Yesterday we gave you a look at the solicits for Dark Horse Comics, picking out some of our favorites to spotlight. Today, in anticipation of all of the big Marvel NOW! announcements, we’re going to give you a look at the solicitations for Marvel’s November 2012.
Take a look below for our choice commentary. You can check out the full solicits on Comic Book Resources.
Marvel NOW! Rolls Out In Full
We’ve largely abstained from giving our personal opinions on the various titles, and for good reason; truth be told, you’ve probably seen the interviews and press releases and whatnot. You can make up your own minds as you will. I’m going to break this policy today though, and offer you Buy, Browse and Pass thoughts on all of the titles.
- “Indestructible Hulk” by Waid and Yu: Pass. I’ve found Waid’s writing as of late fairly overrated, and as much as I like a Yu-illustrated title I just can’t see this going in any direction that seems enjoyable. Jeff Parker seems like the only man these days who can handle a Hulk ongoing.
- “All-New X-Men” by Bendis and Immonen: Browse. I have faith in Bendis as a storyteller (and always will) and Immonen as an illustrator, but the premise seems dubious. This seems like a book that will either soar and plummet early on. Take at your own risk.
- “Iron Man” by Gillen and Land: Browse, leaning towards Buy. I would tend to trust Kieron Gillen implicitly on various titles, but Fraction’s run will see lofty shoes to fill. Land seems like an odd choice as well, although I do not have the disdain for his photorealistic artwork like Generic Internet Fanboy Commentator does.
- “Thor: God of Thunder” by Aaron and Ribic: Buy. No questions asked. Aaron’s premise about Thor throughout three intertwined eras while hunted by a god serial killer sounds amazing, and Ribic will undoubtedly destroy (the good kind of destroy) this book on art. Inject this in your veins and get high off it.
- “Captain America” by Remender and Romita Jr: Pass. Here’s the odd thing here: I love Remender’s writing and I love Romita Jr’s art. However, despite what I’ve read, this title does not capture my interest even slightly. Check out the reveal interview at iFanboy to make up your own mind, though.
- “X-Men Legacy” by Spurrier and Huat: Browse. Spurrier’s a fantastic writer, but “Legacy” has fallen greatly as of late. Even towards the end of Carey’s run, the book was beginning to lose steam. At this point, I’m not sure if it is a title that really needs to exist, and while I don’t doubt the talent on board Legion seems like a better focus for a mini rather than an ongoing.
- “Fantastic Four” by Fraction and Bagley: Buy, with a slight hint of Browse. Fraction is one of my favorite writers and his Pixar-esque pitch for “Fantastic Four” sounds fantastic. It’ll be very fun to see what he has planned with the F4’s journey through time, and Bagley is a very sharp artist to bring that to life. That said, Hickman has created some lofty boots to fill. Good luck, Mr. Fraction and Mr. Bagley.
- “FF” by Fraction and Allred: Buy, with a slight hint of Browse. See what I wrote above for “Fantastic Four,” but replace Bagley with Allred and the Pixar pitch with the “FF” pitch (in which a replacement team protects the world while the F4 are gone. Should be groovy, but it’ll be tough to measure up to what came before.
- “Deadpool” by Posehn, Duggan and Moore: Browse. I used to really love Deadpool when I was growing up and reading the Joe Kelly-penned book, but Daniel Way and the onslaught of Deadpool titles killed this for me. However, with a pair of notable funnymen on the book and Tony freaking Moore on art, it sounds like this could be really entertaining. One would hope that they can scale back the excess slapstick just a tad, though, and that Duggan can give the book the same heart he gave “Infinite Horizon.”
Take that commentary as you will, or leave it.
Continued belowThe Other Marvel NOW! Stuff
There are a few books that are part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch that aren’t #1s, but only two that warrant discussion (as “Uncanny Avengers” and “A + X” are kind of old news, aren’t they?). And, just like with above, I’m going to break down the two books and give you some thoughts on them:
- “Journey Into Mystery” by Immonen and Schiti: Buy. I’m a huge fan of Gillen’s “JiM” run so far, and I’m also a rather big fan of the Thor franchise in general. Seeing this book continue with a sharp creative time and giving some attention to Lady Sif, who has been largely missing from the various Thor titles. It’ll be great to have her back and to have Kathryn Immonen writing her.
- “Avengers Assemble” by DeConnick and Casseli: Buy. It’s Kelly Sue writing an Avengers book that isn’t beholden to interaction with any other title. What more could you want? Casseli is like frosting on the cake here.
Well, that was easy! And people say I’m cynical.
Bendis’ Avengers/New Avengers Finale Get Massive Covers
With the final two issues of Brian Michael Bendis’ “Avengers” and “New Avengers”, we get a massive set of interlocking covers that reveal some cool final images. Take a look.
Here’s hoping it all goes out with a bang.
Avengers Academy Shuts Down
With November, Marvel’s “Avengers Academy” is going to end at issue #39. Some sites report that it was cancelled, others seem confused on the subject as to if it had reached it’s ending naturally, but whichever is the case it’ll be sad to see the series go.
Here’s the solicit for the final issue.
AVENGERS ACADEMY #39
CHRISTOS GAGE (W) – TOM GRUMMETT (A)
Cover BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
FINAL ISSUE!
– End-of-an-era Series Finale!
– In the aftermath of the grueling “Final Exam”, can friendships, romances — and the Academy itself — survive?
32 PGS./Rated T …$2.99
Even if the book was canceled, it does seems like the book is coming to a logical conclusion. No matter what happens to these characters from here on out, I hope Gage can nail the ending. I personally have been tough in my critiques of the last few issues, but “Academy” has done a great job of introducing new characters and making them entirely endearing to the reader, and we can only hope for the best.
And The Award For Best November Cover Goes To…
“Hawkeye” #4 by David Aja. Sweet gravy on a biscuit, that’s flippn’ lovely. Sharp, simple enough to be entirely elegant and fitting wonderfully into the covers we’ve seen so far from Aja, it’ll be a shame to see copy go on this eventually.
Bye Bye Thunderbolts
In November, it seems like Jeff Parker’s run on “Thunderbolts” is coming to an end.
Well, ok. Let me rephrase that.
“Thunderbolts” was retitled to “Dark Avengers,” even if the Thunderbolts’ story wasn’t over. Now it looks like we’re finally coming to the conclusion of their story, and it’ll probably be a slugfest.
Here’s the solicit for the issue:
DARK AVENGERS #183
JEFF PARKER (W)
NEIL EDWARDS (A)
Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
THE END OF THE THUNDERBOLTS!
– Bid farewell to Ghost, Centurius, Man-Thing and the gang forever!
– Jeff Parker and Neil Edwards plot a dark new course for Earth’s Deadliest Heroes!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
If this really is the end of the Thunderbolts as we know it, then I’ll admit… I may shed a tear or two. At the very least I’ll pour one out for my homies.
Can’t Get Enough Bunn
Lately I’ve joked that Marvel is quickly becoming Cullen Bunn’s playground. With him taking over “Captain America and …,” “Wolverine,” and “Venom” on top of the “Fear Itself: Fearless” mini and this month’s “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe” mini, it almost seems like Bunn is all over the place these days. And hey, wouldn’t you know it, he’s going to be in another book now: “Avenging Spider-Man.” And he’s bringing Gabrielle dell’Otto with him.
Continued belowTake a look at this solicit:
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #14
CULLEN BUNN (W) – GABRIELE DELL’OTTO (A&C)
Horizon Labs take a field trip to the Savage Land! But when has a trip to the Savage Land ever gone right?
When a horde of super-powered lizards attack, it’s up to Spider-Man, Devil Dinosaur, and Moon Boy to save the day!
Raptors are bad enough, but can Spidey overcome a prehistoric language barrier, too?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Marvel: Bunn’s Universe.
Kelly Sue Almost Writes “Nextwave.” Almost. Not Really.
Ok, so fine. She’s not writing “Nextwave” at all. It’s just me who sees characters like that book and still romanticizes their connection to the unfortunately short-lived Ellis/Immonen joint. However, with “Captain Marvel” #7, Kelly Sue and Dex Soy are bringing former Captain Marvel and former Nextwave member Monica Rambeau into the fray to have words with Carol. Should be a lot of fun.
Oh, and hey, a McKelvie cover to boot! Life couldn’t be sweeter.
Defenders Ends, Sadness Ensues
We already reported that “Defenders” was coming to an end, but it bears repeating how upsetting this is for me. On top of that, it turns out that Miro Pierfedrici is illustrating the issue in place of Jamie McKelvie. I’m not familiar with Pierfedrici’s art, but I can’t help but be slightly disappointed at this.
All the books I love are coming to an end. PAH.
Bad Things On The Horizon For Uncanny X-Force
Apocalypse is reborn. Threads are coming back around. Everything is about to go full circle. Bad things are on the horizon for the Uncanny X-Force.
Not only that, but if I had to guess, I would assume that with his work on “Secret Avengers,” “Captain America” and “Uncanny Avengers,” Remender will probably not be writing this book soon.
But hey, Phil Noto artwork. Can’t complain about that, can we?
Liefeld’s X-Force Gets An Omnibus
Here’s the solicit information:
X-FORCE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by ROB LIEFELD, FABIAN NICIEZA, TOD MCFARLANE & MORE
Penciled by ROB LIEFELD, GUANG YAP, MARK BAGLEY, TOM RANEY, TERRY SHOEMAKER, MIKE MIGNOLA, MARK PACELLA, GREG CAPULLO, TODD MCFARLANE, JOHN ROMITA JR. & MORE
Covers by ROB LIEFELD
Beset from all sides by a growing roster of vicious foes, the New Mutants and their mysterious mentor Cable have no choice but to transform into a proactive, butt-kicking, take-no-prisoners mutant strike team! But can the new X-Force survive head-on clashes with Deadpool, the Morlocks, Proteus, Stryfe and his Mutant Liberation Front, the Juggernaut, the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and…S.H.I.E.L.D.? And what secrets are Cable and Domino hiding? It’s high-stakes adventure with all-out action, in-your-face attitude and enormous guns! Nineties’ nostalgia at its finest – guest-starring Spider-Man, the New Warriors, X-Factor and more! Collecting NEW MUTANTS (1983) #98-100 and ANNUAL #7, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #15, X-FACTOR ANNUAL #6, X-FORCE (1991) #1-15, SPIDER-MAN (1990) #16, CABLE: BLOOD & METAL #1-2, and material from NEW WARRIORS ANNUAL #1 and X-FORCE ANNUAL (1992) #1.
848 PGS./Rated T …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-6595-8
Trim size: oversized
X-FORCE OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC VARIANT COVER (DM ONLY)
848 PGS./Rated T …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-6618-4
Be honest. You kind of want it.
