You can catch the full solicits at Comic Book Resources, but now it’s time to play comic’s favorite game,
The “Judge Books By Their Cover Months Before They Even Come Out” Game!
As always, I start off by taking a look at the titles coming out in relation to Marvel NOW! and judging them based on the tiny bits of information that we know. It’s all my opinion and the only part of this column that is ostensibly opinionated (beyond just me relaying “cool stuff”), so take it all with a grain of salt and be sure to make up your own thoughts. March’s new books are:
- Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Bendis and Steve McNiven: Buy. I’ll admit openly that I’m a touch skeptical here. Bendis isn’t the writer I’d think to put on a title like “Guardians,” and looking at his “Avengers Assemble” run doesn’t exactly build a lot of faith that this title will be as good as the DnA run before it. And yet, as much as I hate to admit it, I love these characters enough that I’m open to the idea of buying the book just because it finally exists again. Besides, Bendis is doing well outside of his Avengers wheelhouse so far (“All-New X-Men” is rather entertaining) and Steve McNiven is one of the best, assuming we’re talking the “Civil War”/”Old Man Logan” McNiven and not so much the “Nemesis” McNiven. Throw it all up in a decent Point One short, and I’d wager that the return of the Guardians has a lot of potential to be great.
- Wolverine by Paul Cornell and Alan Davis: Browse. The odd thing about this title is that a) Paul Cornell is great, and I’ll read anything he writes, b) Alan Davis is great, and I’ll read anything he illustrates and c) Wolverine can be great, when in the hands of a strong creative team. Yet, two Wolverine ongoing titles? And neither of them with particularly appealing hooks over, say, “Wolverine and the X-Men?” The Cornell/Davis “Wolverine” book seems like it will simply come down to whether you have enough money for a new title the week it comes out. That or maybe the luck of a coin flip.
- …
Wait, just two new Marvel NOW! titles? That… I… huh. Hmm. Well, I guess we’ll just have to carry on, then.
The Age of Ultron Arrives
It has been a long road, but Bendis and Hitch’s formerly five-issue “Age of Ultron” series is back and expanded as the next Marvel event. Now with a projected ten issues plus tie-ins, the book has truly become something else — at least, according to Hitch, anyway. “Age of Ultron” honestly has a lot of potential, and is something Bendis has been working on for a long time. While it may be odd to have a series continue without your original collaborator, it will be interesting to see if the amount of time spent on the series truly makes it shine as bright as it conceivably could.
Which is to say, I am really excited to see Ultron come back and kick a little ass. The whole thing makes me want to re-read “Annihilation: Conquest.”
The Dark Angel Saga, Part 2
Announced earlier and re-affirmed in the back matter of the “Uncanny X-Force” finale, Rick Remender is planning a sequel of sorts to one of the most popular story lines of the past five years – ‘the Dark Angel Saga.’ There’s a lot resting on the shoulders of young Evan, and it will be great to see Remender pick up one of the dangling threads of “UXF” in his latest powerhouse team book.
Plus, KANG! Kang is back, everyone! The best Avengers villain ever, and Rick Remender writing him and Daniel Acuna drawing him! How exciting.
Hickman Gets Newuniversal
This has probably been said before already, by “Avengers #7’s” cover is strikingly similar to an old house ad for Marvel’s old “New Universe” series:
I honestly never read it. I did read Warren Ellis and Salvador Larocca’s “Newuniversal” and I quite liked it. I also quite like Hickman and Dustin Weaver, so it all seems like a win to me.
Continued belowYoung Avengers Has The Best Variants
I think I’ve said this somewhere else on the internet by now, but at this point I may never end up buying a Jamie McKelvie cover to “Young Avengers” because these variants are too damn great. The latest by your friend and mine Tradd Moore is too good to pass up on, and this is coming after covers by Stephanie Hans and Bryan Lee O’Malley.
Butch Guice Taps In For Thor
Taking a break from absolutely fucking kill it like holy crap wow, Esad Ribic will be temporarily replaced by Butch Guice on “Thor: God of Thunder” #6 for a one-shot story telling the origin of Gorr, the butcher of the Gods.
Butch Guice, people. If this doesn’t make you throw all your money at wherever you pre-order your comics, I don’t know what will. If anyone can do an excellent artistic follow-up to Ribic on this book, it’s Guice, and if you need further proof of that just look at his “Aquaman” run with Kurt Busiek. I honestly still drool over it quite regularly (which stinks, because I have to keep re-buying it).
Medusa
I don’t have anything clever or interesting to say about this. I just really wanted to share this cover for “FF” #5 by Mike Allred, which I love.
Action Figure Not Included
If you’re looking for a good reason to pre-order “Fearless Defenders”, might I interest you in this cover for the second issue? Hang it on the wall and trick all of your friends!
“Spider-Man does not use $%*@ing GUNS!”
Take a look at the above cover, then watch the following video:
As much as you can, anyway. Videos like this are why we can’t have nice things.
Also, and this has been covered thoroughly elsewhere, but do not threaten people over comic books. I like Spider-Man too, but if Dan Slott’s new version is something you don’t particularly care for, just don’t buy it! It is literally as simple as that. At least he’s trying to do something different, even if that difference doesn’t jive with your particular opinions of the character.
The Finished “Captain Marvel” #11 Cover
For whatever reason, the version of the “Captain Marvel” #11 cover that went out with the solicits doesn’t appear to be the final version, but luckily Joe Quinones posted the finished version on his blog. Look at it in all its glory:
Can we also take a moment to celebrate the fact that we’re getting 11 issues of “Captain Marvel,” and that it doesn’t seem to be slowing down? Wonderful. I’m so happy this book exists.
Ultimate Fury Gets… White?
One of the notable things about “Ultimates” upon launching is that the most famous spy in the Marvel U got a complete makeover, which led to The Avengers featuring Sam Jackson in the lead. Now Sam Humphries is bringing back what looks to be the classic Steranko version of Fury, noticeably of white skin color as opposed to Ultimate’s black skin color.
Say what, now?
There’s probably a good reason for this, though.
Daredevil No More!
From the solicit for “Daredevil” #24:
– Fateful news about someone close to Daredevil!
– Will Matt be forced to abandon his Daredevil identity?
Probably not all things considered, but Waid is taking Daredevil down a strange route. The idea of Daredevil not being Daredevil is something that’s sort of been done enough in the past couple years, what with Bendis outing Murdock, Brubaker having Iron Fist stand in for him and then Diggle writing “Daredevil: Reborn” post-“Shadowland,” but hey, maybe Waid has a trick or two up his sleeve.
The Boldest of Promises
From the solicit of “Powers: Bureau” #3:
Continued belowPOWERS IS BACK ON TRACK! GUARANTEED TO SHIP!
Another blockbuster chapter in the Eisner Award-winning cops and capes epic! Now that all powers cases are federal cases, agents Walker and Pilgrim must learn to live by the new rules. But how do you obey the rules when the bad guys ignore them?
Oh? Challenge accepted!
I say that with a little bit of sass, but in all honesty I’d love to get new “Powers” in March. Heck, any day really. I love me some “Powers.”
A Big Book of #1’s
Just like DC published an omnibus with all of the #1s for their New 52, Marvel is publishing an omnibus of Marvel NOW! #1s in what seems like a great buy if you’re looking for something to prepare for the upcoming zombie apocalypse with. A book with 688 pages? Yeah, that’ll bash in a zombie’s head real good! I’m not sure why else you’d want it, though. Especially when the same month brings collections for the first arcs of “Avengers,” “Iron Man” and more Marvel NOW! books.
The interesting thing to note is that the solicit promises “and more!,” which means we’re not done with new titles yet. So what are your guesses for new books ? “Heroes for Hire” #1 by Bendis and Deodato would be mine.
