Asian comic culture has been very popular in America for some time now. Marvel Comics has seen this trend firsthand, and has decided to use it to their advantage. In cooperation with South Korean publisher Daewon C.I., Marvel is bringing a fresh, eastern perspective to one of its most popular stories.

Avengers K will offer a retelling of the first battle between the Avengers and Ultron, as told by South Korean writers and artists in their manhwa style. Marvel hopes it to be the launching point for a new publishing initiative that will see them utilize international talent in order to “bring these exciting manhwa adaptations to English speaking audiences.”    

Vice President of Print and Digital Publishing, David Gabriel, spoke to the company’s partnership with the South Korean publisher in their press release. “Marvel’s popularity is growing exponentially throughout Asia – specifically within Korea – which has resulted in a vast catalog of visually kinetic original content. Now, partnered with Daewon, Marvel is poised to introduce the international comic book community a bold reimagining of one of the most iconic Avengers stories ever told through the vibrant and action-packed manhwa format presented for our English-speaking fans for the very first time.”

Some may remember that this is not the first time Asian comic culture has influenced Marvel’s approach to their popular characters. For several years through the early 2000s, Marvel created their “Mangaverse” stories, which placed popular characters in comics that were based on Japanese comic art, aesthetics, and story structure.

Avengers K will be released in May of 2016. Are you excited for the new take on classic Marvel tales? Let us know in the comments below.

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Images courtesy of Marvel Comics