Marvel Preview Review for August Part 3 of 3

Now the conclusion.......

NAMOR: THE FIRST MUTANT #1
Written by STUART MOORE
Penciled by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Cover by JAE LEE
Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
Spinning out of the pages of X-MEN #1, comes an all-new series starring the world’s first mutant, NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER. When the X-Men are confronted with a deadly vampire threat, Namor takes matters into his own hands on a mission that might bring down the entire might of the vampires on their heads…and in the process, destroy Atlantis! What lurks down below the ocean where the sun can’t reach? What he thought was a fable to scare the children of Atlantis comes to terrifying life in the form of a newly-discovered race of Atlantean Vampires. Namor’s choice, to stand with Atlantis or the X-Men, will define a new chapter in his life…or death. 40 PGS./ $3.99
Jim: I always get a kick out of how Marvel and DC both seem to try and spotlight similar characters. Aquaman has been dusted off at DC and Marvel is giving Namor a new in continuity series.
Lee: OOOHHH I didn’t see this until late in the day. Gwen can now choose between 2 hairless muscular dudes, dude with laser tits, OR hairless dude who’s all wet. Hee hee, all wet. What? Where was I? Oh yeah. So, which on does Gwen pick now?
Greg: Ah yes, Marvel’s latest attempt to give Namor an ongoing. But this one has vampires. I’m sure Scans Daily will love it.

THE RAWHIDE KID #3 (of 4)
Written by RON ZIMMERMAN
Penciled by HOWARD CHAYKIN
Cover by MARK BROOKS
Bracing for High Noon with the Sensational Seven, Cristo Pike brings in a collection of the West’s most unsavory killers. Enter: Le Sabre Kid, Lone Ninja, Bloody Ivan, The Cabo Kid, Grizzly Johnson, Honey Bee, and Kid Dead. Plus: Ever wonder how a sensitive lad named Johnny Bart became the legendary gunfighter known as the Rawhide Kid! The answer might surprise you. 32 PGS./ $3.99
Lee: I’m really not sure what to do with this because it’s sooo full of incredibly stupid ideas. Lone Ninja? Seriosuly? But, let’s get past the western style Avengers and check out the cover. I’m not one to be nitpicky but I don’t remember that many female gunfighters shooting people while wearing bikini’s. I must have taken the censored version of American history.
Jim: You missed that day in class. She always won because she distracted the bad guys.
Greg: HOW DOES ZIMMERMAN GET ARTISTS THIS GOOD FOR HIS TERRIBLE WESTERNS?!

X-MEN: CURSE OF THE MUTANTS – BLADE #1
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI Penciled by TIM GREEN
Cover by DAVE WILKINS
Someone… something… is killing vampire slayers all over the world. Blade, the biggest, baddest slayer of them all, gathers an emergency assault team to blitz the bloodsucker underground and force answers out of whoever’s not reduced to a pile of smoking ash. But Blade’s not going to like what he hears. A new dawn is rising for the vampire nation. The rules are about to be rewritten, and Blade’s about to go to fang-to-fang with a new threat he knows he can’t fight alone… 32 PGS./One-Shot/ $3.99
X-MEN: CURSE OF THE MUTANTS - STORM & GAMBIT #1 Written by CHUCK KIM Penciled by TBD
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
As an army of vampires descends on San Francisco, the X-Men find themselves in dire straits. The good news is that they may have just discovered a means for stemming the invasion. The bad news? What they need is in the clutches of the vampires themselves. Luckily, the X-Men have two thieves in their employ that may just be able pull off such a heist. Hold on to your wooden stakes, X-Fans…STORM and GAMBIT are in for a bumpy ride! 40 PGS./One-Shot/ $3.99
Jim: I just can’t believe Marvel is jumping this deep into the Vampire / X-Men thing. Of course I bet it sells.
Lee: I bet it does too. At least it’s somewhat contained and not spilling into every X book. But, I really like Tim Green’s art so I’ll check out the blade book.
Greg: Seriously guys, I have been reading X-Men since they thought shoulder pads were a good idea and even I can’t figure this one out.

NEW MUTANTS FOREVER #1 (of 5)
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Pencils & 50/50 Cover by AL RIO
50/50 Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
The third generation of Xavier's pupils is back...like you've never seen them! New York Times best-selling author and X-Men visionary Chris Claremont returns to the young mutant heroes he created to turn their lives upside down! Their headmaster, Magneto, has just joined the Hellfire Club, and now the team faces a threat so terrible they're willing to join forces with the Black Queen, Selene! With the stunning pencils of Al Rio, series co-creator Bob McLeod on inks, and the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz on covers, this is one series no New Mutants fan should miss! 40 PGS./ $3.99
Jim: Next up has to be John Byrne doing a Fantastic Four Forever. I guess once a writer dies it is harder to do the Forever stuff because Steve Gerber could be doing Howard the Duck.
Lee: The series doesn’t offend me but it doesn’t excite me either. I’m over Claremont and ready to move on.
Greg: Seriously guys, they’re going to invent time machine, send these back to the 90’s and PRINT MONEY. It is a foolproof plan.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE DEFENDERS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART & LEN WEIN with TONY ISABELLA
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA & BOB BROWN with JIM STARLIN
Cover by GIL KANE
Collecting DEFENDERS #7-16, GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #1 & AVENGERS #115-118
312 PGS/All Ages …$54.99
Jim: I’m starting to pass on even Marvel Age Masterworks because the material was not that good to begin with, plus I recently re-read the Avengers/Defenders War and it was okay, but not something I need in a Masterwork.
Lee: I get every Masterworks so I’ll be getting this. And Jim’s right, it’s ok but not essential to any collection. Not to mention it was done in the Marvel Premiere format in the last year or so. Yeah, I have that version too.
Greg: Yeaaah, I can be convinced on essentials, but I really am not paying that much for this stuff.

SECRET INVASION HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled, Cover by LEINIL YU
This oversized hardcover comes packed with extras, including the original story pitch, script pages, art concepts/designs and more! Collecting SECRET INVASION #1-8., 288 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99 Trim size: oversized
Lee: Did I miss something? Wasn’t SI like 2 or 3 or 4 events ago? And they’re only releasing the hc now? Seems to me Marvel really missed the boat if this is the first hc of the series.
Greg: They seem to release the HCs later for all their major events like this. Too their credit, its oversized at least.
Jim: To their discredit the hard cover collections are no longer a bargain. The floppies cost $32 and this cost $35.





Jim: Well Marvel has a pretty drab slate of books coming out in August. Wonder what announcements they will have for Comic-Con in July as it looks like Marvel is pretty much tied up with the Heroic Age and Vampire/X-Men stuff right now.
Lee: It’s more of the same from Marvel. They are flooding the market with books that are interconnected. Oh well.
Greg: You guys, FRANKENCASTLE!