Marvel Previews Picks: May 2019
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Infinity Wars by Gerry Duggan: The Complete Collection
The main reason I’m putting this collection here is because it got me to stop buying something. Specifically, the two “Infinity Wars” collections (the prelude and the main event) that are currently in the wild right now. As one of Marvel’s big events last year I figured it’d make an easy subject for a podcast. Until I saw this collection which knocks $10 off the combined price of the two collections and puts them in an oversized hardcover. So I figured I’d wait until this edition comes out in October in order to read the whole thing.
“But Jason,” I hear you say, “How is it that you’re able to wait to so long to read about the latest big event from Marvel?” That’s easy. “Infinity Wars” was only one of several events last year and I felt it got a little lost in the shuffle as a result. This is in spite of the fact that it shared part of its name with the big movie that came out around the same time, which would indicate that it was supposed to be the main Marvel Comics event of 2018. Then you’ve got the fact that I’ve been cold on writer Gerry Duggan ever since he wrote a “Deadpool” story bad enough to convince me to stop reading the series. Now that he’s writing a big event like this, I feel obligated to give him a second chance here. No rush, as you can see. And speaking of the writer…
Savage Avengers #1: It’s been, what, a year with just one main “Avengers” title? Time to start building up the line again… savagely. If you’re wondering what makes this particular team worthy of such a moniker then consider the lineup: Wolverine, Punisher, Elektra, Venom, and… Conan? That’s right, everyone’s favorite barbarian is now part of an Avengers team. I’d say this is a particularly foolhardy move on Marvel’s part, adding a character they don’t own to the Avengers. However, the fact that this is happening hopefully means they’ve worked out some kind of deal with the “Conan” rights holders that will allow them to keep his new appearances in the Marvel Universe in print after he’s departed the publisher again. As for the comic itself, this comes from Duggan and his “Infinity Wars” collaborator Mike Deodato Jr. The solicitation text name-checks a lot of plot points, but gives no actual plot. Which means that your interest in this team is likely proportional to your interest in its members or creative team.
War of the Realms: Strikeforce One-Shots: The war marches on this month and spills out into a ton of one-shots, miniseries, and tie-in issues. These one-shots look to be the most interesting and maybe even “most relevant” to the main event itself. You’ve got “The Dark Elf Realm” from writer Bryan Hill and artist Lenil Yu, which has Freyja leading a team composed of Jennifer “Hulk” Walters, Punisher, Blade, and Ghost Rider on a mission behind enemy lines to shut down the Black Bifrost. “The War Avengers,” from Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum and Kim Jacinto, involves Captain Marvel trying to hold the front lines alongside Weapon H, Venom, Deadpool, Captain Britain, Winter Soldier, and Black Widow. Then we’ve got Tom Taylor and Jorge Molina delivering “The Land of Giants” as Captain America, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, and Wolverine, try to rescue Thor from Jotunheim. Even if these one-shots don’t turn out to be that relevant to the main story, the creative teams involved make me think that they’ll be good reads nonetheless. Also, my gut tells me that as these one-shots don’t appear to have any strong affiliation to a particular series, they’ll be collected together in one volume. Which will make it an easy buy for me if that happens.
Star Wars #108: No, this isn’t a renumbering of the current ongoing “Star Wars” series. I can see how you’d think that, though. This is actually a special “Legacy” follow-up to the original “Star Wars” comic series that Marvel published back in the 80’s. I’m not sure why we’re getting, or even need, this. The fact that it’s being written by Matthew Rosenberg, with the involvement of artists like Giuseppe Camuncoli and Luke Ross leaves me hoping that this will at least be a weirdly entertaining exercise in excavating nostalgia.
Spider-Man vs. Mysterio: A collection of the villain’s most notable faceoffs with Spider-Man. Just in time to familiarize new readers with the villain before he makes his big-screen debut in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in July. But this isn’t the most interesting Spider-movie related publication in these solicitations…
Spider-Man Noir: The Complete Collection: Behold the power of (the Academy Award-winning) “Enter the Spider-Verse.” It was so great and popular that we’re now getting a collection of the two “Spider-Man: Noir” miniseries following the character’s appearance in that film. While the Nicolas Cage-voiced version of the character took itself just seriously enough to make the film that much more fun, these miniseries are a lot-more straight-faced about their noir influences. So when the solicitation text describes a Peter Parker who becomes an urban vigilante during the Great Depression following a spider-bite, don’t expect to laugh a whole lot while reading this.
Avengers: No Road Home: Marvel wrapped up its three ongoing “Avengers” titles last year in a weekly event series called “No Surrender.” It was a slick, solidly made superhero story, but not one that I’d count as being among the best work of its three writers: Mark Waid, Al Ewing, and Jim Zub. It did well enough for itself that we’re getting a thematic sequel from the same creative team where a new group of Avengers takes on Nyx, Queen of the Night, after she brings darkness to the Marvel Universe. Even if “No Surrender” was just alright, I’m inclined to give this a shot to see if the three writers can do a better job when they’re not having to deal with giving three teams of Avengers enough to do. (And I won’t have to worry about seeing Ewing’s “U.S.Avengers” get the short shrift. What? No, I’m not bitter about that…)
Avengers by Jason Aaron vol. 3: War of the Vampires: Does exactly what it says on the tin, I would imagine. I mean, why would you title a collection “War of the Vampires” and then not have one inside?
Uncanny X-Men: Cyclops and Wolverine: Both X-Men are newly returned from the dead, just in time to miss out on being involved in the “Age of X-Man” event. So with all of the X-Men missing, what are two of their most famous members to do now? Form a new team of X-Men of course. With the new Mutant Liberation Front looking to start some trouble, Scott and Logan have to work through their issues together before these extremists make mutants even more hated and feared than they already are. It’s been a long time since the title characters have been on the same team, let alone worked towards a common goal, and that’s not the only return to a familiar mutant status quo that Marvel has been making in recent months. Still, I’ve come to appreciate what writer Matthew Rosenberg brings to the table and this will be Salvador Larroca’s first Marvel Universe work in years after illustrating “Darth Vader” and “Star Wars.” Frankly, there’s a lot to look forward to seeing here.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra vol. 5: It’s not formally listed in the solicitation, but this volume’s subtitle is “Worst Among Equals.” It involves Aphra on the run from the law and bounty hunters to cross a hostile metropolis in ten hours before the bomb in her throat detonates. Oh, and the bomb will also detonate if she strays too far from her partner. Who’s her partner? None other than Triple-Zero, the murder droid whose love for Aphra is matched only by its desire to see her dead. I’m interested. Si Spurrier writes with Kev Walker providing the art for the main story, and Spurrier’s “Angelic” partner Caspar Wijngaard doing the art for the included annual.