Marvel Preview Review for September

Lee: It’s an interesting month from Marvel. It seems like everything is still wrapped up in Secret Invasion so it’s a light month if you’re not reading that. But, somehow Marvel seems to release a ton of other material to talk about.
Jim: I like that they are playing with more then just super heroes with their product line. Expansion into other genres is important for the market’s overall health. What I do not like is the flooding of the market with the around 100 plus tie-ins to Secret Invasion and the variant cover crap, that is a negative for the market.

THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS #1 (of 5)Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASAPenciled & Inked by MIKE PERKINSCover by LEE BERMEJOVariant Cover by MIKE PERKINSSketch Variant Cover by LEE BERMEJOIt begins here: the apocalyptic epic battle between good and evil based on the classic bestseller by master of horror Stephen King! On a secret army base in the Californian desert, something has gone horribly, terribly wrong. Something that will send Charlie Campion and his wife and daughter fleeing in the middle of the night. Unfortunately for the Campion family--and the rest of America--they are unaware that all three of them are carrying a deadly cargo: A virus that will spread from person to person like wildfire, triggering a massive wave of disease and death, prefacing humanity's last stand! Be there as writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four) teams with artist Mike Perkins (Captain America) for the first arc in the next great Stephen King event!32 PGS./ Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory...$3.99
Lee: Sigh! I knew the success of “Dark Tower” would doom us to more King material. The Stand has only been what… three movies already? I really don’t see the need for this but hopefully it will bring more new readers.
Jim: It may, but for me the book was enough and none of the movies every really captured the quality of the book. Plus I like Mike Perkins, but is he really in the same class as Jae Lee?

SAMURAI #1 (of 4)Written by JEAN-FRANCOIS DI GIORGIOPenciled by FR'D'RIC GENæTCover by FR'D'RIC GENæTAdapted by JAKE FORBESWith an Exclusive U.S. Variant!The European best-seller - now finally presented in English! Writer Jean-Francois Di Giorgio and artist Frdric Gent tap into the rich mythology of the noble Samurai, creating a nuanced look at the fabled Japanese warriors. Having become a samurai, Takeo feels strong enough to confront his past. On the borders of Japan, a terrible plan is being plotted: General Akuma, one of the Empire's most influential figures, seems to be dead set on betraying the Emperor to his own advantage. However, a grave secret links the two men: the 13th prophet. Meanwhile, Takeo hopes to discover who he is. Why did he grow up in a monastery? And why was he abandoned by his brother ten years earlier? His quest will put him in deep torment, placing him in the middle of the dark destiny of the Empire and the 13th prophet!56 PGS./Mature ...$5.99
Lee: I know these are expensive but I really like the material that Marvel has chosen so far. The art looks great and these days I am so burnt out on both Marvel and DC’s EARTHSHATTERING events that I’m really looking forward to this material.
Jim: I agree, the art looks terrific. I have ordered this book and I’m looking forward to it a lot.

BIG HERO 6 #1 (of 6)Written by CHRIS CLAREMONTPencils, Cover & Variant Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMAThe astonishing return of Big Hero Six! Who, you ask? Why none other than Japan's top heroes, defending the land of the rising sun in the name of the Emperor! Come join Hiro (the smartest boy in Japan), Baymax (his trusty robot companion), Honey Lemon (with her all-containing handbag), Gogo Tomago (somersaulting into an unstoppable energy ball)... plus, who are the Six's two new members? When unknown super-villains strike Tokyo, BH6 is on the scene, and the stage is set for new adventure and a new series!48 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
Lee: And the classic “What the!?” moment in this previews is this book here. I vaguely remember Big Hero 6 and thanks to the internet I found “Sunfire and Big Hero Six” was a three issue mini written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by Gus Vasquez cover dated Sept 1998-Nov 1998. Now, just about 10 years later Claremont has decided to revive a group of characters that he didn’t even create? I am dying to know who green lighted this book.
Jim: Maybe they signed Claremont to a contract and they need to let him produce something. Since he and Byrne split-up I can not think of one book or any timeframe when he has done work that I really cared about. That was over 20 years ago.

DAREDEVIL #111 Written by Ed Brubaker Penciled by CLAY MANN Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC 50/50 Variant Cover by TERRY DODSON Be there when Matt Murdock first encounters a shocking new face -- Lady Bullseye! Who is she? Where did she come from? What does she want? And will she be a foe to Daredevil...or a friend? We can't make a peep yet, but it's the perfect jumping-on point as an alarming new chapter begins in the acclaimed DAREDEVIL run by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark! LADY BULLSEYE!!32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
Lee: Lady Bullseye? Well if there was ever a creative team that could make me believe it is this one.
Jim: Lady Bullseye should be killed within the first five panels of her existence by Bullseye. This sounds so bad, but I’ll give Brubaker a chance, but the premise sounds horrible.

HULK #6Written by JEPH LOEBPencils & 50/50 Covers by ED MCGUINNESSWhite-hot uberstars JEPH LOEB & ED MCGUINNESS - Giving you your daily allowance of GIGANTIC monsters beating the snot outta each other! Guest stars galore! The entire West Coast about to tumble into the ocean! And NOW...the rematch you've been panting for! HULK VS. HULK-one side wins...FOREVER!!!32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
Lee: I am soooo ready the HC of this to come out. Yeah, it’s kinda pointless but the big pointless battles are soooo awesome to look at. This is, without a doubt, a guilty pleasure.
Jim: Please this book just blows chunks, I tried two issues and then have forgotten it.

MARVEL APES #1 & 2 (of 4) Written by KARL KESEL Pencils by RAMON BACHSCover by JOHN WATSONVariant Cover For Marvel Apes #1 by RAMON BACHSVariant Cover For Marvel Apes #2 by PHIL JIMENEZFlingin' feces, True Believer-- the entire Marvel Universe has gone APE!Just when he thinks life can't get any worse or weirder, Marty Blank - a.k.a. that lovable loser, the Gibbon -- finds himself and the brilliant-and-beautiful Dr. Fiona Fitzhugh transported to a world where monkeys rule and humans don't exist! SEE the spectacular simian city of Monkhattan!MEET the hominoid heroes and villains - SPIDER-MONKEY! DOC OOK! IRON MANDRILL! SIMIAN TORCH! THE APE-VENGERS! And more!THRILL to the return of Speedball!CONTAINS No-Ads, as we are thrilled to present you backup tales exploring the Apeiverse!LEARN the dark secret of the primate planet!WORRY that the fate of the entire universe is in the hands of the Gibbon!Not a hoax, not a dream, not an imaginary story - just the most not-to-be-missed mini-series of the season! If you only buy one (well, two) comics this month about super-powered, intelligent apes-in-capes, it must be MARVEL APES!
Lee: Hee hee hee. I am sure as soon as Jim saw this he knew I would pick it. And he’s right. The Marvel U goes apes!
Jim: This is such an easy pass for me as to be ridiculous. It is an excuse for multiple, multiple covers to be sold and it is trying to find another concept to sell like Marvel Zombies did. LAME!

SECRET INVASION: SPIDER-MAN - BRAND NEW DAY #2 (of 3) Written by BRIAN REEDPenciled by MARCO SANTUCCICover by MIKE MCKONE Where the heck is Spider-Man when you need him?! In her first true test as a solo hero, Jackpot tries her best to keep the cast of Brand New Day alive and well. But with Harry Osborn, Robbie Robertson and the rest of the folks in Pete's life under siege during the Skrull Invasion, New York City's registered hero, may have bitten off more than she can chew.32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
Lee: OK. Let me make my point about stupid super skrulls. I can identify this one as Lizard, Venom, Rhino, and some other villain. Should I point out that Venom is an ALIEN SYMBIOTE???? Shall I point out that Rhino is a fat guy in a COSTUME! This idea is so freaking stupid.
Jim: This month features 16 tie-ins to Secret Invasion. It is all pointless. Also following up on Lee’s point, if you are going to do this crap, that at least make it internally follow a logic and not contain someone who just wears a suit as a super power.

DEADPOOL #1 & #2 Written by DANIEL WAYPenciled by PACO MEDINACover by CLAYTON CRAINVariant cover for issue #1 by ROB LIEFELDVariant cover for issue #2 by ED MCGUINNESSA SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!"ONE OF US," PART 1 The Merc with a Mouth is back, even deadlier and more deranged than before! The planet has been invaded by Skrulls, everything's gone topsy-turvy...but, in Deadpool's world, that just means it's Monday! Crazy times call for crazy men, but c'mon, this guy's insane! Like it or not, Deadpool may be the only person on the planet who can save us...but who's to say he wants to? Be here for the explosive debut of the new ongoing series by writer Daniel Way (WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, GHOST RIDER, BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS) and fan-favorite artist Paco Medina (NEW WARRIORS, NEW X-MEN)! Deadpool: His madness is his method! You won't want to miss it! Deadpool #1 - 48 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99Deadpool #2 - 32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99
Lee: Hummmm, Deadpool gets another series. Isn’t this the third or fourth series he’s gotten? Sadly no one has really been able to match Joe Kelly’s run. I’m not sure that I heard people clamoring for this either.
Jim: Plus it starts off as a tie-in to Secret Invasion.

SUB-MARINER: THE DEPTHS #1 (of 4) Written by PETER MILLIGANPainted by ESAD RIBICAtlantis. Throughout the ages, a few men have wondered if this fabulous place actually exists. Fewer have imagined that the city is protected by a wild and vengeful being, the very embodiment of the untameable depths themselves -- the Sub-Mariner. When a deep sea expedition mysteriously vanishes without a trace near the Marianes trench, legendary adventurer, Randolph Stein embarks on a journey that will rock him -- and his crew -- to their very core. Travelling deep into the dark belly of the sea, the men of the good ship, Voyager, are about to see things that defy description, that supersede their wildest imagination -- things that men aren't meant to see. Staring into the abyss, Stein will soon discover that the abyss can indeed stare right back at him.32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory ...$3.99

Lee: I’m noticing a trend here. Cardstock covers are suddenly $4. Anyone else notice that? I think that Marvel is slowly introducing a new pricing structure and unlike the old days of “Still on 35 cents”, they are quietly doing it to the second tier titles. As for this title, Milligan is very hit or miss with superheroes. If he is left alone he can write magic like X-static. If he get’s heavy handed editors then you get his X-men run. This might be short enough for magic!
Jim: I’m hoping for magic as this sounds like it has potential. See when I was talking about the price increases Lee said I was complaining; now he has finally noticed.

THE AGE OF THE SENTRY #1 (of 6) Written by JEFF PARKER & PAUL TOBINPenciled by NICK DRAGOTTA & RAMON ROSANASCover by DAVE BULLOCK & MICHAEL CHOKicking off an all-new miniseries bringing you two "classic" silver-age tales of the Sentry at the birth of the Marvel Age! When the Golden Guardian is critically injured, Scout, Lindy Lee and Watchdog have to travel back in time to learn exactly how Rob Reynolds became THE SENTRY. They must learn the secrets to save our hero - so he can save the world! PLUS: When the Tinkerer and the Mad Thinker team up to create a device capable of stealing the Sentry's powers, they only have one obstacle on their path to world domination. The parasitic beam takes HOURS to work! What evil scheme will keep the Sentry in place long enough to destroy him? Don't miss the breathtaking tale of monsters and mayhem!32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99

Lee: What is it with Marvel and the Sentry? I am a total Marvel Zombie and I think he is the absolute worst character in the last 20 years. Worse than Squirrel Girl. Worse than Omega the Unknown. Worst ever.

Jim: He was good as a one shot mini-series. As a real character added to the MU, you are right Lee, worst ever. He does not fit with the MU.

DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING DEVIL SLAYER #1 (of 4)Written by BRIAN KEENE Pencils by CHRIS SAMNEE Abandoned by his fiance, his family, his church, and his government, Sergeant Dan Sylva returns to Iraq for a third tour of duty -- and a descent into Hell itself. If the demon Belathauzer and the mysterious mercenary group known as Bloodstone have their way, Iraq, the place where civilization began, may also be where civilization ends. The reinvented Devil-Slayer takes Marvel's DEAD OF NIGHT to terrifying new heights, from award-winning horror novelist Brian Keene (The Rising, Dark Hollow) and artist Chris Samnee (DAREDEVIL: BLOOD OF THE TARANTULA)!32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Rated T+ ...$3.99
Lee: I’m not sure what to make of this new Dead of Night line but I was really disappointed by the ManThing offering. Actually, the art was so inconsistent that I gave up. Hopefully this will be better. And, in case you’re keeping score, Sentry is dumber than Devil Slayer.
Jim: I’m trying this book out, I was also disappointed with Man Thing, but I’ll check this one out for an issue.

IRON MAN: DVD DIGITAL COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES 1CONTAINS THE FIRST FIFTY ISSUES OF IRON MAN COMICS!this DVD-ROM collection Including the exclusive Marvel Digital Comics Reader versions of TALES OF SUSPENSE #39-88 and TALES TO ASTONISH #82, plus bonuses galore!ALL AGES...$29.99

HULK: DVD DIGITAL COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES 1CONTAINS THE FIRST FIFTY ISSUES OF HULK COMICS!Including the exclusive Marvel Digittal Comics Reader versions of INCREDIBLE HULK #1-6, TALES TO ASTONISH #59-101 andINCREDIBLE HULK #102 - plus bonuses galore!ALL AGES...$29.99

Lee: Wow. 50 issues on DVD. Is that a good deal? What happens when the data storage system changes? Anyone remember 3.5” floppies? This isn’t for me but it’s interesting to see all the new marketing ideas.

Jim: Okay it is interesting, but what about the creators? Are they seeing any money at all out of this, or is this just a free and clear way for Marvel to make money off old material and not pay the people who did the work any royalties? I know legally they may not owe any money, but the right thing would be to pay some dollars to these people based off sales.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 11Written by STAN LEE with ARCHIE GOODWINPenciled by JOHN BUSCEMA with JOHN ROMITA & JACK KIRBYCollecting FANTASTIC FOUR #105-116.272 PGS/All Ages ...$54.99ISBN: 978-0-7851-3046-8

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 3 - Featuring Sub-MarinerWritten by VARIOUS with STAN LEEPenciled by BILL EVERETT with DICK AYERS, MORT LAWRENCE, HOWARD POST & VARIOUSCollecting SUB-MARINER #33-42.272 PGS/All Ages ...$59.99

Lee: I pick these because we pick them every month. I know Jim is starting to stop these but I’m not. FF 105-116 is a great read for anyone. The GA Subby is mostly for die hards… like me.

Jim: I will stop getting them when they pick something I don’t care about, unfortunately these are both on my buy list, sigh.

PUNISHER BY GARTH ENNIS OMNIBUS HCWritten by GARTH ENNISPenciled by STEVE DILLON, DARICK ROBERTSON, TOM MANDRAKE, CAM KENNEDY, JOHN MCCREA, DOUG BRAITHWAITE & JOE QUESADACollecting PUNISHER (2000) #1-12, PUNISHER KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, MARVEL KNIGHTS DOUBLE SHOT #1, and PUNISHER (2001) #1-7 and #13-37.1192 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$99.99

Lee: Sell the smaller, more readable HC’s now!!!! Run to Ebay now so you can list first!!! Besides that, 1000 pages of Punisher in one place is a whole lot of Punisher. Whole lot!

Jim: An easy pass for me. I like some Omnibus collections, but I have the smaller 12 issue run hard covers and I like those better. They are already in an over sized format and they are books I can pick up without causing a hernia.

ANNIHILATION CLASSIC HC Written by TODD DEZAGO, LARRY LIEBER, MARV WOLFMAN, MARK GRUENWALD, BILL MANTLO, DOUG MOENCH, SCOTT EDELMAN & ROY THOMASPenciled by DEREC AUCOIN, JACK KIRBY, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOE SINNOTT, PAUL RYAN, MIKE MIGNOLA, TOM SUTTON, MIKE ZECK & GIL KANECover by JOHN BUSCEMA, PAUL RYAN, GIL KANE & MIKE MIGNOLACollecting BUG #1, TALES TO ASTONISH #13, NOVA #1, QUASAR #1, ROCKET RACCOON #1-4, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #6, LOGAN'S RUN #6 and MARVEL PREMIERE #1.232 PGS./Rated A...$29.99 Trim size: oversized
Lee: Now if there was something that never required a hc collection, this was it. Seriously, Quasar #1? Even I remember that being awful. And Bug #1? That’s so bad, the quarter bin is too expensive for that book. The other stuff is fine and dandy but it’s a lot of money for some really bad comics.

Jim: What the heck is Logan’s Run #6 doing in this mix bag of crap.


X-MEN: MAGIK - STORM & ILLYANA PREMIERE HC Written by CHRIS CLAREMONTPenciled by JOHN BUSCEMA, RON FRENZ & SAL BUSCEMACovers by JOHN BUSCEMA & BRET BLEVINSCollecting MAGIK #1-4.104 PGS./All Ages ...$19.99 ISBN: 978-0-7851-3093-2 Trim size: oversized

MARVEL BOY PREMIERE HCWritten by GRANT MORRISONPenciled by J.G. JONESCover by J.G. JONESCollecting MARVEL BOY #1-6.160 PGS./Rated T+ ...$24.99

Lee: It certainly is interesting what will and will not get the HC treatment these days. I’m really on the edge with both of these. I seem to remember both of them being OK but not great. The Magik is tempting because it really goes back to my childhood and Marvel Boy because of the art. But, $25 is an awful lot for just ok.

Jim: Marvel Boy is a good ploy as DC has Final Crisis out by Morrison and Jones.

OMEGA: THE UNKNOWN PREMIERE HC Written by JONATHAN LETHEM & KARL RUSNACKPenciled by FAREL DALRYMPLE & PAUL HORNSCHEMEIERCover by FAREL DALRYMPLE & PAUL HORNSCHEMEIERCollecting OMEGA: THE UNKNOWN #1-10.240 PGS./Rated T+ ...$29.99 Trim size: standard

Lee: WHHEEEEE I can’t wait for this. I know Jim doesn’t care but I am looking forward to reading this. The covers were great. The reviews were far more positive than negative. I’m all over this. Yes Jim, I’ll let you know how it is.

Jim: Oh goody, can’t wait.


INCREDIBLE HERCULES #121 Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTEPenciled by CLAYTON HENRYCover by ARTHUR SUDYAM
Lee: And Sudyam out shines a mediocre pack to win not only the pointless cover award but the prized “Embarrassed to be a Fanboy” cover award too. I know this goes without say but awful! Jim: Wow I’m just glad we made it to the end of this list.

Lee: Overall it was a pretty good month. I really like Marvel’s Euro books and there’s lots that isn’t related to Secret Invasion. Now if it weren’t $4 a pop I’d be really happy.
Jim: Still the bulk of their output is Secret Invasion and X-Books, some of the stuff we have highlighted is good, but there is a lot of talent being wasted on the other stuff.