Dark times

I talked with Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor-in-chief, this week about Marvel's plans for 2009.

The Marvel Universe, struck first by a civil war, then a Skrull invasion and now in the control of bad guys like Norman Osborn as part of "Dark Reign," has not been a happy place for some time.

Quesada acknowledges that, but says there will be light amid the darkness. And besides, he says, drama is fueled by conflict.

"If everything were happy-go-lucky and hunky dory and everything was rays of sunshine, while it might make people feel comfortable on the inside, there'd be no reason to buy our books."