Joe Stone's X-Men Family Tree

I’ve always been a lost cause when it comes to math and science, so usually my eyes glaze over when there’s any talk of “formula” or “coefficient.” But I perked up when at Wired.com scientist and author Samuel Arbesman took on the question of inbreeding in Marvel’s X-Men universe. (It was the X-Men part, not the inbreeding, that piqued my interest, thankyouverymuch.)

Using as a guide Joe Stone’s X-Men Family Tree, with its lines designating clones, offspring nemeses and so on, Arbesman has determined that — surprise, surprise! — “there is no inbreeding whatsoever among the X-Men.” He does, however, raise an eyebrow at Ultimate Quicksilver and Ultimate Scarlet Witch.

“Despite the clones, immortality, and occasional mind control of comic books, the X-Men lack inbreeding,” he writes, “at least according to this chart. If we delve a bit deeper though, it turns out that the twin children of Magneto do have a sexual relationship. While no children have resulted from the union of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, this would have resulted in an astonishingly high inbreeding coefficient of 25 percent, similar to a Pharaoh.”

How Ultimate is Ultimate!?

Have you ever seen a word so often that it starts to lose its meaning? Louis CK has a great bit on the word ‘hilarious’, go check the link (right about the 1:38 mark, NSFW language) and you’ll see what I mean. Because it feels like the word “Ultimate” means nothing to me anymore. I don’t know what Marvel means by it, I don’t know why it’s there now instead of a new label, but it’s been on a lot of comics. Just as a word, the adjective has five definitions, all of them relating to a finite point. They’re all various shades of getting to an endpoint.

So what shade do we call this particular line of comics? At NYCC editor Sana Amanat said that it wouldn’t be right to put one label on them all, but one general theme of the Ultimate comics was of identity exploration, with characters like Miles Morales and Nick Fury coming into their own. I don’t think that’s enough. Identity exploration happens in all comics, and labels help you sell those comics. The word “Ultimate” needs to have meaning. Seeing that name should let the reader know what they’re getting, after all, Diet Coke, Cherry Coke and Coke Classic are all different types of soda, but looking at the label, I know exactly what I’m going to enjoy (heaven forbid it say Pepsi!). I believe the Ultimate line started out with such a label, that they were a way to market a particular type of story to a particular type of reader at their inception, but just through time and ever-changing story, the Ultimate name has lost its luster and clarity. As an adjective it can mean five different things, and I’m not even talking about nouns (grammar humor!).

Right now, we have four titles united by one word, all different facets of their totality. Sit down and take note–I’m looking at you, Marvel Marketing–because I’m going to explain this and tie it all together.

We start with Ultimate Spider-Man, because that’s where we always start. No offense to Mark Millar, Andy Kubert, and the rest of the hard-working artists and writers who have worked on the Ultimate titles, but Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley are truly the founding fathers of the Ultimate line. Also, maybe someone in editorial (I kid!). The premise was easy: a modern re-telling of Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man, and there was a market for it. Kids wanted to read about Spider-Man, but not 600 issues and some questionable and confusing story content (coughCLONE-SAGAcough). A back-to-basics approach not only lured new readers to the stands, but longtime fans as well, who yearned for a more streamlined web-slinger. The writing was fresh, the art was classic, and this is the one of the few times I can say that decompression storytelling was used for Good. The term “Ultimate” was probably more of a marketing decision (Do the Dew!) but it helped guide readers to the right books. Soon, there were modern re-tellings for everyone, from the X-Men to the Fantastic Four to the inspiration for the Avengers movie we’ll be seeing in 2012. One can say that down the line the Ultimate titles jumped the shark; the clash between revamping classic ideas and genuinely new ideas ended in a turf war we call Ultimatum. There were casualties, and some of them were readers; no one is proud.

A fresh start was necessary, and so the Ultimate Comics era (Ultimate Comics: Spider-man, Ultimate Comics: X, Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates, etc.) started with all new #1′s and a different premise. If anything, these comics tried to shuck off their former revamped shell and work within their own creation. A lot of new ideas had come out of the original Ultimate line, and it was time to start exploring them in earnest and using the continuity that had been established for even newer continuity. Love it or hate it, it was hard to confirm exactly why we bought this line, instead of the normal 616 universe. This was no longer the modern retelling of Peter Parker, and more a story that required knowledge of past events to enjoy, even if it wasn’t a full 600 issues worth of prior history. In the end, we had this different, new universe from your standard Marvel set, but it was just as disconnected and complicated as anything you could read in Amazing Spider-Man.

So here we are again, currently at four titles (Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics: the Ultimates, Ultimate Comics: X-Men, Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye). Man, these titles are getting long. Anyhow, face value would say that these are all popular on the silver screen and in cross-market promotion, thus their own little boutique comic line. Everybody knows who the X-Men are, we all saw Hawkeye’s cameo in Thor (GO SEE THOR), the average movie-goer will recognize all of these titles and should be drawn to them.

But can we pull something deeper from the label, and find ourselves in a gooey caramel center of understanding? That’s my plan.

There are five definitions for the word Ultimate as an adjective, and right out of the gate, Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye easily fits the definition of “Maximum, decisive.” This book is extreme tactical action, with all the explosions and pull-down shades of any summer blockbuster. He will certainly cut a striking figure in the Avengers movie as an action hero, and Jonathan Hickman and Rafa Sandoval are bringing that character to you in these solo adventures.

Ultimate Comics: the Ultimates would be the “highest, not subsidiary” in the definition line-up. In other words, the Ultimates are EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES. That’s literally what that means. Out of the entire planet, these people are the mightiest and are not beholden to anyone above themselves. There is nothing these guys could not/should not be able to handle. Trouble stops here. I totally trust Hickman will be awesome in this book as well, for different reasons. His ability to think up fourth-dimensional problems for incredible third-dimensional superheroes will test these characters in a way that will not diminish their mightiness, and will provide some damned good stories.

Ultimate Comics: X-Men‘s story is the “last; furthest or farthest, ending a process or series”. After everything that has happened before, there is a true sense of finality to the battle between humans and mutants. In this book, you will see the last of the X-Men, they’ve skipped the lead-up to Days of Future Past, and brought mutant internment camps and Sentinels to our doorstep. This kind of story will make the characters desperate, so that decisions made now will not have a do-over. These are the last, furthest, and farthest acts of the end of a species.

And at last we come to the heart and soul of the Ultimate Comics universe: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man. This will be the book that returns us to our “basic, fundamental” roots. Peter Parker represents something in all of us, so shouldn’t the reverse be the same? Shouldn’t a little of the diversity of mankind be represented in Spider-Man? Even from the first few issues, you can grasp something of what made you identify and empathize with a smart young man from humble beginnings, gaining extraordinary abilities, and learning to use them responsibly and honestly.

These are our heroes, in concentrated form, and the Ultimate line should be the final word on who they are.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1

Last Wednesday a first issue relaunched an entirely new take on a classic character, and it didn’t have a DC Comics logo. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1, by Brian Michael Bendis, Sarah Pichelli and Justin Ponsor may not have been the first appearance of Miles Morales, but it did give us a glimpse into his world and what makes him tick.

Since Morales’ new role as the web-slinger in the Ultimate Universe was announced, he’s been met with attention and controversy both inside and outside the comic world. But now that his comic has actually come out, what are people saying about it? Here’s just a sampling of what people are saying about Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1:

James Hunt, Comic Book Resources: “In a month when readers have been prompted to think about the craft of the first issue (courtesy of DC Comics) “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man” #1 makes it look easy, striking a strong balance between showing what readers need to know and teasing what might come later. Most importantly, what the issue lacks in costumed antics, it makes up for with character. It’s only the second time we’ve seen Miles Morales on the page, but already we’re starting to see how his background and outlook differ from Peter Parker’s. It suggests that we’re going to see a Spider-Man quite different than the one we’re used to — but at the same time, it’s still one who you’ll want to read about next issue. A very conventional start to the series, but in the Ultimate line in particular, that’s exactly what it should be.”

Charles Webb, MTV Geek: “With Miles, we get a new Spider-Man who won’t feel too off-model from Peter Parker–at least in terms of being, at his core, a decent kid with a good heart. We see this in a bit ripped straight from the controversial documentary Waiting for Superman as Miles’ heart breaks a little for the kids who won’t have a chance to make it into the good charter school. With out too much nudging, we know Miles and his family are struggling–poor, if you want to put a fine point on it–and that Miles has a good head on his shoulders. The script overplays its hand a little bit during a speech from Miles’ shady Uncle Aaron that kind of goes out of its way to be explicit about how bad off things are in their neighborhood and how everyone wants something better for the kid.”

Paul Montgomery, iFanboy: “As expected, Sara Pichelli’s art is lush and vibrant, and she excels at rendering everyone from a quiet young Miles to his rapscallion Uncle Aaron and the ruthless Norman Osborn. She does a wonderful job dressing a scene and dressing her characters, from the fashion to the fit. Uncle Aaron is a highlight, introduced in a jaunty trilby, track jacket and house slippers. So much of this character is masterfully established not just by his wardrobe and dialogue, but in the way he hold himself and peers suspiciously down hall ways. Again, Pichelli doesn’t have opportunity to show off her Spider-Man action visuals here, but the anticipation is only building.”

Dean Threadgold, WhatCulture!: “However, as a first issue this book is a slight letdown. Like a lot of Bendis’ work, this is decompressed storytelling in its purest form, meaning we don’t get much other than a quick intro to the character. Those hoping to see Miles swinging from the rooftops beating up bad guys will be disappointed. While this methodical pacing helps Bendis generate empathy for the new cast- he is building a new world from the ground up, after all- it does leave the reader with the impression that very little happened. Compared to this, DC’s Justice League # 1 was jam packed full of plot. By the time I reached the last page I was honestly surprised that there wasn’t more story and, if I’m honest, very disappointed that the book ended where it did. However, reaching the end of an issue and being desperate to know what happens next can hardly be considered a bad thing, though it would be a shame if this decompressed style ends up hampering the overall effectiveness of the narrative. Though let’s be honest- if anyone can pull of long-form storytelling then it’s Bendis, and I for one am excited to see where this character goes.”

Joseph Gauthier, 10 Worlds Studio: “I ran into the problem I always have with stories trying too hard to be non-stereotypical, they’re stereotypical. If the NAACP announced to combat the stereotype ‘all black people eat watermelon’ African Americans are now eating mango, overtime, the stereotype would then become ‘all black people eat mango’”

“It was the same thing I saw going to private Catholic high school; the more parents sent their bad kids there, thinking it would change them, the worse the school became. While the public school, by comparison, became less unruly and produced better students. Fast forward twenty years, the ‘prestigious high school’ is in the shitter while the public schools are winning awards.

“I keep seeing this scenario play out and I see it again here. The more you try to diversify, the more you end becoming ‘One of Us.’”

David Brothers, ComicsAlliance: “A lot was made of Marvel’s new black Spider-Man by everyone who heard about the character, whether they were for or against the idea. I was pretty pleased to see that the issue of Miles’s race got just the amount of attention it needed in this issue: none. Setting aside the difficulty in explaining the complicated racial and ethnic overlap and intersection between blacks and Latinos — a subject that is probably too complicated for cape comics — Miles and his family are presented as just like any other family in comics. He doesn’t fight roving bands of racists, the Klan, or talk about how he’s from the hood. He’s got a family, his parents want his life to be better than theirs, and they love him very much. He’s normal, and that’s just as it should be.

“Despite my qualms about the length and price point, this first issue hooked me. Miles Morales isn’t Peter Parker, his status quo isn’t Peter Parker’s, and his powers have just enough of a twist (hinted at early in the story) that they aren’t exactly Peter’s either. I wanted Bendis to impress me with this issue, and he did. This is good comics, and the start of something cool.”

Ultimate Comics Fallout

Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we’d get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a “Splurge” item.

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Graeme McMillan

It’s an odd week this week, with little slices of history all over the place. If I had $15, I’d make a point of grabbing two of those slices immediately: Ultimate Comics Fallout #4 (Marvel, $3.99) is the most hyped of the two, the introduction of the “all-new” Spider-Man that we’ve apparently been counting down to for the last week, but I’ll admit more eagerness to read Superman #714 (DC, $2.99), the final issue of the original numbering of a series that’s been running for seven decades, as well as the final episode of “Grounded,” which has become a testament to Chris Roberson’s ability to make a silk purse out of JMS’ ear, or something. Also on the DC side, Flashpoint #4 (DC, $3.99), because I’ve come this far, and because I’m curious what the last page shocker that will make me desperate to read #5 is going to turn out to be. Also: Snarked #0 (BOOM! Studios) is out! Worth multiple times the $1 it actually costs.

If I had $30, my masochistic nostalgia would try to tell me that picking up DC Retroactive: The Flash – The 80s (DC, $4.99) would be a good idea despite the disappointments of some of the Retroactive issues to date. To be fair, I really loved the Messner-Loebs/LaRoquette pairing back then, so it could be worth it this time around, as well. I’ll also grab Mystic #1 (Marvel, $2.99), more because I love G. Willow Wilson’s writing than having any affection for the original Crossgen series, which I haven’t even read. There are also new issues of a couple of favorites that I’ll be picking up: Secret Six #36 (DC, $2.99, and another final issue), and Dungeons & Dragons #9 (IDW, $3.99).

Splurging, it has to go to the Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (Marvel, $99.99). There’s no way in the world I could actually afford this, but in the fantasy world of Splurgeville, I would eagerly pick this up to find out what happened at the end of a story I only read in occasional crossovers.

Chris Mautner

The Boys #57

If I had $15: I’d stick with the adolescent male entertainment side of the rack and get a copy of The Boys #57 ($3.99) and Bakuman Vol. 6 ($9.99).

If I had $30: I’d put the adolescent male fare aside and pick up Tank Tankuro, a pre-World War II manga about an adventurous, roly-poly robot by one Gajo Sakamoto. This first-time English collection features numerous essays, a slipcover case and a cover by Chris Ware, which is like the cherry on the double-cream frosting for me. A preview can be found on The Comics Journal site.

Splurge: This is a pretty good week for reprints. Milton Caniff fans will want to check out Caniff ($49.99) a coffee-table collection of original art, drawings, sketches and other art work by the Terry and the Pirates creator. Fantagraphics is re-releasing their Willie & Joe WWII collection by Bill Mauldin ($39.99) as a paperback and also introducing a collection of post-war Madulin cartoons, titled Back Home ($29.99). Abrams has an oversize tribute to George Herriman in Krazy Kat and the Art of George Herriman: A Celebration ($29.95) — I wrote briefly about the book in last month’s Comics College post on Herriman. And finally there’s the Jack Kirby Omnibus from DC ($49.99) which collects a number of the maestro’s short tales, including a bunch of Green Arrow adventures.

Michael May

Rachel Rising

If I had $15, I’d grab some #1s (and a #0). Terry Moore’s new series Rachel Rising ($3.99), about an amnesiac who wakes up in a shallow grave starts this week. So does Mystic ($2.99), Marvel’s newest CrossGen reboot. Like Graeme, I never read CrossGen’s version, but I love that Amanda Conner cover. Anyone who wields a wooden spoon like a broadsword while wearing an apron is someone I want to read about. The beginning of Matt Wagner’s last Zorro story, Zorro Rides Again ($3.99) also comes out this week, as does the introductory 0-issue to Roger Langridge’s Snarked ($1.00) from BOOM!. Since I still have a few buck left in my pocket (thanks, BOOM!), I’ll also snag Moriarty #4 ($2.99) just to peek and see if it’s still worth trade-waiting. I imagine it is, but that three dollars is burning a hole in my pocket.

If I had $30, I’d add Doug Tennapel’s Bad Island ($12.99 for the paperback version) partly because I like adventures on uncharted islands; partly because Mautner says this is a good one. It’s not on Diamond’s official list, but ComicList has it and they’re often right.

I’ve got three splurge items this week. Mautner has already mentioned Caniff ($49.99) and that’s on my list too, as is a related collection: Hermes’ reprints of the seven Steve Canyon issues ($49.99) of Dell’s Four Color comics. More affordable though is Oni’s Petrograd ($29.99), which combines the murder of Rasputin with British espionage.

JK Parkin

Snarked

If I had $15, I’d start with the bargain-priced Snarked #0 ($1), which BOOM! just launched a dedicated website for. Head over there to check out a preview. I’d also pick up Punisher #1, as Greg Rucka nearly always gets my money. Two new comics I’m looking forward to that probably couldn’t be any more different.

I’d also pick up a couple of last issues — regrettably, Secret Six #36 ($2.99) wraps up the series, while Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #3 ($3.99) ends one of the better Flashpoint tie-ins. And finally, the penultimate Flashpoint #4 ($3.99) would find its way into my shopping bag.

Speaking of first issues, if I had $30, I’d also add Terry Moore’s new horror-ish title, Rachel Rising #1 ($3.99). I’d also get the latest issue of Usagi Yojimbo, #139 ($3.50), which kicks off a two-part “whodunit” style mystery, and The Boys #57 ($3.99). And finally, the Hero Comics 2011 one-shot ($3.99) not noly benefits a good cause, but also features a Chew story and a new tale by Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg and Sam Kieth. I think that puts me about 50 cents over my limit, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got that much somewhere in my couch cushions.

My splurge is easy: the long-awaited, at least by me, Petrograd by Phil Gelatt and Tyler Crook. I posted some artwork from it earlier today, and it’s beautiful stuff.

X-Men: Schism

Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we’d get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a “Splurge” item. We’re coming a little late today due to a power outage in my neck of the woods — due to a blackout, not because I spent the money for the electric bill on Flashpoint or Fear Itself tie-ins.

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Chris Arrant

If I had $15, I’d make a mad grab for American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99); I love what Snyder and Murphy are doing here, and anyone who knows me knows how big a fan I am of Murphy’s work. Next up would be the debut of Jonathan Hickman’s Redwing #1 (Image, $3.50); after seeing Hickman blossom at Marvel, it’s great to see him re-invest in creator-owned comics. Third would be Jason Aaron and Carlos Pacheco’s X-Men Schism #1 (Marvel, $4.99); I have a sense Aaron’s the kind of writer to bring his “A” game when it comes to special stories (he did it recently in Scalped #50), so I’m interested to see what he does here. Last up would be Northlanders #42 (DC, $2.99).

If I had $30, I’d double-up on two indie series; Jeff Smith’s RASL#11 ($3.50) and Loose Ends #1 (12 Gauge, $3.99). Then I’d go back to Marvel and get FF #6 (Marvel, $2.99) and Wolverine #12 (Marvel, $3.99).

If I had some money to splurge, I’d get the great Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies trade paperback (Image, $18.99). It has two things I like — weird variations on a long-running character, and an eclectic line-up of creators. It’s almost as if the Popgun crew had a go at Larsen’s Dragon.

Graeme McMillan

Captain America #1

I admit: Thanks to traveling, work overload and just plain busyness, I’ve completely failed to make it to a comic store in the last few weeks, so if/when I hit the store this week, I’ll be less interested in the new releases than I will be just seeing what I’ve missed since mid-June. But if someone were to insist that I spend $15 on books from this week, chances are I’d spend it on Captain America #1 (Marvel, $3.99)–I’m curious to see what Ed Brubaker does with the idea of a new beginning for the character, especially considering the fact that he’s essentially been doing one 70+ issue storyline since the last time he relaunched the series –as well as Superman #713 (DC, $2.99), because I’m curious to see where the Man of Steel goes in my neck of the woods (presuming, of course, he gets there and someone at DC hasn’t taken offense at something else Chris Roberson has written this issue) and, completing an unconscious cycle, DC Comics Presents Gotham Noir (DC, $7.99), reprinting an early collaboration between Brubaker and Sean Philips that promises to be grim yet enjoyable reading.

If I had $30, I’d make a point of adding Ultimate Comics Fallout #1 (Marvel, $3.99), because I hope it’ll include something to make the “Death of Spider-Man” storyline so amazingly emotionally vapid, Green Lantern #67 (DC, $2.99) because I’m curious to see how that whole “War of The Green Lanterns” ended up–My bet? Hal is shown the box office take of the GL movie and has to face real fear for the first time–and X-Men: Schism #1 (Marvel, $4.99) because I am masochistic enough to be curious about how this particular Cyclops/Wolverine clash will differ from the seventy-nine similar clashes in their past.

Splurging this week for me will probably take the form of just buying all the books I’d meant to get for the last three weeks or so, but if I were to look at something from this week’s list, I’d probably take a look at the Bloom County To Mars: The Imagination of Berkeley Breathed catalog from the Cartoon Art Museum’s recent exhibit that IDW is making available in the direct market ($20)…

Chris Mautner

It’s a pretty quiet week for me, so if I had $15, I’d probably just stick with the 11th issue of Jeff Smith’s RASL.

If I had $30, I’d pick up the trade for Incognito: Bad Influences. There’s something about Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ work together that just really accentuates their particular strengths.

As far as Splurge items go, that Bloom County book that Graeme mentioned sounds rather intriguing, so let’s go with that.

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15, I’d spend the whole thing on the fourth volume of Cross Game ($14.99), Misturi Adachi’s charming story of boys and girls and baseball, packaged by Viz in a double-sized volume of almost 400 pages.

If I had $30, I’d take a chance on The Homeland Directive ($14.95), a new thriller out from Top Shelf that looks like it would make good summer reading.

My splurge is pretty modest this week: The third issue of Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors, which would be my first choice if the other books weren’t 15 bucks each. Nothing other than that is calling out to me, so I’ll save the rest of my splurge money for next week.

Michael May

Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2

If I had $15, I’d load up first on three different series I’m following: Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2 ($2.99), Alpha Flight #2 ($2.99), and Mystery Men #3 ($2.99). I’ve written about Alpha Flight and Mystery Men here before, so I’ll spare you, but Frankenstein has a great concept and Jeff Lemire did an excellent job on the first issue by drawing me in without making me feel like I needed to buy any other Flashpoint titles to follow his story. Next I’d add Defenders: From the Marvel Vault #1 ($2.99), because I’m curious and excited to see Kurt Busiek write a story over Mark Bagley’s art that was already produced from a Fabian Niceza script. That’s a crazy experiment that I wouldn’t pay money to see many people do, but Busiek…you bet. Finally, if I just had 50 cents more I’d grab the new RASL or BPRD, but I don’t, so I’ll buy All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9 ($2.99) instead. I’m not a big Hawkman fan, but B:tBatB has consistently been strong enough that it doesn’t have to rely on my affection for its guest-stars.

If I had $30, I’d add Casanova: Gula ($14.99) to see how it’s improved since I read it in single-issues from Image.

My splurge item this week wouldn’t be actual comics. Instead, I’d buy the Triton and Black Manta figurines from Eaglemoss ($14 each) and make them fight each other.

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Kill Shakespeare

Hello and welcome to What Are You Reading? Today’s special guests are Johnny Zito and Tony Trov, writers of Black Cherry Bombshells, Moon Girl, Lamorte Sisters and D.O.G.S. of Mars.

To see what Tony, Johnny and the Robot 6 crew are reading, click the link below.

*****

Michael May

Aquaman #16 (1964)

I’ve been absent from What Are You Reading? for a few weeks while I’ve been working my way through Showcase Presents Aquaman, Volume 3. I’ve already shared some of my thoughts on these Silver Age stories and finishing this volume hasn’t changed my mind. These are some awfully silly comics where characters’ personalities change dramatically from issue to issue as the plot demands. But I can’t make myself hate them either. The art by Ramona Fradon and Nick Cardy is fantastic and the plots themselves are inventive and exciting.

The first appearance of Black Manta in Aquaman #35 is especially awesome. Bob Haney opens the story with a sudden attack by Manta and his terrifying manta-men on Atlantis and doesn’t let up for the entire issue. Aquaman and the Atlanteans try various tactics to defend themselves, but Black Manta keeps adapting. And then Ocean Master shows up. Other stories feature Aquaman on loan to the US government in Bond-inspired stories as he goes up against a criminal organization called O.G.R.E.

For the most part though, Aquaman stays beneath the waves, defending Atlantis and his family from various aliens, monsters, and invaders from the surface world. It’s great fun as long as you take a very relaxed attitude about characterization. Something I wasn’t always able to do.

Chris Mautner

Krazy & Ignatz

I’ve been delving into a number of classic comic strips lately, thanks to a bundle of new books from Fantagraphics.

First up was the latest Krazy & Ignatz book, “1919-1921: A Kind, Benevolent and Amiable Brick.” What stands out for me here, other than George Herriman’s usual artistry, is the subtle jokes about race — Ignatz becomes dirty after rolling around in soot and Krazy doesn’t recognize him and refuses to have anything to do with him; Krazy ends up covered in white paint and suddenly becomes irresistible to Ignatz. Considering Herriman’s own ethnic and racial heritage, I find moments like this fascinatingly telling.

I also read the fifth volume of Popeye, “Wha’s A Jeep.” I’ve gone on and on about my love for Segar’s Thimble Theater here and elsewhere countless times before, so I won’t bore you by listing the all the numerous reasons this strip tickles my fancy so well. Suffice it to say I think it’s an American classic and earns my heartiest recommendation, whatever that’s worth.

Finally, I read the third volume of Prince Valiant, which covers the years 1941-1942. I still can’t quite get over just how much fun Hal Foster’s medieval epic is. Far from the dull, staid, storybook slog a first glance would suggest, the strip bursts with life and adventure, and not a little bit of bloodsport. I lost count at a certain point how many evildoers Val killed, although the highlight (violence-wise at least) has to be the viking who gets his hand lopped off by Val on the last page, itty-bitty, graceful splurt of blood included.

Carla Hoffman

Ultimate Comics Doom #2

Ultimate Doom #2 isn’t half bad. On the whole, I would think more fondly of the Ultimate universe if we had read all of this instead of Ultimatum. Think of that for a moment, wouldn’t you? Yeah… Anyways, the action isn’t as slow or as startling as in, say Bendis’ Avengers work, and I would guess he is far more comfortable writing with the Ultimate characters than the ol’ 616 universe. But that’s me. I also know that it might be my gut feeling, but the whole villain of this particular arc of the Ultimate Secret/Ultimate Enemy/Ultimate Doom series is kind of disappointing. I understand their motivations and all, but without a reasoned and engaging explanation, I’m still down-hearted. I’m sure that’s even the point of naming this character a huge threat to their friends, loved ones and even the multiverse at large, so I’ll wait and see how it all develops.

I’ll totally admit to having not read Ultimate Secret or Ultimate Enemy before this, but it tells you how good a comic is if you can pick an issue up, read through it and understand the basic plotline enough to want to read more. In the same spirit, I also read Action Comics #897. The fancy character spotlight covers did not help me in this as I had to check the cover several times to remember what this issue was for later, but it also helped as Lex Luthor looking evil with Superman’s cape destroyed is pretty cool. Again, I haven’t read anything before it, but Paul Cornell is a pretty cool guy and the title’s been getting a lot of positive press from friends, so why not see what all this is? The good news is that it’s incredibly well-written. While the idea of a robot Lois Lane is lost on me, I caught quickly on to the fact that she was a robot and believed that Luthor want to create such a thing for his understandably nefarious needs. The black hole problem and his main reason for action? No clue. But the very idea of Lex Luthor taking his robot Lois Lane in to see the Joker at Arkham Asylum? Count me in. The exchange was engaging, fascinating and appropriately weird (“Jazz hands!”). Not sure if I’ll remain just as interested to pick up the next issue, but I might go back-issue hunting tomorrow and see if the last issue was as good as this one.

Last but not least, I read Infestation #1 because I need to know if Abnett and Lanning can make ANYTHING GOOD. Short answer: yes, yes they can. Long answer: you know when someone comes up with something so bizarre or unreal that you have to see it? Dynamite books and the internet work on this idea; we find strange and uncomprehendable YouTube videos and put them on Facebook. Infestation leaves your jaw open the whole time and you know it’s going to end in ZOMBIES in STAR TREK comics. That’s unheard of, but even on your way to getting to ZOMBIES in TRANSFORMERS comics, you’re not only given a fairly decent premise but throw in terms like Hofstadtian Strange Loop whi, if you Google odd words like I do, find out that it’s an ACTUAL THING. Not only did they jump on to a rather ludicrous idea of onvolving major properties in a current horror fad, but bothered to look up a Nobel Prize winning heirarchical theory. That’s right, you just learned something in a book that has robots, zombies and zombie-robots.

Sean T. Collins

Johnny 23

Still bouncing between prose and comics this week. On the prose end, I’m knee deep in Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series, which in terms of their underlying theme as they chronicle the life of a young pig farmer turned unexpected hero can be summed up as “put in the hard work necessary to learn how not to be a jerk.” As various people I’ve described them to have put it, it’s like the anti-Ayn Rand — something we need even more now than we did when Alexander wrote the books in the ’60s.

As for comics, click the links for full reviews!

Johnny 23 by Charles Burns (Le Dernier Cri): Burns “remixes” his own book X’d Out to stunning effect, reformatting its pages and reshuffling their contents to further emphasize their surreal, gorgeous images.

AX: Alternative Manga Vol. 1 by various artists, compiled by Mitsuhiro Asakawa, edited by Sean Michael Wilson (Top Shelf): The incredibly wide range of comics in this compilation culled from one of Japan’s most prominent alternative-comics anthologies guarantees that you’ll find something you really like — you just have to make it past some frustrating production choices involving the translation and lettering to get to them.

Uptight #4 by Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics): One all-ages comic, and one very adult one, comprise the latest issue of Crane’s impeccably crafted one-man anthology series.

Johnny Zito

Outside of a few webcomics I don’t think I’m reading anything that comes out regularly right now. As I’ve gotten older I like to sit down with a collection, a celebrated run or self contained graphic novel. I’ve been reading a lot in the last few weeks.

Batman: Knightfall

Batman: Knightfall – When they cast the next Batman sequel earlier in the month I dug out my old Knightfall trades. Bane is a great villain because unlike so many who came before him he was BOTH the physical and mental equal of the Dark Knight. They juxtapose his methods with the crazies that Bane breaks out of Arkham. Honestly I forgot how tight the plotting is; tons of fun to watch Bane marshal his forces and legitimately take down the Bat… The art is vintage 90′s; scratchy, inconsistent and full of splash pages but that stuff can be fun with the right material.

Kill Shakespeare – I lied. I do read Kill Shakespeare month to month. However, it’s new so it didn’t immediately spring to mind. It fills the void that Fables and X-Men used to, full of drama and romance and fighting. Comics are at their best when they aspire to be Shakespearean. Men and women running around the night, wearing masks, fighting for love or revenge or whatever. Kill Shakespeare has all of that for obvious reasons and capitalizes with clever twists on old standards. The art lends a real gravity to the source material, it feels real. Or better yet it feels like a play, a world built out of set pieces and cardboard trees. It’s a surreal brain treat that I can’t recommend enough.

Wednesday Comics – Finally got to crack the spine (Bane reference?) on my Christmas present to myself. The collected Wednesday Comics are just FANTASTIC. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Batman immediately jump out as gloriously crafted love letters to those characters. The Flash, Metamorpho and Adam Strange got experimental and these stories took chances. There was such a variety of talent on the series that all 12 stories feel completely unique. I dig anthologies in general, there’s something very ‘comic-book-y’ about a bunch of people coming together to tackle a project no one of them could handle on their own.

Tony Trov

I have been crazy busy and haven’t had as much time to read since the Holiday.

Wonder Woman Archives, Vol 1 – I was never really into the Wonder Woman series until recently. I always thought of her as a campy TV show from the 70s… not that I don’t love Linda Carter, but you know what I mean.

These Golden Age stories are straight up weird and trippy. All, of course, in a good way. I do find them to be oddly fetishy, too. Which is pretty awesome considering when they were being published. I haven’t counted, but I think someone is bound and tied up on just about every single page.

Thanks for including us, come hang out on our website at SOUTHfellini.com.

The Sixth Gun

Hello and welcome to What Are You Reading? Today’s special guest is Jim Zubkavich, writer of the Image Comics series Skullkickers and a project manager at UDON Entertainment.

To see what Jim and the Robot 6 crew are reading, click the link below.

*****

Sean T. Collins

A Game of Thrones

This is a bit of cheat, because I didn’t read the books in question over the past week; instead I polished off one YA fantasy favorite, Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence, and started revisiting another, Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles. But with the HBO adaptation Game of Thrones on the way and some of my friends asking what the fuss is all about, I penned a spoiler-free run-down of why you should read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — fantasy books I think just about anyone will find enthralling. If you’ve heard of the books but aren’t sure if they’re worth taking the plunge, give the post a read and see what you think.

And oh yeah, comics — click the links for full reviews!

A Drunken Dream and Other Stories by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics): This long-awaited collection of stories from shoujo manga pioneer Hagio is a thing of unearthly beauty and surprising guts.

FUC* **U, *SS**LE by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics): The fourth and final Blecky Yuckerella gag-strip collection by the cartoonist now best known as the force behind the action-horror sensation Prison Pit makes me regret there won’t ever be a fifth.

Monster, edited by Paul Lyons (available through PictureBox): The big Fort Thunder reunion anthology looks great — with contributions by Brian Chippendale and Mat Brinkman and a killer cover by editor Paul Lyons, how could it not — but it’s not necessarily a document of how vital the legendary underground comics collective’s work, and that of their Providence peers and heirs, can be.

Carla Hoffman

"Do you think this 'A' on my head stands for 'AVAILABLE FOR $2.99'?!?"

I read Ultimate Captain America #1 and I just want to go cook outdoors and change a tire. Maybe even spit. Jason Aaron writes these amazingly gritty, masculine books that brook no quarter and punch you in the face. Here, Captain America is a blatant American special forces operative facing down a man in a mask and international terrorism! I didn’t want to read another Captain America book because Brubaker’s been the gold standard and, let’s face it, the Ultimates line hasn’t been a smash hit like they used to. So that’s why I’m only getting to it now… and now I have to read the whole thing. There’s just something about the way Aaron presents a story that is so realistic, but yet not too real. Like a Tarantino film without all the artsy hoopla, maybe? I don’t know, but he’s certainly in a class all his own.

I also read Tiny Titans #36 because that’s how I roll. I may be a Marvel Zombie, but boy howdy do I love the Tiny Titans. Normally, it’s the first book I read the week it comes out and keeps me in giggles the whole month through. In this issue, people eat hot dogs and there’s a girl dinosaur. YEAH! Man, it is so refreshing, fun and unique that it makes reading books where people get their throats slit open enjoyable again. You can’t eat meat and potatoes all the time, sometimes you need a little candy.

Lastly but certainly not least..ly, I read Thor #619 slowly and lovingly. Every page was basked in and dialogue bubbles were read out loud in as big and booming a voice I could muster. And if I couldn’t do it, I’d get the Mister to read aloud some dialogue because this is the kind of story you have to narrate. Or at least share it with someone. I know Mr. Fraction’s new run may not be for everyone and with Journey Into Mystery coming up, this might seem like a vote of no confidence in his run. Personally, I don’t care. I don’t care if the internet hates this book and wants to form an angry mob about it. Sometimes, a book is written just for me. Sure, I do love sharing comics I like with as many people as possible (BLOODCOLOSSUS!!), but Pasqual Ferry’s art is so beautiful, dreamy and wide-scope and Matt Fraction’s voice for the Norse gods is so booming and mythic, I honestly don’t care if people don’t enjoy it anymore. I’m enjoying it enough for the whole Nine Worlds.

Chris Mautner

Dawn Land

Will Davis’ Dawn Land is an odd, interesting graphic novel that deals with a topic and culture rarely covered in comics. Adapted from a novel by Joseph Bruchac, it’s a story set in North America long before the Europeans’ arrival, about a young hunter — literally called Young Hunter — who goes on a lengthy quest to stop a tribe of giants that have been ravaging the countryside (and also happened to kill his parents) armed only with a super-special secret weapon that I wouldn’t dream of revealing. Obviously there’s a good deal of archetypical mythmaking on display here, enough to give the book a familiar air, despite being set in an unfamiliar (to me anyway) time and place. The book is at its best when it delves into the specifics of early Native American culture and mythos. Davis’ black and white, charcoal washes keep the story moving at a decent clip, but also give the book a subdued quality that I’m not sure jibes with the material that well. For all that’s at stake for the Young Hunter, Dawn Land feels like a strangely quiet and overly calm book. Still, for those who have an interest in or are curious about the subject matter, it’s worth checking out.

Tom Bondurant

Somehow I missed seeing that Chris Roberson and Jesus Merino’s Superman/Batman arc was only two issues. Not only was I expecting it to go past this week’s issue #80, I was hoping it would too. Call me a slave to nostalgia, but setting the bulk of the issue in the early ’80s, when Robin/Dick was still leading the pre-”Judas Contract” Teen Titans and Batman hadn’t quite gotten so scowly, really pushed a lot of familiar buttons. The climax, featuring World’s Finest teams from across the millennia, was similarly effective.

Amazing Spider-Man #652

I’ve also been picking up the “Big Time” issues of Amazing Spider-Man, in part because I like Dan Slott and because the book seems to have gotten past all of that “diabolical annulment” baggage. This week’s issue #652 kicked off a new arc (featuring the Spider-Slayer) with a new artist (Stefano Caselli). I like the fact that Slott has filled out the supporting cast with a lot of appealing characters, but this time the issue felt a little crowded. For example, I didn’t recognize Glory Grant until much later than I probably should have. Anyway, I do like the balance the book has struck between character moments and superheroics, and I thought the climactic scenes of Spidey trying to save John Jameson were very well-executed.

Finally, I was quite impressed with the debut of Supergirl‘s new creative team in this week’s issue #60. I know this was co-writer Nick Spencer’s only issue, but I’m optimistic that co-writer James Peaty is up to handling the book by himself. New artist Bernard Chang turned in a typically good issue, managing character elements (mostly
involving the new villain) and action sequences equally well. I thought Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle did a great job of “normalizing” Supergirl, after years of the book trying to figure out what it was going to be, and I’m hopeful that Peaty and Chang can build on that. This issue was a very promising start; and if it’s any indication, Supergirl‘s future could be very bright.

Brigid Alverson

Jacques Tardi’s It Was the War of the Trenches is pretty brutal. Almost everyone in the book dies, but before they die, Tardi gives you just enough of their story to make them seem human. Then boom, they get blown away right before your eyes. His clear-eyed view of the cruelties of war is also brutal, from the discomfort and indignity of life in the trenches to the truly grotesque, such as a man falling elbow-deep into the entrails of a corpse, to the morally repugnant, such as an officer killing his own men because they fail to do the impossible. It’s one thing to read about the brutality of trench warfare, another entirely to experience it in the way Tardi details it here. This wasn’t an easy read‹I alternated between anger and horror the whole time — but it was a good one.

Much easier, and ironically, less grim, is The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics. Despite the cheesy sounding title, this book really delivers the goods, and the fact that the publisher kept the price down by printing the whole thing in black and white doesn’t hurt it a bit. Editor Paul Gravett really knows his comics, and he provides a bit of context for each of the 25 short stories in this book. Many of the stories are classics — there’s a Will Eisner Spirit story, a tightly written con-artist story by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, and one of the original Secret Agent X-9 stories by Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond. And he includes a nice selection of comics from other countries as well, including one illustrated by Tardi. I picked up this book on a whim at Barnes & Noble and just a quick flip through it convinced me that I was going to like it — and I do. At $17.95 for 480 pages, it’s as easy on the wallet as it is on the eyes.

Jim Zubkavich

I just finished reading the newly released first volume of The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt. This supernatural Western odyssey is fresh and exciting with a richly textured mythology all its own. With each chapter you can see the synergy between writer and artist getting stronger as they build up an impressive cast of rogues and wild west freaks. I’m excited to see where the story progresses from here and am glad that Oni Press is continuing to broaden their offerings across so many genres and styles.

My good friend Jim Demonakos just sent me the advance proof for The Silence of Our Friends, a graphic novel he co-wrote with Mark Long that’s illustrated by Nate Powell. It’s coming out early 2012 from First Second and I was thrilled to get an advance look at it. Let me be first out of the gate to say that this book is going to knock people out with its quality and emotion. It’s a reflection on race in America during the late 60’s that grips you from start to finish. Even with the natural biases that come from looking at work from a friend I could not have been more pleased with it. I foresee this book getting quite a bit of mainstream attention and praise.

Absolute Sandman

Although I’d purchased them quite a while ago, I finally had a chance to sit down and read Absolute Sandman. Having the series remastered in such a fantastic archival format is a real treat. It’s not like anyone needs my recommendation to check it out, but it really is a tent post of quality and depth in this industry. Anyone who considers themselves a comic fan that hasn’t read Sandman has a hole in their understanding of the medium about as big as these books.

Back on the Image home front, Chris Yost and Scott Wegener’s Killer of Demons landed in my read pile over the holidays. It has one of those high concepts that’s easy to pitch yet still has layers worth of depth underneath it – an office drone has visions of demons and may be a slayer of evil destined to save us all, or he’s just a delusional psychotic justifying mass murder. As ugly and morbid as that sounds, Scott’s wonderfully expressive artwork and Chris’ snappy sarcastic script keep it rolling with black-hearted humour. Given the right exposure I could easily see it being another Chew or Preacher.

what are Marvel’s most popular selling comics in bookstores?

As a group, the Ultimate titles.

Veteran chart watchers have no doubt tracked the slow decline of the Ultimate line — or Ultimate Comics, as they’re currently called on their covers, if not their indicia — for years now, something the Ultimatum event and subsequent title revamps and relaunches didn’t really stop. Moreover, several of the big selling points for the line when it was created — a lack of years of convoluted continuity, more timely cultural references — necessarily get diluted as the books age. Marvel has long justified the continuation of the Ultimate Universe by referring to it as a place where the “rules” for the mainline Marvel books do not apply, a place where some of the company’s biggest writers (Bendis, Millar, Loeb) can run wild. But if Brevoort’s right and comics branded with the “Ultimate” moniker have a leg up in the bookstore market, that’s probably reason no. 1 why Marvel still has the books’ back.

Why do his toes light up?

I hate Spider-Man costume changes. Yep, even the symbiote suit.

Let me amend that just slightly: I hate Spider-Man costume changes that this era’s Peter Parker makes, seemingly on a whim. Spider-Man 2099 and others of his ilk look just fine in their respective duds, it’s just when I get a splash page shot of a leaping lower-half in a crazy new outfit that I’m taken completely out of the story. It’s not the minor changes (under-arm webs, angles on the arms of the spider symbol, etc.), it’s the big ones where all I can think of is, “Man, someone’s trying to sell a new toy.” Then it’s whether they sell the toy through the direct market, what kind of packaging this new toy will have, any accessories, price point and then boom! Spidey’s saved the day and learned a new lesson about life and putting on his old costume anyways because we always prefer the original.

Now I know that fans do love the symbiote suit and yeah, it is pretty nifty with its simple design in slimming black and lower jaw distention, but it’s more nostalgia nifty than a desire for anything permanent. The storyline of how he got the suit, what it became and what it did to Peter Parker changed the style of Spidey stories for a whole decade. The costume was so popular, it got a new guy to wear him and then made a sort of ‘spinoff’ with Carnage. My sweaters do not do anything that cool when I donate them to the Salvation Army.

This success with the black suit has drilled a tiny hole in the House of Ideas so deep, it’s like they think every costume change they go with for Peter Parker is going to dress to impress. Scarlet Spider costume? No. Iron Spider costume? Used in Avengers: the Initiative for a few clones and promptly forgotten in the Heroic Age. There’s obviously more I could count but really, let’s not be the costume change that everyone is looking back on in a few years going, “Ha ha! He had glow-in-the-dark bits in his costume! How 2010!”

But do not fret! Now is not the time to panic! Now is the time to plan because, believe it or not, we only have 92 shopping days left until Christmas. Good thing Marvel sent us advance warning so that we can not only budget how much we spend on others so that we can also spend on our comics.

And that’s what Christmas is all about. Join me in looking over the December solicitations for Marvel Comics, won’t you?

Does it glow green or red, I'm confused...

There’s an interesting approach to the solicitation text for, well, I’ll say the two main Spider-Man books: Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man. One is supposed to gear toward new readers, and the other is just as necessary as air and water and comic storage boxes.   Amazing Spider-Man #650 shows off a brand new costume change for our friendly neighborhood hero in a full frontal cover shot, but the actual solicitation text is far more excited about the plot, “To face off against an amped-up HOBGOBLIN, you need an amped-up SPIDER-MAN! What’s the story behind Spidey’s NEW SUIT? What is it and what can it do? Meanwhile, MACH 5 (from THE THUNDERBOLTS) faces off against one of Spidey’s deadliest foes!” Spider-Man will be fighting a tougher villain so he’s going to need a bad ass wardrobe! So what’s the deal? Anyways, Mach-5 everyone! Maybe the hype machine will turn over in December? Maybe this costume change is nothing more than a turn in a long, fulfilling plot that will mean more to us in the long run than a simple wardrobe switch. Amazing Spider-Man #651 goes on to feature the new costume on the cover, but the solicitation text is full of actually exciting stuff (Spidey faces off against the Kingpin! Mac Gargan in the Scorpion suit again! A surprise for Aunt May!) and no costume hoopla.

I like this. When the Iron Spider costume came out in 2008, it’s all anyone could talk about. Opinions flowed like wine as Tony Stark bought Peter Parker a jersey for the upcoming Civil War. Now, as Spider-Man gets ready to promote the Tron movie coming out in December, there’s a sort of ‘meh’ attitude from the House of Ideas who really want to sell you on the new Hobgoblin instead. And that’s something I’m interested in buying.

What is up with Thor's head?

However, in the Ultimate universe, Spider-Man isn’t fairing so well in casual new changes. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #151 shouts: “Spider-Man must now undergo after school super hero training—and the lessons start here!!!” So he’s joining the Ultimates? Ultimate Avengers? One of those groups? Nick Fury’s wanted him on the payroll forever, so giving in and taking superhero classes is kind of a step backwards. A step backwards toward the 616 universe, where Spider-Man’s already on both Avengers teams. Despite the three exclamation points, I don’t see any reason to get worked up over this, but hey! Maybe #150 will have some major, game-changing event and it will seem less of a slide backwards and more of a Ultimate shift in Spidey stories.

Over in Ultimate Doom #1 (of 4), Mr. Bendis brings it on home with his epic trilogy of the universe he helped found. “The enemy has revealed itself and the Ultimate Universe has been rocked to its very core.” Oh, so it’s Doctor Doom. Maybe it’s Quicksilver from the end of Ultimatum? Still, it’d be a shame to call your book ‘Ultimate Doom’ and then not deliver on the guy in the title. “Now, the surviving heroes must put together the most bad ass covert ops team ever if they have any chance of catching up to the enemy before he/she strikes again.” Isn’t that what’s going on in Ultimate Comics: Ultimates 2? Oh man, whichever one has the Punisher and the new evil Wasp, the Ultimate books are getting confusing. “Ultimate Doom is a story you have never seen in a Marvel Comics, and we promise you–no hype–the Ultimate Universe changes forever.”

I feel like we keep drawing on this Ultimate Etch-a-Sketch and every time we don’t like it or sales dip, we just shake that thing until we can draw what we really want on it. Somewhere, someone out there jumped up at a convention or a meet-and-greet, and told them that Ultimatum was great and they should do that all the time because it feels like from that point, the Ultimate universe has been in flux. What happened after all that noise? Aside from some fantastic tales in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, everything’s been preparing or starting over or rediscovering so much that I can’t get a foothold on what I want or should be reading. From an interview with Mr. Bendis about Ultimate Enemy at the start of this year:

“What I liked about the Ultimate Universe when it started, and the way it worked for quite a few years, was that every storyline is an event. Every arc of ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ and ‘The Ultimates’ was a big earth shattering event, and post ‘Ultimatum’ and post ‘Siege’ [the current Marvel Universe event story that Bendis is writing], I believe that’s the way things should be.”

So that answers last week’s question.

At least Dr. Strange looks like he's had a bath...

In other Bendis-y news, we’ve all seen the new Illuminati arising in Avengers #8: “Marvel’s super-secret brain trust has reunited because someone is trying to put the Infinity Gauntlet back together. Who is it and will the Avengers be able to stop them in time?” First off, I really wish I had seen a cosmic book in this month’s solicitations because the Infinity Gauntlet would so be their bag. I mean, Adam Warlock was right there (and then he went evil, died, came back, died again, etc.)! The Guardians of the Galaxy were just the type of rockin’ cosmic heroes who could go on a hunt for concept-breaking powers and solve this mystery! But no, no Guardians or Nova or Thanos books this month.

Instead, we have the Illuminati, who represented the Civil War era: where the super-brains and powers of the MU got together to manipulate events long past so that future stories could arise. It was a time of a sort of tyranny, and the secret club could be looked at as awesome or a threat to the sanctity of super-heroing in general. Either way, we don’t need them anymore; we’re in a Heroic Age where everyone has a chance to be an Avenger and individuals will be tested on their own merit, not put into place by a secret society. Reed Richards of all people should know how bad an idea this is by now, not only having been on the Illuminati but a cabal of other-dimensional Reed Richards-es (Richardsi?) who had to lose their families in order to make the universe fit their initiative. If the Illuminati were to “gather,” then it would just prove they learned nothing from what came before. I, like Namor, will not be in the issue.

As bad an idea as this is, I’m kind of charmed by what’s in store for the New Avengers in New Avengers #7 : “After the devastating fallout of last issue’s fatal battle for this dimension, the New Avengers have to figure out who really belongs on the team. Plus, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones need a nanny, and not just any nanny, they need to find a superpowered nanny.” Roster change-up and some real-world superhero problems. Bendis seems to be having way more fun writing New Avengers that the adjectiveless one, and the best way to seal the deal for me would be to move these guys to the West Coast. Put ‘em in Portland if you have to, just don’t keep redundant Avengers around New York City.

Seven strangers, picked to live in a house...

Meanwhile, over in Hell’s Kitchen, we’re rebuilding after Shadowland in the Shadowland: After the Fall one-shot: “After the senses-shattering conclusion of Shadowland, can the people of Hell’s Kitchen rebuild without a champion to guide them?” By the way, the answer is no, no they can’t because two books are moving in to take up Daredevil’s slack: Black Panther slips into Matt Murdock’s old book with Black Panther: the Man Without Fear #513, partially to help Hell’s Kitchen, but more importantly, to sort of reconnect with himself. After Doomwar and considering the current events in the X-Men’s books, I don’t think the Marriage of the Century between him and Storm is going to last. His sister is there to pick up the pieces of a once great nation and they probably don’t want the man who destroyed their vibranium wonderland around during that. So, while it might seem a step down for a king to stop purse snatchers, I think the time alone should do him good. Maybe he’ll get more of an identity away from his own title and in the angsty streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

The other heroes who are here to put Hell’s Kitchen back to rights are looking for contract work: Heroes for Hire returns with this #1 issue and two of my favorite writers, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. This is probably why there’s no cosmic books out this month! Still, if anyone else hade told me that Punisher, Moon Knight, Elektra, Ghost Rider, and Falcon would be all on a team TOGETHER, I would have called them nuts. Or from the mid ’90s. But no, some of the most unlikely players will be part of Heroes for Hire along with founder Iron Fist, probably the new Power Man and oh, so much more. Plus it’s going to be written by the duo that made the cosmic Marvel Universe come alive for me and a lot of readers. This is worth the $3.99, just to see how they do it.

So, yes, no cosmic books, but instead we’re getting some heroes for hire and some heavenly war as this is the month we’ve all been fearing from the latest event, Chaos War. Along with the #4 issue of the main title, we’ll be getting five tie-in books. Yep, it’s all $3.99. Now, before anyone tosses their flowered bonnet to the floor and leaves this social club, let’s look at each one of these in turn and get brutally honest. Chaos War #4 is a given; if you want to know how this story is progressing with the main plot and characters, it’s $3.99 time. Fred Van Lente has kept some absolutely delightful stories going and so my money and trust has been earned. Chaos War: Ares #1 is written by Michael Avon Oeming, who wrote the current God of War’s first mini-series where he was awesome. I’ll pay $3.99 just to see where the man who brought Ragnarok to Thor and the first War amongst the Gods takes the character now.

Chaos War: God Squad #1 takes a lot of lower-billed heroes with godly roots (Hellstorm, Silver Surfer, Sersi, Venus, “and more”) and pits them against the Japanese pantheon. Now, this one is going to be purely personal. Marc Sumerak and Dan Panosian have done solid work in the past, but more than likely you’re either big fans of the characters or you’ll be passing on this tie-in. Chaos War: Thor #2 is being written by ‘Marc DeMatteis;’ I guess he dropped the “J.M.” because he was too busy getting mobbed with adoration for having written the Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline and scripting some amazing issues of the Justice League International. The story says that Donald Blake has lost his memories of Thor and is going through a period of doubt while the Chaos War rages above. It’ll be an introspective story, probably less bombastic than the other tie-ins and should prove to be a nice character piece on Thor by a writer who’s pure class. Mind you, you might already be reading a dozen different Thor books this month, so no one will blame you if you let this one go.

Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1 is another obscure fan favorite grab bag (Grim Reaper, Captain Mar-Vell, Yellowjacket, Dr. Druid, Deathcry and the Swordsman), plus it’s being written by Fred Van Lente, so it’s a toss up on it’s purchasing power. Chaos War: X-Men #1 looks to be the lowest on the totem pole with writers fueled by nostalgia and dead X-Men. Again, it’s always your call and you don’t have to buy every one, just the stories you want to read.

What If? 200 #1?

The What If? series is having an anniversary, celebrated by a #200th issue and four one-shots boasting stories that look back at our Event Rollercoaster of the past year. In the mighty Marvel tradition, Dark Reign, Siege, Wolverine as a father, Kraven’s Last Hunt, Iron Man and Doctor Doom have all been given a unique (and most likely depressing) twist by Jason Henderson, Rob Williams, Marc Sable, Bob Layton & David Michelinie, Marc Guggenheim and, oh yes: STAN LEE. The Generalissimo himself will be delving back into the Coming of Galactus to show us yet another What If? tale of death and surprise. Also, there’s a symbiote-possessed Deadpool backup story. The 200th issue will cost you a whopping $4.99, so write to Santa and be very good this year.

If you have been very VERY good this year, you might get the mightiest of all Omnibuses (Omnibusi?): the Thor by Walt Simonson Omnibus. 1192 pages of pure, unadulterated awesomeness, inspirational fantastic stories and THOR AS A FROG. Yes, it’s all in here, THOR #337-355, #357-369 & #371-382 and BALDER THE BRAVE #1-4 in one big tome that will crush your thighs if you try and read it on your lap. At a weighty $125, this is what Santa brings in for the nobel prize winners, so be good. Be VERY good.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! Please, continue the adventure by checking out the full list of Marvel’s December Solicitations and bring in your best haul from the season of giving. Excelsior!

This is All You'll Ever Read Again

The summer is ending, and we’re not so bad off, are we? There’s a cosmic war, Spider-Man’s re-reinventing himself again, there’s an event book with an oncoming slew of tie-in titles, but it all doesn’t feel like the years of yore. There’s no pressure to keep up with any of this; instead of seeing a Broadway production, we’ve got tickets off Broadway, so it’s a little experimental, a lot less expensive and not the main stage. But, in a way, just as important.

This is indeed the week we look at the future and what Marvel has in store for us, but it’s nice to know that from where we are now, the holidays look to be rather pleasant. There’s no great drop to be looking at as the year ends, just more changes and more stories and for some reason, that’s a lot less pressure.

Unless you’re a Thor fan, then you’ve got eight titles to sort through. Yeesh.

Let’s take a look at November and see what’s ahead for the House of Ideas, shall we?

Okay, it looks like November’s theme is gods and monsters, as the really big events deal in Vampires, Demons and Gods. Vampires are still on the loose in both the Ultimate universe and the Adjectiveless X-Men title, and both present the final steps in their master plans; ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 3 #4 (of 6) has an incredible amount of numbers in the title as well as a letter: Vampire X! From the solicitation: “With Cap bitten, the super-soldier is turning into a super-vampire and the stakes are even higher. Blade finally reveals Vampire X’s true intentions, but can the heroes stop this mysterious enemy- – or are they one bite closer to an eternity of immortal behavior?” Love him or hate him, Mark Millar does big wide-screen action like no one else in comics today, so I’m pretty sure that he can escape the current ‘vampire tropes’ haunting our pop culture to bring you something worthy of his previous Ultimates series.

Over in 616, the Vampires also have turned a hero to their side, but they go one further and dare to think they’ve turned a villain too. From the solicitation for X-MEN #5: “The Vampire Nation’s army is unleashed on Utopia, with vampire Wolverine leading the charge – and, boy, does he have a bone to pick with Cyclops! Meanwhile, the newly resurrected Dracula is nowhere to be found. So why is Cyclops smiling?” Because he thinks Dracula’s going to be the wildcard that gives him enough breathing room to turn the tide of battle. Or maybe because Wolverine’s healing factor has gotten so ridiculous of late, he’s only pretending to be a vampire so that he’ll be the one to turn the tide. Either way, the entry-level X-Men book keeps rolling along. Compare and contrast the two books at your leisure in November.

Shadowland will be infuriating everyone by ending the DAREDEVIL title with issue #512. “Hell’s Kitchen lies in ruins, and it is up to the people of New York to start anew and begin rebuilding. In this last chapter of his story, will Matt Murdock at last find final redemption for the events of SHADOWLAND?” Personally, I hope not. There’s only so many ‘the hero’s gone crazy, but in the end we forgive him and get back to normal’ stories one can read and really, the cycle should end. Give Daredevil that happy ending he should have had at the end of Born Again. Sure, he won’t be walking down the streets of Hell’s Kitchen with Karen Page, but can we at least get him a Hawaiian vacation? Two tickets to a day spa?

In both the God and Monster categories is THOR #617, as an unspeakable evil crawls its way down Norse mythology: “THE WORLD EATERS continue their rampage down the World Tree on an unstoppable blitz to Asgard. The magnificient residents of the nine worlds flee their rampage… coming to Asgard for protection. Can the Fallen City protect the exiles of seven worlds from an unimaginable evil?” I’ll admit it right now: I’m going to be a mark for Matt Fraction’s Thor so consider my reviews anything but reasonable. so, while this pulse-pounding issue is will most certainly cure cancer and bring peace across the globe, what I want to look at is something up in the credits: the “Tron Variant” cover with artist TBA. Now yes, we’ve got a longboatload of Thor books this month and it’s Deadpoolian in the depth and breadth, but why are they putting out all these books? The movie buzz. So that leaked trailer that made the rounds on the Internets for a half an hour? Go get your Tron in theaters on December 17th to see it on the big screen.

So we have Thor, the God of Thunder this month, plus the demi-god of the ’90s: Thunderstrike. Holy crap, they’re bringing Thunderstrike back. Holy crap, they’re giving Tom DeFalco another book besides Spider-Girl! From the solicitation: “Has the time finally come for someone else to follow Eric’s journey and take on the mantle of Thunderstrike? Join us as the Marvel Universe welcomes back the everyman Avenger, THUNDERSTRIKE!” Now, while debatable (I’d say it was Hawkeye), the idea of the everyman Avenger is fantastic in a world filled to the brim with Avengers and Avengers accessories. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes should have a rookie/schlub/guy-with-a-bow so that those who have fantstic powers seem more fantastic without losing the reader’s perspective. While Thunderstrike isn’t my first choice, Tom DeFalco is definitely my first choice to bring some old school Avengers stories back into the reader’s spotlight with THUNDERSTRIKE #1.

Now mind you, there’s God and Monsters all over November (Bill Willingham on a Warriors Three title, the end of the Thanos Imperative, your Chaos War, etc.), but there’s also the 150th issue of Ultimate Spider-Man (feel old with me and celebrate the 10th year anniversary of Ultimate Comics imprint!), a brand-new and somewhat all different Spider-Girl title, Kelly Sue DeConnick on an Osborn mini-series, and most important: the return of DOCTOR BONG! Despite the lack of a major event wrap up or senses-shattering finale, the holiday season maybe just as exciting (if not more) than past years. Maybe we don’t need major crossovers and universe changing moments to put out a ton of books that will hopefully find an audience. And that, my dear reader, is the brightest day we could have.

Go and feast your eyes on the House of Thor and friends here with the big list of Marvel’s November 2010 solicitations and make not eof what you’re marking your calenders for in the comments. Excelsior!

Shadowlands

The news and announcements flowed freely on the first day of the brand new C2E2 convention, as well as at the Diamond retailer’s summit on Thursday. Here’s a quick summary, in case you missed anything …

• At the Diamond retailer’s summit, Diamond polled retailers on the possibility of moving from a Wednesday to a Tuesday ship date for comics. This would put them in line with DVDs, music and books.
• Marvel kicked off the con with a lot of announcements, not the least of which was two different Captain America mini-series. First up, Steve Rogers jumps into action in Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier, a four-issue miniseries by Ed Brubaker and artist Dale Eaglesham that kicks off in July. Eaglesham will no longer be drawing Fantastic Four as a result.
• That same month brings Captain America: Patriot, by Karl Kesel and Mitch Breitweiser. The four-issue series stars Jeff Mace, the former Patriot who took on the uniform while Rogers was frozen in a block of ice.
• Marvel also discussed the long-talked about Shadowland, a five-issue series by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan during their Mondo Marvel panel and their retailer presentation on Thursday. “You’re going to see a ton of heroes from Spider-Man and Wolverine to Luke Cage…some are fighting to keep New York safe, and some are fighting to keep it unsafe due to Daredevil’s takeover of the ninja organization The Hand,” said Editor Steve Wacker.
• Ultimate Mystery by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafael Sandoval will follow up on the Ultimate Enemy series and deliver “a really big change to the Ultimate Universe.” It will be followed by a book called Ultimate Comics Doom.
• The Punisher is going to war with the Marvel Universe once again in the aptly titled Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher.
• Jonathan Hickman said that Secret Warriors would reach its natural conclusion around issue #27 or 28.


Thor: The Mighty Avenger

• The Muppet Show‘s Roger Langridge will team with artist Chris Samnee (who drew the recent Area 10 graphic novel for Vertigo) on an all-ages Thor title called Thor: The Mighty Avenger. “There’s a streak of hope a mile wide in the whole concept of super heroes that hasn’t been exploited much in recent years, doubly so in a comic where one of the central icons is a rainbow,” Langridge told Marvel.com. “So, yes, I’m all about the hope.”
• In other Marvel all-ages news, Brian Clevinger (Atomic Robo) and Brian Churilla (Rex Mundi) are working on an update of the classic Infinity Gauntlet miniseries called Avengers & The Infinity Gauntlet.
• And Marvel’s Avengers Academy book will feature Justice, Tigra, Hank Pym, Quicksilver and Speedball in teaching roles.
• I don’t think anything new was announced at the DC Nation panel today, but I do like this story about Jim Lee leaving a sketch hidden somewhere at the convention and tweeting about it to his followers.
• However DC did announce at the retailer’s summit a 30 Days of Night/X-Files crossover coming from Wildstorm. Author Peter Straub was on hand to talk about The Green Woman, his Vertigo series with Michael Easton and John Bolton that was announced a few years ago. And Fables #100 will be a 100-page issue with a board game insert.
• IDW has picked up the license to do comics based on the granddaddy of all role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons. An introductory #0 issue if due in August, with a miniseries set in the “Dark Sun” campaign setting due in January. No word on whether Uni will make an appearance.
• Our own Brigid Alverson let us know that Carla Speed McNeil has signed a book deal with Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse will publish the Eisner winner’s long-running Finder, Torch and three more books. She’ll also contribute to a revived Dark Horse Presents.
• Dark Horse also announced they’ve teamed up with Hammer Films to make comics based on their films. They are also working on comics based on the upcoming film Let Me In, the American version of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In.
• Graphic.ly launched their digital comics software today.

That’s a pretty big day for a brand new con, so I’m sure C2E2 is sleeping well tonight. Check back tomorrow for more updates.

The teaser image that broke Mark Millar's internet in half

So you’ve seen the X-Men teaser images Marvel’s been putting out featuring (among other strange character choices like Elektra and She-Hulk II) Blade and what sure looks like Vampire Jubilee, right? So has Ultimate Comics Avengers writer — and current toast of Hollywood thanks to Kick-Ass — Mark Millar.

Apparently the “X-Men vs. vampire mutants” storyline people have deduced from the teaser images is awfully similar to an upcoming Ultimate Avengers storyline Millar’s been talking about for years…and he’s very, very upset about this. Like, to the point where if I were Marvel, I’d worry that he might show up at the office in a green-and-yellow jumpsuit with a crowbar or two.

Here’s the rundown of Millar’s furious posts on his message board, in a thread titled “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS X-MEN/ BLADE THING” (all-caps in original):

I’m just starting Ultimate Avengers 3, issue 5, and it’s the arc I’m maybe most proud of. As trailered forever, this is vampires in the Ultimate Universe attacking mutants and Blade brought in to help the Avengers as heroes go down one by one.

Now someone’s sent me a link to an X-Men event out two months previous that’s exactly the same idea.

Seriously.

What do I do? This is what JRJR and I were going to do 5 years ago before Enemy of the State and I’ve been talking about it in interviews (and on here) since Ultimate Avengers launched. Blade’s even on the cover to issue 1 as I’ve been excited about this since I had Blade painted on an ice cream truck in 1978.

I don’t want to pull the issues as they’re part of a complex plot that runs through my entire four arc run, but I’m almost finished now. I’m writing issue five of six and they’re really, really good.

How the Hell did this happen? It wouldn’t have been as big a deal if I hadn’t started the series yet, but it’s almost done and just going to look foolish following an X-Men event. Am honestly just so disgusted with this as I’ve talked about it many times. Thoughts on what I should do next?

I’m hoping this is some horrible misunderstanding. I’ve only seen what you’ve seen online with Blade and the X-Men and a vampire Jubilee (again, very close to stuff I’m doing). Fingers crossed this bullshit gets fixed, but am getting closer and closer to just doing my own stuff every day.

The difference [between this situation and examples like Blackest Night/Necrosha and Deep Impact/Armageddon] is that was competing companies with different characters. This is something I created for a company that’s being used within the same company and using the same characters, now two months earlier.

I’m going to speak to the guys and then take a night to think about this. But really, really pissed off about this as have put a lot of work into this and it’s really, really good.

We’ll see what happens. This storyline was planned 5 years ago, like I said, and was known at the company. But it’s been public knowledge since I started hyping Vampire X prior to Ultimate Avengers issue 1 coming out. The mods here read the original proposal I sent to all the Marvel bigwigs in 2005. I’m hoping this is all bullshit and the teasers are misleading.

I’m not changing anything. I did this first and it’s too tightly plotted with the other arcs to pull and replace with something new. I guess they could kill the series with the second arc and bring someone else to take in a new direction. I dunno. Hopefully it won’t come to that. We’ll see what they say when I speak to them tonight, but I couldn’t believe it when I saw this online. How the Hell did this happen when they have weekly meetings about what’s coming up across the line? I discussed this arc at the Marvel retreat in Summer 2008, weighing up with the guys whether to have Leinil do this arc or the Punisher/ Ghost Rider one.

Now, we’ve all seen Millar tout his own awesomeness in bombastic (and occasionally unrealistic) fashion for years at this point. There’s a little of that mixed in here, in fact. But I dunno about you, but seeing him get equally worked up about something else’s suckitude is almost frightening. Can he successfully fight a two-front war with Marvel and Roger Ebert?

Update: The Millarworld thread has been deleted following a post from Millar that read:

Hi guys

am now in boozer but just off the phone with dan b [Marvel Publisher Dan Buckley, presumably] and were all talking tomorow to sort this out. Have never had problem in ten years at company so expect this can be fixed fast. Dan assures me this was a misundrstanding and he’s a good bloke so have no reason to doubt. I don’t think this is as bad as it looked a litle earlier. Will keep you posted. Ps to mods. Please remove other threads in meantime.

The storyline connected to the “We are the X-Men” teasers is expected to be announced Sunday at C2E2.

Siege #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel

Very busy writer Brian Michael Bendis became an even busier writer this weekend. With little fanfare — it “happened by accident” — Bendis spent over an hour on Saturday answering reader questions via his Twitter account.

The 125-message micro-interview cost him some followers, irritated Warren Ellis (not really), and was eventually cut off by Twitter, but by the time all was said and done some interesting info had hit the Internet courtesy of his tweets.

First up, Bendis spilled the beans on a trio of upcoming projects with familiar collaborators:

* Bendis and his Daredevil: Wake Up partner David Mack will reunite for a new Hornhead project, Daredevil: End of Days, next summer. The project was first announced in February 2007, with Bendis and Mack as co-writers and art from Alex Maleev, Bill Sienkewicz, and Klaus Janson. (Daredevil will also appear in New Avengers #60.)

* “If the stars allow,” Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos will reunite for a new Alias miniseries next year. It could be a MAX series “if the content needs it.

* Look for a creator-owned crime project from Bendis and his Daredevil and Spider-Woman collaborator Alex Maleev next summer.

But what about Bendis’s existing series — New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Spider-Woman, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, the soon-to-return Powers, and the upcoming Siege? Here are the highlights of Bendis’s tweets on these titles — as well as some extra goodies…

* Look for an announcement about the post-Siege fate of Dark Avengers “very very soon”.

* Maya Lopez, aka Echo, aka the first Ronin, will be returning in the pages of Spider-Woman.

* After the conclusion of “Dark Reign” and Siege, Bendis’s focus will be on “mini title events” per the wishes of Joe Quesada.

* The story of Hawkeye’s imprisonment by Norman Osborn will be told in New Avengers Annual #3.

* As they are occupied with the events of “Fall of the Hulk” and “Nation X,” neither the Hulk (nor the Hulk family of characters, presumably) nor the X-Men will be directly involved in Siege.

* The long-running saga of the Hood, the superpowered crimelord, Cabal member, and antagonist of the New Avengers first powered by Dormammu and now by Loki, will be ending “sooner than you think.”

* The secrets of how the Sentry survived the events of Dark Avengers #9 and what he did after being sent to outer space by Cyclops in the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men crossover will be revealed in January’s Dark Avengers #13.

* The Shroud, the red-cloaked vigilante now making waves in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, is a new character rather than an established hero or villain–he’s not the Ultimate Hood.

* You knew it would have to happen eventually: There will be “a proper showdown” between Spider-Man and Norman Osborn.

* Look for both the Secret Warriors and Ares to be involved in Siege in a big way. Will Marvel Boy play a big role in the event? “Kind of.”

* Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #11 will reveal the future of the Daily Bugle and J. Jonah Jameson, while Ultimate Rick Jones will pop up in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7.

* Brother Voodoo’s ascension to the role of Sorcerer Supreme was Bendis’s idea, but was ratified by a vote.

* Siege will result in “the biggest change in over a decade” for the Avengers and their team line-up. Two things that won’t change, however, are the team’s writer and its artist, Stuart Immonen, both of whom are with New Avengers for the long haul.

* He might have to get in line behind Ethan Van Sciver, but Bendis says his dream DC project would be a “gritty noir” Plastic Man series.

* Not sure how this ends well for Dark Wolverine, but there’s a Daken/Thor showdown on the way in Siege.

* Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming have “at least a year” of Powers set for a regular monthly schedule upon the series’ relaunch.

* Cosmic-level Avengers stories are on the way next year.

* Ultimate Doctor Doom will be rearing his metal head once again in January’s Ultimate Enemy miniseries.

* Plans for Namor and the Atlanteans are in place for next year.

* The “jury is still out” on whether there will be any more motion comic episodes of Spider-Woman.

But Bendis wasn’t all answers–he punted on questions regarding the current and future status of Carnage, the Scarlet Witch, and Molecule Man, which unexpected post-Siege Avengers characters he’d be writing, and whether he’d be writing Marvelman anytime soon.

One extra, very different announcement popped up on Sunday: Bendis is now a professor at Portland State University, with “class details and explanations” coming sometime today. With all of the above on his plate, where will he find the time?

Keep in mind, this is not me as a comic fan or as a critic (as laughable as the term is in my case), but for awhile the comic shop I work for sold Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men and Ultimates like gangbusters.  That is, with a loud and explosive beginning; I can recall barely getting my copy of Ultimate X-Men #1 as Marvel’s newest set of titles did remarkably well and the speculator market turned its Saruman-like eye on the brand.  Years went by and we continued to put our stock in the Ultimate titles, through the rocky road that was Ultimate Fantastic Four, through the non-existent road that was Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine.  Yes sir’ee, if it had word ‘Ultimate’ on the cover, you could practically call it the ‘Gold Standard’ by which Marvel Comics could be judged by!

Man, remember those days?

But like a VH1 Behind the Music special, the Ultimate line got overwrought and borrowed too much from their original product and tried the Clone Saga and what once was a lighthearted, easy-to-pick-up line of comics was a confusing, angry mess.  So, the Powers That Be unstrapped Jeph Loeb from his Hannibal Lecter-like restraints and set him loose.  We were told from the beginning that Ultimatum would change everything, kill off characters and that (if I had a nickel for every time I said this) nothing would ever be the same again, so you can’t say we weren’t warned.  When it, indeed, changed everything and killed off characters in the most action-figures-smashed-together-by-an-eight-year-old way possible, people started to drop the title as well as others in the Ultimate line.

It wasn’t that long ago that the House of Ideas made a different big announcement and caused fans to unload a long-running title only this time it was a difference of twenty years of continuity breaking heartache rather than nine.  Oh yeah, we were warned way ahead of time on the dissolution of the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary-Jane.  Quesada had been talking about it for years before and only when One More Day was starting to sound serious did people start to bail.  J. Michael Straczynski was given a job to do and he plowed on through with a storyline he nearly took his name off of, but then again he knew the job was dangerous when he took it.  Readers felt that same danger and since they were paying for it rather than getting paid to write it, beat feet and many a die-hard fan will thump their chest and swear they’re never reading that deal-with-the-devil-making spider-chump again.

And yet, Brand New Day came at us with a back-to-basics approach to Marvel’s signature character that brought to the fore a lot of the charm and adventure that had us fall in love with Spidey in the first place.  Three times monthly we got fresh ideas with old-school Peter Parker and, Mephisto or not, the book has had a much needed shot to the arm.  New villains, old favorites, a mix of interpersonal drama and four color heroics, this year and some months have been fun.  Sure, not every story can knock it out of the park but on the whole the whole Spidey Team should be toasted for taking a bad situation and setting a standard for Spider-Man stories.

Like some kind of Gold Standard or something, right?  Well, that being said, New Days came and went and our comics were better for it.  Ultimatums, however, are another thing as I’ve had to coax quite a few customers towards Ultimate Comics: Avengers #1.  Keep in mind, Ultimates 3 didn’t do me any favors but some of these fans are new at this whole ‘comics’ thing; the Ultimate line was originally intended for new readers and people lured into comic shops by the motion pictures.  They were supposed to be more ‘realistic’ and updated, hip and accessible, and a sudden relabeling and new #1 might actually be off-putting to some people.  I know!  You must forgive them, they’re new here.

I’m not surprised that Ultimate Comics: Avengers and Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man had that Brand New Day Touch of easily readability and quick luring action.  Mark Millar at the helm of his book again gave us the same modern day nigh-swashbuckling Avengers he started with and Brian Michael Bendis will probably be writing Ultimate Spider-Man in his own irreplaceable style no matter what Loeb unleashed.  When you think about it, it’s the same comic you picked up years ago, just with this fresh coat of paint and a new and clear direction.  Both #1 are good reads and will probably stay that way for another nine years or longer (fingers crossed).

So, to the new comics reader or to the disgruntled old Marvel Zombie, just remember that we break a lot of eggs to make some of the best omlettes.

Ultimate Spider-Man Foilogram variant

“This is Marvel doing the nineties right,” explained David Gabriel, Marvel Comics Senior Vice President of Sales & Circulation. “We’re taking two of the most popular cover treatments of all time–foil and holograms–to create an all new kind of cover, as a ‘thank-you’ to fans who’ve been demanding this kind of variant! Retailers and fans don’t need to worry. We’re only doing this on a limited basis. You won’t see one on Ms Marvel #46 or Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #4. We’re using them to mark very special occasions…such as the launch of Ultimate Comics line.”"

No.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

No.

Or kind of ridiculous in regards to the ongoing narrative. But don’t be afraid, not everything is all new and different. Let’s take a gander at the September solicitations for the House of Ideas and see what we can look forward to hearing about when we’re darn good and ready.

Okay, no joke, there are indeed 11 #1 issues coming out, from the benign Thor and Punisher Annuals (I actually find myself missing when they used to number annuals by the year they came out) to the long-awaited Spider-Woman #1 and Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1. There’s even the ridiculous, but I’ll get to that later. Point is, this is just as much a month for starts of things to come as August, which tips the scales at 14 #1 issues. Marvel may tout their 600th Captain America, Spider-Man or Incredible Hulk, but let’s face it: #1 on a cover gives the book that delectable little collector’s spice.

The good news is that most of these #1 issues are mini-series (and no you’re not seeing double, that’s both Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow: Command School coming out back to back). A lot of the #2 issues that arrive this month are also mini-related, with a delicious ‘collect me in a trade’ taste. Iron Man & The Armor Wars #2 lands with Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #1, declaring the month unsafe for armor. Ultimate Comics: Avengers #2 enters the running for ‘most ridiculous phrase in a solicit’ this month with “Meanwhile, Nick Fury reveals the horrifying truth behind the Red Skull and kick-starts Project Avengers in earnest with the arrival of Gregory Stark, Tony’s older, richer and smarter brother!”. But on the whole, nearly half of these #2 issues are the halfway mark on their respective stories; the promising books are the Ultimate Comic titles and, of course, Ed Brubaker’s retelling of the Golden Age as a hot new espionage thriller in The Marvels Project.

Okay, so we got a lot of short stories to enjoy, tidbits of Marveliciousness to nibble on, what about the rest of the Marvel Universe, those long established tales that draw readers back again and again? What about Spider-Man, flagship hero of the House of Ideas?

Well, that’s classified. ALL FOUR ISSUES. Even Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man doesn’t want to tell you to what’s going on. But next week we’re promised the truth about September’s Spidey, leaving us with HeroesCon this weekend as prime announcement bait. In fact, even now I could totally be getting scooped by a con panel! So let’s venture a guess: since last month seemed to be hot for Mary Jane, Peter Parker could very well learn of the devil-made deal from One More Day. He’ll probably charge to the internet to call Joe Quesada Hitler and swear he’ll never read his own book again.

Spider-Woman #1 has been a long time coming and her fanfic- I mean, post-Secret Invasion story will finally be told. Personally, I’ve been interested in the story if only to learn what from Spider-Woman: Origin (all the way back in 2005, wow!) is actually true or a Skrull fever dream. Yeah, four years is a long time to hold a grudge but the wild shift from one origin to another would be a fine time for a Skrull gaffe in programming, getting us back to the girl from Wundagore Mountain that we started with. Outlook is hazy, but I’m sure Bendis has other plans for his favorite character, perhaps taking it to that Amazonian he cares little for (thanks, Graeme!).

In other Spider News, who let this happen? No, really. Who let them reissue Spider-Man: The Clone Saga as reprint issues? If anything, a trade would have been just fine and more than enough for the laughable little series that could but getting people to buy it again in six issues “now with an ending you have to see to believe!” Marvel’s balls are brass, folks.

Speaking of brass balls (and aren’t we always?), the plethora of Avengers and Avengers-like books (Avengers-esque?) both hit highs and lows as covers like this one reminding me exactly why I adore the art of selling comics (really, the pic does the work for me; thanks Deodato!) as the tale of Ares finally finding out that his 10-year-old son has been skipping school and probably home to go truck around with a surly man in an eyepatch. Yeah, I’d get an axe too. But while Secret Warriors and Dark Avengers deal with an angry father, there are three issues to handle what very well just might be the last of the Hood (I can dream). From his rather hasty and uncreative takeover of the criminal underworld, the man who helped beat up Tigra is finally feeling the heat from the many mistakes he’s made and is getting Dark Avengers #47, Dark Reign: Made Men and Dark Reign: the Hood to sort himself out. In a world where Norman Osborn runs the world on a string, do we really need to know that the Hood is having problems?

Something we don’t have enough of is War of Kings fall out. Just two issues this month, Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy. Maybe we’ll get a couple more in the following months but the cosmic stories have done well enough in the past (not to mention now) that I would have expected another ongoing series to play around with by now. The Imperial Guard, the Starjammers, something.

But then again, my Marvel math isn’t up to par. How else could I not understand why they would sell a separate Ultimatum HC collecting the four ‘Requiem’ issues for $20, an Ultimatum HC with just the main series for $25 and the Ultimatum: Spider-Man HC with no Requiem issue also for $25? In one trade, you’re getting five issues for around $5 each while another gives you an incomplete story for a little under $4. Some local comic shops might be able to get you the back issues for cheaper than that. To me, it’s a misappropriation of hardcoveriness but again, my math might be a little confused.

There’s a lot to talk about from the solicitations, from the “long-awaited Peter Bagge ‘Incorrigible Hulk’”, the rather madcap ‘M.O.D.O.C. as Grosse Point Blank’ one-shot, the surprise return of the N to Christos N. Gage’s name (welcome back, friend!), Dan Slott’s ‘Classify THIS’ approach to solicit writing (“Readers already know the Scarlet Witch is secretly LOKI”), the mighty end and fallout from the under-hyped X-Men/Avengers crossover, the list goes on. Take a look yourself and start making your lists early. In the words of the Bard Fraction, “Nothing gold can stay, Pony-Boy.”