We’re a bit late to this party, but there is so much awesome coming from Marvel this year, we can’t help but share what books we are particularly excited for in 2014. So without further ado, here is the MC2’s first annual top five most anticipated Marvel books. Share the books you’re excited about in the comments.
Note: these are all new or relaunched titles, which is why you won’t be seeing Hawkeye or Thor: God of Thunder on these lists.
David’s Five
What to choose when Marvel has probably 10 or 15 comics already announced for this year that I’m excited about? It’s a pretty difficult proposition, but for me, I followed the art and went from there. Let’s just hope none of these books get double-shipped into oblivion, though!
5. She Hulk
One of the things that really stands out about Marvel’s books that are coming in 2014 is how exceptional the artist involved are. Every book on this list has an exceptional artist on it, with other books that didn’t make my list – like Elektra and All-New Doop and a number of others – also packing brilliant artist as headliners to the book.
She Hulk though has the criminally underrated and completely amazing Javier Pulido, an artist you likely know for his Amazing Spider-Man and Hawkeye work, but someone who can singlehandedly make me buy a comic. Everything we’ve seen from his art makes me think this will be a serious coming out party for him, and I hope it is. He deserves more love. I also hope this is a return of Jen Walters done the right way, and with Charles Soule writing her – given his law background – I think we might have it. This is going to be a good one that I hope gets a good readership out the gate.
4. Silver Surfer
Matt said this book has a “Doctor Who” vibe based off Point One, and while I didn’t read the Point One story, I can say as a recently converted Whovian guy, I am all in on that. Oh, and it’s Dan Slott writing a space adventure specifically for the talents of Mike Allred, the ginchiest guy in comics.
Could there be anything more fun than Allred taking us on cosmic adventures? Apparently, given that it’s number three on my list, but you’d be absolutely crazy not to at least try this book out. It’s a superstar team on a book just waiting for the right writer and artist. Yes, please.
3. Wolverine and the X-Men
Sure, it’s sort of cheating given that this isn’t really a new book, it’s a relaunch of an old book. But it is getting a #1 (what isn’t though?) and it is being brought to us by the talents of Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar. Latour really is a perfect follow-up to Jason Aaron, as he has many of the same sensibilities to his storytelling, and they’re buddies so I am sure Aaron will ensure he’s downloaded with all of the proper information needed for the story. Meanwhile, Asrar is a superstar in the making, and everything we’ve seen from him on this book shows an artist that is able to wow us with action set pieces and to entertain us with the personality and character work in his art.
Sure, I’m going to miss Jason Aaron, but with these two involved? I’m so glad the Jean Grey School is staying open for this semester and beyond.
2. Iron Fist: The Living Weapon
While I don’t have a lot of experience with Kaare Andrews, I can say his Spider-Man: Reign mini-series was one of the most exciting and unexpected Spider-Man stories in recent memory. He turned his life and future on its head and delivered a story filled with power and brutality. Now, take a character where he might have even more freedom like Iron Fist and unleash him as the writer and artist on it, and you could have a book that’s on par with the crazy amazing previous Iron Fist series from Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and Dave Aja.
Continued belowPlus, have you SEEN the preview pages from this book? I mean, really? Those preview pages are next level amazing. This is going to blow minds baby. I can’t wait.
1. Moon Knight
I’ve talked about this title a good bit on the site already, but enough is not enough: if you have not pre-ordered this book, you might miss out on what easily could be a defining run on the character. While I’m not naturally a huge fan of Moon Knight, Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire could bring the adventures of a My Little Pony/Rom crossover to life and I’d buy the living hell out of it.
While characters are cool and all, and something we naturally gravitate to as comic fans, creators are the ones that turn them from something ordinary into the extraordinary, and with Ellis, Shalvey and Bellaire, you have three creators who do that on the regular. I’ve seen a little bit more than others have, and I can promise this is a book that will challenge readers while giving them exactly what they never knew they always wanted. Do. Not. Miss it.
Matt’s Five
I just wanted to note, before we get to my list: this was a really hard article. When David proposed it, I jokingly said “I’ll just put Iron Fist” for all my options!” And honestly, that would’ve been easier. Marvel is kind of knocking it out of the theoretical park with all the stuff they’ve lined up for 2014 in just the first four months.
But, if I have to boil it down, my Top 5 is:
5. The Amazing Spider-Man
Ugh. I know. What an obvious pick, right? The guy whose favorite character has always been Spider-Man picking a new Spider-Man book! BIG SHOCK!
But, I mean, really. How can we not be excited a little bit?
Look: I like “Superior.” I do. I didn’t think I would; I thought it would be horrible and gimmicky, and Slott turned me around within two issues. But what’s important about that is, that turning around of what seemed like such an awful concept just proves to me that I always want to read a Slott-written Spider-Man comic. Slott has built up a trust throughout his time on Spider-Man that I think is rather unparalleled (only Bendis on Ultimate Spider-Man comes close), and as long as he’s going to be putting out a book with Spider-Man anywhere on the cover I’ll happily buy it. Even if it is just because a movie is coming out and #1s sell better than #31s.
4. Loki, Agent of Asgard
Over the past couple years, I’ve become a massive fan of the Loki character. Sure, Tom Hiddleston’s role in Thor and The Avengers is a part of it, but mostly it was the rebirth/rebranding of Loki as a figure in “Journey into Mystery” and “Young Avengers.” Kieron Gillen has really steered the Loki-ship into some amazing and worthwhile places, certainly ones that I find endearing and captivating. I mean, Loki was always kind of plagued by tropes and boring notions, as a very old staple-villain in the Marvel Universe — but these days he’s completely reinvented to the point where he feels borderline new (or as new as a character as old as Loki can feel).
So, with Al Ewing taking over, who I think has really showed off some excellent storytelling chops in “Mighty Avengers” (since I don’t read “2000 AD”), I’m really excited to see what happens when Loki is put into someone else’s hands. Kieron’s handle of the character is definitive, sure, and nothing will ever change that, but the only thing that keeps us reading Marvel Comics is to see what new takes will be brought to characters in new years and new eras. I am rather highly anticipating what Ewing has in store for the troublemaker now that he’s a troublesome teen.
3. Elektra
I’ve wanted an “Elektra” book for years. Honestly — ever since Zeb Wells wrote that “Secret Invasion” tie-in, it has been in my Top 5 wants for any year. And I almost had it, until Wells stepped down as series writer before we ever got to see what he could do.
Continued belowThat’s a massive shame, but on the plus side, we still have an upcoming “Elektra” series illustrated by Mike Del Mundo, and that’s nothing to not be stoked upon. Del Mundo is an incredibly inventive and viscerally visual artist; his covers on “X-Men Legacy” are some of the very best of the last year, especially in terms of Marvel’s otherwise bland/generic covers. I think it’s going to be really interesting to see what he can do on the interiors, particularly with a character like Elektra who invites a lot of interesting motion with her totally killer ninja skills. Here’s hoping Blackman steps up to the high bar Wells set for him, but I know Del Mundo will sell it anyway.
2. Moon Knight
Moon Knight is one of my all-time favorite Marvel characters. I don’t know why, or at least I forget why; I remember buying Moon Knight comics and thinking that he was just the coolest, and I remember reading the Huston/Finch re-launch and thinking he was still just the coolest. I’ve done my best to support “Moon Knight” books over the years, especially once I got back into comics, and I’m always excited to hear that Marvel is once again going to try and make him relevant again.
With Ellis, Shalvey and Bellaire as the team of the new book, I have no doubt that they will at least give us a very exciting wealth of material. I’m a bit wary of some of the things I’ve seen like wearing a suit instead of a kick-ass costume (I know — it’s totally petty and fanboyish to snub your nose at a superhero in a suit, even if it is “canon” from one issue of “Secret Avengers,” but how about all the dumb superhero stuff you get upset over? Let me have this!), but I have a lot of faith that the storytellers here will make it all worthwhile and take good ol’ Moonie somewhere new and exciting.
And the only reason “Moon Knight” doesn’t get my #1 spot (besides the suit thing) is because…
1. Iron Fist, The Living Weapon
(David and I kind of have a reverse Top Two, don’t we? That’s funny. Anyway.)
In terms of characters I like, Iron Fist is lower on the rung than Moon Knight. I too like that Brubaker, Fraction and Aja book everyone always screams excitement over, but Danny Rand has always been one of those characters who only excites me based on what writer/artist is working with him.
And now, it’s Kaare Andrews. Kaare Mother-Fuckin’ Andrews!! Literally no other creative team on any book has me as excited as I am to see Kaare Andrews absolutely tear this book up, as he decidedly did in that preview Marvel released, and that’s honestly enough for me. I feel like Kaare Andrews could announce that he’s writing and illustrating a book based on some character I couldn’t even give the tiniest of cares about, like Stilt-Man or something, but with a preview like that I’d still be all over the book.
What “Iron Fist, the Living Weapon” shows to me, though, is that Marvel does have some interest in the content of their books and not just that they have books. Marvel NOW! and all their relaunches, for better or for worse, seem to be very market-driven; they’ll try out new things, but they’ll allow it to sink and fail if that’s what the reader shows by their interest or disinterest. And Marvel will put together exciting creative teams and books that should be sure-fire hits, but if they don’t hit then oh well, onto the next thing.
For whatever reason, “Iron Fist” feels different to me. This is Marvel clearly just handing over the reigns of a cult-favorite hero and saying “Ok, go.” This is Marvel putting faith in a creator over a character, because there is no discernible reason that “Iron Fist” deserves another ongoing. Marvel knows that they have a property people kind of like because of that one run, so why not find someone who can reinvent and reinvigorate a character that sorely needs a modern touch and a reboot, to give him a chance he hasn’t honestly had in nearly a decade?
And that’s what Andrews is going to do. And I have a feeling it’s going to be The Bomb Dot Com, ladies and gentlemen.
