Marvel Preview Review for July Part 1 of 2

Sometimes we feel that the preview reviews get too long for a single post and as we did last month we are splitting Marvel (and maybe DC later this month) into two posts. Hopefully that way you will enjoy more of the great wit Lee and I bring to the table.

Lee: Well, DKR continues to dominate the Marvel scene. Either you’re buying it and all its titles or not. Given my rant against it last month, it’s pretty obvious where I stand. Needless to say, unless it’s super-spectacular, I’m skipping any and all dark reign picks this month.

Jim: The Dark Reign has become overwhelming. Marvel is flooding the market with so much of this product that I was trying to follow some of it, but it has me thinking I should bail on all of it.

REBORN #1 (of 5) Written by ED BRUBAKER Penciled by BRYAN HITCH 50/50 Covers by BRYAN HITCH & ALEX ROSS Variant Cover by JOHN CASSADAY Solicit to be revealed soon 32 PGS./ $3.99

Lee: I writing this before any announcements have been made but I’m guessing Captain America is finally coming back. And, it looks to be fun because this is a great creative team. Oh yeah, save your pennies because I see this is coming with lots of different covers.

Jim: Still no announcements but important enough that Hitch was pulled off Fantastic Four to start up on this project. It is apparent Cap is coming back, it is all in how they do it that will make it work or not. In fact I’m thinking this is the beginning of the end of Dark Reign as Cap is the one who takes down Norman and then Cap and Barack are the saviors of the MU, just as BO is the second coming to the more than half the sheeple in the US.

HALO: HELLJUMPER #1 (of 5) Written by PETER DAVID Art & Cover by ERIC NGUYEN NEW STORY! NEW CREATIVE TEAM! Comics legend Peter David and up-and-coming artist Eric Nguyen bring a whole new HALO story to life! When the colony planet Ariel sends out a mysterious distress signal, it’s up to the UNSC’s elite, highly skilled special-ops Marines, the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers from the 105th, to find out what’s happening. Also known as ODSTs or “Helljumpers”, these soldiers are some of the toughest in the galaxy…and some of the roughest as well. When the distress signal comes, two Helljumpers will find themselves at the center of the mystery on Ariel, and before it’s solved, they’ll have to put their friendship—and their lives—on the line… 32 PGS./ $3.99

Lee: I couldn’t care less about Halo but Peter David with Eric Nguyen is another great creative team. I may have to get this. It can’t be any worse than the Alien or Predator material.

Jim: In my new more austere posture I will have to pass on this, plus I have no interest in Halo.

ALL SELECT COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM & MICHAEL KUPPERMAN

Art by JAVIER PULIDO & MICHAEL KUPPERMAN

Meet Blonde Phantom – she’s gorgeous, quick-witted, and hard-boiled. There was never a case that wasn’t open-and-shut for this gun-toting, two-fisted knockout of a P.I. But has she still got what it takes to bust a mystery wide open in the modern Marvel Universe? AND MORE! Writer/artist Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle) takes on Marvex, the Super-Robot, in a hilarious bonus special feature!! 48 PGS./New and Reprint/ $3.99

USA COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Written by JOHN ARCUDI Penciled by STEVE ELLIS Cover by CLINT LANGLEY

Marvel continues its historic anniversary celebration – by unleashing the Mighty Destroyer! Before the Punisher there was another one-man army with a skull on his chest! Travel back with us to the desperate days of World War II, when the mystery-shrouded, merciless man with no face struck at the heart of Nazi Germany, deep behind enemy lines! Who is the Destroyer? What is his secret mission? And what does he want with a heavily defended train…and the simple journalist who rides in it? 48 PGS./New & Reprints/ $3.99

Lee: While I’m not necessarily interested in this stuff as individual issues, I will be tempted if it gets collected in a nice hc. Marvel is putting some pretty talented teams on the new material which should be worth reading. It will be interesting to see what Marvel does with this.

Jim: I have been enjoying these one shots and regardless of whether these are truly legitimate 70th Anniversary stuff (as no continuous publication) Marvel is doing a nice job using the timing to put out some fun one shots. DC should take notes as they have been lately letting anniversaries just pass them by with no mention of the fact.

MARVEL 70TH ANNIVERSARY TPB Collecting material from SUB-MARINER #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #2-3, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #2, TALES TO ASTONISH #13, AMAZING FANTASY #12; and FANTASTIC FOUR #13, STRANGE TALES #115, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50, AVENGERS #93, IRON MAN #128, UNCANNY X-MEN #132, DAREDEVIL #168, INCREDIBLE HULK #340, MARVELS #0, AVENGERS #4, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #13, NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 and CAPTAIN AMERICA #25. 344 PGS./ $24.99

Lee: But, if this is any indication of what is coming I will pass. What a collection of junk this is. I understand it’s nigh impossible to pick a dozen stories from 70 years of material but seriously, New Avengers: Illuminati #1, you couldn’t find a better comic in the past 5 years?

Jim: This is a junk collection, but since Lee and I have so many Masterworks I do not believe any such collection could have garnered much interest from us.

DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING #1 & 2 (of 3) Written by PAUL CORNELL, JAMES ASMUS & others Penciled by Humberto Ramos & others Covers by JAE LEE Who are the Dark X-Men and how did they come to be? FIND OUT HERE! Each issue has 3 11-page stories, each dedicated to one of the Dark X-Men and how they came to be part of the team. This first two issues focus on Emma Frost, Mimic, Cloak & Dagger, Daken, Weapon X and Dark Beast! 40 PGS.(each)/ $3.99 (each)

Lee: I know I said I wouldn’t pick DKR books but darnit if they are going to print silly covers then I am going to call them on it. And seriously, not that Dagger’s costume wasn’t silly before, but putting a giant red x just below her navel is… an interesting choice. Nothing draws the eye to a location better than an X. You know, X marks the spot. I wonder what Jae Lee was thinking when he drew this cover. Strike that, I know what he was thinking about.

Jim: How about just how stupid is the idea itself. The X-verse was usually off on its own and now Marvel is trying to drag it into the Avengers side of the MU, not a good idea.

Lee: And, does anyone want to question the decision to make this 3 11 page stories? With writers and artists known as “& others.” I’m sure it will sell just fine because it’s tied into DKR but this seems like gouging to me. I now turn this comment over to Jim for the appropriate “THEY’RE F***IN A** R***IN ME!” rant on Marvel’s Dark Reign. Jim, bring it home!
Jim: Well you have stolen my rant already, but this really is an ass rape and I didn’t even drop the soap. Throw away stories, but I give Marvel credit, these books are training grounds for their minor league talent pool to see who maybe ready to come up to the majors and they throw in a name here and there to keep it semi-legit.

DARK REIGN: THE SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #2 (of 4) Written by BRIAN REED Pencils & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

Lee: More cover silliness! If it were Supergirl on the cover everyone would complain about the upskirt shot. But, since it’s Venom and just an up pant-leg shot of alien jingle-jangle I bet no one complains at all.

Jim: Well you complained so that, oh wait, no one complained – I get it.

DARK WOLVERINE #76Young Guns Variant by MIKE CHOI & SONIA OBACK

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #15 Cover by Salvador Larroca Tony's on the run and turns to an old foe for friendship. Maria Hill is out of her mind on hunting her prey in the streets of New York City. And Pepper Potts flies in the face of Norman Osborn and all the horrible things he stands for. Oh, but don't fret for Norman, dear readers -- he's got some more horrible things up his sleeve that Tony and the gang won't even see coming. Guest stars and gut shots galore!

Lee: Ooohhh, tough call on the most gruesome cover this month. We have Wolverine’s son with blood on his face STANDING in a puddle of blood vs. Iron Man torture cover with bloody shirt. Very tough call.

Jim: I know the innocence of the silver age was a reaction to the Comics Code and not a true innocence, but sometimes this stuff goes too far.

Lee: And, don’t skip the gruesome hype either. A description like, “gut shots galore” makes me want to rush out and buy a comic book. Yep, nothing more enticing than the visual of a man with bleeding to death with his intestines hanging out.

Jim: And if it was on a Punisher cover or even the Wolverine cover is okay, but Iron Man. By the way it looks like rope, not his intestines Lee.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #15 Written by Matt Fraction Pencils & Cover by Salvador Larroca Eisner nominee for Best New Series!

Lee: Ohhh, I forgot to point this out. Iron Man as the nominee for Best new series? Hasn’t Iron Man been around for like 50 years? So, if I understand the rules of the nomination, if I restart Spiderman numbering every year then I can call it a new series... and be nominated for a prize. What a great idea.

Jim: Yeah, now this is a great frelling point, how the flying f**k can this be a “New Series”. What utter crap and it is a disgrace to the Eisner awards and smells like someone is manipulating the whole nomination process.

The frivolity continues tomorrow!!!!