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.
Ultimate #1s
Ultimate Hawkeye #1, Ultimate Comics #1
The Ultimate Comics line relaunches in earnest here, with Bendis and Spencer following with Ultimate Comics X-Men and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man in September. In August, it's all about Jonathan Hickman and the Ultimates team. It all starts with the main title and a special mini-series devoted to Hawkeye's top secret mission.
Chaykin Alert! It's in the DnA!
Fear Itself: the Home Front #5
Chaykin happens when you least expect it. Let's see how he handles a hammer. Or many hammers. Juggling hammers, even. All courtesy of Abnett and Lanning.
Event Beginning Alert!
Amazing Spider-Man #667
Spider Island kicks off here. We hope you like arachnids, Manhattan.
Spider Island: Cloak and Dagger #1
Nick Spencer and Emma Rios launch a mini series with some cult favorites. Some spider madness may be involved.
Can't Miss Art
Secret Avengers #16
Warren Ellis and Jamie McKelvie team up for this action packed issue, the first in a series of one-and-done adventures.
Allow Us to Be Frank for a Second
Punisher #1
Rucka and Checchetto with variant covers by Buscema and Adams! Frankly, we're pretty stoked.
What Once Was Lost Now Is Found
X-Men Legacy #254
Havok and Polaris were gone for a while. They're back now. And they've got some splainin to do.
Opena returns!
Uncanny X-Force #13 &14
This is the Esad Ribic cover for Rick Remender and Mark Brooks' #13. Opena is back with issue #14. Thank cripes.
COLLECTIONS
Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus
For many readers, FF begins and ends here. At the very least, it's one of the landmark runs, collected here in a definitive omnibus edition.
Marvel Zombies Christmas Carol Hardcover
Zombie Christmas as it could only be imagined by international crazy person Jim McCann. Start christmas shopping now!
FF Vol. 1
If you missed out on Hickman and Epting's wonderful new direction for Reed and his crew, jump on with this collection of issues #1 through 5. Eight of these five issues made Pick of the Week.
X-Statix Omnibus
What's black and white and blue and yellow and green and purple and Allred all over? This. You know who else is in here? Darwyn Cooke. Duncan Fegredo. Paul Pope. Sean Phillips. Phillip Bond. And the absurdist stylings of Peter Milligan. 1200 pages. $125 smackers.
Check out the full list of Marvel's solicitations for books shipping in August, 2011 over at ComicBookResources
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
I kind of like the Ultimate Comics uniform cover style, though I find the name “Ultimate Comics” to be really clunky. And those X-titles are looking pretty good too.
“Eight of these five issues made Pick of the Week”
LOL
Really looking forward to Opena coming back on X-Force.
Hope they get Ultimates out of the ditch it’s been in.
Looks like they’ve ditched Punisher’s white booties once and for all. Hurray!
And how does Dagger keep that costume on? I’d be hoping for a wardrobe malfunction if she were saving me!
x-statix, ah the memories
Always wanted to try that X-Static book. Not sure if I can afford it now, but I’ll get it sooner then later.
Are the Secret Avengers done-in-ones post-Fear Itself continuity? Pre-Fear Itself, and they’re just “untold tales?”
I’ve been trying to work out why the new Future Foundation uniforms looked so gosh darn familiar, and I’ve finally worked it out. It’s almost an exact copy of Offspring’s costume from Kingdom Come.
I haven’t read all of Byrne’s run, but I am excited that I might be able to soon! The way I see it, if I keep buying Omnibuseses, Marvel will oblige me with a big ol’ omnibus of Lee/Romita Spider-Man.
That X-Statix Omnibus is killing me right now. I want it sooo much.
I almost dropped $100+ for the X-Statix trades recently but got cold feet. My pussifiedness is now rewarded. Off to DCBS. Right. Now.
And get it soon people, ’cause the odds of it EVER being reprinted are slim to none, and slim’s packing to leave town.
Is anyone else super excited for that Cloak and dagger mini, or is just me?
Johnathan Hickman Writing? Sign me upp!
Marvel has a lot of things coming out that I’m really excited to read.
<3
DOOP!!!
@JohnVFerrigno I m excited. The cover looks ridiculously awesome!
@JohnVFerrigno Super excited right here! I’ve been praying C & D get a decent shot at more issues since way back from their Runaways appearance. They didn’t fit with the X-Men (Dark or otherwise) at all and Nick Spencer’s enthusiasm’s about the mini is hugely contaigeous.
@DaVeO I’ve always been curious about Cloak and Dagger. They have an awesome look, cool powers, and whenever they show up in a story, they always seem like great characters. They were my favorite part of the old Marvel Knights title (the comic Marvel knights, not the imprint.) Definitely going to check that mini out!