More thoughts, having read FULL solicts and having time now:
- The SECRET WARRIORS getting a title? Hmm...Bendis leaves MIGHTY AVENGERS, but launches a new team book. Fair trade. Aside for Fury and Ares' kid, they're all original characters for him to mutilate. I won't be aboard this time. I am starting to think even my Bendis bashing needs a limit.
- Curious if Storm is taking over for Black Panther for an arc.
- The launch of AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Jeff Parker is a solid thing, although I am curious about what sales expectations are. The last mini sold about 2 years ago and quickly sank from the Top 100 like a stone. The team popped up in SECRET INVASION: WHO DO YOU TRUST #1 and one of the SPIDER-MAN FAMILY anthologies to keep the team alive (even as Namora was running around in INCREDIBLE HERCULES). The Art Adams cover kicks butt and I can't wait to see what Parker does as his team. This was the one title from Parker (who often does a lot of thankless work like X-MEN FIRST CLASS) that I wanted back, and here it is. Sweet. A shame Leonard Kirk isn't along for the ride this time, but he's doing CAPTAIN BRITAIN & MI-13, so it's a worthy quest.
- Bendis to Ultimate Spider-Man may be like Claremont on X-Men stuff; launched it into greatness, clearly ran out of ideas, refuses to leave. Awesome.
- It is not surprising that the only book to survive the Ultimate purge is ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, which is the only one that has sales holding steady within the Top 25-30 (about 54k or so). Granted, Marvel has had alternate realities before (NEW UNIVERSE, 2099) that were once hot and then simply ran their courses, and rather than bite the bullet and end them, they created a massive tragedy (in this case ULTIMATUM), killed some people, and condensed the universe to one book. Both times this merely delayed the inevitable. Will Ultimate be a three-peat? Yes. Soon as Bendis leaves the book, or dies of old age at 97, someone else will come on and sales will fall.
- ETERNALS #7 guest stars Wolverine; can you tell sales are slipping?
- What is the point to MODELS, INC.? If the price of random, under promoted and ultimately underselling mini's has to move to $4 an issue, don't bother.
- I love how Marvel makes light that every SHE-HULK volume gets canceled. Hey, 38 issues (post relaunch) is a pretty good run these days.
- Curious how WAR OF KINGS will play out in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY