As the year grows closer to its end, the days grow colder, and the shopping season braces to begin. But that’s not a problem, because we can plan ahead and pick some great comics to enjoy through the cold days. Marvel’s bringing us plenty to look forward to in November (including several comics that were pushed back a month, so I already talked about them last time), so let’s take a look at what’s ahead.
10. Snap.
Every now and then, villains get mini-series to shine a spotlight on them. Even Thanos, one of Marvel’s biggest bads, has had series exploring his history, his desires, and his challenges. Well, now’s one of those times again, as Christopher Cantwell and Luca Pizzari are taking their turn with the Mad Titan, and setting him up against Earth’s most secretive super organization, where the biggest brains make the biggest mistakes: the Illuminati. And when they’re involved, you know the threat is going to be one of their own making, so let’s see how it plays out.
Thanos #1 (of 4)
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Illustrated by Luca Pizzari
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
Variant covers by Kendrick “Kinkka” Lim, InHyuk Lee, and Phil Noto• THANOS VS. THE ILLUMINATI!
• The Mad Titan descends upon Earth to retrieve something he has lost. And the Illuminati must band together to stop him, because they’re the ones who hid it from him!
9. A Woman on the Warpath
Spider-Woman didn’t get to play too big a role in the latest Spider-Verse event, on account of being… erased from reality. But they brought her back, and when last we saw, she was on the warpath. Now we get that story, as it ties in to a new “Gang War” event, featuring teams of villains creating a new threat. It’s gonna be quite the crossover, with Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, and more taking to the streets with her, so it’ll likely be a fun one for any fans of Jessica Drew.
Spider-Woman #1 (of 4)
Written by Steve Foxe
Illustrated by Carola Borelli
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu
Variant covers by Carmine Infantino, Steve Leialoha, Benga, Felipe Massafera, Kael Ngu, and Ejikure• GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
• The Web of Destiny restored Spider-Woman’s life, but even CAPTAIN MARVEL and MADAME WEB can tell something’s changed. Now SPIDER-MAN wants to recruit her for a new team because VIPER has engineered a deadly union between HYDRA and DIAMONDBACK that’s about to tear the city apart, bringing forth a new foe powerful enough to destroy the city while burning Spider-Woman’s world to the ground.
• DON’T MISS OUT on this action-packed premiere that features CAPTAIN MARVEL, SPIDER-MAN, VIPER and DIAMONDBACK…and introduces a terrifying new force of evil in SPIDER-WOMAN’s world!
8. Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Tony Stark has been a bit busy lately, between buying up every superweapon he can to destroy them, having his company bought out, and an unexpected marriage. So now’s the best time for his protege to return with the Mandarin’s Ten Rings under her control, right? Well, we’d better hope so, because Riri Williams is back, so we’ll see what she’s been up to, and if it’s been working out for her. And if not, well, at least it’ll be an exciting comic, and give Tony something else to do. But Gerry Duggan has been on a roll, so it’ll be exciting to see what’s in store.
Invincible Iron Man #12
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Ig Guara
Cover by Kael Ngu
Variant covers by John Tyler Christopher and Ken Lashley• Tony Stark is a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. His wife is a brilliant, brutal telepath. But neither of them have an answer to the Stark Sentinel problem.
• To solve that, Tony’s going to have to go to the smartest person he knows: IRONHEART!
• But with everything on the line, can Tony still trust her, or have the Rings of the Mandarin changed Riri?
7. Back to Battleworld
Continued below
“Secret Wars” was the first Marvel event comic, kicking off the many, many, maaany events that followed. But never one to let an old event lie unexamined, Marvel is taking us back in time to Battleworld for even more story and filling in some bits and pieces left unfinished. If nothing else, it’ll be a fun flashback, but I look forward to seeing what Tom DeFalco has in store.
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 (of 4)
Written by Tom DeFalco
Illustrated by Pat Olliffe
Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Variant covers by Pat Olliffe, Francesco Mobili, Ryan Stegman, John Tyler Christopher, Todd Nauck, and Sean Galloway• AFTER NEARLY FORTY YEARS, THE MYSTERIES OF THE SECRET WARS DEEPEN!
• Get ready for an ALL-NEW cataclysmic battle from when SPIDER-MAN first got his ALIEN COSTUME, when a mysterious being called the BEYONDER assembled super heroes and villains from Earth to do battle on a patchwork planet – yes, witness now an untold adventure set during the original SECRET WARS! MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS set the standard for Marvel Comics events (as well as action figures and the characters existing on the forefront of pop culture), and this new story will at last reveal some secret connections and MISSING CHARACTERS going back to the 1984 original series, just in time for its 40th Anniversary! What SECRET TEST are the BEYONDERS conducting…and how will SPIDER-MAN, the HUMAN TORCH and the whole cast determine the fate of the universe?
• (PLUS: Surprise super-villain appearances inside!)
6. Return of Apocalypse
“X-Men Red” has been an exciting exploration of mutant life in space, but with the Fall of X, things have suddenly gotten significantly worse on the red planet. Mind you, things were already pretty bad with Genesis on the attack, and now Apocalypse is returning too. He made his departure on the side of mutantkind at the end of “X of Swords,” so what brings him back into the fray, and can whose side will he stand with? I can’t wait to see.
X-Men Red #17
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Yildiray Cinar
Cover by Stefano Caselli
Variant covers by Dike Ruan and TBA• APOCALYPSE NOW!
• When Genesis returned to Arakko, she brought war in her wake. What will her husband bring with him? This issue – Apocalypse returns! Storm holds the ultimate weapon in her grip – but in the face of En Sabah Nur, even that may not be enough…
5. What the Quack?
Who would have thought that Howard the Duck would ever be celebrating his 50th anniversary? Probably not Howard, but here we are, with a celebratory issue featuring some of the best creators to write for the feathery… dude named Howard. Will this show Howard that it’s a wonderful life, or will the grass be greener on the other side of the “What If?” We’ll see soon enough.
Howard the Duck #1
Written by Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Kibblesmith, Merritt K, and more
Illustrated by Joe Quinones, Annie Wu, and more
Cover by Ed McGuinness
Variant covers by Skottie Young, Annie Wu, Ron Lim, and Joe Quinones• CHIP ZDARSKY, JOE QUINONES & FRIENDS HELP HOWARD CELEBRATE HIS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN THIS ALL-NEW ONE-SHOT!
• Meet Howard. He’s a hard-boiled P.I. with problems by the duckload. But a cosmic, all-seeing friend(?) known as the Peeper(!) is giving him a chance to see what his life COULD be! The joys he COULD have! All the ways his life COULD suck way less than it does now! In other words: “Whaugh If?”
4. Feeling Blue?
Si Spurrier has been writing pretty much all things Nightcrawler lately, and that now includes his origin story. We’ve learned about his roots before, but comics are always adding on new information (or making retcons, however you want to look at it), and Nightcrawler’s history is no exception. So Si clearly has something in mind, which may impact all the other Nightcrawler-centric stories moving forward (and probably Mystique as well), which means this will be a comic Kurt fans can’t miss.
Continued belowX-Men Blue: Origins #1
Written by Si Spurrier
Illustrated by Wilton Santos and Marcus To
Cover by Francis Manapul
Variant covers by Russell Dauterman and E.M. Gist• THE DEFINITIVE NIGHTCRAWLER ORIGIN STORY!
• This is the one you can’t miss, True Believer! You think you know how the beloved blue devil came into this troubled world? You think you know the tale of his mendacious mamma Mystique? You don’t! Mother and son reunite in a mold-shattering tale that exposes secrets held for decades and redefines both characters forever. A collector’s item in the making.
3. The Mayor’s Here
After getting elected mayor, Luke Cage hasn’t had much to do in the way of superheroics. In fact, he’s mostly been bogged down by paperwork. Well, with the “Gang War” crossover starting, he’s got a reason to get back out there where he can start punching things, because there’s no shortage of villains to fight and people to protect. If you’ve been wanting more Luke Cage, and are ready to see him be a hero again, this will be the comic for you.
Luke Cage: Gang War #1
Written by Rodney Barnes
Illustrated by Ramón F Bachs
Cover by Caanan White
Variant covers by Elena Casagrande and TBA• GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
• In the wake of the Anti-Vigilante Act, Luke has been trying to save the city from behind a desk. But a meeting with old friend DANNY RAND reminds him of the good old days when problems could be punched in order to solve them. As New York descends into a GANG WAR, Luke must use every power he has to protect the innocent and save his city!
2. Who’s This Guy?
Frank Castle disappeared at the end of the last “Punisher” run, off fighting monsters in distant realms. But that means it’s time for a legacy character. So who’s going to be the next Punisher? We don’t know, but the description of “John Wick meets The Fugitive” is enough to make me hyped (unless it also involves a dog getting killed, in which case the revenge is completely understandable but I might also need to skip that scene). David Pepose has a strong track record and seems very well suited for this story, especially with Dave Wachter providing the artwork, so let’s see who our next Punisher is and if he survives the experience.
Punisher #1
Written by David Pepose
Illustrated by Dave Wachter
Cover by Rod Reis
Variant covers by Skottie Young, Mico Suayan, Phil Noto, and Salvador Larroca• Is this the return of Frank Castle – or the start of something else?
• Frank Castle has disappeared, but evil will always need to be punished. With all-new threats rising to claim innocent victims, criminals will need to beware of a dangerous vigilante hunting them from the shadows. Who is the new Punisher? What put him on his path of vengeance? And when the smoke clears, will he even make it out alive?
• It’s John Wick meets The Fugitive in this action-packed new saga from Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (SAVAGE AVENGERS, MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD) and Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated artist Dave Wachter (PLANET OF THE APES, X-MEN LEGENDS), as the Marvel Universe meets the next generation of punishment!
1. Dive In
Howard the Duck isn’t the only one getting a celebratory issue this month, because the Merc with the Mouth is also getting an oversized issue filled with some of the biggest names who’ve written for him. There’s no shortage of excitement to look forward to, with plenty of assassinations, rivals, and likely romance as well, and with writers like Gail Simone returning to write for him, it’ll undoubtedly be a bloody good time.
Emphasis on the “bloody.”
Deadpool: Seven Slaughters #1
Written by Rob Liefeld, Cullen Bunn, Cody Ziglar, Marc Guggenheim, Justina Ireland, and Gail Simone
Illustrated by Rob Liefeld, Greg Land, Whilce Portacio, David Baldeon, and Philip Sevy
Cover by Greg Capullo
Variant covers by Ryan Brown, Sara Pichelli, Mr Garcin, and Elizabeth Torque• Seven kills in seven days!
• Welcome to a week in the life of Wade Wilson, the best mercenary Marvel’s ever had (just ask him)! From facing off with rival killers to top secret assassinations, DEADPOOL has a lot of work to do in this blood-soaked oversized issue full of fan-favorite creators past and future!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
