Marvel's February previews reviewed

AVENGERS #14
JASON AARON (W) • DAVID MARQUEZ (A/C)
WRAPAROUND VARIANT COVER BY MATTEO SCALERA
...
THE WAR OF THE VAMPIRES BEGINS!
TRANSYLVANIA IS BURNING! As vampire civil war throws the world into chaos, the mysterious Shadow Colonel and his squad of undead revolutionaries have one burning question on their murderous minds: Where is Dracula? And if the Avengers find him first, will the lord of the damned be friend or foe?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Huh. Okay, I guess I should keep buying and reading Jason Aaron's Avengers run in trade then, as it seems like the book will be awesome again in the very near future.

AVENGERS #15
JASON AARON (W) • DAVID MARQUEZ (A/C)
...
CIVIL WAR: VAMPIRE EDITION!
Dracula forges unholy alliances from his prison cell. Ghost Rider goes berserk. The Shadow Colonel and his new Legion of the Unliving raise bloody hell all over the globe. It’s a good thing the Avengers just added a startling new member to the team.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Please note that the bald vampire's rats appear to have grenades trapped to them.

I assume that the "starling new member" that the Avengers just added to the team is going to be Blade. That's good. Blade should be a member of the Avengers. In the comics and, more importantly, in the movies.

AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME #1 (OF 10)
AL EWING, JIM ZUB & MARK WAID (W) • PACO MEDINA (A)
Cover by YASMINE PUTRI
...
The team that brought you AVENGERS: NO SURRENDER REUNITES for an all-new weekly AVENGERS adventure!
Night has fallen across the universe. Now seven Avengers — and one new addition — journey forth to bring back the light. But when the threat they face has destroyed even the gods…will anyone make it home?
LEGACY #708
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

I ended up liking No Surrender quite a bit, so I'm kind of looking forward to this. The big difference between the two books was that the writers of the disparate Avengers teams were teaming-up in order to tell one huge Avengers story that involves large swathes of the casts of all of those books, and essentially bring closure to all of their runs to clear the field for Jason Aaron's Avengers run. Here they seem to have a much smaller cast, and a not-as-obvious remit; from the looks of things, they're working with a pretty standard-sized super-team line-up, one that wouldn't be out of place in the regular Avengers book (Well, aside from Rocket Raccoon, who is the odd, um, man out).

Oh hey, remember when Marvel announced and solicited a Chelsea Cain-written Vision comic? And then they very suddenly canceled it, citing vague reasons that included having plans for Vision elsewhere...? Is this what they were talking about? Hmmm. I guess we won't know until it's actually published if there's really anything in here that would preclude a Vision ongoing series or miniseries, but I can't imagine what it would be; like, even if they kill Vision off again here, they could always have just set the Cain series before No Road Home.


DAREDEVIL #1 & #2
CHIP ZDARSKY (W) • MARCO CHECCHETTO (A)
CoverS by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
ISSUE #1 - Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEV
ISSUE #1 - Variant Cover by TBA
ISSUE #1 - Variant Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
ISSUE #1 - Hidden Gem Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
ISSUE #1 - VIRGIN HIDDEN GEM VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
ISSUE #1 - VARIANT COVER BY JAMAL CAMPBELL
ISSUE #1 - SKRULLS VARIANT COVER BY TBA
ISSUE #2 - Hidden Gem Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
ISSUE #2 - VARIANT COVER BY TBA
CLASSIFIED
ISSUE #1 - 48 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
ISSUE #2 - 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

"Classified"...! That sure doesn't help me decide if I want to pre-order the first two issues of this comic or not! (Just kidding; not obviously).

I always find that so damn weird, as it's hard to imagine any new direction so crazy that anyone who can string a few sentences together couldn't provide a vague, generic solicitation that doesn't give anything away but also doesn't treat a super-comic plot-point like a state secret. What's wrong with something like "Join award-winning writer Chip Zdarsky (PETER PARKER, MARVEL 2-IN-One) and fan-favorite artist Marco Checchetto as they take New York City's most dangerous vigilante in a new direction so shocking we don't dare tell you any more here!" Or whatever.

Given Zdarsky's presence, I kinda hope it's just a straightforward comedy. Not even a dramedy. Just a comedy. But given that it's a book starring Marvel's saddest superhero--and that Zdarsky can balance humor, action and drama as well as any other writer currently signing checks from Marvel--there's no reason to believe this will break the basic Daredevil mode.

But who knows? It's classified! It could be about anything! Maybe Matt Murdock isn't even in it; maybe this book will star the blue-and-orange, boomerang-wielding public domain Daredevil!

All we know for sure is the name of the writer, the name of the artist, the fact that the first issue will cost a dollar more than the second issue (because why not de-incentivize readers getting in at the ground floor of a new series?) and that there will be a lot of variant covers.

HULKVERINES #1 (OF 3)
GREG PAK (W) • Ario Anindito (A)
Cover by Greg Land & Frank D’Armata
...
THE CLASH YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
At last! It’s Weapon H versus his predecessors—Wolverine and the Hulk! Once, the Weapon X program sought to recreate the world’s two greatest hunters. They ended up with Weapon H, a man of Adamantium claws and gamma-juiced blood. Now, Wolverine and the Hulk are back in action — and coming after the dangerous creation made in their name!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …4.99

This is not the clash I've been waiting for! Don't act like you know me, Hulkverines solicitation copy writer!

I hope there is more than one "Weapon H" like amalgam of Hulk and Wolverine in this comic though, because otherwise the plural in the title doesn't really apply, does it? (Does the "H" in "Weapon H" stand for "Hulkverine"...? Because "Hulkverine" is a much cooler sounding name that "Weapon H".)

Also, I think Wolverine should be wearing his Incredible Hulk #181 costume here. Really, any time he hangs out with The Hulk he should wear that original costume with the whiskers on it. That should be his official Hulk-fighting/-hanging-out-with costume.

MARVELS ANNOTATED #1 (OF 4)
ALEX ROSS & KURT BUSIEK (W) • ALEX ROSS (A/C)
...
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series that changed the way we look at super heroes, the landmark MARVELS is back! In the year 1939, young photojournalist Phil Sheldon attends the sensational unveiling of the fiery android Human Torch — little knowing he is witnessing the dawn of the Age of Marvels! Prepare to relive Marvel’s Golden Age from a whole new point of view as Phil covers the superhuman sightings of the 1930s and 1940s — from the terror caused by the Human Torch’s epic clash with the Sub-Mariner to the patriotism stirred by the debut of Captain America and more! Packed with extras and completely remastered, you don’t want to miss this unique look back at the MARVELS phenomenon! Collecting MARVELS #0-1.
104 PGS./RATED T …$7.99

Wait, have they not done this before...? Huh. This seems like something Marvel would have done by now. I'd ask why they were bothering publishing it serially instead of going right to trade with it, but then I already know the answer: They can get about $32 out of readers who buy a four-issue, $8 series before they even bother selling it in its final and intended form.


MARVEL KNIGHTS PUNISHER BY PEYER & GUTIERREZ: TAXI WARS TPB
Written by TOM PEYER, RON ZIMMERMAN, STUART MOORE, JOE HARRIS & JOHN FIGUEROA
Penciled by MANUEL GUTIERREZ, MIKE LILLY, C.P. SMITH, MICHAEL LOPEZ & ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by TIM BRADSTREET
Taxi for Frank! A new menace called the Medallion wants control of every cab in New York City — can the Punisher stop this maniac’s meter before a taxi war erupts, or will Medallion’s mechanic Mr. Badwrench and his deadly Cabattoir turn the Big Apple into a slaughterhouse? Meanwhile, Detective Soap gets a disturbing new girlfriend! Plus: Discover what would happen if the Punisher targeted…1920s mobster Al Capone?! And relive the Punisher’s very first encounter with Spider-Man, from Frank’s point of view! As the holidays roll around, the Punisher has his own Christmas list of who’s naughty and nice! And it’s serious business when Daredevil and the Punisher help the Black Widow face an old enemy! Collecting PUNISHER (2001) #8-12, PUNISHER X-MAS SPECIAL (2006) #1, SPIDER-MAN VS. PUNISHER #1 and material from MARVEL KNIGHTS DOUBLE-SHOT #4.
192 PGS./Parental Advisory …$24.99

Taxi wars..."The Medallion"...criminal enterprise based around New York City cabs...the plot for this old Punisher comic suddenly sounds more relevant, thanks to the current President of the United States' poor personnel decisions...

OLD MAN QUILL #1 (OF 12)
ETHAN SACKS (W) • ROBERT GILL (A)
Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
...
THE FAR-FLUNG SAGA OF THE ONCE AND FUTURE STAR-LORD BEGINS!
Meet Peter Quill. He used to be Star-Lord – you know, the legendary outlaw – but it’s been quite some time since he’s gone by that name. Taking over for his father as the Emperor of Spartax, Quill put the life of spacefaring adventure behind him for one of leadership and responsibility. Quill grew up. But things didn’t go as planned. Decades have passed, and Peter is haunted by tragedy. Down and out, Quill’s existence means nothing…until the former GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY drag Peter out of his funk for one last mission! The heist of a lifetime – and Quill’s harrowing quest for redemption – begins here!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Okay, stop. That's enough. We don't need an "Old Man" series for every character in the Marvel Universe.

...

...that said, I would totally read Old Man-Thing and/or Old Ham Peter Porker...

Or Old Duck Howard. Maybe an Old Man...drill starring the villain The Mandrill. But that's it!

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #1
GERRY DUGGAN (W) • RON GARNEY (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
...
THE ANCIENT CULT OF KOGA THUN. A MYSTICAL TREASURE.
AND THE ONLY MAN WHO CAN SAVE THE HYBORIAN AGE!
Adrift at sea. No food. No weapons. Death surely awaits him. But the lionhearted CONAN is not so easily subdued, by Crom! When Conan finds himself captured, he unleashes his might on an unsuspecting pirate crew…one whose dark secrets will plunge Conan on the trail of an ancient treasure that may prove to be his undoing!
An all-new age of SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN begins with a five-part tale of swords and sorcery by Gerry Duggan (DEADPOOL, INFINITY WARS) and illustrated by legendary artist Ron Garney (DAREDEVIL, THOR: GOD OF THUNDER) with covers by the incomparable Alex Ross, and breathtaking variant covers by Garney, Rahzzah, comics legend George Perez, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman!
Welcome to the deadly Hyborian Age—hope you survive the experience!
40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99

That's not a sword, savage or otherwise. That's an axe.

Okay, while I think it's fairly insane that Marvel is launching a second Conan comic immediately on the heels of their first one, without waiting to see if anyone on Earth wants to read more than one Marvel-produced Conan comic per month, the one good thing about Marvel's doing so and attaching a million variant covers to the first issue is that we get to see this, Kevin fucking Eastman's Savage Sword of Conan variant cover:

That's pretty cool, especially considering that Eastman is about the last artist on Earth whose artwork I would expect to see on a Marvel comic. I wonder if this was a one-off, or if it will get Eastman talking to Marvel editors, who will somehow be able to convince Eastman, Peter Laird and Frank Miller to collaborate on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Daredevil 12-part series, featuring guest art from everybody from Mirage Studios and Daredevil artists past and present...?

(Hey, maybe that's the new "Classified" direction of Daredevil! Zdarsky is going to introduced the Marvel Universe's version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who live in the sewers, dodging Morlocks and Mole Man's emerging monsters, while they battle against The Hand's ancient ninja rivals, The Foot, and continually refuse to join the X-Men because they're not that kind of mutants...

Oh, I also like Ron Garney's variant a lot too:

Garney's Daredevil art was super-great, and I would approve of his artwork on a TMNT/Daredevil crossover. Or a Conan comic, of course.

STAR WARS: EWOKS — FLIGHT TO DANGER TPB
Written by DAVID MANAK
Penciled by WARREN KREMER
Cover by WARREN KREMER
Journey to the forest world of Endor for adorable adventures with the Ewoks! Join Wicket Warrick, his friend Teebo and Chief Chirpa’s daughter Princess Kneesaa in colorful capers filled with rainbow bridges and rites of power! Who dares brave the Valley of Evil? Where will the Ewoks land when a mission of honor turns into a flight to danger? And what is the incredible secret of the Terrible Machine? There are discoveries and deadly games in store as the Ewoks face a call to arms, a chase to the end and a fight to the finish! The cuddly stars of Return of the Jedi take center stage in fun-filled stories guaranteed to make you sing “Yub Nub”! Collecting EWOKS #1-5.
112 PGS./All Ages …$15.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-91557-5

Weird. I was just thinking of these comics when working on the previous post, when discussing the Ewoks in the pages of Tales From Vader's Castle....

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #41
RYAN NORTH (W)
NAOMI FRANQUIZ (A)
Cover by ERICA HENDERSON
In the past months, Squirrel Girl has battled Kraven, rescued NYC from supernatural silence, kinda-maybe died and also fought Skrulls! So now it’s time for a nice break…which is why in THIS issue, Squirrel Girl does nothing but watch public domain movies on television!
That’s right! She just sits there! You can kinda see the TV screen over her shoulder in a couple of panels, but that’s it! It’s really quiet and relaxing and nothing much happens.
…
…THAT IS, UNTIL NANCY WHITEHEAD AND ANOTHER ESU STUDENT BY THE NAME OF PETER PARKER ARE TAKEN HOSTAGE BY A SUPER VILLAIN INTENT ON PROVING THAT SHE’S THE SMARTEST PERSON ON THE PLANET!
Then it’s super hero battles featuring THOR and SHE-HULK on a DATE! SQUIRREL GIRL matching wits against MS. QUIZZLER! And MORE!
Artist Naomi Franquiz makes her MARVEL DEBUT in a stanalone adventure you won’t want to miss!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Woah, woah, woah...! Naomi Franquiz? Another new Squirrel Girl artist? But I've only read a single trade paperback's worth of the old new artist Derek Charm's work...! (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 9: Squirrels Fall Like Dominoes is completely fucking brilliant, though; great Kraven story arc dealing with morality in the Marvel Universe, where characters can be heroes and/or villains, depending on which comic they are in, with an all-around perfect "silent" issue following it.) (Of course, this Franquiz character seems to be pretty good at drawing stuff, so I'm sure I'll live.)


THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP: G.I.R.L. POWER GN-TPB
Written by JEREMY WHITLEY
Penciled by ELSA CHARRETIER, VERONICA FISH, TED BRANDT & RO STEIN
Cover by ELSA CHARRETIER
Nadia spent most of her life as a captive of the Red Room, but now this teenage super-scientist is spreading her wings! Hank Pym’s daughter has a lot of lost time to make up for, and she’s determined to change the world. With Jarvis at her side, she’s on a mission to bring together the brightest girl geniuses of the Marvel Universe! But Nadia didn’t count on evil scientists, man-eating giant rats or the lethal lady wrestlers known as the Grapplers! As Nadia’s recruiting drive continues, the Red Room is on her trail — and they’ll pull out all the stops to get her back! Can the geniuses of G.I.R.L. find a way to save her from being dragged back to the bunker? And can the original Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, help Nadia forge a fresh future? Collecting THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP (2017) #1-8.
184 PGS./Rated T+ …$12.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-91656-5
Trim size: 6 x 9

I haven't read all of these yet, but the ones I did read were great. This was my first introduction to the work of Elsa Charretier, who I have since seen drawing some all-ages Star Wars stuff for IDW, and she's an incredible talent. I'd pretty highly recommend this comic, which I'll be pre-ordering myself.

I guess it was only a matter of time before this image appeared on the cover of a Marvel comic book. In retrospect, I suppose it's amazing it's taken this long. This is the cover of something called Wolverine: Infinity Watch, because if there's one thing Marvel's line has been missing, it's comics starring Wolverine, and if there's two things Marvel's line has been missing, it's comics starring Wolverine and cosmic comics with the word "Infinity" in the title.

ZIGGY PIG - SILLY SEAL COMICS #1
FRANK TIERI (W) • JACOB CHABOT (A)
COVER BY NIC KLEIN
...
NOT SO FUNNY WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU?
Once they were superstars of the Funny Animal Comedy circuit!
Now money and fame have ruined their friendship.
Will it ruin their lives?
32 PGS./ ONE-SHOT/Rated T …$3.99

Weird. This seems to be one of three one-shot comics that Marvel will be publishing in February specifically to renew a trademark or copyright or whatever. I'm not familiar with these characters, who pre-date Marvel, starring in a comic from Timely, but the solicitation copy echoes that of DC's Hanna-Barbereboot comic from Howard Chaykin, The Ruff and Reddy Show.