Marvel Preview Review for July Part 2 of 3

AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE #1 (of 9)
Written by ALLAN HEINBERG
Pencils & Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Women of Marvel Variant by JELENA-KEVIC DJURDJEVIC
The Young Avengers return in an epic, bi-monthly Marvel maxi-series by series creators Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. When Wiccan's reality-altering powers begin to rival those of the Scarlet Witch, the young hero sets out on a quest to find her that spans the Marvel Universe and pits Wiccan against both the Avengers and the Young Avengers. But will Wiccan's desire to solve the mystery of his parentage be his salvation or his undoing? This self-contained Marvel maxi-series reintroduces and redefines the Young Avengers and the Scarlet Witch for the Heroic Age and is essential reading for any Avengers fan. 32 PGS./Bi-Monthly/Rated T+ …$3.99

Jim: A nine part bi-monthly series, are you freeling me? I can barely follow all the series I do now with the ragged publishing schedules and now Marvel is trying to sell me on a story that has to have a pay off in 18 months. $36 for the whole epic. PASS! Call me in two years or more when the series is done and let me know if it was any good.
Lee: This really is too bad because the Young Avengers had such potential. Now it’s all poop. Oh well, I’ll forget about thiiii… I mean, I check in two years to see how it went.

MARVEL ZOMBIES 5 #5 (of 5)
Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by KANO
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Variant Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
This is it, the nail- (and finger-) biting conclusion! Machine Man and friends are poised to collect the last zombie sample they need to create a cure for the plague of the flesh-eaters, but first that requires entering the most horrifying universe of all... ours! And with ARMOR agents hot on their heels to stop their illegal mission, have our intrepid zombie-hunters bagged their last brain-muncher? 32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Lee: Haven’t been reading this, don’t know if it’s any good, but it really, really looks like fun. Anything with Howard the Duck and Machine Man on the same page has my attention.
Jim: Our buddy Rusty still likes this, but for $4 an issue I’ll get this on a sale rack someday.

DEATH OF DRACULA #1
Written by VICTOR GISCHLER
Penciled by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & MARKO DJURDJERVIC
He is the legendary Lord of the Vampires. Dracula. Who would dare attempt to overthrow him? Only Dracula's son Xarus, a ruthless and clever upstart with the bold ambition to unite all the world’s vampire sects under one flag. But Xarus's older brother Janus isn't sure he likes the idea of a new regime and seeks allies to oppose Xarus. The ultimate battle to control Earth's Creatures of the Night unfolds, with the future of the vampire race – and possibly the Marvel Universe – at stake. 48 PGS./One-Shot/Parental Advisory …$3.99

Jim: Mutants versus Vampires, makes me want to puke. Twilight has really up the vampirism everywhere.
Lee: I thought we switched you to picking Marvel so one of us would say nice things about them now and again. This doesn’t seem to be working at all.

SHADOWLAND #1 (of 5)
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Penciled by BILLY TAN
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
Wraparound Variant Cover by BILLY TAN
Matt Murdock Dared Evil…and Lost!
The battle for the soul of a hero begins! Pushed beyond his limits, Daredevil faces off for a final time against his deadliest foe--Bullseye-- in their most brutal battle ever with more than just Hell’s Kitchen is at stake. Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher and more join forces to stop a war that is breaking out throughout New York, with Daredevil at the center. This event will change the streets of New York City—and the heroes that protect it—forever. Plus, a jaw-dropping final page that will have everyone talking for years to come! 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
DAREDEVIL #508
Written by ANDY DIGGLE & ANTONY JOHNSTON
Penciled by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
SHADOWLAND Tie-in
Matt Murdock has long played judge and jury to criminals as Daredevil, but has he now become executioner as well?! SHADOWLAND takes over Daredevil and his friends aren’t about to stand by and lose him on the path he seems destined for. A major player joins the battle as Hell’s Kitchen is about to live up to its name once more! 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Jim: This could be good, but is Punisher still Franken-Castle for this series. And can we stop with the jaw dropping final page. No one is dropping any jaws.
Lee: WTF!!! Daredevil was one of the few books that was truly standalone. Read one issue of Daredevil, get one story. Now that’s all gone to shite because I have to read Shadowland AND Daredevil to get one story. This f**kin’ sucks.

GORILLA MAN #1 (of 3)
Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by GIANCARLO CARACUZZO
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
“If you kill the magical Gorilla-Man, you become immortal.”
Shooting from the pages of ATLAS, comes an all-new exploration of fan-favorite GORILLA MAN! Yes, Ken Hale is blessed with might and cursed with inhumanity, but you don’t know the entire tale, and how his history may destroy his present! See his storied past as an Agent of Atlas, a soldier of fortune, an ally of the Avengers, and a Howling Commando! Three incredible issues by JEFF PARKER (ATLAS, THUNDERBOLTS, FALL OF THE HULKS ALPHA) and GIANCARLO CARACUZZO (ATLAS)! Plus a "Many Legends of the Gorilla Man" reprint. 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Jim: Eek, eek, opp, opp. A book that I can really love.
Lee: I am amazed that Jeff Parker is managing to keep the Agents of Atlas alive. The title has had two series, countless cross-overs, and mini-series. The brand really is showing some staying power.

WORLD WAR HULKS: SPIDER-MAN VS. THOR #1 & 2 (of 2)
Written by KIERON GILLEN & CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
Penciled by JORGE MOLINA & PATRICK SCHERBERGER
Covers by BARRY KITSON
CLASSIFIED UNTIL THE EVENTS OF HULK #22 AND INCREDIBLE HULK #608
32 PGS.(each)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (each)
WORLD WAR HULKS: WOLVERINE VS. CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 & 2 (of 2)
Written by PAUL TOBIN & BRIAN CLEVINGER
Penciled by JACOPO CAMAGNI & GURIHIRU
Covers by BARRY KITSON
CLASSIFIED UNTIL THE EVENTS OF HULK #22 AND INCREDIBLE HULK #608
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (each)

Jim: Again do I look like I want to be a** raped by Marvel. $16 for this tripe? Not me, not me.
Lee: Why don’t you think that this will be good? It can’t be any worse than Civil War, Secret Invasion, or Dark Reign and you got all of those. In fact, WWHulk was pretty good. I think you’re poo-pooing too early on this one.

STEVE ROGERS: SUPER-SOLDIER #1
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Penciled by DALE EAGLESHAM
Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Steve Rogers was America's first Super-Soldier - Captain America - and he's fought for his country since World War II. Now a face from the past reappears, a woman that cannot be alive because Steve watched her die! Steve has fought for so long, and lost so much -- is his past coming back to haunt him now? Or could this be the plot of an old enemy who controls nearly everything he touches, including Steve's mind? From multiple Award-Winning Captain America scribe Ed Brubaker and acclaimed artist Dale Eaglesham comes a mini-series no Cap or Avengers fan will want to miss! 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Jim: I want to read this and see what Marvel has in store for Steve Rogers. I’m a little bummed that Eaglesham is apparently off the FF book.
Lee: Why you crapped all over the latest Hulk thing and not this is beyond me. Was Cap: Reborn total shite???? Didn’t you complain for months about that series? So why is this suddenly exciting?
Jim: It is exciting because it is about the next phase in Cap’s career which Reborn was a boring exercise in how to not bring back a character.

THOR THE MIGHTY AVENGER #1 & #2
Written by ROGER LANGRIDGE
Pencils & Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
He’s banished, he’s mad, and he wants to FIGHT. ROGER LANGRIDGE (Muppet Show, Eisner and Harvey Award nominee) and CHRIS SAMNEE (SIEGE: EMBEDDED, The Mighty) re-imagine the God of Thunder in THOR THE MIGHTY AVENGER! THRILL as he battles robots the size of cities! GASP as he tames the mightiest sea creatures! SWOON as he rescues damsels from the vilest villains! It’s Thor as you’ve NEVER seen him, hammering his way into your hands TWICE this month! 32 PGS. (each)/Rated A …$2.99 (each)

Jim: THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST BOOK FROM MARVEL THIS MONTH. I love this idea and the price is $3 for a comic – excellent!
Lee: I loves me some Roger Langridge! If anyone can make this fun and exciting it’s him. I with you on this book, it should be great.

PART 3 TOMORROW