Marvel Penguin Picks: September 2025
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Marvel Tales by J. Michael Straczynski
The famed writer of “Babylon 5,” “Amazing Spider-Man,” and “Midnight Nation” has been doing a series of one-shots for the publisher featuring a number of unlikely team-ups. Captain America and Volstagg. Nick Fury and Fing Fang Foom. Hulk and Doctor Strange. Ghost Rider and Galactus (well, that one won’t feel too unlikely for anyone who has read “Thanos Wins”). Spider-Man and the Sinister Sixteen. There’s a lot of appeal in seeing oddball team-ups like this as you’d expect the clash of personalities between these characters to produce a lot of unexpected interactions. Straczynski is a good enough writer that I think he’ll be able to deliver on the potential inherent in these team-ups and the artists he’s working with – including Juan Ferreyra, German Peralta and Phil Noto – are a solid bunch.
But I’d be kidding if I didn’t say that the one team-up I’m looking forward to reading above all others here is Doctor Doom and Rocket Raccoon. I mean, I still can’t imagine what kind of favor the Doctor would want to ask of Marvel’s most militant raccoon.
Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1: It’s the team-up you thought would never happen, which was likely prompted by how dire and or chaotic things currently are in the comics industry. Marvel and DC have been so at odds over the years, along with their respective corporate overlords at Disney and Warner Bros. that any kind of crossovers like the ones from the 70’s and 90’s seemed like a genuine impossibility. Then, over a month ago, it was announced that we’d be getting two Batman and Deadpool crossover comics from each publisher with more crossovers promised for the future. Would this have happened if Diamond hadn’t gone bankrupt earlier this year throwing the entire industry into all-new chaos? I kind of doubt it.
Anyway, I’m all for these comics considering the impressive creative teams that they’ve assembled behind them. On the Marvel side we’ve got Zeb Wells writing this and Greg Capullo illustrating it. That’s a team I’d buy any comic from, and the deal is sweetened here with additional team-up strips from Kevin Smith and Adam Kubert (Daredevil and Green Arrow), Chip Zdarsky and Terry Dodson (Captain America and Wonder Woman), and Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru (Jeff the Land Shark and Krypto). That’s a hell of a team for this $7, 64-page comic. Still, DC has the “Klaus” team supreme of Grant Morrison and Dan Mora on “Batman/Deadpool” so it’s really anybody’s guess which will wind up being the better entry.
Battleworld #1 (of 5): Picking up from the premise of “Secret Wars” where characters from the Marvel Multiverse are thrown onto a patchwork planet to fight for the fate of their timelines. The original series was a twelve-issue event while Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s 2015 event had to have an extra ninth issue added to its originally solicited eight issue run. So trying to do this kind of story again in five issues seems like this miniseries might have its work cut out for it. Still, writer Christos Gage and artist Marcus To are a solid team, so it’s possible this might turn out all right in the end.
Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 (of 5): It’s the series of miniseries that just won’t die! This time we’ve got writer Ethan Parker and artist Jan Bazaluda asking what would happen if the spaceflight that birthed the Fantastic Four turned them into something else instead. Sounds cute, and also two months too late to tie into the movie’s launch. I haven’t read one of these stories in years and I can’t say there’s anything in this solicitation that makes me want to. That said, having Greg Land, who illustrated the story that spawned “Marvel Zombies” in the pages of “Ultimate Fantastic Four,” do the covers for this series makes this a full circle footnote for the franchise.
Punisher: Red Band #1 (of 5): After embarking on his last adventure in the Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, and Jesus Saiz maxi-series, and then being replaced in a miniseries from last year, it should surprise no one that Frank Castle is back as the “Punisher.” I can’t say that either series was bad enough to warrant the memory-hole treatment the character’s time as a Heaven-sent slayer of demons did in the 90’s when Garth Ennis took over, but they do come off as a significant overreaction from the publisher based on how some far-right elements adopted the character’s signature skull logo for their own ends.
Now we have this new miniseries from the “Hellverine” team of writer Benjamin Percy and artist Julius Ohta. The solicitation is tight-lipped about the actual plot, only telling us that Frank has lost his memory but still has a thirst for righteous vengeance. It should also be noted that the “Red Band” subtitle for this (and the aforementioned “Marvel Zombies” series) is Marvel’s current Mature Readers signifier, so expect this to be much more violent and gory than your average Marel comic. Whether or not it’ll be as good as Ennis’ “Punisher Max” comics remains to be seen… Oh who am I kidding, this doesn’t stand a chance of that and if it somehow does, I’ll eat my hat.
Imperial War: Exiles #1 & Nova – Centurion #1: More “Imperial” spinoffs co-written by Jonathan Hickman. This time he’s teaming with Steve Foxe to let us know how Professor X and Lilandra are going to save their daughter Xandra from the coup on the Shi’ar Homeworld, and Jed MacKay to show us how Nova’s new mercenary status is going to save the Xandarian Worldmind. In case you’re curious if these tie-ins will be collected along with the main series, a quick look over at the book’s Amazon listing says that yes, they will be. Which certainly saves me the trouble of having to decide whether or not to seek these out on my own terms.
Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1 (of 4): Wherein the titular bounty hunter finds himself up against Imperial and Rebel factions for a target that has played both sides against each other. Oh, and he’s hiding out in a very dangerous volcanic planet to boot. It certainly sounds like a mission for Boba Fett. The question is whether or not the “Predator vs. Black Panther” team of writer Benjamin Percy and artist Chris Allen are up for it. Also, whether or not this will be a miniseries or issue-length story.
Star Wars: Han Solo – The Hunt for the Falcon #1 (of 5): Did you ever wonder how Han and Chewbacca got separated from the Millenium Falcon before the events of “The Force Awakens?” Or how they went about trying to track it down? Then this miniseries from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Ramon Rosanas is for you. I can’t say I have, so please let me know if this winds up being any good.
Ultimate Black Panther vol. 3: Darkness & Light: Black Panther had Moon Knight at his mercy at the end of vol. 2 and was ready to put an end to his interference before he was interrupted by the Sorcerer Supreme. Now, T’Challa is about to get some answers regarding Vibranium that may reveal the miracle metal has been using him as much as he and his people have been using it. Additionally, he embarks on a mission with Storm that may have the two of them growing closer than they would’ve thought possible. All of this sounds promising, which means that the upward trend in quality from vol. 2 may continue here.