Sneak Peeks: Titles Shipping 5.21.08 (Part II)

With big thanks to Marvel, here are some preview pages for Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. #29, X-Men: Divided We Stand #2, Black Panther #36, Fantastic Four #557, Ghost Rider #23, and Ultimate X-Men #94. These titles are scheduled to ship next Wednesday.

There is one more batch of Sneak Peeks to come. This is the second of three.

Be warned, there may be some spoilers on the following pages.


IRON MAN: DIRECTOR OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #29
Beginning “WITH IRON HANDS,” a four-part epic! When an unseen terrorist throws a struggling nation into chaos, Tony Stark’s past as a munitions manufacturer collides with his present role as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Is Tony himself responsible? And what’s his connection to the deadly menace growing within S.H.I.E.L.D. itself?
Rated T+ …$2.99

X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND #2
Exploring the fallout of Messiah CompleX, the second part of this collection of short stories follows some of our favorite mutants as they make their way in a world without the X-Men. And only those who adapt will survive. Featuring Beast, Dark Beast, Havok, Vulcan and Surge!
Rated T+ …$3.99

BLACK PANTHER #36
BACK TO AFRICA, PART 2
Back in Wakanda, the Royal Couple’s troubles continue, as one of T’Challa’s greatest foes makes his power move.
Rated T+ …$2.99

FANTASTIC FOUR #557
“World’s Greatest” concludes! It’s the ultimate engine of peace pitted against Reed Richards’ most lethal invention, for all the marbles! And a shocking final page that’ll have you feeling every minute of the thirty-day wait until the next issue!
Rated T+ …$2.99

GHOST RIDER #23
"Hell-Bent and Heaven Bound," the first arc by the exciting new team of Jason Aaron and Roland Boschi, comes to its explosive conclusion. Ghost Rider has faced off against machine-gun-toting nurses, flesh-rending spirits and hungry cannibals, but has that brought him any closer to an answer in his quest for vengeance? Big things are brewing for Ol' Flamehead in '08, and the madness starts here, with what must surely be the most shocking last page in Ghost Rider history. Hint: He's back!
Parental Advisory …$2.99

ULTIMATE X-MEN #94
New scribe Aron Coleite jumps aboard, fresh from his stint as one of the top writers on the hit NBC show Heroes! Regrouping after the devastating battle against Apocalypse, the X-Men encounter a new adversary which seems unstoppable. To fight it, the young mutants must ask themselves: how far are they willing to go and what are they willing to take to raise their game? The answer will test the bonds and shake the team to its very core.
Rated T+ …$2.99

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Who Returns To Make Ghost Rider’s Life a Living Hell?

GHOST RIDER #23 (MAR082179)
Written by JASON AARON
Art by ROLAND BOSCHI
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—5/01/08, FOC—5/21/08

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Sneak Peeks: Titles Shipping 4.16.08 (Part II)

It's that time again. Thanks to Marvel, we have previews from Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #1, X-Men: Divided We Stand Book 1, Ghost Rider #22, Avengers: The Initiative #11, and War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #2. This is the second of three preview installments for titles shipping next Wednesday.

You may find some spoilers in the following images. You have been warned.

War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle is a MAX title, and contains mature themes and language.

IRON MAN: LEGACY OF DOOM #1
COVER BY: RON LIM
WRITER: DAVID MICHELINIE
PENCILS: RON LIM
INKS: BOB LAYTON
"A Knight in Hell"
Dr. Doom returns to menace Iron Man in the chilling and long-awaited conclusion of The Camelot Trilogy! Mephisto has apparently found a way to bring about The End Of Days and Tony Stark and Victor Von Doom must form an uneasy alliance to try and stop him. But all may not be as it seems. And it takes a journey to Hell itself before the shocking truth is revealed! Iron Man legends David Michelinie and Bob Layton are joined by penciler supreme Ron Lim to bring you the first part of an epic literally decades in the making!
Rated T+ …$2.99

X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND BOOK 1
COVER BY: BRANDON PETERSON
WRITERS: MIKE CAREY, MATT FRACTION, CRAIG KYLE, CHRISTOPHER YOST, and SKOTTIE YOUNG
PENCILS: BRANDON PETERSON, JAMIE MCKELVIE, SANA TAKEDA, and SKOTTIE YOUNG
In the wake of Messiah CompleX, there are no X-Men. But where does that leave the mutants that WERE X-Men? Some of the industry’s hottest creators bring you stories of your favorite mutants. Mike Carey (X-MEN, ULTIMATE FF) and Brandon Peterson (ULTIMATE EXTINCTION) bring you a tale of Cannonball and Husk. Matt Fraction (PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL, IRON FIST) and Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram) tell a story about Nightcrawler. Craig Kyle & Christ Yost (X-FORCE) and Sana Takeda (Drain) take you to Wakanda for a tale of Storm, Black Panther and Neznho. And Skottie Young (NEW X-MEN) writes and draws a story about your favorite New X-Man Anole.
Rated T+…$3.99

GHOST RIDER #22
COVER BY: MARKO DJURDJEVIC
WRITER: JASON AARON
PENCILS and INKS: ROLAND BOSCHI
HELL TO PAY Part 3 of 4
Do you like gigantic running battles involving man-eating ghosts, machine–gun nurses and motorcyclists with flaming noggins? If so, then boy, have we got the book for you. It's Ghost Rider versus a haunted stretch of roadway in what we just had to call "Deathrace on Ghost Cannibal Highway." And did we mention that ol' flamehead is swinging a scythe this time around? Good luck, ghost cannibals.
Parental Advisory …$2.99

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #11
COVER BY: STEVE UY
WRITERS: DAN SLOTT and CHRISTOS N. GAGE
PENCILS and INKS: STEFANO CASELLI
"Killed in Action" Part 4 of 4: Worst Case Scenario
By now you know who KIA is, what he wants, and who he's killed.
Initiative regulars, new recruits, and big name characters: no one's been safe. And that's never been more true than here at the bitter end. Join what's left of the Initiative as they and the MIGHTY AVENGERS try to stop their greatest threat.
Rated T+ …$2.99

WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE #2
COVER BY: JOHN CASSADAY
WRITER: GARTH ENNIS
PENCILS and INKS: HOWARD CHAYKIN
The battle for the skies continues as young pilot Karl Kauffman takes the fight to the Hun. But as the missions continue and the body count rises, Kauffman learns quickly that combat isn’t as glamorous as he’d hoped. Meanwhile, his fellow soldiers begin to question the strange circumstances of his arrival. Kauffman must prove his worth before his past is uncovered. But doing so might cost the lives of his closest friends.
Cardstock Cover/Explicit Content …$3.99

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Preview: Ghost Rider #22

Ghost Rider Rides The Twisted Road To Heaven!

Combine sadistic, gun-toting nurses with evil man-eating ghosts and you get one hell of a day for Ghost Rider! Writer Jason Aaron’s critically acclaimed “Hell To Pay” story continues in Ghost Rider #22, the penultimate chapter of the action packed ride that leads into the stunning return of a character than we can only call the most shocking last page in Ghost Rider history! With gritty art from Roland Boschi and a powerful cover by rising star Marko Djurdjevic, now’s your chance to find out why critics and fans can’t stop raving about Ghost Rider!

“Aaron's knack for gritty characters and gritty situations shine through,” gushed Jesse Schedeen of IGN.Com. “Artist Roland Boschi draws a mean Ghost Rider to match.”

“This book has got guts,” exclaimed Bryant Frattalone of ComicsBulletin.Com. “Stick around for the ride.”

“Ghost Rider is one book that’ll get your heart racing past the redline in by the last page,” said Andy Serwin of WizardUniverse.Com

With Heaven in his sights and on his tail, Ghost Rider may just need some divine intervention to survive! Don’t miss Ghost Rider #22!

GHOST RIDER #22 (FEB082225)
Written by JASON AARON
Art by ROLAND BOSCHI
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Parental Advisory …$2.99
FOC—3/27/08, On-Sale—4/16/08

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Sneak Peeks: Titles Shipping 3.19.08 (Part II)

Here's the second batch of sneak peeks for titles shipping next week. Enjoy the first pages of Ghost Rider #21, Incredible Hercules #115, Marvel Adventures The Avengers #22, The Order #9, Thor #7, and Wolverine: Origins #23.


Ghost Rider #21
By Jason Aaron (writer) and Roland Boschi (artist)

Incredible Hercules #115
By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (pencils), and Paul Neary & Danny Miki (inks

Marvel Adventures The Avengers #22
By Marc Sumerak (writer)Ig Guara (pencils), and Jay Leisten (inks)

The Order #9
By Matt Fraction (writer), Barry Kitson (breakdowns), Javier Saltares (pencils), and Stefano Gaudiano & Derek Fridolfs (inks)

Thor #7
By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Marko Djurdjevic (pencils), and Danny Miki (inks)

Wolverine: Origins #23
By Daniel Way (writer) and Steve Dillon (artist)

Initial thoughts:

Ghost Rider looks amazing and reads great. This is a team that firmly has a grasp on the character. It's still nice seeing Hercules in his 'own' book. Marvel Adventures titles interest me because we see familiar characters in a different setting. The Order is going out with a bang. Thor shows me that even though he's a fantastic painter and cover artist, Marko Djurdjevic needs to do more sequential work. It's a crime to keep this talent hidden from us. And Danny Miki is a master at inking. Finally, Wolverine: Origins continues to make my reading pile. But I'm probably one of the few that isn't that big of a Deadpool fan, so this storyline can wrap up any minute now.

Thanks to Marvel for providing the preview pages.