Marvel December Solicitations
September 23rd 2006 07:37
Yes, I know I haven't posted anything in over a week. Real life catches up with the best of us, apologies to all of you checking in every day for my next installment (hi mum!)
OK, with my copy of Civil War #4 still residing at the comic shop, I have to find something better to write about (a review of that important tome should be coming at you on the morrow). Marvel solicitations for December were released a few days ago, so I might as well go through the important releases.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #103
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & by Cover by MARK BAGLEY
With this issue, Bendis and Bagley break the record for the longest unbroken writer/artist collaboration on a single title. The previous record was held by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four. (Note that Dave Sim wrote and illustrated 300 issues of Cerebus, but he's one guy so it doesn't count for some reason - besides, he had a different guy doing his backgrounds for a fair while.) Ultimate Spidey hasn't been anywhere near the quality of the Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four, but it's an entertaining book in its own right, and Bendis and Bagley's achievement is remarkable in this day and age where extended runs are a rarity.
ULTIMATES 2 #13
Ahhh, finally. I'll believe it when i've bought it and read it. Maybe only when I've read it twice.
SPIDER-MAN: REIGN #1 (OF 4)
Written by KAARE ANDREWS
This image was leaked a few weeks ago, much to the consternation of fans who like a married Spider-Man. With these solicitations it's been linked to Spider-Man: Reign, a miniseries by Kaare Andrews set in an alternate future. Looks like MJ can breathe easy for a little while longer.
NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 (OF 5)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & BRIAN REED
Pencils & Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Ah, looks like it's time for Bendis to screw up some continuity! The whole idea behind this Illuminati group is that Professor X, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, the Sub-Mariner, and Iron Man have been meeting in secret for years and monitoring events in the Marvel Universe. This is a huge continuity insert, but it hasn't been dealt with a great deal since its introduction a while ago. Now Bendis gets to explore his idea in greater detail, and I'm expecting that lots of established stories are going to get violated. Doesn't mean the series won't be good, because Bendis hits as often as he misses, but it means I'm less likely to enjoy it.
newuniversal #1
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by SALVADOR LARROCA
Now this is an odd launch. About 20 years ago, Marvel Comics launched a new universe, creatively dubbed the New Universe. The basic idea for this universe was "super powers, not superheroes". It was an idea ahead of its time, because it's been used a lot since, but perhaps it was too far ahead - the New Universe was a financial failure. Now it's been given to Warren Ellis to do with as he wishes, and that usually provides good results. I'm looking forward to this.
WHAT IF? X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS
Written by DAVID HINE
Pencils & Cover by DAVID YARDIN
WHAT IF? X-MEN AGE OF APOCALYPSE
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by DAVE WILKINS
As is usual for recent Decembers, Marvel are putting out a few What If? one shots, which usually take an old story and explore what happens if events had panned out differently. The first plays off the X-Men: Deadly Genesis miniseries, positing the question, "What if Vulcan's X-Men team had survived their first mission?" Perfectly acceptable, and it's starting point is a story that is still having repercussions in the main X-Men titles. The second title, which is an Age of Apocalypse spin-off, I'm a little less certain about. I'm a little sick of these nostalgia events, like celebrating the 10th aniiversary of Onslaught, which is surely best left forgotten. But then, What If? is a book whose sole existence is owed to nostalgia and fanboyishness, so what do I know? If it's good I won't care either way.
WONDER MAN #1 (of 5)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & Cover by ANDREW CURRIE
"MY FAIR SUPER HERO"
This ought to be a lot of fun. Wonder Man has taken a bet to rehabilitate a female assassin named Lady Killer into a superhero, in an obvious reference to My Fair Lady. This is exactly the sort of thing that Peter David does tremendously well.
EXILES ANNUAL #1
Written by TONY BEDARD
Pencils & Cover by JIM CALAFIORE
Exiles finally gets an annual! In true "event comic" fashion, if you're stuck for ideas, make the current team fight the old team. This is a plot device that has always worked, and will always work until the end of all things. Should be fun, if not necessarily 'good'.
X-23: TARGET X #1 (OF 6)
Written by CRAIG KYLE & CHRISTOPHER YOST
Pencils & Cover by MIKE CHOI
This is a sequel to the popular X-23 mini that came out last year. The character doesn't excite me in the slightest, but she seems to have caught on with a segment of fandom that I have no contact with whatsoever. I guess someone will like it (and in all honesty, the last mini was pretty good, even if I don't want to read about a female Wolverine clone).
AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by DAVID FINCH
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Damn. Marvel have made this story harder to burn.
WOLVERINE BY CLAREMONT & MILLER PREMIERE HC
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by FRANK MILLER & PAUL SMITH
Cover by FRANK MILLER
This, on the other hand, deserves the hardcover treatment. This is a collection of the first Wolverine miniseries, and it's awesomely good. Highly recommended.
ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 2 TPB
ESSENTIAL OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE - UPDATE 89 VOL. 1 TPB
Huzzah for Essentials! These are the best thing since ever. 500 pages of pure black and white old-school comics for about $15. You may hate the black and white, but I think most of the art looks better without being obscured by crappy old-style colouring techniques. Neither of these releases excites me greatly, but I'll buy literally anything Marvel releases in this format. It's also great to see them releasing the Update of the MArvel Handbook, since they did the previous volumes in earlier books. Good stuff.
OK, with my copy of Civil War #4 still residing at the comic shop, I have to find something better to write about (a review of that important tome should be coming at you on the morrow). Marvel solicitations for December were released a few days ago, so I might as well go through the important releases.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #103
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & by Cover by MARK BAGLEY
With this issue, Bendis and Bagley break the record for the longest unbroken writer/artist collaboration on a single title. The previous record was held by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four. (Note that Dave Sim wrote and illustrated 300 issues of Cerebus, but he's one guy so it doesn't count for some reason - besides, he had a different guy doing his backgrounds for a fair while.) Ultimate Spidey hasn't been anywhere near the quality of the Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four, but it's an entertaining book in its own right, and Bendis and Bagley's achievement is remarkable in this day and age where extended runs are a rarity.
ULTIMATES 2 #13
Ahhh, finally. I'll believe it when i've bought it and read it. Maybe only when I've read it twice.
SPIDER-MAN: REIGN #1 (OF 4)
Written by KAARE ANDREWS
This image was leaked a few weeks ago, much to the consternation of fans who like a married Spider-Man. With these solicitations it's been linked to Spider-Man: Reign, a miniseries by Kaare Andrews set in an alternate future. Looks like MJ can breathe easy for a little while longer.
NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 (OF 5)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & BRIAN REED
Pencils & Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Ah, looks like it's time for Bendis to screw up some continuity! The whole idea behind this Illuminati group is that Professor X, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, the Sub-Mariner, and Iron Man have been meeting in secret for years and monitoring events in the Marvel Universe. This is a huge continuity insert, but it hasn't been dealt with a great deal since its introduction a while ago. Now Bendis gets to explore his idea in greater detail, and I'm expecting that lots of established stories are going to get violated. Doesn't mean the series won't be good, because Bendis hits as often as he misses, but it means I'm less likely to enjoy it.
newuniversal #1
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by SALVADOR LARROCA
Now this is an odd launch. About 20 years ago, Marvel Comics launched a new universe, creatively dubbed the New Universe. The basic idea for this universe was "super powers, not superheroes". It was an idea ahead of its time, because it's been used a lot since, but perhaps it was too far ahead - the New Universe was a financial failure. Now it's been given to Warren Ellis to do with as he wishes, and that usually provides good results. I'm looking forward to this.
WHAT IF? X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS
Written by DAVID HINE
Pencils & Cover by DAVID YARDIN
WHAT IF? X-MEN AGE OF APOCALYPSE
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by DAVE WILKINS
As is usual for recent Decembers, Marvel are putting out a few What If? one shots, which usually take an old story and explore what happens if events had panned out differently. The first plays off the X-Men: Deadly Genesis miniseries, positing the question, "What if Vulcan's X-Men team had survived their first mission?" Perfectly acceptable, and it's starting point is a story that is still having repercussions in the main X-Men titles. The second title, which is an Age of Apocalypse spin-off, I'm a little less certain about. I'm a little sick of these nostalgia events, like celebrating the 10th aniiversary of Onslaught, which is surely best left forgotten. But then, What If? is a book whose sole existence is owed to nostalgia and fanboyishness, so what do I know? If it's good I won't care either way.
WONDER MAN #1 (of 5)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & Cover by ANDREW CURRIE
"MY FAIR SUPER HERO"
This ought to be a lot of fun. Wonder Man has taken a bet to rehabilitate a female assassin named Lady Killer into a superhero, in an obvious reference to My Fair Lady. This is exactly the sort of thing that Peter David does tremendously well.
EXILES ANNUAL #1
Written by TONY BEDARD
Pencils & Cover by JIM CALAFIORE
Exiles finally gets an annual! In true "event comic" fashion, if you're stuck for ideas, make the current team fight the old team. This is a plot device that has always worked, and will always work until the end of all things. Should be fun, if not necessarily 'good'.
X-23: TARGET X #1 (OF 6)
Written by CRAIG KYLE & CHRISTOPHER YOST
Pencils & Cover by MIKE CHOI
This is a sequel to the popular X-23 mini that came out last year. The character doesn't excite me in the slightest, but she seems to have caught on with a segment of fandom that I have no contact with whatsoever. I guess someone will like it (and in all honesty, the last mini was pretty good, even if I don't want to read about a female Wolverine clone).
AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by DAVID FINCH
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Damn. Marvel have made this story harder to burn.
WOLVERINE BY CLAREMONT & MILLER PREMIERE HC
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by FRANK MILLER & PAUL SMITH
Cover by FRANK MILLER
This, on the other hand, deserves the hardcover treatment. This is a collection of the first Wolverine miniseries, and it's awesomely good. Highly recommended.
ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 2 TPB
ESSENTIAL OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE - UPDATE 89 VOL. 1 TPB
Huzzah for Essentials! These are the best thing since ever. 500 pages of pure black and white old-school comics for about $15. You may hate the black and white, but I think most of the art looks better without being obscured by crappy old-style colouring techniques. Neither of these releases excites me greatly, but I'll buy literally anything Marvel releases in this format. It's also great to see them releasing the Update of the MArvel Handbook, since they did the previous volumes in earlier books. Good stuff.
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