Thoughts on Solicitations for February 2010

Every month, Marvel, DC, Image and everyone else in the comics industry submits their solicits for the upcoming months to Diamond.  Thoughts on Solicitations is our monthly column devoted to covering these solicits, picking out books that intrigue us/boggle the mind and, in general, discuss the future of the comics.  It is not a "future pull list" or any indication of what books we may or may not buy - merely commentary from everyone at the Weekly Crisis on the comics or trades that caught our eye as we went through the various solicits.

In regards to the month of February, trades seem to be the talk of the town with Planetary, Wednesday Comics, Strange Tales, Invincible Iron Man, a Nextwave ultimate collection, a Daredevil omnibus and more all getting trade treatments.  If you're a trade waiter, the wallet wil be hurting based on these solicits.

On the comics side of things, Blackest Night continues to roll along with a media blackout on covers for most of the titles involved.  This often times indicates potential for spoilers, but they have full solicits up for each issue making me wonder if it's an indication of possible delays on the horizon with artists unable to complete work on time, especially since it's post-skip month (no BN in January) for the event.  Siege is also hitting big that month from Marvel and even Image is getting in on the action with Spawn #200, Image United #0 and Invincible Returns #1.

Hit the jump for thoughts on all the solicits for the month of February.


DC ENTERTAINMENT

BLACKEST NIGHT

Blackest Night #7

Matt: A fitting cover, the blackest one! *looks closer* Oh wait, never mind, it's just a classified cover.

Ryan: The secret that could tear the universe asunder? Why do I have a feeling it has something to do with a horrible choice made by the Guardians a long time ago? Oh, wait, that’s the source of nearly every problem the Green Lanterns have ever faced.

Adventure Comics Starring Black Lantern Superboy #7

Matt: Top Secret? You kind of spoiled it there in the title, DC.

Blackest Night: Flash #3

Kirk: Does that mean Reverse-Flash dies in Flash: Reborn or am I getting Zolomon and Thawne mixed up?

Black Lantern Green Arrow #30

Matt: Alright, now this is getting confusing. Did they just add "Black Lantern" to every title that is having a Blackest Night tie-in?

Ryan: It cracks me up that DC has to put in the solicitation “This issue is actually Green Arrow/Black Canary #30.”

Green Lantern #51

Ryan: I’m willing to wager that Hal becoming the oft-speculated “White Lantern” is going to involve unleashing the avatars of all of the Lantern spectrums, starting with Parallax. If so, that’s a pretty awesome way to show how big the powers of these entities really are.

Secret Six #18

Kirk: I was wondering if we'd see the Manhunters in Blackest Night, but didn't expect to see them in Secret Six. I imagine this is a random decomissioned Manhunter Waller had in storage and not the Cyborg-Superman led versions.

Green Lantern Corps #45

Matt: Kind of weird that this is STILL about the battle Oa. It's been about Oa since the Blackest Night tie-in started, I figured they would have moved on by now. This becomes even more noticeable when you compare it with the main Green Lantern title, where Hal Jordan has gone globetrotting around the universe.

BATMAN TITLES

Azrael #5

Ryan: I’ve had no interest in this series from the get-go, but seeing Fabian Nicieza tackling interesting topics like Palestinian/Jewish conflicts and bringing in Ragman as a guest-star has caught my attention. I might just check this one out!

Batman and Robin #8-9

Matt: Alright, I chuckled at the "Blackest Knight" title. I must have missed that the last time we did these Solicits commentary.

Ryan: The phrase “in hopes of attaining his heart’s desire” has me really nervous about this storyline. Grant Morrison is known for completely disregarding the history of a character to serve his own bizarre plot choices and so I’m not looking forward to whatever drastic retcon is implied here.

Batman and Robin Deluxe Edition HC Vol 1: Batman Reborn.

Eric: Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-Batman! Batman! BATMAN! Yes, I am excited about this. Why do you ask?

Gotham City Sirens #9

Matt: "Is Edward Nigma friend or foe?" Sounds like someone didn't read the last issue of Tony Daniel's Batman!

Red Robin #9

Ryan: If there was any doubt that this series is one of the most important books in the DCU before this, the solicitation confirms that you need to be reading this book—especially if you are interested in seeing how Bruce Wayne makes a comeback.

Batman: Reborn Series 1 Action Figures

Ryan: As pumped as I am to get an action figure of the new Batgirl, I’m a bit confused at the choices here. Azrael and Batgirl make sense, but the Jason Todd Batman seems like an odd choice, though not quite as bad as the Two-Face Batman. I mean the latter appeared in only handful of panels as a hallucination. It would make more sense to get a Damian-as-Robin or Tim-as-Red Robin figure first.

DC UNIVERSE

Hardware: The Man in the Machine

Ryan: I’m glad to see DC is FINALLY releasing the Milestone books in trade format. $19.99 is probably too expensive for casual readers to give it a look, but for folks like me who just want to revisit these old stories, it’ll be worth it.

Milestone Forever #1

Ryan: I really hope that Dwayne McDuffie has a good recap page on this one. It has been years since the Milestone books were dropped, so to return to wrap up those long-lost storylines seems like an odd way to kick off their introduction in to the DCU.

Justice Society of America #36

Matt: Isn't it kind of a faux pas to put a giant Nazi swastika on the cover? It seems every time they do, they end up changing it for the international (namely the German) versions.

Supergirl #50

Matt: Wait a minute, a Michael Turner cover? Did they just have this laying around waiting for the right moment or is this a cover/art being reused?

Ryan: The only thing weirder than seeing a new cover by the late-Michael Turner (whose work I miss dearly) is the fact that the backup story in this is “written” by Helen Slater. Actually, I take that back. The weirdest thing about all of this is the idea that DC would want us to remember that the Helen Slater Supergirl movie exists, despite how horrible it was.

Tiny Titans #25

Eric: I expect copious amounts of death, dismemberment and carnage. Don't let me down Johns!

Ryan: Geoff Johns is co-writing Tiny Titans?!

Wednesday Comics HC

Eric: And thus begins the waiting! This is why I both love and loath the fact that DC advance solicits all of their collections. Also, advantage trade waiters!

Kirk: I didn't think Wednesday Comics was worth following in newspaper format for a variety of reasons that had nothing to do with the quality of the writing or art, but this hardcover solves all of those problems and is a definite purchase for me.

Matt: Extra features? Sucks for the people that actually supported this title on singles. Also, look at the measures this collection has "11"x17.5". Is that relatively the same size as the actual page?

Ryan: I’m now kicking myself for buying this in the single issue format. Not only is this collection similarly priced to buying all twelve issues (and will be much cheaper at online retailers), but its going to be easier to read in the oversized hardcover format and comes with a bunch of extras. If DC does a sequel to Wednesday Comics, I think I’ll wait for trade this time!

VERTIGO/WILDSTORM/ZUDA

Absolute Planetary Book One & Two

Kirk: With Planetary recently wrapping up after, what, a two year or longer delay, it was inevitable for a second Absolute volume to come out to collect the second half of the series. Thankfully, DC was smart enough to print the ridiculously scarce Book One to coincide with it. Only problem I see is that this will be one big dent in the wallet with both coming out at the same time.

Area 10 HC

Eric: I've generally enjoyed what Marvel and DC works from Christos Gage that I've read so I'm interested in seeing how well he can do on a creator owned project. I also like the premise so I'll probably get this at some point.

Ryan: Christos Gage and Chris Samnee teaming up for an original graphic novel? As of right now, this is THE book that I’m looking forward to in 2009. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until April!

Greek Street Vol 1: Blood Calls For Blood TP

Eric: Although I've heard mixed things about the series I'll still be getting this plus it's another one of Vertigo's $10 intro trades which is more than enough reason to try it out.

Mysterious The Unfathomable TP

Eric: Been waiting for this to be solicited for a long while. This is definitely near the top of to get list.

Night Owls Vol 1 TP

Eric: Another Zuda collection. I'll get it since it sounds like something that could be very enjoyable.

Northlanders Vol 3: Blood In The Snow TP

Eric: Another collection I've been waiting for. Northlanders is definitely my favorite current Vertigo series and this collection has issue #20, which is a done-in-one about Sven, the main character from the first arc, so this is another must buy for me.

Tom Strong Deluxe Edition Book Two HC

Eric: Nice to see that DC is going to release the whole series in these collections. I'll definitely pick these up now.

OTHER PUBLISHERS

DARK HORSE

Devil #1

Eric: Despite my utter loathing of Vampires, I'm pretty interested in this series. I'm very curious to see how a group of Japanese creators does turning out a Western-style comic. Should be very interesting. Never read anything by the writer but I have watched, and enjoyed, the anime listed that were created by the animation stupid doing the art.

Rapture TPB

Ryan: I’m glad to see that Dark Horse is moving so quickly to get this out as a trade paperback. Husband-and-wife team Taki Soma and Michael Avon Oeming garnered a lot of praise for this one, even if it was pretty hard to find for a lot of fans. I look forward to checking it out.

DYNAMITE

The Legendary Talespinners #1 

Ryan: The solicits are basically calling this the next Fables of Stuff of Legend, which is a bold statement—but, it does sound pretty incredible and like an interesting commentary on the lack of imagination in our world. This could be the first big sleeper hit of 2010.

Red Sonja: Wrath of The Gods #1

Ryan: Every time I read about the Norse gods (Thor, Loki, Odin, etc) showing up in non-Marvel comics, I immediately picture the Marvel characters transplanted into that story. That being said, while this story sounds pretty good, Red Sonja against Marvel’s Loki sounds way cooler.

IMAGE

Chase Variant One Shot (Is All I Need)

Ryan: Rumormonger Rich Johnston’s sense of humor is usually a lot of fun, so the idea of him taking a shot at the excessiveness of comics—and from the looks of it, 90s comics—should be worth checking out.

Colt Noble and The Megalords

Ryan: How is it that I’ve never heard of this before? This sounds hilariously awesome! “Will he use the powerful body to save his world from the forces of darkness, or will he just try to get laid?” is now the coolest thing I’ve ever read in the solicits.

Image United #0

Ryan: Don’t get me wrong, I’m still pretty excited about Image United, but throwing up a #0 issue in the middle of the story makes it pretty clear that they really do want to revisit every gimmick from the 90s on this series.

Invincible Returns

Eric: Only in superhero comics is a return to an older costume something worth celebrating. Well, probably not only in superhero comics but man, they like to hype like nobody's business. Anyway, I'll probably get this out of sheer morbid curiosity.

Loaded Bible Book One TP

Eric: This sound so stupid it might end up being awesome. I'm interested in this but it's definitely not a must buy for me.

Mice Templar: Destiny #7

Ryan: The more complex the story gets, the better Mice Templar is. It looks like we can expect more layers of awesomeness in February.

Spawn #200

Ryan: The fact that it has been 17 years since Spawn first launched makes me feel incredibly old. I’m glad to see that McFarlane was able to bring in a lot of major talent for this issue though. For better or for worse, Spawn’s debut was a major milestone in the industry. My only question, though, is if McFarlane will actually be drawing it or just doing finishes like on Haunt.

MARVEL

SIEGE

New Avengers #62

Ryan: I wish Marvel would save us all the trouble by renaming this series “Hood Comics” already.

Siege #2

Kirk: I wonder if Bendis has the balls to kill Hawkeye again. That would be pretty damn funny. Also, with like 8 or 9 different Avengers teams running around, this could be a Dark Avenger, Dark Young Avenger, Young Avenger, Mighty Avenger, New Avenger, Pet Avenger or Baby Avenger. Should have just said "someone dies" to avoid the confusion.

Thunderbolts #141

Ryan: Ant-Man vs Stature? Hmm…

COSMIC TITLES

Guardians of the Galaxy #23

Kirk: Who out there isn't buying this comic based on that cover alone? This could be epic.

Matt: Oh crap, Magus is alive? You mean half the Guardians of the Galaxy died for nothing?

Ryan: I really see no reason that Wes Craig be continued to bring his horrible art to the awesomeness of Guardians of the Galaxy. That just seems like a bad choice.

Nova #34

Kirk: Black Bolt? Did I miss a solicit where it said he returned/was confirmed as alive?

Ryan: I can barely process how great this issue sounds. It looks like Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will be really stepping it up here!

Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1

Kirk: Son of Hulk is a part of Realm of Kings? Really? I don't see how this solicit or the Son of Hulk relate to Realm of Kings. I can see why Marvel might want to try and attach it to the event/branding, but it feels like a cash grab.

DEADPOOL

Deadpool #20 / Hitman Monkey #1

Matt: I freaking hate talking ape/monkeys. HATE THEM. The only exception is Gorilla-Man from Agent of Atlas.

Ryan: I’m really ashamed to admit exactly how excited I am by this. Monkeys with guns will never get old to me.

Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #8

Matt: "Bill Agent of A.I.M." What the hell? What happened to Bob Agent of H.Y.D.R.A.?

Deadpool Team-Up #896

Matt: Haha, the Highwayman? I bet the next team-up is going to be with NFL SuperPro. In other words, ridiculously awesome.

Ryan: Giant raccoons with guns, but no mention of Rocket Raccoon? This is a wasted opportunity, Marvel!

ULTIMATE UNIVERSE

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7

Eric: "But what side of the coin is Rick Jones on?  Is this the birth of a new hero? Or the birth of an ultimate…enemy??" AARRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Kirk: I love that cover. Really digging this Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends dynamic that's been set up in the book. Was one of the things I missed when they went with the whole Ultimatum nonsense.

Matt: Weird that David LaFuente seems to be taking a break from this title. It's probably for this two part story arc.

Ryan: Takeshi Miyazawa on Ultimate Comics Spider-Man? Kick ass!

Ultimate Comics X #1

Eric: So I guess we will find out his identity by 2014, if we're lucky.

Matt: Here is Jeph Loeb's success in a nutshell: this comic has FIVE covers, features an incredibly talented artist, is going to take forever to come out (at least this time it is planned as a bi-monthly), and features a MYSTERY character that appears to be another popular character but there probably won't be any actual clues, just thousands of red herrings. My guess? It is going to sell above 100,000 units.

Ryan: Now that I’m really into the Ultimate Universe, the premise of this story sounds awesome and I always dig Art Adams’s work. But, it is written by Jeph Loeb…

X-MEN TITLES

Cable #23

Ryan: Either Marvel is finally ready to admit that Hope is the Second Coming of Jean Grey or this is one major swerve. I look forward to seeing how they deal with Cyclops’s one true love (I’ve never bought this garbage with Emma Frost) comes back from the dead as his time-traveling adoptive granddaughter.

S.W.O.R.D. #4

Matt: That's a very surrealistic cover right there, like something Dali would do if he had ever done comic books.

Uncanny X-Men #521

Ryan: What is Magneto doing, you ask? My guess is a sit-in protest over the fact that Greg Land is still allowed to draw this book or any book. Wait, did I say draw? I meant trace, sorry about that!

Wolverine: Weapon X #10

Eric: Best. Wolverine cover. Ever.

X-Men Forever #18

Eric: Change the way I look at Cyclops forever? Sorry, Grant Morrison already did that in New X-Men.

X-Men: Legacy #233

Kirk: Proteus? Whoa, might have to jump in on X-Men: Legacy for this one.

X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1

Kirk: This sounds like all kinds of fun. Will be nice to see these characters treated like the high schoolers they really are instead of the over-sexed portrayals in Uncanny of late. Seems like a good fit for Kathryn Immonen, too.

Matt: I like Kathryn Immonen, she did a great work on Runaways, but I do not like Pixie enough to spend 3.99 on this four issue mini series.

Ryan: I’ve never really understood the draw of Pixie, but after reading their amazing run on Runaways, I might pick this one up just for the creative team of Kathryn Immonen and Sara Pichelli!

MARVEL UNIVERSE

Hulk #20

Eric: I need to stop reading these solicits. I really do. Just when I think they can't get any dumber, they do.

Incredible Hulk #607

Ryan: I was really hoping not to have to pick up any Hulk books until after Fall of the Hulks (hopefully) sorts out the mess they’ve become since World War Hulk, but this does have a back-up story with art by Ryan Stegman. Damnit.

Invincible Iron Man #23

Matt: Is this a Siege tie-in? It sounds like it should be, but it doesn't have the same cover style as all the others, and it doesn't mention anything in the solicit.

Ms. Marvel #50

Matt: Canceled. Lasted twice as long as the previous Ms. Marvel series from the 70's. I dropped this series a while back, but it still sucks that it is canceled, as it was one of the few ongoing titles from Marvel featuring a female super hero in the starring role.

Marvel Heartbreakers

Kirk: Nextwave? Nextwave? NEXTWAVE! Okay, it's not by Warren Ellis, but I feel like I have to buy it just for the opportunity to tell Marvel I want more Nextwave.

Mighty Avengers #34

Ryan: I’m probably focusing on the wrong part of this solicit, but it says someone is off the team. Please tell me it’s US Agent. That character is so seriously useless.

Tails of the Pet Avengers

Matt: Hey, cool, an ongoing title of the Pet Avengers. Awww, yeah!

COLLECTIONS

Daredevil by Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark Omnibus Vol 2 HC

Kirk: 19 comics or 464 pages for $75 counts as an omnibus these days? The first volume of the Brubaker omnibus was 604 pages for the same price. How is that remotely fair?

Invincible Iron Man Vol 1 HC

Eric: I'm actually tempted to buy this. It's oversized and I've been thinking of getting the World's Most Wanted arc as well but it's a little pricey and there a lot of other comics that I'd rather buy.

Kick-Ass Premier HC

Eric: Bought. I've been waiting for this for a while now. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Nextwave: Agents of HATE Ultimate Collection TPB

Eric: If you do not already own Nextwave in one form or another you A)are a very bad person and B)should buy this.

Kirk: TPB? WHY MUST YOU MOCK ME MARVEL? WHY? Just give me the oversized hardcover complete collection already. PLEASE!!! I want to give you monies. Why won't you take my monies???

Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 1 TPB

Eric: I want to buy this and, at the same time, I really don't want to buy this knowing where it all ends up.

Kirk: Epic indeed, ahaha. I won't try and deny my love for the original Clone Saga. Not perfect by any means, but not the lowest point in Spider-Man's history or worst story ever like others would have you believe either.

To be honest, this trade is actually quite good based on the issues included and I'd recommend it to everyone simply for the Lost Years collection, which was a JM DeMattais and John Romita Jr tale of Ben Reilly's and Kaine's "missing" years in a Daredevil: Man Without Fear-like tale. Very good and something many probably missed out on.

The other issues included are good, too. Much of the Clone Saga pre-Maximum Clonage was great and sales actually increased across the board for the titles as people actually liked the story.

So, ya, think about picking this up. For the content included, the price is quite good and on Amazon, it'll be like $10-15 cheaper.

Strange Tales HC

Eric: Definitely buying this. Not sure what the non-Strange Comics are but this is an oversized collection and the Strange Tales issues are probably worth the price alone.

Kirk: Bought the single issues and am buying the oversized hardcover. A book this good deserves it. I hope Marvel gets the message I want more of it.

Ultimate Comics Iron Man Ultimate Collection TPB

Matt: Looks like Marvel is retroactively renaming series. This used to be "Ultimate Iron Man", but now it is "Ultimate Comics Iron Man".

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