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We’re in a bit of a rush, but still trying to give you your fix on all things Marvel. The usual assortment of upcoming titles, Pick of the Week, and reviews as well as another SkrullWatch (like that wasn’t a given following the big reveal from last week). Some topics of interest this week are Avengers: The Initiative #7, New Avengers #36, House Of M: Avengers #1, Thor #4, World War Hulk #5, and X-Factor #25.
New Avengers: The Illuminati #5, Fantastic Four #551, Immortal Iron Fist #10, Annihilation: Conquest – Star-Lord #4, and Annihilation: Conquest #1 are all mentioned along with part one of a lengthy discussion on X-Men: Messiah CompleX #1 (with a surprise guest).
Pl@stic Soul, 005-1 Electric Guitar (http://www.mf247.jp/view/index.php?module=artist&refno=31560)
Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #14
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #7
COVER BY: STEFANO CASELLI
WRITER: DAN SLOTT
PENCILS and INKS: STEFANO CASELLI
And Spider-Man fans take note: This issue features a VERY important Pre-ONE MORE DAY appearance by Peter Parker! A great jumping on point for one of Marvel’s hottest new titles!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
CAPTAIN MARVEL #1
CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #5
GHOST RIDER #17
GHOST RIDER ANNUAL #1
HOUSE OF M: AVENGERS # 1
COVER BY: MIKE PERKINS
WRITER: CHRISTOS GAGE
PENCILS and INKS: MIKE PERKINS
Return to the world of the hit House of M series, where mutants rule the earth and familiar heroes lead shocking, unfamiliar lives! See the history of this alternate reality revealed for the first time! Follow Luke Cage as he goes from wrongly-convicted prisoner to super-powered fugitive…and assembles the band of rebel freedom fighters who will come to be known as the Avengers! Featuring Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Moon Knight, Tigra, Mockingbird and more than a few surprises! The team behind the acclaimed Union Jack, Christos (World War Hulk: X-Men) Gage and Mike (Captain America) Perkins, reunite to bring you Marvel’s heroes and villains in a world where anything can happen…and does!
Rated T+ …$2.99
IRON MAN AND POWER PACK #1
MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #5
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #3
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK #5
NEW AVENGERS # 36
COVER BY: LEINIL FRANCIS YU
WRITER: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
PENCILS: LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Hey, I don’t know if you read the solicitation for Mighty Avengers but a Venom virus has gone off in New York City. That means the whole city!! That means the New Avengers have turned symbiote. Oh yeah!! Plus, Wolverine has a bone to pick with Spider-Woman about a little green-skinned something. Oh, and the Hood isn’t wasting any time setting himself up as the kingpin of all super-villains.
Rated A …$2.99
NOVA # 8
COVER BY: ADI GRANOV
WRITER: DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING
PENCILS: WELLINTON ALVES
INKS: SCOTT HANNA
The next big Nova arc blasts off here! In the first four sold-out issues, we’ve seen Richard Rider burnt to a crisp, replaced by a hot Kree soldier and turned to the dark side. But just wait until you see where writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning – and special guest-penciler Wellinton Alves (Nightwing) — rocket Nova now as a special spooky two-parter begins! If you missed his first or second story arcs, but heard how good they were, don’t miss your third chance to jump on the book that IGN.com calls a “Must Read!”
Rated T+ …$2.99
PUNISHER #52
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #13
SPIDER-MAN/RED SONJA #4
THOR # 4
COVERS BY: OLIVIER COIPEL and LEE BERMEJO
WRITER: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
PENCILS: OLIVIER COIPEL
INKS: MARK MORALES
Thor has come back from the void–he’s reclaimed Mjolnir and summoned the lightning–and he’s rebuilt Asgard from the ground up…literally! But who will populate the home of the gods? The Odinson’s search for his fellow deities spans the earthly plane of Midgard…and you won’t believe where he finds them!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #48
ULTIMATES SAGA # 1
COVER BY: MARK BROOKS
WRITER: C. B. CEBULSKI
PENCILS: TREVOR HAIRSINE
Recapping the entire series to date, the ULTIMATES SAGA will be told by their new leader, Tony Stark. As America’s premier super-hero team, the Ultimates have been forced to face more trials and tribulations than anyone ever expected during the course of their short time together: a Skrull infiltration, the trial of the Hulk for his murderous rampage, betrayal from within and the invasion of America. Now, no longer under the auspices of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Stark is forced to face the reality of his team’s newfound freedom. Having gotten his hands on Nick Fury’s personal files, Tony sifts through the information Nick has collected about the Ultimates’ adventures and discovers there’s been a lot more going on with his team than he ever anticipated. This 32-page special will also include an extra four-page section featuring an all-new story by C.B. Cebulski and superstar Travis Charest.
Rated T+ …$3.99
WOLVERINE #59
WORLD WAR HULK # 5
COVERS BY: DAVID FINCH and JOHN ROMITA JR.
WRITER: GREG PAK
PENCILS: JOHN ROMITA JR.
INKS: KLAUS JANSON
The millennium’s most massive Marvel smashfest careens towards its cataclysmic conclusion! Four so-called Marvel “heroes” shot the Hulk into space. Their exploding shuttle destroyed his people and pregnant queen. And the Hulk has taught them what their arrogance has wrought. But now the Hulk faces the puny humans’ greatest champion. And as the terrible battle rages, who will stand revealed as the hero – and who will be proved the monster? Who knows the difference between vengeance and justice? And who will pay the terrible price of anger?
48 PGS./CARDSTOCK COVER/Rated T+ …$3.99
X-FACTOR # 25
COVERS BY: DAVID FINCH and MARC SILVESTRI
WRITER: PETER DAVID
PENCILS: SCOT EATON
INKS: JOHN DELL
MESSIAH COMPLEX – PART 3 of 13
X-Factor Investigations joins the search for the missing mutant baby! Rictor infiltrates the Purifiers’ church in hopes of learning what they know about the kidnapping, but the secrets he uncovers surpass his wildest nightmares. Meanwhile, Madrox and Layla visit Forge and learn the terrible truth about the future of mutantkind.
Rated T+ …$2.99
X-MEN: DIE BY THE SWORD #3
Collections On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL VOL. 2: COMES THE CARNAGE! TPB
COVER BY: RON FRENZ
WRITER: TOM DEFALCO
PENCILS: RON FRENZ
A new chapter opens as Peter and Mary Jane Parker struggle to accept their daughter’s recent decision, and Spider-Girl finds herself torn between friendship and justice when one of the Ladyhawks embarks on a mission of vengeance, determined to get revenge on the Hobgoblin for crippling her twin sister. Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #7-12.
All Ages …$13.99
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOL. 4: CROSS-TIME CAPER BOOK 2 TPB
COVER BY: RON LIM
WRITERS: CHRIS CLAREMONT, MICHAEL HIGGINS, and TERRY AUSTIN
PENCILS: CHRIS WOZNIAK, ALAN DAVIS, RON LIM, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and COLLEEN DORAN
What do Crusader X, Lord High Justicer, Centurion Britannus, Chevalier Bretagne and Lady London have in common? They’re all Captain Britain! Excalibur’s Cross-Time Caper concludes cataclysmically in a climactic coda of cosmic confrontations! Traumatic transformation! Evil illusion! Super-powered rebellions on two worlds and titanic tricksters on two more! With guest appearances you’d never expect! Collecting EXCALIBUR #21-28.
Rated A …$24.99
FANTASTIC FOUR: THE NEW FANTASTIC FOUR PREMIERE HC
COVER BY: MICHAEL TURNER
WRITER: DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
PENCILS: PAUL PELLLETIER
In the aftermath of Civil War comes RECONSTRUCTION, the beginning of a stunning new era of fantastic adventure. The team has been rocked to its foundations by the controversial events of the last several months. Now Reed and Sue have announced their plans to take some time off to work out there marital problems, leaving Ben and Johnny to hold the fort. But they won’t be doing it shorthanded. Two new members join the team and you won’t believe who they are! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #544-550.
168 PGS./Rated A …$19.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS VOL. 4: THE DREAM TEAM DIGEST
COVER BY: LEONARD KIRK
WRITER: JEFF PARKER
PENCILS: LEONARD KIRK
Facing the foes no single super hero could withstand! When global threats surface, they must contend with the combined might of: Captain America! Storm! Iron Man! The Hulk! Giant-Girl! Wolverine! Spider-Man! It’s all-ages action in the Mighty Marvel Manner! Featuring an insectoid invasion, Kang the Conqueror, the Agents of Atlas, Thor and more! Plus: the origin of Giant-Girl Janet Van Dyne! Collecting MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #13-15 and GIANT-SIZE MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS #1.
All Ages …$6.99
SPIDER-MAN, PETER PARKER: BACK IN BLACK HC
The second massive hardcover collecting the status-quo-shattering BACK IN BLACK saga! Reeling in the aftermath of CIVIL WAR, Peter Parker has plenty of reasons to consider a change of wardrobe: Black is his state of mind. But the worst is yet to come for Spider-Man! In SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN, as Spider-Man and his family get used to the new status quo…other Spider-Men begin appearing all over the city. Younger, less-experienced versions of our web-spinning hero, causing havoc wherever they go. Who’s creating these arachnid dopplegangers and why? And will Peter Parker be able to stop them, and whoever’s behind them, before more lives are lost? And in SPIDER-MAN FAMILY, Peter Parker and his supporting cast get all-new, untold tales featuring the original alien symbiote black costume. Collecting SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #35-40 and ANNUAL #1, SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #1-2, SPIDER–MAN: BACK IN BLACK HANDBOOK and MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: SPIDER–MAN–BACK IN BLACK.
Rated…$29.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 HC
COVER BY: PASQUAL FERRY
WRITER: MIKE CAREY
PENCILS: PASQUAL FERRY, MARK BROOKS, and SCOTT KOLINS
This deluxe hardcover collects ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 7: GOD WAR TPB and ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 8: DEVILS TPB! In GOD WAR, the Fantastic Four find themselves stranded in another dimension, hunted by the warriors from the dread world of Acheron – and its ruler, Thanos, won’t rest until he possesses the one weapon which will give him dominion over the entire cosmos: the mind of young Reed Richards! In DEVILS, meet the alchemist supreme: Ultimate Diablo! The Fantastic Four are pulled into a madman’s scheme when those closest to them are drawn back through time…and when the team follows the trail to the year 1483, they find themselves face-to-face with a man on a quest to transform the world – literally. Plus: Something strange has happened at Nursery Two, the Baxter Building’s Think Tank counterpart in Oregon. It’s disappeared, seemingly swallowed up by the earth itself! And if you think that heralds the return of the macabre Mole Man – go to the head of the class! And finally, Cerebro has been stolen – and the trail points directly at the government’s premier think tank, the Baxter Building! The X-Men aren’t happy about it — and the Baxter Building’s most famous residents, the Fantastic Four, aren’t happy about an angry team of mutants showing up on their doorstep! It’s FF versus X-Men in an all-star blowout! Collecting ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #33-41 and ANNUAL #2, ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR/X-MEN, and ULTIMATE X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR.
Rated A …$29.99
WOLVERINE: ORIGINS VOL. 3 – SWIFT AND TERRIBLE TPB
COVER BY: STEVE DILLON
WRITER: DANIEL WAY
PENCILS: STEVE DILLON
Like father, like son?! Having finally seen his face, Wolverine sets out to rescue his son from the grasp of the shadow society that once enslaved him. But Logan’s son doesn’t want to be saved – he wants revenge…against Logan, the father who abandoned him! Collecting WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #11-15.
Parental Advisory …$13.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC VARIANT
FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC VARIANT
UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC VARIANT
Posters On-Sale:
ULTIMATES 3 HEROES BLACK AND WHITE PANORAMA POSTER
ULTIMATES 3 HEROES PANORAMA POSTER