Thoughts:
- Curious that with a quick post edit on NEWSARAMA, it is unknown if IMMORTAL IRON FIST #27 will truly be the "final issue" or simply the end of the arc. Sadly, sales of the book have dwindled since Brubaker and Fraction left the title; while Duane Swierczynski has actually done a fine job taking over, many in the audience probably saw the end of the launch run as a good time to leave the book. Which is a shame, honestly. It wouldn't be the first time Marvel "worked the internet" to try to drum up interest. Joe Q posted the identity of the next writer on DAREDEVIL on his own blog before "deleting" it hours later. Then, of course, the official announcement was made to the surprise of no one. Marvel's own sales rep noted online that CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 was to be canceled before they had to hastily deny it on Newsarama. While I understand needing to "work the internet" as part of the biz these days, what I don't appreciate are when Marvel will deny the obvious and take their audience for complete, utter fools when confronted about it. It makes me less inclined to pay a shop $20 a week for their dead trees.
If this is the end for IMMORTAL IRON FIST, it would be a shame, but not a surprise. One could say managing to get an Iron Fist book to survive over two years in this market isn't bad. Hope this "final" issue, or not, is a good one.
- INCREDIBLE HERCULES #130 also looks good, with the gang going head to head with Pluto, another one of Herc's longtime enemies. Sadly, this is another title in sales trouble.
- Considering the FANTASTIC FOUR have not been a strong enough franchise to support a spin off book for a very, VERY long time, I am still stunned that based on a Millar/Hitch run that is selling at a very pedestrian rate, it was deemed worthy of a spin-off, and one named after the LAST failed FF spin off of the 90's, FANTASTIC FORCE (starring the "New Defenders" of an alternate future reality). One of the biggest tragedies of the Big Two are that they seem to have a sense of, "when all else fails, just do what we were doing in 1994". This reeks of said logic.
- CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 looks epic, and I can't wait for it. Hopefully, though, the issue of reflection won't just seek to revive Rogers; as cool as he was, he had a print run of some 60 years, and the book has sold double without him. Brubaker's successfully done a changing of the guard and it would be a shame to abandon that. Still, original numbering is good. Of course, Bill Jemas would have gone back to lower numbering but knocked back prices of comics at least a quarter than what they are now, so to each their own.
- INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #14 looks good, even if I am always wary of a "jump on" issue.
- I fail to see the logic of relaunching a SHE-HULK book that doesn't actually star the version of the character that people read about for some 100 issues of material.
- WAR OF KINGS of course is full steam ahead with WAR OF KINGS #4, which kind of sounds like a middling issue to be honest, depicting internal conflicts among the Shi'ar and Inhumans alike. It all is in the execution, though, and Abnett & Lanning are usually solid with that, so I have faith. Even if the normal cover is a bit generic.
- WAR OF KINGS: ASCENSION basically is inserting Darkhawk into a space opera he has absolutely nothing to do with with all the grace of a round peg into a square hole. It is because of that that I am curious how it will be pulled off. Darkhawk could use a boost, but hopefully he won't seem as random as Wraith did in ANNIHILATION CONQUEST. At at least hope whatever "revelation" about Darkhawk bares in mind that he is a person who literally swaps bodies with a living android body, and doesn't just "grow armor" as some other writers sometimes imply.
- I am iffy on WAR OF KINGS: SAVAGE SWORD OF SKAAR. I haven't read any of the SKAAR stuff because I wasn't interested, even though I read and enjoyed PLANET HULK (much more than WORLD WAR HULK, to be honest). It seems like a shameless tie-in one shot to revive interest in SKAAR since his book is not selling too well. I have no idea what point there is to it. But if it comes out in a quiet week, I may check it out. Gage is a good writer and Clayton Henry is a solid artist, it just is $4 for a character I know nothing about. I highly doubt, "son of Hulk who is having Conan adventures in what is left of Planet Hulk" is sufficient, and I lose interest when I need to surf wikipedia to enjoy a comic.
- NOVA #26 looks friggin' epic, and I am curious how exactly Richard regains his title and position. Looks to be very cool stuff.
- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #15 sounds a bit vague, but that is fine. It usually is always a better-than-average read. Marvel space is a great place to be, and it is Abnett & Lanning's wheelhouse. I hope Jack Flag sticks around, anyway.
- I actually liked the last TERROR, INC. series from MAX, so I likely will give the sequel a go.
- Robert Kirkman has usually been better with books where he has more control, and DESTROYER looks to be in that category. It may make more sense to trade-wait, especially as Kirkman has severed all ties with Marvel and this was likely his last contracted work with them, meaning there is no chance he would get an ongoing out of it, but I may buckle and grab it anyway.
- CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #14 almost wraps up the Dracula story, and he's teaming up with his daughter, which is interesting because I recall Lillith hating her father in the past. This arc looks to be the most ambitious yet. But, sales are just terrible; they're at 18k now and likely will be worse by June, and I doubt Marvel will allow the book to survive without at least a relaunch for much longer. That may explain why we also are getting an ANNUAL to resolve the Meggan subplot. The only downer about that annual is the Greg Land cover, since all his copied and pasted ladies look alike.
- Unsure what exactly UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS GIANT SIZE SPECIAL is. Perhaps to bridge the gap between XM:FC and UXM: FC.
- The sheer amount of Wolverine books and a magazine is staggering. If you thought we saw a lot of Iron Man in 2007-2008, then apparently we ain't seen nothin' yet. Logan's the king, baby. Anyone forget that he has a movie out in May 2009?
