In the Thursday edition of Marvel's Next Big Thing liveblog, seems like another writer will be joining Hickman on Ultimate Comics Ultimates. Is he taking over for Hickman? Looks like eventually.
He also joined in on the liveblog. Sounds like a cool guy, though i am not familiar with his work.
http://marvel.com/news/story/18103/next_big_thing_liveblogs3:04 UltimateKidNova:
We are talking Ultimate Comics Ultimates and are joined by writer Jonathan Hickman as well as incoming co-writer Sam Humphries (!) as well as editor Sana Amanat
3:05 UltimateKidNova:
"It's exciting to be able to come into Marvel on a book like this. You've got Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk and all the heavy hitters, but with the leeway to throw them around in ways you can't in the Marvel Universe." -Sam Humphries
3:07 UltimateKidNova:
"I wanted to work with somebody who has a fresh voice and who is clearly talented. I'm ecstatic to be working with Sam, he's got some real game." -Jonathan Hickman
3:07 UltimateKidNova:
Sam begins with issue #10 in May.
3:08 UltimateKidNova:
"When Hickman hits a book, he comes in with big plans. He's a big picture thinker. At the end of issue #9, everything gets thrown off a cliff--figuratively. Something happens that nobody in the Ultimate Universe can walk away from. Everything changes for all the characters and how they relate to each other. S.H.I.E.L.D., the City of Tomorrow and other major institutions get shaken up." -Sam Humphries
3:08 UltimateKidNova:
Luke Ross will be illustrating this story arc.
3:18 UltimateKidNova:
Jonathan using the process Brian Bendis used with him on Secret Warriors in turning the book over to Sam.
3:18 UltimateKidNova:
Sam will be doing the first pass on most scripts then Jonathan will oversee.
3:27 UltimateKidNova:
"I may have published and distributed a pretentious comic about having sex with vegetables, but I grew up with super hero comics like everybody else, loving them and being inspired by them. There are a lot of lessons that I love. I'd love to able to work on Ultimates for a long time." -Sam Humphries
3:30 UltimateKidNova:
"I never planned on leaving Ultimates. I took the Ultimate Thor gig with the understanding I'd be getting Ultimates. When I came to Marvel, Ultimates was the book I wanted more than any other. But...I got a job offer I couldn't refuse, so I'm taking it." -Jonathan Hickman, Man of Mystery

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #10 cover art by Kaare Andrews