan reaction or the lasting impact Marvel Knights would have on Marvel.
“Fast forward to October 2017—my best bud, mentor, and Marvel Knights Black Panther writer (and, for my money, the best writer in comics), Christopher Priest, pitched me an idea rooted in his original Marvel Knights take on T’Challa and Wakanda. It was insane, beautiful, and edgy as hell. I told him I HAD to draw it—and that we should go even bigger.”
Quesada added:
“Priest delivered an opus—a journey that lets us—and fans—celebrate those original books while taking familiar characters to new and unexpected places. I haven’t had this much fun drawing a project since Marvel Knights Daredevil #1.”
The project is a full circle moment for Executive Editor Nick Lowe who said:
“More than twenty years ago I started as an Editorial Assistant on Marvel Knights books and now I get to watch Joe and Priest celebrate it with this masterwork,” “We’ve been working on this for a long time (Joe’s finishing the last page of #5 this week) but I can’t believe the rest of the world gets in on it with us this June!”
Marvel Knights: The World to Come #1 arrives in stores on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025. Check out interior art below.
