Line #42 Creator/AlEwing


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alewing.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard Would you know more?]]]]
3	A rising star at Creator/MarvelComics. After a few years writing for ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' (mostly ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' and ''ComicBook/{{Zombo}}'' [[note]]and a [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110722214447/http://dibnydiary.blogspot.com/ Fanfic]] of ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' from Ralph Dibny's perspective[[/note]]), he got his first gig at Marvel with the digital series ''Iron Man: Fatal Frontier'', and the rest is history.
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5	Ewing is best known for his work on "second-string" [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]] titles such as ''[[ComicBook/MightyAvengers2013 Mighty Avengers]]'', ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', ''ComicBook/USAvengers'' and ''[[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 Ultimates]]'', as well as the critically acclaimed ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'', ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' and ''ComicBook/XMenRed2022''.
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7	[[CreatorThumbprint Signature elements]] of his work include [[ContinuityCavalcade continuity deep-dives]] that often weave together [[DependingOnTheAuthor inconsistent characterisation]] into a cohesive arc, giving love to lower-tier characters in need of it, explorations of [[GeniusBonus philosophical ideas]], and -- in his lighter works -- a love of funny character intro captions.
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9	[[folder:Marvel Comics Ewing has written]]
10	[[index]]
11	* ''ComicBook/IronMan: Fatal Frontier'' [[note]]co-written with Kieron Gillen[[/note]]
12	* ''ComicBook/AvengersAssemble'' issues 14AU, 15AU & 20
13	* ''[[ComicBook/MightyAvengers2013 Mighty Avengers]]'' Vol. 3 and its {{sequel}} series ''Captain America and the Mighty Avengers''
14	* ''[[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders]]''
15	* ''[[ComicBook/LokiAgentofAsgard Loki: Agent of Asgard]]''
16	* ''[[ComicBook/OriginalSin Original Sins]]'' issue 5 [[note]]main story[[/note]]
17	* ''[[ComicBook/AvengersJonathanHickman Avengers Vol 4 issue 34.1]]''
18	* ''[[ComicBook/SHIELD2014 S.H.I.E.L.D. issue 9]]'' [[note]]backup story[[/note]]
19	* ''ComicBook/ContestOfChampions2015''
20	* ''[[ComicBook/NewAvengers2015 New Avengers]]'' Vol. 4
21	* ''[[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 The Ultimates]]''
22	* ''ComicBook/CivilWarII: Ulysses''
23	* ''ComicBook/UltronForever''
24	* ''ComicBook/USAvengers''
25	* ''ComicBook/{{Royals}}''
26	* ''[[ComicBook/Rocket2017 Rocket]]''
27	* ''ComicBook/AvengersNoSurrender'' [[note]]co-written with Creator/MarkWaid and Jim Zub[[/note]]
28	* ''You Are ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}''
29	* ''The ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''
30	* ''[[ComicBook/BestDefense Defenders: The Best Defense]]''
31	* ''[[ComicBook/InfinityWars Infinity Wars: Iron Hammer]]''
32	* ''ComicBook/AvengersNoRoadHome'' [[note]]also co-written with Creator/MarkWaid and Jim Zub[[/note]]
33	* ''[[ComicBook/InfinityWars Secret Warps]]''
34	* ''[[ComicBook/JaneFosterValkyrie Jane Foster: Valkyrie]]'' [[note]]co-writer with Jason Aaron[[/note]]
35	* ''ComicBook/MarvelComicsOneThousand'' [[note]]main story[[/note]]
36	* ''[[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2020 Guardians of the Galaxy]]''
37	* ''ComicBook/{{Empyre}}'' [[note]]co-writer with Dan Slott[[/note]]
38	* ''ComicBook/SWORD2020''
39	* ''ComicBook/GammaFlight''
40	* ''ComicBook/Defenders2021''
41	* ''ComicBook/TheLastAnnihilation''
42	* ''ComicBook/Venom2021'' [[note]]co-writer with Creator/RamV and Torunn Grønbekk[[/note]]
43	* ''ComicBook/DefendersBeyond''
44	* ''[[ComicBook/AntMan2022 Ant-Man]]'' (2022)
45	* ''ComicBook/XMenRed2022''
46	* ''ComicBook/{{Wasp\|2023}}'' (2023)
47	* ''ComicBook/SinsOfSinister'' [[note]] co-writer with Creator/KieronGillen and Creator/SimonSpurrier[[/note]]
48	* ''ComicBook/TheImmortalThor''
49	* ''ComicBook/AvengersInc''
50	* ''ComicBook/ResurrectionOfMagneto''
51	[[/index]]
52	[[/folder]]
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54	Ewing has also worked on ''ComicBook/JenniferBlood'' for Dynamite and the 2014 ''ComicBook/{{Doctor Who\|Titan}}'' Eleventh Doctor comics for Titan. In 2020, he launched his creator-owned title ''ComicBook/WeOnlyFindThemWhenTheyreDead''.
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56	In June 2021, Ewing publicly came out as bisexual.
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58	----
59	!!Tropes associated with Al Ewing:
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61	* ArcWelding: He does establish future story arcs in each issue.
62	* ArcWords: "Mystery", reflecting the idea of the unknown possibilities beyond all time and space, is a recurring idea in his more cosmic-oriented work. [[note]]Examples include the [[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 Fourth Cosmos]] being the "[[MythologyGag true believer who journeys into mystery]]", [[ComicBook/AvengersNoSurrender the Challenger]] being trapped within the mystery outside creation, [[ComicBook/JaneFosterValkyrie Heimdall]] being released into the mystery after death, and the [[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 One Above All]], the [[ComicBook/ImmortalHulk One Below All]] respectively stating "the mystery intrigues me" and "the mystery frightens and disgusts me", and ComicBook/SWORD2020 teleporting past the Mystery to the Farthest Shore.[[/note]]
63	* AuthorAppeal: He prefers working on lesser-known heroes since he doesn't believe in the A-List B-list hierarchy.
64	* ChekhovsArmoury: Somehow can use previous writers' stories as this without their own knowledge. Creator/KieronGillen said he didn't realize he wrote the [[ComicBook/JourneyIntoMysteryGillen first]] and [[ComicBook/YoungAvengers second]] parts of the Loki trilogy until Ewing wrote the [[ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard third]].
65	* {{Continuity}}: He knows so much about the Marvel Universe he might well be a human personification of the Marvel Database.
66	* CreatorsFavorite: Comicbook/MonicaRambeau, [[ComicBook/AdamLegendOfTheBlueMarvel Blue Marvel]], [[ComicBook/NewWarriors Night Thrasher]], ComicBook/{{Sunspot}} and [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]].
67	* CreatorThumbprint:
68	** Meta-discussion of [[StatusQuoIsGod the nature of the status quo]] and the "gravity of expectations" in comics that limits the possibility of change and growth. Especially evident in ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' and ''ComicBook/{{The Ultimates\|2015}}'', as well as in ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' and ''ComicBook/DefendersBeyond''.
69	** Transitioning between two scenes using narration that connects to thematically to both scenes.
70	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: All of his Marvel titles have the curious habit of introducing the main cast at the beginning of each issue. Not just the new characters, the ''regulars too'' again and again.
71	* LemonyNarrator: Just look at any issue of Loki:AOA or ''New Avengers'' and you'll find at least one caption dripping with snark.
72	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Makes heavy use of this in X-Men Red. It pays to reread his issues.
73	* {{Metafiction}}: This appears in a few of his works. For example, ''Loki: Agent of Asgard'' introduces the idea of narrative as a universal force as natural as time and space, and involved Loki gaining meta abilities as part of their reinvention as God of Stories.
74	* {{Reconstruction}}: Lampshaded in his ''Mighty Avengers'' run after they've saved the world instead of fighting other superheroes.
75	* RewatchBonus: A hallmark of his work is that almost all of it is better on a reread, as there are a ton of subtle hints that fly over your head the first time you read it.
76	* ShownTheirWork: The dude seems to have read every Marvel comic in existence.
77	* ShrugOfGod: Not a believer in the WordOfGod, so fans asking him about the more trippy (Loki:[=AoA=], Ultimates) stuff he has written generally earns responses of this nature.
78	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: His Marvel works usually falls heavily on the idealistic side, though there are some that lean toward cynicism (the Dum-Dum Duggan backup stories, for example).
79	* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness: Goes all over the place in his Marvel works, sometimes even within the same issue.
80	* TakeThat: He's made a few swipes at the UK's right-wing Conservative Party.
81	** The two face-eating leopard demons in the ComicBook/BestDefense crossover have names reminiscent of two well-known politicians, Boris Johnson (Borss) and Jacob Rees-Mogg (Mog'Rys). (And the existence of face-eating leopard demons is a ShoutOut to this [[https://twitter.com/cavalorn/status/654934442549620736?lang=en tweet]] parodying voters who voted for them.)
82	** During ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' some of Doctor Doom's minions used a paraphrased version of David Cameron's much-mocked "passively tolerant society" speech (which may double as AscendedFanon, as fan images with the original words added to speech bubbles for other supervillains had previously been shared online).
83	** Reportedly, the "never trust a Tory" line spoken by Mr. Horse in Creator/DonnyCates' run on ''[[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]]'' was also one of Ewing's contributions.
84	* TeasingCreator: When he doesn't practice the shrug.
85	-->'''Al Ewing:''' [[https://twitter.com/Al_Ewing/status/867713054745735169 Well, remember that I think "Word Of God" is meaningless, so any theory that needs me to prove it is therefore canonically wrong.]]
86	* ViewersAreGeniuses: All of his series are challenging to some extent but ''[[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 The Ultimates]]'' basically requires a physics doctorate and a photographic memory of the Marvel Universe to fully appreciate.
87	* WorldOfBadass: His thesis statement for Marvel seems to be to remind everybody that their world is this.
88	* WritingForTheTrade: Largely Averted. His work seems to actively avoid this. However, if you read the previous series of the characters, you'll find a treasure load of Easter Eggs.
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Context Creator / AlEwing