Met Gala what now? No, the biggest fashion event of the year is the Hellfire Gala, and it all starts in July. What else do we get? The start of the “Fall of X,” the finale to “Extreme Venomverse,” a new “Blade” comic, and more. So step away from the barbecue and ignore the fireworks, because this July, there’s plenty of comics to keep your attention. Let’s see what ones top the list.
10. The Goodest Symbiote?
Sometimes, a comic presents a concept so good it has to be included on this list. In this case, it’s Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru bringing us Jeff the Land Shark… with a symbiote.
Okay, that’s it, I’m sold. But if that’s not enough, the cover also shows what appears to be a Venom kaiju, and we’ve got Venom at the bat. This may not be a comic to take seriously, but it’ll be an entertaining one to read nonetheless. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
Extreme Venomverse #5 (of 5)
Written by Kelly Thompson, Jordan Blum, Cody Ziglar, and more
Illustrated by Gurihiru and more
Cover by Leinil Francis yu
Variant covers by Chrissie Zullo, Ken Lashley, Peach Momoko, Ryan Stegman, and Nick Bradshaw• THE CONCLUSION TO EXTREME VENOMVERSE!
• Like every issue of the summertime symbiote celebration before it, this one introduces another awesome array of symbiotes!
• FIRST! JEFF THE LAND SHARK GETS VENOMIZED! From the awesome team behind the smash-hit IT’S JEFF! Infinity Comic, Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru!
• THEN! Hope this symbiote’s got a mitt and some bubble gum because it’s getting called up to the MAJOR LEAGUES!
9. Even Supervillains Need Love
Throughout the recent “Spider-Man” comics, there’s been a romantic subplot carrying on for quite some time: Randy Robertson, son of Robbie Robertson, and Janice Lincoln, daughter of Tombstone and a supervillain in her own right.
So naturally, their wedding is going to be anything but peaceful.
Obviously there’s going to be a lot of excitement in this issue, but it’s also going to be packed full of extras, including multiple backup stories and a look at things to come. If you’ve been following the “Amazing Spider-Man” comics, this is going to be a milestone issue.
Amazing Spider-Man #31
Written by Zeb Wells, Kaare Andrews, and more
Illustrated by John Romita Jr., Kaare Andrews, and more
Cover by John Romita Jr.
Variant covers by Elena Casagrande, George Perez, Greg Land, Jim Cheung, and John Tyler Christopher• SPECIAL OVER-SIZED ISSUE!
• IT’S THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR! Peter Parker is the best man, and Tombstone is walking the bride down the aisle!
• That’s right – Janice Lincoln and Randy Robertson are tying the knot, and there’s NO WAY all the crime bosses in NYC aren’t seeing this as an opportunity to off Tombstone.
• This story sets up our big Spider-Event of Zeb and Johnny’s second year on ASM, and that’s just the HALF of it!
• Also in this issue: bachelor/bachelorette parties, other ASM-story preludes, glimpses of some of the biggest unannounced Spider-projects and extra bonus awesomeness!
8. Celebrating All Things Marvel
We’ve got another commemorative issue, and this one is packed with some of Marvel’s biggest names. Just look at that list of artists and writers—we’ve got A-listers all around, each bringing in their own stories about some of the biggest characters and moments in Marvel history. It’s a celebration of Marvel Comics, and it’s an issue that’s not to be missed.
Continued belowMarvel Age #1000
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Dan Slott, Jason Aaron, Mark Waid, Rainbow Rowell, Ryan Stegman, Steve McNiven, and Armando Iannucci
Illustrated by Kaare Andrews, Michael Allred, Pepe Larraz, Alessandro Cappuccio, Ryan Stegman, Marguerite Sauvage, Steve McNiven, and Adam Kubert
Cover by Gary Frank
Variant covers by Francis Manapul, Ryan Stegman, Greg Land, Javier Garron, George Perez, and Frank Miller• IT’S A CELEBRATION OF THE MARVEL AGE OF COMICS – AND YOU ARE INVITED!
• This massive commemorative issue includes contributions from some of the most storied creators in Marvel history, as well as a few surprises, as the classic days of Marvel are explored in depth! J. Michael Straczynski and Kaare Andrews create the Marvel Universe in a backyard! Dan Slott and Michael Allred depict a crucial turning point for Captain Marvel! Rainbow Rowell and Jamie McKelvie explore the blossoming relationship between Cyclops and Jean Grey! The original Human Torch finds his purpose thanks to Mark Waid and Alessandro Cappuccio! The Silver Surfer confronts Mephisto under the guidance of Steve McNiven! And more, more, more! Plus: The ultimate Marvel Value Stamp, #1000! Who or what will it feature?
7. Fighting the Fantastic
Obviously this isn’t the first time the Fantastic Four have had to fight each other for any number of reasons, but this does have Ryan North writing them fighting, which can only mean it’s going to include creative uses of their powers while adding in emotional weight and plenty of wit. Plus, it’s all from Alicia’s point of view, which will make things particularly interesting given her blindness. Look, if you haven’t been reading this run of “Fantastic Four,” you need to start, but you have plenty of time until this issue to catch up. You won’t regret it.
Fantastic Four #9
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Ivan Fiorelli
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant covers by Simone Bianchi and Oscar Vega• Alicia, Sue and Johnny face off against Ben and Reed – as they battle for the survival of their minds themselves against an alien that can wipe their memories clean!
• But can they survive this brutal onslaught from their friends and lovers, the very people who know them – and their powers – better than anyone else in the universe?
• We’ll all find out together in this Alicia-narrated issue!
• Plus: A meditation on the nature of art itself! And cool fights too!
6. Scarab Rising
When Moon Knight on Disney+ brought us Layla El-Faouly as the Scarlet Scarab, it was only a matter of time until she made her comic debut. Well, that time is now with “City of the Dead.” Of course, that’s not all that this mini-series has going for it, as it also gives us a journey through the underworld and what will certainly be a unique adventure for Moon Knight. So whether you’re in it for the newest Scarlet Scarab or just to see Moon Knight fighting a bunch of cultists, this comic will certainly have something for you.
Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 (of 5)
Written by David Pepose
Illustrated by Marcelo Ferreira
Cover by Rod Reis
Variant covers by Pepe Larraz, Skottie Young, Alex Maleev, and Carmen Carnero• THE DEBUT OF THE NEW SCARLET SCARAB!
• Following the events of Moon Knight #25! When a young runaway is attacked by a gang of death cultists, he is left barely alive outside the Midnight Mission. But Marc Spector made a vow long ago to defend the travelers of the night…and as long as a spark of life remains, his mission isn’t over yet. Follow Moon Knight on his most harrowing adventure yet, as the Fist of Khonshu journeys far beyond the land of the living – and battles across the mind-bending underworld known as the City of the Dead!
5. Thor vs Cosmic M.O.D.O.K.
M.O.D.O.K. is a bit of an odd antagonist at times; he’s often used for any number of evil schemes or purposes, as long as it involves being a mental organism and killing. So now he’s the main antagonist of the upcoming “Thor” annual issue… and he actually manages to take over nine of the ten realms. All things considered, that’s pretty impressive. Now we get Thor vs M.O.D.O.K. in an annual issue to let Thor show us all what he can do, and that sounds like a good time to me, especially with the creative team of Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Ibrain Roberson behind it.
Thor Annual #1
Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Illustrated by Ibraim Roberson
Cover by Adam Kubert
Variant covers by George pérez, Elena Casagrande, and David Marquez• Enter…MYTHOS!
• When M.O.D.O.K. – fueled by revenge and a refusal to ever again be someone else’s pawn – seizes control of all of the Ten Realms but Asgard, Thor the All-Father must step in and regain control of the Ten Realms and the World Tree. But M.O.D.O.K.’s new, cosmic power proves to be a greater threat than Thor could imagine, and he’ll need the inspiration of some beloved friends from Midgard to reclaim his realms and his awesome power.
4. The Robot Revolution is at Hand!
Continued below
Droids have been a big part of Star Wars since the beginning, but they’ve typically been treated as either intelligent characters in their own right or walking tools, depending on how important they are to the story. But this is a universe with artificial intelligence, and if battle droids have taught us anything, it’s that the three laws of robotics don’t apply.
So what happens when something starts turning droids against organic life? We get “Dark Droids,” the next big event from Charles Soule. Whether we get fan-favorite killer droids like Triple Zero, or even HK-47, or your average mouse droid turning evil, it’s gonna be an exciting event and one to look forward to.
Star Wars: Dark Droids #1
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Luke Ross
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
Variant covers by Jim Cheung, John Tyler Christopher, Rachael Stott, and Giuseppe Camuncoli• “SCOURGE OF THE DROIDS!“ A STAR WARS EPIC LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
• Who or what is THE SCOURGE, and why is no droid safe?
• As a corruption spreads from one droid to the next THE REBELLION and THE EMPIRE face chaos!
• What role does AJAX SIGMA play in all of this? And whose side is he on?
• Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away!
• Charles Soule continues his legendary run on STAR WARS with the most ambitious event in STAR WARS comics history! Joined by his WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS collaborator Luke Ross, the superstar team carves a new path for the future!
3. Which Sinister Wins?
Recent events have shown us that Mr. Sinister isn’t the only Nathaniel Essex around. In fact, he has four clones, each one pursuing a different route to ascending past godhood. The craziest thing is: one of them succeeds. So who are these clones, and what’s their history? Kieron Gillen is about to let us know, and anything written by Kieron tends to be well worth reading. The “Fall of X” is almost upon us, and we get to see how these four Sinisters are connected.
X-Men: Before the Fall – Sinister Four #1
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Paco Medina
Cover by Lucas Werneck
Variant covers by Martin Coccolo, Michele Bandini, and Rafael De La Torre• FALL OF X IS COMING!
• As the nineteenth century drew to a close, the dying Nathaniel Essex unleashed four clones of himself into the world. They’ve been haunting it ever since, while lurking in the shadows. We know what Sinister has been up to. What about the others? In this issue, we delve into their past…and discover their latest atrocity. When they start to…date?
2. No Vampire is Safe
Blade has been returning to center stage in Marvel Comics, whether as a member of the Avengers or as the sheriff of an entire vampire nation. Now he gets his own ongoing series, and there’s a lot to look forward to. An ancient evil arises, Blade is somehow at fault, and he’s going to have to deal with a whole lot of supernatural foes. (Plus, let’s not forget his daughter has also made her comic book debut recently.) It’s been too long since Blade last had a solo series, so let’s see what he gets up to next.
Continued belowBlade #1
Written by Bryan Hill
Illustrated by Elena Casagrande
Cover by Elena Casagrande
Variant covers by Frank Miller, Stefano Caselli, Kaare Andrews, David Marquez, Tom Reilly, John Tyler Christopher, and Peach Momoko• Marvel’s slickest vampire hunter returns in a brand new ongoing by Bryan Hill (KILLMONGER) and Elena Casagrande (BLACK WIDOW)!
• True evil is patient. And a dark, ancient power has been simmering quietly for centuries…and when Blade himself is the one to unknowingly unleash it, Marvel’s entire supernatural underworld will come out of hiding to demand he handle it. Or pay a pound of flesh for his mistakes. Bloodbaths, blackmail and Blade – you won’t want to miss the explosive first issue of this new volume!
1. Cordially Invited
That’s right, the Hellfire Gala is almost here. Marvel has decided that this is the one event that doesn’t operate on “comic book time,” giving us a new gala each year, and with it comes a new round of voting for another team of X-Men.
Admittedly, this does make the events feel far too frequent, and doesn’t give us enough time with the existing teams. But the Hellfire Gala always mixes things up for mutantkind, if not the entire Marvel Universe, and this one promises to be even bigger than ever, as it kicks off the “Fall of X.”
And if nothing else, it’s great to see all the unique outfits and designs debuting in the gala and on variant covers.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Kris Anka, Joshua Cassara, Russell Dauterman, Adam Kubert, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, Luciano Vecchio, and more
Cover by Phil Noto
Variant covers by Francesco Manna, George Perez, H. Scott Campbell, Lucas Werneck, Mashal Ahmed, and Dan VeesenmeyerTHE FALL OF X BEGINS HERE!
• The Hellfire Gala is always the biggest event of the season…but this year’s will change everything for Krakoa. What is meant to be mutantkind’s biggest night becomes their biggest nightmare as the Fall of X begins! All your favorite X-Men are going to be left reeling after this one – shocking revelations, stunning betrayals, horrifying tragedy, impossible deaths…and of course the most glamorous looks of the year, all in one CANNOT-MISS package!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
