Fantastic Four #35 featured Columns 

Soliciting Multiversity: Marvel’s Top 10 for August 2021

By | June 2nd, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

It’s time for another month of upcoming comics, so what does August hold? For starters: a whole lot of new series and one-shots, plus the occasional anniversary issue or mini-series finale. In fact, as much as I tried to get a mix of old and new stuff for this list, there are so many #1 issues coming out in August they take up 80% of this list, and even then there were so many comics I would have included any other month! Now that’s a lot to look forward to, so let’s see what August holds.

10. It’s Morphi- err, Tech-On Time!

Let’s start off with something fun. The Avengers getting giant robots is great, but you know what’s also cool? Sentai-styled suits. (Well, if we’re being specific, the designs are more akin to metal heroes, or occasionally Kamen Rider, but the inspiration is there, and that’s what matters.) Who doesn’t want to see Avengers with their own awesome power suits? If the answer to that is you, then I have a follow-up question: why do you hate fun? Plus, with Jim Zub writing it, you know it’s gonna be exciting and entertaining the whole way through.

Avengers: Tech-On #1
Written by Jim Zub
Illustrated by Jeff “Chamba” Cruz
Cover by Eiichi Shimizu
Variant covers by Chamba, James Stokoe, and Peach Momoko

• When the Red Skull wields a strange new power that strips heroes of their powers and threatens the entire world, the Avengers turn to Tony Stark’s experimental new technology to save us all. Here come the Iron Avengers — Avengers Tech-On!
• Sleek high-tech power suits bristling with energy and amped-up attack power face off against super villains enhanced to match. It’s mechs and mayhem in the Marvel Mighty Manner!
• Avengers Tech-On is a sentai-inspired action-adventure series produced in partnership with Bandai Namco of Japan, written by Jim Zub (Uncanny Avengers, Champions) and illustrated by Jeff “Chamba” Cruz (Venom: The End, Street Fighter)!

9. Why Deadpool Wears Red

Marvel has been giving some of its grittier characters some mini-series featuring stories utilizing only red, white, and black as the color scheme, bringing out the bloodiness of each story. Now imagine that, but with Deadpool instead, cracking wise and breaking the fourth wall with every tri-colored panel. Does that sound like a good time to you? Because it does to me. Plus, we’ve got a great team of writers and artists working on these stories, so it’s a promising premise for any Deadpool fan.

Deadpool: Black, White & Blood #1
Written by Tom Taylor, Ed Brisson, and James Stokoe
Illustrated by James Stokoe, Whilce Portacio, and Phil Noto
Cover by Adam Kubert
Variant covers by Kyle Hotz, James Stokoe, and Ryan Stegman

• LIKE A CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE MOVIE,
• BUT WITH WAY MORE BLOOD!
• What’s black, white, and red all over? Three blood-drenched tales of violence and mayhem led by Marvel’s Mirthful Mercenary himself, Deadpool! You want to see today’s top talent take it to the hilt to bring you the wildest Wade Wilson adventures yet?! This is the book for you! It’s as plain as black and white. And red.

8. Clash of the Titans – I Mean, Kaiju!

Kyle Higgins has brought new life to “Ultraman” within Marvel comics, and the next mini-series wraps up here. “The Trials of Ultraman” have brought in man-made Kaiju while Ultraman struggles against real giant monsters, and it all comes to a close here. The stakes are high, the battlefield is epic, and the story has been a blast so far, so let’s see how it ends.

The Trials of Ultraman #5
Written by Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom
Illustrated by Francesco Manna
Cover by Arthur Adams
Variant cover by Arthur Adams

• It’s man-made Kaiju vs. real-deal Kaiju vs. Ultraman — on a shifting battlefield of ice and fire, with thousands of lives at stake!
• When the smoke clears, will Ultraman be left standing? And if not, will it be because of the Kaiju battle… or the unexpected betrayal of a trusted friend?

Continued below

7. Always Bet on Black (Panther)

After Ta-Nehisi Coates wrapped up his epic “Black Panther” run, what’s next for the king of Wakanda? Well, now it’s John Ridley’s turn, with a new arc and new secrets. It’s always exciting when a new creative team takes over for a popular character, and we’re already getting big promises from John Ridley and Juann Cabal. So let’s see what they’ve got planned!

Also, that cover by Alex Ross is stunning, but that’s no surprise given the quality of his work.

Black Panther #1
Written by John Ridley
Illustrated by Juann Cabal
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant covers by Simone Bianchi, Todd Nauck, John Romita Jr., Skottie Young, and Taurin Clarke

• NEW CREATIVE TEAM, NEW DIRECTION – “THE LONG SHADOW” STARTS HERE!
• Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and Stormbreaker artist Juann Cabal launch an all-new BLACK PANTHER series with an action-packed espionage story that will upend everything in T’Challa’s life and have ramifications for the entire Marvel Universe!
• Secrets from T’Challa’s past have come back to haunt him! Fresh from returning from his travels in space, Black Panther receives an unexpected and urgent message from a Wakandan secret agent! Now T’Challa must race the clock not only to save his agent, but also to keep his true agenda under wraps. Because if the truth comes out, it could cost T’Challa everything…

6. Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

With Kang set to make his live action debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it’s time to revisit the villain and see what makes him tick. Fans of “Young Avengers” may recall his brief stint as a hero under the name “Iron Lad,” but it’s not a linear progression from hero to villain. Oh no, there’s a lot more time travel and paradoxes in there. Like, a lot of paradoxes. Now it’s time for Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing to try and make those into a story we can follow. So, get ready for some timey-wimey stuff as we see Kang’s origin.

Kang the Conqueror #1
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Illustrated by Carlos Magno
Cover by Mike Del Mundo
Variant covers by Ryan Stegman, Skottie Young, Todd Nauck, Natacha Bustos, Juann Cabal, Carmen Carnero, Joshua Cassara, Iban Coello Patrick Gleason, Peach Momoko, and R.B. Silva

• THE ORIGIN OF KANG!
• The man called Kang the Conqueror has been a pharaoh, a villain, a warlord of the space ways and even, on rare occasions, a hero. Across all timelines, one fact seemed absolute: Time means nothing to Kang the Conqueror.
• But the truth is more complex. Kang is caught in an endless cycle of creation and destruction dictated by time and previously unseen by any but the Conqueror himself. A cycle that could finally explain the enigma that is Kang. And a cycle that begins and ends with an old and broken Kang sending his younger self down a dark path…

5. OBJECTION! Wait, hold on…

The “X-Men” status quo has been shaken up significantly since all the mutants moved to Krakoa, and the writers are working on exploring as much of that story potential as possible. One of Krakoa’s rules is a pretty hard “no” on killing humans, but considering how many mutants used to be villains, that might be easier said than done. So now we have Magneto, one of the top mutants on Krakoa but also the former supervillain, apparently with blood on his hands. What awaits us in the trial of Magneto? It will be exciting to see how it plays out and what the truth behind the murder is.

X-Men: The Trial of Magneto #1
Written by Leah Williams
Illustrated by Lucas Werneck
Cover by Valerio Schiti
Variant covers by John Romita Jr., Elizabeth Torque, David Finch, Mark Brooks, Greg Capullo, Peach Momoko, Todd Nauck, and Artgerm

• THE STORY THAT WILL SHAKE KRAKOA TO ITS CORE!
• A horrific murder. A shocking revelation. A trial that will divide the new mutant nation. Leah Williams and Valerio Schiti bring you a new epic that threatens the Reign of X and will upend the world of mutants. The truth is hidden, the danger is far from over, and the trial has begun

Continued below

4. To Defend of Avenge?

In case anyone needed a reminder, the Avengers aren’t the only super team in the Marvel universe. The Defenders is also a pretty big team when it exists, and it’s coming together for a five-issue mini-series to face a reality-threatening crisis. We’ve got a crazy combination of characters (including some I don’t even recognize off the top of my head) on a time-spanning chase, so this is looking like a good time.

Defenders #1
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Javier Rodríguez
Cover by Javier Rodríguez
Variant covers by Marcos Martin, Rob Liefeld, Ron Lim, Peach Momoko, Carlos Pacheco, and George Pérez

• SUPERSTARS AL EWING & JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ REUNITE
• FOR A COSMOS-COLLIDING JOURNEY!
• When existence itself faces extraordinary threats, it needs an extraordinary defense! That’s when you call…THE DEFENDERS!
• DOCTOR STRANGE and the MASKED RAIDER take a non-team of Marvel’s weirdest, wildest heroes on a mission that will uncover the hidden architecture of reality itself! This cosmos was not the first to exist…but if the DEFENDERS can’t track Marvel’s oldest villain through the deepest trenches of time — it might be the last!

3. Infinite Avenging

Of course, the Avengers still get their time to shine. The “Infinite Destinies” story is wrapping up here, focusing on the Infinity Stones and those who are wielding their powers, including a new character who starts off strong against two of the most iconic Avengers characters. So if you’ve been interested in the latest drama around the Infinity Stones and what’s next for the Avengers, this will be a good comic to catch.

Avengers Annual #1
Written by Jed Mackay
Illustrated by Travel Foreman
Cover by Federico Vicentini
Variant cover by Ron Lim

• “INFINITE DESTINIES” CONCLUDES!
• The last secret of the Infinity Stones and Infinity Stone-Bearers is revealed here. Meet the new character who beats Captain America and Iron Man within an inch of their lives. What saves them? This character’s other desires.
• ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The conclusion of “Infinite Fury”!

2. More Voices to be Heard

Of course I’m going to include another comic focusing on representation. Marvel has a great array of Asian superheroes, as well as equally great Asian writers and artists. Now we get a comic highlighting them all, including some personal favorites. DC recently did something similar with its “Festival of Heroes,” now it’s time for Marvel to do the same, and I can’t wait to read it.

Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1
Written by Gene Luen Yang, Christina Strain, Greg Pak, Maurene Goo, and more!
Illustrated by Marcus To, Jason Loo, Creees Lee, Lynne Yoshii, and more!
Cover by Jim Cheung
Variant covers by Inhyuk Lee, Peach Momoko, Philip Tan, Mashal Ahmed, and Rian Gonzales

• CELEBRATING THE GREATEST ASIAN SUPER HEROES AND CREATORS FROM ACROSS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!
• Some of the best Asian super heroes in comics are getting the spotlight in this special action-packed and heartfelt issue! Shang-Chi! Ms. Marvel! Jubilee! Silk! Jimmy Woo! Come celebrate these amazing and legendary heroes from new and established Asian creators that will surely expand “the world outside your window!” Plus: Be prepared for some big and special surprises that can only be told in the Mighty Marvel Manner!

1. Fantastic… Fsixty?

Marvel’s first family turns 60. That’s a lot of adventures for the Fantastic Four, but lately, things have been getting bigger and crazier than ever for them, so it’s all building up to quite the anniversary. Now it’s back to Kang, with attacks across their timeline, highlighting the many eras of the Fantastic Four (though maybe we can skip Sue’s 90’s era outfit, because that was just ridiculous). So let’s celebrate sixty years of the Fantastic Four in style!

Fantastic Four #35
Written by Dan Slott and Mark Waid
Illustrated by John Romita Jr., Paul Renaud, and Jason Loo
Cover by Mark Brooks
Variant covers by John Romita Jr., Elizabeth Torque, Jack Kirby, Paul Renaud, Betsy Cola, and Netease

• A TITANIC 60TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!
• The entire Kang bloodline is out to destroy every era of the Fantastic Four! How can Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny hope to survive simultaneous attacks across their lifetimes by Rama Tut, the Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror and Kang’s final descendant, the sinister Scion?! Join the FF and some special surprise guest stars as John Romita Jr. returns to Marvel and joins forces with writer Dan Slott for this celebratory adventure! Marvel’s First Family will literally never be the same again!
• Plus: Mark Waid and Paul Renaud deliver dramatic new insights into the origin of the fabulous foursome in an all-new anniversary tale!

Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

Robbie Pleasant

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