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Soliciting Multiversity: Marvel’s Top 10 in October 2015

By | July 23rd, 2015
Posted in Columns | 9 Comments

The watchful, completely objective and correct gaze of Soliciting Multiversity now falls upon Marvel’s crop of titles for October! s Since the editors wouldn’t let me make this one of the Top 10, I’d like to take this space to say how disappointed I am at the lack of spooky comics for October 2015. Check out our picks below and let us know what stuck out to you in the comics.

If you want to follow along here’s Marvel’s August 2015 solicitations courtesy of CBR.

10. Get Relevant Or Die Trying

On one hand, it’s super great that Marvel’s doing a month of hip-hop variants. It’s better than a month of prog rock covers. Still, as many have noted across the internet, it’s pretty uncomfortable for them to have no black artists working on these covers. What’s even more uncomfortable is just how few black creators there are in this “All-New All-Different” Marvel at all. I’m going to discuss this a little further in the column, but this is an important reboot for Marvel and their overwhelming amount of white dudes indicates that message isn’t entirely truthful.

Also, Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez are rebooting “Invincible Iron Man” which should be fine. I’m more interested in this 50 Cent cover. It makes sense considering they’re both men who came back from horrific injuries stronger than ever. Except I don’t think 50 Cent was ever blown up while visiting the Middle East. Unless 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand is suddenly canon. If anyone’s wondering, the top three covers are this one by Brian Stelfreeze, Captain America/A$AP Rocky from Mahmud Asrad and Squirrel Girl/Tyler the Creator from Phil Noto. I’m just glad Steve Rogers isn’t Cap right now, or we would’ve been subjected to a John Cena tribute cover. Okay, I’m done.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 & 2
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (w) • DAVID MARQUEZ (a)
WRAPAROUND COVER BY DAVID MARQUEZ (JUL150696)
VARIANT COVER BY ADI GRANOV (JUL150702)
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY BRUCE TIMM (JUL150700)
DESIGN VARIANT COVER BY DAVID MARQUEZ (JUL150701)
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG (JUL150703)
6 YOUNG GUNS VARIANT COVER SET (JUL150705)
BY MAHMUD ASRAR, NICK BRADSHAW, DAVID MARQUEZ,
SARA PICHELLI, VALERIO SCHITI, RYAN STEGMAN
BLANK VARIANT COVER VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE (JUL150697)
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (JUL150704)
COSPLAY VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE (JUL150698)
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY BRIAN STELFREEZE (JUL150699)
PARTY VARIANT COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI (JUL150710)
PARTY SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #2 – KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY MARK BROOKS
VARIANT COVER BY Alex Garner

Exploding out of the pages of SECRET WARS, one of the most popular super heroes in the world gets a gigantic new series. From the creators that brought you ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN comes new armor, new supporting cast, new villains and a new purpose that is going to tear itself across the entire Marvel Universe and beyond. With a shocker of a last page that will have everyone talking and the return of one of Tony’s biggest nemeses, you will not want to miss this!! Also, who are Tony’s biological parents? The quest begins here!
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (each)

9. What If This Came Out In 2013

As much as I want to see Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson go crazy on “Infinity”, I can’t help but think I would have liked to see that more in 2013. Better, if they did a “What If?” for “Secret Wars”. “What if Doctor Doom built Battleworld around Homeland instead of Game of Thrones?!” What I’m getting at here is that “What If” comics would be much better within a year of their original storyline.

WHAT IF? INFINITY – THANOS #1
JOSHUA WILLIAMSON (w) • MIKE HENDERSON (a)
Cover by TOM WHALEN
Variant Cover by KRIS ANKA

What if Thanos joined the Avengers?
• Thanos made a deal with the Avengers to use his army to protect Earth from the invading forces, but it came with a cost…
32 PGS./ONE SHOT/Rated T+ …$3.99

Continued below

8. Ultimate Spider-Man

I’ve noticed that some people aren’t too pleased that Miles Morales didn’t just completely take over the Spider-Man books, but for every month that Dan Slott doesn’t write about Peter Parker the oceans run red with blood. Still, this should be a fun time since it seems to be going in a completely different direction than its previous run to give Miles space so he can swing around Manhattan. Plus, I’m down for any storyline that allows for Peter to look in the mirror and realize he’s turning into Superior Spider-Man through his own doing.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 & 2
DAN SLOTT (w) • GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (a)
CoverS by ALEX ROSS
ISSUE #1 – DESIGN VARIANT BY ALEX ROSS
COSPLAY VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
INHUMAN 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY TBA
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY MARK BAGLEY
VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
BLANK COVER VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
VARIANT COVER BY HUMBERTO RAMOS
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEL MUNDO
SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED GAME VARIANT COVER BY TBA
ISSUE #2 – KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY PAOLO RIVERA
VARIANT COVER BY TBA

THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER HERO!
Spider-Man has gone global! Parker Industries is more successful than ever, with offices in New York, Shanghai, London and San Francisco and Peter Parker is racking up the frequent flyer miles with his “bodyguard” Spider-Man in tow, of course. But success breeds enemies and a reinvigorated Zodiac have also widened their scope to threaten the whole world. Join Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli as they take Spider-Man to the next level! This huge first issue also includes stories featuring Silk, Spidey 2099, Spider-Woman and much more!
ISSUE #1 – 72 PGS./Rated T…$5.99
Issue #2 – 32 PGS/RATED T…$3.99

7. The Best Mini-Series Of 2015

There’s no way this goes past six issues but, as everyone has noted, there’s also no way this doesn’t end up being one of the best books of the relaunch. Just short of a “Nextwave” relaunch, this seems exactly like the type of book Ellis should get to work on. Cool high-premise series that he can take or leave at any issue. And while I’m not too familiar with Gerardo Zaffino, a quick Google search of his work shows that he’s going to make this a memorable title.

KARNAK #1
WARREN ELLIS (w) • GERARDO ZAFFINO (a)
Cover by DAVID AJA
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
VARIANT COVER BY GERARDO ZAFFINO
DESIGN VARIANT COVER GERARDO ZAFFINO
VARIANT COVER BY SIMONE BIANCHI
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER E BY JIM CHEUNG
Hip-Hop variant cover by TBA
KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY ERIC POWELL

THE FLAW IN ALL THINGS
“My curse is that I see the flaw in all things. Systems. Philosophies. Structures. People. Everything. Never forget who I am. I am Karnak of the Inhumans.” You may not know who Karnak is now, but you will when Warren Ellis (MOON KNIGHT, Planetary) and Gerardo Zaffino are done with you. Phil Coulson goes to Karnak to help with a SHIELD case with Inhuman implications and what he’s going to find will terrify you.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

6. The Doctor’s In

I don’t even have a snarky comic here. If I were a health inspector, I would look at this solicit, check off “good” on all the boxes on my clipboard, nod to Aaron and Bachalo and then spontaneously combust. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be cool.

DOCTOR STRANGE #1
JASON AARON (w)
CHRIS BACHALO (a/C)
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY JUAN DOE
COSPLAY VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
VARIANT COVER BY KEVIN NOWLAN
VARIANT COVER BY TOM PALMER
VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY ERICA HENDERSON

Who do you call when things are coming out of your dreams and trying to kill you? Or when your daughter is cursing in Latin and walking like a spider? Or when your dog keeps screaming at you to strangle your neighbors? Doctor Strange, of course. He’s the only person standing between us and the forces of darkness, but has he been paying his tab? Every act of magic has a cost and Jason Aaron (THOR, ORIGINAL SIN) and Chris Bachalo (UNCANNY X-MEN) are going to put Stephen Strange through hell to even the scales.
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

Continued below

5. All-New All-Different All-Fresh All-GMO Free Al-

Like I said earlier, this reboot or whatever we want to call it seems like a passing of the guards sort. While many creators on this relaunch have some prior relationship with Marvel, they’re kind of filling the gap left by writers like Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Kieron Gillen, and Rick Remender going byesies. This isn’t just a look into the storylines for the next year or whatever of Marvel. It’s a look at who’s in charge for the next four.

ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL POINT ONE #1
AL EWING, CHARLES SOULE, SKOTTIE YOUNG, GERRY CONWAY, MARC GUGGENHEIM (W)
FELIPE ANDRADE, RON GARNEY, PACO MEDINA, GERMAN PERALTA, MIKE PERKINS, STEFANO CASELLI (A)
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
VARIANT COVER A BY DAVID MARQUEZ
VARIANT COVER B BY DAVID MARQUEZ
KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY PAUL POPE

In the aftermath of SECRET WARS, it’s an All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe, and this is your one-stop entry point to the changes and mysteries that have developed during the eight months that have passed! Featuring new stories of DAREDEVIL, CARNAGE, CLASSFIED, CLASSIFIED, AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. and CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS!
56 PGS./ One-Shot/Rated T+ …$5.99

4. The Cap We Deserve

Speaking of Remender leaving Marvel, I’m incredibly pleased with Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuña taking over Captain Ameirca AND keeping Sam Wilson. I feel like we never really got a lot of time to explore that character in the last series since it was mostly focused on HYDRA and DADDY ISSUES and CAP’S BEAUTIFUL ARYAN SON. But with Spencer and Acuña at the helm, this should be a defining series for the winged patriot.

Also, that A$AP Rocky variant should be the main cover. Look at it. It’s gorgeous.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #1 & 2
NICK SPENCER (w) • DANIEL ACUñA (a/C)
COSPLAY VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
VARIANT COVER BY JOHN CASSADAY
VARIANT COVER BY DANIEL ACUÑA
Hip-Hop variant cover by Mahmud Asrar
ISSUE #2 – Variant Cover by Evan “Doc” Shaner
KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY TONY MOORE

When Steve Rogers was restored to his natural age, he chose one of his closest and most trusted allies to take up his shield. Now Sam Wilson, formerly the Avenger known as Falcon, carries on the fight for liberty and justice as the all-new, all-different Captain America!
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T …$3.99 (each)

3. Picked Out In A Crowd

There are so many Marvel books with an adjective in them that I have trouble reminding what they are all. I think there’s an “Uncanny X-Men” book but I can’t be too sure with “Uncanny Avengers” and “Uncanny Inhumans” circling it for the kill. My problem with most of those books isn’t even the title so much as it is each one being like “A THREAT HAS HAPPENED TO UNITE THE HEROES! WILL THEY SOLVE IT AND BECOME FREINDS? YES!” “New Avengers” at least has the neat premise of relatively low-tier Avengers joining AIM. I can remember that more than I can remember “Astonishing Uncanny Ultimates”.

NEW AVENGERS #1 & 2
AL EWING (w) • GERARDO SANDOVAL (a/C)
ISSUE #1 – CHO VARIANT COVER BY FRANK CHO
Hip-Hop variant cover by TBA
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
ISSUE #2 – KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY SIMON BISLEY
VARIANT COVER BY TBA

EVERYTHING IS NEW. In the wake of SECRET WARS, the old order changeth – and Bobby DaCosta, Sunspot, is just the man to changeth it. Welcome to AVENGERS IDEA MECHANICS – a super-scientific global rescue squad of tomorrow’s heroes… today! America doesn’t want them! S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t know what to do with them! But Earth might not survive without… the NEW AVENGERS!
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (each)

2. The Blade 2

Another thing I’m looking forward to with this reboot is the inclusion of more legacy characters. That used to be way I was such a big fan of DC Comics. They really felt like they had a progression of time with the Golden and Silver Age heroes that led into the modern day with books like “Starman” or “Firestorm”. Marvel, meanwhile, just pretended that everything started ten years ago and that there had to be four Ant-men but only one Iron Man. Now, Marvel seems to be embracing some idea of history by letting other characters pick up mantles. At least until their old predecessor takes it back from them. Womp womp.

Continued below

Not much information has been released about this “Blade” reboot, but from the look of Logan Faerber’s cover it seems like it would be rather stylish. I’m just worried that Marvel isn’t going to turn recent trends into some formula and make every hero a teenage girl. Unless they’re going to do it for The Hulk. Do it for Man-Thing.

BLADE #1
TIM SEELEY (W) • Logan Faerber (a)
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
VARIANT COVER BY TIM SEELEY
Hip-Hop Variant by TBA
VARIANT COVER BY TBA

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

1. Victory Lap

Over the course of a year Scott Lang went from being a character I joked about in high school to one of Marvel’s top tier characters. Whoops.

As most people can attest, Spencer and Rosanas’s work on the current “Ant-Man” series is stupidly good at being irreverent and funny but also full of solid character work. It’s the type of book that suits “Ant-Man” perfectly, and Scott “breaking bad” seems like a genuine consequence of the story they’ve built so far and not just a weird gimmick. Hopefully, the success of Ant-Man is enough to keep “Astonishing” going for as long as it can.

THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #1
Nick Spencer (w) • Ramon Rosanas (a)
Cover by MARK BROOKS
HIP-HOP VARIANT BY MARK BROOKS
COSPLAY VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
YOUNG VARIANT BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
KIRBY MONSTER VARIANT COVER BY TRADD MOORE
VARIANT COVER BY MIKE ALLRED
BLANK VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE

Scott Lang was a down-on-his-luck, divorced ex-con — until he stole renowned scientist and super hero Hank Pym’s size-altering technology in the hopes of saving his daughter’s life. Through that act of doing wrong for the right reasons, Scott inadvertently learned how to be a hero himself. With Pym’s blessing and his daughter Cassie at his side, he became… The Astonishing Ant-Man! But when a curveball upends Scott’s life, will he continue to be a hero, or will he return to his former life of crime?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

James Johnston

James Johnston is a grizzled post-millenial. Follow him on Twitter to challenge him to a fight.

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