TGIF FEATURE: Unprecedented gathering of AAPI comic book superheroes

The cover for Totally Awesome Hulk #15 is by Storehouse.

PARDON MY NERDINESS, but the upcoming edition of Totally Awesome Hulk #15 is generating lots of excitement. For the first time, a gathering of AAPI superheroes will assemble to fight an as yet unidentified foe.

The AAPI superheroes -- Hulk, Silk, Shang Chi and Ms Marvel -- will appear together in the upcoming issue of Totally Awesome Hulk, the alter ego of Korean/American Amadeus Cho, that will hit the comic book stands Jan. 25.

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can order a copy here.

There’s big trouble going down in the Big Apple, and the Asian heroes of the Marvel Universe will be called upon to save the day. Totally Awesome Hulkwriter Greg Pak revealed on Twitter a new crossover that will pair Amadeus Cho, the new Hulk, with various Asian-American heroes from Marvel, including the triumphant return of Jimmy Woo, according to Inverse.

Beginning with Totally Awesome Hulk #15 and running until issue #18, the story arc “Big Apple Showdown” will have Amadeus learn to be a team player with Silk (Cindy Moon), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), and Shang-Chi against an as-of-yet unnamed threat. The cover of issue #17, illustrated by South Korean artist Stonehouse, features Hulk with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Jake Oh and Jimmy Woo, the latter one of the earliest non-stereotypical Asian comic book characters. Woo’s last starring Marvel series was 2009’s Agents of Atlas written by Jeff Parker.

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Writer Greg Pak first teased the upcoming historic event on his Twitter account.
As he was hanging out with some friends, "I found myself thinking of all of the dinners and karaoke sessions I’ve had with fellow Asian American colleagues at various film festivals and conventions, and I thought, hey, Asian American superheroes would probably hang out like that every once in a while,” Pak says. “What would they talk about? How would they bond — or what kinds of conflicts would they discover? And how would that carry over into a big superhero adventure? And now we’re all gonna find out! ”

Marvel has as of late introduced an influx of Asian and Asian-American heroes like Amadeus, Silk, Ms. Marvel, and Blindspot (the undocumented protege of Daredevil, who does not appear involved in the crossover). 

Pak noted that there would be a fun collision of generations with some of Marvel’s older school heroes like Shang-Chi and Jimmy Woo. “I realized there could be a fun, multigenerational group to play with here,” he said.

Do you think they'll sing Karaoke and sip boba drinks?

Can a movie featuring one or all of these AAPI superheroes be far off? I'd pay good money to see that!

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