This is it! Last day of soliciting articles here at Multiversity, and we turn our peepers on the House of Ideas as Marvel’s August brings some endings, some missing solicits and a whole lot of other things that I’ve managed to find reasons to talk about.
Read on as I dive in.
10. The Original Murderer of “Original Sin”
As August arrives, “Original Sin” closes out. It is a pretty short event thanks to double-shipping. Not only that, but it looks like Marvel has decided that the best way to keep the identity of their killer a secret is to put him on the cover and blur out his bald head, because there is no way anyone reading will immediately assume it’s Xavier back from the dead.
Because of course it isn’t. It’s Cable, who has inexplicably shaved his head and left his team book that’s still ongoing. Obviously, right?
ORIGINAL SIN #7 (of 8)
JASON AARON (W) • MIKE DEODATO (A)
Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Interlocking Battle Variant by ARTHUR ADAMS
Teaser Variant by MIKE McKONE
The LAST BATTLEGROUND!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99ORIGINAL SIN #8 (of 8)
JASON AARON (W) • MIKE DEODATO (A)
Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
Interlocking Battle Variant by ARTHUR ADAMS
Teaser Variant by JEUN-SIIK AHN
The Final Judgment!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
9.1. 2 Endings
“Original Sin” isn’t the only thing ending, though. We are also getting the end of “Moon Knight” (billed as “the conclusion Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire,” which sounds super death cult-y) and the temporary end of “Wolverine,” which will be continued September in a book called “The Death of Wolverine” that will ship monthly (assumedly for a new “Wolverine” of some sorts in October).
Now, people have been asking on tumblr to Declan and Tom Brevoort what happens after “Moon Knight” #6, to which they coyly reply “Moon Knight” #7. I’d still guess that this particular run is ending, but at least it was fun while it lasted.
MOON KNIGHT #6
Warren Ellis (W)
Declan Shalvey & JORDIE BELLAIRE (A/C)
• A threat from the first issue is back to cause problems for Moon Knight!
• This mysterious person is the new BLACK SPECTRE and it doesn’t mean anything good for the protector of night travelers.
• Don’t miss the conclusion of Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99WOLVERINE #11
Paul Cornell (W) • Peter M. Woods (A)
Cover by Steve McNiven
Variant Cover by Ryan Stegman
ONE MONTH TO DIE!
• With the fates of two human beings placed in her hands, Pinch is faced with a decision that may haunt her for the rest of her life.
• That is, unless Wolverine and his S.H.I.E.L.D. cavalry can reach her in time.
• Classic Sabretooth, still finds time to mess with Logan, even while he’s busy trying to remake the world in his image.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99WOLVERINE #12
Paul Cornell (W) • Peter M. Woods (A)
Cover by Steve McNiven
Variant Cover by Ryan Stegman
ONE MONTH TO DIE! A DOUBLE-SIZED SERIES FINALE!
• Looks like Sabretooth is ready for his final showdown with Logan and he sure picked a meaningful venue.
• Didn’t we just see a fight in a shopping mall that seriously scarred Logan?
• Oh, right. That whole “messing with Wolverine” thing.
64 PGS./Parental Advisory …$5.99
9.2. 4 Missing Titles
As with last month (though there was a lot more missing then), there are quite a few missing titles from the solicits this month. Seems like “Original Sin” is a good time for Marvel to pull all kinds of fast ones, eh?
So, what have we got going on, then? Well, “Iron Man” is missing — though we know that is because Kieron’s run is ending. “Loki, Agent of Asgard” and “Thor, God of Thunder” are missing, but I guess that crossover mini thing is running beyond just July (despite being “Original Sin” #5.1 – 5.5 — a numbering, by the way, that I really hate).
Continued belowThis just makes the missing books “Hawkeye,” which is perpetually late, and “Iron Patriot” — which, to my knowledge, no one else has seemed to notice yet. July’s #5 does mention an ending of sorts; could the book have reached a conclusion?
We’ll find out soon, I’m sure.
8. And 1 Upcoming Ending
To wrap up our look at things coming to a close, it looks like Spencer and Lieber’s wonderfully fun “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” is about to hit its end at #15, with #14 billed as the “penultimate hour.” I don’t wish for it to end, but the creators have admitted that it was a bit of a struggle to keep it going past the usual death point of some series (which can be around the sixth or so issue).
Alas, poor Superior Foes of Spider-Man.
THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #14
NICK SPENCER (W) • STEVE LIEBER (A)
Cover by KRIS ANKA
• A year of duplicity and double crossing leads to this – who will live, who will die, who will get the head of Silvermane?
• Spencer and Lieber bring this rollicking tail of evil to it’s penultimate hour!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
7. MARVEL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
Chip Zdarsky.
Writing and illustrating a story in a Marvel comic.
Oh boy.
(Plus, the finale of Ryan North and Ramon Villalobos’ “Young Avengers” story, which will probably be good as well.)
ORIGINAL SINS #5 (OF 5)
AL EWING, RYAN NORTH & CHIP ZDARSKY (W)
RAMON VILLALOBOS, CHIP ZDARSKY & MORE (A)
Cover by Mark Brooks
• The Young Avengers’ battle with the Hood reaches its climax!
• The prime mover behind the Watcher’s murder confesses his own Original Sin!
• Plus, Everybody’s Got One! Find out the Original Sins and hidden secrets of dozens of other Marvel heroes and villains!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
6. DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL
I touted “Secret Avengers” as one of the best Marvel books right now recently, particularly due to its humor. This solicit very much proves that point, as it’s absolutely absurd and makes me unable to wait for this issue even more than I already proverbially was unable to wait for the issue. I mean, Ales Kot and Michael Walsh doing Deadpool? I’m in.
SECRET AVENGERS #7
Ales Kot (W)
Michael Walsh (A)
Cover by Tradd Moore
• “EXECUTIVE DECISION”
• DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL DEADPOOL! WE HEARD THAT DEADPOOL RAISES SALES SO WE’RE DOING THIS EARLY ON.
• JUST KIDDING. ALL ABOUT THE ART. YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, RIGHT?
• THE NOOSE: TIGHTENS! SECRET AVENGERS: HUNTED! MARIA HILL: INVESTIGATING! ALSO DEADPOOL!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
5. Three Months Later
Speaking of books I put in my Best Of article (there’s that link again), the enormously underrated “Avengers Undercover” hops three months into the future and brings in Tigh Walker and Timothy Green II to illustrate. The solicits for these issues sound pretty exciting as is, but that the book is going to launch itself into the future is an entirely exciting proposition, as it means that Hopeless will be allowed to probably get away with some really sinister stuff while the rest of us are forced to play catch-up. I’m very excited.
Continued belowAVENGERS UNDERCOVER #8 & 9
DENNIS HOPELESS (W)
Issue #8 – TIGH WALKER (A)
Issue #9 – TIMOTHY GREEN II (A)
Covers by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Issue #8 –
EVERYTHING CHANGES AS WE JUMP THREE MONTHS LATER!
• After last issue’s huge reveal, what else has happened in the 90 days since the events of issue #7?
• Why is Hazmat working for Madame Masque…and maybe Mystique and Sabretooth?
• And how does this issue’s cliffhanger change everything again?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
Issue #9 –
THE AVENGERS & S.H.I.E.L.D. ATTACK IN “GONE NATIVE” PART 3 OF 4!
• Justice comes to Baron Zemo’s super-villain city!
• When the heroes arrive, whose side will our Murder World survivors pick?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
4. Whatever Happened to Richard Rider?
One of the biggest questions when we saw Bendis bringing back the Guardians in “Avengers Assemble” and their own ongoing series was: wait a minute, isn’t Star-Lord dead? And, of course, Bendis brushed the comment aside and said he’d get to it when he gets to it.
Well, I guess it is mighty convenient that an event came along that reveals things from peoples’ pasts that they didn’t want getting out, now isn’t it? Thanos came back from the Cancerverse. Star-Lord came back from the Cancerverse. Richard Rider didn’t.
I’m honestly intrigued to find out the reason why.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18
Brian Michael Bendis (W) • Ed McGuinness (A/C)
75th Anniversary Variant by ALEX ROSS
75th Anniversary Sketch Variant by ALEX ROSS
Original Sin Tie-In!
• You know you want to know how Star-Lord got back from the Cancerverse.
• And didn’t Nova go in there with him? Guess he’s not into the whole “no man left behind” thing.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
3. Uh oh
I quite like Kaare Andrews’ rapid-fire take on “Iron Fist” so far, and I must admit that the first two issues hit me pretty hard. It pretty much tore everything I really liked about the character apart in order to make room for something new, which is certainly a bold and ruthless strategy. But with Kaare Andrews at the helm, and that art he does so well, I’m willing to go along for the ride.
So, now the book teases a censored cover and the solicit remarks about Danny Rand not being Iron Fist anymore? Hmm. When Kaare Andrews set to mess things up, he was not kidding around.
IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON #5
Kaare Andrews (W) • Kaare Andrews (A/C)
• Is everything broken?
• Is Danny Rand an Iron Fist no more?
• What fresh, monstrous hell is soon to be unleashed?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
2. Giannis Milonogiannis Comes to Marvel — For an Issue, At Least
This is impossibly cool: Giannis Milonogiannis, the fantastic writer/artist behind “Old City Blues” and one of the collaborators of Image and Brandon Graham’s sensational “Prophet,” is going to draw an Ultimates story with Michel Fiffe.
This is, like, indie-creator doing for-hire work heaven. Honest to goodness. Marvel must either offer some really sweet deals or really know where the bodies are buried, but as a fan of both of these creators I am very excited to see them work together and for a whole new audience to be exposed to Milonogiannis’ artwork. Heck yeah.
ALL-NEW ULTIMATES #6 & 7
MICHEL FIFFE (W) • Issue #6 – AMILCAR PINNA (A)
Issue #7 – GIANNIS MILONOGIANNIS (A)
Covers by DAVID NAKAYAMA
ISSUE #6 –
THE CLIMACTIC CONCLUSION OF “POWER FOR POWER”
• The ULTIMATES’ battle with the SERPENT SKULLS! Fever pitch violence drives this war between the classes & sexes.
• DIAMONDBACK breaks hearts and faces! SCOURGE goes out in a blaze of glory! CROSSBONES fights to the bitter end!
• Will the team quit while they’re ahead? Or will they emerge as something even STRONGER?!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
ISSUE #7 –
• SPIDER-MAN, BLACK WIDOW, KITTY, CLOAK & DAGGER barely hold back the carnage of vengeful sewer leaders AGENT CROCK & VERMIN!
• The BENGAL joins the police squad just in time to regulate Scourge’s murderous aftermath!
• Will the hunt for CROSSBONES reveal a deeper, darker secret behind the city’s rampant crime wave?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
1. My #1 Holiday Recommendation For the Marvel Fan in Your Life
So, remember that article I keep bringing up? The one where I claim “Thor” by Aaron and Ribic is the best Marvel comic right now?
This is why. This arc, all in one place, is why. The collected “God Butcher”/”Godbomb” arc was so epic, so colossal and inspired that it hit me in all the right ways. As a big fan of Thor myself, it was so exciting to see Aaron try something really bold with the character; not only did he trust readers enough to string them along on three separate timelines, but he managed to invoke everything that worked about Simonson’s classic take on “Thor” while updating it for a modern audience who may be less interested in all that mythology.
Continued belowAnd Ribic? Good lord. Esad Ribic delivers career defining work with this tome. It’s gigantic, enormous, epic stuff, with beautiful colors that hit surprisingly large scopes of content and emotion. What Ribic does with this book is nothing short of inspired.
Buy this for everyone you love, and buy it for everyone you want to love you. For those that you don’t love, just hit them with it. It’ll be just as satisfying, I promise.
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER VOL. 1 HC
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by ESAD RIBIC & BUTCH GUICE
Cover by ESAD RIBIC
A trail of blood consumes Thor’s past, present and future! Throughout the ages, gods are vanishing, and Thor must unravel the gruesome mystery of Gorr the God Butcher! In the distant past, Thor discovers a cave that echoes with the cries of tortured gods! In the present, Thor follows the bloody wake of murdered gods across the depths of space. And millennia from now, the last god-king of Asgard makes his final stand against Gorr’s berserker legions. As Thors from three eras race to stop Gorr, his scheme’s full extent is revealed: What is the Godbomb? At the end of time, all the universe’s gods are enslaved, building a machine that will forever change the face of creation. Three time-bending Thors unite, but will it all be for naught as the massive Godbomb is triggered? Collecting THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #1-11.
272 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9113-1
Trim size: oversized
For the full August solicits, head on over to CBR.
