Well, with seven titles CLASSIFIED in the April Solicitations for Marvel Comics, You might wonder what’s actually in there to look forward too. Fear no longer and take a look!

Best Books to Double Take – Some of the first books to catch my eye at least off the list, here are the choice that will be flipped through on face value. MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: JUNGLE BOOK I cannot tell you how awesome it is that people are getting into a ‘Classics Illustrated’ like line again! Parents ask the store about such titles a lot and while they are mostly trying to get collections of the ones they read as a child, it’s about time someone started up something new. Or newish as this is a reprint of a feature from Marvel Fanfare #8-11. From the solicit: Includes sneak previews for the upcoming Marvel Illustrated line of books featuring the Last of the Mohicans and more! NEW X-MEN #37 Not only is Pride of Baghdad artist Niko Henrichon assisting regular artist Paco Medina on the artwork, but it looks like the House of M might just be the best vehicle to bring back Illyana Rasputin. A character a little ahead of her time, I’m at least interested to see how this might go down and all the ramifications that come with it. Colossus has been shown in the books recently, right? The solicit for this month’s Astonishing says that they might be leaving him behind, but Jos Whedon’s story is only lasting a couple days, days that are well behind the current titles on the shelves. Man, some days we need a timeline… MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #12 From the solicit: The skies of Earth are a boiling tempest. Tidal waves threaten the coasts. A large dark force draws closer. Is it Armageddon? Naw, that’s love in the air, baby… Ego style! Ego, the Living Planet and romance? This I gotta see. I mean, has Mogo ever had a girlfriend?Best Books to Keep Your Misery Company – Civil War hopefully will be over by this point, but that doesn’t mean the dark days are over; Joe Quesada has promised that the ramifications of this series will be felt for years to come and that doesn’t seem like Marvel Bluster.

CIVIL WAR: THE CONFESSION Apparently, there will need to be some soul bearing between Cap and Iron Man that wasn’t covered inbetween the recaps of Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War, giving us this issue of soul bearing confessions between the two characters. From the solicit: Alex Maleev unveils another new fantastic art style especially for this very emotional issue. CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON – NEW AVENGERS (NOTE: NOT ACTUAL TITLE) Starting out with a Wolverine issue, this and three more will be covering the five stages of grief over the loss of a ‘one the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe’. Sadly, I’d bet money that they’re not talking about Bill Foster. Jeph Loeb will be writing the five issues and this one features art from Superman/Batman artist Ed McGuinness. From the solicit: If you thought heroes were divided during the War, just wait until the aftermath! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #541 From the solicit: A sniper’s bullet changes everything in Peter Parker’s life. Clad in his black costume, Spider-Man will stop at nothing to find the man who pulled the trigger and, even more important, the man who gave the kill order. This is Spider-Man at his darkest hour. Considering how many things Peter Parker has been through this year, let alone all the other tragedies he’s been throughover his career, if this is the darkest, I can’t even fathom what it could possibly be about.Best Books with Honesty Among Retailers – Sometimes it’s just a line in a solcit that makes me want to go out and get the issue based on its honesty alone. Marvel is known for hyperbole when it comes to the press, so those real nuggets of truth are always catchy.

NEW EXCALIBUR #19 From the solicit:Nocturne is on the ropes, Juggernaut’s in love, Dazzler sings the blues, Wisdom sells MAX books, and Sage is stoically beautiful. Considering how out of place Peter Wisdom has seen in this book, seeing his solo MAX title being pimped in his other book is kind of nice. It’s like they know he doesn’t belong and are just offering an alternative. WHITE TIGER #6 (of 6) From the solicit:Angela del Toro has learned that surviving death is just part of the nicks, cuts, and bruises that all heroes endure. At one time, Joe Quesada told fans that ‘dead is dead’ and now, it’s becoming a learning phase for every new young hero to learn they will die just as easily as getting a cut or bruise. No surprises, no ‘will she live??’, just the truth about death in the Marvel Universe. ULTIMATE VISION #5 (of 5) From the solicit:The Gah Lak Tus module is sinking its alien cables down into the Earth’s core as it draws the planet’s elemental energies deep into itself. And the only chance Ultimate Vision has to defeat the module is—to talk it to death! Wow, talk about believing in your main character. As far as I know, Ultimate Vision is no Black Bolt.Best Books for Punishment – Having a popular character guest star in a bunch of books isn’t new, but between these three I think we’re going to get three different and distinct views of Marvel’s Hardcore Vigilante

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6 The Punisher that Doesn’t Take Himself as Seriously. Matt Fraction’s version of the Punisher was jarring at first until I remembered how familiar I was with the one man noir engine of destruction that is Ennis’s run over in the MAX titles. This doesn’t mean Frank can’t crack a few jokes about the X-Files. From the solicit:By the time the last shot is fired and the last body falls, you’ll have met the modern incarnation of the HATEMONGER and seen an all-new look for the Punisher. An all new look for the Punisher? MOON KNIGHT #10 The Punisher Guest-Staring in a Book that Cuts People’s Faces Off. As frightening as Moon Knight has gotten in his brand new series, I can only imagine what a guest shot with the Punisher will do. And I’ll imagine it with the lights on. From the solicits: He knows a thing or two about vengeance himself. He’s the Punisher. He’s crossed paths with Moon Knight in the past and though he might have forgotten, Marc Spector hasn’t. Toss Ghost Rider in, we’ll have the Hat Trick of Vengeance! PUNISHER #46 The Punisher We All Know And Possibly Love. After 46 issues (plus the non-MAX title), Garth Ennis’s take on Frank Castle is embedded in my brain as the encyclopediatic version. From the Tim Bradstreet covers to the inner monologuing, it’s all classic now and therefore, is sometimes a little difficult to jibe with the rest of the other books. Sometimes, it’s a difference in characterization, sometimes it’s mob bosses. From the solicit: Five mob wives want Frank Castle dead — and they’ve got the perfect plan to do it. As classic as the Ennis’ Punisher is, it’s nice to see the character get out and do new things.Best Books for Being #1! – Another month of new books, another set of fresh new titles on the shelves

NOVA #1 Annihilation has taken a fresh new look at the character and if he’s going to be written as well as he’s been in Marvel’s Best Kept Secret Event, I’ll be there at the start and looking forward to the series. Annihilation has proven without a doubt that there is an untapped resource of fantastic stories in the Marvel Universe’s … universe and having not only a lone Nova roaming the stars for a little cowboy justice, but this will also get to shine a spotlight on all the alien races and Empires that are out there and hauled out normally for a failed invasion of Earth. LONERS #1 (of 6) I’m not sure how Civil War will effect a book like this, a bunch of ‘child star’-like former superheroes trying to keep off the vigilante path through a support group, but it’s certainly worth a look. C.B. Cebulski will be picking up where Brian K. Vaughn left off, christening Runaways’s first spin-off book. OMEGA FLIGHT #1 (of 5) From the solicit:But this is not your father’s FLIGHT. I didn’t know my dad had a Flight, Alpha or Omega. Thanks to the Civil War’s Fifty States Initiative (unless another Initiative shows up in #7), Canada gets a new super team that promises to be awesome. In fact, according to the solicit, this is ‘the best 5-issue series you’ll EVER read’. And it just might be, as long as they explain how American policy is affecting our neighbors to the north. Is Canada a state now?Best Books for New Looks – Nothing Marvel loves more than change

INCREDIBLE HULK #105 The End of Planet Hulk! From the solicit:As they face the terrifying conclusion to the PLANET HULK epic, who will live? Who will die? And who will pay when the Worldbreaker reveals his true face? Wouldn’t it be a shocking turn of events to have this ‘Worldbreaker’ turn out to be Bruce Banner? The man has been missing since March of last year and it would be a very fitting end to the series. Just saying. Also, since Civil War is over, World War Hulk starts here! ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #108 Ultimate Ronin! What is there more to say about a wild card character who’s appearances have been few and far between getting a boost from the Ultimate spotlight over the rest of Spider-Man’s available rogue’s gallery? It’s probably a way to get some attention to the new New Avengers line-up, where the character is once again attached to the incoming team. As long as it’s not Echo in a guy suit we’re okay. RUNAWAYS #25 Less of a character look and more of a tone, Joss Whedon starts his run on the Runaways with his own unique styling. The book has been fantastic under Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon’s loyal fan base will be on board, hook line and sinker. Taking the team to New York, just so long as he takes the book to its deadlines on time, again… we’re okay.Best Books for Return Value – Don’t bring them back, but these books do bring back characters we havent seen in awhile.

CABLE & DEADPOOL #39 Remember Gail Simone’s run on Deadpool? Fabian Nicieza does! And so we get the return of Agent X’s, Wade’s erstwhile .. guy who thought he was him for awhile! What has he been doing? Who’s he been working for? h, and ‘some very big subplot stuff with Cable that we’re not telling you yet’. The guy listed first on the cover is an afterthought in the solicitation. Is it a sign of who wears the marketing pants in the duo’s relationship or could it possibly tie in to yet more Civil War ramifications? ULTIMATE X-MEN #81 Believe it or not, they are bringing back Hank McCoy. From the solicit: Everything is changing for the X-Men. The team is disbanded, the world hates them now more than ever, new threats loom on the horizon. What a time to pick for the return of Hank McCoy… On one hand, I’m really glad because the character is a cornerstone of the X-Men, but on the other… who noticed he was gone anymore? Storm got a new haircut and that was kind of it. If Kirkman handles a mutant coming back from the dead in a new and different way, all hands will be in attendance. MIGHTY AVENGERS #2 Ultron’s a chick! A hot sexy chick drawn by Frank Cho! What would Jocasta say? And that’s the selling point of this issue.Best Books for Old Spidey, Same as the New Spidey – Spider-Man hits a reprint bonanza

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #2 Some of Sean McKeever’s last work for the House of Ideas, plus Amazing Spider-Man #177 and #347, not to mention Spider-Man J (which I assume is some sort of Japanese print Spider-Man stories; they had done something similar with the X-Men many moons back) in its first American reprint edition. SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE Great for younger readers, this is more of a story and activity book with a couple of Marvel Adventures reprinted (Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #21 and Marvel Adventures the Avengers #1), plus games and puzzles, a short story with Spider-Man and Spider-Girl, a Franklin Richards adventure and everything you’d need on a long family car trip to keep busy. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC Great for the young at heart, another omnibus edition comes out this time for Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-36, Annuals #1 and 2, Strange Tales Annual #2 and Fantastic Four Annual #1. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Oh yes.Best Books for Me – A little glimpse into my pull list

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #5 The first and second issues have been fantastic, a nice blend of Daredevil’s streetwise stories, Iron Man’s boardroom drama and just a touch of mysticism. Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker have expounded on the legend of the Iron Fist while keeping true to the character’s core, I think, and since this is the culmination of the first story arc, I just can’t wait. newuniversal #5 Even in the solicitation listings, newuniversal is still all lowercase letters. Can’t tell you why, but it just tickles me. From the solicit: The White Event. The cosmic phenomenon from which a handful of humans emerged with super human power. The incident that prompted Project Spitfire to initiate its primary mission. Three live super humans on Earth, and the statistical probability that they will meet becomes intolerable. Spitfire knows such a meeting will yield disastrous results. And they’re willing to do anything to keep that from happening… There’s nothing more to say because that eloquently tells you all you need to know. Fantastic! THE HEDGE KNIGHT 2: THE SWORN SWORD #1 (of 6) Being a very big fan of George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, another illustrated look into the world that got the Dabel Brothers started is certainly worth taking a flip through. Me? I’m picking up the alternate cover if they got one!The full list of April Solicitations for Marvel is this way. Happy Wednesday!

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