Alright, kids: we’ve looked at Dark Horse, we’ve looked at Image and we’ve looked at DC Comics. Now it’s time to give the House of Ideas a view through our looking glass.
Read our commentary below and check out the full solicits at CBR.
The New Now
Just like last month, I’m going to give you my personal overview of all the announcements. We’ve already reported the news as is — no opinions allowed — so now, as long as I have reign of this silly little column, I’ll throw in my two cents via Buy, Browse and Pass. Take it or leave it, keep in mind I’m quite possible wrong about everything:
- “Thunderbolts” by Way and Dillon: Browse. Looking at the line-up of characters in the book, it does look pretty good. Red Hulk leading a team with Venom, Elektra, Deadpool and Punisher? The ideas for that run wild in my brain with that line-up alone. And having Steve Dillon illustrate the whole thing? Dillon drawing is almost a guaranteed buy for me for anything. The issue I have is with Daniel Way, whose work I’d enjoyed in the past (his “Astonishing X-Men” arc was fun, and I’m one of five people who enjoyed the nostalgic romp of “Wolverine Origins”) but his run on “Deadpool” proved to me that he can take a character I enjoy and beat this character mercilessly into the ground to the point I can’t stand it anymore. So, for that, I’m going to stick with “Dark Avengers.” …. but then again, I’m all about second chances, so hey, a browse will do for this one.
- “Avengers” by Hickman and Opena: Buy. I don’t even think I have to justify this. Look, I’m still as skeptical about relaunches as I was last month when I did this column, but … it’s Hickman and Opena. You’d be crazy not to give this a shot of some kind.
- “Cable and X-Force” by Hopeless and Larocca: Browse. Truth be told, I like both Hopeless and Larocca. Larocca has been drawing my favorite run of Iron Man ever, and Hopeless has proven to me with books like “Lovestruck” and “X-Men Season One” that he’s a writer worth reading. That said, the concept doesn’t draw me in too much. The team is fun, I like seeing Dr. Nemesis get some attention (despite his odd new get-up) and for Marvel to stop pretending Cable isn’t around full time is cool, but as a follow-up to Remender’s colossal work on “Uncanny X-Force” nothing about this pitch grabs me. I’d be willing to give the first issue a look, but I can’t say it’s a title I’m likely to pre-order.
- “Avengers Arena” by Hopeless and Walker: Pass. Again — I like Hopeless, and I like Kev Walker a lot. However, the concept of this book just turns me off. Hunger Games meets Marvel U, and a bunch of characters die? Eh. Doesn’t sound very fun.
Deadpool And… Doctor Strange?
I literally just mentioned my distaste of Deadpool as a character due to Daniel Way’s run on the book, but I’ll be damned if the solicits and covers for this new series aren’t grabbing my attention. The Darrow covers alone want to make my buy it.
Here’s the solicit information, for those curious:
DEADPOOL #3
GERRY DUGGAN & BRIAN POSEHN (W) – TONY MOORE (A)
Cover by GEOF DARROW
Variant cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
– Deadpool vs. Dead Presidents…this time, TRICKY DICK NIXON!
– Can even Doctor Strange help the M w/the M?
– This is the Deadpool series you will marry someday!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99
I don’t know if I’d ever want to marry a comic, but I do like Doctor Strange.
Greg Land vs Greg Land
Ok, just bear with me on this one. It’s not going to go the direction you think.
From Marvel’s solicits for January, 2011:
Continued belowAVENGERS #9
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
The Avengers team up with the incredible RED HULK as the Hood makes a crazy power move to bring the Infinity Gauntlet together once more. But the Hood has no idea the power he is toying with and who is coming to earth to challenge him for it. Another earth-shattering chapter of Avengers crazy by Bendis and Romita Jr! Plus: another illustrated chapter of the oral history of the Avengers!
32 PGS./Rated A …$3.99
NOT ACTUAL COVER
The “Not Actual Cover” is the important bit there. Because this is the solicited cover:
Now, the actual cover of the book looked like this, but I want you to remember that, okay?
Here is the solicited cover to “Avengers Assemble” #10 from the December 2012 solicits we’re discussing:
The internet has a strange fascination with Greg Land, in which they love to call him out on all the things he traces here or there or whatever. Me, personally? I don’t care too much. I’ve read Greg Land comics I’ve enjoyed, as shocking as it is for people to hear, and his photorealistic style does not bother me most of the time. A few panels here or there, sure, but that’ll happen with any artist now and again.
However, I can’t say that this doesn’t make me raise an eyebrow at least a little bit. Bleeding Cool is usually good about catching things like this with Swipe File (they haven’t at the time of me writing this, but it might come out after this article goes up — who knows?) so I’m surprised this hasn’t been shown off in a wide arena yet, but this is just weird. I don’t think an artist can technically swipe his own work (I asked on Twitter, no one responded), but this is just a bit weak.
Or maybe it doesn’t matter. It probably just doesn’t matter. A cover that wasn’t used has found a new home, albeit with a different shade of Hulk.
Hawkeye Gets Red
Speaking of covers, here’s something I love.
Here’s the cover for Hawkeye #4, solicited last month:
Here’s the cover Hawkeye #5, solicited for December:
And here’s the cover for Hawkeye #6, also solicited for December:
Given how important Aja’s work is to the overal scheme of the book, you can’t help but wonder what the shift from Purple to Red must mean, where Purple means something regal and Red means murder. (Maybe I’ve just been watching too much Breaking Bad?)
I’m Going To Keep Mentioning This “Superior Spider-Man” Thing
I’ve done two posts about this already, one that caught a good deal of attention and one less so. But, I’ll say it again: I truly believe that Doc Ock is going to do something to Peter Parker, and that Peter Parker will not be Spider-Man after issue #700 — or some derivation thereof. This is resulting in “Amazing Spider-Man” ending and “Superior Spider-Man,” starring someone or something that is not Peter Parker as Spider-Man.
Let’s take some bets!!
The End Of “Wolverine” And “Captain America And…”
In addition to “Amazing Spider-Man” ending, “Wolverine” is solicited as having a final issue as well as “Captain America And…” Last month I made a joke about Marvel being Cullen Bunn’s universe, but now? Less so. It’s unfortunate, but the books are clearly going out on high-notes: Bunn’s “Wolverine” has been excellent, and “Captain America And…” has Francesco Francavilla and — .. well, look at this cover:
Yeah. I know. Awesome.
It seems unlikely that a Captain America team-up book will have any future in the Marvel NOW! world, but I would like to remind you of a certain rumor we’ve put out there from a reliable source mentioning “The Savage Wolverine” by Frank Cho. Think it’ll come up in January?
Gabriele Dell’Otto Drawing Devil Dinosaur
Speaking of Bunn’s Universe, though: I spotlighted this book last month and I’m going to do it again.
Awesome.
I Don’t Think Punisher: War Zone Is Going To Get The Attention It Deserves
I love Greg Rucka’s run on “Punisher,” and it makes me a bit sad it is coming to an end so quickly. Rucka is going off to do creator-owned projects exclusively now it seems, and that’s all very well and good — but man, he wrote a killer “Punisher” (pun fully intended). Looking at the solicits for “War Zone,” there seems like very little flair to them, and that’s such a shame. This is going to be a Punisher story to remember, and I would urge you all to give it a shot now so in the future, when Rucka is remembered as a heavily influential writer on the character, you don’t have to pretend you weren’t watching it as it happened.
That’s all I’ve got. Read the books.
