The watchful, completely objective and correct gaze of Soliciting Multiversity now falls upon Marvel’s crop of titles for July 2015! Below are our ten most interesting titles for July 2015.
Take a look at our picks below and let us know what stuck out to you in the comments!
10. Not-So-Secretly Hyped For Secret Wars
This probably isn’t much of a shocker but we at Multiversity are pretty pumped for “Secret Wars.” Jonathan Hickman’s a great event writer because dude will go all out. “Infinity” was World War Space with like three different invasions that were only solved when Thor gave a speech and boomeranged one dude with his hammer. It was fantastic. And with Dr. Doom as the alleged main villain, and Jheri curl Beyonder all over this cover, I can only assume we’re getting something equally ridiculous. I want an entire issue where Doom just gives an entire Hickman speech and then just explodes a planet. The final issue should be twenty-two pages of Hyperion screaming printed on acid paper. No matter whether this series ends up being good or bad, it’s bound to be off the walls.
Note: I wrote this bit before reading yesterday’s “New Avengers” #33 which was literally Doom screaming for twenty-two pages while planets exploded around him. Hickman delivers.
SECRET WARS #5 (OF 8)
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • ESAD RIBIC (a)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
CONNECTING VARIANT BY SIMONE BIANCHI
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBD ARTIST
VARIANT COVER BY Sophie Campbell
OWEN REECE DIED FOR OUR SINS!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
9. CIVIL WAR 2: LOST IN NEW YORK
“Civil War never ended.” Can’t tell if that’s a solicit or Marvel’s editorial policy. Ha cha cha.
“Civil War” #1 is another Battleworld tie-in and, to be honest, I’m not too hot for it. Between the upcoming movie and the past ten years of heroes fighting each other over nothing, I’m pretty done with “Civil War” and all the books it influenced. That said, I’ll change my mind if this successfully retcons the ending to the original miniseries. When the firefighters and nurses show up to inspire Cap to start the fighting, I want him to bat them away and howl about how he doesn’t give a damn about “THE REAL HEROES!” Just have him go full Mark Millar.
CIVIL WAR #1
CHARLES SOULE (w)
LEINIL FRANCIS YU (a/C)
Promo Variant Cover by Adi Granov
Ant-Sized Variant Cover by TBA
MAOS Variant Cover by TBA
Variant cover by Steve McNiven
Young Variant Cover by Skottie Young
Blank Variant Cover also available
INHUMANS 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• The Civil War never ended. Welcome to the Warzone, where six years of non-stop battle between the forces of the Blue and the Iron have split the nation down its center, utterly transforming it. In a world of new alliances and strange enemies, President Tony Stark and General Steve Rogers meet to make one last attempt at peace.
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
8. Marvel Team-Up
Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel are teaming up for the first time, which is going to cause a ton of feels or whatever on the tumblrs. The two characters have been kept pretty separate since Kamala’s creation and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of relationship they form. Carol Danvers as a mentor isn’t something I realized we needed until now.
Also, it’s pretty interesting to note how quickly Kamala Khan has shifted into her own character. This doesn’t feel like Batman showing up in Robin or Batgirl’s comics. The two heroes are on somewhat equal footing prestige wise. A lot of legacy characters end up feeling wildly derivative of their predecessors (‘sup The Ray.) With “Ms. Marvel” though, she’s carved out an identity and tone utterly distinct from Carol Danvers. Seeing those two come together should be a great time.
Continued belowMS. MARVEL #17
G. WILLOW WILSON (w) • ADRIAN ALPHONA (a)
COVER BY KRIS ANKA
•The team-up to end all team-ups has finally arrived! Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers and Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan face the end of the world HEAD ON in this epic issue!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
7. Black Widow: Neck and Record Breaker
How sad is it that the longest running Black Widow series lasted twenty issues. Fucking Azrael got to a hundred. Anyway, Noto’s cover might be one of the sharpest this month and his run with Edmondson’s has been nothing else but solid. Hopefully, we’ll see them build a respectable run for Natasha. If you haven’t been checking out this series, it’s definitely worth a look.
BLACK WIDOW #20
NATHAN EDMONDSON (w)
PHIL NOTO (a/C)
WHO IS THE BLACK WIDOW?
• What set off her long path of atonement?
• The creative team that’s brought you the longest run in Black Widow history steps deeper into the psyche of Natasha Romanoff than ever before.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
6. This is at least Punisher’s 45th “Last Day”
Every other day is Punisher’s “Last Day.” Dude’s constantly about to die. You don’t go into murdering mobsters with a skull on your shirt and expect a late retirement. Anywho, Edmondson and Gerads’ military-focused take on “Punisher” has been a nice compliment to the spy action in “Black Widow.” If there’s a specific reason for this series ending and “Black Widow” continuing to be the longest running “Black Widow” series, it may have to do with an upcoming writer. Don’t be surprised if Frank gets blown up this issue with a pipe bomb. Then he’ll go to sleep. More wrestling references.
THE PUNISHER #20
NATHAN EDMONDSON (w)
MITCH GERADS (a/C)
THE LAST DAY
• With a bang, not with a whimper
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
5. Secret Wars: Official Guide to The Multiversity
I know there’s been some talk of Marvel and DC basically putting out the same stories at the same time but this is getting kind of ridonkulous. Not only are “Secret Wars” and “Convergence” all about parallel worlds from classic stories fighting each other, but we’ve got an entire guide like just like “The Multiversity.” Bonus points if half this comic is just a snuck-in manifesto from Morrison. Anyway, I’m not saying either company is ripping the other off, but they should probably call each other when they’re about to do crossovers with multiple realities, heroes turning evil, or in-fighting among heroes. Or at least just straight up copy and paste each other until the only comic being published is a series of passive aggressive e-mails between Bob Harras and Axel Alonso.
SECRET WARS: OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE MARVEL MULTIVERSE #1
Written by THE OHOTMU TEAM, LED BY MIKE O’SULLIVAN & JEFF CHRISTIANSEN
Cover by MIKE McKONE
Worlds are colliding! Both on Battleworld, and in the SECRET WARS OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE MARVEL MULTIVERSE #1 – a collection of all-new Profiles! Journey through Marvel’s multiverse:
Old Man Logan! The Ultimate Universe’s Spider-Man (Miles Morales)! The Age of Ultron! Weirdworld! The Spider-Verse event! The Age of Apocalypse’s Nightcrawler! Plus: profiles of the characters and events at the core of the Secret Wars: the Incursions of Earths, Namor’s Cabal, the Future Foundation kids and more! Also featuring key participants in previous Secret Wars: Volcana (Marsha Rosenberg), Thunderball (Eliot Franklin), the healer Zsaji, the Dark Elf Kurse, original Battleworld refugee Puff the dragon, and the Secret Wars II event itself! And because we love you: the Pet Avengers’ Throg, Lady Deadpool, Teen Hulk…and Obnoxio the Clown?!
64 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
4. Hot Saucerman Joins The Secret Wars
The track record for comedians writing Marvel comics is spotty at best. On one hand you’ll have Brian Posehn joining Gerry Duggan on “Deadpool” and creating a definitive run for the character. On the other hand, you have Wyatt Cenac making wanking motions towards Silver Surfer in a section of “What If?” Spot Walkerman seems pretty likely to wank off all over this comic, but he does have a deep love for Marvel as shown in his in-depth discussion about the Inhumans with Underworld director Len Wiseman on the Comedy Bang Bang Podcast. Since this is an anthology comic, I don’t usually look forward to celebrity guest writers, but I always expect the best from Crock Potterman.
Continued belowSECRET WARS JOURNAL #3 (OF 5)
SCOTT AUKERMAN & FRANK TIERI (w)
RICHARD ISANOVE & RB SILVA (a)
Cover by JAKE WYATT
• COMEDY BANG BANG’S SCOTT AUKERMAN and RB SILVA follow psychologist Doc Samson as he tries to bring personal growth and inner peace to a land of RAGE-A-HOLIC HULKS!
• FRANK TIERI and RICHARD ISANOVE bring you a tale of murder and mayhem in the mighty Marvel Noir style! Will Wolverine discover a prominent citizen’s murder…or be the next victim?!
• The SECRETEST, WARRIEST book around! Go ahead, name a contender. NO! YOU’RE WRONG! BUT WE LOVE YOU ANYWAYS.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
3. The Most Kieron Gillen Book to Ever Kieron Gillen
Out of all the non-Jason Aaron “Secret Wars” tie-ins, “Siege” might be the most exciting. It’s all of Kieron Gillen’s series thrown into one hot mess. Miss America and 1602 Kate Bishop, Abigail Brand, and Leonardo Da Vinci? That’ll be a time and a half. It also seems like a natural exploration of Battleworld, revolving around a ragtag bunch of heroes keeping the more dangerous Battleworld dimensions from crashing into each other. It’s an intriguing take on the whole premise behind “Secret Wars” that takes it into a direction that seems meaningful and unique. Plus, maybe Katemerica shippers will get what they’ve been waiting for since “Young Avengers” ended.
SIEGE #1 & 2
KIERON GILLEN (w) • FILIPE ANDRADE (a)
CoverS by W. Scott Forbes
Variant Cover by Andrew Robinson
Ant-Sized Variant cover by TBA
MAOS Variant cover by TBA
THEY CAN’T EVER WIN. THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE.
• THE SHIELD is the only thing that protects the more civilized areas of Battleworld from the ZOMBIE HORDES, DEATH MACHINES, AND ANNIHILATION WAVES.
• Anyone who annoys Doom gets sent to The Shield. Anyone who gets sent to the Shield deals with ABIGAIL BRAND.
• Miss America, Lady Katherine, Kang the Conqueror, Leah Shieldmen, the Endless Summers Company, Leonardo Da Vinci and a cast of thousands will fight to the death to keep Battleworld safe. But don’t worry, Kieron Gillen is writing this book, so I’m sure everything will end happily for everyone.
• “Imagine NextWave as a tragedy,” says Kieron, if anyone asks him about it.
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (EACH)
*SECRET WARS SERIES
2. An Axual Follow-Up To “AXIS”
So this might actually be the most consequential of the Battleworld tie-ins. Magneto, Winter Soldier, and Lady Deathstrike are searching for the Red Skull who, as “AXIS” readers may know, was captured by Dr. Doom. And as “Avengers” and “New Avengers” readers may know, Doomy has a pretty big role in “Secret Wars.” “Red Skull” seems like a smooth-as-butter transition between the two crossovers that’ll put a lot of Marvel’s top characters through the ringer. Plus, we’re always down for more Joshua Williamson at Marvel.
RED SKULL #1 (OF 3)
JOSHUA WILLIAMS (w) • LUCA PIZZARI (a)
Cover by RILEY ROSSMO
Variant Cover by NICK PITTARA
• One of the most vile villains of the Marvel Universe gets his very own twisted Secret Wars series!
• Red Skull should be dead but his legend grows, so a team of villains that includes Winter Soldier, Magneto and Lady Deathstrike are sent on a dangerous odyssey to the Deadlands to prove it…but no one ever comes back alive from the Deadlands!
• Forced to overcome zombies, Ultron drones and the Annihilation Wave, the rag-tag team of villains will find that they may bitten off more than they can chew…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
1. This “Star Wars” Deal is Getting Better All The Time
In terms of things that needed to be part of Marvel’s new “Star Wars” line-up, a Lando Calrissian series was example one and two. The man’s one of the most interesting Star Wars characters from the original trilogy and exploring his backstory would actually be kind of cool and not ruin his mystique. I think that’s the reason there’s not a Boba Fett series yet.
Continued belowUnfortuantely “Lando” is only going to be a five issue mini-series but that ain’t a bad deal. With this and “Princess Leia”, I think we’re going to get a lot of other miniseries in the new future. I’m currently rooting for six issues of Cad Bane. Hell, give Lando’s co-pilot from Episode VI a one-shot. Dude destroyed the Death Star II he deserves it.
STAR WARS: LANDO #1 & 2 (OF 5)
CHARLES SOULE (W) • ALEX MALEEV (A)
Cover by
BLANK COVER VARIANT
VARIANT COVER BY JOHN CASSADAY
Action Figure Variant Cover by John Tyler Christopher
MOVIE PHOTO VARIANT
VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
Classic Variant by Michael Kaluta
Young Variant Cover by Skottie Young
VARIANT COVER BY LEINIL YU
You know him…you love him…now, join him for his biggest caper as master of charm Lando Calrissian gets his very own comic book! Before he joined the rebellion, before he ran Cloud City, Lando made his way in the galaxy getting by on some swindles, some swagger, and a smile. Lobot at his side, Lando has a plan to steal a very valuable ship…but has he bitten off more than he can chew? Writer Charles Soule (DEATH OF WOLVERINE, INHUMAN, SHE-HULK) and artist Alex Maleev (DAREDEVIL, SPIDER-WOMAN, MOON KNIGHT) bring us the tale of a scoundrel in his natural element—trouble!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T …$3.99 (EACH)
Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. Text and illustrations for Star Wars are © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd.
If you want to follow along here’s Marvel’s June 2015 solicitations courtesy of CBR.
