As we look towards the halfway point in the year, Marvel’s “Blood Hunt” event is in full swing, the X-Men move past the Krakoan Era onto the next stage, and the Ultimate universe continues its rebirth. There’s a lot to look forward to, so without further ado, let’s see what June holds for the House of Ideas.
10. Hunting the Hunters
Yes, we’re going to have a lot of “Blood Hunt” tie-ins this month, if just because the vast majority of comics in June will connect to the event. Fortunately, there’s a lot of fun concepts in there. Like “Blood Hunters,” for instance, which brings together some fan-favorite characters to team up and fight vampires. Of course, there’s no way Elsa Bloodstone could sit out this fight either, so we’ll get to see her kick plenty of undead butt, and that’s just the start of the excitement. So “Blood Hunters” is a solid choice for kicking off this list.
Blood Hunters #2 (of 4)
Written by Kaare Andrews, Ann Nocenti, and Erica Schultz
Illustrated by Alex Lins, David Baldeón, and Bernard Chang
Cover by Greg Land
Variant covers by TBAThe bloody chaos continues as the events of BLOOD HUNT spill across the Marvel Universe! When the skies go dark, what will happen when a group of vampires gets a taste of the Hulk’s gamma-irradiated blood?! Kate Bishop takes aim against the creatures of the night with the help of a mysterious new vampire hunter. And Dagger and Elsa Bloodstone have teamed up to face down the vampiric hordes – but when a new combatant enters the field, will she prove friend or foe? Or both?! The formation of Marvel’s wildest new team yet, the BLOOD HUNTERS, continues!
9. Will an Adamantine Stake Suffice?
On to the next “Blood Hunt” tie-in with Wolverine! Yes, he’s faced off against vampires before (has a bit of a history with them, all things considered) but sometimes it’s just fun to enjoy a series where Wolverine can go all-out against monsters. Tom Waltz has already proven what he can do with the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” now it’s time to let him have some fun with the famous Canadian mutant with anger issues, and it sounds like a fun time.
Wolverine Blood Hunt #1 (of 4)
Written by Tom Waltz
Illustrated by Juan José Ryp
Cover by Ben Harvey
Variant covers by Nick Bradshaw, Kevin Eastman, and Skottie Young• LOGAN FIGHTS BACK THE DARKNESS!
• WOLVERINE’s the best there is at what he does – and today, fighting vampires is going to have to top that list! Don’t miss the MARVEL DEBUT of scintillating scribe TOM WALTZ (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Last Ronin) as he teams up with daring artistic dynamo JUAN JOSÉ RYP (WOLVERINE, VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT) for a bloody good time!
• As the sky darkens across the globe and vampires reign, what hidden plot puts LOGAN directly in their crosshairs? Hint: It’s like nothing you’ve seen in BLOOD HUNT yet! Be here as the plot (and blood!) thickens when a secret vampire sect enacts a startling strategy that’ll take Logan – and the world – to the brink! Guest-starring some SURPRISE characters from Wolverine’s past!
8. Sparkler Vampire
But wait, there’s more! In fact, there’s a lot of “X-Men” tie-ins to “Blood Hunt,” but the one that’s the most intriguing has to be Jubilee’s story. Yes, Jubilee once had an extended stint as a vampire herself, so this event is particularly personal to her. Will she get revenge for all the time she spent as the living dead? Will she be turned again? I can’t say, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Continued belowX-Men: Blood Hunt – Jubilee #1
Written by Preeti Chhibber
Illustrated by Enid Balám
Cover by Erica D’urso
Variant covers by Peach Momoko and Skottie Young• Running from the past is one race you’ll never win – and as darkness suffuses the world, JUBILEE’s past as a vampire is back to take a big bite out of her! It’s gonna take more than a couple plasma bursts to get out of this one, Jubilation…
7. Spider-Blade
Of course, event tie-ins means team-up opportunities, and Miles Morales is about to get a big one. After all, if you’re fighting vampires, you need Blade, and now Miles gets to fight alongside him. Of course, Blade is also a character who’s known to leave bodies behind and make some tough decisions, while Spider-Man is… not. So we’ll get a bit of a clash between the characters even as they work together, and with Cody Ziglar and Travel Foreman bringing the issue to life, it’ll be a great read.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21
Written by Cody Ziglar
Illustrated by Travel Foreman
Cover by Federico Vicentini
Variant covers by Skottie Young• Endless hordes of bloodsucking vampires ravage the Earth beneath pitch-black skies of Earth’s last night! But vampire-slayer BLADE has a plan, and his only hope for victory rests with MILES MORALES! But Blade’s mission comes with a cost – one SPIDER-MAN may be unwilling to pay!
6. Inevitable.
It’s time for the next series of Annual comics to further the state of the Marvel Universe. Thanos has been a bit busy, and now he’s back for the Infinity Stones again. Only the stones aren’t exactly, well, stones anymore. So how will this change Thanos’ approach? Where does the sixth stone come into play? And what’s Thanos got in mind next? There’s a lot of questions, and I can’t wait to get them answered.
Thanos Annual #1
Written by Derek Landy
Illustrated by Salvador Larocca and Sara Pichelli
Cover by Salvadora Larocca
Variant covers by Frank Miller, Rose Besch, Skottie Young, and Chad Hardin• Welcome to INFINITY WATCH!
• The Annual Event of 2024 starts here as Thanos, after the events of his series, goes off to find the INFINITY STONES! He’s in for a shock when he discovers that the Infinity Stones have been incorporated into actual people like STAR, QUANTUM, OVERTIME, PRINCE OF POWER and MULTITUDE! But wait, there are six Infinity Stones but only five people listed?! You don’t want to miss this Marvel Universe-shaking saga!
5. Science vs Vampires
Okay, one more “Blood Hunt” tie-in, but you know it’s got to be a good one. Ryan North’s run on “Fantastic Four” has continued to live up to its name with every issue, and even this take on the “Blood Hunt” event is something that could only work with these characters in his hands. It’s not just fighting vampires (although there will certainly be some of that too) but trying to find a cure for them while protecting people – what a quintessentially “Fantastic Four” way to tackle the storyline! And with a comic this consistently good, there’s no reason not to pick it up.
Fantastic Four #21
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ivan Fiorelli
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant covers by Skottie Young and Arthur Adams• BLOOD HUNT TIE-IN: FORMULATING A CURE?
• Reed and Alicia are in New York for a day trip to an art museum, when suddenly the skies turn black with darkforce energy and vampires attack, everywhere, all at once!
• It’s Reed Richards versus the world as he tries to save everyone he can – AND come up with a cure for vampirism!
• But vampires are magic, illogical, impossible. Can Reed come up with a cure? And even if he can’t, how is he going to keep all the survivors alive and safe?
• And can Sue, Ben, and Johnny, all alone in Arizona, keep their families safe?
• It’s a BLOOD HUNT tie-in you won’t want to miss as the Fantastic Four take on a world overrun with VAMPIRES!
4. Chaos & Magic
Scarlet Witch has had a lot going on lately, between her latest solo series and now the “Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver” comic. But she’s back for another solo run, fighting against primal forces and destruction. These stories really give Wanda a chance to shine and show what she can do, while exploring the more magical side of the Marvel Universe from a distinct perspective. For any fan of the character, this is going to be one worth keeping an eye out for.
Continued belowScarlet Witch #1
Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Jacopo Camagni
Cover by Russell Dauterman
Variant covers by Alexander Lozano, Jenny Frison, Skottie Young, Davi Go, Tran Nguyen, and P. Craig Russell• STEVE ORLANDO’S SCARLET WITCH RUN REIGNITES!
• The Scarlet Witch has carved out a haven for herself in upstate New York, but it’s all about to go up in flames. Wanda’s newfound peace has drawn the wrath of a primal force unlike anything she’s ever faced before, and it won’t stop until it razes Wanda’s world to the ground. It’s a clash of titans as Wanda and her allies fight for all she holds dear!
• What happens when an unstoppable force meets the end of all things? When pure chaos meets pure destruction? Wanda’s about to find out – if she survives long enough.
• Jacopo Camagni (X-MEN: RED, Nomen Omen) joins writer Steve Orlando for an explosive new chapter of Scarlet Witch’s story!
3. Life is Like a Hurricane
Aside from a few variant covers, there hasn’t exactly been much Disney crossover into the Marvel comics, and for the most part, that’s been for the best. But sometimes an idea comes around that’s so crazy it just has to work.
In this case, that idea is “Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime.” Yes, Jason Aaron (a writer who I’ve praised before as “someone who could write the back of a cereal box and I’d still read it”) is writing a multiversal Scrooge McDuck story, with several acclaimed artists who’ve illustrated the richest duck in Duckburg. However much or little this touches Marvel canon doesn’t matter, because it’s going to be a whole lot of fun from the first page to the last.
Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime #1
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Paolo Mottura, Francesco D’ippolito, Vitale Mangiatordi, Alessandro Pastrovicchio, and Giada Perissintto
Covers by Alex Ross and Lorenzo Pastrovicchio
Variant covers by Frank Miller, Ron Lim, Peach Momoko, John Romito Jr., Skottie Young, Elizabeth Torque, Gabriele Dell’otto, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Quesada, Walter Simonson, and Steve McNiven• FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, MARVEL AND DISNEY TEAM-UP TO BRING YOU THE STORY OF THE CENTURY!
• It’s the story you never expected! One of the greatest characters in the history of comics leaps into his most epic adventure yet, in the manner only MARVEL can deliver! When UNCLE SCROOGE’S fabled money bin gets stolen by a shocking culprit, the world’s toughest duck must undertake a quest unlike any other, alongside a surprising array of allies: other versions of himself! An oversized special, from Marvel mainstay writer JASON AARON (THOR, AVENGERS) and a cadre of celebrated Scrooge artists!
• Also re-presenting the classic CHRISTMAS ON BEAR MOUNTAIN, the first appearance of Scrooge McDuck by the legendary DISNEY COMICS creator, CARL BARKS!
2. Assemble. But, y’know, in an Ultimate Way.
The Ultimate Universe has been steadily rebuilding, so it’s time to get their Avengers equivalent back together. We’ve got Doctor Doom, we’ve got Tony Stark as Iron Lad, we’ve got Thor and Sif – all coming together to form a team in this bold new Ultimate Marvel Universe that’s been reshaped by The Maker in wildly unpredictable ways. Every new addition to the new Ultimate Universe has been a unique and interesting take on the characters and worlds we know, so the Ultimates is a big step ahead. If you’ve been watching the rebirth of the Ultimate Universe with as much excitement as I have, you won’t want to miss this.
Continued belowUltimates #1
Written by Deniz Camp
Illustrated by Juan Frigeri
Cover by Dike Ruan
Variant covers by Bryan Hitch, InHyuk Lee, Ryan Stegman, Jonas Scharf, and Iban Coello• THE ULTIMATES RETURN TO GREATNESS!
• Spinning out of Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli’s ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1, rising stars Deniz Camp (CHILDREN OF THE VAULT, 20th Century Men) and Juan Frigeri (INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) assemble an all-new team of ULTIMATES in a series that kicks off the next chapter of the new Ultimate line.
• Six months ago, Tony Stark sent Peter Parker a radioactive spider to set him back on the course to become Spider-Man.
• Since then, Iron Lad (Stark), Captain America, Doom, Thor and Sif have begun to do the same for other lost heroes, building a network of super-powered heroes hungry for change…
• Now they must band together to destroy the Maker’s Council and restore freedom and free will to a world ruled from the shadows!
1. Legacy and Future
To say things have been turbulent for the X-Men would be an understatement, but it’s certainly made for some great comics. With the events of the battle against Orchis and the end of the Krakoan Era finally finished, what’s next? On to the next stories, of course, and what better way to wrap it up than with the 700th issue?
Marvel’s bringing in a plethora of some of the best writers and artists to have worked on “X-Men” comics over the years, as well as the teams for the upcoming comics, to transition us to the next era for mutants. We’ll get to see the full fallout of the latest events, as well as a look ahead at what’s to come. And I, for one, can’t wait for it.
X-Men #35 (Legacy #700)
Written by Gerry Duggan, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Chris Claremont, Jed MacKay, and Gail Simone
Illustrated by Phil Noto, Mark Brooks, Joshua Cassara, Lucas Werneck, Jerome Opeña, Stefano Caselli, Walter Simonson, Leinil Francis Yu, and more
Cover by Pepe Larraz
Variant covers by Skottie Young, Russell Dauterman, Scott Koblish, Betsy Cola, Ben Harvey, and Pepe Larraz• THE END OF AN ERA – UNCANNY X-MEN #700!
• All good things must come to an end, and as good of a thing as the Krakoan era has been for mutantkind…its time has come at last. The tragedy and triumph of FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X, the madness and mystery of RISE OF THE POWERS OF X…they have all come to their end and led to this moment that will change the future of mutantkind for years to come. Written and drawn by an all-star cast of writers and artists who have shaped the Krakoan Age, this is one milestone no X-Fan will want to miss! Also featuring a story of family by X-Men master Chris Claremont…and a glimpse of things to come!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
