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| Charles Paul Wilson III’s rather excellent Avengers Art Appreciation variant |
As the month closes and we finish discussing the previous solicitations (see: Image, Dark Horse, DC), Marvel finally releases their titles for April 2012 after everyone else, assuring that you’ll be talking about theirs the most before the month is out and the next batch of solicits run in.
Take a look after the cut for some thoughts on Marvel’s April 2012, and check out their full solicitations right here.
Moon Knight, We Hardly Knew Ye
In my overall collection of comic books, I have three different Moon Knight ongoings — Charlie Huston and David Finch’s-helmed 2006 relaunch (his first major series since the 90’s), the short-lived Vengeance of the Moon Knight which tied off a few loose ends from the previous series, and Bendis and Maleev’s 2011 Moon Knight. Suffice it to say, Moon Knight is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe today, and it has been an absolute pleasure as a fan to see him get picked up and involved in various books, from Daken to Deadpool to Secret Avengers.
Yet, when it comes to his own stories, the poor guy can’t seem to catch a break, and this brings a solemn tear to my eye. Moon Knight is such a fantastic character that I feel is heavily under-utilized, and in terms of collaboration you can’t get much better at Marvel than Bendis and Maleev. While they still have Scarlet together, I’ll greatly miss their take on Marvel’s #1 Schizophrenic Superhero.
I’ll be sure to pour one out for my homie(s) come April.
Avengers Vs X-Men Vs Avengers Vs X-Men Vs Avengers Vs X-Men Vs…
Come April, there will be a total of 9 AvX related titles, including two entires into the main story. These various titles will be assembled via two X-Men titles, four Avengers titles, and one straight-tie in. On top of that, three books will be dealing with which side Wolverine picks: AvX #2, New Avengers #24 and Wolverine and the X-Men #9.
It’s still a bit much in terms of tie-ins for my taste and I still long for the days when an event comic could be contained within a single mini- or maxi-series, but on the plus side you have to at least appreciate Marvel sticking to their guns and keeping this title’s tie-in stories as isolated as possible.
Good Lord, Kaare Andrews Makes For Some Fantastic Covers
Bringing in Kaare Andrews to illustrate all of the covers for the “new” Ultimate universe was a fantastic decision, and I’ve thought so since day one. Look at April’s offerings certainly doesn’t change my thoughts on the matter much, with the Ultimate Comics Ultimates cover in particular being quite gorgeous.
Wait, A “Secret Symbiote Event”?
In Marvel’s solicit for Carnage USA #5, a follow-up mini to Wells and Crain’s Carnage story of last year, the solicit teases that the story will pave “the way for this summer’s secret symbiote event.” While my initial reaction is to chastise them a bit for announcing a secret, the 90’s child in me with a longbox dedicate just to Venom and Venom-related comic books is clapping giddily along.
Of course, with a current Venom-starring title on the market by Remender and an epic tease about the current location of a few missing characters hidden in the back of Carnage USA #1, I’m pretty excited to see whatever is planned. Given that Carnage itself was basically a sequel to Maximum Carnage, I can only guess that this might be some sort of sequel to Planet of the Symbiotes, and you know what? As ridiculous as that sounds as I type it out, I don’t think I could be any more excited for it than if I was writing it myself.
Continued belowIf Wells is writing whatever this is, you can count me in. Or, really, you can probably just count me in.
Just Give Marcos Martin the Eisner for Best Cover Artist Now
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| Daredevil #11 |
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| Daredevil #10.1 |
Just… just look at that. I can’t even create an intelligent blurb for this particular entry into my solicit commentary. I just keep getting lost in that cover. Wow. That typography!
And, speaking of…
The Omega Effect Is Going To Prove All My Reviews About Greg Rucka’s Punisher Run Right
Here at Multiversity, I’ve been running my mouth off about how great Greg Rucka’s Punisher is, but the other guys of the site just don’t really agree with me (and in turn make fun of me for choosing Punisher over critical darling Daredevil). But, in looking at the three part story The Omega Effect, which runs between Avenging Spider-Man, The Punisher and Daredevil and features the Punisher at the center of it all as he takes his war against crime up a notch, I’m now at the point where I feel like I’m cackling in my laboratory shouting “You’ll see! You’ll all see!”
Suffice it to say, I’m quite positive The Omega Effect is going to prove all my reviews about Greg Rucka’s Punisher run right.
Cullen Bunn: Multiversity’s “We Told You So!” Writer of 2012
Captain America and Hawkeye. Contributions to the plot of Battle Scars. The Fearless. Wolverine. The Sixth Gun in 2010, and in just about a year and a half, Cullen Bunn is being welcomed into the open arms of Marvel’ House of Ideas. We couldn’t be happier to see Cullen get his shot at the “big leagues,” and I personally am extremely excited to see what he has planned for Wolverine. Given his excellent work on the Sixth Gun, he really does seem like a truly brilliant fit to the title and follow-up to Jason Aaron.
Oh, and speaking of Battle Scars…
So We Can All Agree That Marcus Johnson Is Nick Fury’s Kid, Right?
That may, on some weird level, be a “spoiler”, but since it hasn’t been confirmed I feel like it’s ok to talk about it.
So, he’s missing an eye, and the solicit reads “What Does Nick Fury Have To Do With The Conspiracy At The Heart Of The Marvel Universe?” Marvel has figured out a way to bring a black descendant of Nick Fury into the main 616-Universe, just in time for the Hollywood feature film to come out. I know I’m not the only one who sees this (no pun intended), right?
Thor Is Officially Back
Just in case you didn’t notice him in all those other titles that he has shown up in, but the God of Thunder, whose death closed the doors on the Fear Itself storyline, is back but a few issues after his death.
I hate to once again bring up that never-ending circular discussion of the revolving door of death in comics, but … well, I wouldn’t have been opposed to a year or two of Tanarus, all things considered.
The Death of War Machine?
Behold, the cover to Invincible Iron Man #515, to which the solicitation reads “A Hero Falls!”:
…No, you don’t think they’d … Would they? … Really?
Johnny Storm and Peter Parker Become The New Odd Couple
No great insights here, but this issue has a great solicit:
– Now That He’s Back Among The Living, The Human Torch Moves In With Spider-Man! Can Two Super Heroes Share An Apartment Without Driving Each Other Crazy?
– What Secret Lies Behind The Door To Annihilus’ Closet?
– Who Throws A House Party Like The Light Brigade?
Oh, and Nick Dragotta is going to be illustrating the issue. Hot damn! Now that is something to get rather crazy-excited over.
And, as a quick side note, over in Fantastic Four #605, Hickman and Ron Garney jump a thousand years into the future to showcase the adventures of future Franklin and future Thing. Should be quite exciting.
JEFF PARKER SMASH!
With a bonus-sized issue being referred to as “a great jumping on point”, I don’t honestly think I can rave about the book to you any more than I already have. If you haven’t been buying it already, come on. Just get into it already!
I opened with a bit about the cancellation of Moon Knight, and now I close with a bit about my other favorite Marvel title, Hulk. If you nerds out there somehow get this title, I will rage all over the internet!
