Marvel Penguin Picks: April 2022
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
X-Men: Red #’s 1&2
You may recall that I said Al Ewing’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “S.W.O.R.D.” were two of my favorite comics last year. Unfortunately they suffered from not selling well enough to continue beyond issues #18 and #11, respectively. However, Al Ewing is a consummate comics professional and all of the plots he set in motion in those series will just be rolled over into this new title. Though it’s ostensibly about Storm and her management of Mars – excuse me, Planet Arakko – and the millions of new mutants living there, a lot of the cast from “S.W.O.R.D.” will be making the jump to this title. First and foremost being Abigail Brand and her signature brand of ruthlessness. Though she believes in Earth having a strong presence in cosmic affairs, she’s got some very specific ideas about how to get there and they don’t always align with mutant interests. Seeing her clash with Storm over this should make for some great drama.
These solicitations also mention that Cable (back in his old man form) and Magneto will be showing up here as well. In addition to… ROBERT DA COSTA?! HELL YEAH! Ewing’s version of the former New Mutant, turned X-Force member, turned Avenger, and full-time businessman was a highlight of his underappreciated “New Avengers/U.S.Avengers” run. This take on Sunspot was someone who could see all the angles and plan accordingly, and who could respond to the threat that his office had been turned into a deathtrap with, “You mean like some kind of… Danger Room?” It was a joy to read and it’s been disappointing to see other writers fail to pick up on this read of the character. Which is why it’s so good to see Ewing and Bobby reunited at last.
Amazing Spider-Man #’s 1&2: It’s honestly kind of surprising to see Marvel re-number the previous series after it was so close to reaching its own issue #100 – with issue #101 being #900 for the series overall. I’m sure the company will find a way to capitalize on that last bit in due time however. Numbering aside, this latest relaunch sees Zeb Wells take on the Web-Head on a regular basis with living legend John Romita Jr. joining him on the art (for the first arc, at least). Wells is a writer who has been doing good work for a long while at Marvel, to the point where you’d think he’d have snagged a high-profile gig like this years ago. He’s demonstrated a way to mix quirky, funny sensibilities with genuinely dramatic storytelling, which makes him a perfect fit for Spidey and just the creator we need to turn this title around after Nick Spencer drove it into the ground.
Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War: Heh, I see what they did there. This isn’t just a throwaway one-shot featuring the two superpowered heroes slugging it out against each other. No, it’s the kickoff to a five-part crossover between the “Thor” and “Hulk” titles. Both of which are, coincidentally, written by Donny Cates, who also writes this issue as well. Martin Coccolo provides the art for this story that naturally sees the Green Goliath take on the God of Thunder. As for what it’s about beyond that, I can’t really say. I’m reading both titles, so I’ll be picking this up in due time.
Deadpool: Bad Blood #’s 1&2: For those of you who were waiting to read the Deadpool original graphic novel Rob Liefeld did with co-writers Chris Sims and Chad Bowers in single issue form, your time has come. I don’t know why you were waiting for this, but here you are.
Legion of X #1: We’re effectively getting a new season of “X-Men” books between this round of solicitations and the last. “Legion of X” represents Si Spurrier’s second X-title of the Krakoa Era after “Way of X” didn’t set the sales charts on fire. Nightcrawler and Legion are returning from that book for this one about mutant justice. This isn’t quite a mutant cop show, even if it will show how the two of them, along with Juggernaut, Pixie, and whatever rando mutant Spurrier feels like writing for the arc, are going to keep the peace on the island. Jan Bazaluda will be providing the art on this book, which is a good thing, even if I still need to check out “Way of X” to determine how excited I should be for this series. (Yes, I know I should have done this already, but the collected edition isn’t out yet…)
Knights of X #1: The gates to Otherworld have been closed and Betsy “Captain Britain” Braddock finds herself on the side that isn’t Krakoa. With Merlin and King Arthur on the hunt for “witchbreed” like her, Betsy is forced to gather her own round table of mutants to fight back. “Excalibur” writer Tini Howard is joined by artist Bob Quinn for this series. It feels safe to say that if you liked what Howard was doing in that title, then you’ll want to follow her here. This version of “Excalibur” never clicked with me so this title is getting a pass.
X-Men ‘92: House of XCII #1 (of 5): How successful has the Krakoa Era been for the X-Men? So successful that we’re now getting a take on what it would have looked like if the classic animated series from the 90’s had adapted the storyline. As someone who remembers watching that show when it originally aired, there’s a kind of morbid fascination to what writer Steve Foxe and artist Salva Espin are trying here. It’s also the kind of fascination that will wait and see if the creators have a truly inspired and/or crazy take on this premise that will make it worth reading.
Moon Knight: Black, White, and Blood #1 (of 4): I’m not really a fan of the character, but I felt it was worth mentioning that Jonathan Hickman and Chris Bachalo are doing a story for this issue. I’ll likely check it out once it hits Marvel Unlimited. Also contributing stories in this issue: Marc Guggenheim & Jorge Fornes, and Murewa Ayodele & Dotun Akande.
Black Panther by John Ridley vol. 1: Long Shadow, Part One: How do you top a run that started with a Wakandan Revolution and then sent the title character to topple an empire in space? By dialing things way back and showing us how T’Challa’s need to be one step ahead of everyone can bite him in the ass. It’s why he needs to save the life of a Wakandan secret agent. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because if he doesn’t then the real reasons he sent the agent out in the first place may be exposed. Before he won an Academy Award for writing “12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley wrote comics. After writing most of them for DC, he’s getting a shot at a high profile Marvel gig with artist Juann Cabal. I’m onboard for this, as Ridley’s experience means that this new “Black Panther” series should have a much smoother start than the last one.
Hulk by Donny Cates vol. 1: Smashtronaut: If nothing else, you have to admire Cates’ guts. Most writers would balk at the idea of following up one legendary superhero comics run. With “Thor” and now “Hulk,” Cates is currently following up on two. He’s doing a decent job on “Thor” and that I can say that after Jason Aaron’s run is something of an achievement in itself. That gives me reason to be optimistic about what to expect from this title as he sends the Green Goliath into SPAAAAAAAAAAACE!!! If that’s not reason enough to be excited, consider that he’s being joined on this arc by the immensely talented Ryan Ottley, who is going to make everything look like a smashing good time.
Avengers Forever vol. 1: The Lords of Earthly Vengeance: So tell me, how into Jason Aaron’s “Avengers” run are you? Me? I like the overall direction of the series as the writer is clearly building towards a big Avengers vs. Mephisto showdown. Some of the individual arcs, however, haven’t quite clicked in the way that I would’ve liked them to. I’m including spinoff event “Heroes Reborn” as it told its own story while also being relevant to the overall arc of Aaron’s “Avengers.” That’s what I’m expecting to see from this title which sees Ghost Rider assembling a team of multiversal Avengers on a quest for vengeance. If you like the brand of casual, over-the-top craziness that the writer brings to his Marvel series, then it’s possible you could enjoy this on its own terms. Me, I’m already feeling tired about buying another “Avengers” book just to make sure I’m on top of the events that are happening in the main one.