Being a comic fan can be tough. With so many publishers printing more and more books, canceling titles and starting new ones, it can be daunting when you head to the comic book shop on a Wednesday to know exactly what’s coming out.
The current system of presenting and ordering comics three months ahead of their release as set forth by the sole comics distributor, Diamond Comics, doesn’t make it any easier either. We’re not a fan of that system, we think it’s slowly strangling comics to death, but we realize it’s a harsh reality of how the industry works and we definitely don’t want you to miss out on any of the cool comics being published.
And so, as opposed to regurgitating the list of comics solicited in Previews each month, we present to you some of the highlights of things you probably won’t want to miss out on.
SPOILER WARNING – in order to get people to order comics, the publishers have a funny habit of revealing what’s happening in the books. If you don’t want anything at all to be spoiled, then you’ll probably want to skip this post and take your chances with your pre-orders and/or your shopping.
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Avengers vs. X-Men
And so it begins.
Avengers vs. X-Men #1 (Of 12)
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by John Romita Jr.
Cover By Jim Cheung
Variant Covers By Ryan Stegman & John Romita Jr.
Blank Variant Also Available
40 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• It’s No Longer Coming—It’s Here!
• Does The Return Of The Phoenix To Earth Signal The Rebirth Of The Mutant Species? That’s What The X-Men Believe!
• Unfortunately, The Avengers Are Convinced That Its Coming Will Mean The End Of All Life On Earth!
• The Stage Is Set For The Ultimate Marvel Showdown In This Oversized First Issue!
Avengers vs. X-Men #2 (Of 12)
Story by Jason Aaron
Art by John Romita Jr.
Cover By Jim Cheung
Variant Covers By Nick Bradshaw & Carlo Pagulayan
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• As The Opening Shot Is Fired, The Avengers Storm The Beach Of Utopia, And The Phoenix Draws
Ever Nearer To Earth!
• But Which Side Will Wolverine Fight On?
• And What Choice Will Hope Make That Will Change The Direction And Scope Of The Conflict Dramatically?
AvX: Vs #1 (Of 6)
Cover By Adam Kubert
Variant Cover By Stuart Immonen
Amazing Spider-Man 50Th Anniversary Variant By TBA
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• The Premier Tie-In To Avengers Vs. X-Men!
• All-Out Action Featuring Cover To Cover Battles, Each Issue Expanding On Fights From The Main Avx Book In Ways You Can’t Imagine!
• This Issue: Iron Man Vs. Magneto And Thing Vs. Namor!
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Avengers vs. X-Men Tie-Ins!
The event is called “Avengers vs. X-Men” so if you’re a fan of Avengers or X-Men books, then you better be on board because it’s going to be tie-in city for a while.
The New Avengers #24
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mike Deodato
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Joe Quinones
32Pgs./Rated T …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• The New Avengers Have Received The Call To Duty By Captain America To Go To War Against The X-Men.
• Wolverine Will Be Forced To Choose A Side.
The New Avengers #25
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mike Deodato
32 Pgs./Rated T …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• Iron Fist Discovers The Shocking Connection Between Himself And The Cosmic Phoenix Force…!
Secret Avengers #26
Story by Rick Remender
Art by Renato Guedes
Cover By Alan Davis
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By TBA
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• Thor Leads A Secret Team Of Avengers On A Suicide Mission To Stop The Phoenix By Any Means Necessary!
The Avengers #25
Story by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Walt Simonson
Cover By Daniel Acuña
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Gabriele Dell’otto
32 Pgs./Rated T …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• Captain America Has Declared War On The X-Men.
• The Shocking Final Storyline In The Brian Bendis Avengers Saga!
Uncanny X-Men #11
Story by Kieron Gillen
Art & Cover by Greg Land
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Greg Horn
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• Cyclops Leads The X-Men In To Their Toughtest Battle Yet!
• Juggernaut-Powered Colossus Vs. The Red Hulk!
Wolverine & The X-Men #9
Story by Jason Aaron
Art & Cover by Chris Bachalo
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Alex Maleev
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• Avx Tie-In!
• Wolverine, Torn Between Two Teams!
• Will The Jean Grey School Follow Its Leader?
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Spider-Man vs. The Punisher vs. Daredevil
Oh, but Avengers vs. X-Men is not the only hot ticket in April 2012. Greg Rucka and Mark Waid are teaming up again to bring us a three part crossover featuring Spider-Man, The Punisher, and Daredevil that runs through three of the best books at Marvel Comics.
Avenging Spider-Man #6
Story by Mark Waid & Greg Rucka
Art by Marco Checchetto
Cover By Steve McNiven
Variant Covers By Marco Checchetto & Adi Granov
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$3.99• “The Omega Effect” Begins Here Bringing Together Marvel’s 3 Biggest Heroes From The
Most Acclaimed New Books Of The Year!
• Spider-Man, Daredevil And Punisher In An Epic Chase Across Manhattan For A Mysterious
Treasure That Will Change The Course Of All Their Lives.
The Punisher #10
Story by Greg Rucka
Art & Cover by Marco Checchetto
Variant Cover By Adi Granov
32 Pgs./Parental Advisory …$2.99• “The Omega Effect” Part Two! Guest Starring Spidey And Daredevil!
• A Perfect Time To Try This Highly Acclaimed New Series As Frank Castle Joins In With The
Meanest Team-Up You Ever Saw.
• Forced To Work With Two Garishly Dressed Avengers, The Punisher Makes One Promise:
“Trust No One…Hurt Everyone.”
Daredevil #11
Story by Mark Waid
Art by Marco Checchetto
Cover By Marcos Martin
Variant Cover By Adi Granov
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Steffi Schütze
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$2.99• “The Omega Effect” Concludes!
• Daredevil And Spider-Man Join Frank Castle In A Blitzkrieg Takedown Of New York Crime– But Don’t Take It For Granted That These Heroes Are All Working Together.
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. I’ll Believe It When I see It
Can it be? Can it really be happening?
The Twelve #12 (Of 12)
Story by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Chris Weston
Cover By Paolo Rivera
32 Pgs./Rated T+ …$2.99
• The Grand Finale Is Here!!
• All Your Questions Are Answered And Nothing Can Prepare You For What’s Next…!
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. The King of Weekly Sketch-Up
It would appear that Marvel’s best X-Book is being spared the superhero in-fighting. For now, anyway.
Uncanny X-Force #24
Story by Rick Remender
Art & Cver by Phil Noto
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Julian Totino Tedesco
32 Pgs./Parental Advisory …$3.99• Aoa Wolverine, Deadpool And Nightcrawler Go On Mission To Kill Aoa Iceman!
• What’s Left Of X-Force Returns From Otherworld!
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. A New Writer
With Jason Aaron’s years long Wolverine epic concluded in April, the next issue kicks off in the same month with a new writer.
Wolverine #305
Story by Cullen Bunn
Art by Paul Pelletier
Cover By Jim Cheung
Variant Cover By Steve Mcniven
32 Pgs./Parental Advisory …$3.99• All New Jumping On Point!
• Written By Rising Star Cullen Bunn (Fear Itself: The Fearless, The Damned, The Sixth Gun)
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Mark Millar
Mark Millar continues to carry Marvel’s Icon imprint on his stout Scottish shoulders.
The Secret Service #1
Story by Mark Millar
Art by Dave Gibbons
Variant Cover By Bryan Hitch
32 Pgs./Mature …$2.99From The Writer Of Kick-Ass And The Artist Of Watchmen Comes A Collaboration Decades In The Making.
Says Millar: “Secret Service Is The Ramifications Of [How] America Is Struggling On The World Stage, Funding Is Being Seriously Undercut To Balance The Books And Some People Are Trying Their Best To Take Advantage Of The Fragile Global Situation. The Hero And Sidekick Guys Who Lead The Book Are, I Think, The Best Characters I’ve Written.”
Supercrooks #2
Story by Mark Millar
Art & Cover by Leinil Yu
Variant Cover By Bryan HitchBolt Is A Villain Living In A World Where Pickings Are Slim And The “Heroes” Are Everywhere. Now, With Little Left To Lose, He’s Convincing His Pals That Their Last, Best Hope Lies Overseas. But Will Culture Shock Get To Them Before The Policía Do?
Continuing The High-Stakes Escapade From The Creative Team That Brought You Superior!
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Jonathan Hickman
I dropped off of this series halfway through but I really regret it now. Jonathan Hickman wrote a great Nick Fury and he has shown in Fantastic Four and FF that he excels at setting up intricate and epic stories, especially when left to his devices in a pocket of the Marvel Universe. Well, now I can make up for it with this omnibus that collects the entire series, and I have. It’s already been pre-ordered on Amazon.
Secret Warriors Omnibus HC
Written By Brian Michael Bendis & Jonathan Hickman
Penciled By Alex Maleev, Stefano Caselli, Alessandro Vitti, Gianluca Gugliotta, Mirko Colak, David Marquez & Ed Mcguinness
Cover By Jim Cheung
904 Pgs./Rated T+ …$99.99Former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury And His Newly Minted Team Of Secret Warriors Uncover A Conspiracy That Reaches From The Oval Office To Japan — And Even Beyond Death.
When A Shadow War Breaks Out Between Leviathan And Hydra, It’s Up To Fury And His Warriors To Take Them Both Out. The Reconstituted Howling Commandos Join Fury’s Ranks, But Tragedy Waits In The Wings As The Conflict Blossoms Into An All-Out War On Three Fronts. As Hydra And Leviathan Ready For Their Final Strikes — On Each Other And The World — Fury Will Have To Make Some Of The Grittiest Life-And-Death Choices Of His Long Life!
Collecting Mighty Avengers #13 And 18, Secret Warriors #1-28, Dark Reign: The List — Secret Warriors, Siege: Secret Warriors, And Material From Dark Reign: New Nation.
Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Ron’s Retirement Fund
I was going to make a joke about this collection but thinking back, it really was exciting when Marvel launched Darkhawk, it’s newest teen superhero sensation in the 1990s. Everyone I knew bought it. I even nervously got the first issue signed by Mke Manley at a convention. I really enjoyed Darkhawk back then.
Darkhawk Classic Vol. 1 TPB
Written By Danny Fingeroth
Penciled By Mike Manley
Cover By Mike Manley
216 Pgs./Rated T …$24.99Begin The Saga Of The Darkhawk!
Long Before War Of Kings, Teenager Chris Powell Began His Journey As A Dark Force For Justice. Thrill To The Earliest Adventures Of One Of Marvel’s Hottest Heroes For The ’90s!
As The Newborn Darkhawk Unravels The Mystery Of His Armored Avenging Alter Ego, And Encounters Some Of The Marvel Universe’s Finest Heroes And Villains Along The Way. From Alliances With Spider-Man, Captain America And Daredevil To All-Out Brawls With The Hobgoblin, Portal And The U-Foes, Darkhawk Soars To Unparalleled Heights!
Collecting Darkhawk #1-9.
For a complete list of all Marvel Comics releases in April go here.
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so…Thor is back?
What is up with the “logos” on Mark Millar’s books? I’m sure it must be nice to design them in MS Paint by himself, but you’d think he’d know someone who can work up something that looks at least vaguely professional.
Font-no-treatment is actually a lot more professional then font-crappy-treatment. Good examples of the latter are on most of Marvel’s event banners (Heroic Age was the worst of a bad lot but even the more recent Fear Itself looked like a 2002 goth-industrial album cover).
Phil Noto on Uncanny X-force…damn that’s going to be good.
Wolverine and the X-men and Secret Avengers got dragged into AVX? Maybe I don’t need to read the main book to still enjoy these but at $4 a pop I can’t afford to get burned. Fear Itself knocked me off of Avengers, New Avengers and Thunderbolts.
Yeah. I also noticed Winter Soldier went up to $3.99 this month for the 4th issue. What the ##@%@#%?
Whoops, meant to write Captain America and #629 is going up up up, not Winter Soldier. Sorry.
I’m waiting for the Twelve trade this time and skipping issues. No more shenanigans JMS!
Phil Noto on X-Force?! PHIL NOTO ON X-FORCE?!?!?!?!
Damn, that Remender cat dates all the prettiest girls in school.
Damn right!
Is it just one issue or an entire arc?
Not entirely sure if I’m going to continue with Wolverine in issue form after Aaron leaves. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cullen Bunn and really want to read his story. The thing is that it took A LOT to get me to buy a monthly Wolverine book, even with Aaron on the title. I’ll be sure to check in periodically with the collected editions.
I’ll keep getting Wolverine and the X-Men and Secret Avengers during the AvX but it’s very unlikely I’ll buy the main series. Sounds like the plot is simple enough that it won’t matter.
I will be picking up all of The Omega Effect crossover even though I typically only buy Daredevil.
Awesome to see Phil Noto is drawing X-Force. Hopefully it’s an entire arc.
ohhhhhhhh, I really, really do not care about Avengers vs X-men, but I love Wolverine and the X-men, well here’s hoping one of my favourite can remain awesome while dealing with some seemingly Civil Was esque event. And omg Iron Man vs Magneto…wow, so awesome, cant wait. Cause after all the reason I read comics is to see two people fight in bombastic brawls that have no consequence and will be forgotten in two years. Wow…I wont read it, but I woulda thought Marvel would give it a year or two before doing another event, cauuuuse Fear Itself…didnt really increase sales.
Cause I feel overly negative, I will say I’m excited to for Cullen Bunn on Wolverine, I really like Six Gun, and kinda thing he could be a name someday soon, so will definately be giving that a go. 🙂
This is going to be a tough month for me. A LOT of titles double shipping. I may skip the AvX Tie-In’s in the regular books and come back later. Unless I hear really awesome things about them, of course!
WHERE IS S.H.I.E.L.D.?!?!?
I want to hear more about Bunn and Pelletier on Wolverine.
Me too! Pelletier is one of my favorite artists so I am interested to see his interpretation of Logan.
didnt know this was happenin?? cant wait now
Well, since I;m not interested in Avengers vs X-Men, there is very little on this list that interests. And I’ll be getting an issue of Daredevil, but not the two titles that tie into it. *SIGH*
That Darkhawk trade will be fun though!
I’d like to jump on the no crossover interest bandwagon. Thankfully, it appears the few Marvel books I collect will be left out of this (for now). I’m sure we’ll get the inevitable Thunderbolts crossover, and probably and FF/Fantastic Four one. Sigh.
I don’t usually like crossovers but Mark Waid handled the Spider-man/Daredevil crossover so well that I’ll be willing to pick up an issue of Punisher and Avenging to read this next one. Also, glad to see that Uncanny X-force is not being dragged through this AvX crap.
I’ll mostly be getting my usual books. I may be able to afford AvX by then. I don’t buy a lot of event books, anymore, so I doubt it. Mini-series, yes. “Big” events, not really, no. We’ll see.
That Secret Warriors Omnibus may just be the book that breaks the back of my bookcase.