On to June already? Where did all the time go? Well, in spite of the passage of time continuing on without slowing, we’ve still got plenty of comics to look forward to. Some series or events end, while others begin, and as always, we’ve got the top ten to keep an eye out for.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s ahead…
10. Smashing Once Again
This last run of Hulk comics had Bruce Banner taking control of the Hulk’s body and turning him into a living battery. Well, now it’s Hulk’s time to take control. But also, there are plenty of big monsters to smash, and a new big bad lurking behind it all. That all sounds like a great way to kick off a new run, so let’s see what Phillip Kennedy Johnson has planned, and with Nic Klein’s artwork behind it, the new “Incredible Hulk” comic should be one worth keeping an eye on.
Incredible Hulk #1
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Illustrated by Nic Klein
Cover by Nic Klein
Variant covers by Jim Cheung, Skottie Young, Herb Trimpe, David Marquez, Jan Bazaldua, Patrick Gleason, and George Pérez• THE AGE OF MONSTERS HAS BEGUN!
• As an enraged Hulk tries to take control of Bruce Banner’s body permanently, a mysterious immortal turns every monster in the Marvel Universe against Banner in an attempt to free their creator, the primordial Mother of Horrors. With the help of an unlikely new friend, Banner and Hulk must try to stop the world from getting plunged into darkness in this terrifying new series!
9. Old Man Quire?
Quentin Quire’s time on “X-Force” had him trying to fill some big shoes he wasn’t quite ready for. But with Beast going completely off the megalomaniacal deep end, it’s time for him to come back and step up. What’s Quentin got planned, and when will Beast face actual consequences for his actions? I think we’re finally going to find out, and I’m quite looking forward to it.
X-Force #11
Written by Benjamin Percy
Illustrated by Pal Davidson
Cover by Joshua Cassara
Variant cover by Salvador Larroca• QUENTIN QUIRE RETURNS TO OVERTHROW BEAST’S BARBARIC RULE!
• The once-KID OMEGA returns to X-FORCE! But where has he been? And where is he taking the team? Mysteries will be revealed as BEAST’S dark agenda is fully exposed! (Hint: Any X LIVES OF WOLVERINE fans may want to pick this up too!)
8. Life Under the Empire
The Star Wars movies and comics show us the ongoing struggle of the Rebellion vs the Empire, but with the exception of a few TV shows, we rarely see what life is like for the average Imperial citizen. Well, Jody Houser is giving that now, with a look at the Empire through the eyes of a regular technician. It’ll be a different take on the galaxy far, far away, but it’s from a writer and artist with proven track records, so it should be worth reading for any fans of the franchise.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – The Empire #1
Written by Jody Houser
Illustrated by Jethro Morales
Cover by Ryan Brown
Variant covers by Lee Garbett, Leinil Francis Yu, Tom Reilly, and Ryan Brown• WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THE EMPIRE TOOK OVER?
• As operations begin to take shape on the moon of ENDOR, a technician must figure out how to live under the control of THE EMPIRE.
• But if he can’t stay out of trouble, what will the Empire do with him?
• Continuing the 40TH ANNIVERSARY celebration of RETURN OF THE JEDI, JODY HOUSER & JETHRO MORALES pull back the curtain of the Empire like never before!
7. Two 4 a Two-Parter
It’s no secret that we here at Multiversity love Ryan North’s run on “Fantastic Four,” and for good reason. This issue’s solicitation sounds like a blast as well, with Sue and Alicia teaming up and a mysterious new Fantastic Four team appearing. This raises a lot of questions, but I can’t wait to see the answers, and if the past several issues have been any indication, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Continued belowFantastic Four #8
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ivan Fiorelli
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant covers by Scott Koblish, Leonardo Romero, and George Pérez• The Fantastic Four are finally settling into their new normal…but something very ABNORMAL is happening outside their farmhouse.
• Sue and Alicia get to spend some quality time together in town, but when they return, everything is not how they left it…
• …and a very different Fantastic Four are left in their place!
• It’s Sue and Alicia versus the world – and the start of a special two-part story!
6. Loki’s Back, Tell a Friend
It’s always fun to see what Loki gets up to whenever he gets a solo comic. Now he’s back, and cleaning up a mess from his past self, featuring powerful weapons and multiple realms. The solicitation promises surprising guest stars and surprising new characters, so it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store, who gets to tussle with the god of stories (formerly lies), and all the twists writer Dan Watters has planned for us.
Loki #1
Written by Dan Watters
Illustrated by Germán Peralta
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
Variant covers by Frank Miller, Todd Nauck, Rod Reis, Juni Ba, and Stanley “Artgerm” Lau• LOKI SAVES THE MARVEL UNIVERSE?
• He may be the “benevolent” God of Stories now, but Loki’s past as the God of Lies returns to haunt him when ancient, powerful weapons he once built end up scattered across the Ten Realms! Loki must track down these weapons before they fall into the wrong hands and bring about Ragnarok! Surprising guest stars, exciting new characters and startling twists await in this all-new miniseries by rising stars Dan Watters (Sword of Azrael) and Germán Peralta (BLACK PANTHER)!
5. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?
Captain America’s Cold War comes to its conclusion. What started off as a teamup/crossover of the two Captains America now has interdimensional monsters invading, team-ups we never expected, and we have no idea what will happen to Bucky (or anyone, really). If the end of the event is anywhere near as good as the buildup, it’s going to be a classic “Captain America” event to remember. So let’s see what the team has in mind as “Cold War” comes to a thrilling conclusion.
Captain America: Cold War Omega #1
Written by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi
Illustrated by Carlos Magno
Cover by Patrick Gleason
Variant covers by Rob Liefeld, Leinil Francis Yu, and David Talaski• “COLD WAR” FINALE!
• White Wolf has unleashed an army of Dimension Z monsters upon our world as a declaration of global war, and Team Cap’s only hope to stop it is to take him down for good. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes deploys his final chess piece – Ian Rogers himself – to turn the situation in his favor. Lifelong friends battle alongside mortal enemies – and change the trajectory of their lives – in this stunning conclusion!
4. Take Pride
That’s right, “Marvel’s Voices” is back, and it’s circled back to pride. It’s another issue to spotlight LGBTQ+ characters, and as is apparently tradition, we’re also getting new X-characters introduced who will be joining the series soon. “Marvel’s Voices” is always a great way to highlight marginalized characters and creators, so it’s well worth reading, and is filled with characters worth celebrating.
Continued belowMarvel’s Voices: Pride #1
Written by Steve Foxe, Stephanie Williams, Sarah Gailey, Shadi Petosky, H.E. Edgmon, and more
Illustrated by Rosi Kampe and more
Cover by Amy Redeer
Variant covers by Phil Jimenez, P. Craig Russell, and Jan Bazaldua• CELEBRATING PRIDE 2023 WITH NEW AND ESTABLISHED CREATORS!
• Get the scoop on an unannounced X-Men title with an action-packed story by Steve Foxe! Then Stephanie Williams introduces a brand-new character in Pride tradition! The 2021 and 2022 character debuts of Somnus and Escapade sent shock waves through Krakoa – you will not want to miss the opening gamut here. And there are many more announcements to come. Fans from every arc of the rainbow will love this anthology, and True Believers everywhere know if they want to see the future of Marvel Comics…they better be reading Marvel’s Voices. The groundbreaking anthology series continues with more panache than ever!
3. Back in Black (Panther)
It’s time for a new “Black Panther” run, with Eve L. Ewing taking over as writer. Quite a lot has happened to T’Challa over the past few runs (not to mention how much was shaken up in Wakanda), so there’s a major shift in the Panther’s status quo, but he remains a hero and defender of Wakanda, even if the country no longer wants him. That opens up a lot of story potential, so let’s see where it goes and what this new team has in store.
Black Panther #1
Written by Eve L. Ewing
Illustrated by Chris Allen
Cover by Taurin Clarke
Variant covers by Rahzzah, Skottie Young, Steve Rude, Sanford Greene, Mateus Manhanini, Chris Allen, and Mr GarcinA KING WITHOUT A CROWN!
• Banished from the throne and a fugitive in his own homelands, T’Challa still can’t leave Wakanda without its sworn protector. A king without a crown, he finds new purpose lurking the streets and shadows of the Wakandan city that bears his father’s name, BIRNIN T’CHAKA. New direction, new villains, new creative team – get in on the ground floor of Marvel’s next smash hit!
2. One Last Flight
Kelly Thompson’s run on “Captain Marvel” has taken Carol through time, into space, and everywhere in-between. It’s expanded her cast with new characters, and strengthened the bonds of existing ones. So 50 issues in, it comes to an end. It’s been a great run, but if there’s one thing we can expect, it’s that Kelly will end it with all the fanfare and excitement it deserves. It’s time to see how this run ends, and what’s next for Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel #50
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Javier Pina and more
Cover by Carmen Carnero
Variant covers by Elena Casagrande, Karen S. Darboe, Javier Garrón, Amanda Conner, and Cory Smith• FINAL ISSUE OF KELLY THOMPSON’S HISTORIC RUN!
• It has been an impossible journey – one that’s taken Carol Danvers across time and space and pitted her against enemies new and old. Superstar writer Kelly Thompson has run Marvel’s premier heroine through the gauntlet, and now the boss of space burns brighter than ever. No one believed she would get this far. But that’s the power of Captain Marvel and her Carol Corps: They will never give up. Higher, further, faster – to the very end. Do not miss this capstone to a record-breaking run as Thompson puts her final fingerprints on Earth’s Mightiest Hero!
1. Guess Who’s Also Back?
The Ultimate Marvel Universe was destroyed during “Secret Wars,” with several key elements brought into the 616 Marvel Universe. So how is it that the Ultimates are back? With Jonathan Hickman writing, and Bryan Hitch providing the artwork, there’s a fantastic creative team behind this comic, so you know it’s going to be exciting and gripping. There are already so many questions, but just the concept alone is enough to make this a comic not to be missed.
Ultimate Invasion #1 (of 4)
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Bryan Hitch
Cover by Bryan Hitch
Variant covers by Bryan Hitch, John Tyler Christopher, Peach Momoko, Ed McGuinness, Ron Lim, Sara Pichelli, and Russell Dauterman• THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE BEGINS!
• Superstar creators Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch team up!
• The Illuminati must form once again to stop the Maker from his plans to destroy – or perhaps rebuild – the universe, with Miles Morales at the center of it all! Bryan’s work on THE ULTIMATES helped redefine super hero comics for the 2000s – wait until you see what he and Jonathan have in store for this decade! Including new data pages by Jonathan Hickman – plus exclusive behind-the-scenes material on the world-building that has gone into this project!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
