Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Marvel Preview Review for January 2010 Part 1 of 3

Lee: Another month, another rant about Marvel. This month, besides the newest super-event, is the quantity of blood on the covers. It seems Marvel decided to stop showing boobs and went for blood. I never thought the day would come when I would actually miss the boobs and slutty swim suit costumes.
Jim: It should be interesting to see how stuff plays out. Marvel has relied on event after event after event and I think has burnt out some of their fanbase. Yet Blackest Night from DC is scoring them some gains in the market share so will Marvel be able to out event them or finally try and just do good stories for each comic.

FANTASTIC FOUR #575 MARVEL WOMEN VARIANT
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by DALE EAGLESHAM
Marvel Women Variant by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
Jim: Look Sue Storm is giving us the finger. This is just such a pathetic sales grab from Marvel. I'm so tired of every company doing variants.
Lee: Variants are the new way of life. And I'm not sure the speculation market is going to pop like it did in the 90's. There are fewer collectors than ever so this type of material may be here for a long time to come.

SIEGE: EMBEDDED #1 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN REED
Penciled by CHRIS SAMNEE
Cover by ADI GRANOVSIEGE
BLOCKBUSTER TIE-IN!! The SIEGE of Asgard has begun! And Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers are leading the charge! Osborn's savvy use of the media fueled his rise to power – but the very tools he’s been using may turn against him. It’s time to expose Norman’s true face to the world and uncover the secrets behind the attack on the gods! Witness the changing of the Marvel Universe firsthand! 32 PGS./$3.99
Lee: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Heroes with blood dripping down their faces. This is just offensive. At this rate, my children will never read Marvel comics.
Jim: That is beyond bad, I'm not even sure of what the point of it is. I was trying to discern some reason from the solicitation copy, but I've got nothing.

SIEGE #1 (of 4)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
Beginning with the ravaging affects of Avengers Disassembled and following the aftermaths of House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion, culminating with the evil Reign of Norman Osborn, the Marvel Universe has been left with its greatest villains holding more power and control than ever before. On the brink of madness, Osborn, in his final bid to take total control, targets the final obstacle in his mission…Asgard. Events are set in motion forcing our heroes to put aside the deep rifts that have grown over the past seven years. Opposing them stand a horde of evil that has begun to take down the gods of the Golden Realm! SIEGE will rock the foundations of every super hero, villain and team in the Marvel Universe. As an era ends, one word will ring above all others…”SIEGE.” 40 PGS./$3.99
Lee: I know I sound like a cd with a scratch but I’m seriously sick of one event rolling right over into the next event. I really don’t care. The covers are exactly the same as Civil War with the big slash. The hype is exactly the same if you change the word ‘siege’ to ‘dark reign’ or ‘house of m’ or whatever. At least it’s only crossing into 5 other books right now, but I know that number will grow too.
Jim: Also I think people are finally catching onto the fact that nothing really is changing with the characters. Stan Lee is suppose to have said "no more change" once Marvel reached number one and he said only the illusion of change. Joe Q. must have realized that something needed to change, so he changed the landscape and backgrounds for the characters but left everything else the same. I think Bendis and Joe Q. have built a more unified universe again, but now are event dependent and it is burning out their fanbase.

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (of 6)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Wraparound Cover by BRYAN HITCH
The story so big we needed another issue to finish it! The return of Captain America! The fight for the body and soul and mind of Steve Rogers! Avengers versus the Red Skull and his cronies! The biggest finale of the year is finally here! Brought to you by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice! 32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99
Jim: So a big five part event and a epilogue issue were not enough the series really needed six issues. Flash Rebirth did the same thing. So Brubaker and Johns, some of the best writers in the business could not properly plot out these books or is this a total sales gimmick?
Lee: What you said. But, the real question is why do you support it if it upsets you so?

DAFFODIL #1 (of 3)
Written by BRREMAUD
Penciled & cover by RIGANO
Addio-Colonnello is a distant town, a port beyond the oceans, many moons away from our Bohemian lands. Tragedy strikes when Nosferatu launches his assault, commanding his legion of vampires to descend upon this town. This is how the Lords of the Vampire Parliament make their point. The mission of Daffodil, Globuline and Achilles, three beautiful agents of the very same Vampire Parliament, is apprehend Nosferatu and uncover the motive for his crime. 48 PGS./$5.99
Lee: Strange cartoony art with what appears to be a serious story. I love the fact European comics can pull this dichotomy off. The Soliel line is very solid and this is another book I am looking forward too. Even at the ridiculous price point.
Jim: I'm starting to think the better way to go with the Soliel line is to get the hardcover or trade.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by MARCOS MARTIN
SPIDER-MAN versus MYSTERIO! How long can Mysterio play with Spidey's head before the web-slinger finally snaps?! The mind games keep ratcheting up as the body count goes up, down, and...into the negatives? Some bad guys just won't die and others can't stay dead! So which long-thought deceased Spider-Man character is back now?! It may only be January, but get ready for the most unbelievable Spider-Man moment of the year! 32 PGS./$2.99
Lee: More buckets of blood. Now I can’t decide if this is a homage to the Carrie movies or just some twisted re-interpretation of the classic Ditko water covers.
Jim: Wow, Lee is right, it is gore month at Marvel. Is the thought process, "Let's take our heroes and drown them in gore covered covers, that should jack up sales?"

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: JACKPOT #1 (of 3)
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Penciled by ADRIANA MELO & Cover by DAVID YARDIN
From the pages of Amazing Spider-Man! The last Jackpot died in combat alongside Spider-Man – so who is the New Jackpot putting fear into the hearts of street criminals? Why has BOOMERANG targeted her for death? And how is THE ROSE involved? Find out this January as founding Web-head Marc Guggenheim returns to the Spider-Verse alongside rising star ADRIANA MELO (MS. MARVEL) to bring the next great marvel heroine, Jackpot! 32 PGS./$3.99
Lee: What can I say? I like the costume. Especially, the thigh utility belt made famous by Liefeld. Nothing screams classic character like a big, belt full ‘gernades or batarangs or whatever strapped to your thigh.
Jim: What annoys me is the this is just an endless riff on what Mary Jane once said to Peter, Let's face it tiger, you hit the jackpot. Feels lame.

PART 2 Tomorrow.

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