How Jonathan Hickman (and Iteration) Can Make You Better

Lessons in creativity, growth, and building systems that last.

Apr 30, 2025

How Hickman built evolving creative systems
The evolution from Secret Warriors to House of X
3 lessons for creators and builders
A reading list to see the method in action

If you’ve followed this newsletter for a while, you know how much I admire Jonathan Hickman. Lately, as I gear up for my next book, Demon Mode, I’ve been looking at his Marvel work with a fresh eye—not just as stories, but as an evolving system.

Hickman’s projects aren't random hits. They're structured experiments, each one testing a bigger question:

How do you build a living, lasting narrative universe?

Every project—Secret Warriors, Fantastic Four, Avengers, House of X—refines the model.

And that’s exactly the mindset I’m taking into Demon Mode. Every book I’ve written (GRIEF, Dead End Kids, Unborn, No Heroine) sharpened different tools. Now, it’s time to build something bigger, sharper, and stronger.

Hickman’s Iteration: Phase by Phase

Zoom out on Hickman’s body of Marvel work, and it’s not hard to see what I am talking about:

Secret Warriors - Tight espionage storytelling. Small, focused. Built around secrets within secrets.
Fantastic Four / FF - First move toward franchising. Two titles, one core theme: family, legacy, invention.
Avengers / New Avengers - A complex machine. One book builds the world up; one tears it down. Fragile under editorial pressure—but brilliant in ambition.
Secret Wars - A structural pivot. Battleworld created a patchwork world—clear structure, creative flexibility.
House of X / Powers of X - A masterpiece. Krakoa wasn’t plot continuity—it was shared mythology, belief, culture. Dozens of books, one living world.
Ultimate Invasion / Ultimate Universe - Curated scale. Prestige sandbox. Fresh, mythic, unburdened by old continuity.

3 Lessons from the Hickman Iteration Model

What Hickman built—and is still building—isn’t just useful for comics. It’s a blueprint for anyone trying to build anything meaningful.

1. Treat Every Project Like a Draft

Nothing is final. Every project is a test, a lab. Early work doesn't need to be perfect—it just needs to move you forward.

Demon Mode isn't just No Heroine: Second Chances 2.0—it's the next evolution.

2. Build Reusability into Your Process

Hickman refines, recycles, and upgrades ideas across projects.

I’ve done the same—story templates, emotional cores, worldbuilding tricks—all carried forward and sharpened over time.

3. Expand the Sandbox Over Time

Start small. Nail it. Then scale.

Five-page shorts led me to tight minis like Dead End Kids—and now full-blown storyworlds.

After Credits Scene

Jonathan Hickman’s next big Marvel event, Imperial, is coming—and I’m already counting the days.

May be an image of toy, Superman and text that says 'MARVEL COMICS IMPERIAL'

Hickman doesn’t just write stories. He architects systems, builds worlds, and shifts the entire center of gravity around what comics can be. Every project is a refinement, and Imperial looks like the next bold iteration of everything he’s learned from Secret Wars, Krakoa, and Ultimate Invasion.

If Imperial follows his usual pattern, we’re not just getting another story—we’re getting the blueprint for the next era of Marvel storytelling. And as a fan (and a student of the craft), that’s exactly the kind of project I want to study from day one.

If you’re planning to check out Imperial when it launches, leave a comment and just say YES—I’d love to know who’s coming along for the ride.

Effigies w/ Frank Gogol

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