MARVEL TODAY: THREE NEW INTRODUCTIONS AND (Almost) A CONCLUSION

KC Carlson


A KC COLUMN by KC Carlson

These four new Marvel comics are being released today at your local comic shop!

Avengers #1

Avengers #1


Avengers #1: Introducing the new creative team of writer Jason Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness! Plus, as you may suspect — The Old Order Changeth! I won’t spill too many beans, but there’s now an Avengers guy whose head is on fire! Plus somebody big, mean, and green! But most fans will thrilled that the Big Three of Thor Odinson, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark are finally back together on the team (at least for now!). And issue #2 spotlights Black Panther and Dr. Strange!

Avengers #2

Avengers #2


What’s this about “Odin’s ancient band of Prehistoric Avengers” and a certain Prince of Lies? If that wasn’t enough, apparently Jason Aaron plans to rewrite “everything we know about the origin of the Marvel Universe!” Again?… That trick never works! Also, for Marvel’s “Fresh Start” campaign, there will be 18 issues of The Avengers each year (as opposed to just 12). This will be the only Avengers ongoing title — at least for the foreseeable future!

Captain America #701

Captain America #701


Captain America #701: Writer Mark Waid is sticking with this title. (I suspect the only way to get him off the book would be to pry it from his cold, dead hands. Eww.) Joined by artist Leonardo Romero (with others), his first new storyline is titled “Promised Land” and is set in the future, the year 2314. The grandson of Steve Rogers thrives in the utopian America that his ancestor dreamed of — but of course, something quite sinister is lurking about. And descendants of other notable Marvel Heroes may also be a part of this future! Plus, some of those “other” artists mentioned earlier may include Howard Chaykin, Alan Davis, and Chris Samnee! It seems that this title has quite a future — in more ways than one!

Hunt For Wolverine #1

Hunt For Wolverine #1


Hunt For Wolverine #1/Hunt For Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1 (of 4): Last week, Hunt For Wolverine #1 began the the story of Wolverine’s active return to the Marvel Universe. (What? You didn’t think Marvel would leave one of its most popular characters actually dead forever, did you? How long have you been reading superhero comic books?) The Reavers have discovered info about Wolverine’s death and decide to investigate. When the X-Men discover the Reavers have found Logan’s tomb in Canada, they quickly descend on the site to intervene. Flashbacks bring us up-to-date about Logan’s actual “death” and subsequent internment inside a mystic statue. But by the time the Reavers reach the statue, they find it ripped apart by something super strong — as well as empty. The Hunt for Wolverine miniseries serves up a lot of unanswered questions — most of which will be presumably resolved in four new miniseries.

Hunt For Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1

Hunt For Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1


Today sees the publication of Hunt For Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1, written by Charles Soule, art by Matteo Buffagni. Is Wolverine actually alive? With such a big mystery to solve, comics’ greatest detectives are out to solve the mystery! (And I’m NOT talking about those idiot kids and their goofy dog!) Daredevil assembles a team of really smart people, including the bionic Misty Knight, Nuhuman Frank McGee, and the mutant known as Cypher, who apparently knows a thing or two about coming back from being dead. In issue #1, this squad uncovers a deep conspiracy with huge ramifications for Wolverine’s future.

Hunt For Wolverine: The Claws of a Killer #1

Hunt For Wolverine: The Claws of a Killer #1


Also, this month sees the debut of three other Hunt for Wolverine miniseries, including The Adamantium Agenda, in which the New Avengers (Iron Man, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage) discover both conspiracy and metallurgic miracle! In The Claws of a Killer, Marvel villains search for Logan. “Keep your friends dead, but your enemies deader!” Features Sabertooth and Daken. Wolverine’s former alter-ego Patch is sighted in Mystery in Madripoor, and Kitty Pryde, Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Domino, and Jubilee try to find him. (What is it with Logan and young women anyway?)

S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver: The Rebirth #1

S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver: The Rebirth #1


S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver: The Rebirth #1: Back In 2010-2011-ish, writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Dustin Weaver revamped S.H.I.E.L.D. for the modern Marvel Universe. Less Nick Fury’s old super-spy 1960s S.H.I.E.L.D. (Fury supposedly “died” during Original Sin in 2014, but recently popped up in The Unworthy Thor #1 as a miserable creature who refers to himself as The Unseen, who also references the death of The Watcher — which also happened during Original Sin), the Hickman/Weaver version of S.H.I.E.L.D. was more about Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Nikola Tesla, Galileo, Nostradamus, and… um… Howard Stark (Tony’s Dad!). I’m not going to pretend that I understood anything about this series — but it did intrigue me more than the former super-spy stuff — which now seems horribly dated (yet still much fun to read with a proper 1960-70s mindset).

S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver #6

S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver #6


Anyway… the second series of the Hickman/Weaver S.H.I.E.L.D. series just kinda disappeared into the either back in 2011 without much explanation. But Marvel has announced that S.H.I.E.L.D. (2011) #5 and #6 will finally be published later in May — just a few weeks away! But first — and out today — is S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hickman and Weaver: The Rebirth #1 which conveniently collects S.H.I.E.L.D. (2011) #1-4 so you can immediately get yourself caught up in this truly unique, unusual, and often unbelievable comic book series. (I think it’s pretty unbelievable that it’s actually back!)

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KC CARLSON will be at Westfield Comics East for Free Comic Book Day this Saturday (May 5) for much of the day. Please stop by and ask me questions! (Hopefully about comic books. What was with all those questions about plumbing last year?) My smarter half (Johanna Draper Carlson of comicsworthreading.com fame) will also be there (but only before 1pm). Also, my arch enemy Wayne Markley will probably be punching me all day to keep me awake! He’s evil!

WESTFIELD COMICS is not responsible for the stupid things that KC says. Especially that thing that really irritated you. I’m irritated that I’m wearing about three layers of clothing because my basement office is freezing, despite it being in the 80s outside! Achoo!

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