Marvel's October previews reviewed

Only three more months until all these comics come out! Which means it's not too soon to start eagerly awaiting and/or bitterly complaining about 'em!


DEADPOOL #900
Written by JASON AARON, MIKE BENSON, CHARLIE HUSTON, JOE KELLY, DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI & FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by KYLE BAKER, SHAWN CRYSTAL, SANFORD GREEEN, ROB LIEFELD, CHRIS STAGGS & DALIBOR TALIJIC
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Special SUPER-sized, ACTION-packed 104-page special to commemorate Deadpool’s historic 900th issue! ... Wait, has it really been nine-hundred issues...? Who cares! If this collection of octane-infused stories by some of comics’ hottest talent doesn’t make you want to genuflect at the Altar of Wade, nothing will. Thrill as the Merc with a Mouth squares off against probe-happy aliens, trigger-happy mimes and one seriously unhappy fanman – and that’s just half the book! Wince as Wade bares his soul (and lots more) to a shrink who’s got major squirrels in his own attic. Thrill as he travels around the globe and then some to settle a childhood bet. And chill as C.S.I. investigators at a blood-splattered crime scene attempt to piece together why this particular “unsub” needed battery cables, Crisco oil, three stacks of adult magazines and a live chicken to pull off the hit.
104 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$4.99

Clever. I just started reading some old Deadpool comics (the end of the Preist run and the beginning of the Palmiotti run so far) and it's...well, it's pretty all right I guess. This looks awfully cool though.

Deadpool is certainly popular at the moment, isn’t he? In addition to this issue, October also sees the release of Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #4 and Deadpool #16, plus a poster book and issue of Marvel Spotlight dedicated to the character.


DOCTOR VOODOO: AVENGER OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by TO BE REVEALED AT SDCC
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by BILLY TAN
Launching from the pages of New Avengers, Jericho Drumm assumes the role of Marvel’s new Sorcerer Supreme as DOCTOR VOODOO! Having foreseen an unimaginable evil that will soon envelop the Marvel Universe, the Eye of Agamotto has passed the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme on to the one man who has the unique gifts to stave off the coming darkness -- but is Doctor Voodoo ready for the momentous duty as avenger of the supernatural? As Jericho begins to grapple with his colossal new position, malevolent beings of vast power see his arrival as an opportunity to strike. Rising stars Rick Remender (PUNISHER) and *ARTIST TO BE REVEALED AT SDCC* crack open a new chapter in the Book of Vishanti to tell the ongoing adventures of the new Sorcerer Supreme in the Mighty Marvel fashion!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

So, Brother Voodoo is going to be going by the name "Doctor Voodoo" now that he's taken over Doctor Strange's gig as Sorcerer Supreme? I can understand the impulse to lose the "Brother" part of his name and make him see less...blaxploitation era, but, at the same time, he's still a black guy whose superpower is Hollywood's version of voodoo. At his core, Brother Voodoo is a character based on something of a racial stereotype, isn't he? I don't think changing his name a bit changes that very much.

I'm mildly interested in this storyline, but, at $4 a pop, that translates more into "Maybe I'll see if my local library orders a trade of this in a year and a half" then "I can't wait to start buying this."

Also, the costume looks kinda Spawn-y doesn't it? I suppose it's mostly the color scheme, but Spawnishness is probably something one wants to avoid when designing new superhero costumes.


GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #19
Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING
Penciled by WES CRAIG
Cover by ALEX GARNER
Will Kang Conquer the Guardians? Rocked by the aftershocks of War of Kings, Star-Lord’s team – now castaways across shattered timelines – are desperate to find a route home before all possible futures fuse into one dark nightmare! Guest-starring the original Guardians of the Galaxy (sort of) and the infamous time-traveling despot who may be their only hope! Yes, it’s more sci-fi shenanigans from the book that has ComicBookResources.com
raving, “Abnett and Lanning do an amazing job of delivering a
quick-moving, jam-packed, high-octane, bombastic epic.”
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

I started reading this title based on teh strength of the Starlord miniseries it followed, but ultimately had to drop it from my pull list when I realized I probably didn't have enough money for two Marvel ensemble comics with quirky casts, and I stuck with Captain Britain (GoG crossing over into Marvel's "War of Kings" storyline was a strike against it, as I wasn't following any of the other moving parts involved with it).

Now Captain Britain is canceled, of course. I wonder if I'm too far behind with GoG to start picking it up again?

It was that big image of Kang that drew my eye to this particular solicitation. He's a pretty cool character design, and he's so simple and smooth that he honestly looks rather out of place on a Marvel Comics cover, doesn't he?


HALO: HELLJUMPER #4 (of 5)
Written by PETER DAVID
Pencils & Cover by ERIC NGUYEN
With an entire Covenant regiment hot on the trail of their comrades, Dutch and Romeo don’t have a lot of options...the radios are out, so they can’t alert their CO as to what’s behind them, and they don’t have enough firepower to take the Covenant force out on their own. But... hey, what’s this here? A lightly guarded Covenant Drop Ship? But who’d be stupid enough to steal a Drop Ship? Two of the UNSC’s finest, perhaps?
32 PGS./17 & Up ...$3.99

This book doesn't really interest me, since I've never played this Halo game that the kids (and grown-ups) all love, but I noticed that Peter David is scripting this. In addition to this video game adaptation, he's also scripting prose adaptation Dark Tower: Fall of Gilead, and writing X-Factor and Wolverine First Class. And that’s just his Marvel Comics work being published in the month of October; I believe he also has an IDW series, and I know he writes prose as well.

Basically, I just wanted to pose a moment and say, “Wow, Peter David sure does a lot of writing of a lot of different types, doesn’t he?”

Um, that’s all.


I've mentioned before that Herc looks kinda weird wearing so much clothing, but Thor really makes Herc's skirt and sash get-up work for him, doesn't he?


OZ: THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ HC
Written by ERIC SHANOWER
Penciled by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
The premiere American fantasy adventure gets the Merry Marvel treatment! Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) teams up with fan-favorite artist Skottie Young (New X-Men) to bring L. Frank Baum’s beloved classic to life! When Kansas farm girl Dorothy flies away to the magical Land of Oz, she fatally flattens a Wicked Witch, liberates a living Scarecrow and is hailed by the Munchkin people as a great sorceress...but all she really wants to know is: how does she get home? Collecting THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1-8.
208 PGS./All Ages ...$29.99

Huh. I assumed the collections would be substantially cheaper than the serial, comic book installments—which I thought were $3.99 for each of eight, 22-page installments—but at $30, this is actually only two bucks cheaper. On the other hand, it is ad-free, a hardcover, and with an oversized trim size, so there's an awful lot of added value for even the slightly cheaper price.

Or were the individual issues each longer than 22-pages? Because eight times 22 is only 176, and this collection is over 200 pages long? Oh, I don't know. The point is—Jesus Marvel, you charged $4 a pop for a kids comic?


IRON MAN: IRON PROTOCOLS
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by NELSON
Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Deep within a secret government base beneath the arctic tundra lies the “Ark”: a vault containing the genetic codes for all life on Earth. But there’s a problem—a rogue Artificial Intelligence has decided that the best way to protect the samples is to eradicate every living creature! Only Iron Man has the knowledge to stop the machine—and he’s only got an hour to do it! Join Robert Venditti—creator of The Surragates, now a major motion picture—and fan-favorite artist Nelson (X-FACTOR) as the fate of the world hangs in the balance!
40 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99

Hey, that was the plot of an anime movie I saw like a decade ago, Spriggan. Well, except for the Iron Man part.


MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #16
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by DENIS MEDRI
Cover by SEAN GALLOWAY
Spider-Woman, Beast and Giant Girl team up to play detective when Hercules is found unconscious after falling all the way from the moon. But what was the son of Zeus doing on the moon, and how did he manage to fall off? And how did Hercules’s day full of book-signings, pinball and origami lead him, and our trio of heroic detectives, into an all-out battle against Hydra for possession of the mysterious substance known as “delirium?”
32 PGS./All Ages ...$2.99

I take pleasure in just reading the solicitations for Tobin's Marvel Adventures books sometimes.


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA JUNGLE ADVENTURE VOL. 1 HC
Written by DON RICO & VARIOUS
Penciled by WERNER ROTH with JIM MOONEY, JOHN BUSCEMA, GEORGE TUSKA, SYD SHORES & JIMMY INFANTINO
Cover by CARL BURGOS
LEOPARD-PRINT NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD! Beginning the complete collection of Atlas’ action-packed 1950s jungle adventure comics, the Marvel Masterworks venture into the oh, so attractive heart of darkness to meet Lorna, the Jungle Queen! Her jungle-faring father mauled by a lion, the seventeen-year-old Lorna embraces her unexpected new home – becoming a fierce and stunning girl of the wild and the last word in jungle justice! Trained in the ways of the African wilderness by her mentor, M’Tuba, Lorna is joined by her ever-helpful monkey companion, Mikki, and the bold, two-fisted hunter, Greg Knight. From the murky Black Swamp to the Dead Lake, the pre-Code adventures of Lorna and her cast of characters find them pitted against vicious headhunters, voodoo priestesses, killer cavemen from the Lost City, and Agu the Giant—a gorilla that could give King Kong a run for his money! You’ll also enjoy the tale of two Lornas and stalk creatures both strange and fierce as Lorna uncovers all the mysteries of the jungle. With lush artwork by Werner Roth at his career best, forget it, this is a jungle adventure from which there's no coming back. Get ready to go wild with ATLAS ERA JUNGLE ADVENTURES MASTERWORKS! Collecting LORNA, THE JUNGLE QUEEN #1-5 & LORNA, THE JUNGLE GIRL #6-9
248 PGS./All Ages ...$59.99

Damn, I wish I could afford this. Hey Marvel, I will totally review the hell out of this book at Newsarama if you want to send me a review copy!


MARVEL ZOMBIES: EVIL EVOLUTION
Written by KARL KESEL
Penciled by ROB DISALVO
Cover by MARCOS MARTIN
Fur and severed limbs fly in a story that reveals an important missing link in the saga of the Marvel Zombies! Two worlds of hurt collide as the popular Marvel Zombie Universe gnaws its way into the cult-favorite Marvel Apes Universe with a handful of our Earth's furriest heroes stuck in the middle! Who will be the last man (or monkey) standing? SEE -- IRON MANDRILL'S descent into Zombie Madness! FEAR -- COLONEL AMERICA'S battle with THE AMAZING SPIDER-MONKEY! Who will come out triumphant? What will be left of them? Can Gorilla Girl, the Gibbon and Ape Speedball survive?! No one is safe and nothing is certain in this destiny-altering battle between the flesh-eaters and the feces flingers! Apes mastermind Karl Kesel teams with rising star Rob DiSalvo (Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man) for MARVEL ZOMBIES: EVIL EVOLUTION!
64 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$4.99

I believe an "It Had To Happen!" would have been perfectly appropriate here, Mr. Marvel Comics Solicitation Writer.



STRANGE TALES #2 (of 3)
Stories and Art by PETER BAGGE, MAX CANNON, JACOB CHABOT, JONATHAN HICKMAN, R. KIKUO JOHNSON, MATT KINDT, MICHAEL KUPPERMAN, TONY MILLIONAIRE & JIM RUGG
Cover by PETER BAGGE
Red Hulk Variant Cover by PETER BAGGE
You won’t believe your senses!! Marvel is proud to present the second issue of this hotly anticipated three issue anthology showcasing Marvel’s greatest characters re-imagined by the best and brightest talents working in independent comics today. Don’t miss what’s sure to be one of the most exciting collections of comics short stories ever produced!!! Every issue stars a stunning array of the best, most exciting cartoonists on the planet—showcasing the Marvel Heroes as you’ve never seen them before! Featuring the long-awaited Peter Bagge “Incorrigible Hulk” serialized over all three issues!
48 PGS./Explicit Content ...$4.99

Is this the first Peter Bagge comic to feature a variant cover? Just wondering.


ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #3
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
THE SEARCH FOR STEVE ROGERS CONTINUES! From the mad minds of MARK MILLAR (ULTIMATES 1 & 2) and CARLOS PACHECO (X-MEN), Nick Fury assembles a new team of deadly operatives to track down the renegade Captain America! But what will the Avenger’s resident marksman HAWKEYE have to say about Fury’s tactics and will these new faces make the cut when the %^&( hits the fan?

Wait, Millar already wrote a story in which Nick Fury and his newer operatives tracked down and captured a renegade Captain America, during Ultimates 2. Will this time be different? Yes, yes it will. Because one of the new operatives will be wearing a funny Wasp hat, similar to the one that was part of her first (of five thousand) costumes.


ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #3
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by DAVID LAFUENTE
The world of Spider-Man is turned upside down! Friends are enemies and enemies are friends!! Mysterio is on the loose and gunning for Spidey big time. And the Hulk is back!!!?? Plus--and this is a biggie--you'll never believe what iconic super hero is moving into Aunt May's house!!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Oh yeah, this reminds me, Bendis actually still had several significant plot irons in the story fire when Ultimatum knocked his USM off the rails, including the all-new Ultimate Mysterio and that supervillain/mad scientist Aunt May started dating (Who was it again? The guy who turned into The Jackal in the 616 or something...?)

So I guess for all the talk of an all-new Ultiamte Universe and what-not, there won't be the sort of hard, Crisis On Infinite Earths style continuity reboot or anything.


WOLVERINE ART APPRECIATION
Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS
Art Canvas Cover by JOE QUESADA
Assembling all the variant covers from April's Wolverine Art Appreciation Month, this special collection will take a trip through art history with Logan as your guide! Meet the artists who made this such an innovative and cool event - luminaries such as Ed McGuinness, Paolo Rivera, Russ Heath, Skottie Young, Laura Martin and more - as they adapt the artistry of Van Gogh, Magritte, Warhol, Dali and other towering titans of the art world, all in celebration of that lovable little furball's 35th anniversary in comics! This is Art History 101 with claws, so handle carefully!
32 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99

Goddamit. This is on the other side of my Don't Buy Any Comics Over This Price line, especially considering it's simply a collection of pin-ups, but I think I'm going to break down and buy the damn thing anyway. A lot of these images were really cool.