I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad to have 2020 left behind us. But when this unmitigated disaster of a year comes to an end, at least we’ll still have some good comics to wrap up the year with. This also kicks off the “King in Black” event, a Venom-centric story which will have tie-ins to multiple comics across the Marvel line. So with all that in mind, what does December 2020 have in store?
10. Stay Safe
How’ve you been holding up during shelter-in-place? It’s been tough for a lot of us, but at least we have comics to escape into. Now comics are helping us out further by showing us how Marvel characters would do in the same situation. Yes, it’s a comic meant for a younger crowd, but it’s still got a nice idea behind it and should be enjoyable for all ages. Besides, any comic with Gurihiru’s art gets my recommendation.
Heroes at Home #1
Written by Zeb Wells
Illustrated by Gurihiru
Cover by Gurihiru
Variant covers by Joe Quesada and Ron LimBeing stuck inside isn’t easy for anyone, even super heroes! See how your favorite Marvel characters have coped being cooped up with HEROES AT HOME! See how Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain Marvel, Wolverine, Black Panther and Captain America do in Quarantine! Let Marvel make you smile, courtesy of artists Gurihiru and writer Zeb Wells’ Sunday Funnies!
80 PGS./ONE-SHOT/RATED Ages 10 & Up …$9.99
9. Love Live the King
Alright, here we go. The Venom-centric event, “King in Black” begins. It’s been a long time coming, with setup going back through much of Donny Cates’ run. Now we have symbiote dragons on the attack, with multiple tie-ins across the Marvel line, and it all starts here. Whether or not you’re looking forward to “King in Black,” you’ll still want to see how it begins.
King in Black #1
Written by Donny Cates
Illustrated by Ryan Stegman
Cover by Ryan Stegman
Variant covers by Ryan Stegman, Iban Coello, Leinil Francis Yu, Philip Tan, Taurin Clarke, Ian Bederman, Peach Momoko, Superlog, Donna CatesDARKNESS REIGNS!
After a campaign across the galaxy, Knull’s death march arrives to Earth and, worse yet, he hasn’t come alone! With an army of hundreds of thousands of symbiote dragons at his command, the King in Black is a force unlike any Earth’s heroes have ever faced. EDDIE BROCK, A.K.A. VENOM has seen firsthand the chaos that even one of Knull’s symbiotic monsters can wreak – will he survive an encounter with the God of the Abyss himself?
From Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin and VC’s Clayton Cowles comes the definitive chapter in their two-year-long VENOM saga that changed everything you thought you knew about symbiotes!
56 PGS./Rated T+ …$5.99
8. Getting A-Head of the Game
Patton Oswalt remains a national treasure. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. over, will our Agent Koenig ever appear in Marvel again? Well, Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum are bringing us a show all about M.O.D.O.K., and with it comes a new comic. We can consider this a preview of what’s to come from the show, or enjoy it on its own, but a villain like M.O.D.O.K. rarely gets his own comic run, so this should be a fun one to read.
Continued belowM.O.D.O.K. Head Games #1
Written by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt
Illustrated by Scott Hepburn
Cover by Cully Hamner
Variant covers by Skottie Young and DoalyFrom Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum, showrunners of the upcoming animated Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. show on Hulu, comes a journey into the mind of one of the biggest heads in the Marvel Universe! M.O.D.O.K. is the ruthless and brilliant leader of the terrorist organization AIM, outsmarting heroes and outmaneuvering his cutthroat colleagues gunning for his position… but when he begins to be haunted by memories of a family he never had, it leaves him unsure if he is losing his freakishly-large mind, or if perhaps there is a lot more to this enormous mind… or if there is something more sinister behind these visions.
32 PGS./RATED T+ …$3.99
7. Ho-Ho-Holy Crap!
Iron Man and Doctor Doom team up to fight… a symbiote-controlled Santa?
Okay, I’m sold.
Out of all the “King in Black” tie-ins, this one is the most intriguing based on the synopsis alone. Seeing Iron Man and Doom work together is fun on its own, but this one gets a dark holiday twist by throwing Santa into the mix. It sure sounds like a lot of fun, even if it means having to explain “Yes, Santa is real in the Marvel universe, but he got possessed by a symbiote and is currently evil.”
King in Black: Iron Man/Doctor Doom #1
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca
Cover by Salvador Larroca
Variant cover by Dan MoraIron Man has risked everything to save Eddie Brock, but now he’s left with nothing but guilt. As longtime ‘frenemy’ Doctor Doom shows up with both counseling words and ulterior motives, they’lll be forced to battle an all-too-familiar specter of the holiday season—albeit one now twisted and controlled by the recent invasion of Earth by the symbiote homeworld. As Iron Man and Doom fight as temporary allies, their unexpected encounter both with each other and a horrifying inversion of yuletide joy may ultimately reveal to them the true meaning of Knull-mas.
32 PGS.ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99
6. But What About Jeff?
A story of betrayal, of monsters and monster slayers! Kelly Thompson’s “Deadpool” has been going in all sorts of new directions, and now Deadpool is in dire straits, which Elsa Bloodstone may or may not be responsible for. The characters have been given entertaining chemistry as they bounce off each other, but it seems to have lead to this. Each issue keeps getting bett- wait… “And what about Jeff?”
Don’t do this to me, Kelly. WHAT ABOUT JEFF???
I swear to all that is holy, if anything happens to that adorable little Land Shark I will (note: we had to cut the review here to maintain the editorial and decency standards of Multiversity Comics. We here at Multiversity adore Jeff the Land Shark but will not freak out at the very thought of anything happening to him. With that said, we look forward to seeing all aspects of this issue of “Deadpool,” not just the Jeff-centric parts.)
Deadpool #9
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Gerardo Sandoval
Cover by Chris BachaloElsa Bloodstone sold Deadpool out to the bone beast queen!
With this tenuous alliance already falling apart, who will save the children?
And what about Jeff???
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
5. Hail Brittania?
The Marvel universe means more than just America and the cosmic heroes. There are super heroes and super teams around the world in Marvel comics, including plenty of British heroes. While Betsy Braddock currently occupies the role of Captain Britain, there’s still plenty to go around. So how well will this new team perform? What kind of chemistry and conflicts will we get? I look forward to finding out.
The Union #1
Written by Paul Grist
Illustrated by Andrea Di Vito
Cover by R.B. Silva
Variant covers by Ema Lupacchino, R.B. Silva, Mike McKone, and Lee GarbettKING IN BLACK TIE IN!
The grand unveiling of The Union! A team of super heroes gathered from all over the United Kingdom, featuring Union Jack, Snakes, Kelpie, Choir, and their fearless leader, Brittania! But when Knull and his dragons attack Earth, the fledgling team is immediately pushed to their limits! Don’t miss out on an exciting new chapter of Marvel from legendary creators, Paul Grist (JUDGE DREDD, JACK STAFF) and Andrea Di Vito!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
4. Who Will Burn?
One of the major players in the prehistoric Avengers team is the Phoenix, who (true to form) is a red-haired woman. Now the Phoenix Force is returning to the Marvel universe, and the Avengers are there for it. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like it will be another “Avengers vs X-Men” event (we don’t need another one of those) but rather a competition kept within the “Avengers” comic. Who will possess (or be possessed by) the Phoenix Force? Whoever it is, we at least get a very cool cover out of it.
Continued belowAvengers #40
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Javier Garrón
Cover by Leinil Yu
Variant covers by Dustin Weaver, Joshua Swaby, Taurin Clarke, Arthur Adams, and Javier GarrónENTER THE PHOENIX!
The infamous firebird of cosmic destruction and rebirth known as the Phoenix Force has returned to Earth to find a new avatar. So now the Avengers and some of the most powerful heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe are being called into a competition unlike anything they’ve ever seen. A globe-spanning battle that will transform them all and ultimately decide…who will be the all-new Phoenix.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
3. A Dish Best Served Cold
A short solicit, but a sweet one. Gerry Duggan’s “Marauders” has been a very entertaining run, and a core part of that has been the growing friendship between Emma Frost and Kate Pryde. So when Sebastian Shaw betrayed Kate, he betrayed them all. Just looking at that cover is cathartic, so imagine how the comic itself will go. If you’ve been enjoying “Marauders” like I have, this will be well worth reading.
Marauders #16
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli
Cover by Russell DautermanRED REVENGE !
The Black King did wrong. Now he must pay.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
2. …Who?
Peter Quill is back, and let’s be honest, we knew he would be. Much of Al Ewing’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” run has recently dealt with the team dealing with losing him, but we all knew it was only a matter of time.
Still, this is looking to be a different kind of “Guardians of the Galaxy” story. Will it be the same Peter Quill we know and sometimes love? What strange world will he have to travel through? It’s looking to be an interesting tale, no matter how you slice it.
Guardians of the Galaxy #9
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Juan Cabal
Cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Variant cover by Ryan BrownEveryone thought he was dead. They were wrong. Now Peter Quill journeys through a mythic world on the other side of our reality.
But is he still Peter Quill…or is he the legendary Star-Lord?
Get ready for a GUARDIANS tale unlike any you’ve ever seen before – as the clock starts ticking for the last stand.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
1. Ode to Chris
While Marvel has many writers who could be considered “iconic,” no one would argue that Chris Claremont isn’t among them. His works have been influential on many aspects of the Marvel universe, perhaps most notably the X-Men. Now he’s bringing us a special issue to make another impact with some of his iconic characters. Whatever he has planned for Dani Moonster, the Shadow King, and an apparently de-aged Storm, it will undoubtedly be an issue to remember.
Chris Claremont Anniversary Special #1
Written by Chris Claremont
Illustrated by Brett Booth & More
Cover by Salvador Larroca
Variant covers by Todd Nauck and TBACelebrate Chris Claremont’s enormous impact on your favorite Marvel comics of the past five decades with an all-new story! Dani Moonstar is drafted for a mission across time and space for an incredible psychic showdown against the Shadow King—joining forces with characters created and defined by the pen of Chris Claremont!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
