
Patterson’s Maximum Ride novels have already been adapted into manga by Yen Press, and they have proven to be the bestselling original English language manga series of all time, and a consistent presence on ICv2’s survey of top manga properties in North America (see "Top Manga Properties--Spring 2014"), but according to the Wall St. Journal Patterson will allow Marvel more freedom in its four-color adaptation that he gave Yen Press in an earlier agreement, saying: "I’ve given Marvel license. In fact, I’ve encouraged them to make this Marvel’s Max Ride, so I expect some changes in the story. I expect we’ll age the kids a bit... I’d like them to mess with it. It’s obviously a very visual series, which I think is great. My hope is that it will be the best series I’ve ever done. That’s what I want to happen."
Not only is the Maximum Ride property, which deals with flying winged teenagers, right in Marvel’s creative wheelhouse, it will give the House of Ideas a property that hordes of young readers are familiar with, and so function like an outreach to a new generation of potential comic book readers.