Monday means it's time for the Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews. Lighter load this week, but still some nice surprises on the pull list, including the prologue to Assault on New Olympus, the new Black Widow origin miniseries, another helping dose of Nova and more! Hit the jump for Ryan and my thoughts on the books we'll be buying this week.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #610Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Marco Chechetto and Luke Ross
Peter Parker’s past collides with his future! Can Peter Parker save his family and himself?! Webhead stalwart Marc Guggenheim and rising star Marco Chechetto (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: AMERICAN SON) bring you the rollicking conclusion of “WHO WAS BEN REILLY?”
Ryan: I’ve been really disappointed by Marc Guggenheim’s final story arc, so I’m glad to see it will finally be reaching a conclusion this bring some life and excitement into this relatively dull story of mistaken identity, but I’m not holding my breath.
Kirk: Unlike Ryan, I'm not overly disappointed with this arc. Not loving it or anything, but it's been pretty average. Nothing to write home about, nothing to overly get hung up on. I think this was meant to be a reintroduction to the Clone Saga characters and testing the waters to see how fans react more than anything.
ASSAULT ON NEW OLYMPUS PROLOGUE #1Written by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Art by Rodney Buchemi
Hercules! Spider-Man! Ares! New Avengers! Wolverine! Mighty Avengers! The Agents of Atlas! If there's a bigger event this fall, we don't know what it could be! At long last, the Prince of Power takes the fight to his villainous stepmother Hera and the forces of the Olympus Group -- just as she unleashes the most terrifying threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen! But first Herc has to gather together a star-studded strike force from the ranks of the New and the Mighty Avengers! First on the list: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! But why is Everyone's Friendly Neighborhood fighting against Hercules? Has he joined the side of the dark gods? It's webs and wisecracks versus Olympian power in this super-sized one-shot! (There will be major property damage, we guarantee.) Plus: The iHerc team proudly welcomes our new INCREDIBLE HERCULES on-going back-up feature... THE AGENTS OF ATLAS, written by fan favorite scribe Jeff Parker! When the forces of New Olympus target Venus, will Jimmy Woo lead his team into the fray for or against Hercules' forces?
Kirk: Incredible Hercules has been building up to this storyline/event for a while now with Hera and her Olympus group finally getting around to rolling out their Continuum project. I realize Spider-Man is probably only being thrown into the mix to drum up some extra sales, but I've liked how Van Lente has used him in Amazing Spider-Man, so adding him to the Hercules mix should prove interesting, even if it's only temporary. If you have some extra cash lying around and aren't reading Incredible Hercules, this might be a good place to jump on.
BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN #1Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Tom Raney
Before she steals the world's heart in Iron Man II, get caught in the wicked web of Marvel's sexiest and deadliest super-spy! She's been everything from a Russian espionage agent to a Champion to an Avenger, now a skeleton from Natalia Romanova's past is reaching out for those she's loved and lost...and the Black Widow has many victims to choose from! From the frozen streets of Moscow to the upper stratosphere, writer Paul Cornell (CAPTAIN BRITAIN & MI3) and artists Tom Raney (DARK REIGN: HAWKEYE) and John Paul Leon (The Winter Men) deliver a globe-hopping, bone-breaking, high-tech thriller that reveals how Natalia's shadowy past threatens all she now holds dear. Guest-starring the Winter Soldier and Wolverine!
Kirk: I realize this is only being green lit because of Black Widow's upcoming movie appearance, but with Paul Cornell at the helm, I'm willing to give it a go. However, I'm curious as to why they didn't tap Ed Brubaker, what with all he's done with Natasha over in Captain America, to write this origin miniseries.
THE BOYS #36Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Darick Robertson
Mother's Milk's story concludes with a bang, as we find out the nature of the debt he owes Butcher and see him bear witness to a great American tragedy. Hughie gets another view of The Boys' mission, one he hadn't considered before, in part two of Nothing Like It In The World.
Ryan: I’m really hoping that the debt Mother’s Milk owes Butcher will be a big enough twist that I’ll regain interest in this series. The Boys was once my favorite title on the stands, but over the last year or so, the quality has been so inconsistent and the anti-heroes shtick has gotten so tired that I’m really considering cutting it from my pull list.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #4Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Bryan hitch and Butch Guice
Steve Rogers, the original Captain America - trapped in time! Bucky and Sharon Carter - in the hands of the enemy! As Dr. Doom and the Red Skull make a terrifying pact that could destroy what Captain America means forever!"
Ryan: I had all but given up on this series after the first two issues when the third completely changed the game for me. I’m hoping that Brubaker and Company can build off that momentum as the action finally heats up for this miniseries.
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #899Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Dalibor Talajic
Stop rubbing your eyes, fanboy, they don't deceive you! Everyone's favorite Merc with a Mouth stars in a third on-going series, hacking and wisecracking his way across the Marvel Universe with a new guest-star every month! First up: when master assassin ARCADE and NIGHTMARE, Lord of the Dream Dimension, join forces to destroy Wade Wilson and THE INCREDIBLE HERCULES, they get more than they bargain for, taking on two of the MU's most irresponsible heroes! Drunken mayhem, bad jokes, and billions of dollars of property damage ensue!
Kirk: I'm buying it because of that cover. If there isn't a scene where Deadpool and Hercules drink Wolverine and Thor under the table, I'll probably write an angry forum post or something.
DOOM PATROL #4Written Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Justiniano and Kevin Maguire
When BLACKEST NIGHT falls, skeletons start coming out of the closets — and no one has more skeletons in his closet than Niles Caulder, founder of the Doom Patrol. Caulder has been playing god for years, and the time for a reckoning has come. The Doom Patrol thought they knew darkness. Find out how wrong they were in this BLACKEST NIGHT tie-in issue!
Ryan: In all honesty, I’m really only picking this one up because it is a requirement to get the next Blackest Night promotional ring. However, the thought of The Chief finally getting the comeuppance that Geoff Johns set into motion with the Doom Patrol’s appearance in Teen Titans several years ago, I could find myself getting hooked on this series.
GHOST RIDERS: HEAVENS ON FIRE #4Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Roland Boschi
Hellstorm, the Son of Satan, occult terrorist Jaine Cutter, junior Anti-Christ Kid Blackheart and sword-wielding nun Sister Sara are crossing the country on motorcycles, trying to find a gateway to hell. That's bound to go smoothly, right? Not if the minions of renegade angel Zadkiel have anything to say about it. Make way for the demented return of Scarecrow and Madcap to the Ghost Rider rogues gallery. Better buy two copies of this issue because you're bound to wet one with your tears of terror.
Kirk: I'm having a lot of fun reading this miniseries/conclusion to Aaron's run on Ghost Rider and I say that as someone that hasn't read anything else from his time on the book. I know Heavens on Fire has given me the incentive to pick up a few trades of this run in the future though.
NOVA #31Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Andrea Divito
A REALM OF KINGS story! Torn between duty and friendship, the galaxy’s #1 lawman hunts for the most wanted man in the universe: Darkhawk! Determined to bring an assassin to justice, Rich Rider will rocket into the universe’s most dangerous new location: The Fault!
Ryan: Wasn’t the Fault closed by Adam Warlock when he became Magus? I think I might have missed something somewhere, so I’ll be digging into my back issues before checking this one out. Buy, if nothing else, it will be cool to see Nova take on his old pal Darkhawk—plus this is two weeks in a row for new Nova issues. How awesome is that?
Kirk: No, Ryan, you're mistaken. Adam merely stopped the Fault from spreading and destroying the universe. There's still a huge gouge in space out there. All I know is that we're getting back to back issues of Nova two weeks in a row. Christmas has come early.
SECRET SIX #15Written by John Ostrander
Art by Jim Calafiore
Deadshot takes center stage! He’s always been a killer, but now the urge to kill everyone is threatening to take him over completely. Can the mercenary pull himself out of these murderous depths? Or will he drown in the murky waters of his own addiction to death? Guest-written by John Ostrander, whose fan-favorite run on SUICIDE SQUAD helped define Deadshot.
Ryan: Since Secret Six has been my favourite ongoing series for most of 2009, normally I’d be pretty opposed to a guest creative team coming in to take a crack at the Sixers. However, considering it is John Ostrander and Jim Calafiore focusing on the character that Ostrander defined, I don’t think this one will be much of a problem. This one might not be as quirkily awesome as a Gail Simone/Nicola Scott issue, but it should still be one of the strongest issues of the week.
Kirk: I actually find when old creative teams return to books, there's nostolgia but little else of the old magic recaptured. Hoping I'm wrong in this case.
STRANGE TALES #3Written by Various
Art by Various
You won’t believe your senses!!! Marvel is proud to present the final issue of this hotly anticipated three issue anthology showcasing Marvel’s greatest characters re-imagined by the best and brightest talents working in independent comics today. Don’t miss what’s sure to be one of the most exciting collections of comics short stories ever produced!!! Every issue stars a stunning array of the best, most exciting cartoonists on the planet—showcasing the Marvel Heroes as you’ve never seen them before! Featuring the long-awaited Peter Bagge “Incorrigible Hulk” serialized over all three issues!
Kirk: Just realized that between my Thanksgiving trip and other missed reviews, I haven't actually posted a review of any issues of Strange Tales yet. I'll probably remedy that by posting a full miniseries review later in the week or sometime next week and forgo the review for this individual issue. As it's been all over the Moments of the Week every time it came out, I hope people realize just how good it is and are picking it up, despite my not having reviewed it for various reasons.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #4Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Lafuente
Ultimate Spider-Man faces off with Mysterio! It’s brutal, it’s bloody and it’s one of the biggest Spidey fights of the year! PLUS: Events in Kitty Pryde's life create a situation for Peter Parker that you have never ever ever seen in a Spidey title before!
Ryan: This series is quickly becoming one of the few books where I only skim the solicitations—I already know how great it is going to be, so why bother fretting over the details? I mean, I’m glad to know that Spidey and Mysterio are going to have a huge fight plus Kitty is going to throw a wrench into Peter’s personal life, but even without that knowledge, I’d be just as excited about this one.
Kirk: Bendis needs to give me a reason to keep buying this book at $3.99. I'm seriously considering dropping it and switching to trades at this point. It's still a good book, but I just don't feel I'm getting my money's worth at that price point and it hasn't recaptured the magic from earlier issues of the original series.
X-MEN VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #2Written by Jeff Parker
Art by Carlo Pagulayan, Chris Samnee, and Gabrial Hardman
The brawl under San Francisco just gets bigger as more mutants arrive to face the Atlas Foundation! Then things take a turn for the weird as the original five X-Men face off with the 1950's Agents of Atlas! All the strangest heroes make for the strangest battle...
Ryan: The first issue was mostly fluff, but it was well-crafted fluff, so I’m willing to overlook the fact that it was only thrown together to bring the Agents of Atlas to the attention of casual readers. I’m expecting more of the same in this issue—big action and crazy characters throughout, plus awesome art from Chris Samnee in the backup.
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13 comments:
Original 5 X-men? Isn't Jean Grey currently dead? Or is she alive again? It's hard to keep up when one mostly gets the trades...
looks like they'll pretend wolverine is jean grey by the cover.
also am i the only one who hates the 'incorrigible hulk' in strange tales? it takes up most of the book and makes me feel ripped off every time. s'not good looking or funny.
on the note of black widow I imagine it's Cornell over Brubaker simply because Cornell's becoming a go-to miniseries guy.
Ya know what I'm most stoked about this week? Sweet Tooth issue 3. seriously the best Vertigo book on the stands
@NovaGuy - It's a flashback story. Jean is still dead in the main books.
Regarding the Fault, Adam Warlock just stopped it from getting bigger and destroying the universe, but he wasn't able to close it.
From DC I'm picking up Magog, and Secret Six, I might pick up World of New Krypton as it's been what I was hoping to get out of New Krypton. We'll see.
From Marvel, Captain America: Reborn, and Nova, I might pick up the Prologue as it's probably a good place to jump on. I'm interested in Black Widow but only because Cornell is writing it. It's still an Origin story though.
@Flip The Page - I agree with you on the incorrigible Hulk issue, it's nowhere near the stand out each month, what a shame. I guess others like it because it was a major selling point for the entire series, just not our cup of tea. I noticed in sales estimates that Strange Tales only sold 18k on first issue, can't imagine issues 2 and 3 will be any better, what a shame.
I have done a little sales data wrap up question time over on my site, but I'll leave it to the boys here to add up the top ten writing money earners post, which I cannot wait for!
I'm not sure why Kirk you would consider first dropping Ultimate Spiderman over the 616 Amazing. Being at the same price, i think you would go for the one that's been consistently better instead of cutting a 2nd tier imprint title to maintain the flagship one.
Idk, i'm just quirky like that to question it. Other than that, nothing for me this week on a pull list. Probably will buy either a trade or some back issues.
I'm predicting that Ultimate Shroud is actually Kitty running around in a red-headed oversized trenchcoat. I won't be surprised if that's not the case, but the pieces I've seen in the comic point in her direction, especially since it's suppose to be someone we've seen before.
Just thought I'd give a try at calling it before they tell us who it is, since that may be what the Kitty situation in the comic is (even if it doesn't exactly match up with the way they bill it)
I've just readed the last fantastic four issue...as anyone noticed that the reed in the green armor is an alternate version of lex luthor???
@Anonymous - That was one of my favorite moments of the entire issue. It makes me wonder if it was Eaglesham or Hickman's idea.
@Ryan K Lindsay - I'm probably going to pass on the sales data analysis this month. Might make it a quarterly top 10 post to see how things progress, but it's a fair bit of work to put together.
Doesn't Realm of Kings begin this week?
@Parallax207 - I didnt see it in the listings, but I may have missed it. I'll be picking up all the Realms of Kings offerings when they come out though, so if it is out this week, I'll have it.
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