You know what the best thing about August is? My birthday. But the second best thing is all the awesome comics that’ll be coming out that month! We’re hitting a “Spider-Man” milestone, Judgment Day continues, Ultraman is back, and more. So let’s see what’s in store in the months to come…
10. Star Wars’ Most Wanted
Normally, I’d just pass up on “Han Solo & Chewbacca” as another tie-in you can give or take. Then I read this solicit. Chewbacca’s in prison, sure, but more importantly, he’s locked up with Maz Kanata and Boba Fett. Now that’s a team-up I never saw coming, but look forward to seeing. So it’s gonna be a fun run, no matter how it goes down.
Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca #6
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Illustrated by David Messina
Cover by Phil Noto
Variant covers by David Nakayama and Chris Sprouse“CHEWBACCA BEHIND BARS!”
• Chewie is held captive on the prison planet of Gulhadar!
• And you’ll never believe who his cellmates are. None other than Maz Kanata and Boba Fett!
• And whatever happened to the Millennium Falcon?
9. Spider-Verse, Spider-Verse, does whatever a spider… hearse? Course? Rhyming is hard.
The Spider-Verse is a topic Marvel’s been exploring for quite a few years, both in comics and on the silver screen. So with Across the Spider-Verse coming out next year, it’s time for the comics to explore more characters across it, including (perhaps most importantly) a t-rex Spidey called “Spider-Rex.”
Honestly, it had me at Spider-Rex. Spider-Man Noir and Araña are added bonuses. But only in comics can we get a tyrannosaurus with the proportional powers of a spider, and I love them for it.
Edge of the Spider-Verse #1 (of 5)
Written by Dan Slott, Alex Segura, and Karla Pacheco
Illustrated by Mark Bagley and more
Cover by Josemaria Casanovas
Variant covers by Humberto Ramos and Skottie YoungTHE END OF THE SPIDER-VERSE IS COMING!
• edge (’ej) noun – 1. outermost limit of an object – 2. the sharp side of a blade
• The leading edge of the Spider-Verse brought you Spider-Gwen and Peni Parker. This final edge will introduce you to some of the most important characters in the future of the Spider-Verse…but it will also slice the final strand of the web.
• IN THIS ISSUE: SPIDER-MAN NOIR! ARAÑA’S NEW STATUS QUO! SPIDER-REX AND MORE!
8. Mars Runs Red
A.X.E. isn’t limiting itself just to Earth. Arakko (formerly known as Mars) has plenty of mutants as well, and they love a good war. So we get to see how they fare against the Eternals, which should give us plenty of interesting matchups with a group of mutants we’re still getting to know. Y’know, give or take the other X-Men of Mars that will show up. But it should make for a nice tie-in to the “Judgment Day” event either way.
X-Men Red #6
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli
Cover by Russell Dauterman
Variant covers by Taurin Clarke and David NakayamaBATTLE FOR THE BROKEN LAND – AN A.X.E. TIE-IN!
• Planet Arakko chose peace over war. Now war has chosen them. The monstrous arsenal of the Eternals is on the march. The Arakkii must defend their broken land according to the ancient laws… but against an enemy even older than they are, can the old ways win? Or is a new Arakko about to be born?
7. You know the line
“I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating, and gets everywhere.”
For some reason, that became one of the most quotable and memeable lines from Attack of the Clones. So yes, we all know that Anakin hates sand, and this solicit even mentions exactly that. So considering this issue is basically “Vader versus sand,” well, of course I had to give it a spot on this list. But even beyond that, it sounds like it’ll make for an interesting challenge for Vader, both psychologically and in terms of his mastery of the Force. Oh, and Greg Pak’s run on “Darth Vader” has been excellent anyways, so it’s a win all around.
Continued belowStar Wars: Darth Vader #26
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Raffaele Ienco
Cover by Rahzzah
Variant covers by Alex Maleev and Chris SprouseINTO THE SAND!
• We all know about Anakin Skywalker’s aversion to finely ground particulate matter.
• But what does sand mean to the Dark Lord of the Sith?
• When Sabé, Vader’s unlikely new ally, goes missing, Vader must confront his own dark heart in the maelstrom of a terrible sandstorm — while tapping into one of his earliest skills in a wildly unexpected way!
6. Locked On Target
I like Hawkeye, and thankfully, we’ve had some excellent Hawkeye comics over the past few years. Now, as all the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals comics get their A.X.E. tie-ins, good ol’ Clint is stepping up to the plate. That’s right, “Judgment Day” means actual judgment for everyone, as it seems they have to justify their existence. So, Hawkeye’s up, and he has to prove why a hero whose only power is being really good with a bow and arrow (I know, he’s so much more than that) should keep on doing as he does. This ought to be an interesting one, to say the least.
Avengers #60
Written by Mark Russell
Illustrated by Greg Land
Cover by Javier Garrón
Variant cover by Marcos MartinA.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY TIE-IN!
• The Avengers’ ace archer is back! As Judgment Day looms, Hawkeye is called upon to justify his existence. As a benchmark, Hawkeye must prove that he brings at least as much joy and usefulness to the world as a randomly chosen mailbox, which, admittedly, is a pretty high bar.
5. Back For Round 3
Ultraman’s Marvel comics story isn’t done yet! Kyle Higgins is back with Mat Groom to bring us another Ultraman story, except… Ultraman isn’t there. But we’ve got a new Ultra in his place, and new mysteries to discover, along with plenty of giant monsters to fight. Oh, and some amusing backup stories as well (including one with Gurihiru artwork, which is always a plus). If you’ve been enjoying the previous “Ultraman” comics, you’ll want to catch this one.
Ultraman: The Mystery of Ultraseven #1 (of 5)
Written by Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom
Illustrated by Davide Tinto, David Lopez, and Gurihiru
Cover by E.J. Su
Variant covers by Nick Roche and Francesco Manna• Giant kaiju roam. A sinister conspiracy consolidates power. And there’s nobody left to stop it — because Ultraman is GONE!
• How did the situation go so wrong…? And how can the United Science Patrol claw their way back from the brink? The answers lie in the appearance of an enigmatic new Ultra, and a secret that has remained hidden for decades. From distant stars to lost dimensions, untangling this twisted web will require Shin Hayata to go farther and fight harder than ever before! So strap in — THE MYSTERY OF ULTRASEVEN unfolds now!
• PLUS: ANOTHER STORY FROM THE HISTORY OF ULTRA Q AND TWO MORE INSTRUCTIONAL KAIJU STEPS!
4. The Team-Up Disney+ Won’t Give Us
The next Ms. Marvel team-up comic has her working together with Moon Knight. Is it because they both have series on Disney+? Maybe, but I’ll take it anyways. The two have very little in common, so it’ll be interesting to see how they work off each other. And of course, Jody Houser has written plenty of entertaining comics, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she brings to both Kamala and Marc.
Continued belowMs. Marvel & Moon Knight #1
Written by Jody Houser
Illustrated by Ibraim Robserson
Cover by Sara Pichelli
Variant covers by Peach Momoko and Declan ShalveyTHE FIST OF KHONSHU MEETS THE EMBIGGENED FIST OF MS. MARVEL!
• MARC SPECTOR, A.K.A. MOON KNIGHT, protects the travelers of night…but what about those traveling to bring him death?
• A mechanical (and maniacal!) threat brings MS. MARVEL into Moon Knight’s orbit, and the gravity of what they uncover will require them to plumb the depths of life and death!
• The mystery teased in last month’s team-up with WOLVERINE continues to unfurl as the super hero spectacle of the summer sizzles on stands!
3. More Judgment
“Judgment Day” isn’t just hitting the X-Men, Eternals, and Avengers – it’s impacting the Marvel universe, so other characters are getting their tie-ins as well. In this case, Spider-Man is facing judgment, and well, of course it all comes back to the night Gwen Stacy died. So it’ll be an emotional issue, no doubt, but one that’ll be meaningful for the character and his history. Plus, it’ll be fun to see what Spidey’s up to while these three teams are going at it.
Amazing Spider-Man #10
Written by Zeb Wells
Illustrated by Nick Dragotta
Cover by John Romita Jr.
Variant cover by Jorge FornesA.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY TIE-IN!
• It’s time for Spider-Man to be judged, and I think we all know which moment in Spidey’s history is going to weigh heavily on the proceedings.
• You don’t want to miss this very special issue that might just break your heart all over again.
2. What’s the Damage?
Damage Control is back. Yes, someone needs to clean up the mess after superhero fights, which is where Damage Control comes in. And that concept alone is great, so it’s good to see them getting a new mini-series. Now, I haven’t seen The Goldbergs, so I can’t speak to Adam’s abilities, but I’ve heard great things, so I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of character and comedy he can bring to the comics. On top of that, we’re getting a second story along with it, featuring Damage Control and the Infinity Gauntlet. That all sounds good to me.
Damage Control #1 (of 5)
Written by Adam F. Goldberg, Hans Rodionoff, and Charlotte Fullerton
Illustrated by Will Robsen and Jay Fosgitt
Cover by Carlos Pacheco
Variant cover by Will RobsonFROM THE CREATOR OF TV’S THE GOLDBERGS!
• Marvel’s Unsung Heroes finally get sung! After the mega-powered battles and Hulk-level catastrophes, Damage Control is always there to clean up the mess and get things back to normal. But Damage Control is much more than just a glorified cleanup crew, and this new series will pull back the curtain and reveal the secret inner workings that were previously only available to people with Clearance Level Eight. And we’ll witness it all through the eyes of Gus: a fresh-faced, eager newcomer to the company who has no idea how chaotic his life is about to become.
• ADAM F. GOLDBERG (TV’s The Goldbergs) and HANS RODIONOFF team up with WILL ROBSON to take you into the secret labyrinth of Damage Control, where it’s totally common to run into familiar faces like Moon Knight! Nightcrawler! She-Hulk! And more!
• Plus: A second story by DAMAGE CONTROL creator Dwayne McDuffie’s McSpouse, Charlotte Fullerton, as the Damage Control crew must clean up after the Infinity Gauntlet!
1. A Spider-Milestone
1000 issues. That’s a lot. Ever since Spider-Man made his first appearance in “Amazing Fantasy” #15, the wall-crawler has been web-slinging his way through the hearts of readers around the world. Now he’s getting a big comic to celebrate the 1000th issue milestone, and they’re bringing everyone. Yes, even Neil Gaiman is writing a Spider-Man story in this one. So if you have even a little bit of love for good ol’ Peter Parker, or any of his supporting cast, you won’t want to miss this one.
Amazing Fantasy #1000
Written by Neil Gaiman, Armando Iannucci, Jonathan Hickman, Dan Slott, Ho Che Anderson, Kurt Busiek, Anthony Falcone, Rainbow Rowell, and more
Illustrated by Jim Cheung, Olivier Coipel, Michael Cho, Goran Parlov, and more
Cover by John Romita Jr.
Variant covers by Joe Quesada, J. Scott Campbell, Steve McNiven, Taurin Clarke, and Peach Momoko• The comic that brought you SPIDER-MAN hits issue #1000!
• We’re going big to celebrate in this, our thousandth issue of AMAZING FANTASY! An ALL-STAR roster of creators are coming together to celebrate Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s birthdays!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
