Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Marvel Preview Review For June Part 1 of 3

Jim: Theoretically Lee abdicated his picking of Marvel to me, but last month he had so much fun ripping the covers apart he did the picks, now it is back to me for awhile. Of course I’m not the biggest Marvel fan, so let’s see how this goes.
Lee: When in doubt, make fun of covers!!!! That’s how I survived the last few months.

MARVELMAN CLASSIC PRIMER #1
Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS
Cover by JOE QUESADA Variant by MICK ANGLO
MARVELMAN COMES TO MARVEL! Who is the mysterious Marvelman? The answer to that question is one of the most mysterious in comics lore. Created in 1954 by writer/artist Mick Anglo, the character enjoyed a long run in the British comics market as one of its most powerful heroes. A few decades later, the character was revived with a dark, moody, deconstructionist bent, and produced one of the most important works of comic art in the medium's history. But now, miracle of miracles, Marvel has stepped up to the plate to deliver on the promise of Anglo's incredible characters. The MARVELMAN PRIMER will help readers unfamiliar with that character get up to speed on the past, present and future of Marvelman stories. We'll check in with Mick Anglo, Neil Gaiman and others who contributed to this character’s history over the years. It was the news that swept the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con and the Marvelman Primer explains why! Featuring six all-new pinups of key Marvelman characters by superstar artists Mike Perkins, Doug Braithwaite, Miguel Angel Sepulveda, Jae Lee, Khoi Pham and Ben Oliver! 32 PGS./One-Shot/ $3.99

Jim: This is a lame way to launch Marvelman in the MU. Personally the only thing I want is the Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman runs republished in a high end hard cover. Anything else is just whatever for me.
Lee: I’m sorry but this looks like crap to me. It’s $4 for incomplete stories and lots of text. People seem to forget that the GA Marvelman wasn’t all that good. Even by British standards. This is an easy pass until I hear something better.

ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #2 (of 5)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
The birth rate is climbing in the small African village of Karere…and these newborns are anything but normal: infants made of steel, infants only partially visible to the eye, infants who combust and destroy city blocks. Hoping to witness the rebirth of the mutant species, the X-Men go to investigate. But what they find may just be something far more sinister and dangerous…and familiar. 32 PGS./$3.99

Jim: Okay I’m treading into Lee territory here, but did one of the babies splash White Queen or is she just lactating?
Lee: Now there’s something you don’t see everyday! A vomit cover. Actually, you see it all the time on Indie covers but not so much in the Marvel U.

NAMORA #1
Written by JEFF PARKER
Pencilled by SARA PICHELLI
Cover by STEPHANIE HANS & RAMONA FRADON
The powerful agent of ATLAS and Atlantean Princess known as Namora finds a missing colony of her aquatic people in the Barents Sea, and goes to bring them back to the new home of Oceana. But the Atlanteans are unwilling to leave and now Namora is also compelled to stay...and serve THE KRAKEN! Don’t miss an aquatic adventure like only critically-acclaimed writer Jeff Parker (AGENTS OF ATLAS, THUNDERBOLTS, FALL OF THE HULKS) can tell it! 32 PGS./One-Shot/$3.99

Lee: ok, we’ve blasted Greg Land for photocopying porn stars and calling it a cover. BUT, what if a female artist does it? Does that make it ok?
Jim:Of course not, crap is crap.
Lee: On another note, I can see why Namora never drowns with those balloons!
Jim: My question is how can she dive underwater, won’t see float back to the top?

HERALDS #1-5 (of 5)
Written by KATHRYN IMMONEN
Pencilled by TONCI ZONJIC
Cover & Issue #1 Variant by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
Powerful forces are converging on Earth and the women of the Marvel Universe are at the center of it! Years ago, a herald of Galactus sacrificed her life for the universe. Little did anyone realize, a shred of that spirit lived on…and now she’s back for vengeance on those who abandoned her. The most powerful super heroines of the Marvel Universe must put aside their differences to stop this threat before the Earth is destroyed. Emma Frost, She-Hulk, Agent Abigail Brand, Hellcat, Valkyrie, Monica Rambeau, Sue Storm…these mighty women will be put to the test as never before, as cities are destroyed, families are torn apart, and a cosmic resurrection changes the heroes’ lives forever! 32 PGS.(each)/$2.99 (each)

Jim: I wonder if Marvel is really selling this “event”. Maybe they were in title 9 trouble and had to put out more comics starting the girls. I guess the thing that bothers me is this seems to be forced as opposed to just developing good comics that have a woman as the central character. Heck DC has Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Powergirl, Batgirl, Gotham City Sirens and coming soon Zatanna, Birds of Prey and Batwoman all without making it some “event”. This made up team of Marvel women has no rational basis.
Lee: Maybe Marvel is just realizing that they don’t have any female leads and they’re making up for lost time. Whatever the reason there sure are publishing a whole bunch of these books in a short time frame.

X-CAMPUS #1 (of 2)
Written by FRANCESCO ARTIBANI
Pencils by DENIS MEDRI & ROBERTO DI SALVO
Covers by TODD NAUCK & DENIS MEDRI
It’s an all-new, all-different version of the X-Men as told by some of Europe’s greatest comics storytellers! In this vivid re-imagining of the X-Men mythos, everything is not as it seems and teenaged versions of Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, Iceman, Storm and Rogue face a threat worse even than super villains or race-destroying viruses… HIGH SCHOOL! When the troubled Anna Raven is recruited to join the Worthington Foundation, a school for the gifted, she jumps at the chance to escape her broken life. But one student who can’t control his unusual powers could bring everything crashing down, literally, as he threatens to destroy the entire school! 48 PGS./$4.99

Jim: A reimagining of the X-Men by some creators who might normally never get a chance to do this material could be good.
Lee: Marvel has always let other people play in their sandbox to mixed results. Remember the Manga-verse???? I’ll check it out because I’m sure it will be interesting if nothing else.

DEADPOOL #24
32 PGS./$2.99
DEADPOOL CORPS #3
32 PGS./ $2.99
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #892
32 PGS./$2.99
DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #12 (of a 13-Issue Limited Series)
32 PGS./$2.99
DEADPOOL: WADE WILSON'S WAR #1 (of 4)
32 PGS./$3.99
DEADPOOL: WADE WILSON'S WAR #2 (of 4)
32 PGS./$3.99

Jim: A few questions. Is Wolverine jealous since Deadpool is closing in on being in more comics then he is? Merc with a Mouth got cancelled, you mean Deadpool does not sell all the time no matter what? Seriously Brian Hibbs of Tilting at Windmill fame spoke of how this dilution of titles does not always help sales.
Lee: Deadpool is officially a brand, just like Avengers, X-men, and yes, even Wolverine. People are supporting all this material so I don’t blame Marvel for publishing it. Maybe we should start blaming fanboys for blinding buying everything that a publishers prints.

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #11
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art & Cover by DAVID LAFUENTE
After the shocking drama surrounding Kitty Pryde is exposed, an edict is made: “No more super heroes!!” Will Peter and his friends be able to keep the costumes off?? Especially when J. Jonah Jameson reveals himself to be the biggest threat Spidey has faced in years? Looking for a Spidey adventure you’ve never seen before? Look no further as Eisner-nominated writer Brian Michael Bendis and fan-favorite artist David Lafuente, bring you another blockbuster story!
32 PGS./ $3.99

Lee: So let’s look at this cover closely… JJJ is wielding a.. chair??? And Spidey is bleeding from his stomach! So, what does this tell us about the book. After JJJ shivs Spidey for not respecting him, he picks up the nearest, most lethal object he can find, the padded chair, and attacks him with it. Am I close???
Jim: It looks awesome, the chair was bitten by a radioactive spider also so it is Spider-Chair vs Spider-Man, I'm guessing JJJ know Peter is Spider-Man in the Ultimate U.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: BLACK CAT #1 (of 4)
Written by JEN VAN METER
Pencilled by JAVIER PULIDO
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
Variant Cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
A GRIM HUNT TIE-IN. The Cat is B(l)ack in her own series and it’s international intrigue at its sexiest by Jen Van Meter and Javier Pulido. As Spider-Man is stalked during the Grim Hunt, the world’s slyest, smartest and sneakiest jewel thief’s latest heist puts the Black Cat face-to-face with the family that has been terrorizing Spider-Man’s dreams and threatening those closest to him! 40 PGS./$3.99

Jim: Okay more “girl” stuff, but Black Cat has true potential to carry her own book, heck she is a poor man’s Catwoman and that character has had two series that lasted a long time. Of course I’m so out of things in Spider-Man’s world I have no clue what “Grim Hunt” is and could care that it ties into it.
Lee: I’m not sure this is more girl stuff or just an expansion of the Spiderman line. Mega-events don’t occur anymore, it’s just 14 limited series all tied into the same single character or event. I’m not sure if these are better or worse than just having the mega-event.

Part 2 Tomorrow

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