Shadow and Flame with Magik

Marvel May 2014 Solicitations

http://www.newsarama.com/20360-marvel-comics-may-2014-solicitations.html

AVENGERS #29
Jonathan Hickman Leinil Francis Yu (A/C)
WHAT DID HE SEE?

AVENGERS #30
Jonathan Hickman Leinil Francis Yu (A/C)
WHAT DID HE SEE?

MIGHTY AVENGERS #10
AL EWING Greg Land (A/C)
WHAT DID HE SEE?

DEADPOOL #29
Gerry Duggan & Brian posehn
John Lucas (A) • Cover by Mark Brooks
WHAT DID HE SEE?

ORIGINAL SIN #1 (of 8)
Jason Aaron • Mike Deodato (A)
WHAT DID HE SEE?

ORIGINAL SIN #2 (of 8)
Jason Aaron • Mike Deodato (A)
WHAT DID HE SEE?

Not sure how excited I am about Original Sin.  It strikes me as an Avengers event just like Age of Ultron was so I will most likely pass on it.  All of this secrecy is hurting the title, from my vantage point. 

Now that I know the secrets are all made up, meaning that they are not coming from continuity but are never-been-told-to-readers types of secrets, I will definitely be passing on this until they announce the X-Men Tie in. 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.1
DAN SLOTT • RAMoN PERéZ (A)
YEAR ONE: LEARNING TO CRAWL!
• He sought revenge… and found responsibility. From that night on, a new life began.
• Join Peter Parker as he takes his first steps towards finding his way in the world as Spider-Man.
• The chapter you never knew about the story you know by heart.
• Dan Slott (SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH) and Ramón Perez (the Eisner winning TALE OF SAND & WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN) bring you a new & reverent spin on the first 60 days of Spider-Man.

No interest in this.  Yet another retelling of Spider-Man’s origin, which only took eight pages to do the very first time. 

CYCLOPS #1
GREG RUCKA • RUSSELL DAUTERMAN (A)
Cyclops just discovered that the father he thought died long ago is alive and well and A SPACE PIRATE. Spinning directly out of ALL-NEW X-MEN, comes the first ongoing solo series for one of the time-traveling Original X-Men. After the events of “Trial of Jean Grey”, Scott Summers stays in space to learn some valuable lessons from his dad: 1) How to shave, 2) How to talk to girls, 3) How to steal a Badoon space-ship.

I wish I could be more excited about this but everything I’ve read seems like this is highly missable.  I am tempted to only get the first issue and the last issue as those will be the most important ones but I also suspect that everything that happens in this series will be repeated when Scott returns to All New X-Men. 

DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #1 (OF 4)
MIKE BENSON • TAN ENG HUAT (A)
MURDER! MYSTERY! MARTIAL ARTS!

Yet another new number one that I have no interest in. 

MAGNETO #3 & 4
CULLEN BUNN • GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA (A)
ISSUE #3 –
• MAGNETO CUTS LOOSE!
• At the source of the newest Sentinel threat, Magneto puts what’s left of his magnetic powers to good use.
• This may very well be the first step in Magneto becoming the VILLAIN he once was…
ISSUE #4 –
“PROFILE OF A SUPREMACIST”
• In the most brutal issue yet of this new noir/horror series, Magneto ruthlessly dismantles the latest threat to mutantkind…
• …and we gain a greater understanding of why his mission is so important to him.

Who knew this series was suppose to be a noir / horror series? 

NIGHTCRAWLER #2
CHRIS CLAREMONT • TODD NAUCK (A)
• Someone is hunting down Nightcrawler’s loved ones…and Nightcrawler and Wolverine are determined to find out who and to what ends!
• Classic X-Men characters meet contemporary threats as the newly-resurrected Nightcrawler crosses the globe to save his nearest and dearest from suffering the fate he just escaped…

Could this be the issue Kitty shows up in?  One can only imagine that she would be named in the solict.  Maybe Amanda shows up?  That could be cool. 

ALL-NEW DOOP #2 (of 5)
PETER MILLIGAN DAVID LAFUENTE (A)
Cover by MIKE ALLRED
• Doop takes Kitty Pryde for the trip of her life!
• See the treasures DOOPSPACE has to offer!

So excited about this miniseries!  Glad it really is a Doop & Kitty series, I thought maybe that was only the first issue plot. 

UNCANNY AVENGERS #20
RICK REMENDER • DANIEL ACUNA (A/C)
• Unite or die! The Avengers Unity Squad pull it together, but is it too late?
• Which of the seven futures will become dominant? Kang’s ultimate goal revealed!
• The Uncanny Avengers learn that even if you have no other choice, never trust Kang.

Still only interested in this if Kitty or Magik show up but the storyline has been pretty great thus far. 

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #1
JOE CARAMAGNA
SCOTT KOBLISH, FRANCESCA CIREGIA, GIANCARLO CARACUZZO,
ELENA CASAGRANDE & TIM SEELEY (A)
• Young Peter Parker is the high school bullies’ favorite target. But all that changes the day a science experiment goes wrong, and Peter begins to transform!
• When a personal tragedy teaches Peter a harsh lesson in responsibility, he must find the inner strength to become a hero!
• Can the brand-new Spider-Man master his new powers in time to take on the villainous Vulture?
• When a giant robot spider attacks New York, Spider-Man must prove his innocence by tracking down the scientist responsible: the diabolical Dr. Octopus!
• When the sinister Sandman assaults Midtown High, it’s up to Peter to stop him — even if must risk revealing his secret identity!
• Four titanic tales set in Spider-Man’s past!

Wow, almost as if there is a movie of his coming out this month!  Is it just me or does this sound not very good?  Also, Giant-Size should really be kept for the X-Men.  Get your own thing, Spidey!

MILES MORALES: THE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • DAVE MARQUEZ (A/C)

I am going to have to miss this but maybe with this third relaunch of the Ultimate titles, the continuity will be tighter between the three titles. 

ALL-NEW ULTIMATES #2
MICHEL FIFFE • AMILCAR PINNA (A)
THE NEXT GENERATION OF ULTIMATES!
• The YOUNG ULTIMATES are put to the test as they try to survive their first mission: going head to head with the city’s most ruthless gang, the SERPENT SKULLS.
• KITTY PRYDE takes the bait and finally joins the team in an effort to push back the unrelenting wave of brutality.
• Jessica Drew takes on the mantle of BLACK WIDOW!!!

From what I’ve read online, this would make Jessica the third Black Widow in the Ultimate Universe.  Crazy, so I wonder how involved Kitty is in the first issue but glad she is officially joining the team in the second issue! 

Did you see the cover to Fantastic Four?  I like that Reed and Sue’s uniforms are the opposite of each other but I rather Reed’s was the official suit for both of them.  Sue’s has way to much red going on for my taste.  I guess that’s the whole point, to change the Fantastic Four’s costumes from mostly blue or black to black and red.  I will need to see it more.  

X-MEN #14
BRIAN WOOD • CLAY MANN (A)
• The Jean Grey School is under attack, leaving a young X-Man dead on the school’s front lawn.
• Jubilee’s worst nightmare has come to pass… and the future’s being rewritten.
• Clay Mann (GAMBIT) joins Brian Wood for a terrifying new chapter in X-Men history!

I wonder who the dead student will be?  

AMAZING X-MEN #7
KATHRYN IMMONEN • PACO MEDINA (A)
• Guest-starring THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!
• Iceman, Firestar and Spider-Man renew their amazing friendship to save New York City.
• Guest-Issue by Kathryn Immonen (AVENGERS ANNUAL) and Paco Medina (X-MEN, NOVA)!

Just in time for both Spider-Man and the X-Men films!  Still not buying it.  If I want to read Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, I will reread those Ultimate issues. 

X-FORCE #5
SIMON SPURRIER • JORGE MOLINA (A/C)
• X-Force comes face-to-face with Volga, the mastermind who’s been weaponizing superhumans and using them in the undercover war that’s being waged across the globe.
• But little does X-Force know that Volga has already weaponized one of their own…
• …And by the time this issue is through, one member of X-Force will meet their end!

Someone dies?  Has to be either Marrow, Fantomex, Pyslocke or Cable?  I can only imagined it can’t be Psylocke or Cable. 

ALL-NEW X-MEN #27
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • STUART IMMONEN (A/C)
75th Anniversary Cover by ALEX ROSS
• The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants from “Battle of the Atom” are back and still gunning for the ALL-NEW X-MEN!
• Jean Grey came back different from her trial. What does this mean for the rest of the X-Men?

Whose 75^th Anniversary is it?  Timely’s?  Has it really been five years since the 70^th Anniversary border covers came out?  Still not sure why they did 70 when they should have waited for 75.  Can’t believe the tie in to Days of Future Past film is to have the Future Brotherhood X-Men come back?  Who wants that? At least Immonen is drawing them.  I wonder how Jean is different now, maybe she wants to go back to the past and course correct the present to save the future?  Maybe?  Also, maybe we will get more about the events that lead to their future, as there were some comments that were intriguing. 

UNCANNY X-MEN #21
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • CHRIS BACHALO (A)
• The Cyclops Revolution marches on!
• Who is the mysterious figure building Sentinels for SHIELD?
• Find out what happened to Dazzler since Mystique took her down back in UNCANNY X-MEN #9!

Finally!!! Getting to know what happened to Dazzler this entire time. The answer better be that she’s being well treated!  Glad Cyclops is getting back to the revolution too!  That guy has been distracted as of late. 

SAVAGE WOLVERINE #18 & 19
ISSUE # 18 – Jen Van Meter • Rich Ellis (A)
ISSUE # 19 – Gail Simone • TBA (A)
ISSUE #18 –
• In the 1960s southwest, Wolverine must defend a group of innocent workers from evil.
• Meanwhile, in Dallas, an event will change the world.
• Jen Van Meter (CAPTAIN MARVEL) and Rich Ellis (SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN) bring you a moment in history through the eyes of Wolverine.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
ISSUE #19 –
• He’s the best there is at what he does – but what if he has a bad day?
• Logan collides head first with some bad luck on the worst possible day. Can Jubilee lend a hand?
• It’s Wolverine’s no good, very bad, extremely awful day by Gail Simone (Batgirl) and Somebody!

Not buying this but how cool is it that Gail Simone is writing for Marvel again?  That’s pretty cool. 

WOLVERINE #6 & 7
PAUL CORNELL • GERARDO SANDOVAL (A)
THE MADRIPOOR JOB – Part 1 & 2
• As his plan to take down Sabretooth takes shape, Wolverine goes undercover in Madripoor – but he’s not the only one with his eyes on Sabretooth’s empire – what do PETE WISDOM & MI-13 have to do with it?
• Paul Cornell (WOLVERINE: KILLABLE) and Gerardo Sandoval (CABLE & X-FORCE) bring you a two part epic that’ll push the mortal Wolverine to his limits!

It took this long before Cornell found a way to work Pete Wisdom and MI-13 into his Wolverine run?  That’s some restraint!  Unless Pete makes a reference to Kitty, still not buying it.  Which he may as every third appearance by Wisdom, he makes a Kitty reference.  

DEADPOOL #28
GERRY DUGGAN & BRIAN POSEHN • SCOTT KOBLISH (A)
• Deadpool and his bride go on a honeymoon…to Japan!
• How will married life agree with our mouthy merc?
• Will he start doing the “take my wife” joke all the time?

They have me with issue 27 and the wedding but then I’m jumping right back off.  Glad he is taking his bride on a honeymoon.  That’s the least he can do.  

JEPH LOEB & TIM SALE: YELLOW, BLUE AND GRAY HC
Written by JEPH LOEB Penciled by TIM SALE
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s classic “color” masterpieces are collected in one lush oversized hardcover! Blind acrobat Daredevil was inspired to heroism by the example of his prizefighter father — but Matt Murdock is a young man in love with Karen Page. Relive Daredevil’s heartwarming, heartbreaking debut! Then, Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy want to spend the rest of their lives together — but first, Spider-Man must run a gauntlet of his greatest foes. And finally, no matter how powerful the Incredible Hulk becomes, his heart can still be shattered by Betty Ross — the daughter of his greatest enemy! Join the Eisner Award-winning team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Superman For All Seasons, Batman: The Long Halloween) for a touching, insightful and gorgeous look into the early days of Marvel’s most popular heroes. Collecting DAREDEVIL: YELLOW #1-6, SPIDER-MAN: BLUE #1-6 and HULK: GRAY #1-6.
540 PGS./Rated T+ …$75

I wonder if this is to test the market for a new miniseries?  Maybe one for the X-Men? 

MARVELS: THE PLATINUM EDITION SLIPCASE HC
Written by KURT BUSIEK Painted by ALEX ROSS
Marvel’s super-sized, slipcased “Adamantium Collection”-style format continues, shining a well-deserved spotlight on a true Marvel classic! Within the Marvel Universe, heroes soar high in the skies, ready to battle the villains who threaten their world. Yet living in the shadow of these extraordinary icons are ordinary men and women who view the “Marvels” with a mixture of fear, disbelief, envy and admiration. Among them is Phil Sheldon, a New York City photojournalist who has dedicated his career to covering the exploits of the Marvels and their effect on humankind. A richly painted historical overview of the entire Marvel Universe, MARVELS spans from the 1939 debut of the Human Torch to the fearsome coming of the world-devouring Galactus — culminating in the shocking death of Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man’s first love. Plus: an extensive and gorgeous Alex Ross art gallery! Collecting MARVELS #0-4.
512 PGS./Rated T …$200

Whoa, now this is overly expensive!  Even with an art gallery and a hardcover, unless they sneak a hundred dollar bill in there, how can this be worth $200!?!

REVOLUTIONARY WAR TPB
Written by ANDY LANNING, ALAN COWSILL, KIERON GILLEN, ROB WILLIAMS & GLENN DAKIN
Penciled by RICH ELSON, DIETRICH SMITH, SIMON COLEBY, NICK ROCHE, BRENT ANDERSON, RONAN CLIQUET & GARY ERSKINE
Cover by MARK BROOKS
Marvel UK’s greatest heroes come together for the first time in 20 years to face a threat that could destroy the world! A troubling vision in Darkmoor Castle portends the horrible truth: The sinister MYS-Tech organization has returned! When MYS-Tech’s magical cloning experiments are discovered, Dark Angel and the Knights of Pendragon have no choice but to return to action! Death’s Head comes face to face with Death’s Head II as they rally against MYS-Tech across time! The Supersoldiers take on MYS-Tech’s army of Psycho Wraiths! And from beyond space and time, Motormouth, Killpower and the Warheads join the fight! Featuring Captain Britain, Pete Wisdom, Union Jack, Dai Thomas and a host of British heroes from Marvel UK’s past, present and future! Collecting REVOLUTIONARY WAR: ALPHA #1, DARK ANGEL #1, KNIGHTS OF PENDRAGON #1, DEATH’S HEAD II #1, SUPERSOLDIERS #1, MOTORMOUTH#1, WARHEADS #1 and OMEGA #1.
184 PGS./Rated T+ …$24.99

Before even the first issue comes out, the trade is being solicited.  Hopefully its good.  It would be instant buy if they just reunited the original Excalibur for one more adventure.  I wonder if $25 for the trade beats buying the individual issues?  8 issues times 4, $32, yes, it is cheaper to buy the trade.  Problem solved. 

MARVEL FIRSTS: THE 1980S VOL. 2 TPB
Written by BILL MANTLO, ROGER STERN, JOHN BYRNE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, JM DEMATTEIS, JIM SHOOTER, MARK GRUENWALD, ANN NOCENTI, DAVE COCKRUM, WALTER SIMONSON, STEVEN GRANT, BOB LAYTON, TOM DEFALCO, MARTHA THOMASES & PETER B. GILLIS
Penciled by MARK GRUENWALD, BOB HALL, JOHN BYRNE, AL MILGROM, ALAN KUPPERBERG, MIKE MIGNOLA, MARK BADGER, ARTHUR ADAMS, DAVE COCKRUM, SAL BUSCEMA, MIKE ZECK, JACKSON GUICE, MARY WILSHIRE, TONY SALMONS, JOHN ROMITA JR. & BRENT ANDERSON
Cover by VARIOUS
Marvel continues exploring the awesome ’80s with a cornucopia of collector’s item classics — from the debuts of the West Coast Avengers and X-Factor, to solo spotlights for Spidey’s amazing friends Iceman and Firestar, to the birth of a whole New Universe! As mutant mania takes hold, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine and the swashbuckling Nightcrawler grab a chance at glory! And Marvel’s next big-screen icon, Rocket Raccoon, takes his bow alongside brave Balder, lucky Longshot, insatiable Galactus — and the all-powerful Beyonder! Collecting QUESTPROBE #1, WEST COAST AVENGERS (1984) #1, KITTY PRYDE & WOLVERINE #1, ICEMAN (1984) #1, ROCKET RACCOON #1, GARGOYLE #1, SECRET WARS II #1, SQUADRON SUPREME #1, LONGSHOT #1, NIGHTCRAWLER (1985) #1, BALDER THE BRAVE #1, PUNISHER (1985) #1, X-FACTOR (1986) #1, FIRESTAR #1, DAKOTA NORTH #1, STAR BRAND #1, STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI #1 and material from EPIC ILLUSTRATED #26.
488 PGS./Rated T+ …$44.99

$45 seems odd for a sampler of stories.  If you read Kitty Pryde & Wolverine 1, you are definitely going to want to read the other four issues.  Same for Nightcrawler 1, you will want the other three issues.  Same holds true for Squadron Supreme and the other eleven issues plus the Captain America issues that the trade includes. 

So if I’m doing my math right, I’m only set to buy four comics in May.  All New Doop 2, All New Ultimates 2, All New X-Men 27 and Uncanny X-Men 21, so four times four is sixteen dollars so that’s easily affordable.  I quit my job at Hastings to spend more time at home with the family so now I’m no longer saving that one dollars.  On the maybe list is only Uncanny Avengers 20, so twenty dollars is perfect for me for an entire month!