Marvel's May previews reviewed

CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON – CAPTAIN AMERICA Written by JEPH LOEB. Pencils and Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.Alternate Cover by MICHAEL TURNER. How has the fall-out of Civil War affected Captain America? One side won and the other side lost – but the aftermath may have hit some heroes harder than others. Now it’s time to navigate this turbulent new landscape with the shield-slinging Super Soldier – and your guides are none other than Jeph Loeb and John Romita Jr!

CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON – SPIDER-MAN Written by JEPH LOEB. Pencils and Cover by DAVID FINCH. Alternate Cover by MICHAEL TURNER. He’s confronted the deaths of family and friends – but how will the passing of a fellow hero rock the Wall-Crawler? We know we’re being secretive about these FALLEN SON issue descriptions, but it’s Jeph Loeb, David Finch and Spider-Man all dealing with life’s greatest foe – so you know it’s going to rock!

CIVIL WAR: FALLEN SON – IRON MAN Written by JEPH LOEB. Pencils and Cover by JOHN CASSADAY. Alternate Cover by MICHAEL TURNER. Can the Marvel Universe accept the death of a true hero? In the wake of a tragedy, we’ve visited the top heroes of the Marvel Universe, and now it all comes down this. The rockstar team of Jeph Loeb and John Cassaday bring it all home in the story that will have True Believers debating – and maybe even shedding a tear!

Reed Richards seems the likeliest candidate still, but is it significant that the Iron Man solicit doesn’t use the words “Tony Stark” at any point? Probably not; if the title’s aren’t final, then there’s no reason to believe the descriptions are either. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks the identity of this person who dies (Apparently, someone much more important than Goliath, since no one seemed to care when he died).

Romita Jr. and Cassady art sure sounds tempting, but Jeph Loeb’s work is henceforth dead to me, so I think I’ll probably pass on these and hope the Columbus library gets a trade in a year or two. Hey wait, Cassaday? John Cassaday? Shouldn’t you be drawing Astonishing X-Men? You don’t have time to screw around with some Loeb-written narration-fest! Get back to work on AXM, stat!






ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #109 Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS. Pencils and Cover by MARK BAGLEY. “ULTIMATE KNIGHTS”—With Daredevil’s super-squad assembled to take down the Kingpin, and Spider-Man in the clutches of the Kingpin himself, Daredevil breaks into Fisk Towers for an eleventh-hour rescue! But things go from bad to worse—when Spidey discovers a traitor in the midst of DD’s team! Don’t miss it!

If this is as fun as the similar-seeming “Ultimate Warrirors” storyline, it should be a blast.


SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 Written by MATT FRACTION. Pencils and Covery by SALVADOR LARROCA.‘Till Death Do Us Part. A long-lost suitor from Mary Jane’s past presents her with a shocking offer: she can walk away from the torment and tragedy of life on the run…and all she has to do is turn in Spider-Man. Given the choice between a fugitive’s life and the fame and fortune she left behind to marry Peter Parker, will she take the deal? Meanwhile, across town, Peter Parker brokers the safety of his wife and Aunt May…even at the cost of his freedom. How much madness and loss can one marriage take? Join us in this retrospective of one of the most enduring love stories in comics. Written by Matt Fraction with jaw-dropping art – including beautiful Romita-esque flashback sequences – by superstar Salvador Larroca.

Mary Jane and Aunt May? So, they both pull through? Why the black costume then, Spidey?





BLADE #9 Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM. Penciled by HOWARD CHAYKIN. Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC. Blade came to England for answers regarding his mysterious past, but all he's gotten is trouble, so now somebody's gonna pay! Guest staring Union Jack. See why the Internet is raving about this sleeper hit. Hint: It's because of Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin!

Another great cover, another cool guest star. Should be fun.






BLACK PANTHER #28 Written by REGINALD HUDLIN. Penciled by FRANCIS PORTELA. Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM. "Part 1 of 4" It’s slobberin’ time! The New Fantastic Four just made a wrong turn on the inter-dimensional super highway—and they’ve landed in the middle of Zombie-verse! That’s right, True Believer, if the Black Panther, Storm, the Human Torch and the Thing can’t come up with the perfect escape plan, they’re going to be the next hors d'ouvres for Zombie Galacti intent on eating the entire universe! Spinning from the pages of the mega-hit MARVEL ZOMBIES!

So is the line-up of the new Fantastic Four really supposed to still be “CLASSIFIED INFORMATION!” or what?






I give up, why is Morbius’ victim smiling so contentedly?






NOVA #2 Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING. Penciled by SEAN CHEN. Cover by ADI GRANOV. Helmet-to-helmet with Iron Man! After facing the horrors of the Annihilation War, can Richard Rider fit in back on Earth? Everyone used to treat him like a joke, but now that he’s one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, does Nova have to take it anymore? One thing is certain, when S.H.I.E.L.D. moves in to investigate his sudden re-appearance, the Human Rocket will be aimed directly at Iron Man!

“The Human Rocket will be aimed directly at Iron Man?” Please join me in congratulating Nova #2 for winning The Gayest Solicit of the Month Award.





RUNAWAYS #26 Written by JOSS WHEDON. Penciled by MICHAEL RYAN. Cover by JO CHEN. “DEAD END KIDS” The kids continue their New York adventure and encounter someone dangerous that they’ve never met before. Hint—LOOK BEHIND MOLLY ON THE COVER. Will he punish the Runaways? Superstar Joss Whedon and rising star Michael Ryan continue a tale that will take the Runaways somewhere they’ve never been before!

I wasn’t sure how this title would survive without BKV and Adrian Alphona, but this looks totally awesome. Hope Molly treats Punny like she did Wolverine.






SHE-HULK #19 Written by DAN SLOTT. Penciled by RICK BURCHETT. Cover by GREG HORN. "The Gamma Defense." She-Hulk's law firm has defended super-villains before, but never one of "the big ones." Has Mallory Book finally gone too far? Can she honestly expect She-Hulk to help her represent her cousin's greatest foe—the twisted, mass-murdering genius men call THE LEADER?!! Plus: If you thought a certain someone was dead and buried...you'd be wrong. And you'll NEVER guess where they are now!

I do love me some Leader.




X-MEN: FIRST CLASS SPECIAL Written by JEFF PARKER. Art by KEVIN NOWLAN, PAUL SMITH, MIKE ALLRED & NICK DRAGOTTA. Cover by KEVIN NOWLAN. From investigating haunted museums to dealing with lovesick dragon men, no mission is off limits for the original mutant heroes. See some of comics' top cartoonists take on Xavier's five!

I totally skipped this miniseries (sorry, Jeff Parker), but with an artistic line-up like this, there is just no way to avoid this.





CIVIL WAR: WOLVERINE TPB Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM. Penciled by HUMBERTO RAMOS. Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS. Marc Guggenheim – a veteran writer for TV’s The Practice, Law & Order and CSI – is joined by fan-favorite artist Humberto Ramos for this CIVIL WAR tie-in. In the aftermath of the Stamford tragedy, Logan makes it his personal mission to take down the man responsible. No sooner does he begin his hunt, however, than he discovers someone else is stalking the same prey: a mysterious trio whose identity, and disturbing mission, will come as a shock to many! If Logan’s unsettled by who these guys are, then just wait until he discovers who they answer to! Collecting WOLVERINE #42-48.

I’m really on the fence with this one. I’ve heard a lot of online praise for the story and have been interested in just what Wolverine and Namor have been up to throughout “Civil War,” but Ramos seems like such a bad fit for Wolvie, and by May I don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach any more “Civil War.” Has anyone read this? What's the verdict?




BLADE: UNDEAD AGAIN TPB Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM. Penciled by HOWARD CHAYKIN. Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC. Join Howard Chaykin and Marc Guggenheim a new series starring the popular character who's launched three movies and a TV series. Featuring Spider-Man, Dracula, Dr. Doom, Wolverine...and Santa Claus!? Plus: a look into Blade’s mysterious past!

Given the way Guggenheim wrote this, with stand-alone stories set in the present flashing back to stand-alone, episodic chapters of Blade’s origin set in the past, I bet this series will read really nice in a trade.