Jonathan Hickman is the award-winning writer/artist of critically acclaimed independent titles Pax Romana, Transhuman and The Nightly News. Teaming with writer Brian Michael Bendis, he launched Marvel’s Secret Warriors, spinning out of Secret Invasion. He then wrote the Dark Reign: Fantastic Four limited series, which served as a warm-up for his revered runs on Fantastic Four and FF, as well as two S.H.I.E.L.D. series. Hickman penned numerous Ultimate Universe titles before bringing his intricate plotting to Avengers and New Avengers. Hickman’s years of planning culminated with the Marvel Universe-shattering Secret Wars. His impressive list of credits includes a trio of lauded series for Image: East of West, Secret and the Eisner Award-nominated The Manhattan Projects. Hickman returned to Marvel to mastermind a transformative relaunch of its mutant titles, beginning with House of X and Powers of X, and continuing with X-Men.

Croatian artist Esad Ribić broke into the U.S. comic industry with Four Horsemen with writer Rob Rodi. His classic European-influenced artistic style garnered attention from Marvel Comics, leading to a career-making series of painted covers for Wolverine and Kingpin. Ribić’s stunning interior artwork on the Rodi-penned Loki elicited critical comparisons to the legendary Alex Ross, firmly establishing him as one of the industry’s premier painters. His interior art has also graced Silver Surfer: Requiem, Sub-Mariner: The Depths, Uncanny X-Force and Ultimate Comics Ultimates. Ribić reunited with Ultimates writer Jonathan Hickman on event series Secret Wars, and brought epic grandeur to the pages of Jason Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder and Kieron Gillen’s Eternals.