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.
D-Fence! CLAP CLAP D-Fence!
Defenders #1 cover by Terry Dodson
Spinning out of Fear Itself is the return of the much beloved super team! A new version of them, anyway.
DEFENDERS #1
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils & Cover by TERRY DODSON
Variant Cover by TBA
Variant Cover by TBA
Blank Variant available
I Am A Defender Variant also Available• Spinning out of the stunning end of FEAR ITSELF! The final Worthy on a global rampage!
• Matt Fraction (FEAR ITSELF, THE MIGHTY THOR, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) reteams with TERRY DODSON (UNCANNY X-MEN, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN)!
• Everyone’s favorite Marvel characters banding together to solve a mysterious conspiracy deep at the heart of the Marvel Universe!
• The last line of defense against the forces of the unknown!32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
The Artist Shuffle!
Captain America #6 cover by Alan Davis
The legendary Alan Davis steps in to draw Captain America!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #6
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant by TBA• Hydra rises from the ashes!
• What secret has Cap been keeping throughout Fear Itself?
• Alan Davis joins the all-star creative team!32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 cover by Kaare Andrews
Chris Samnee returns for a spell to Ultimate Comics Spider-Man!
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #5 & #6
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils by SARA PICHELLI (#5) & CHRIS SAMNEE (#6)
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS• Miles’ journey to becoming Spider-Man continues!
• Will Miles live up to Peter Parker’s legacy?
• A mysterious figure from Peter Parker’s past returns!32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Punisher #6 cover by Bryan Hitch
Reunion! Former Greg Rucka collaborators Matthew Clark (Checkmate) and Matthew Southworth (Stumptown) because Frank Castle has a lot of guns and it takes a lot of artists to draw them.
THE PUNISHER #6
Written by GREG RUCKA
Penciled by MATTHEW CLARK & MATTHEW SOUTHWORTH
Cover by BRYAN HITCHTHE BIGGEST SHOT OF ALL IS DOWN!
• A fallen Frank Castle…alive but dead inside.
• Secrets of the Exchange revealed…and it’s connected to some of the Marvel Universe’s darkest secrets!32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99
Captain America and Bucky #625 cover by Francesco Francavilla
If Chris Samnee isn’t drawing this World War II era title, then Francesco Francavilla is a fine replacement!
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY #625
Written by ED BRUBAKER & JAMES ASMUS
Pencils & Cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA• The original Human Torch guest-stars as Captain America teams up with Bucky in the present day… for the first time?!
• Rising stars James Asmus and Francesco Francavilla join Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker for a rollicking adventure into the future of the star-spangled Avenger’s past!
• Brand new arc! Easy jumping on point!32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
Fantastic Eight
Fantastic Four #601 cover by Mike Choi; FF #13 cover by Steve Epting
Two Fantastic Four books are better than one. I assume. I was never good at math.
FANTASTIC FOUR #601
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Pencils by STEVE EPTING
Cover by MIKE CHOI
Connecting Variant by TBA
Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant by RON GARNEY“Forever” Part 2
Finally, It’s Clobberin’ Time.32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
FF #13
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by JUAN BOBILLO
Cover by MIKE CHOI
Connecting Variant by TBAALL HOPE LIES IN DOOM, PART 2: PANIC ROOM
The Battle between the Council of Reeds and the Future Foundation extends through the BRIDGE and into the world now controlled by the Mad Celestials.32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
We like trades!
Criminal: Vol. 6 - The Last of the Innocent cover by Sean Phillips
I feel confident is saying that this is the best Criminal series yet. Do not miss it!
CRIMINAL VOL. 6: THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT TPB
By Ed Brubaker and Sean PhillipsTHE BEST-REVIEWED COMIC OF THE YEAR COLLECTED JUST IN TIME FOR X-MAS!
Obsession, sex, money, and nostalgia for days long past all collide in THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT
Riley Richards got it all… The hottest girl in school and a ticket to the big time. So why isn’t he happy now? Why can’t he forget the life he left behind in small town Brookview? And why is he plotting a murder?
COMICS BULLETIN says this ambitious CRIMINAL story does for kids comics “what Alan Moore did for superheroes with WATCHMEN” and now is your chance to read the comic everyone’s been talking about.
Introduction by best-selling author, actor, and stand-up comic Patton Oswalt.
112 PGS./ Mature Content … $14.99
Untold Tales of Spider-Man Omnibus cover by Pat Olliffe
One of the best “under-the-radar” books of the previous decade gets the comprehensive treatment.
UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS HC
Written by KURT BUSIEK, G.L. LAWRENCE, TOM DEFALCO, ROGER STERN & FRED HEMBECK
Penciled by PAT OLLIFFE, PAUL LEE, TERESE NIELSEN, ALEXI TAYLOR, GREG LOUNDON, KEN MEYER JR., RON FRENZ, BOB MCLEOD, NEIL VOKES, MIKE ALLRED, TOM LYLE, JOHN ROMITA & FRED HEMBECK
Covers by PAT OLLIFFEJoin acclaimed tale-spinner Kurt Busiek as he weaves an intricate web of “lost” stories from Peter Parker’s earliest days as the Amazing Spider-Man! Swing along with Spidey during a series of untold gems in which he encounters the likes of the Human Torch, Dr. Octopus, the Vulture, Sandman and more classic characters — along with some new ones like Batwing and Bluebird — on his way to becoming Marvel’s premiere super hero!
Collecting AMAZING FANTASY (1995) #16-18; UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #1-25, #-1, ANNUAL 1996-1997 and STRANGE ENCOUNTER; and material from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #37.
800 PGS./Rated T …$99.99
Wolverine by Greg Rucka Ultimate Collection cover by Leandro Fernandez
Prior to Jason Aaron’s current run on Wolverine, this was probably my favorite.
WOLVERINE BY GREG RUCKA ULTIMATE COLLECTION TPB
Written by GREG RUCKA
Penciled by DARICK ROBERTSON & LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
Cover by LEANDRO FERNANDEZWaitresses, arms dealers, human traffickers, pregnant crime lords, bad dreams and feral female fighters can’t stop Wolverine from carving his way to victory in this razor-sharp series reboot by acclaimed novelist and comics scribe Greg Rucka (Whiteout, Queen & Country). And see Logan do what he does best against his archenemy, Sabretooth!
Plus: the unsettling threats of Cry and Vapor!
Guest-starring Nightcrawler!
Collecting WOLVERINE (2003) #1-19.
448 PGS./Parental Advisory …$39.99
Zombies Christmas Carol cover by Michael William Kaluta
It makes a great stocking stuffer for that macabre relative you’ve got that makes you kind of uncomfortable!
ZOMBIES CHRISTMAS CAROL HC
Written by JIM MCCANN
Penciled by DAVID BALDEON
Covers by MICHAEL WILLIAM KALUTA & JANET K. LEECollecting ZOMBIES CHRISTMAS CAROL #1-5.
120 PGS./ Parental Advisory …$24.99
You can check out the full list of Marvel Comics releases in December here!
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Alan Davis drew Iron Man to look so sad. I love it when artists sometimes puts an expression on the mask when it clearly has no way of doing so.
Also, I hope people learned their lesson on Matt Fraction with this whole Fear Itself nonsense….But I have a feeling The Defenders is going to sell well regardless.
Fear Itself is terrible, but Fraction has written plenty of good things, too.
I’ll buy it. I love me the Defenders!
Anyone know anything about Juan Bobillo?
His name is a lot of fun to say.
@kmob: He did issues of the last She-Hulk ongoing but that’s all that I could really find on him. His style is really unique so we’ll see if it translates to this title.
But @josh is right, it’s a fun name to say.
He just drew one of the alternating arc’s in Astonishing X-Men that just wrapped up. Definatly a unique style like The Next Champion said.
Man, Chris Samnee on Ultimate Spider-Man again. I can’t wait!
wow, all these titles look really good. really looking forward to Alan Davis on Cap. thanks
I think my brain just exploded seeing a Francavilla drawn Cap comic. Seriously, that’s going to be awesome. Also, more Samnee don’t hurt nobody!
I always thought Untold Tales of Spider-Man was one of the best Spider-Man books when I was growing up. I’m tempted to get my hands on this Omni even though I have the trade of Busiek’s first six issues or so.
I am going to assume that since these solicitations are for December, and since they are advertising Ultimate Spiderman #5, that they are going to be releasing USM only once a month? It’s been on the every two weeks schedule so far, which gets to be hellacious on a wallet. Since #3 comes out next week, I guess #4 will be in November and #5 in December? I certainly hope so. I can’t stand the twice a month titles, especially at that $3.99 price point. That alone is almost cause for dropping the book, and I’ve loved the new USM so far…
It looks like USM is double shipping in Dec. because the solicit lists issue #5 and 6. It makes sense because its one of Marvel’s best sellers. They want to get it out as much as possible to maximize their profits.
Take Defenders off and add Uncanny X-Force and Venom and you’ve pretty much got my Marvel pull list for December.
When my DC fanboy friend gives me shit about liking Marvel, I’m going to just link him this page. Minus the zombie stuff, this is a huge honkin’ pile of excellence.
I haven’t cared too much for the Ultimate universe, but I just might give USM a shot finally.
That cover of the Criminal trade is great, except for the part about the “Introduction by Patton Oswalt”
Do people really buy books based on who writes the intro?
Maybe or maybe not, but it gives credence to the book for people who don’t read comics. They think, “Oh, here’s this famous guy who’s stuff I like. He likes this stuff…maybe I will too.”
I have been waiting for a new Defenders title for a while. Can’t wait!