Looking Forward to November: Marvel Comics
I mentioned in last month’s Looking Forward: Marvel post that Marvel NOW! is coming. Lots of new #1′s, all-new creative teams and what will surely make for a big old shake-up in the Marvel Universe. What you’ll see in today’s column is basically all the new Marvel NOW! series that are set to kick off in November! Starting with the biggest: All New X-Men #1.
ALL NEW X-MEN #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Stuart Immonen
It’s a blast from the past as the original five students of Professor X – Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel and Beast – are plucked from the past and brought to the present. But what they find, the state that their future selves are in and the state of Xavier’s dream, is far from the future they dreamed of. And how will the X-Men of the present deal with their past coming crashing forward?
Wow! Sounds pretty weird. So the "All New X-Men" are in fact the "Oldest Possible X-Men"? Ha. But seriously, we still don’t know how Avengers vs. X-Men will finish up, and I have to think that will have major ramifications for this series and for the rest of the Marvel Universe. Hard to know what to expect! But I for one have always loved the original line-up, as evidenced by the wicked Steve Rude X-Men print framed and hanging in my living room. I really hope that Bendis, more known for his work with the Avengers, will knock this one out of the park.
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Leinil Francis Yu
Hulk – Indestructible force more weapon than man. Banner – smartest man alive. Combined they are the Strongest, Smartest Weapon on the planet! And NOW! the INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK is an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Sad to see Jason Aaron’s run on Hulk come to an end. We picked the most recent issue to be Best Book of the Month! But all good things must come to an end. And the team of Mark Waid and Leinil Yu is pretty powerful for sure. While the former has been churning out some of the best stories in the Marvel U in the form of Daredevil, the latter has dazzled with the likes of Supercrooks.
IRON MAN #1
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Greg Land
Tony Stark-Iron Man: Technological visionary, wealthy playboy, unparalleled engineer, and armored Avenger. His greatest invention becomes his greatest mistake. Iron Man must act fast…and Tony Stark must build faster! The lethal techno virus Extremis is out in the wild and out for grabs to the highest bidder! It’s up to Tony Stark to contain it and that means creating a new suit of armor… NOW!
As you’re probably starting to gather, the make or break on these series is gonna be the creative teams. And this new Iron man title features the team of Kieron Gillen and Greg Land. Persoanlly, I happen to like Land’s work, but I know a lot of people soooo don’t. Kieron Gillen, on the other hand, it’s pretty tough to find fault with. Over the past year he has steadily been putting out two of the most consistently excellent series in comics with Uncanny X-Men and Journey into Mystery,
THOR GOD OF THUNDER #1
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Esad Ribic
Throughout the ages, the gods of the Marvel Universe have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. NOW! the Mighty Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future selves. The only hope for these ravaged worlds lies with the God of Thunder unraveling the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!
Ahh, Jason Aaron. One of the best writers in comics. Not to mention, as the Cosmic Comix Conversations panel noted in the most recent podcast, also one of the most versatile. From Scalped to Incredible Hulk to Wolverine and the X-Men, no two of his books seem to be alike. He has totally earned our respect and, coupled here with expert painter Esad Ribic, who’s done some Thor work before, we can’t wait for this one.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
Written by Rick Remender
Art by John Romita
Thrust into a bizarre, inhospitable world far from home, the all-new, high-adventure, mind-melting, tough-as-nails, sci-fi, pulp-fantasy era of Captain America is NOW! With no country and no allies, what’s left for the Sentinel of Liberty to protect? The Saga of Dimension Z begins here!
Though Rick Remender and John Romita’s names might be enough to get you on board for this one, I think the premise behind it might be what puts people over the edge. It doesn’t necessarily focus on World War II stuff, which Remender rightly claims has been done to death; instead it focuses on New York in the 1920s and ’30s, where a young pre-serumed Steve Rogers is trying to find his way. Sort of a Year One type of vibe. Sounds cool.
X-MEN LEGACY #1
Written by Simon Spurrier
Art by Tan Eng Huat
Legion, the most powerful and unstable mutant in the world and son to Professor Charles Xavier, has killed gods and reshaped the face of the universe. NOW! in the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men, Legion will finally attempt to conquer his demons and embrace his father’s legacy!
What was it I said before about the creative teams making or breaking these books? Well, Simon Spurrier’s name might not be known to you, but he has a solid history in comics. Mainly with the Brit books like Judge Dredd and such, but he’s also done some work for Marvel with Ghost Rider and Silver Surfer. And if that doesn’t do it for you, come by the store and pick up a copy of Age of X. You’ll see why Legion is one of the most powerful and dangerous characters in the Marvel Universe!
As far as the First Family goes, it looks like Marvel has handed the reins over to one Matt Fraction. He’s been a heavy hitter for the House of Ideas for a while now and it’ll be cool to see what he has up his sleeve, and to see how it stacks up to Jonathan Hickman’s epic run. In one title he teams up with Mike Allred while in the other it’s Mark Bagley!
FANTASTIC FOUR #1
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Mark Bagley
Four adults. Two kids. One "car." NOW! begins a journey through all of infinite time and space.
FF #1
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Mike Allred
We have seen the future and it will be fantastic! In the absence of the Fantastic Four, a substitute Four, hand-picked by the real deal–Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk and Miss Thing–stand ready to guard the Earth and the nascent Future Foundation for four minutes… NOW! what could possibly go wrong?
DEADPOOL #1
Written by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn
Art by Tony Moore
Dead former United States presidents, from George Washington to Gerald Ford have been resurrected, and that’s BAD. The Marvel heroes can’t be the ones to stop them, someone is needed with the reputation, skills and plausible deniability to take out these com-monsters in chiefs…NOW! is the time for Deadpool… In Wade We Trust!
Last but not least! A Deadpool book that’s NOT written by Daniel Way! Incredible. There are a couple names that stick out for me here. 1) Artist Tony Moore, who you might know as the initial artist on Walking Dead! 2) Brian Posehn, who you might not know at all but I recognized his name as being a very funny comedian. Just google his name and you’ll probably recognize his face.
And that about wraps it up! A longer column today, lots of new series to talk about. Which one(s) do you think you’ll check out?
- Andy B.
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