Marvel's October 2013 Solicitations

[Specter313]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46555

 

[JewishHobbit]

So it's looking pretty official that Infinity isn't touching any of my books save New Avengers, which I'm not even sure if I'm going to continue with. I might be able to skip this event entirely unscathed. If it were for Thanos and Beast, both of which I love, this would be an easy skip.

What's up with the All New X-Men/Indestructible Hulk/Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Specials? I've not heard anything about these. They're $5 each by a creative teams I've never heard of and don't seem to tie-in with All New X-Men proper at all. I think that's going to be an easy skip.

Astonishing X-Men is ending. That makes Venom the longest running, uninterrupted run. I hope Marjorie Liu goes to something good. She's a fantastic writer. While Bunn got some praise, I was disappointed that she went to Astonishing X-Men after X-23 instead of getting a Gambit ongoing. She handles him very well.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

"Thor, God of War"? Infinity just got a lot more interesting to me...

Hahaha, Fury's face on that Secret Avengers cover.

New Warriors in Nova. Excited!

Young Avengers' cover is certainly intriguing. I've been thinking Kid Loki's time has gotta be drawing to a close pretty soon, what with adult Loki getting the movie treatment again in Thor: The Dark World pretty soon. I wonder if that's starting here.

I'm a little worried about A+X's change in direction. I've really, really been enjoying the done-in-one stories featuring random (and occasionally really weird) team-ups. I don't want to see Cap and Cyclops b****ing at each other again for 6 issues.

Oh joy, arms on a Spider-Man costume again. Because that hasn't literally always been stupid.

Marvel NOW WHAT?! looks awesome. I wish Marvel would always have a comedy one-shot or mini running each month--either stuff like this or Pet Avengers or the Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius things. I miss that kind of stuff.

Ooh, a Bendis-less All-New X-Men crossover. I might check that out.

Might check out that Captain America: Living Legend mini. But even now, about a year into Remender's wildly different Cap story, I'm still kind of feeling some fatigue for Cap stories featuring returned WWII threats. Granov's art sure is pretty, though...

Hmm. I have to say, with Thor's second movie only a month away from these solicitations, I'm a little disappointed with the offerings for Thor. God of Thunder looks awesome, of course, but a movie-continuity mini-series and a few TPBs? That's it?

Man... I'm glad I'm skipping all of the X-Men comics tying into Battle of the Atom.

Wow, they're actually dealing directly with the Howlett family stuff for once in a Wolverine comic. That's surprising; usually it's pretty easy to forget Origin ever happened. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[The Squirrel]

It's Doc Ock, of course he was going to build arms at some point. I'm excited for it. Hopefully Wood's X-Men series doesn't tie to heavily into Atom since it just started.

 

[EzekielRage]

Marvel has yet to publish anything of my interest in 2013. I don't know why I keep reading, really. The ultimate Universe turns into a borefest, Spider-Man hasn't had a good book in a decade and the rest is jut not my cup of tea. Am I the only one who thinks that what we got in the 90ies was better than this?
Probably...

 

[JewishHobbit]

Ooh, a Bendis-less All-New X-Men crossover. I might check that out.

You say that like he's been doing a bad job. He's not had this much praise on a book since Daredevil. My question on that crossover is, why create a 3-part story based out of stand-alone oneshots written and drawn by nobodies, and then price them at $5 a pop? Those won't sell worth crap unless they get some awesome promotion soon.

Man... I'm glad I'm skipping all of the X-Men comics tying into Battle of the Atom.

Yeah, that's killing me. I'm actually considering dropping Wolverine & the X-Men and adjectiveless X-Men, but I at least have to wait for that crossover to be finished and news of what's coming next for each title.

Wow, they're actually dealing directly with the Howlett family stuff for once in a Wolverine comic. That's surprising; usually it's pretty easy to forget Origin ever happened. I'm looking forward to it.

Dog's been in Wolverine & the X-Men for months. Granted, he kinda sucks as a character now (so disappointed) but he's there.

 

[JewishHobbit]

It's Doc Ock, of course he was going to build arms at some point. I'm excited for it. Hopefully Wood's X-Men series doesn't tie to heavily into Atom since it just started.

Wood's X-Men is tying in heavily. It's laid out like X-Cutioner's Song or Messiah Complex and Second Coming... part 1, part 2, etc. with the story running through each one. X-Men is two of those parts.

Marvel has yet to publish anything of my interest in 2013. I don't know why I keep reading, really. The ultimate Universe turns into a borefest, Spider-Man hasn't had a good book in a decade and the rest is jut not my cup of tea. Am I the only one who thinks that what we got in the 90ies was better than this?
Probably...

I loved the 90s

 

[runawayboulder]

"Thor, God of War"? Infinity just got a lot more interesting to me...

Is their god of war still dead?

 

[JewishHobbit]

Yup

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You say that like he's been doing a bad job. He's not had this much praise on a book since Daredevil. My question on that crossover is, why create a 3-part story based out of stand-alone oneshots written and drawn by nobodies, and then price them at $5 a pop? Those won't sell worth crap unless they get some awesome promotion soon.

He could be doing the greatest job known to man, but Bendis is on my "never read again" list. I've tried and been disappointed in too many of his comics at this point to bother giving him more chances.

Dog's been in Wolverine & the X-Men for months. Granted, he kinda sucks as a character now (so disappointed) but he's there.

I meant more Wolverine's past dealing with him personally. Grabbing a new villain from Origin is one thing. Actually going back to the Howlett estate and having him reconnect with his past in a tangible way seems more intimate and sentimental, which isn't usually Wolverine's wheelhouse.

 

[Marvel]

I used to read just about everything Marvel put out. Now, I can't believe how much crap they are churning out every month. Marvel's direction of late has been wild but not in a good or interesting way. The books are in the worst shape since the 1996 bankruptcy.

I'm looking at the previews and see books that I'll be dropping left and right starting with that awful "secret origin of Tony Stark" Iron Man title. No more of that disgrace.

I had to drop Captain America... awful with no signs of letting up.

Looking at October, I'm down to getting these books after cutting so many...

INFINITY
NEW AVENGERS
SECRET AVENGERS
AVENGERS A.I.
UNCANNY AVENGERS
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
THUNDERBOLTS
AVENGERS ARENA
DAREDEVIL
ALL-NEW X-MEN
CABLE AND X-FORCE
WOLVERINE

And that's it. I used to get dozens of titles but just couldn't take it or wait out the bad arcs any more. Doc Ock Spidey, Venom's constant demonic crap, Cap stuck in ZolaVerse or what the hell, Hickman's insane Avengers run, Thor being written like he is God complete with answering prayers, etc.

Speaking of prayers, I pray Marvel gets their act together and maybe replaces Axel Alonso as Editor-in-Chief because it's clear he has not had a clue and was not ready for the job.

 

[The Squirrel]

Doc Ock Spidey is freaking great.

 

[Mad Ones]

Lots of stuff looks great heading into October! Infinity and Battle of the Atom both look pretty good, though I'm definitely not going over board with tie-ins. I was a little hesitant about BotA at first, but I think it has a lot of potential, and I'm excited to have the first X-event in a decade that doesn't deal with extinction and survival and all that stuff.

 

[Max J Power]

Might check out that Captain America: Living Legend mini. But even now, about a year into Remender's wildly different Cap story, I'm still kind of feeling some fatigue for Cap stories featuring returned WWII threats. Granov's art sure is pretty, though...

I had the same thought. Plus, I like Andy Diggle a lot.

-I don't know anything about the creators but Fantomex Max grabbed my attention because it's Fantomex. And at 4 issues, it's not a big commitment or anything.
-I see many names I like in the solicit for Marvel Now What? Gonna have to check that one out.
-The "indie-influenced" Marvel Knights minis sound cool too.

 

[Mr. Dent]

Cataclysm after Hunger...beginning of the end for Ultimateverse?

 

[Mr. Dent]

UNCANNY X-MEN #13
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W) • CHRISTOPHER BACHALO (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 8!
• Wolverine, who just lost his healing factor, takes a mortal hit!
• And a surprise ending that changes everything in the X-Men Event of 2013!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Yep BC was right. Wolverine is dying and Ultimateverse is coming to an end. It's all happening like they said it would.

 

[Specter313]

UNCANNY X-MEN #13
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W) • CHRISTOPHER BACHALO (A)
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 8!
• Wolverine, who just lost his healing factor, takes a mortal hit!
• And a surprise ending that changes everything in the X-Men Event of 2013!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Yep BC was right. Wolverine is dying and Ultimateverse is coming to an end. It's all happening like they said it would.

Yes, because they would completely spoil something like Wolverine dying in a solicit.

 

[Specter313]

I used to read just about everything Marvel put out. Now, I can't believe how much crap they are churning out every month. Marvel's direction of late has been wild but not in a good or interesting way. The books are in the worst shape since the 1996 bankruptcy.

I'm looking at the previews and see books that I'll be dropping left and right starting with that awful "secret origin of Tony Stark" Iron Man title. No more of that disgrace.

I had to drop Captain America... awful with no signs of letting up.

Looking at October, I'm down to getting these books after cutting so many...

INFINITY
NEW AVENGERS
SECRET AVENGERS
AVENGERS A.I.
UNCANNY AVENGERS
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
THUNDERBOLTS
AVENGERS ARENA
DAREDEVIL
ALL-NEW X-MEN
CABLE AND X-FORCE
WOLVERINE

And that's it. I used to get dozens of titles but just couldn't take it or wait out the bad arcs any more. Doc Ock Spidey, Venom's constant demonic crap, Cap stuck in ZolaVerse or what the hell, Hickman's insane Avengers run, Thor being written like he is God complete with answering prayers, etc.

Speaking of prayers, I pray Marvel gets their act together and maybe replaces Axel Alonso as Editor-in-Chief because it's clear he has not had a clue and was not ready for the job.

I wouldn't put it all on Alonso's shoulders, so much as that I don't think that Quesada fully stepped down. They created that "Chief Creative Officer" role for him when he left EiC, and many have suspected that he still runs a great deal of what they put out.

 

[Mr. Dent]

Yes, because they would completely spoil something like Wolverine dying in a solicit.

I'm not saying he's dying in that issue. Him losing his healing factor due to time travelling in AU was a part of BC's scoop. It's all coming together like they said it would.

 

[runawayboulder]

To me it reads that they just totally announced he's dying in that issue.

 

[Dread]

I haven't commented on one of these in a while, but the SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN solicit actually got me angry so I may as well just do a usual rant.

- Yes, about SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN here. No, it's not the 2099 thing; that looks exciting. It's the very notion of Black Cat shacking up with him and a cover which seems to brag about this. She "likes the Spider more than the Man", maybe, but Felicia was still the first woman Peter willingly unmasked for. Unless Dr. Octopus discloses that he's possessed her ex boyfriend's body and cast his soul into death, twice, to save his own spineless hide, Felicia will be entering this merely thinking "Peter" has changed. This isn't Peter; this is Dr. Octopus wearing his body. While the "superior" era has been interesting, the longer it drags on the creepier and more disturbing on certain areas. In particular, any time the story teases the "superior" Spider-Man going after or lusting for someone in Peter's usual cast. How is this any different from when Chameleon assumed Peter Parker's identity for a while and slept with Michelle? Doc Ock has done the same thing, only better. It's a sleazy trick at best and at worst it's date rape. The legend of King Arthur back in the dark ages had a detail where Merlin allows someone to sleep with another man's wife via some shape shifting spell and it was considering no less tricky back then. It's completely in character for Ock to want to take full advantage of Peter's form and his stolen second chance at life, but then when a story treats it like any other romantic subplot when it's not, it's an arrogant villain lusting after the women involved in the life of the hero he murdered and replaced, it becomes another thing entirely. I know Black Cat has usually been written as either a crazy harpy or a tramp for long stretches of her tenure in comics, but even this sort of nears a line for her. Even if Ock did disclose for her, it'd be fairly out of character for her to found that hot.

It is a strange way to welcome Spider-Man's 51st year. I'm fairly certain this status quo will be different come 2014 for the next film, since Marvel are shameless corporate shills that way. But the longer this storyline plays out, the more it risks becoming a tale which celebrates a villain who murdered a hero and then destroyed his life and everything the hero ever stood for, while not a single one of his friends, family, allies, or peers noticed, cared or mourned. I know a lot of that is not wanting to end the storyline if they found out, but that's the unfortunate impression. Sort of like in that era of ALPHA FLIGHT when Walter was replaced by an actual sasquatch and his best friends never noticed - which is akin to not noticing your best friend has been replaced by a dog. Superheroes are terrible people sometimes, I guess.

It's a weird arc which Dan Slott has crafted here. The details and the plots themselves still thrill. A lot of the ideas with the supporting cast or the villains are great. And the angle of a successful mind swap plot by a villain is a smart one. But I do fear it is nearing a corner and the longer it endures, the sleazier it becomes to read. Dr. Octopus can tell himself what he wants, he's still an arrogant mad scientist who is playing at being a hero for his own ego, not out of any desire to help anyone but himself. Poor Peter never even got the dignity of a funeral or whatnot. I'd argue at least Bendis had the balls for that in Ultimate. I mean, Ock can literally add tentacles to the costume and nobody notices? Jeez, who needs Skrull infiltrators, you could fool superheroes with dime store masks.

2013 is the year when Kaine was a genuine hero and Spider-Man wasn't. It certainly has been a crazy ride.

- I am amazed to see FEARLESS DEFENDERS see a 10th issue, even with a price hike. It'll limp to a 12th issue but I doubt it can last beyond that even with a crossover.

- With the end of ASTONISHING X-MEN, I think VENOM becomes the comic with the highest numbered volume. The joke of "every issue is a #1 issue" is becoming more of a reality. I imagine they could use decimal points. This is issue #1.1, then #1.2, and #1.3 and so on. And that special issue #1.0 with 5767 variant covers of Cable appreciating Wolverine appreciating Deadpool appreciating art.

- I actually will be getting MIGHTY AVENGERS, so hopefully it will be good.

- The New Warriors seem to be coming back in NOVA. Shame it isn't the real Nova to welcome them. I guess the price Richard paid for yanking a time flung Namorita into the universe was literally being the only person who died in THANOS IMPERATIVE who stayed there.

- I am undecided on getting INFINITY: THE HUNT. I like seeing newer and younger characters, but let's be honest. It's an event, and they're just canon fodder because the big names are immortal and unkillable.

- Is Victor Mancha being torn apart by angry RUNAWAYS fans on that AVENGERS A.I. cover? Kidding. The first issue was good, I likely will stick with it.

- Solicits have to stop claiming something will "define someone forever" or something. I know you have to sell things, Marvel, but stop pretending we're as dumb as pro wrestling fans. You have a hard time making anything, numbering or ideas, last 2 years lately. Relying on fans with long memories while pretending we don't for advertisements is quite a tightrope to walk. Yes, Stan Lee did it in the 1960's. But, last I checked, the 60's ended in 1969. Avoid at least some of those ridiculous statements that not even the dumbest intern could back up. Nothing in Marvel is forever. Even the logo has changed within less than a decade. That can be seen as a good thing, after all.

- Thor has 3 books again? Gosh, he must have a movie coming out soon.

- Wolverine has lost his healing factor? At the same time that's a major plot point in his latest licensed film? Oh, Marvel, what a coincidence!

- I think I can root for the cast of SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN more than Superior Spider-Man. And that's terrible...although not for this book, which had a fun debut.

- Looking at SCARLET SPIDER, and I guess the current theme with Kraven is to just rehash his death story over and over and make him crazier and crazier. Should be solid, though. Yost's done good writing there.

- Who'd have thought VENOM would last to a 42nd issue and actually be good? Not me, but I am glad I was wrong. Took Bunn an arc or two to find his feet as solo writer, but he's found it and I can't wait for this arc. I imagine the book will be canned or relaunched soon, but it should still see a 45th issue which is a fine run regardless of era. I mean, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT lasted roughly as long in the 70's, right?

- Speaking of him, I don't know why Daredevil is teamed with some monsters on that cover, but Waid/Samnee seem to be able to do no wrong here.

- Fantomex has his own series now? The end IS nigh.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Fantomex was the breakout star of Remender's Uncanny X-Force. He COMPLETELY turned that character around. I always liked the character but Remender turned everyone else into a fan of his. He left Fantomex on a strange note which Humphries has been working with, but he definitely made him awesome and deserving of a solo.

Sadly, it's just a MAX title and out of continuity.

 

[runawayboulder]

It's a 4 issue mini and it's from the MAX line. SOLD and SOLD.

 

[Dread]

I could never get into Fantomex. He's a ninja only not a ninja who is psychic but maybe not or more and his nervous system is attached to a UFO and OH GOD, GRANT MORRISON, STOP TAKING DRUGS.

So, I just shrug and consider him Pretentious Storm-Shadow, and been glad nothing I've read in ages had him in it.

 

[runawayboulder]

I always thought he was interesting but Remender took him to an entirely new level in UXF.