Another month of comics has been announced, and these will be the notes that Marvel ends 2017 on. Before we start looking forward to 2018 too much, let’s see what will be worthwhile. Some comics are promising big twists, others more of the same (for better or worse), and some seem just plain fun.
No matter what, though, the Phoenix variant covers will at least look awesome.
10. After the Venom-Verse
We’ve got an event right now where versions of familiar heroes with Venom symbiotes all work together, now it seems we’re getting one where former and current symbiote-infectees have to work together.
Except for Mac Gargan. He still counts as a former Venom.
Will this be a groundbreaking change in the Spider-Man universe? Probably not. Will it be a fun event for Spider-Man fans to follow for a month or so? Most likely.
Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Venom Inc. Alpha #1
Written by Dan Slott and Mike Costa
Illustrated by Ryan Stegman
Variant Covers by Adi Granov and TBA• Peter Parker, Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson have one major thing in common – the Venom symbiote changed all of their lives. The inky black alien life-form is doubling down on our heroes – and they’re not the only ones about to be put through the ringer. VENOM INC. kicks off here and rolls into AMAZING SPIDER-MAN & VENOM as a familiar face rises to new levels of villainy!
• 40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T …$4.99
9. Iron Combo
Invincible and Infamous together, along with all the iron armored heroes of Marvel. This issue makes big promises, and Brian Michael Bendis has been known to create some epic event storylines, so this is pretty promising. Can Riri and Doom work together? What will come of Tony Stark? We may find out soon enough.
Invincible Iron Man #595
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli & Alex Maleev
Cover by R.B. Silva• THE SEARCH FOR TONY STARK Part 3
• Riri Williams and Victor Von Doom TEAM UP to solve the mystery of Tony Stark’s fate. Guest-starring the entire armored Marvel Universe as one of Tony’s biggest storylines ever heads toward a big issue #600 whopper!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
8. Terrific Two
If anyone had asked me before “Secret Wars” if I was a fan of “Fantastic Four,” I’d have probably shrugged and said “I like some of them.” Fortunately, those “some” are the two that have stuck around, and quite frankly, The Thing and Human Torch are a lot more interesting when they’ve got their own things going on outside of the old team. So now they’re teaming up again, and we’ll be able to see how they’ve changed or how well they can still work together now that Reed, Sue, and the kids are off somewhere in the multiverse.
Marvel 2-in-One #1
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Jim Cheung
Variant Covers by Alex Ross, Arthur Adams, Mike McKone, John Byrne, Jon Malin, Jack Kirby, and John Tyler Christopher• The Fate of the Four Part 1
• THE FOUR ARE NO MORE, SO TWO MUST DO! Something is very wrong with THE HUMAN TORCH and only THE THING can help him! It’s the Marvel Universe reunion you’ve all been waiting for (well, HALF of it, at least!). Plus: What monumental secret has DOOM been hiding since the end of SECRET WARS, and how will it completely change the lives of Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm? PLUS: Includes 3 bonus MARVEL PRIMER PAGES!
• 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
7. Hail to the Mayor
So Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is mayor of New York City. I miss the days when that would seem like a crazy thing that could only happen in a comic book universe, but at this point he’d be a welcome reprieve from modern politics. Politics aside, the groundwork for this has even been set back in “Secret Empire,” with his more “humanitarian” work while New York was trapped in the Darkforce, so it’s a progression that makes sense within the logic of the universe. How will Kingpin do as the mayor? I’m honestly looking forward to finding out.
Continued belowOh, and I guess some stuff happens with Daredevil in and out of his secret identity too, but that’s not what I’m focused on.
Daredevil #596
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Stefano Landini
Cover by Dan Mora
Phoenix Variant Cover by David Lopez• MAYOR FISK Part 2
• Newly elected Mayor Wilson Fisk has declared Daredevil Public Enemy No. 1. Now, every bit of law enforcement in New York City is out to take him down, and the Man Without Fear has nowhere to hide – while Matt Murdock receives the most incredible offer of his legal career.
• 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
6. Phoenix Rising From the Ashes. Again.
There’s a saying in comics: “No one stays dead except for Batman’s parents and Uncle Ben.” That saying used to include Bucky as well, but he came back. Jean Grey’s done a good job staying dead for as long as she has, and even her time-displaced younger self has done a good job differentiating herself from the original Jean. But her return has already been spoiled by early reviews of “Marvel Legacy,” so it’s time to see what her return will bring. So much has changed for the Marvel universe since she died, how will she react to it? It’ll be fun to find out.
Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of (Adult) Jean Grey #1
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Illustrated by Leinil Yu
Variant Covers by Artgerm, Arthur Adams, John Tyler Christopher, Francesco Mattina, John Byrne, Skottie Young, and Leinil Yu• THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY Part 1
• She will return, like a Phoenix from the ashes. Years ago, Jean Grey died and the X-Men mourned her. Since then, the world has changed, her teammates have lived without her and died without her. And now, when strange events start happening all over the world, those teammates can only come to one conclusion – the one true Jean Grey is back!
• 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
5. Sinister Secrets
I’m not going to lie about it, I love Mr. Sinister as a villain and a character. The class, the charisma, and of course, the mad science. Recent years have given us some incredibly strong character work from him, and while he’s still mostly tied in to the X-Men, he’s still had some fun outside of the realm of mutants. So how will a team of Inhumans fare against him? Only one way to find out!
Secret Warriors #10
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Illustrated by Javier Garron & Will Robson
Cover by Javier Garron• VERSUS MISTER SINISTER Part 3
• When Mr. Sinister frames the Secret Warriors for a horrible tragedy, the gang is forced to go underground. But will their fellow Inhumans protect them–or expose them? Meanwhile, Karnak is still pulling strings at the Inhuman-run Ennilux. But is he working alone, or are the Warriors still under his sway?
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
4. Squirrels In Space!
Just look at that cover. Then look at the solicit. If this is not the best thing you’ve seen all week then I envy your life, because here we have Squirrel Girl on the Silver Surfer’s board, chilling with Beta Ray Bill, and getting to deal with the Sorcerer Supreme Loki. What’s not to like?
Continued belowThe Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Erica Henderson
Variant overs by Veronica Fish, MIke McKone, Michael & Laura Allred, and John Tyler Christopher• THE FORBIDDEN PLA-NUT Part 1
• What happens when we take Squirrel Girl back to her roots? Well, we shoot her into space, OBVIOUSLY. Nancy and Tippy find themselves on an alien world where all is not what it seems. Squirrel Girl needs to find a way to get to the other side of the universe to save ’em, STAT. Intergalactic transport through the cosmic realm? This sounds like a job for the Sorcerer Supreme! I’m sure Doctor Strange will be happy to he – I’m sorry, what’s that? Doctor Strange is gone and now LOKI is Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme? Oh. Well, I’m sure he’ll do his best. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Guess what, in this issue, everything possible goes wrong!
• 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
3. More Marvels, More Madness
One of the best things about the Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel is her ability to inspire. Whether it’s her fellow heroes, her foes, or the average person on the street, she does her best to connect with them, and while recent events have caused her no small amount of pain, she’s most definitely been setting the seeds of greatness. Just from looking at the cover, it seems it’s going to pay off now, for even if Kamala herself has vanished (and after all she’s been through, who can blame her?), we can see how she’s inspired others to step up.
Ms. Marvel #25
Written by G. Willow Wilson
Illustrated by Nico Leon
Cover by Valerio Schiti
Variant Covers by Takeshi Miyazaki, Jacob Wyatt, Mike McKone, and John Tyler Christopher• Teenage Wasteland Part 1
• Jersey City still has a need for a super hero, but why has KAMALA KHAN, a.k.a MS. MARVEL, vanished? In the wake of her disappearance, the city’s newest hero RED DAGGER and even ordinary citizens attempt to carry on her Legacy of heroism. MS. MARVEL is nowhere…but also everywhere at once! And when an old enemy re-emerges, will anyone be powerful enough to truly carry the MS. MARVEL legacy but Kamala? PLUS: Includes 3 bonus MARVEL PRIMER PAGES!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
2. Hawk Yeah!
Will I ever get enough of the Clint and Kate Hawkeyes teaming up? Unlikely. Their chemistry as both mentor/apprentice and as trusted friends is just too good. Typically it has Clint in the main role, with Kate as the backup Hawkeye, but this is her solo run now, so she gets to be the one calling the shots. It should be great seeing how this impacts their dynamics, and all the hijinks that ensue.
Hawkeye #13
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Leonardo Romero
Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco
Variant Covers by Michael Walsh, Greg Smallwood, and Mike McKone• FAMILY REUNION Part 1
• Can L.A. really handle TWO HAWKEYES? Just as Kate reaches out to ask for Clint’s help with finding her dead mother, Clint shows up needing help of his own. An unknown party is gunning for him and it kicks off a chase across Los Angeles with two Hawkeyes trying to stay one step ahead, fully alive, and with minimal property damage…well, okay, with moderate property damage. Re-united and it feels so good!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
1. Refresh Your X
To say that the X-Men have a long and convoluted history would be an understatement. Between all the many teams they’ve had, the deaths and rebirths, the time travelers and the alternate dimensions, there’s a lot to keep up with. Ed Piskor thinks he can create a narrative that tells it all, and I’m inclined to believe him, as herculean a task that may be. In this series of tangled continuities, creating a new jumping on point is important, as is honoring the X-Men legacy, both of which this comic aims to do.
X-Men: Grand Design #1
Written, illustrated, and covers by by Ed Piskor• From Eisner award-winning creator Ed Piskor (Hip-Hop Family Tree) comes a thrilling new series chronicling all of X-Men history! X-MEN: GRAND DESIGN stitches together the most important moments in mutant history, creating a comprehensive narrative celebrating the X-Men’s past, present, and future. The first in a trilogy, GRAND DESIGN returns to Charles Xavier’s assembly of Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, and Beast! A must for fans looking to brush up on their X-Men lore or as jumping-on point for Marvel’s merry mutants.
• 48 PGS./Rated T+ …$5.99
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
