Every time the year comes to an end, I express hopes that the next one will be better than the last. So far, that hasn’t exactly worked. But at least there’s still great comics coming out! (Plus a lot of gorgeous variant covers by Peach Momoko this month.) So let’s see what comics Marvel will be closing 2022 on with the top ten picks for December!
10. Dinosaurs on Roller Skates?
Moon Girl just spent a few team-up issues trying to find Devil Dinosaur, and it looks like it works out. So what’s next? Roller derby, apparently. With Inhumans. Oh, and her parents know about her superhero life now. So that’s a lot, but it sounds like a whole lot of fun and a great all-ages comic, so what better way to start off this list?
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 (of 5)
Written by Jordan Ifueko
Illustrated by Alba Glez
Cover by Ken Lashley
Variant covers by Peach Momoko, Dotun Akande, Nick Bradshaw, and Skottie Young• Being a preteen super hero is hard. Doing it when your parents finally know about it is even harder.
• Good thing Lunella Lafayette (A.K.A. Moon Girl, Inhuman super-genius) has a plan to keep heroing. To provide herself with the perfect alibi, she organizes a roller derby team of other Inhuman kids. It’s just supposed to be an excuse to get out of the apartment with all her super-hero gear in tow, but it turns out to be kind of…fun? But nothing is simple when you’re a super hero, and one of the kids on the team might just be more sinister than they appear.
9. Running More Miles
It’s time for a new run on “Miles Morales: Spider-Man.” Cody Ziglar is taking over as the writer, and it looks like he’s already got a whole lot to throw Miles’ way. Plus, he gets to fight one of Peter’s usual rogues, so we get to see how he handles The Scorpion while a new threat gets built up. So let’s see what’s in store and get ready for a new story arc for Miles as Spidey.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1
Written by Cody Ziglar
Illustrated by Federico Vicentini
Cover by Duke Ruan
Variant covers by Bengal, Peach Momoko, Chrizzie Zullo, Olivier Coipel, Federico Vicentini, and Taurin Clarke• “TRIAL BY SPIDER”!
• SPIDER-MAN faces the strongest super-powered foes and most dangerous gauntlets the Multiverse can throw his way, and every time MILES MORALES falls, he rises again — stronger than before. Until now. There are some punches you don’t get up from and a new villain isn’t pulling a single one as they threaten everyone and everything Miles loves. Between school, home, his love life and battling super-charged and upgraded villains night and day — Miles is reaching his breaking point. And when this new foe is finished, Spider-Man’s world will be changed forever. Guest-starring MAC GARGAN, A.K.A. THE SCORPION! Don’t miss the next Marvel masterpiece from writer Cody Ziglar (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-PUNK) and artist Federico Vicentini (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, WOLVERINE)!
8. Team Up Time!
Many readers out there might have once known Carol Danvers as “that superhero whose powers Rogue stole for a while, which is why she could fly and had super-strength.” Well, she’s far more than that, especially these days, but that’s still a big part of her history. Now Rogue needs help, and Carol’s the one to give it—but that means we get a team-up! That’s right, Captain Marvel and several of the X-Men’s greatest gals are working together to fight the Brood, and that sounds awesome.
Continued belowCaptain Marvel #44
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Sergio Dávila
Cover by Juan Frigeri
Variant covers by Stephen Segovia and Peach Momoko• “REVENGE OF THE BROOD” PART 2!
• The Uncanny Carol Danvers returns to space – and to the X-Men?! A mysterious degraded message from Rogue has arrived at the same time that Carol’s emergency beacon begins screaming with cries from Binary, and that cannot possibly be a coincidence. Carol assembles a team of allies, including Polaris, Gambit, Wolverine, and Psylocke, bent on rescue, but what they find instead is a dangerous old enemy bent on revenge.
7. Seeing Red
“X-Men Red” has been building up a lot of characters’ schemes and secrets, and this is where we get to see it start to pay off. Abigail Brand is not entirely on Krakoa’s side, since she’s got her own plans in motion (okay, she’s basically turned against mutantkind). But now we get to see countermeasures, Cable gets his turn to shine, and of course, there’s plenty of comic book violence to enjoy. It’s never slow on Arakko, but that’s just the way it should be.
X-Men Red #9
Written by Al Ewing
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli
Cover by Russell Dauterman
Variant covers by Ivan Shavrin, Jonboy Meyers, and Taurin Clarke• CHECK AND MATE?
• Abigail Brand enters her endgame – and on Arakko, the Diplomatic Zone is beset by a firestorm of violence. On the World Farm, Cable is learning the secrets behind it all. But the biggest secret has yet to be revealed… It’s Roberto Da Costa’s turn to play. And you won’t see it coming.
6. Welcome Back, Carter
Here’s another comic that’s been consistently good: “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” has done a great job at really delving into Steve Rogers as a person, not just as the superhero Captain America. At the same time, it’s been building a whole lot of intrigue and mystery, while making good use of his supporting cast. Now Sharon Carter is back in the picture, and she’s bringing along friends, so you know things are going to get even better.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #7
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Illustrated by Carmen Carnero
Cover by Carmen Carnero
Variant covers by J. Scott Campbell and Kevin Wada• “THE INVADER” starts here!
• Just when Captain America is ready to quit his pursuit of the Outer Circle, he receives intel on their next move – and a reminder that Steve Rogers is never without friends. Sharon Carter returns to help Steve assemble his allies for a new mission – but some shadows reach farther than even the world’s best spies can predict.
5. Back to the Basics
Tony Stark has been through a lot in the recent “Iron Man” comics. And from the looks of these solicits, he’s going to keep going through a lot. Gerry Duggan is taking over, and if he can bring half the level of balanced tragedy and comedy to “Iron Man” that he has to other comics, it’s going to be a run you’ll have to read. Tony’s getting dragged to rock bottom, so let’s see how far he falls before he gets to rise again.
Invincible Iron Man #1
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Juan Frigeri
Cover by Kael Ngu
Variant covers by Pepe larraz, Marco Checchetto, Luciano Vecchio, Ivan Tao, Bob Layton, John Romito Jr., and Declan Shalvey• IT ALL ENDS!
• Tony Stark, the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, has lost it all: his wealth…his fame…his friends. But Stark doesn’t realize he still has so much more to lose, especially when the assassins start to come for him! It’s the beginning of the end, as the Golden Avenger must fight for his life and find out what it really means to hit rock bottom. Join Gerry Duggan (X-MEN) and Juan Frigeri (AVENGERS) as they take Iron Man to the darkest corners of the Marvel Universe yet!
4. Reigniting the Light
As we get closer to The Marvels, it’s time to catch up on another former Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau, now known as Photon. Whether you were introduced to her through her time in “The Avengers,” or in “Nextwave,” or even just learned about her thanks to Wandavision, she’s a great character with plenty of history, and that means this solo mini-series is long overdue.
Continued belowMonica Rambeau: Photon #1 (of 5)
Written by Eve L. Ewing
Illustrated by Michael Sta. Maria
Cover by Lucas Werneck
Variant covers by Brian Stelfreeze, Norm Breyfogle, Karen S. Darboe, Mateus Manhanini, and Peach Momoko• HIGHER. FURTHER. FASTER.
• Universal powerhouse MONICA RAMBEAU stars in her very own all-new adventure! The hero known as PHOTON has been charged with making a very special, very cosmic delivery – should be light work (get it?) for Monica…if family drama doesn’t hold her back!
3. Burning Bright
Firestar is a Marvel character that’s been forgotten or pushed to the side for quite some time, only popping up when someone wants to make a reference to Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. Well, she’s finally getting some time in the spotlight as a member of the X-Men, so it’s nice that she’s getting a spotlight issue in this annual. So let’s see Krakoa’s newest hero face new challenges and find her place in the X-Men and the Krakoan era, and maybe get a little idea of what to expect from her in the comics to come.
X-Men Annual #1
Written by Steve Foxe
Illustrated by Andrea Di Vito
Cover by Stefano Caselli• THE NEWEST X-MAN BURNS UP THE SPOTLIGHT!
• In a surprising turn of events, Firestar, who had not yet fully embraced Krakoa, was elected to the X-Men at the Hellfire Gala. Her history with her mutant nature is a tumultuous one for many reasons…but her record as a hero is exemplary. Can she wrestle with her past in time to rise to the occasion thrust upon her?
2. What a Tangled Web We Weave
Speaking of times when Spider-Man and X-Men characters crossed over, we have a new story crossing the two over (and bringing in a few characters from outside their stories as well). Between Spider-Man’s “Clone Saga” and the multiple cloned characters in the “X-Men” comics, there’s a lot of genetic copies running about, and now two of them are teaming up. Ben Reilly’s had memories stolen and was turned into a villain (again), while Madelyne Pryor is now the ruler of Limbo, so there’s a lot that’s about to go down. Let’s see how it goes.
Dark Web #1
Written by Zeb Wells
Illustrated by Adam Kubert
Cover by Adam Kubert
Variant covers by Ryan Stegman, Carlos Gómez, David Baldeón, Peach Momoko, Bobby Hernandez, and Adam Kubert• DUSK!
• The two most famous clones ever are back to take what’s theirs. Ben Reilly and Madelyne Pryor have had enough and are reigniting the INFERNO! Spider-Man and the X-Men are not ready for what’s coming, and what role does Venom have in all of this? The sun is setting, dusk is approaching, and it’s going to be a long night.
1. For All Time, Always
What awaits Marvel Comics in 2023? We’ll find out as “Timeless” closes the year with a look at the future. And who better to lead us into that future than Kang the Conqueror? Considering the role he’ll be playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the years ahead, it’s no surprise Marvel Comics is giving us more stories involving him, but Jed MacKay is a great writer, so we can all look forward to seeing what he’s going to show us. Let’s see what’s in store for Kang, and also in store for us.
Timeless #1
Written by Jed MacKay
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca, Greg Land, and Patch Zircher
Cover by Kael Ngu
Variant covers by Carmen Carnero, Alex Maleev, Terry Dodson, and Todd Nauck• A SHOCKING LOOK AT THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TO COME IN 2023!
• The last battle of Kang the Conqueror! Tyrant of the timeline, master of endless legions, warrior and conqueror without compare, Kang is in search of the one thing he cannot have. But he is not the only one after the Missing Moment, and Kang soon finds himself in a new position — on the run across the events of the Marvel Universe’s future!
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
