What comics will Marvel end 2019 with? Will we see glorious victories of heroes, the rise of villains, or something strange and unexpected? Well, it won’t be too unexpected now, since it’s time to look at the top ten comics for the end of the year.
10. Can’t Keep a Good Ghost Rider Down
Yep, Cosmic Ghost Rider is far from done. We’ve seen him mess with Marvel history, temporarily join the Guardians of the Galaxy, and race against the other Ghost Riders, now we get to see more fun and madness from the second weirdest thing to ever happen to Frank Castle.
Maybe the third weirdest if we count that time he was an angel. But I don’t.
Either way, I can’t get enough Cosmic Ghost Rider chaos.
Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #1
Written by Dennis Hallum & Donny Cates
Illustrated by Scot Hepburn & Geoff Shaw
Cover by Scott Hepburn
Variant covers by Adam Gorham, Ron Lim, Logan Lubera, and Gerardo Zaffino• Cosmic Ghost Rider is back, baby! But with a reputation like his, it’s only a matter of time before the law catches up to the future Frank Castle and tries to put him in chains – too bad for the law, chains are Castle’s weapons of choice these days. Now in an intergalactic prison, the Rider is going to turn his cage into an all-out cage match! Who’s going to be the last alien standing?! Find out in this all new miniseries from Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum (MARVEL’S SPIDERMAN: CITY AT WAR) and Scott Hepburn (DEADPOOL)!
• Plus – Don’t miss out on a brand new short story from the guys who started it all, Donny Cates (ABSOLUTE CARNAGE) and Geoff Shaw (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY)!
• 40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99
9. Welcome, to the World of Tomorrow!
After “2099 Alpha,” now we get the Omega. Doctor Doom is in command, and there’s plenty of future trouble to deal with. This month also gives us more “2099” comics, including Spider-Man and Ghost Rider, so let’s just say this one counts for all the futuristic fun of 2099 we’ll be getting that month. Although honestly, a part of me is just glad to see Doom take over the world properly every now and then.
2099 Omega #1
Written by Nick Spencer
Illustrated by Gerardo Sandoval
Cover by Patrick Gleason
Variant covers by Nick Bradshaw and Gerardo Sandovan• THE FUTURE ENDS HERE!
• Run by Doctor Doom and bereft of heroes by design, 2099 is a rough place.
• All power and no responsibility, the world is in trouble and no one is helping. Is there truly no hope?
• 40 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T …$4.99
8. From United King, I’m Looking For Him, I’m Going to California
What’s in store for the X-Men teams this month? While the ongoing assortment of X-titles all look like a real treat, this month goes to Excalibur, featuring Captain Britain, secrets revealed, and Apocalypse working with the good guys. Betsy Braddock is Captain Britain now, and this will be a chance to really see how she shines in that role. At the same time, it will be interesting to see how Apocalypse works as part of a team, rather than as a big bad.
Excalibur #3
Written by Tini Howard
Illustrated by Marcus To
Cover by Mahmud Asrar
Variant cover by Koi Pham• THE GREEN EARTH TREMBLES!
• THE HARD TRUTH OF THE CAPTAINS BRITAIN!
• Captain Britain must face the truth about her brother and choose her path forward as MI-13 and the agents of the crown become aware of her ascension. As the lighthouse grows, Apocalypse and Rictor must master the earth beneath their feet.
• 32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (EACH)
7. And Down He Goes
We’ve gotten pieces of Kylo Ren’s fall to the Dark Side in the Star Wars movies, but mostly through flashbacks and unreliable narrators. For instance, in The Last Jedi, we see the same scene in two different flashbacks, showing very different points of view. We still don’t know much about the Knights of Ren, or how Snoke first got into his head. Now we get to learn more about that as we see what led Ben Solo to by Kylo Ren. Hopefully in a way that’s not later contradicted or made redundant by the next movie.
Continued belowStar Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Will Sliney
Cover by Clayton Carnero
Variant cover by John Tyler Christopher• WITH BEN SOLO’S FALL… COMES KYLO REN’S RISE!
• Young Ben Solo is legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker’s most promising pupil. As the son of Rebel Alliance heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo, as well as Luke’s own nephew, Ben has the potential to be a great force for light in the galaxy. But the Skywalker legacy casts a long shadow, the currents of the dark side run deep, and Darth Vader’s blood runs in Ben’s veins. Voices call from both his past and his future, telling him who he must be. He will shatter, he will be reforged, his destiny will be revealed. Snoke awaits. The Knights of Ren await. Ben Solo’s path to his true self begins here.
• 40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99
• Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2019 Lucasfilm Ltd.
6. Long Live the King
Jason Aaron has been crafting a “Thor” story that spans entire millennia, often times with all of Thor’s older and younger selves interacting. It comes full circle, with Gorr the God-Butcher and three Thors. How will this epic tale come to an end? I can’t wait to find out.
King Thor #4
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Esad Ribic, Russell Dauterman, Mike Del Mundo & more
Cover by Esad Ribic
Variant covers by Mike Del Mundo and Steve Epting• THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE YEARS-SPANNING, AWARD-WINNING SAGA!
• The sun has gone black. Midgard isn’t far behind. The entire Multiverse is dying — and with it, the last of the gods. A millennium ago, the God of Thunder heard a whisper: “Gorr was right.” Now Gorr the God of God-Butchers ascends to his final murder: the All-Father of all existence. Plus, a who’s who of Jason’s past THOR collaborators and a few surprise guests help close out the story in thunderous style!
• 56 PGS./Rated T+ …$5.99
5. Give Me The News
Doctor Stephen Strange, PhD is back. Not just Doctor Strange the Sorcerer Supreme, but the surgeon. It’s been a part of his backstory since the beginning, but the damage to his hands has always been a part of his character. Now his hands are back, and we get to see him as a surgeon again while trying to juggle that with his responsibilities as Sorcerer Supreme. This will be an interesting dilemma to see unfold.
Dr. Strange #1
Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Kev Walker
Cover by Phil Noto
Variant covers by InHyuk Lee, Frank Miller, Skottie Young, and Gerardo Zaffino• The impossible has happened! Doctor Strange’s hands have been healed, restoring his surgical skills – but now he’s being torn between his obligations as the Sorcerer Supreme and as a neurosurgeon. And when he’s forced to choose which vows to uphold, who suffers most for it? After all, magic always has a cost…Be here for a brand new era of magic…and horror from Mark Waid (HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE) and Kev Walker (BLACK PANTHER)!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
4. Still Worthy
Oh yeah, we’ve got more Thor stories coming at you. As much as I love Jason Aaron’s work, he’s not the only writer who’s created some great “Thor” comics. Now we have three prolific writers contributing stories about not just Thor himself, but many others who were worthy of wielding Mjolnir. What’s not to love?
Continued belowThor: The Worthy #1
Written by Walter Simonson, Tom Defalco, and Kathryn Immonen
Illustrated by Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, Mike Hawthorne, and more
Cover by Kim Jazinto
Variant cover by Walter Simonson• LEGENDARY THOR CREATORS REUNITE FOR A THUNDEROUS CELEBRATION!
• Walter Simonson’s Thor run is widely considered to be not only some of the best Thor comics of all time, but simply some of the best comics, period. Now the legend returns for a special tale about Thor and Beta Ray Bill — with art from Mike Hawthorne and beloved veteran Sal Buscema! And the trio is joined by yet another unforgettable Thor team: Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, who will be telling an all-new Thunderstrike story! Finally, no Thor story would be complete without his most trusted companion: the berserker, the warrior extraordinaire, the Lady Sif! Kathyrn Immonen wrote one of the landmark Sif tales in her run on Journey Into Mystery — and now she returns for a brand-new journey!
• 40 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
3. Oh Sssssnap
Jim Zub has been on a roll lately, with a number of fantastic fantasy comics. “Conan” is no exception, and we’re now getting our first event comic since Conan was brought back into the Marvel universe. Plus, Moon Knight gets to join in, which is just icing on the cake.
Conan: Serpent War #1
Written by Jim Zub
Illustrated by Scot Eaton
Cover by Carlos Pacehco
Variant covers by Neal Adams, InHyuk Lee, Giuseppe Camuncoli, David Finch• THE WRATH OF THE SERPENT GOD!
• WARRIORS ACROSS TIME DEFY THE ELDER GODS!
• JAMES ALLISON will soon die. But it’s not his first death. He’s lived many lives, in many places – lives he can recall in vivid detail. But when an Elder God called the WYRM reaches across time to James, an ages-spanning quest begins! The serpent god SET plans to usher in an eternity of darkness, and only the chosen warriors across time and space have a hope of stopping him: CONAN THE BARBARIAN, SOLOMON KANE, DARK AGNES, and the man known as MOON KNIGHT!
• In an unprecedented comics event, Robert E. Howard’s characters join forces along with Marvel’s Moon Knight, in an all-new saga built on REH and Marvel lore from across the ages!
• 40 PGS./PARENTAL ADVISORY …$4.99
2. Scourge of Spoilers
We’re getting plenty of “Annihilation – Scourge” tie-ins this month, including “Silver Surfer,” “Nova,” and “Fantastic Four.” So how does it end? No one can say. We can’t even say what the cover is, because it was hidden from the solicits for being a spoiler (hence our use of the “Annihilation – Scourge Alpha” cover). But big, cosmic events are always worth highlighting, so let’s see how this event comes to a close.
Annihilation – Scourge Omega #1
Written by Mathew Rosenberg
Illustrated by Manuel Garcia
Cover by Josemaria Casanovas
Variant cover by Arthur Adams• In the face of the Annihilation, there is no more room in the cosmos for heroes or villains – only survival.
• 40 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
1. Here it Comes
This is how Marvel closes out their 80th anniversary year. A major event that kicks off the overarching story for 2020, featuring a wide array of writers and artists. Multiple teams and key characters are coming together for this, and someone is going to die. So this is how the year ends – let’s see where it goes.
Also, I’m fairly certain that the silhouetted figure with a sword on one of the variant covers is Hulkling. So it’s about time his personal story got more of a focus.
Incoming #1
Written by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, Greg Pak, Eve L. Ewing, Mat Rosenberg, Ed Brisson, Saladin Ahmed, Tini Howard, Jonathan Hickman, Donne Cates, and Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Humberto Ramos, Jim Cheung, and more
Cover by Patrick Gleason
Variant covers by Dustin Weaver, Kim Jacinto, Sanford Greene, Jim Cheung, J. Scott Campbell, Jorge Molina, and Patrick Gleason• ONE WILL UNITE THEM!
• A mysterious murder brings together the heroes of the Marvel Universe in the search for a killer – but no one can imagine where the trail will lead, or how it will affect everything in 2020 and beyond! Who is the victim and who is the assailant?
• The closing chapter to MARVEL’s 80th year, which will connect the dots of everything that happened in 2019 and propel the narrative into the year that is to come! Featuring the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the Champions, the Agents of Atlas, Valkyrie, the Immortal Hulk, Jessica Jones, Venom, Ghost Rider, the Masked Raider and more!
• 96 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$9.99
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
