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.
YOU WANT GREAT ART? HERE YOU GO
With Captain America #7, Ed Brubaker is joined by comics art legend Alan Davis. After Davis’ work on Avengers: Prime with Bendis, I’ve been dying for more Davis art, and it’s great to see him tackle the Star Spangled Avenger, finally!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #7
ED BRUBAKER (W)
ALAN DAVIS (A/C)• Cap struggles to find his faith while the new Hydra makes their first deadly moves.
• Best-selling Cap writer Ed Brubaker and superstar artist Alan Davis bring you action-packed espionage in the Mighty Marvel Manner!32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
One of our favorite creator teams is reunited as Greg Rucka is joined by Michael Lark on The Punisher #7! Now THIS would be a creative team ongoing that we could get behind.
THE PUNISHER #7
GREG RUCKA (W)
MICHAEL LARK (A/C)• One long ago night, as the Punisher battled Daredevil, one cop’s life was forever changed
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99
MAKE KIERON GILLEN HAPPY, WON’T YOU?
At the New York Comic Con, Kieron Gillen told me, numerous times, how proud he was of Journey Into Mystery (or JIM as he likes to call it) and apparently many of you in the iFanbase agree. For those of you not reading it yet, join me as I jump aboard to see what all the hype is about.
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633
KIERON GILLEN (w)
RICHARD ELSON (A)
COVER BY STEPHANIE HANS• The Son of Satan guest-stars!
• Fallout from Fear Itself leaves thousands trapped in deadly fever dreams around the world.
• Why is it Loki’s fault? Again.
• And Leah of Hel discovers the wonder and consequence of milkshakes…32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
SPOILER WARNING!
Looks like the rumors of Storm joining the Avengers are true! So now, Storm can say she’s been a member of the X-Men, Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Not a bad resume…
AVENGERS #21
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W)
RENATO GUEDES (A)
COVER BY DANIEL ACUÑA•Storm is now an Avenger!
• How can the Avengers battle the combined forces of Hydra, AIM, the Hand, and H.A.M.M.E.R. under the leadership of Norman Osborn?32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99
NO SARA PICHELLI? AW. WAIT, SAMNEE? OKAY!
How do you cope without Sara Pichelli on Ultimate Spider-Man? Have Chris Samnee do an arc. We got a brief taste of Chris Samnee on Ultimate Spider-Man earlier in the year and we can’t wait to see Samnee revisit the Ultimate universe and see his take on Miles Morales! Plus it’s the start of a new arc, the perfect point to jump onto!
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #6
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W)
CHRIS SAMNEE (A)
COVER BY KAARE ANDREWS
VARIANT COVER BY MARK BAGLEY• NEW ARC STARTS HERE!
• Miles must learn how to be a hero from Peter Parker!
• The new Ultimate Scorpion is introduced!32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
OVER IN THE X-UNIVERSE
The more and more I hear about Wolverine and the X-Men, the more excited I get. With Nick Bradshaw on art, and the school based drama, this is shaping up to be a ton of fun. Plus, look at the solicit. New students and SOMEONE IS PREGNANT?!?! WHAA?
WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #4
JASON AARON (W)
NICK BRADSHAW (A/C)• Two new students join the school. Who could it be?
• The future comes back to haunt the school.
• And who is PREGNANT?!32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
It’s a milestone issue as Wolverine reverts back to it’s original numbering to celebrate its 300th issue. Jason Aaron is joined by Adam Kubert, with variant covers by Jim Cheung and Geof Darrow for this oversized anniversary issue AND it’s a perfect jumping on point to a new storyline as well!
WOLVERINE #300
JASON AARON (W)
ADAM KUBERT (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY JIM CHEUNG
WRAPAROUND VARIANT COVER BY GEOF DARROW
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE• EXTRA-SIZED 300th ISSUE EVENT!
• An all-new, soon-to-be-classic Wolverine story starts here!
• Wolverine travels to Tokyo to confront his most dangerous enemy yet.
• And a new Silver Samurai rises to take his place…along with Wolverine’s daughter!56 PGS./Parental Advisory …$4.99
Continuing the belief that Rick Remender is writing this book just for me, this issue features Captain Britain and the Captain Britain Corps. SIGN ME UP.
UNCANNY X-FORCE #20
RICK REMENDER (W)
GREG TOCCHINI (A)
COVER BY LEINIL YU• The TRIAL OF FANTOMEX begins! Part 1 of 4
• The X-FORCE team journey to OTHERWORLD!
• Guest starring CAPTAIN BRITAIN and the CAPTAIN BRITAIN CORPS!32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99
For more, check out the full list of Marvel Comics in January 2012 over at CBR .
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Glad to hear your giving JIM a shot, Ron!
Even if Leinil Yu draws a single line segment, it looks absolutely incredible.
Hah. Wolverine didn’t take long to renumber. How long till Uncanny renumbers? If there’s a milestone year maybe sooner but I think 4 years tops if u take into account double shipping now and then (but not those damned .1 issues, why marvel why!)
How long til DC renumbers, that’s what I’d like to know…
2013 will be the X-Men’s 50th anniversary.So we may see some renumbering then.
I really like the way Marvel has been using Son of Satan lately! Please NEVER give him a series, miniseries, or spot on a team. Some characters just need to to exist in the MU. Like Cloak and Dagger, Dazzler, Silver Surfer and Deadpool. (whoops)
My favorite X-Men arcs of all time are Claremont, Morrison and Whedon. I loathed Fraction and Gillen didn’t do a whole lot for me either. Therefore, should I jump on Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men? Anyone? [Incidentally Scalped is my favorite comic but I haven’t read anything else Aaron has done].
Brubaker did a good run a few years back. I agree i couldnt stomach fraction xmen either. I love scalped .. apart from Aaron’s punisher max series which is good… most of the other books aaron’s been doing are hit or miss in the marvel Universe in my opinion. Meaning youll have to read the first coupla issues to realize if its your thing or not. His wolverine run has been up and down in quality.. and his ghost rider run was ok at best. Granted he’s a very talented writer. I just dont know if his heart is in all these books.
I disagree with iroberts007 on Aaron’s Wolverine. It’s far and wide the best work that title has seen in at least a decade. The guy gets Wolverine. If his work with the character thus far is any indication, W&TXM will not disappoint. I say give it a shot. And don’t worry about Schism. Aaron’s usually pretty good with the recaps so I recommend jumping right in.
And if you’re looking for more X-Men goodness, check out Uncanny X-Force. It’s got Fantomex so you’ll get a bit of Morrison nostalgia. You could jump right in, but I recommend at least hunting down the last 5 or 6 issuesm (if not the entire run). You won’t regret it. Remender’s hitting home runs with every issue. It’s funny, exciting, and usually looks fantastic. Check it out.
Yu’s covers for January are amazing! That one cover with Cable, and the detail in his metallic side of his body, is drool worthy.
Also, Greg Land is back as artist for Uncanny X-Men. Well it was fun while it lasted right Ron?
Finally an “Ultimate’ cover that’s halfway decent. Only took them about 12 years, give or take.
sucks sara isn’t on spiderman. what is she doing now?
Sara Pichelli isn’t leaving Ultimate Spider-Man sh was falling behind so marvel brought in Chris Samnee to do an arc so Sara could get ahead to avoid any other fill-ins
I’d bet she wasn’t even falling behind. The first three issues shipped in something like 5-6 weeks – for a modern artist of her caliber to keep up with that kind of pace would be incredible.
That said, I’m extremely happy we’ll get Chris Samnee!
That bullet point about who Miles is learning to be a hero from are throwing me. Huh-wha? Maybe he’s getting a marathon session of archival footage or some sort of journal-type thing?
Rucka said on twitter that Lark is only on Punisher for a single issue. Too bad. I’ll check out the issue but would have loved an arc of Lark at least.
Loving the new Captain America series.
Uncanny X-Force looks to maintain the high standard of greatness we’ve come to expect and enjoy.
Storm seems a natural fit as an Avenger. Looks fun.
Wow! Good stuff coming up. I typically don’t look at preview (I don’t know why) but I am really looking forward to a lot of stuff here. I didn’t think I could be more interested that Samnee on Captain America & Bucky, but Francavilla might have done it!
They all renumber at milestones, surprise? Anyway looks like some good stuff, I think Marvel is turning things around for 2012 and sooner, between Marvel’s improved line up and DCU bringing back my JSA and keeping up with the few other new52 titles I like already, my wallets gonna feel it or corners to be cut, so much good stuff to, Hawkeye Solo, X-Men Regenesis, Cable targeting Avengers(I love Cable, don’t care) and that Uncanny X-Force w Cap Britain and Cap Britain is also joining Secret Avengers soon w Rick Remender writing, love it. But like Tom Katers said in his final column, “don’t get hung up on the new” can wait for trades on some stuff and save money. Also I’d like to take this time to suggest an article/feature or two, with so much attention on Hawkeye from Black Widow ending and picking up in Widowmaker then that series doing the same into Hawkeye: Blindspot, and all the stuff going on w him and the Avengers w Spider Woman and next his Solo event. How about a Hawkeye: Where do I Begin article? And an up and coming/rising star or quick upstarts article on Paco Diaz? His art in Hawkeye Blindspot deserves notice.
I will buy anything they put Samnee’s name on. Even a stick of gum or ping pong paddle, and I don’t even have a ping pong table.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #7
DEFENDERS #2
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #512
AVENGERS #21
NEW AVENGERS #20
SECRET AVENGERS #21 & #21.1
AVENGERS: ANNUAL #1
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #6
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #3
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #677
DAREDEVIL #8
THE PUNISHER #7
MOON KNIGHT #9
VILLAINS FOR HIRE #2 (OF 5)
WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #4
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN ALPHA & OMEGA #1 (OF 5)
UNCANNY X-MEN #4 and 5
UNCANNY X-FORCE #19.1 and 20
X-FACTOR #230
PUNISHERMAX #21
SCARLET #7
BRILLIANT #4
SPIDER-MAN: SPIDER-ISLAND HC
This is going to sound dickish, but I don’t mean it to be because I see posts like yours pretty frequently arond the web. But why do people post their shopping lists on comment threads? I’m legitimately interested in knowing the answer. Maybe I just don’t get it, but it doesn’t seem like a very productive comment.
It demonstrates to others what one is interested in buying. I fail to see how it’s any more or less productive than “OhHhHhHh, Samnee.”
I agree that something like “Ohhhh Samnee” isn’t particularly productive either, but at least it expresses a point of view. A pure shopping list post isn’t a comment. It’s just a list of things.
It’s cool if you’re pumped to get new books, but give me a reason why, so we can start a conversation! I’ve seen “comment threads” on other sites that are literally just people posting their shopping lists. Very little actual discussion ever develops.
I find it especially strange here on iFanboy, when we all have the ability to make weekly pull lists, and discuss those specific books with other interested folks.
I’ve just always been curious to see what other people are purchasing for some reason
Thanks! As I said before, it’s something I’ve seen pretty regularly around the web, and I never understood the impulse to post my shopping list (especially for books coming three months from now!).
If I want to discuss the things I buy with other people who buy them, I use the threads attached to the books on the Pull Your Comics page. Different strokes for different folks I guess!
The ‘Captain Britain Corps’ seemed to have come out of no where.
Where the hell is that coming from?
I would also like to know the answer to this question if one even exists.
Sadly, I have no real interest in any of this stuff. I will be getting Invincible Iron Man, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Moon Knight and the FF books, along with the one mutant book I get, X-Factor. My Marvel pull list has shrunk considerably the last few months.
They’re just doing this Corps thing to death huh?
When did Osborne take over the Hand? I thought they were working for Kingpin. Or is the goal to put all evil under his control? Will he also be heading the Hellfire Club, Brotherhood, Acolytes, Frightful Four and Sinister Six? Actually, the last one would make more sense than anything else he’s doing now.
If I was a regular reader of Uncanny X-Force I would be MIGHTY pissed Greg Tocchini is taking over the art for 4 issues.
I’m definitely wary. His work on FF was god awful but he did an arc of Batman and Robin with Judd Winick that was pretty good. Hopefully he isn’t rushed/Enjoys drawing UXF.
Then again, the writing is good enough to carry mediocre art. The last issue of JIM had Portacio art that was god awful, but Gillen saved it by being a master wordsmith. I have faith in Remender.
Suddenly, Ron’s finding out….
Hey! was just thinking back to December’s previews – where’s the What If? titles?!!! Isn’t every December Marvel gives us the What if’s? Seriously Marvel what gives?!