Alright, what awaits in June? The X-Men and Eternals edge ever closer to their showdown, but first, there’s another Hellfire Gala (already?). Elsewhere in Marvel, new series and mini-series are kicking off, the LGBTQ+ characters get covers and a special issue to shine, and we’ve got a few anniversary issues to enjoy. So let’s take a look at what’s ahead…
10. One Fight Ends…
While the new “Iron Fist” may just be a 5-issue mini-series, it’s still built no small amount of hype, and the first two issues so far have been solid. So it comes to a close here, as Iron Fist has to make a major choice in a battle against a dark god.
Wait, that’s Loki on the cover. Is Loki the dark god? No, probably not. Okay, moving on.
Anyways, whether this is the start of a new Iron Fist status quo or a short change of pace, it’s gonna be a fun ride.
Iron Fist #5 (of 5)
Written by Alyssa Wong
Illustrated by Michael Yg
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
Variant cover by Gunji• The seal has been broken!
• As a dark god’s power begins to rise, LIN LIE faces an impossible choice!
• Will the power of the IRON FIST finally accept him…and even if it does, will it be enough?
9. Cat’s Out of the Bag
One of the most entertaining moments of the recent “Black Cat” run was when Felicia not only stole a suit of Tony’s Iron Man armor, but gave it a Black Cat customization. (The entire run was great, you should go read it.) Well, now the armor is back, and we’re getting a new mini-series all around it. So we’re getting a heist comic featuring two of the snarkiest characters in all of Marvel (which is saying something) with all the wit and heart of Jed MacKay’s run? Yes please.
Iron Cat #1 (of 5)
Written by Jed MacKay
Illustrated by Pere Pérez
Cover by Pere Pérez
Variant covers by Ron Lim, Skottie Young, C.F. Villa, John-Tyler Christopher, and Peach Momoko• The Iron Cat armor made its first appearance in BLACK CAT #11 but both Black Cat and Iron Man thought that was the last they would see of it. If Felicia is surprised to see the armor again, you can imagine how furious Tony is. There’s someone new in the Iron Cat armor and they have a plan that will put them in the crosshairs of all the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Both Iron Man and Black Cat’s secrets and mistakes are going to come back to haunt them and it’s going to get ROUGH! Don’t miss this fantastic new miniseries!
8. “No, you move.”
It seems like we’re getting a lot of “Captain America” comics these days. Well, I’m totally okay with that. “Sentinel of Liberty” promises a look at what the shield stands for and present Steve Rogers with a new dilemma for the modern day, which is already a promising sign. Will it be as game-changing as promised? Only one way to find out.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Illustrated by Carmen Carnero
Cover by Carmen Carnero
Variant covers by Julian Totino Tedesco, John Mavroudis, Taurin Clarke, Luciano Vecchio, Joshu Cassara, and Skottie Young• “The shield isn’t what you think.
• It’s not your symbol. It’s theirs.”
• The shield is one of the most iconic images in the world. It stands for hope, justice and the protection of the innocent. It also holds a secret, undiscovered until now, that will change the way Steve Rogers views the 20th century…and how he chooses to fight in the 21st.
• Nothing is what it appears in this game-changing Captain America run by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (KANG THE CONQUEROR) and Stormbreaker Carmen Carnero (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN, CAPTAIN MARVEL, STAR).
7. Back to the Gala
How long has it been since the last Hellfire Gala? Given how comic book time works, it really went by in the blink of an eye, to the point where it honestly feels too early to have another one already. But this is Gerry Duggan we’re talking about, so whatever he has planned, I can’t wait to see it. Will it top last year’s terraforming of Mars? Will the looks be just as fashionable as last time? Let’s wait and see.
Continued belowX-Men: Hellfire Gala #1
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Matteo Lolli, C.F. Villa, Kris Anka, and Russell Dauterman
Cover by Russel Dauterman
Variant covers by Carles Gómez, Adam Hughes, Nick Dragotta, Arthur Adams, and Stanley “Artgerm” Lau• NEW TEAM REVEALED!
• At last year’s gala, mutants changed the face of the solar system, terraforming Mars and claiming it for mutantkind. Do you think you can afford to miss this year’s gala, all contained in this one over-sized issue!?
6. A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…
While the Star Wars shows on Disney+ continue to draw attention, and the internet continues to argue nonstop over the sequels and prequels, too many people overlook the comics that Marvel has been consistently putting out. There’s a lot, but the majority of them are well worth reading. Now Charles Soule is celebrating 25 issues with a celebration comic, spanning the generations of Star Wars movies. It ought to be worth reading for any fan of the series.
Star Wars #25
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Ramon Rosanas, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Will Sliney, and Phil Noto
Cover by Carlo Pagulayan
Variant covers by John Tyler Christopher, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Phil Noto, Steve McNiven, Alex Maleev, Will Sliney, and Chris Sprouse• A Celebration across the Galaxy for STAR WARS’ 25th issue!
• With stories set from the Prequel to the Sequel eras, experience new tales of OBI-WAN & ANAKIN, DARTH VADER, POE DAMERON and KYLO REN. Join Charles Soule, along with his previous artistic collaborators, for this era-spanning celebration!
5. A 900 Issue Celebration
Speaking of celebration issues: it’s time to celebrate 900 issues of Spider-Man. The wall-crawling web-slinger has remained culturally relevant for decades, and it feels like he’ll continue thwipping his way through the Marvel universe long after we’re gone. So Zeb Wells has something big planned for this milestone issue.
Will it truly be “one of the biggest adventures in Spider-History” as they claim? Well, they say that all the time. But either way, you’ll want to check it out.
Amazing Spider-Man #6
Written by Zeb Wells
Illustrated by Ed McGuinness
Cover by John Romita Jr.
Variant covers by Ed McGuinness, Peach Momoko, Bengal, Ben Su, Mark Bagley, Humberto Ramos, Julian Totino Tedesco, Jim Cheung, Skottie Young, John Cassaday, Maria Wolf, Taurin Clarke, and John Romita Jr.• LANDMARK ISSUE #900!
• The nine-hundredth issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN comes out the month of Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary, and we are pulling out ALL THE STOPS!
• Someone from Spider-Man’s past has captured the Sinister Six and used them to create the truly terrifying SINISTER ADAPTOID!
• This is one of the biggest adventures in Spider-History and you will not believe the ending!
4. Be Proud!
It’s time for another “Marvel’s Voices,” this time celebrating the LGBTQ+ heroes of Marvel. We’ve got new character introductions, old favorites, and award-winning writers coming forward to contribute. (Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing what they have planned for Hercules and the Young Avengers, but Marvel has no shortage of great characters to choose from.) So as always, representation matters enough to get “Marvel’s Voices” a spot on this list.
Continued belowMarvel’s Voices: Pride #1
Written by Charlie Jane Anders, Chrostopher Cantwell, Andrew Wheeler, Alyssa Wong, Grace Freud, Ira Madison III, and Danny Lore
Illustrated by Stephen Byrne, Brittney Williams, Scott B. Henderson, and more
Cover by Nick Robles
Variant covers by Stephen Byrne, Amy Reeder, Olivier Coipel, and Jen Bartel• Hot off a GLAAD Award nomination for 2021’s anthology, MARVEL’S VOICES: PRIDE returns for a jam-packed celebration of LGBTQI+ characters and creators! New York Times-bestselling, multi-award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders introduces a new hero to the Marvel Universe – and it won’t be the last you see of them. Get in on the ground floor here! IRON MAN scribe and lauded TV showrunner Christopher Cantwell takes on Moondragon’s complex legacy for a heart-bending story across space and time. Shuster and Eisner-winning writer Andrew Wheeler makes his Marvel debut with the MU’s real god of love – Hercules! Nebula, World Fantasy, and Locus-award winner Alyssa Wong reunites the Young Avengers in a story guaranteed to please fans new and old! And that’s just the first slice of the rainbow. MARVEL’S VOICES continues its groundbreaking anthology series with another swoon-worthy glimpse of the world outside your window!
3. Can’t Keep the Devil Down
What comes after “Devil’s Reign?” Well, Chip Zdarsky clearly has plans, and he’s gonna let us know. That’s right, we’ve got a new “Daredevil” run, but featuring the same amazing team, so it’s like it never left. Chip’s recent run was nothing short of stunning, so whatever he’s got in store for us next will be absolutely worth reading.
Daredevil #1
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Marco Checchetto
Cover by Marco Checchetto
Variant covers by John Romita Jr., John Romita Sr., Ryan Stegman, David Nakayama, Jorge Fornés, Logan Lubera, Peach Momoko, and Joe Quesada• AFTER THE REIGN COMES THE DAWN!
• In the wake of Wilson Fisk’s violent and visceral last act, it’s a new era for New York and the Man Without Fear! With a groundbreaking creative team returning to usher in an all-new chapter, Matt Murdock has no choice but to leave behind everything he’s ever known, and ELEKTRA is the last vestige of his former life. Everything Matt Murdock thought it meant to be DAREDEVIL is about to change, including the challenges he will have to face in the cowl!
2. Into the Jess-Verse
Multiversal variants are nothing new to Marvel, but those stories are usually reserved for characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, or the Fantastic Four. But what about Jessica Jones? Her stories are normally more street-level and gritty, so how would she handle a multiverse adventure? Well, we’re about to find out, as Gail Simone brings us a story all about Jessica Jones coming face-to-face with herself. And herself. And her other self.
Just to reiterate, we have Gail Simone writing a multiverse story about Jessica Jones. That’s all you need to know.
The Variants #1 (of 5)
Written by Gail Simone
Illustrated by Phil Noto
Cover by Phil Noto
Variant covers by Ashley Witter, Ben Caldwell, and Skottie Young• What would it really be like to meet an alternate version of yourself, another you who had made different choices and lived a completely different life as a result? That’s the question facing Jessica Jones, as what seemed like a routine investigation instead has her encountering other incarnations of herself from across the Multiverse. Can Jessica get along with herself? Will she want to kill her other selves? And will seeing the lives she could have led drive her into a self-destructive spiral? This is what happens when you meet…the Variants!
1. Judgment Approaches
Ready for the next big crossover battle event? The X-Men have fought the Avengers, the Inhumans, and now: the Eternals. Only this time, death isn’t a problem for mutantkind. So we have two teams who can come back from the dead fighting each other, with the Avengers in the middle… oh, and Thanos is currently the Prime Eternal. So with the next event approaching, we have this issue building up to it.
And while normally I’d sigh and say something snarky about super teams fighting each other under ridiculous pretenses to give us hero vs hero fights, well, it’s Kieron Gillen writing it. That alone is enough to make me 200% more interested, and makes the comic 300% more likely to be amazing.
A.X.E.: Eve of Judgment #1
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Pasqual Ferry
Cover by Carlos Pacheco
Variant covers by John Cassaday, Phil Noto, and Mr Garcin• FIRST SHOT FIRED – JUDGMENT IS COMING!
• The Eternals know that the mutants have conquered death. But what are they going to do about it? The oldest immortals on Earth eye up the newest, and the doomsday clock starts to tick toward Judgment Day.
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
