Sneak Peeks: Titles Shipping 4.30.08 (Part I)

Another week, another batch of Sneak Peeks! With many thanks to Marvel, we have the opening pages of Immortal Iron Fist #14, X-Men: Legacy #210, Ultimate Human #4, and New Warriors #11; and the first two pages of the four stories in Marvel Comics Presents #8 all scheduled to be in stores next Wednesday!


Be warned, you may find some spoilers in the following images.


IMMORTAL IRON FIST #14
COVER BY: KAARE ANDREWS
WRITERS: MATT FRACTION & ED BRUBAKER
PENCILS: TONCI ZONJIC, CLAY MANN, and KANO
INKS: STEFANO GAUDIANO and KANO
This is it, kids--the skull–busting, chest–punching, punch–kicking conclusion to THE SEVEN CAPITAL CITIES OF HEAVEN. Seven practitioners of super kung fu, champing at the bit to bloody each other to a pulp. A rogue Hydra cell, intent on destroying K'un-Lun from Earth, loads its terror train full of explosives and prepares to fire it through a warp in space-time. A schism in the leadership of K'un-Lun threatens to tear the city in two. The original Heroes for Hire, outgunned, outmanned, and out of time somewhere in Tibet. And Davos, the arch-rival of Iron Fist, intent on exploiting all this chaos, wants to assassinate Danny Rand once and for all. When was the last time a comic melted your face off? When was the last time you read THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST?
Rated T+ …$3.99

X-MEN: LEGACY #210
COVER BY: DAVID FINCH
WRITER: MIKE CAREY
PENCILS: SCOT EATON and GREG LAND
INKS: JOHN DELL & ANDREW HENNESSY and JAY LEISTEN
In the wake of Messiah CompleX, there are no X-Men and mutantkind still lies in ruin. With Magneto depowered and Xavier gravely injured, it seems their reign as the preeminent mutants has ended. But neither of these old soldiers is willing to go gentle into that good night, as Exodus learns when he squares off against Xavier on the psychic plane, with the fate of Professor X’s mind at stake.
Rated A …$2.99

ULTIMATE HUMAN #4
COVER BY: CARY NORD
WRITER: WARREN ELLIS
PENCILS: CARY NORD
Hulk vs. Iron Man – the conclusion! The full scope of Peter Wisdom’s terrifying plan is revealed, but Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are powerless to stop his mad scheme! Has the world traded the horror of the Hulk for a menace many times more deadly? The dream team of Warren Ellis and Cary Nord deliver a shock ending to the climax of this critically acclaimed event.
Rated T+ …$2.99

NEW WARRIORS #11
COVER BY: NIC KLEIN
WRITER: KEVIN GREVIOUX
PENCILS: PACO MEDINA
INKS: JUAN VLASCO
Would you trust a man who puts you in harm’s way? Someone who throws you into the path of a maniac for what he claims is the greater good? The New Warriors are becoming increasingly suspicious of their leader. When Night Thrasher pits the team against a super-villain who’s out of their league, the Warriors are left to wonder: What could possibly be worth their lives?
Rated T+ …$2.99

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #8
COVER BY: BRANDON PETERSON
WRITERS: MARC GUGGENHEIM, IVAN BRANDON, ANDY SCHMIDT, and RICH KOSLOWSKI
PENCILS: FRANCIS TSAI, NIKO HENRICHON, MARCO TURINI, and MARCO CHECCHETTO
Aaron Stack has been drinking again…drinking to keep the ghosts of his past at bay. It wouldn’t be a problem if he was just a man—but he’s MACHINE MAN, and his past has a way of coming alive! Join 24/7 creator Ivan Brandon and Pride of Baghdad artist Niko Henrichon for the debut of an all-new 5-part Machine Man tale! Plus: CYCLOPS & WOLVERINE go hunting, WEAPON OMEGA battles U.S. Agent, and VANGUARD reveals the truth about the murder of John Doe.
Rated A …$3.99

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Review: Q&D - 3.26.08

Daredevil #106: Ed Brubaker continues to write a Matt Murdock that you feel for. How do you move on with your life when everything you smell reminds you of the woman you can't see? It's hard for people without enhanced senses. For Matt, it's even harder to stay sane. Guest artist Paul Azaceta beautifully illustrates Brubaker's story of three of Matt's friends coping with his pain.

X-Men: First Class #10: Jeff Parker loves me. Okay, I'm sure he doesn't. And until he posted this entry on his site, he most likely never even thought about me. But that's okay. Because this issue tells the tale of a Cyclops solo adventure. Want to know why Cyclops is the leader? Reading this story will help in unerstanding the character's origins. Craig Rousseau does an admirable job filling in for Roger Cruz this month.

Wolverine: First Class #1: Now this is a nice first issue. For someone like myself whose been an X-Men fan for a long time and remembers when Kitty joined the team (even if I wasn't an active reader at the time, joining the faithful at the end of the Dave Cockrum run just prior to Paul Smith starting), this is a look 'between panels' at the beginning of the friendship she shares with Logan. And if you're not familiar with Kitty Pryde and want to know why she would be teamed up with Wolverine, Fred Van Lente and Andrea Di Vito do an amazing job of answering that question, starting with this issue. You can't go wrong with this one.

Ms. Marvel #25: SKRULLS!!

Ultimate Human #3: This has been a gorgeous story. Cary Nord and Dave Stewart do wonders bringing Warren Ellis' script to life. They make a great team. The only nitpick I have is the majority of this issue told the origin of the Leader. Problem is, the origin story takes place in the past and after being in the present day for the first two issues, it was a little jarring being thrown into what's basically a flashback, cold, and at the beginning of the issue. But I guess I'm a little old-school where we would usually have the villain exclaim his triumph over our hero or heroes and we'd get the origin in a handful of panels. It still works here, don't get me wrong. And if that's the only thing I can bitch about, then really, this story's firing on all cylinders.

Sneak Peeks: Titles Shipping 3.26.08 (Part I)

Here are some pages from a few titles shipping next week, March 26, 2008. In this first batch we have Black Panther #35, Daredevil #106, X-Men: Legacy #209, Wolverine: First Class #1, Ultimate Human #3, Marvel Atlas #2, and New Warriors #10.

WARNING: There may be some spoilers in the following images.

A big thanks to Marvel for providing these previews.

BLACK PANTHER #35
WRITER: REGINALD HUDLIN
PENCILS: CAFU
INKS: FRANCIS PORTELA
BACK TO AFRICA
Out of the frying pan…into the fire! Their fantastic adventures in the interdimensional superhighway complete, the Wakandan Royal couple at last return to Wakanda -- only to find home is anything but sweet. With serious strife tearing apart his court, and one of the Panther’s greatest foes waiting to strike, is it too late for T’Challa to regain control of his kingdom?
Rated T+ …$2.99

DAREDEVIL #106
WRITER: ED BRUBAKER
PENCILS: PAUL AZACETA
INKS: PAUL AZACETA
MATT MURDOCK FACES A LONG NIGHT OF THE SOUL!
Reeling from the events of last issue, Matt Murdock struggles to come to grips with all the things we can't tell you about because they would spoil the ending of the previous arc. Drifting into anger and depression, Daredevil stalks the streets of Hell's Kitchen, looking for bad guys to take it out on…but is he really just taking it out on himself? By Harvey and Eisner-Winning Best Writer Ed Brubaker and special guest artist Paul Azaceta (CAPTAIN MARVEL, Grounded, Talent)!
Rated T+ …$2.99

X-MEN: LEGACY #209
WRITER: MIKE CAREY
PENCILS: SCOT EATON
INKS: JOHN DELL
MINDSCAPE SEQUENCE ART: BILLY TAN
Xavier and Magneto face-to-face again! With Xavier comatose and Magneto depowered, these old soldiers appear sidelined. But neither man has abandoned his dream. With the future of mutantkind in flux, how far will these men go to reclaim their place as firsts among their people? And what will happen to those who get in their way?
Fresh off their groundbreaking run on Messiah Complex, writer Mike Carey (X-MEN) and artists Scot Eaton (X-FACTOR) and Billy Tan (UNCANNY X-MEN) take on two of mutantkind’s most iconic figures as well as some of the most important moments in X-Men history.
Rated A …$2.99

WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS #1
WRITER: FRED VAN LENTE
PENCILS: ANDREA DI VITO
INKS: ANDREA DI VITO
Return with us again to the early days of the all-new, all-different, X-Men for all-new solo adventures of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde! The next generation of students has arrived at Xavier's School--Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and the mysterious Wolverine--and with them, new teaching methods. Professor X pairs up green recruit Kitty Pryde with the been-everywhere, done-everything vet Logan, and neither of them are all that happy about it. But unless they learn to work together, neither of them will come back from their first mission together alive!
Rated A …$2.99

ULTIMATE HUMAN #3
WRITER: WARREN ELLIS
PENCILS: CARY NORD
Continuing the ultimate collision between Iron Man and the Hulk! Who is Peter Wisdom, and what does he want with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner? And why can’t either hero tap into the powers of their alter egos? Be there as Warren Ellis (ULTIMATE GALACTUS) and Cary Nord (Conan) unleash the fireworks at Ironworks!
Rated T+ …$2.99

MARVEL ATLAS #2
WRITERS: MICHAEL HOSKIN, STUART VANDAL, ANTHONY FLAMINI, and ERIC J. MOREELS
ART: ELIOT R. BROWN and VARIOUS
Your only guide to Marvel's Earth concludes! Antarctica, Africa, the Middle East, and North, Central and South America are highlighted as the Marvel Atlas plans your trip to Wakanda, Atlantis, the Savage Land, Sky Island and the U.S.A. (home of a super hero or two)! Visit the realms of the Black Panther, the Initiative, Omega Flight, the Sub-Mariner, Ka-Zar and more – brought to you in vivid life through the renderings of fan-favorite Eliot R. Brown (PUNISHER ARMORY, IRON MANUAL)!
Rated A …$3.99

NEW WARRIORS #10
WRITER: KEVIN GREVIOUX
PENCILS: PACO MEDINA
INKS: JUAN VLASCO
What is Night Thrasher doing while the New Warriors are trussing up super-villains? Where is he when his teammates are training hard for their next mission? And why is their leader nowhere to be found when the team is evading the clutches of the N.Y.P.D. Costumed Division? Night Thrasher reveals his plan to the New Warriors, but after his frequent disappearances, do they trust him?
Rated T+ …$2.99

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Preview: Ultimate Human #2

It’s The Ultimate Smashfest — Hulk vs Iron Man!

The Hulk is back, and he’s not happy! In Ultimate Human #2, the dream team of writer Warren Ellis and artist Cary Nord continue their sold-out Ultimate event, unveiling a dilemma even bigger then the grey goliath himself! After a failed attempt by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to figure out how to turn off the Hulk’s unique transformation cells, Banner has turned back into the big grey powerhouse and is adapting to everything that Stark’s scientists and security throw at him. Now Stark’s Ironworks base, a hi-tech facility created to carry out the inventor’s wildest dreams, has been laid to waste. And that’s only the beginning!

Meanwhile on the other side of the world, the ultimate version of the Leader has given the green light to “Operation Gamma” and armed forces are swarming our heroes’ location. What does the Leader want with the blood of Banner and Stark? And can Stark’s world-famous suit of armor halt the behemoth’s rampage? Find out why Newsarama.com’s Troy Brownfield praised the series for “really strong art and intelligently scripted interplay between two iconic characters” in Ultimate Human #2!

ULTIMATE HUMAN #2 (of 4) (DEC072163)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by CARY NORD
T+ …$2.99
FOC—1/31/08, On-Sale—2/20/08

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News: Ultimate Human #1 Sells Out!

Marvel is pleased to announce that Ultimate Human #1 (of 4), featuring a pivotal meeting between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, has sold out at Diamond (though copies may be available at the retail level). As a desperate Banner holds out hope that Stark, better known as Iron Man, can cure him of his transformation into the grey gargantuan known as the Hulk, shadowy forces are at work to sabotage the experiment—and this issue ends with plenty of smashes to come! The acclaimed creative team of award-winning author Warren Ellis and superstar artist Cary Nord have drawn praise from all corners, with Adam Chapman of Comixtreme.com deeming it “highly recommended… quite an inspired bit of writing.”

“As Tony Stark would say, it’s a pretty simple equation,” explained editor Bill Rosemann. “Smart writing + awesome art + compelling characters = another Ultimate hit.”

The ultimate collision between Iron Man and the Hulk continues in Ultimate Human #2 as Stark and Banner must deal with the “incredible” results of their experiments—and you better believe the Hulk will smash!

Please note that Marvel currently has no plans to go back to press on Ultimate Human #1.

ULTIMATE HUMAN #2 (of 4) (DEC072163)
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils & Cover by CARY NORD
T+ …$2.99
FOC—1/17/08, On-Sale—2/6/08

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