Marvel Previews Picks: April 2015
This may not surprise anyone, but yesterday’s article started off as the intro to this post. At around the third paragraph I realized that it wasn’t going to fit here anymore. That said, on with the picks!
Uncanny Inhumans #0: One more reason why “Secret Wars” isn’t going to prompt a Marvel Reboot. After all, why would they want to interrupt this new series featuring more of characters which the company really, REALLY wants you to love in advance of their movie in 2017. Trying to position the Inhumans as a kind of off-brand X-Men does nobody any good. Giving them a new series, even one with art for the first few issues by Steve McNiven, is likely only going to dilute whatever appeal they had even further. Yes, sales on the latest issue did jump up by an impressive 20K, but that was down to Marvel double-shipping it to take advantage of events from “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” The company is welcome to try harder, but I’m not sure how much less I can be interested.
Kanan — The Last Padawan #1: So much for two ongoing series and an ongoing series of miniseries. This third ongoing “Star Wars” title focuses on the character from the “Star Wars: Rebels” show. Notably, it’s being written by the show’s executive producer, who is also one of its writers (and the man behind Disney’s “Gargoyles” so long ago), Greg Weisman. Having the involvement of any person affiliated with the original work is a real coup for any licensed spinoff. Not having watched the show, I’m not all that interested. Still, if you like “Rebels” then this will likely be worth your time.
Max Ride #’s 1&2: More interested to know how this license wound up at Marvel after spawning a bestselling series of global manga graphic novels from Del Rey than actually reading this. James Patterson has that effect on me.
Daredevil #15: That cover is just so D’AAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!! I think it’s Daredevil’s smile that really makes it work…
Powers Omnibus vol. 1: Collects issues #1-37, the original run for the series at Image. Arguably the series’ high point given how much invention, character, and flat-out weirdness Bendis and Oeming managed to cram into it. You’ll also want to pick up the inevitable second volume, which will likely collect the 25 issues that make up its first run at Marvel. That one had a lot to recommend it as well, particularly with the hellish twists and turns that Deena Pilgrim’s life takes in it. After that… The series still remains an entertaining read, but it has lost a lot of steam with its scheduling issues and what feels like constant relaunches. If there’s a third omnibus at some point, it’s going to be a pretty choppy read.
Spider-Verse HC: Here’s a funny story: A few months back this $75 hardcover was selling for around $26 on Amazon. As I’ve been onboard for Dan Slott’s “Amazing” run so far it seemed like a no-brainer decision to buy. Then this week came around and my copy of “Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2: Spider-Verse Prelude” arrived and I noticed something. All of the issues contained in this volume were also going to be collected in this HC. If I get the HC now, I’ll effectively be double-dipping on my comic purchases. Yes, there are a bunch of tie-ins collected here as well; but, none of them look to be all that important. The HC doesn’t even collect the Edge of Spider-Verse miniseries which gave us Spider-Gwen and Gerard Way’s futuristic spider-hero. (I’ll be picking up that collection mainly for those two stories. We’ll see if the rest of them can keep up.) In the end, I’ve decided to wait and pick up the “Spider-Verse” softcover which will just collect the core storyline from “Amazing.”
What’s the moral of this story? Uh… don’t be dumb like me and always check to see what issues are being collected in the hardcover of the crossover you’re collecting? I guess you could consider that useful in a very specialized kind of way.
Secret Wars Prelude: Apparently Marvel thinks that the best way to promote the upcoming event is by publishing the last three issues of the original “Secret Wars,” the first three issues of Hickman’s “Avengers,” random issues of Hickman’s runs on “Fantastic Four” and “Ultimate Comics Ultimates” and the first issue of “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man” featuring Miles Morales. Because putting all of these issues together will reveal the many disparate threads coming together to form a rich tapestry. A very funny-looking one given the issues in question.
Civil War: Ms. Marvel: Um… kinda wondering why this is being solicited here almost a decade after it was first published. Is it part of a promotion for the upcoming movie (also arriving in 2017 and something I’m not nearly as indifferent to as “Inhumans”) or did someone’s finger slip and it wound up here instead of wherever Marvel normally advertises re-offered volumes of their comics. Does anyone have an idea? Anybody…? Bueller…?