[[wysiwyg_imageupload:853:]]Marvel is currently at the big SXSW, the music, film and tech conference held in Austin, TX — with an expected big announcement coming.

Earlier they teased "Infinite Comics," and now via Twitter we are receiving updates.

Marvel EIC Axel Alonso is there along with Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb, and Marvel SVP & GM, Marvel Digital Media, Peter Phillips.

It was just announced that Nova will debut in a new series — Digital only, created specifically for tablets, like the iPad. Also, it has been confirmed to be Sam Alexander, the Nova announced for Disney XD's Ultimate Spider-Man (See Update #3, below).

Update: It's by Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen.

Update #2: CBR has an article up on the whole thing while the panel is going down.

Regarding Nova:

Alonso noted that the original stories created for Marvel Infinite Comics and on sale via the company's comiXology-powered app will take advantage of the story possibilities inherent in tablet technology. "Infinite Comics utilize the tools of digital world while preserving all the features that make a comic book reading experience unique," he said. "The tablet provides a new canvas for comic book storytelling. It provides new ways for us to tell stories, and for you to read them. This is comics storytelling like you’ve never seen before – not print comics, but also not animation. Familiar comic conventions – like word balloons, caption and panel borders – still exist, and the reader still controls the pacing of the reading experience, just like he would if he were turning a page. But this new canvas allows for a sense of motion not available to the printed page. 'AvX' will feature out first 'Infinite Comics' outing, a story by Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen that ties direcly into 'AvX' #1 and features Nova, and it is eye-popping, trust me. It will definitely enhance the reading experience of anyone who picks up 'AVX.' Expect more stories like this, and expect stories that will be best told using this new canvas."

Update #3: CBR has an interview with Mark Waid

Noteworthy:

The first story stars new Nova Sam Alexander on his way towards "AvX" after his first appearance at the hands of creators Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness from Marvel's "Point One" one-shot. "We started the digital process a little far along as far as 'Avengers Vs. X-Men' was concerned, and Joe had a pretty clear idea of where we could pick up," Waid said. "This was Nova fleeing from space and spinning off of the 'Point One' stuff. He's fleeing Phoenix and trying to warn the Avengers, and that folds into the start of 'AvX' #1 from Nova's perspective. It was up to me and Stuart to use that premise not only to launch these amazing visuals of a kid flying through space but also to set up what's going on in his head and explain some of the 'Avengers Vs. X-Men' back story for anyone not up on the print stuff and to create a conflict and resolution so it's a story unto itself. "I'll be frank, this first round of Marvel Infinite Comics is as much about technique as it is about story. It's as much to show off what we can do visually as it is about Nova because a lot of what we're showing from his point of view is material that dovetails to 'AvX.' And also, Jeph Loeb has a very, very, very strong idea of who that character is. In a lot of ways, I was taking my cues from Jeph about the character."

Updates forthcoming....