Marvel Superheroes Go Indie in ‘Strange Tales MAX’

Superhero books and indie comics have always sat at different lunch tables, if you will, but this September, Marvel is bringing a who's who of independent creators together to take on Marvel superheroes in a miniseries called "Strange Tales MAX." It's hard to overstate how crazy good this sounds -- I can't even imagine what twisted geniuses like Michael Kupperman ("Tales Designed to Thrizzle"), webcomic star Nicholas Gurewitch of "Perry Bible Fellowship," and James Kochalka ("Superf*ckers") will come up with for the Marvel U.

They've got Peter Bagge ("Hate") writing "The Incorrigible Hulk," a Spider-Man story slated for Jason, the Norwegian cartoonist, and an "Iron Man" tale by Tony MIllionaire, creator of the suicidal alcoholic bird Drinky Crow. Oh, and Eisner Award nominee Dash, burlesque artist Molly Crabapple ("Scarlett Takes Manhattan",) Nick Bertozzi ("The Salon,") and Johnny Ryan ("Angry Youth Comix"). My hat is off, Marvel. Forget the mega-events with dozens of tie-ins -- this is the kind of crossover that comics needs.