September 2013 Marvel Comics Diamond Previews Review
Marvel Now didn’t do much for me except shorten the list of must haves and make DC Comics my main go to publisher. They do have a couple of interesting titles coming out in November that are worth looking at while we wait for the latest crossover before another crossover to come to an end. Luckily in November, Infinity ends with it’s 6th issue. If I had just one wish it would be for Marvel to quit with these crossovers for one year and just tell self contained stories in their books instead of hinging their success on artificially bloated crossover sales. At the end of the day the same people that complain about the crossovers are also the ones buying them. Until people close their wallets to these crossovers Marvel will continue to ignore storytelling in hopes of increasing sales. They are a business mind you, and profit is what matters most. Well time to get off my soapbox and talk about some of the more interesting books coming from Marvel.
Uncanny Avengers is still dragging on. This is one long storyline that I have already lost interest in. Rick Remember is a great writer, and his run on Secret Avengers shows why, but his writing on Uncanny Avengers has been ridiculously decompressed. I look forward to the next arc, just to see if it will reignite the excitement for Remembers work that Secret Avengers inspired.
Avengers Arena #17 & #18 bring that series to a close. This title has split fandom with people either disliking the series or loving the series. I belong in the dislike camp. Either way these issues bring an end to Arcade’s plan. More deaths are promised as well as this being the “launch pad for what comes next!” This isn’t really news as Marvel is constantly building and building on everything, with everything promising to change the Marvel Universe! Anyone who reads my Previews reviews knows my opinion on Marvel’s non stop crossovers, and seemingly lack of short form storytelling.
Cataclysm is the latest universe wide event in the Ultimate Universe. Anyone who read Age of Ultron knows that Wolverine pulled a Superboy and broke time. One of the affects of said time breaking was the appearance of Galactus in the Ultimate Universe. Some have been heralding this as the end of the Ultimate line and I for one would not see that as a bad idea. Since the wholesale snuff film like slaughter of several big name characters in Ultimatum the Ultimate line has not held my interest in the slightest.
I will be trying out the first issues of the mini-series involved as they replace the regular Ultimate titles for a three month period. Brian Michael Bendis orchestrates his portion of the crossover in the pages of Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand #1 & 2, and Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man #1. Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of the under appreciated I, Vampire over at DC Comics writes Cataclysm: Ultimates #1 and Cataclysm: Ultimate X-Men #1. While I am not expecting much I will try out the first issues and go from there.
September sees the television premiere of Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In November Marvel releases The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 giving us the premiere appearances of Agent Phil Coulson and Nick Fury Jr. as well as other stories that highlight S.H.I.E.L.D. including its first appearance as an organization from the comic books. I personally have most of these issues already but highly recommend it as a primer for anyone familiar with the spy organization through only the movies.
An interesting book is solicited for November featuring the lucky mutant known as Longshot. Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe by Christopher Hastings (W) and Jacopo Camagni (A) goes from bad to worse for our X-Factor Alum. The lucky are being killed and Longshot will soon be in the mysterious killers cross hairs. Dealing with that is difficult enough but when the entire Marvel Universe seems to target Longshot will he be able to save everyone when no one else can? The first two issues hit in November, and just the quirkiness and unexpected nature of this four issue series has me excited and more than willing to bring it home with me.
Even though the X-Men have far too many titles (just like the Avengers, Batman, Superman, etc) I am looking forward to Amazing X-Men #1 by Jason Aaron (W) and Ed McGuinness (A). While the solicit seems to indicate the return of Nightcrawler (again negating death in the Marvel Universe) they also indicate a strong team lineup including Firestar. After having been a founding member of the New Warriors, and even making it to the big time in the Avengers, Angelica joins Wolverine (hey Marvel, he doesn’t need to be in every book), Storm, Beast, Iceman, and Northstar as they seek to bring back the blue elf. I have always liked Firestar and felt that the X-Men is where she truly belonged, and now my dream is coming true. Issue #1 of this book will be coming home and maybe it can do what no other X-Book has been able to do and that is make me want a monthly dose of mutants.
That brings our look at Marvel to an end.