Welcome to September, ladies and gentlemen! June comes in like a sucessfull Iron Man and leaves like a rampaging Hulk (did everyone thrill to the ‘Raging Thunder’ issue that came out just in time for the movie? Yeah, that’s what I thought), so we now turn our eyes to three months from now, looking into the future of the Marvel universe and how it’ll change everything we know forever.
First off, I would just like to breathe a sigh of relief that I won’t have to sell another kidney for Secret Invasion intel. I kid considering we’re at 18 titles bearing the banner of the Skrulls (I could count SKRULLS VS. POWER PACK, but let’s not for sanity’s sake) and I mean, what’s a kidney anyways, but this is a couple titles short of last month’s 20. Are we at the top of the rollercoaster ride? Is it all downhill from here? Taking a look at the way Bendis has written previous ‘big tent events’ (House of M, Avengers: Disassembled), we can nearly predict that the last issue will be where the cataclysm happens, but here we are at SECRET INVASION #6 ( of 8 ) and the ride seems to be slowing down with the end in sight. Heck, Ms. Marvel seems to have gotten off the ride entirely.
That’s right! In the grand tradition of Iron Man: Director of SHIELD’s single issue contribution to World War Hulk, it looks like as of MS. MARVEL #31, Carol Danvers is living in a post-Invasion continuity. This issue and MS. MARVEL ANNUAL 1 are giving our heroine a ‘Brand New Day’ (Their words! Not mine! Don’t shoot!) out of the big event. How much will they be able to tell us? so far, Ms. Marvel’s got a lot of things in her life easily shaken up by a new status quo and considering she’s is quite possibly the only female superhero solo book on the stands, she’s also a good place to watch for a feeling for the ol’ MU. Mark my words, watch this space.
So, outside of the cosmic adventures of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and NOVA, some select Secret Invasion titles like FRONT LINE, THOR and SPIDER-MAN - BRAND NEW DAY and continuations of tie-ins from last month, we are now joined by the one and only, Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool in his brand spankin’ new book from Daniel Way, who tried on his ‘Pool pants in a recent Wolverine: Origins storyline. Basic premise is simple; in a topsy-turvy world of Skrulls and whatnot, only Deadpool is crazy enough to throw himself head first into fray. No autonomous islands, no Mercenary organizations, no office, it’s pretty clear how this is going to go. I for one am a little iffy on Daniel way’s take on Wade Wilson, but considering this is the same guy who wrote Bullseye’s Greatest Hits? It’s a good sign.
Speaking of old Bullseye, who we last saw in a prison of his own body as he’d gotten the everliving Hell kicked out of him by American Eagle in the THUNDERBOLTS, looks like he got better as he’ll be hanging out in the pages of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as the clash I’ve been hoping for is on the horizon. No, not this whole Venom thing which ASM is still going to have Spidey in between Venom and Anti-Venom (I’m guessing the Negative Man’s at work here), but lo and behold, looks like Norman Osborn isn’t taking too kindly to this whole ‘Menace’ homage. Two strange reboots of continuity hit head to head as the Green Goblin shows up in the book that took Spider-Man back to his roots and hey! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #572 has Bullseye on the cover there and he’s certainly doesn’t look paralyzed! Nor does he look that curvy as Lady Bullseye shows up in the pages of DAREDEVIL #111. I’m sure there’s no correlation.
In other news, I’m not sure which I asked for less: CIVIL WAR: HOUSE OF M #1 (of 5) or MARVEL APES #1 & 2 (of 4). Okay, okay, there’s always room for monkeys so I can’t say that I’m not interested in what I could have sworn was a toss off comment at a con by Joe Quesada that’s suddenly this physical book I’m going to hold in my hot little hands in just a few months. While the Distinguished Competition is far more known for their simian escapades, looks like Marvel’s getting into the act by sending the Gibbon into a world where primates rule the earth and the skies above. No ads, “the return of Speedball”, yeah.
So I guess that leaves CIVIL WAR: HOUSE OF M #1 (of 5) as the best What The-? of the month. Ever get the feeling that House of M didn’t go as expected? Like… they were missing something and now Christos Gage is nice enough to go back and put in some spackle? Well, combo title aside (next month: PLANET OF HULK M WAR: DISASSEMBLED!), it looks like we’re finally going to figure out how exactly Mr. Magneto put his name on a house and took over. This is a really cool idea and I for one would love to read it, but I feel it could have gone a lot better say when House of M was actually coming out. In 2005.
This isn’t our only tale of Magneto this month as the rather interesting idea of what life can come from the horrors of the Holocaust is explored for Erik Lensherr in X-MEN: MAGNETO — TESTAMENT #1 (of 5) by Grek Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico. In fact, if you look at it, despite the X-Men’s bold new move to a brand new start and a brand new look, there does seem to be this over the shoulder look back at where they’ve been as they go along. Another X-Men Origin books comes out, this time for Beast, and if you still haven’t picked up the Colossus one, go bug your local retailer for a copy.
September looks to be pretty strong as I do my own looking back here over the solicitations. Good shake-ups, some curve balls, but the road seems clear ahead. What do you think? Take a look at the September solicitation list and give a shout out to your picks and pans for the month ahead.
Wait, a PUNISHER BY GARTH ENNIS OMNIBUS? Looks like I’ll need to sell that kidney after all.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
It’s funny to see miniseries delving into the “history” of the HOUSE OF M universe, when the absence of any documented history (as far as I know) was a factor in the heroes deciding that their memories were false. If anyone had read volumes from the equivalent of a World Book encyclopedia set. . .
The reliance of Bendis, et al., on the imaginary “alien virus” to eliminate various Earth defenders is just amazing–as a look at the blurb for IRON MAN #33 will indicate. Bendis’s notion that a virus is some fiendish destroyer of hardware makes me think he’s never had to deal with an actual virus or even read about actual viruses. I suspect that Marvel is using a compressed timeline, so that the entire SI series will take place during a few days, almost certainly less than a week.
Issue #2 of the X-MEN SI tie-in might be worth reading just to see how badly biological concepts are butchered in the plot. One thing to consider is that if the Skrulls are duplicating the powers of various human paranormals (dismissing the issue of how they got DNA samples from all of them, etc.), those powers could, presumably, be neutralized by the same technology that villains use to neutralize powers. Recreating the Liberator from the AVENGERS/THUNDERBOLTS miniseries would serve nicely to wipe out the Skrull threat.
SRS
June 19th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
No Wolverine solicited, guess 3 months before a delay is all we’re gonna get.
Marvel Adventures Avengers: Thor is in love with Storm? I’d like to see that!
Love the SI cover.
Haha, I thought that cover to Marvel Apes 2 was a ripoff of the Hancock movie posters. Turns out it’s just Speedball!
June 19th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
“Issue #2 of the X-MEN SI tie-in might be worth reading just to see how badly biological concepts are butchered in the plot.”
Actually, I reckon religous concepts might take just as much of a beating, since Nightcrawler seems smitten with the Skrull Bible. “Skrull Jesus? That…that sounds wonderful!” Admittedly, he could be faking, but still, not sure about that one.