I hate when they split up the Previews across three websites. Anyway, more thoughts:
- AGENTS OF ATLAS twice within a month shall be greatness. I am curious how well it debuted once the sales figures are in. It is odd that the Agents are taking on the New Avengers rather than the Dark variety, but I guess the downside of running Yellow Claw's organization is that fellow heroes assume you are up to no good. Anyway, Parker will write the team better than Bendis does. Looks great, and the first issue was off to a good start.
- The issue of Norman Osborn being a tried and convicted lunatic, murderer and costumed terrorist comes out in DARK AVENGERS #5. It's about time. I expect some nonsense solution, though, usually involving repeating the last 3 words of what the other speaker just said. It is Bendis, after all. After all? After all.
- The obligatory YA mini of the year, naturally tying into Dark Reign and offering a teen version of the Masters of Evil in DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS, written by Cornell (who last handled the characters in the Vision issue of YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS last year) and Mark Brooks, who also drew the issue. It is odd that the son of one of the Wrecking Crew who was in RUNAWAYS #1 isn't here, but aside for that, it looks fun.
- Upcoming FF ongoing writer Johnathon Hickman takes a stab at the Four with their obligatory DARK REIGN mini, because their main title is too busy indulging Millar's ego. Chen should put in good art, and amazingly, it is a mini that is being solicted at $2.99 instead of $3.99 like all mini's seem to be now. It seems Norman Osborn is taking on the Four and that half the team is stuck in time. Hmm. Guess Normie never forgave Human Torch for forcing him to flee that battle with Spider-Man in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17 (in which Spider-Man overheard during a battle with Gobby that May had fallen ill, and his fleeing the battle led the city to dub Spider-Man a coward, and Goblin to claim a win, even if he was forced to flee from Johnny's fire-balls out a window very quickly). It would be funny if that was referenced, because besides for the Sinister Twelve bit from MKSM, I don't think Green Goblin ever really fought the Four. At the "old" price, I may give it a shot to see how Hickman handles the team, and then decide whether to bother when he goes to the core book.
- MIGHTY AVENGERS #25 has Dan Slott's Mighty team taking on the Fantastic Four for some sort of heist. Might be a bit of a homecoming for Cassie Lang, who spent some of her childhood with the Four when her father was working with them for an extended period. And, of course, allows Slott to write Thing again. Khoi Pham is only doing the cover, with Stephan Segovia on art. His art is here:
http://www.glasshousegraphics.com/creators/pencilers/stephensegovia/index.htm and it doesn't seem bad; he seems to have done many covers for DC & Marvel, as well as some RED SONJA art. It does imply that out of the large cast of the debut issue, that Pym, Cassie, "Jonas", and Hercules remain on the team (and presumably Jocasta). Honestly, that is no surprise. I will be surprised if Hulk remains.
- On the cover of NEW AVENGERS #53, it looks like Ronin is giving his wife some sort of awesome hicky in the middle of a fight.
- Part of me is amazed that Marvel sees fit to blatantly try to rip off the GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY thing by reviving Mockingbird and then giving her and Clint their own mini, as if Ollie & Canary are selling well for DC to be worth ripping off. It is sort of like the obligatory tradition of someone from the NY METS claiming they are "the team to beat" before proving it by losing to every team when it counts (and I am a MET fan).
- Marvel may be pushing the DK brand too far with mini's about Hood and Electra.
- AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #24 seems to confirm that Osborn closes down Camp Hammond, which of course leaves the Shadow Initiative out on a mission with no home base to return to, which should be interesting. It does seem that Ramos was in such a rush with the cover, he forgot to draw Komodo's tail. Still, this should be interesting.
- INCREDIBLE HERCULES #129 as usual looks awesome. The gang takes a trip to the Underworld to try to revive Zeus, which is classic Greek myth material. I am surprised Pluto accepts dead robots; who know they had souls to accept? Would M-11 wind up there if Bob Reynolds ever was unable to rebuild him? Would Vision or Jim Hammond leave if someone ever managed to make their mangled bodies whole and "fixed" again? Oh, well. It looks awesome, as always.
