Adams – Art

All posts tagged Adams – Art

Uncanny X-Men 141 – John Byrne

Alpha Flight V3 9 – Clayton Henry

Marvel Zombies Army of Darkness 1 – Arthur Suydam

Excalibur 94 – Casey Jones

Wolverine and the X-Men 42 – Nick Bradshaw

X-Men Battle of the Atom 1 Variant – ???

Uncanny Avengers 4 (Interior Art) – John Cassaday

Nightwing V2 21 – Brett Booth

NTSF : SD : SUV :: The Comic Book – Tom Derenick and Blond

Uncanny X-Men Volume Three Issue 23 Minimates Variant – Barry Bradfield

Amazing X-Men 13 Groot & Rocket Variant – Sara Pichelli

Bloodshot 12 – Kalman Andrasofszky, Patrick Zircher and Matthew Waite

Superboy V4 27 – Tom Grummett & Karl Kesel

Secret Wars Journal 5 (Interior Art) – Ken Lashley

Years of Future Past 5 – Art Adams and Peter Steigerwald

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde (Interior Art) – Alti Firmansyah

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 9

Posted by John Klein III on September 13, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2016, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

Yeah, I bought this comic because the recap has new dialogue but using old art, from issue one I believe. The Guardians have some fun in the recap, hinting at what they would imagine will happen. Pryde suspects that Quill will get himself captured, which of course does happen. It is silly.

This is the Drax & Gamora, all green issue. Is that racist?

Xalda-Volta. Badoon Correctional Planet. Dryston Tower. The Warden’s High Tower. The warden can’t believe eight people are successfully invading his prison planet. I guess we have to find out why he doesn’t just press the self-destruct button, like what happened last time.

Drax and Gamora have taken the fight straight to the warden. These two are the warriors of the group so they are going to enjoy this, the most.

Will we learn who they are going to save? Drax and Gamora keep shouting that they want ‘her.’ The Badoon are green, so it is an all green issue!

Gamora wakes up and I had to flip back three pages to see if I missed something. This must be how Gamora found out about the planet. The She is definitely a former Guardian. The She is in the same building that Gamora is in. The chief torturer is Marud, and he’s mostly worried about Thanos coming here to avenge his adopted daughter. It has to be Angela, right? Are there other female members that were part of the team that are not Carol Danvers?

The Badoons plan on becoming the main force of the galaxy now that both Kree and Skrull empires are gone. I guess the Shi’ar don’t want it. Marud really wants to know where Thanos is, he’s been in hiding since Secret Wars 2015. She’ll appear briefly in FCBD Civil War II.

Gamora doesn’t know where Thanos is, but she does know where the Black Vortex is. Avengers Alliance got around to bringing it into their game for Special Operation 35.

We get what happened to Gamora after Black Vortex. Every time she used her enhanced cosmic power, she lost it. That’s how she’s normal again. She hadn’t used the last of it, she’s been saving it for a special occasion. This occasion.

Gamora has saved Angela, I knew it must be her! I guess she’s available now that Queen of Hel has ended. That’s a fast turn around.

I do like these two together, they were so much fun during the Guardians / X-Men crossover, Trial of Jean Grey – the main story wasn’t great but the Guardians part sure was.

Drax updates the two ladies, most of the pairs were successful but Quill got captured. Angela is putting on her uniform.

Issue ends with Angela declaring their goals – rescue Quill and destroy the Badoon Empire!

I can’t wait for Pryde, Angela and Gamora to share some panel time together!

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 8

Posted by John Klein III on September 8, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2016, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

Whose bright idea, for Dale Keown’s variant cover – featuring the Guardians as Apocalypse’s Horsemen, to include every single member but the one I care about? That seems so odd to include Grimm but not Pryde.

The team has split up on a Badoon prison break. Pryde and Quill got some prisoners freed but Quill has been taken captive. Grimm and Rocket were super successful. This issue gives us Agent Venom and Groot.

The double page spread that starts this issue, ends the issue too – classic Bendis move there. Of course, with the second one being with a different context – we’ll get to that.

Issue opens Flash Thompson and Groot surrounded by Skrulls.

Knowhere. The edge of the universe. Located inside the decapitated head of a Celestial. The rent is outrageous. The Knowhere Bazaar. They invented the sidewalk sale. They invented it.

Yesterday. The Guardians are sitting around a table.

The Guardians of the Galaxy. It took most of the afternoon for them to decide what to eat.

Gamora is telling them that they have to go to the Basillza Quadrant. Flash and Grimm express that an entire planet that is a prison, is a tad hard to believe – it does cause a lot of internal questions of how the day-to-day operations work. That has to be very expensive. The Badoon, who seems to be the Guardians greatest foe, run the prison planet.

Pryde decides to draw an odd line in the sand, the enemies prior to her joining the team and the enemies after she joined. That isn’t how it works, which is what Gamora tells her. This issue must come before the backup in Guardians of Infinity 7.

Gamora tells Pryde that any enemy of hers is an enemy of Gamora’s and vice versa. Pryde recognizes that as a very nice thing for Gamora to say.

People start asking who the “she” is that they are going to save but I’m not sure if us readers know who that is suppose to be.

Flash isn’t sure how these eight Guardians are suppose to take on an entire planet.

Gamora explains why they can’t get an armada together. Last time people tried a prison planet break, the Badoon straight up exploded the planet – killing prisoners and guards alike. The Shi’ar, the ones trying to do the rescue, lost people as well.

Gamora, very dramatically, finally lefts her hood – I guess she was waiting for the perfect time to hold off the reveal.

The team is splitting up, Flash gets Groot. Flash makes an aside to Rocket, that he still doesn’t understand anything Groot says. Rocket tries to give some advice but Flash isn’t sure if he is suppose to believe it.

So Rocket will break away with Grimm and Drax & Gamora will be the team for next issue.

Agent Flash and Groot jump from the ship and Venom’s suit turns into a glider. Once they land, Venom starts narrating, aloud – probably trying to communicate with Groot.

Venom finally sees who the prisoners are, Skrulls, which Flash still holds a grudge against for both Secret Invasion and for them trying to steal his symbiote.

There is an aspect of this, where Flash comes off a tad racist towards Skrulls, he does come along though. The Badoons have successfully taken away the Skrulls ability to shape shift. I like how Flash uses the term “shape shift” and one of the Skrull prisoners says “we can no longer shift our shape.” Something about writing it another way, really bring out how silly an expression shape-shift is. It is up there with brainwash, how silly but effective.

Flash Thompson will be the hero, this day, but Pryde and the other should have told him who they were saving. This would probably mean more, to me, if I knew what happened to him and the Skrulls – exactly. Is that how he lost his legs? I thought he lost them during the Iraq War?

The Badoon arrive and Agent Venom & Groot start fighting them off but the Skrulls rise up too. They successfully fend them off and Venom is ready to free all of the prisoners. One of the Skrulls replies “all of us?” and leads the two Guardians into the caves. We get the dialogue from the above double splash page – where Venom blames Groot.

This time, the dialogue changes to Agent Venom stating that everyone is getting freed today.

Pretty fun issue!

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 6

Posted by John Klein III on August 20, 2016

Posted in: Lists, Review. Tagged: 2016, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

I want all three variant covers! Especially the one by Siya Oum, that has Lockheed!

Such a great cover, I wish we could get an issue with Art Adams doing interior art, or even, if we got to see this costume within the pages.

Instead, we get Schiti doing what I can only imagine would be a costume that Kitty would have worn if she got swept up into the 90s costume designs. Lots of pouches and a big gun.

Pryde is all action, whereas Quill is in the dumps.

He’s sad as he lost an entire planet. She can’t believe he’s choosing now to have this chat, after trying to get him to open up about all of this.

Schiti treats us to a six panel grid page, he’s done it a few issues ago for great comedic effect. Here, we get to enjoy the rich characterization. Pryde asks if he likes her new outfit. He starts by saying all the things she is – a teacher, a scholar, a warrior, a Guardian – but she doesn’t know how to dress herself. I think it is a fun outfit.

Pryde counters that neither blue or Indiana Jones is working for him. She’s clearly hurt. Also, she can’t diss much of his outfit as she was wearing it, for a few issues herself. He brings that up and she mentions how, as Star Lord, she had to keep the brand going.

Pryde mentions how she has been a costume hero since she was 13 and still can’t find a look that works. Which is insane as her Excalibur Davis Blue Sweater look worked. Now, besides that look, most of her looks are simply a play on the classic X-uniform yellow and black color scheme.

Pryde took the time for this discussion to get him talking about something besides losing his planet.

I do enjoy not having alien languages translated for us.

Quill rushes in and Pryde snaps at him. She was going to go all stealth and disarm and knock them all out but he’s distracted and made this harder than it had to be. Pryde tries to pick up their previous conversation, about how he over-shot, going from Guardian to Planetary King.

Quill was under the impressions he never waned him to take the position but that was never the case. She was disappointed in him for not being Petr Quill, Star Lord, on the throne, instead he was a follower of a council, taking orders.

Quill wonders if they should run, as they are outnumbered. Pryde wonders if they should try to talk their way through, since she has more hero experienced than him – he agrees to listen to her.

In an awesome turn of events, Quill gets punched to his dumb face!

Pryde is glad Quill is knocked out, so he won’t be harping on her and her bad call. At least she wasn’t punched. Then again, if the alien tried to punch her, his fist would have gone right through her. Again, Quill really doesn’t know how to work with her. Pryde lost her gun and Quill lost a tooth.

Some ships have spotted the pair and start shooting at them.

We finally get to see what the planet looks like.

We see the prisoners and Pryde wants a gun.

Pryde wants to shut this planet down, as they are in a concentration camp! Which, naturally, upsets her and wants to free all of the prisoners. Pryde is on the warpath.

I like her getting all intense and rightfully so. She rarely gets to unleash and these aliens deserve her wrath.

In an amazing sequence, Pryde tricks one ship to explode another.

With her phasing power, she takes out another ship. Quill, meanwhile, tells the aliens to flee.

Quill runs into that giant green alien and gets knocked out again.

Planet Moord, Home Planet of the Brotherhood of the Badoon. Issue ends with Quill waking up inside an arena, on a planet that hates him.

Next issue features Thing, which looks fun.

. . .

The Top Ten Comics of 2016 are –

Guardians of the Galaxy 6
Guardians of the Galaxy 5
Guardians of the Galaxy 4
Doctor Strange 4
Worst X-Man Ever 1
Howard the Duck 4
Howard the Duck 3
Extraordinary X-Men 6
Extraordinary X-Men 5
Extraordinary X-Men 7

Those are also the first ten comics I bought in 2016.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 5

Posted by John Klein III on August 12, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2016, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

Spartax. The capital city will probably never be the same again, after Hala’s visit.

Yotat is monologuing. The Guardians are knocked out. Their fight with Hala has required that they take a little nap.

Quill finally wakes up first, asking that Yotat not kill his friends. It is the least he can do. Quill asks Yotat to wait to kill them, until after Spartax is safe. Grudge matches can wait, after all.

Yotat points out how Spartax, supposedly a big deal in the universe, should have had neighboring planets coming to aid them, by now. No one respects Spartax, with Quill on the throne.

Quill really wasn’t begging, he was distracting. Agent Venom attacks from behind while Rocket has a new gun to try out.

That is a great top panel, the team having their second wind. Quill is trying to help Drax up, but Drax doesn’t want the help. Pryde isn’t impressed with Drax turning down help.

Rocket checks in on Groot, who is in little pieces. Drax punches Yotat, to his dumb face!

Quill starts trying to help the survivors. One lady isn’t pleased that her king allowed this nonsense to happen. Pryde tries to defend him but the couple runs away. Drax continues punching. Grimm is helping children get to safety. Good ol’ Grimm!

Yotat, is good at taking a beating but has had enough and turns the tables on Drax.

Luckily, Drax is on the same team with Grimm (who I really enjoy reading about on a monthly basis) as Grimm punches Yotat off his feet. Drax gets in on the handicap match.

Quill and Pryde are happy to see reinforcements are on their way.

Agent Venom takes away Yotat’s weapon.

Now that they have a pause, Quill wants to know Yotat’s story so Pryde indulges. I do want more Quill-less stories of the missing eight months.

Knowhere. The Edge of the Universe. Located Inside the Decapitated Head of a Celestial. Three Months Ago. Kitty Pryde Narrated Flashback. Historically, she is an unreliable narrator. (I’m not so sure about that).

They were there to get supplies and show Grimm what it is like to be a Guardian.

Pryde has been forced to take showers with steam instead of water, which probably makes sense on a ragtag ship. Grimm sort of likes the steam, Pryde can understand.

Pryde calls Yotat a gangster. He’s fine with trafficking of lower species as long as he gets a cut. Yotat is trying to choke out a nice green person but Pryde phases the person to safety.

Back to the Present. Drax side kicks Yotat. I see Groot standing there, so maybe he lost pieces but isn’t completely in pieces. Grimm wants his turn but Rocket pulls seniority. I do like a main villain that the entire team needs to work together to take out, instead of a group of villains versus a group of heroes. Easier to focus, I suppose.

Back to the Flashback. We are introduced to the Knowhere Corps. I recognize Moon Dragon, Micronaut’s Bug and Cosmo the Dog. The green lady and bald guy, I need to be told who they are. I like how Moon Dragon’s costume upgrade is that her shoulders are covered – somehow.

The Knowhere Corps take over the fight and arrest Yotat. Moon Dragon, who is wearing a brown cape, invites the Guardians to dinner.

Grimm refers to the Knowhere Corps as “space cops” which apparently, he must be doing a lot lately as Rocket says he doesn’t need to prefix everything with “space.” Yotat swears to get his revenge on Drax and his friends.

Pryde wishes she let Drax finish off Yotat, as he is clearly a horrible person.

Flashback Over. Grimm gives us all a “It’s Clobbering Time!!!” and Drax joins in with a sweet kick. Drax isn’t a fan of the sweet catchphrase. Grimm promises that the battlecry will grow on Drax.

The Royal Guard, finally, arrives to get Quill to safety. Quill can’t believe that they wait until two threats are taken care of, before getting him off the battlefield. Quill wants Yotat to be arrested, and he wants Hala to be arrested too.

Quill and Pryde turn to where Hala should be, still stuck in the ground, but she’s no longer there. Few have survived being phased through the ground. I know Thor was able to do it. Quill wants Hala found, and now!

We catch up with Hala, who is dragging her body through the city, leaving so much blood behind her.

Quill and Pryde find Gamora, who Pryde has so much respect for. I can’t wait to get scenes of these two dames together!

Quill demands a medic for Gamora.

Later. Gamora wakes up in a hospital room, with baby tree Groot at her bedside. I like these two together.

Quill is being told that he is no longer going to be President. He doesn’t quite pick up on that, so Pryde has to explain it to him. I guess that means we are never going to get Queen Pryde, like I always wanted. I do like Quill calling them jerks.

Pryde phases Quill and herself through the wall, outside and to the ground. I don’t like how the green consult hates on Pryde, screw that jerk!

Look how happy the team is in that middle panel! Gosh, I really do enjoy this creative team and this entire team! I miss enjoying a monthly title like this.

Grimm makes an awesome Hichhiker’s Guide to the Universe, but he’s the only Earth person who gets the reference. I like to think that Pryde got it. Thompson and Quill don’t get the reference, they don’t read.

The Negative Zone. We’re Full Circle. It’s Just Rock-Solid Storytelling. The Brood Queen took no effort in having Spartax denounce their king. Annihilus is very impress.

The Guardians are back to being outlaws.

Next issue promises to focus on Pryde and Quill! Which makes me pretty happy!

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 4

Posted by John Klein III on July 31, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2016, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Arthur Adams & Jason Keith

The Guardians are regrouping. Drax and Quill really want to go back to Spartax and save Gamora. Rocket wants to do that too, but only once they have an actual plan.

Quill is also motivated by not wanting the planet he is in charge of to be destroyed. Drax doesn’t want to live a friend behind, on a live battlefield. I get the impression that Pryde is on Rocket’s side.

Spartax. Where Gamora was Left to Die. (Depending on your point of view.) Gamora, to her credit, stands and prepares to fight Hala for a third round.

The team are making arguments of why they should go back and save Gamora. Rocket has to repeat, that they need a plan first. That is all he is trying to convey.

Grimm, who wasn’t around during Black Vortex, has to ask the question. Did they destroy Hala? I love how angry the dudes get over the question.

Quill taking the pause, before fully explaining the situation. They didn’t destroy the planet, they just didn’t save it. Quill’s father pressed a button and Hala (the planet, and thorneworld of the Kree) was destroyed.

Pryde tries to relieve the guilt Quill is feeling. I do like how Quill, though he may hate the administrative tasks of being the president of a student, he actually cares for his citizens. Is this what happened between the eight months? Quill pushing her away to get more involved with the planet? She didn’t want to be seen as First-Lady-In-Wait so started hanging out with the Guardians? I could see that being the issue, or the beginning of the issues. I suspect we are never going to find out what happened during the missing eight months. Or, all of the Marvel titles are going to have their third or fifth storylines, deal with the missing months.

Quill whispers that Earth is next on Hala’s hit list. This makes Pryde, Grimm and Venom committed to stopping Hala, even more.

Finally, the entire team tells Rocket that they are going back to Spartax.

On Spartax, Hala is beating Gamora even beyond the beating from before. Hala keeps asking where is King Peter Quill. King Quill finally states that he is there. Quill tries to charm Hala, to no effect.

Rocket is wearing a cute hoodie, that has room for his ears.

Quill tells Hala that it was his father who destroyed her planet. She understands this new information but it doesn’t change anything.

See how cute that hoodie is?

Quill tries to further explain that J-Son wouldn’t care if the planet that rejected him, was destroyed. She’s committed to her plan.

Quill gives Pryde the command and Pryde strikes!

Pryde pulls the same trick she did to Thor in Thor 427 / 428, where she phases a person into the ground. Which I’m surprised this doesn’t straight kills the person but we can’t be having Pryde murdering people using a planet.

To Hala’s credit, she doesn’t seem that wounded. It isn’t until the combined might of Drax and Grimm start slugging her, that she starts to bleed.

Hala explodes the ground around her. Everyone is knocked back. Is it me or is Quill overly concerned for Gamora’s health? Is that what happened between him and Pryde? Maybe I’m just looking for clues everywhere I can find them.

Gamora isn’t dead. Everyone is so glad to see her breathing.

Grimm has been spending this time, punching Hala’s face.

Quill wants to get the planet back in order, which seems to upset Pryde. I do like how Quill already has a plan to get the military back up on their feet.

I do like that panel of Pryde and Quill getting close, so those two are still sweet on each other.

As soon as one threat is down, Yotat, the Destroyer of Destroyers arrives. Rocket opens fire on Yotat, thinking the threat is taken care of.

Yotat still stands and it is his turn to unload his gun. The Guardians are knocked back, yet again.

Pretty good conclusion to the first arc. Though I imagine Yotat and Hala team-up and this storyline isn’t over yet.

Marvel October 2016 Solicitations

Posted by John Klein III on July 30, 2016

Posted in: Solicitations. Tagged: Adams - Art, Kuder - Aaron, Newsarama, Ramos - Humberto, Solicitations. Leave a comment

Marvel is releasing another slew of number one issues so I’ll comment if I have any interest with these new series – so this may be a longer post than it is normally.

CHAMPIONS #1
MARK WAID • HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
Variant cover by ALEX ROSS
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
MARVEL NOW! ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
CLASSIC ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
CAPTAIN AMERICA 75th ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY TBA
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY RAHZZAH
PARTY VARIANT COVER BY JAY FOSGITT
PREMIERE VARIANT COVER BY TBA
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
Following the fallout of CIVIL WAR II, Avengers Ms. Marvel, Nova and Spider-Man strike out on their own — joined by Cyclops, Viv Vision and the Totally Awesome Hulk! Six young heroes determined to change the world — and they’re only the beginning!
48 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

I do enjoy the Champions title, shame no representative from the original series is in this – yet. Teen Cyclops being in it means I should be tracking it. I’m hoping the five dollar price tag is only for the first and double sized issue.

CHAMPIONS: NO TIME FOR LOSERS #1
Written by TONY ISABELLA & BILL MANTLO
Penciled by DON HECK, GEORGE TUSKA & JOHN BYRNE
When fate calls, a sensational super-team answers! The avenging Angel! Hercules, Prince of Power! The deadly Black Widow! Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance! And the amazing Iceman! When the Champions come together, it is legendary! So much so they’ll face the mythological might of Cerberus, harpies, Amazons and Greek gods — all culminating in a wedding-stopping assault on Olympus! This mixed-up band might just be the heroes Los Angeles needs. And with the best headquarters Warren Worthington III’s money can buy, and Darkstar added to the ranks, they’ll be ready for the most uncanny of evils — like Swarm, Nazi scientist turned lord of killer bees! Only one group can stop the City of Angels from feeling his sting. They are the Champions — and they’ll keep on fighting ‘til the end! Collecting CHAMPIONS #1-3 and #14-15.
96 PGS./Rated T …$7.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90857-7

Five issues for eight dollars isn’t too bad. If they released an omnibus for the series, I’ll be more tempted by that than the beginning ending of the original series.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20
DAN SLOTT & CHRISTOS GAGE • GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
“CLONE CONSPIRACY” TIE-IN!
•Death is no more, and DOCTOR OCTOPUS HAS RETURNED!!!
•How is he back? And what does he have to do with The Jackal?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3 .99

Every fight between Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man must be super awkward going forward, right?

PROWLER #1
SEAN RYAN • JAMAL CAMPBELL (A)
Cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN
Variant Cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TBA
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
“CLONE CONSPIRACY” TIE-IN!
Even a super hero’s life can get boring. Double-check your gear. Patrol the city. Save the innocent. Report back to your boss, The Jackal. Wait, what? Why is Prowler working for The Jackal? What does the resurrected Madame Web have to do with him? And what has Prowler already done that may have compromised him?!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Did the Prowler die? I always liked the character, Hobbie Brown, back in the day – he helped Peter create the Hornet suit back in the Spider-Man : Identity Crisis storyline, that’s the last I heard of him. I did hear that Ultimate Prowler was Miles Morales’ father or uncle, so that’s cool that the name got Ultimatized. I’ll be passing on this series through. Bringing back an eighty year old woman doesn’t sound great, it reminds me too much of bringing Aunt May back to life. I do miss the Slingers series, if they relaunched that, I would actually buy every issue!

INFAMOUS IRON MAN #1
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • ALEX MALEEV (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY ANTHONY PIPER
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
There is a new Iron Man in town and his name is VICTOR VON DOOM. The greatest villain of the Marvel Universe will try something new. Where Tony Stark failed, Doom will succeed. What is Doom’s Master Plan?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I still don’t see why Doom would take on Iron Man’s name or legacy, for the fresh start? I’ll be passing on this one too. I see there these number one issues are getting plenty of variants too.

BLACK PANTHER #7
TA-NEHISI COATES • CHRIS SPROUSE (A)
COVER BY BRIAN STELFREEZE
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY BILL SIENKIEWICZ
VARIANT COVER BY MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER C BY ESAD RIBIC
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
COSPLAY VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
“THE CREW” STARTS NOW!
With no one left to trust, T’Challa leans on his day ones: Luke Cage. Misty Knight. Storm. But Wakanda may be too far gone for this all-new, all different CREW…
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

His day ones? I do like Storm and Black Panther being in a title again. Shame editorial didn’t know what to do with them as a married couple. Luke Cage and Misty Knight are there for the Netflix show sweet synergy.

GREAT LAKES AVENGERS #1
ZAC GORMAN • WILL ROBSON (A/C)
Cover by WILL ROBSON
Variant cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TBA
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY Dale Keown
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
“All New, All Different?” No, thank you! New things are bad and different things are scary! Instead, why not join everybody’s least favorite super-hero team, the Great Lakes Avengers in their brand new — but not too brand new — ongoing series, Same Old, Same Old, Great Lakes Avengers! When the team gets reinstated as permanent members of the Avengers and uprooted to Detroit, the GLA has one more shot at super hero glory…but can they answer the call? Do they even have 4G coverage here? Find out!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Everybody’s least favorite super-hero team? Ouch! I’ve always liked the GLA and glad they are getting another chance at glory. Hopefully this title gets some good buzz.

SOLO #1
GERRY DUGGAN & GEOFFREY THORNE • PACO DIAZ (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TBA
The “One Man War on Terror” will get the job done! That’s right — James Bourne, A.K.A. Solo, is on his own, right where he belongs! Deadly alien weapons are making their way into the hands of ordinary thugs – and Solo is going undercover to locate the source. Things are heating up, and Solo might just wish he had some backup! Deadpool was just the beginning. You haven’t seen anything till you’ve met Solo!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

As a Spider-Man fan in the 90s, I am glad that Solo is back to having monthly adventures. I read Deadpool 14 and it didn’t seem like he has changed too much so this could be interesting. I imagine he’s better in a team environment, like Thor or Superman. I’ll be passing on this. All of these Deadpool spinoff titles must be leading up to a big crossover. Then again, I thought that with the Guardians of the Galaxy spinoffs but we never got that crossover either – which was pretty nice.

DOCTOR STRANGE & THE SORCERERS SUPREME #1
ROBBIE THOMPSON • JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A)
Cover by Rafael Albuquerque
VARIANT COVER BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
DESIGN VARIANT COVER BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY Jamal Campbell
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TBA
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
An ancient evil threatens to unravel the fabric of reality, and one Sorcerer Supreme may not be enough. Doctor Strange must unite past, present and future Sorcerers Supremes to stem the coming darkness – Merlin, the Ancient One, Wiccan, and more! But Strange should watch his back, not all of these Sorcerers have his best interests in mind…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I guess this is Marvel’s way of getting the Ancient One back in a monthly title for the big release of Doctor Strange’s film out the next month. I’m super excited that this includes “past, present and future Sorcerers Supremes” as Magik is a future Sorcerer Supreme and she was awesome in that annual! First hinted in All New X-Men 25 but seen in Uncanny X-Men Annual 1 (2015)

PATSY WALKER, A.K.A. HELLCAT! #11
KATE LETH • BRITTNEY L. WILLIAMS (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY SANDY JARRELL
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
COSPLAY VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
“DON’T STOP ME-OW” STARTS NOW!
Who’s ready for a knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred CAT-FIGHT? Literally! Okay, it’s kind of figurative because they’re not *actually* cats, but it’s pretty close. Felicia Hardy is on a collision course with Patsy Walker. You know what that means? It’s Hellcat vs. Black Cat y’all! Featuring everyone’s favorite teenage vampire Jubilee! But who’s side is she on? Sharpen your claws because it’s going to be a feline fiasco for the ages!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

I like how odd Jubilee is in this three-way match, also they could have undone Jubilee’s vampire status quo with Secret Wars 2015 but someone thought it must have really added to her character, instead of being a gimmick. Black Cat v Hellcat does sound promising.

MOSAIC #1
GEOFFREY THORNE • KHARY RANDOLPH (A)
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY MARCO D’ALFONSO
VARIANT COVER BY KHARY RANDOLPH
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
SPECIAL OVER-SIZED ISSUE!
Professional basketball player and world renowned celebrity, Morris Sackett, gains extraordinary abilities, at the grave cost of his own mortal body. Imbued with the ability to jump from person to person like a ghost, he controls the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. With his own body destroyed, the one-time superstar athlete must rely on others to survive. The saga of the newest Marvel Inhuman MOSAIC begins here!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

Another Inhuman spinoff? I’ll be passing on this, thank you.

MS. MARVEL #12
G. WILLOW WILSON
Takeshi Miyazawa (A)
Cover by Cameron Stewart
RED WIDOW VARIANT COVER BY Alessandro Taini
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
VARIANT COVER BY JOELLE JONES
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
Ms. Marvel goes global! After the events of Civil War, Kamala goes on a much-needed road trip.
But will she be an international sensation or menace? Bonus 10-page Red Widow story!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4 .99

Who is Red Widow? I guess having three Black Widows would have been a tad much.

DOCTOR STRANGE #12 & 13
JASON AARON • CHRIS BACHALO (A/C)
Issue #12 – DEFENDERS VARIANT COVER BY Butch Guice
Issue #12 – CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN
Issue #12 – STORY THUS FAR VARIANT COVER BY TBA
Issue #12 – CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
“BLOOD IN THE AETHER” STARTS NOW!
Doctor Strange is on the brink of death, his magic nearly depleted. Sensing the Sorcerer Supreme at his weakest, his greatest foes will return from the shadows, ready to strike. Behold the return Doctor Strange’s classic rogues gallery starting with…BARON MORDO!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (EACH)
Previously solicited Doctor Strange #12 orders have been canceled.

I guess magic wasn’t completely destroyed by Impetrator and the Empirikul – so that’s a good thing. I wonder if there is any chance that Magik keeps appearing in this series?

DEADPOOL #21
GERRY DUGGAN & IAN DOESCHER • MATTEO LOLLI & TBA (A)
Cover by MIKE HAWTHORNE
Shakespeare VARIANT cover by MIKE MAYHEW
SECRET COMIC VARIANT COVER BY SCOTT KOBLISH
VARIANT COVER BY JANET LEE
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
“IT’S NOT A TUMOR” STARTS NOW!
You can’t keep a good Madcap down! First, this massively oversized issue brings you the return of Deadpool’s greatest nemesis. He’s back (in the most horrific way possible) and he’s out for revenge! Then, say hello to SHAKESPOOL, THE MERCENARY OF VENICE as Deadpool goes Shakespeare for an all-new 60-page tale by Ian Doescher (William Shakespeare’s Star Wars series). Those old plays you were supposed to read in English class just got a lot more interesting. Don’t say we never taught you anything!
96 PGS./Parental Advisory …$9.99

60 pages for ten dollars sounds like a great deal! Shakespool on the other hand, I’m not sure about. Madcap use to be Deadpool’s second caption boxes, for a long time.

JESSICA JONES #1
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • MICHAEL GAYDOS (A)
Cover by DAVID MACK
Variant cover by ALEX Maleev
VARIANT COVER BY David Aja
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
BLACK PANTHER 50th ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY JEFFREY VEREGGE
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TBA
She is back after a decade! A lot has changed in the Marvel Universe and there are still many secrets hiding in the shadows. Secrets only a special woman like Jessica Jones can hope to uncover. Discover the haunting secrets from Jessica’s past in this blistering new series. Alias Investigations is open for business.
32 PGS./Rated PARENTAL ADVISORY …$3.99

You know, during the time we were watching the Netflix show, I was tempted to read the trades again, it would have been nice to be tempted by a new ongoing series. I guess it must not have timed out right for Bendis and Gaydos. I wonder if Cage and Danielle will be appearing in this, Danielle still exists right? Are the Cages still married? So many questions!

DEADPOOL & THE MERCS FOR MONEY #4
CULLEN BUNN • IBAN COELLO (A/C)
Cover by Iban Coello
VARIANT COVER BY MIKE MCKONE
STORY THUS FAR VARIANT COVER BY TBA
MERCS FOR MONEY CHARACTER VARIANT COVER BY TBA
“Go Bananas” STARTS NOW!
Meet the new Mercs! Wait, a new team…ALREADY? You bet! It’s not because the old team quit, we promise. But you’re going to go bananas for the All-New Mercs for Money! And not just because there are two different Monkeys on the team. Yes, we know Gorilla-Man is technically an Ape. You can stop writing us letters. Hey, why is Domino leading the team? Isn’t Deadpool’s name in the title? Wade’s not going to like this…
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

This is a fun written solicit!

CAGE! #1 (of 4)
GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY • GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY (A/C)
HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY MARCO D’ALFONSO
RUN THE JEWELS VARIANT COVER BY DAMION SCOTT
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
From the Award-Winning creator of Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack and Hotel Transylvania! On the mean streets of Harlem, shoes are big, shirts are large, bottoms are belled and crime is rampant! But in the heart of the city, the world’s hardest-working, smack-talking, chain-wearing super hero is on the street and on the case! And his rates are reasonable! He’s CAGE! and he’ll save your behind. Dig it!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Was Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack created by the same person? That’s insane! Samurai Jack was such a great show, Dexter was good to but I didn’t follow it that closely.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #15
GERRY DUGGAN • PEPE LARRAZ (A)
Cover by MEGHAN HETRICK
TEASER VARIANT COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY WHILCE PORTACIO
“GOING ROGUE” STARTS NOW!
CIVIL WAR II AFTERMATH!
The Uncanny Avengers have been betrayed! The team stand fractured and disavowed! The Hand has acquired the corpse of “The Fallen” hero! Now, what remains of the Unity Squad travels to Tokyo to smash ninjas and steal back a hero’s remains. Can they get there in time, before the Hand revives “The Fallen”?!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Marvel knows that the Fallen is the Hulk, right? Like that news was pretty much everywhere in the land of comics? I guess they are trying to hype it for the new reader who didn’t read Civil War II 3 but also still reads solicitations. That one very specific person.

BLACK WIDOW #7
CHRIS SAMNEE & MARK WAID • CHRIS SAMNEE (A/C)
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
STORY THUS FAR VARIANT COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI
“LION TAMER” STARTS NOW!
• Now that Natasha knows the Weeping Lion’s secret, she’s in control of his very particular set of skills.
• Natasha plans to use him to destroy the Red Room’s reincarnation, the DARK ROOM.
• But she’ll have to face RECLUSE, the daughter of the Red Room’s headmistress, who’s fixated on killing Natasha to prove her worth.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Shouldn’t that Red Widow backup take place in Black Widow’s monthly title? Or is she a way younger character?

CIVIL WAR II #7 (of 7)
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • DAVID MARQUEZ (A)
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant cover by MICHAEL CHO
B&W VIRGIN CONNECTING VARIANT H COVER BY KIM JONG GI
B&W CAPTAIN AMERICA VARIANT COVER BY JIM STERANKO
MILES MORALES VS. SAM WILSON VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
BATTLE VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSE
THE WAR ENDS…
56 PGS./RATED T+ …$5.99

Oh wow, this wasn’t even towards the top. Sort of like Secret Wars 2015 all over again with the relaunches taking place right as the last issue of the previous crossover comes out. Hopefully issue seven isn’t the lackluster event that Secret Wars 2015’s final issue.

by Art Adams

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #13
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • VALERIO SCHITI(A)
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
CIVIL WAR II TIE-IN!
• As the Guardians’ internal conflicts reach a boiling point, some outsiders throw more fuel to the fire!
• One teammate with deep roots on Earth will struggle to hold onto their galactic connections!
• The Guardians may survive Civil War II, but the team will NEVER be the same!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Now that I no longer work at Hastings, paying cover price for comics doesn’t seem great. Hopefully I’m not getting too many of these. Sounds like this is the issue Kitty Pryde is no longer part of the team, hopefully she leaves on good terms. It was a fun ride for me with this series.

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #9
DAVID WALKER • SANFORD GREENE and FLAVIANO (A)
Cover by SANFORD GREENE
CIVIL WAR II TIE-IN!
• Luke and Danny tried to stick together, but CIVIL WAR II tore them apart!
• How far will Luke go to get his friend back?
• It’s EVERYTHING you want in an event tie-in! Moral conundrums! Devastating consequences! More super-powered sparring than you can count on four fists for hire!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I guess it would make sense to pit co-stars against each other for a crossover event. I imagine they should just shrug their differences off by good bros do.

SPIDER-MAN #9
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • NICO LEON (A)
Cover by SARA PICHELLI
CIVIL WAR II TIE-IN!
• What did the Profiler see about Miles?
• Whatever it is, it’s made him the Marvel Universe’s most wanted!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Is Profiler the Inhuman Ulysses’ hero name? It isn’t a bad one. Reminds me of that awesome 90s NBC show.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #14
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • MIKE DEODATO (A)
Cover by Dale Keown
CIVIL WAR II TIE-IN!
• A blistering new chapter in the Iron Man mythos. After the shocking conclusion of CIVIL WAR II, a young woman answers the call and takes the mantle of Iron Man. And her surprising relationship to Tony Stark will define the book for years to come. Meet Riri Williams…she is Iron Man.
• Well, for now. She’s still working on the name. But the Marvel Universe WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Does Doom taking on the Iron Man name undermine Riri Williams’ also taking up Iron Man’s name? Like, is Doom there for the dudes out there who don’t want a girl Iron Man? I hope that isn’t the reason for there being two Iron Mans. Iron Men?

CIVIL WAR II: THE OATH #1
NICK SPENCER • Rod Reis (A)
COVER BY JEFF DEKAL
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
The epilogue to the blockbuster event CIVIL WAR II!
• In the aftermath of war, Tony Stark and Carol Danvers both turn to the one person they can trust…Steve Rogers, Captain America.
• Uh-oh…
40 PGS./ one-shot /Rated T+ …$4.99

That makes sense that Civil War II’s main characters will need their own one-shot to tie up any issues as only one of them has a monthly title. I like Nick Spencer writing this issue, as he’s writing Steve Rogers’ Captain America series.

MIGHTY THOR #12
JASON AARON • RUSSELL DAUTERMAN (A/C)
• Forged from the mystical metal known as Uru, Thor’s Hammer is the key to a power that only the worthy can wield.
• But what makes one worthy to carry this weapon? Is it destiny? Or does the hammer choose its partner?
• Discover the storied history of Thor’s greatest ally — The MIGHTY MJOLNIR!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

This is way fun that Mjolnir is getting a spotlight, I may have to check this out. Just to see how they handle the time Captain America lifted it, plus we should get some Beta Ray Bill too!

THUNDERBOLTS #6
JIM ZUB • JON MALIN (A/C)
• With security agencies and super-hero teams around the world the world gunning for the Thunderbolts, MACH-X and ATLAS will risk it all for what they believe in.
• You won’t soon forget this story of friendship and foolishness we call…“The Beer Run.”
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Was there actually a Mach-VI, VII, VIII and VIX? Or did they jump from five to ten?

VISION #12
TOM KING
GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA (A)
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
• A while ago, a robot created a family. And all was good. For a while. Then came the murders. The lies. The betrayals. The battles fought. The battles lost. The family lost.
• And now, at the end, Vision stands alone. He must decide how he will go on, if he will go on, if he can go on. And that decision will shape the Marvel Universe for quite a while.
• The epic, stunning conclusion to the most highly praised series of the year. Simply put, this is the issue everyone will be talking about.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

When they release the full collection, I may have to pick it up as I’ve heard great things regarding this series.

SCARLET WITCH #11
JAMES ROBINSON
LEILA DEL DUCA (a)
COVER BY DAVID AJA
• The SCARLET WITCH travels to SERBIA to dive deep into her Romany roots!
• Who were her parents? Where does she come from? Wanda will discover the answers…
• and seek her revenge!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Oh wow, have we still not learn who Scarlet Witch’s (and Quicksilver too) parents are? It’ll be awesome if the reveal is still Magneto but he was using an alias or something. Why undo such a pivotal character moment like that? Oh yeah, so they are not mutants. Dumb.

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #13
RYAN NORTH
ERICA HENDERSON (A/C)
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• SOMEONE is taking over the continental United States, but Squirrel Girl is stuck in boring ol’ Canada! UH-OH.
• Canada’s not actually that boring, though: Did you know we have the world’s longest covered bridge, in Hartland, New Brunswick? It’s true! I’ve seen it!
• It’s pretty long, I GUESS.
• Anyway enough about Canada, we’re here to find out why you should buy this comic! REASONS INCLUDE: fights, teamwork, continental USA domination and a special guest star who you’ll find a TINY bit familiar? Everyone is at least a LITTLE bit into this guy and I cAN’T imagine you not being excited to discover who it is!
• Anyway, yeah, it’s Ant-Man.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Canadian facts! Another fun solicit for this series!

THE PUNISHER ANNUAL #1
GERRY CONWAY • FELIX RUIZ (A)
COVER BY RAHZZAH
VARIANT COVER A BY TBA
VARIANT COVER B BY TBA
OUR TREAT: FRANK’S UP TO HIS OLD TRICKS!
• There are ghouls everywhere on Halloween night, but real monsters don’t wear costumes!
• The Punisher is searching for a killer, but he’s also being watched…
• Let’s hope Frank’s quarry doesn’t put costumed civvies in the line of fire!
40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99

Marvel’s Halloween Issue!

DOCTOR STRANGE: MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1
WILL CORONA PILGRIM • ANDREA DI VITO (A)
Cover by MICHAEL RYAN
Variant cover by RON LIM
Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
BEFORE HE WAS THE SORCERER SUPREME…STRANGE MASTERED THE MYSTIC ARTS!
• A master of delicate surgery, DR. STEPHEN STRANGE had no equal…until a freak accident shattered his hands!
• Now a student of the MYSTIC ARTS, Strange must find a way to master his magical assignment…or throw in his cape and robes for good!
• Don’t miss this all-new story, as Strange finds that the road to Sorcerer Supreme can be a real pain in the…astral form!
• ALSO: reprinting the original first appearance and origin stories of Doctor Strange from STRANGE TALES #110 and #115!
40 PGS./ One-Shot /Rated T+ …$3.99

That’s a tad awkward to have a retelling of an established origin then reprint that origin on the very next page, right? Like, I would just read the first half, then the second half and reread the first half and then have to judge how well of an adaption it was. Which it wouldn’t be that much better at the original was done by Lee / Ditko, a hard team to improve upon.

DAREDEVIL #12
CHARLES SOULE • RON GARNEY (A/C)
“DARK ART” CONTINUES!
• Who is MUSE? And what bloody scene will be his next masterpiece?
• Used to working alone, how will DD handle his new INHUMAN partner on the case?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Daredevil’s teen sidekick has been an Inhuman this entire time? That’s not great.

A YEAR OF MARVELS: THE UNBEATABLE #1
CHAD BOWERS, CHRIS SIMS
and NILAH MAGRUDER
BRIAN LEVEL & Siya Oum (A)
Cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
• It’s August, and Nick Fury is just in time to attend Japan’s Bon Festival…but he’s not here to celebrate. Not when an illegal weapons auction is about to begin! From Chad Bowers & Chris Sims (X-MEN ’92) and Brian Level!
• And in September, TIPPY-TOE is flying SOLO (until Squirrel Girl is done studying)! But when a villain threatens Central Park, she’s gotta call in the big guns. Enormous guns, relatively speaking (because Tippy and ROCKET RACCOON are small)! It’s the team-up — written by Nilah Magruder (M.F.K.) — you would have demanded if you knew your worth! You’re wonderful, and you deserve beautiful things!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

I do like Tippy-Toe and Rocket having a team-up, shame the Pet Avengers couldn’t appear in this. Then again, Lockheed wasn’t a member of that group the last time we saw them so forget them! Where is Lockheed, he has yet to appear Post-Secret Wars 2015. Disappointing.

DEATH OF X #1 (of 4)
JEFF LEMIRE & CHARLES SOULE • AARON KUDER (A/C)
Wraparound Variant COVER by AARON KUDER
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY AARON KUDER
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER A BY TBA
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
• What happened eight months ago that set the Inhumans and X-Men on a collision course? Find out here!
• The Inhumans travel to Japan where one of the Terrigen Clouds creates a shocking new Inhuman.
• The X-Men travel to Muir Island where the second Terrigen Cloud causes something truly terrible.
• When these two events collide, a war of catastrophic proportions explodes!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

I can only imagine that Magik will be all over this series, especially as it features both Scott and Emma, Illyana was to those two. But maybe she wasn’t and that’s why Storm has Magik on the Extraordinary X-Men? I imagine we’ll find out here. I imagine Kitty won’t be part of this as we’ve had hints that she was with the Guardians during those missing eight months. I want that Guardians miniseries too! I imagine we don’t get it though.

By Aaron Kuder

DEATH OF X #2 (of 4)
JEFF LEMIRE & CHARLES SOULE • AARON KUDER (A/C)
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER B BY TBA
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• After the events on Muir Island, Cyclops and Emma Frost put their plans into motion.
• Storm and Medusa come together to find a solution for the deadly effects the Terrigen has on mutants.
• One of the clouds heads to Madrid, the site of the first skirmish between mutants and Inhumans.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Magik is on the cover to the second issue, so that’s already a great sign!

DEADPOOL: BACK IN BLACK #1 & 2 (OF 5)
CULLEN BUNN • SALVADOR ESPIN (A/C)
ISSUE #1 – VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
ISSUE #1 – SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
ISSUE #1 – VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
ISSUE #1 – KABAM CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS GAME VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
ISSUE #2 – VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
During 1984’s SECRET WARS, Deadpool was introduced to an alien symbiote who went on to become Spider-Man’s black costume and, eventually, Venom. Okay, okay, maybe that really happened in DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS. Point is, did you know that after Spider-Man rejected the costume…it went slinking back to Deadpool on the rebound? And they went on adventures together? You didn’t? Well, you will, now, thanks to this series by Cullen Bunn (The DEADPOOL KILLOGY) & Salva Espin (DEADPOOL & THE MERCS FOR MONEY)!
32 PGS. (each)/Parental Advisory …$3.99 (each)

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars was such a fun miniseries, I can only imagine this would will be too! I like Power Pack being in it too, at least the second issue.

OLD MAN LOGAN #12
JEFF LEMIRE • ANDREA SORRENTINO (A/C)
THE SILENT ORDER, PART FOUR: The Old Man and the Boy
• In the penultimate chapter of the “SILENT ORDER” epic, LOGAN will face his toughest adversary yet—his own past!
• SOHEI and his order of Silent Monks have Logan’s back against a wall. But when the leader of the monks is revealed, will Logan have the strength to defeat him?
• And in the Wastelands, Logan faces the same Order, only centuries older and stronger. Will he be able to defeat these warrior monks without popping his claws and revealing the truth of who he is to his one true love?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Wait, is this series doing Pre-Original-Old-Man-Logan stories too? That could be interesting. I mean, at one point, his one true love must learn that he was the X-Men’s Wolverine, how long can that last?

DEADPOOL: TOO SOON? #1 (OF 4)
JOSHUA CORIN • TODD NAUCK (A)
Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• SOMEONE HAS MURDERED FORBUSH MAN! Could someone be targeting all of Marvel’s funniest characters for death?
• That’s what Deadpool thinks, and now he’s gotta act before someone bumps off SQUIRREL GIRL, ROCKET RACCOON, GROOT, ANT-MAN, HOWARD THE DUCK and THE PUNISHER! (Like we said, the funny characters.)
• Good thing Deadpool is renowned for his investigative skills!
40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99

I do appreciate the cast of this title getting name checked.

ALL-NEW X-MEN #14
DENNIS HOPELESS • MARK BAGLEY (A/C)
• A wheelchair-bound CYCLOPS is stuck in the X-Men’s mobile headquarters while all of his teammates jet off across the world on fantastic adventures.
• Well, almost all of his teammates…BEAST has sequestered himself in his lab, feverishly working on some mysterious new project.
• In his own version of Rear Window, will Cyclops discover that Hank is meddling with forces that should be left alone, or is he just driving himself mad out of boredom? Or worse — BOTH?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I do appreciate a good Rear Window homage (there are not that many, that I know of – mostly animated). This must be hard to pull off in a comic though, with all of the technology and such.

by Humberto Ramos

EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #15
JEFF LEMIRE • VICTOR IBAÑEZ (A)
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
• The X-Men’s newest charge has become possessed by THE WORLD-EATER, an extradimensional entity whose sole purpose is to live up to its name.
• And it has its sights set on LIMBO next! Can Storm and Magik prevent it from reaching mutantkind’s last refuge?
• Meanwhile, Iceman and Nightcrawler learn that saving Colossus from the clutches of Apocalypse comes at a price!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I’m all for Magik starring in this title, more storylines need to be centered around her!

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #13
TOM TAYLOR • NIK VIRELLA (A)
Cover by DAVID LOPEZ
Connecting variant COVER by BENGAL
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY Arthur Adams
“ENEMY OF THE STATE II” STARTS NOW!
WOLVERINE: MURDERER!!! Laura has fought so hard to be something other than what she was created to be, but the fight is over. Wolverine has blood on her hands. In the wake of an unspeakable tragedy, dark forces have Laura’s life under their control. Will Laura be able to defeat demons on the outside and from within? Or will she be forced to give up the hero’s life she’s built for herself?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I’m curious which heroes actually show up to stop her? Also, will she have the baggage of her deaths to carry like Cyclops had to deal with or will she be given the Wolverine-shrug-that’s-what-Wolverines-do treatment? Also, who will be her Northstar in this?

MARVEL TSUM TSUM #3 (OF 4)
JACOB CHABOT • DAVID BALDEON (A)
Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
MARVEL TSUM TSUM CLASSIFIED CONNECTING COVER C AVAILABLE
TSUM TSUM CIVIL WAR?!
• The Tsum Tsums square off with foes you’d never expect — including each other!
32 PGS./All Ages …$3.99

From the covers, I suspect we won’t be getting any X-Men in this, besides Wolverine.

DAREDEVIL OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE with WALLACE WOOD & DENNIS O’NEIL
Penciled by WALLACE WOOD, JOHN ROMITA SR. & GENE COLAN with BILL EVERETT, JOE ORLANDO, BOB POWELL & JACK KIRBY
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Born to a past-his-prime prizefighter, Matt Murdock’s luck always ran a step behind his good intentions. When a daring act to save a man’s life blinds young Murdock, he finds that the same accident has enhanced his remaining senses to superhuman levels! He becomes Daredevil, a gritty hero born from murder, but tempered with the desire to protect the downtrodden. In this oversized Omnibus collection featuring every classic story and original letters page, writer Stan Lee and artists Bill Everett, Joe Orlando, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr. and Gene Colan lay the foundation for Marvel’s Man Without Fear! Including the first appearances of core characters Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, and classic villains the Owl, the Purple Man, Stilt-Man, Gladiator and more! Collecting DAREDEVIL (1964) #1-41 and ANNUAL #1, FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #73 and material from NOT BRAND ECHH #4.
1088 PGS./All Ages …$125.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90427-2
Trim size: oversized
DAREDEVIL OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC KIRBY COVER (DM ONLY)
1088 PGS./All Ages …$125.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90518-7
Trim size: oversized

Dman, 42 comics for $125 and these are classics – that’s impressive!

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: NEW GUARD VOL. 2 — WANTED PREMIERE HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by VALERIO SCHITI
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, returns to the fold! But what does that mean for Kitty Pryde, a.k.a. Star-Lord? Is the Marvel Universe big enough for two Star-Lords? Find out as the Guardians face a new Galactic order! The Thing might miss some things about Earth, but he does admit that space has its perks. Like riding alien horses into action as Ben Grimm: Space Barbarian! Venom and Groot get in way over their heads fighting Skrulls — and everyone knows when Bendis writes Skrulls, it’s bad news! The galaxy’s two deadliest warriors, Gamora and Drax, take the fight to the Badoon! And Angela makes her dramatic return! They’re the galaxy’s most wanted, but they’ll still guard it all the same! Collecting GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2015) #6-10.
112 PGS./Rated T …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9519-1
Trim size: standard

I will highly recommend this trade, such a great story!

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 10 HC
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR. with BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JOHN BUSCEMA, SAL BUSCEMA,
RON FRENZ & CRAIG HAMILTON
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
John Romita Jr. joins Chris Claremont as the Uncanny X-Men’s chart-topping adventures continue! Drama abounds as Cyclops heads off on his honeymoon with Madelyne Pryor, Wolverine’s relationship with Mariko takes a turn for the worse and Kitty Pryde is kidnapped and forced to marry the Morlock Caliban. Meanwhile, Rogue is Public Enemy No. 1, and anti-mutant sentiment threatens the passage of a law that will strip all mutants in the United States of their rights. There’s no shortage of action, either: Colossus battles Juggernaut, Mystique and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants return and Rachel Summers arrives on the scene! Topped off by Claremont and Barry Windsor-Smith’s stunning classic story “Lifedeath” and the Magik limited series, there’s no shortage of mutant masterworks! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #176-188, MAGIK (1983) #1-4 and material from MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #40.
456 PGS./Rated T …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90360-2
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 10 HC — VARIANT EDITION VOL. 241 (DM ONLY)
456 PGS./Rated T …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90461-6

I need to relook at which issues volume nine covered as it looks like that one should contain the bulk of Paul Smith’s run. Now that I’ve typed this, I feel like it left like three issues (the ending of the Brood Saga) and started at 168. Which is fine but I want a Brood Saga / Paul Smith complete trade.

ALPHA FLIGHT BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC
Written by JOHN BYRNE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, ROGER STERN, TOM DEFALCO, BILL MANTLO, JOHN CASSADAY, BEN RAAB & LOUISE SIMONSON
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, SAL BUSCEMA, STEVE DITKO, RON WILSON, MIKE MIGNOLA, PAUL SMITH,
JOHN CASSADAY & PAUL NEARY
Cover by JOHN BYRNE
Legendary writer/artist John Byrne steers one of his greatest creations to glory! Exploding from the pages of X-MEN, Canada’s premier super-team Alpha Flight takes the Marvel Universe by storm before starring in its own Byrne-helmed series! Guardian, Shaman, Snowbird, Sasquatch, Aurora, Northstar, Puck and Marrina fight to protect Canada from injustice and evil — including Master of the World, the maniacal alchemist Diablo and the terrifying Great Beasts! But they’ll face their darkest defeat at the hands of rival Omega Flight. And when an Alphan falls, can the team fight on? Plus: Loki! The Hulk! And more! Collecting X-MEN (1963) #109, #120-121 and #139-140; MACHINE MAN (1978) #18; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #83-84; INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #272, #313 and ANNUAL #8; ALPHA FLIGHT (1983) #1-29; X-MEN AND ALPHA FLIGHT (1985) #1-2; X-MEN/ALPHA FLIGHT (1998) #1-2; and material from MARVEL TEAM-UP ANNUAL #7.
1248 PGS./Rated T …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90405-0
Trim size: oversized

Oh man, this does look great too!

WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN HC (NEW PRINTING)
Written by MARK MILLAR
Penciled by STEVE MCNIVEN
Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
A future world savaged and sundered by super villains, the United States ain’t what it used to be. In California, now a wasteland controlled by the evil Hulk Gang, the former Wolverine seeks to live in peace. He’s retired, finally free from the violence of his former existence as an X-Man, and he wants to keep it that way. If only they’d let him. Now, Logan and an aged, blind Hawkeye are forced into a cross-country jaunt through villain-ruled lands, on a collision course with the worst of them all! Can Old Man Logan maintain his pacifist vow and make his last stand without doing what he does best? Mark Millar and Steve McNiven unite for a riotous romp through a future world of death, despair and dynamic action! Collecting WOLVERINE (2003) #66-72 and WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN GIANT-SIZE.
224 PGS./Parental Advisory …$34.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90463-0
Trim size: oversized

This will get another printing too, whenever Wolverine 3 comes out.

CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN TPB
Written by CULLEN BUNN with GERRY CONWAY
Penciled by ANDREA BROCCARDO with MIKE SEKOWSKY
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
The X-Men enter the fray of CIVIL WAR II! As Terrigen Mist circles the globe — igniting the Inhuman race while crippling mutantkind — tensions have been rising between the two races. And when a new Inhuman who can see the future emerges, the X-Men fear he may tip the scales and spell doom for their kind. Now, one mutant is willing to wage war with the Inhumans and his own people to prevent that from coming to pass — and that mutant is Magneto! But as the Master of Magnetism takes fate into his own hands, who will join him in an assault on Attilan? What side will the X-Men take? And could it be that Magneto’s actions only serve to bring about the outcome he fears? Collecting CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN #1-4, plus the classic AMAZING ADVENTURES (1970) #9.
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90254-4

The first two issues have been pretty decent, probably worth the sixteen dollars.

X-MEN: WOLVERINE/GAMBIT TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by JEPH LOEB
Penciled by TIM SALE
Cover by TIM SALE
The titanic team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (SPIDER-MAN: BLUE, CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE, HULK: GRAY) take on the X-Men’s two most dangerous mutants in this international thriller that brings Wolverine and Gambit to the shores of England! There’s a serial killer tearing through London, leaving beautiful young women as his victims. Do these brutal slayings mark the return of the 19th-century Jack the Ripper? Or could one of the X-Men be the real killer?! Wolverine is the prime suspect — and Gambit is out to prove him guilty! Now they’re grudgingly forced to work together to find the truth — without killing each other! It’s a fast-paced murder mystery that will keep you guessing right up until the last page. Plus: A bonus Loeb/Sale X-Men tale! Collecting WOLVERINE/GAMBIT: VICTIMS #1-4 and material from UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL (1992) #18.
120 PGS./ Rated T+ …$15.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90246-9

When I was looking for this trade, years ago when Loeb/Sale’s Batman : Dark Knight came out, it would have been nice if it was in print then. This was one of their earlier gigs together so it’ll be nice to see how it compares to their more polish work they’ve done since. I am of the camp that their DC work is above their Marvel work.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN: LEGACY OF A LEGEND TPB
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT, STEVE PARKHOUSE, DAVE THORPE, ALAN MOORE & JAMIE DELANO
Penciled by HERB TRIMPE, JOHN BYRNE,
JOHN STOKES, STEVE PARKHOUSE & ALAN DAVIS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Honor four decades of myth and majesty with the United Kingdom’s greatest hero! Follow Brian Braddock — handpicked for greatness by the sorcerer Merlyn — from the fateful decision that imbues him with the might of right on the path to glory that will make him protector of the Omniverse! Along the way, he’ll make a splash stateside in a team-up with Spider-Man and fight alongside the Black Knight in the name of King Arthur! Things go from fantasy to far-out as Brian goes Multiversal — facing Slaymaster, the Crazy Gang, Mad Jim Jaspers and the Fury! He’s Britain’s champion — now and forever! Collecting CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976) #1-2; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #65-66; and material from HULK COMIC #1 and #3-5, INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY #57-59, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (UK) #377-384 and #386, DAREDEVILS #3-4, MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL (1983) #8-12 and CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1985) #14.
208 PGS./Rated T+ …$24.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90654-2

I see Marvel is back to using Alan Moore’s actual name instead of simply referring to him as “The Writer.”

. . .

So October looks to be another light month.

Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme 1      $4
Guardians of the Galaxy 13          $4
Death of X 1 & 2                $9
Extraordinary X-Men 15                $4

So five comics for twenty one dollars, not too bad.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 3

Posted by John Klein III on July 1, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2015, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat, Steigerwald - Peter. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Art Adams and Pete Steigerwald

I had to add the Mahmud Asrar variant to my Wishlist.

I love how Bendis does these opening narrations –

Knowhere. The Edge of the Universe. Located inside the decapitated head of a Celestial. The rent is insane.

The Marketplace. We told you not to eat at the street vendor Glakin and you never listen.

Frunta’s House of Self-Defensery. He has only a two-star rating in Drogon’s Market Guide. He thinks it’s because his competition on the other side of the market is spamming him with negative reviews. But it is really his sister. She drinks.

Such a great way to introduce (he’s new to me, at least) Frunta, the weapon seller. Yotat the Destroyer, and two friends, come into the store – they are looking for Drax. Frunta only sells him weapons, so he doesn’t really know where Drax is. There is an emergency news break, Spartax is under attack. Frunta shouts that must be where Drax is, but Yotat isn’t happy about this development. Yotat slices Frunta’s head, clear off. In only three pages, we really got to know Frunta and now, I’m going to miss that guy.

Before these three space goons can go far, a messenger Brood tells Yotat that the Brood Queen wants to speak with him.

In Spartax’s Orbit. Quill is losing his mind, he wants someone to rescue him, so that he can fight for his planet.

Spartax. Royal Court. Hala is making very short work of the Royal Court. After she’s done with them, she starts tearing into buildings.

Kitty, being the great resource that she is, is quietly phasing her teammates underground.

Hala, is ready for round two – but the Guardians are nowhere to be seen.

Kitty saved Venom for last, as Rocket starts to wake up.

Kitty needs a minute, she is still hurting from Hala’s staff weapon thing.

I could really go for a Kitty & Rocket buddy title, the two of them have some great chemistry. They have a very fun exchange of “flu-ish” and “foolish.” She loves and hates him, so much. He starts to get annoyed that she is always wanting to include Quill – he left the team and Rocket is fine with that. Rocket thinks that Quill must be dead, as Hala really hates him.

Kitty goes over to check on Grimm. She checks on Drax, who grabs her by the throat. Kitty must be hurting, as she doesn’t phase through his grasp.

Rocket has located Quill, he’s in orbit.

Drax is trying to figure out why Quill is in orbit – even though Kitty just explained Hala’s motivations. She wants Quill to see his adopted planet be destroyed. Rocket can understand Hala’s motivations. Drax states that Gamora really isn’t doing well. Venom offers up that he isn’t doing well, either.

Pryde suggests that they need to get a ship and rescue Quill. Pryde tells Drax that he is not rejoining the fight, they are regrouping. Pryde’s plan is to get Quill, create a plan and bounce Hala into the sun. Grimm has woken up, and wants to help accomplish her goals.

The Guardians get to the ship dock (is that the term?) and Hala has destroyed all the ships. Which is pretty smart. Space ship dock? Space dock? Pryde asks if Rocket can repair one of them, of course he can!

Rocket finally calls Pryde on all of her plans. She recognizes him as the leader, which pleases him.

Rocket tells Groot that he is with him.

With one page turn, Rocket and Groot have fixed a spaceship. Groot waves the team over. Pryde tells Venom to cover them. Drax isn’t happy that they are not fighting back.

Grimm and Rocket have a fun exchange.

Pryde wants Rocket to put the ship into cloak mode, they are not high enough yet. I didn’t even know that was a necessary element for cloaking. They didn’t deal with that on Star Trek the Next Generation.

Rocket doesn’t have time to answer all of her space ship questions.

Hala has spotted the Guardians, which must be super easy, as there shouldn’t be any spaceships in the air.

Grimm wants a second shot at Hala, but Pryde can’t ask that of him. Before he can jump out of the ship, Gamora takes the lead.

With a giant punch, Gamora falls to the ground.

Hala stands over Gamora, triumphant. Hala keeps following the ship, gets up to Quill’s pod ship and breaks that in half. We see that the Guardians’ ship is still flying on, so they must have picked him up.

Next issue’s cover shows the Guardians defeated but Rocket as the last raccoon standing.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 2

Posted by John Klein III on June 20, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2015, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Keith - Jason, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richard Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Art Adams & Jason Keith

I had to add the Kris Anka variant to my wishlist.

Issue opens with Hala’s reaction to having her home planet, Hala – the Kree’s homeworld. I imagine she has another name, but it makes it a tad complicated that her name is the same name as her home planet. I ‘get’ it is an homage but ooof, it isn’t great. The Kree, it turns out, have been saving the galaxy for longer than anyone really knows. I always think of the Kree as being slightly better than the Skrulls and slightly worst than the Shi’ar. Also, that we wouldn’t have Inhumans, if it wasn’t for the Kree.

Hala would have been there, when the planet exploded (during Black Vortex) but the Supreme Intelligence sent her away, to the far reaches of the galaxy. She is the last Accuser.

She isn’t happy that Spartax survived (single-handedly by Kitty Pryde) and her planet didn’t. So she is now on Spartax, to make them pay.

StarPryde is the first Guardian to attempt to take Hala down. Her phasing through Hala’s gun, didn’t short circuit it.

Groot is wounded, as he jumped in front of Quill – which I missed in the image before. Quill reveals that the giant multi-page narration slash monologue, was spoken (thought?) in Kree-ian(?) so no one present knows Hala’s motivations. Rocket understood everything and quickly states that she is mad that her homeworld was destroyed.

Drax yells a threat at Hala but Grimm has a fast way to say it . . .

Look how impress Pryde is with her new teammate! She does look good in that outfit.

Hala isn’t getting up.

Grimm and Pryde have a great conversation about how it is okay for male hero characters to hit female villain characters, as someone has to stop the villain and genders shouldn’t come into the equation. Pryde didn’t like that Grimm called Hala, a broad. Which is one of my favorite words to describe a lady – as it sounds so old fashion but I have to stop using the term. I don’t want to be sexist.

Rocket states that this reminds him of a dream he had, he’s having some deja vu. Pryde didn’t realize he dreams or that raccoons dream.

The Royal Brigade shows up, which annoys Quill as his friend, Groot, took the hit that one of them should have taken for him. Quill orders the brigade to aid to Groot and Gamora. They are not sure if they can help Groot, he’s a tree – they don’t have tree doctors.

Quill wants Lady Hala locked up, the brigade tells him that they have the right to kill her on the spot. I wonder if they actually could kill her? Quill says no to that idea, he wants her to see the inside of a courtroom – which seems like an odd thing to want to see. Are they going to go through the discovery process? Then maybe mediation, after that?

Hala opens her eyes, so stuff is about to go down.

Drax picks up the weapon Hala was using, he would like to keep the blaster staff thingie. Pryde tells him to put it down. The weapon, naturally and of course, goes off in his hands – causing a gigantic explosion.

Pryde tries to phase through the lightning blasts but the energy waves still affect her.

The brigade, the idiots that they are, open fire on Drax – forgetting that he is a friend to their president. He does drop the weapon.

Hala gets to her feet, holding the weapon now.

Hala causes a multi-block explosion – so now everyone is down.

I do like the technique of not understanding her words.

Hala walks over to Quill (nice that he landed near Pryde) and picks him up – by the neck!

Hala starts speaking English, as she reveals that she knows who he is. She wants to destroy his world, before killing him. Since he has two worlds, she’s going to destroy Spartax AND Earth! Good luck with that second one, lady!

Quill finally wakes up, in a shuttle floating away from Spartax.

The issue ends with Spartax surrounded by a force field. I imagine, she doesn’t win – or if she does, that the Guardians were also taken off planet.

Next issue’s cover promises Gamora v Drax, I suppose there can only be the one green team member – which is odd as they have been teammates for years now. Is it racist to say that they are both green? Should I be viewing them as just people?

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 1

Posted by John Klein III on May 22, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: 2015, Adams - Art, Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Isanove, Petit - Cory, Schiti - Valerio, StarKat, Stewart - Dave. Leave a comment

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Valerio Schiti

Color Artist Richar Isanove

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Cover by Art Adams & Dave Stewart

This is my first Post Secret Wars 2015 Marvel issue!

We begin the first of two All New All Different Marvel titles (the other is Extraordinary X-Men) that I am guarantee to be buying. So fun to start on the ground floor with something like this.

The Negative Zone. If you know anyone from here, you’ve made a huge life mistake somewhere. Annihilus and the Brood Queen are having a meeting, more were expected to join – the rest of the Kings and Queens of the Galaxy. Even though eight months have passed, it seems like none of the power vacuums have been filled. J’Son is out of power (and Peter Quill didn’t get the invite, I suppose), Supreme Intelligence hasn’t recovered from Black Vortex, Gladiator seems to be ignoring the invitation and the Chitauri were not invited. So of the entire galaxy, there are only six people to make up the Space Cabal. Without missing a beat, the Brood Queen wants to split the galaxy in two.

The Milky Way Galaxy. Home to a lot of things. Including you . . . and all of your stuff. Totally worth guarding. Bendis shows up, right away, that he totally gets Ben Grimm – formally of the Fantastic Four. He always wanted to be an astronaut. Sure, Reed took him to alternate dimensions and timeless, even space on an occasion – but Grimm has never had an etensive stay in space. Well, on the original Battleworld – Post Original Secret Wars.

Grimm is fighting a Chitauri horde.

When he needs them, his new team arrives – The Guardians of the Galaxy! I love how classic Marvel this page feels, with all of the heroes getting their logos shown. I wish Kitty as Star Lord, got a different font or something. She does look great, in the new (old) gear. Schiti just plain slays this issue.

Grimm calls her, Kit – which I’m cool with. These two being on the same time, feels like a long time in the making. She calls him, Mr. Grimm, which I sort of like. I remember, as a youngster, calling him, The Thing, and my mother telling me how that is a horrible name.

Groot looks like he still has his power upgrade from Black Vortex, even though he gave that power up.

Grimm is in one of Rocket’s rocket packs – one of the good ones, which upsets Rocket.

Rocket, who is the leader of the group now- from what all of press and interviews stated – asks if they are going to do the thing. Kitty is fine with that plan. So there is a story of Kitty joining the team, prior to Thing joining, that I really want to read about.

Kitty phases through the energy attack, forcing it to be rerouted.

I love seeing what Kitty can do, if she is given the opportunity to do so! Kitty is now playing on a larger scale, and she has the power to do so.

Venom, is still learning what Pryde can do – so they couldn’t have been together for that long. Or his solo series, is keeping him from the title, for periods at a time. Flash is curious why she doesn’t phase through her clothes. Rocket, quickly, points out how Flash is wearing alien goo and he doesn’t question that (to his face).

Drax, like everyone should be, is very impressed with Pryde. Rocket really likes this new Star Lord. Drax wonders how the old one fares, whom Rocket calls “the fancy boy king.” Rocket isn’t that impress with Quill.

Planet Spartax. It’s Damn Nice. Quill is in yet another board meeting, losing his mind with boredom. Quill starts to stand, when his main adviser asks where he is going, he doesn’t have a good answer. The adviser knows what is happening and assures Quill that the meeting is almost over. If a few hours, can be translated as almost. This probably explains why his own ongoing, is a flashback story.

The Guardians’ Ship. Nicer than it looks. I’m hoping this series has plenty of these scenes. The team has an alien artifact and don’t know how to open it.

Grimm brings up a thought, that I’m sure he has been wanting a share. If there is an Infinity Gauntlet, shouldn’t there be an Infinity Armor?

Schiti does great action sequences but can make a page of team dynamics swing, as well!

I’m not all that aware of what the Chitauri do. I know in the Ultimate Universe, that is what the Skrulls were called – and “Skrulls” being a racial slur. They are also the alien threat in the first Avengers film – that sums up what I know. So I also don’t know what’s in the box. WHAT’S IN THE BOX!?!

Great use of two silent panels, the team having the same thought an same reaction – to hide behind the furniture.

Rocket wants to open the box. They don’t have any experts, on call – so Drax’s idea doesn’t work. Flash wants to call the Avengers, like he always does (apparently). If Rocket doesn’t want to go to Earth, Kitty has a planet they can go to.

I sort of want these few pages to be acted out. I never have that desire, with any other writer – besides with Bendis.

What they are not saying, speaks volumes.

Planet Spartax. Again. President Quill is having a meeting with a pink alien queen (who is all neck). She wants to procreate with him, it makes sense, to bridge their two planets. She licks his face, as company arrives.

Quill confirms that Kitty is still his fiance – but they do seem strained. Look how excited Rocket is to point out that Kitty sees Quill and the other alien, together.

Quill hints that Rocket and him had a falling out.

Pryde is clearly angry or annoyed with Quill.

Rocket doesn’t want to share any details with Quill. Flash explains why they are there. Grimm is still going on about Infinity Jockstraps.

Quill’s adviser doesn’t like the idea of helping the Guardians.

It appears that the Guardians were followed. The red hot light crashes down to the planet’s surface. Quill seems to have a suspicious of what or who it is.

Gamora is back! She, like Kitty, doesn’t appear to have kept her Black Vortex upgrade. Gamora mutters that it took all of her power to escape, to escape from the destroyer of worlds.

The final page reveal, is that it isn’t Galactus but Hala, and she is here to destroy Spartax.

Such a great first issue! I have so many questions but I’m sure they will be explained, eventually.

	Number One Lockheed… on Star Lord and Kitty Pryde…
	Luke Petersen on Bounce Patrol
	John Klein III on Astonishing X-Men 15
	MoxieMk5 on Astonishing X-Men 15
	Moxiemk5 on SDCC : New Mutants @ Home

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Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 9

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 8

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 6

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 5

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 4

Marvel October 2016 Solicitations

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Four Issue 1

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