Marvel's January previews reviewed

DC Comics isn't the only big comic book company with books being released in the month of January. Oh, no. There's also this other company called Marvel Comics, and today we take a look at their New Year offerings. Feel free to follow along with the full solicits posted at Newsarama.com, and while you're there, check out this latest example that DC doesn't have any idea what they're doing from month to month.

Now let's see if the House of Ideas has any good ideas for the first month of '08...




AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #549 Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM. Pencils & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA. Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH. Saddle-up Spider–fans as the thrillingly thrice-monthly adventures continue! In this issue, meet the villain from the fifth Spider-Man movie today! Marc (Wolverine, Blade) Guggenheim and Salvador (newuniversal, Uncanny X-Men) Larroca bring you the next great Spidey Villain... MENACE! But that's not all! The mysterious JACKPOT makes her "Brand New Day-Debut!” Plus the mystery of the Spider-Tracer Killer deepens. Not nearly 'Nuff said!


With all due respect to the grand Marvel tradition of hyperbole, I would bet their ASM solicitation copy writer my life savings that the fifth Spider-Man movie will not, in fact, feature a villain named Menace.

I would be doubtful if a thirty-fifth Spider-Man movie featured a villain named Menace.





BLACK PANTHER #34
Written by REGINALD HUDLIN
Penciled by FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
"GANGSTA LEAN," PART 3
It's clobberin' time—in the arena and in the streets, between the Gangsters and Panthers, and between the Fantastic Four and the elusive, malicious Golden Frogs!


I’ve been reading Black Panther monthly for awhile now, and I have absolutely no idea what any of that means.





CABLE & DEADPOOL #49
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Penciled by REILLY BROWN
Cover by SKOTT YOUNG
Deadpool and his ragtag group of cronies travel to the Savage Land in search of a device that will help rebuild the nation of Rumekistan in Cable's honor. But things go amiss when they discover that the device is already spoken for…and not even the swarthy KA-ZAR or his sabretooth sidekick ZABU have been able to intervene! Ferocious action and raucous hijinks ensue!


A “swarthy” person has a dark complexion. Ka-zar is a blonde, blue-eyed lily white Tarzan-type. Maybe they meant “sweaty?" Because I'm sure he gets pretty sweaty climbing trees and fighting mutates and stuff.








I like the concept for the cover. But the rendering’s not so hot.

You know what would have been better than a Captain America comic by the guy who made up Rambo? A Captain America versus Rambo comic book. Doesn’t Dynamite or someone own the rights to him yet?






See, you can tell those are the the Fantastic Four’s future counterparts because Reed and Johnny have facial hair and Sue has…bangs…? And maybe two tiny wrinkles on her face…? Or no, those are just dimples, I guess.

Nice background and feet too. (Ha ha! That shit never gets old!)





INCREDIBLE XXXX #113 (Note: Not Actual Title)
Written by Greg Pak & FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by Khoi Pham
Cover by Art Adams
CLASSIFIED
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99
Order Using This Code: OCT072102
FOC – 12/27/2007, On-Sale – 1/16/2008

HULK #1
Written by JEPH LOEB
Pencils & Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
Superstars JEPH LOEB and ED MCGUINNESS will change the way you see THE HULK! In this startling origin epic, the breathtaking events that ended World War Hulk rocket into this brand-new Hulk title. When one of The Hulk's oldest cast members is murdered, everyone turns to the team of IRON MAN, SHE-HULK and LEONARD SAMSON to solve the grizzly case. All the evidence points to the Hulk as the killer—but {CLASSIFIED}! Join us for a brand--new story and a brand-new team who loves the Hulk as much as you do!


"Hey, Greg Pak, thanks for all your hard work making World War Hulk into a huge moneymaker for us, one that is, unlike Civil War pretty much universally liked by fans and critics, in addition to selling like hot cakes. To show our appreciation, we’ve invited Jeph Loeb to come in and wreck the joint, is that cool with you?"

This is…just weird. McGuinness may be born to draw the Hulk, but I haven’t read a decent Loeb story this decade, and I don’t expect that to change now that he’s hot on the heels of the months worth of crying Fallen Son specials and what was, by all reports, one of the worst Wolverine stories ever written.

I don’t know what to make of the name change for Incredible Hulk either. If you’re going to change the name of your comic, shouldn’t that be a #1, not a #113? If each “x” represents a letter, than Incredible Rick seems like a good bet…and also a really dumb name for a comic book.








Aww, cowboy Thing is adorable!






I like this cover a lot.






MIGHTY AVENGERS #8 Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS. Pencils & Cover by MARK BAGLEY. It’s the Mighty Avengers versus the New Avengers who have been overtaken by a symbiote virus. So, yeah, it’s Avengers versus Avengers symbiotes!! Janet gets new powers!! And the Mighty Avengers declare war on a foreign country!! All this and Mark Bagley too!!


Hey, I remember this series! A bit behind schedule these days, huh?




NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #2 Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS. Penciled by CARLO PAGULAYAN. Cover by JIM CHEUNG. Continuing directly from the pages of NEW AVENGERS #37: The Hood's gang of super-criminals takes the fight right to the Avengers’ door!! Its wall-to-wall action and the end of an era for one Avenger and a major defection for another.This double-sized issue ties into or wraps up threads from Civil War, World War Hulk, both Avengers titles and the upcoming Secret Invasion!! Avengers writer Bendis welcomes rising star Carlo Pagulayan on his Avengers debut...

Psst, Marvel! You do know that “annual” means “once a year,” right? And since New Avengers Annual #1 came out in June of last year, and this isn’t due until January of next year, it’s really more of a biannual, isn’t it?






I don’t know if Omega is fighting that eagle or trying to ride it, but I love the look on the eagle's face regardless.






SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME #3 (of 4)
Written by SIMON SPURRIER
Penciled by TAN ENG HUAT
Cover by PAUL POPE
Phase-crucifixions! Astral squid-beasts! Conniving aristocrats! Tangled in all the obstacles and oddities of an exotic Empire, the Silver Surfer finds that his toughest test—to soothe the hatred of ancient enemies—is beyond even the Power Cosmic. But is he prepared to commit the ultimate atrocity to secure a chance for peace…? Cosmic craziness turns to darkness and death, as Spurrier and Huat's galactic extravaganza takes an unexpected turn with the surprise appearance of a looming figure from the Surfer's past…


Wow, a Paul Pope cover…over interiors by Tan Eng Huat? This is going to be one awesome looking book.




WHAT IF? SPIDER-MAN VS. WOLVERINE
Written by JEFF PARKER & PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Spider-Man is a killer.
In 1987, Peter Parker followed Wolverine to Russia, who was on the trail of a friend working for the KGB. Realizing that the KGB would eventually kill his friend, Wolverine wanted to put her out of her misery. Peter tried to stop him, but accidentally killed the friend instead. Haunted by his actions, Peter fled home into the waiting arms of Mary Jane.
But WHAT IF…Peter never went home? WHAT IF…the Spider never came out of the cold?

Um, is there a question in that title somewhere…?





ULTIMATE HUMAN #1 (of 4)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by CARY NORD
It's the Ultimate war between the Hulk and Iron Man! Desperate for a cure to his dark disease, scientist Bruce Banner begs Tony Stark for a release from the curse of the Hulk! Stark agrees, but in the midst of the experimentation, something goes horribly wrong. And you know what happens next: man and monster collide! Be there as writer Warren Ellis (ULTIMATE GALACTUS) begins his next Ultimate epic—and is joined by amazing artist
Cary Nord (Conan)!


I’d expect an “ultimate” human to be a little bigger. You know, down there.





ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #118
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by STUART IMMONEN
It begins here…"Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!" Things are changing in the young life of Peter Parker: Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four is now his buddy---and the hot–headed super hero has taken a liking to Peter's classmate, Liz Allen! But something is horribly wrong with Liz—something that will soon affect the life of every student at Midtown High—including Peter's ex-girlfriend, Kitty Pryde!

Hey, if they’re implying what I think they’re implying, then this sounds like a plotline Bendis has been foreshadowing for, like, 115 issues now? Wow.