Dang, Marvel, again with the multitudes of #1 issues? I probably could have filled this entire list with nothing but first issues, but there’s so much more to look forward to. So let’s see what August holds for Marvel Comics…
10. We Meet Again
Blink’s new team of Exiles features plenty of amusing and fan-favorite characters, but it’s nice to know that her old team hasn’t been forgotten. Seeing the two teams unite and inevitably clash before working together will be good fun, but throw in Wild West equivalents of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Black Panther and I am very intrigued.
Exiles #7
Written by Saladin Ahmed
Illustrated by Rod Reis
Cover by Mike McKone• Blink’s original time-traveling companions make an appearance, including fan favorites Sabretooth, Morph and Nocturne! And they’re just in time for a showdown with the gunslinging Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! But what does that mean for Blink and her NEW family of Exiles? And the Exiles aren’t the only familiar faces in town. They call him “King,” and you do not want to find yourself in his Vibranium crosshairs. Who is the Black Panther of the Wild West – and what does he want with the Exiles?!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
9. Hunter on the Lam
One of the many things that makes “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” my favorite ongoing comic is the supporting cast Ryan North has brought in, and Kraven the Hunter has seen no small amount of great use as part of it. He’s no stranger to being seen as a villain (because, well, he normally is one) but he’s grown past that as part of this comic into a great supporting character, so seeing him have to run from the law again will surely make for some great scenes. Then we have Brain Drain, another great addition to the cast, and an appearance from Spider-Man. This can’t go wrong.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #35
Written by Ryan North
Illustrated by Derek Charm
Cover by Erica Henderson• Squirrel Girl may have avoided going to jail, but now Kraven’s a fugitive on the run! It’s been a difficult day!
• Can Squirrel Girl stop Kraven and Spider-Man from fighting before it’s too late?
• Can a squirrel named “Haskell” be a major part of a super hero epic?
• Can Brain Drain use some well-applied existentialist philosophy to save the day?
• The answer to all these questions is, “I dunno, MAYBE?” And you’ll have to read the comic to find out anything more specific!
• UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #35 is your one-stop shop for a) friendship, b) punching and c) SPIDER-MAN, HE’S BEEN IN LOTS OF MOVIES, EVERYONE LOVES HIM.
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
8. I Have You Now
Do you think Darth Vader is unhappy about the time Han knocked a TIE fighter into his own and sent him hurdling into the depths of space? If I were Vader, I’d be pretty annoyed about that too. While we may get to see Han out-piloting half of the Imperial Fleet, getting to see Vader try to shoot him down will also be great, and we’ll see which droid does get to save the day.
I’m betting it’ll be HK-47.
Star Wars #52
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca
Cover by David Marquez
Variant Covers by John Tyler Christopher and Rod Reis• “HOPE DIES,” PART THREE
• The MILLENNIUM FALCON versus the whole IMPERIAL FLEET? No problem.
• A certain TIE ADVANCED STARFIGHTER piloted by a certain SITH LORD? Problem. Big problem.
• No human can save the day. But maybe a droid can…
• 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
• Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd.
7. The Bromance Never Ends
“Cable and Deadpool” was one of the first comics I followed, and my introduction to Deadpool, which I still hold as one of the best Deadpool OR Cable comics out there. The way they act as foils to each other while still forming strong bonds and balancing out the comedy and action is simply superb, so any time the duo reunites I will absolutely be there to read it. Along with that, we get time-hopping adventures and a plethora of guest artists, guaranteeing that this one will be on my shopping list.
Continued belowCable and Deadpool Annual #1
Written by David F. Walker
Illustrated by Paco Diaz and others
Cover by Chris Stevens• THE TIME IS NIGH!
• History’s favorite duo are back together, and just in time! When Deadpool is hired to protect a woman from time-hopping villains, it’s only a matter of time until he breaks the timestream. Fortunately, his old pal Cable has some experience with that. But dark secrets have put the client, and reality itself, in more danger than either of our heroes could have foreseen! David F. Walker, Paco Diaz, and a host of stellar guest artists take Cable and Deadpool on an adventure of epic proportions!
• 32 PGS. /Rated T+ …$3.99
6. Thunderbolts and Lightning
One of the most interesting twists in “X-Men Gold” has been Storm reuniting with her Asgardian hammer, Stormcaster. While it is very awesome to see her swinging it about, Marc Guggenheim has also been dropping hints that it’s not necessarily a good thing. I also appreciate how it’s tying in to her backstory and her time worshipped as a goddess, which is all the more fitting with a divine hammer, so this looks like a promising issue.
X-Men Gold #33
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Illustrated by Michele Bandini
Cover by Phil Noto• Storm returns to the Kenyan village that once worshipped her as a goddess!
• But now, with her Stormcaster hammer, it’s true…isn’t it?
• The truth about Storm’s Asgardian hammer is revealed here!
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
5. Answers to Ancient Questions
There’s been no shortage of questions about the Dark Celestials or the prehistoric Avengers the comic keeps flashing back to in Jason Aaron’s run, and it looks like we’re finally getting some answers. The team he’s assembled is filled with some classics and favorites, but I particularly look forward to seeing Ghost Rider shine. Ed McGuinness has also provided some fantastic illustrations throughout the issues we’ve had so far, so I look forward to a stunning end to the first story arc.
Avengers #6
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Ed McGuinness
Variant Cover by John Cassaday• THE FINAL HOST concludes!
• The final battle against the Dark Celestials. A battle unlike any the Avengers have ever experienced. A battle a million years in the making. The new team of heavy hitters assembles at last. But will the young, inexperienced Ghost Rider prove to be the most important and powerful member of all?
• 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
4. Insert Dalek Joke Here
Can we all agree that bringing the original X-Men into the present from the past was a bad idea? (No, because comic fans will never agree on anything, but that’s beside the point.) There’s always some sort of trouble tied to their presence, and it looks like that’s about to be the case again. But this is an event that Marvel has been talking about for a long while, so we’ll want to check it out and see if it lives up to the hype and how it will impact the X-Men comics down the line.
EXtermination #1
Written by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Pepe Larraz
Cover by Mark Brooks
Variant Covers by Olivier Coipel, Mike Hawthorne, and Pepe Larraz• Cyclops. Iceman. Angel. Beast. Marvel Girl. The original team of teen mutants brought together by Professor Charles Xavier many years ago have been shunted through time to find a world they barely recognize but were determined to help. Now, finding themselves targeted for death, the future of mutantkind lies squarely in the hands of its past. Writer Ed Brisson (OLD MAN LOGAN, CABLE) and artist Pepe Larraz (UNCANNY AVENGERS, AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER) answer the biggest question of all: can the fate of the X-Men be changed?
• 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
3. Best Coast
Any despair I felt over the end of both the “Gwenpool” and “Hawkeye” comics was immediately alleviated by this comic’s announcement. Both Hawkeyes and Gwenpool on a team is awesome enough as it is, but Quentin Quire and America Chavez as well? Sign me the heck up, I’m sold on the team setup alone. Kelly Thompson did great work on her “Hawkeye” run, and with her behind some of my favorite characters, there’s no way this one can be missed.
Continued belowWest Coast Avengers #1
Written by Kelly Thompson
Illustrated by Stefano Caselli
Variant Covers by Mike McKone, Paul Renaud, Terry Dodson, and TBA• A NEW ERA DAWNS…AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
• HAWKEYE (KATE BISHOP). HAWKEYE (CLINT BARTON). A guy named FUSE. Never have they ever been called “the big three” of…anything. And now here they are, reunited for, okay, well, it’s only the second time ever. Thank god they also brought AMERICA CHAVEZ, GWENPOOL and KID OMEGA. Wait. What? That’s right, it’s the new West Coast Avengers, son. And you better hope they can figure out how to save the world because BIG things are headed for the West Coast.
• 40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99
2. Welcome Back
Admittedly, the Fantastic Four reached a perfect end to their story at the end of “Secret War,” but it was only a matter of time before they returned in full. That time is now, with Dan Slott writing a new story that brings them back to Earth. Also, it promises kittens, which is always a plus.
Also, can we take a moment to look at just how many variant covers there are for this issue? Because there is a ridiculous amount of variant covers, and every one we’ve seen so far looks really damn good.
Fantastic Four #1
Written by Dan Scott
Illustrated by Sara Pichelli
Cover by Esad Ribic
Variant Covers by Esad Ribic, Sara Pichelli, Alex Ross, Emanuela Lupacchino, George Perez, Scottie Young, Arthur Adams, Mark Brooks, Artgerm, and Simone Bianchi• FOUREVER Part One
• BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT – THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE IS BACK!
• Since the end of SECRET WARS, there’s been a gap in the Marvel Universe. A void no other team can fill. And it’s time for the world to move on. But can it? A life-changing decision by the Thing! A momentous declaration by the Human Torch! A clarion call-to-arms that summons Doctor Doom! And a signal in the sky that heralds the return of hope to the Marvel Universe! All this, and Alicia Masters adopts kittens! So cute! Plus, the Impossible Man!
• AND BONUS STORIES ILLUSTRATED BY SIMONE BIANCHI AND SKOTTIE YOUNG!
• IF YOU READ ONLY ONE MARVEL COMIC THIS MONTH, THIS IS THE ONE!
• 56 PGS./Rated T …$5.99
1. And So it Begins…
“Infinity Countdown” has given us a lot of action and intrigue about the struggles for the Infinity Stones, and it’s all been leading up to this. While the Infinity War movie won’t be quite as much on everyone’s mind when this issue hits the stands, there’s still been a lot building up to it, and expectations are high for something amazing. Fortunately, this is Gerry Duggan we’re talking about, so it’s highly likely we’ll get just that.
Infinity Wars #1
Written by Gerry Duggan
Illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr.
Variant Covers by Kamome Shirahama, Aaron Kuder, Frank Martin, Julian Torino Tedasco, Mike Deodato, Yasmine Putri, Ron Lim, J.G. Jones, and Humberto Ramos• As the Infinity Stones come to Earth, so too comes the war for control over them. But none who wield the stones know the truth about the power they contain…or what it would take to bring them to their END. The nature of the universe itself hangs in the balance as we learn the answer to the question on everyone’s lips since “Infinity Wars Prime”: WHO IS REQUIEM? Gerry Duggan (DEADPOOL, INFINITY COUNTDOWN) and Mike Deodato Jr. (ORIGINAL SIN, OLD MAN LOGAN) look into the Infinite and bring the truth to light!
• 56 PGS./Rated T+ …$5.99
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
