MARVEL COMICS SOLICITATIONS FOR AUGUST 2024 PART I: AVENGERS
STORM JOINS THE AVENGERS!
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes recruit Storm in Avengers #17.
Hitting stands in August, the upcoming issue of Jed MacKay’s hit run also marks the debut of Valerio Schiti as the new series artist!
New York, NY— May 14, 2024 — Yesterday, fans learned an X-Man would be joining the ranks of Marvel’s premier super hero team this summer, and today, it’s revealed to be none other than the goddess herself— STORM IS EARTH’S MIGHTIEST MUTANT!
Storm will join the cast of Jed MacKay’s current run starting in August’s AVENGERS #17. The issue will also mark the debut of new series artist Valerio Schiti! Fresh off his bold work on G.O.D.S., the acclaimed artist known for his breathtaking action and dynamic character work takes the helm just in time for this exciting new era.
Krakoa’s tragic fall has made the Avengers realize how vital a mutant voice on the team is, and they’ll settle for nothing less than the most prominent and beloved mutant super hero on the planet! A pop culture icon, Storm has assembled with the Avengers before—in both comics as well as other forms of media—but never like this! Not only will the Avengers need her Omega-level power for the battles ahead, but they’ll need to rely on her unique expertise and leadership skills as MacKay’s overarching plots involving Kang, the Twilight Court, and more kick into high gear. This only marks the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a monumental period for Storm as she’ll also headline an all-new solo ongoing series launching later this year!
In the aftermath of Blood Hunt and Fall of the House of X, the Avengers are licking their wounds and reassessing their goals. One member takes the initiative by approaching Storm, hoping to add her strength and perspective to the team’s upcoming missions! And the roster won’t be the only thing shaken up when a deadly threat sets its vengeful sights on Earth!
On the decision to add Storm to the lineup, MacKay said, "When we were putting together thoughts for X-Men, one problem kept coming up—Storm needed to have a presence in a book befitting her status, but it would be weird for her to be on an X-Men team if she wasn't the leader. The solution was simple—she needed to be on the global stage, among equals, and what better place for that than the Avengers? We're excited to bring Storm back to the Avengers and show what adventures she'll get up to as part of Earth's Mightiest Heroes!"
On being the new AVENGERS artist, Schiti said, "As a reader, I am a great fan of Jed's run, and I really love the way he writes the team: not just as fellow soldiers, but as a group of friends with a shared past. At the same time he doesn't hold back on action and fight scenes! The balance between these two moods is exactly what excites me the most when I have to start a new gig!"
"I have a soft spot for the mutants, so you can imagine my happiness when I knew that Storm was joining the team,” Schiti continued. “It's always fun to draw her powers, her body language, and her outfits. There's just one challenge: you always have to remember that she's not just a mutant, she's a goddess!"
Check out Joshua Cassara’s electrifying AVENGERS #17 cover now. Stay tuned later this week for the full announcement of Storm’s new solo ongoing series and reveal of her new costume! For more information, visit Marvel.com.
STORM GETS AN ELECTRIFYING WELCOME TO THE AVENGERS IN NEW VARIANT COVERS
Storm joins Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in AVENGERS #17. Check out all-new variant covers for the highly anticipated issue coming this August!
New York, NY— May 17, 2024 — There’s been a hurricane of Storm announcements this week! Not only is the stalwart X-Man leader joining the cast of writer Jed MacKay and new series artist Valerio Schiti’s AVENGERS run this August, but Storm will also headline her very own solo ongoing series in October. She’s EARTH’S MIGHTIEST MUTANT, and both titles will showcase her soaring to Omega-level heights! Today, fans can see all-new variant covers for the issue where she’s recruited by the Avengers—AVENGERS #17.
Among the new covers is an homage to Avengers #144 by Luciano Vecchio and a gorgeous pinup piece by Pablo Villalobos, both of which spotlight her new costume. In addition, artist Sam de la Rosa depicts Storm’s ex-husband, Black Panther, whom she’ll now stand alongside once more as teammates.
In the aftermath of Blood Hunt and Fall of the House of X, the Avengers are licking their wounds and reassessing their goals. One member takes the initiative by approaching Storm, hoping to add her strength and perspective to the team’s upcoming missions! And the roster won’t be the only thing shaken up when a deadly threat sets its vengeful sights on Earth!
On the decision to add Storm to the lineup, MacKay said, "When we were putting together thoughts for X-Men, one problem kept coming up—Storm needed to have a presence in a book befitting her status, but it would be weird for her to be on an X-Men team if she wasn't the leader. The solution was simple—she needed to be on the global stage, among equals, and what better place for that than the Avengers? We're excited to bring Storm back to the Avengers and show what adventures she'll get up to as part of Earth's Mightiest Heroes!"
AVENGERS #17
STORM JOINS THE AVENGERS!
- New arc starts here! Superstar artist Valerio Schiti (G.O.D.S.) takes the helm as series artist!
- In the aftermath of Blood Hunt and Fall of the House of X, where does that leave the Avengers?
- The team’s roster won’t be the only thing shaken up when a deadly threat sets its vengeful sights on Earth!
PLUS: PART 6 OF DEADPOOL/WOLVERINE: WEAPON X-TRACTION!
JED MACKAY (W)
VALERIO SCHITI (A)
Cover by JOSHUA CASSARA
VARIANT COVER BY SAM DE LA ROSA
HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY LUCIANO VECCHIO
STORM VARIANT COVER BY PABLO VILLALOBOS
STORM VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY PABLO VILLALOBOS
DISCO DAZZLER VARIANT COVER BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE WEAPON X-TRACTION VARIANT COVER BY CAFU
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
I assume Thor will be off the team for the duration of Storm's appearance. Also: Cover C is an homage to Avengers #144, the first appearance of Hellcat.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #12
Death has come to Earth – and intends to take humanity off the playing field. Captain America has assembled the change agents who can save everyone, but is it too little, too late?
J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (W)
JESÚS SAIZ (A)
Cover by TAURIN CLARKE
VARIANT COVER BY FELIPE MASSAFERA
DISCO DAZZLER VARIANT COVER BY ELIZABETH TORQUE
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
GIANT-SIZE THOR #1
A GIANT-SIZE THOR SPECTACULAR - GUEST-STARRING HERCULES!
- Thor All-Father and Hercules, God of Heroes, had joined forces many times, as fast friends and fierce rivals...but never before like this.
- For in the farthest reaches of space, the Deific Duo faced the greatest and most terrifying war machine ever created...and it bore the Thunderer's face. This is the story...of the GIANT-SIZE THOR!
- ALSO: Reprinting Bob Harras and Jackson Guice's THOR #365 – a Thor and Hercules tale told by the only real authority on such things: Hercules himself!
AL EWING (W)
BRIAN LEVEL (A)
Cover by BRYAN HITCH
DEADLY FOES VARIANT COVER BY DAVE BARDIN
VARIANT COVER BY WALTER SIMONSON
48 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$6.99
Somebody should have done an homage to Journey into Mystery Annual #1.
IMMORTAL THOR #14
ALL-FATHER VERSUS SKYFATHER IN A 775th ISSUE CLASH OF TITANS!
- Thor and Hercules were trapped in a realm of endless night...where Nyx and her children were at their full power.
- But there was a greater danger caged in this dark realm – Zeus, King of the Greek Gods! And when twin thunders met, could either survive?
- This is the story of the IMMORTAL THOR...and the second test of three.
AL EWING (W)
JAN BAZALDUA (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
DISCO DAZZLER VARIANT COVER BY LEE GARBETT
VARIANT COVER BY JESSICA FONG
VARIANT COVER BY WALTER SIMONSON
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
I thought I didn't like Ross' decision to always use electric blue highlights instead of secondary light on Thor, and now I'm sure of it.
INCREDIBLE HULK #15
THE ORIGIN OF EVIL!
As Eldest’s plans draw Hulk ever nearer to Las Vegas, she remembers a time thousands of years ago. The terrible empire she ruled then…until her fateful encounter with the first Hulk, ENKIDU, brought it all to ruin, making them enemies forever! Don’t miss the ORIGIN OF ELDEST as the two-part story “Lament for a Fallen Crown” starts here!
PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON (W)
DANNY EARLS (A)
COVER BY NIC KLEIN
VARIANT COVER BY ROD REIS
DISCO DAZZLER VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
INCREDIBLE HULK #16
THE FIRST HULK VS. ELDEST!
In the conclusion of “Lament for a Fallen Crown,” the first Hulk, ENKIDU, brings Eldest’s empire of monsters crashing down! But he’s met his match in ELDEST, the first and most powerful of Earth’s ancient demigods. Can Eldest use Enkidu’s flesh to finally open the Mother of Horrors’ Divine Prison…or will the power of the GREEN DOOR be too much even for her? Eldest’s plans and the story of Enkidu are laid bare in this shocking conclusion!
PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON (W)
DANNY EARLS (A)
COVER BY NIC KLEIN
DISCO DAZZLER VARIANT COVER BY EDWIN GALMON
VARIANT COVER BY PAULO SIQUEIRA
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #1
“INFINITY WATCH” PART SIX!
The Mad Titan THANOS carves a path of destruction to his next doomed target – the current bearer of the MIND STONE! But there’s a very big, very green and very, very, VERY angry Hulk standing in Thanos’ way. Introducing the new master of the Mind Stone – WORLDMIND!
On crafting the latest Infinity Stones saga, Landy said, “When you write for Marvel, it's all you can hope for to add your thread to the massive tapestry of stories that has been unfolding since 1961. To be asked, then, to spearhead this next chapter is a prospect beyond my paltry imagination. I get to work on characters I've never written before — Thanos! Hulk! — and drag them into the story beside the new generation of heroes like Ms. Marvel and Spider-Boy. Thankfully, there is absolutely no pressure because comic fans are a notoriously easy-going bunch who are prepared to forgive if—oh dear God.”
DEREK LANDY (W)
GEOFF SHAW & SARA PICHELLI (A)
Cover by Salvador Larroca
Infinity Watch Variant Cover by Mike McKone
Design Variant Cover by R.B. Silva
Variant Cover by GEOFF SHAW
32 PGS./ one-shot/Rated T …$4.99
Replies
Wasn't "Enkidu" the name of Gilgamesh's BFF?
Yes, it was.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this return of Ororo to the Avengers. She has been on the spotlight in a very fierce way in recent months, since the recently concluded volume of "X-Men: Red" began. I liked Al Ewing elsewhere, and many fans seem to have liked that run. Not me. Right now Storm needs some urgent character work, and I fear that the X-Books are just not up for that.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this return of Ororo to the Avengers. She has been on the spotlight in a very fierce way in recent months, since the recently concluded volume of "X-Men: Red" began. I liked Al Ewing elsewhere, and many fans seem to have liked that run. Not me. Right now Storm needs some urgent character work, and I fear that the X-Books are just not up for that.
Perspicacious analysis, Luis. Every time I've seen Ororo in the X-books since the advent of Arakko, I've thought, "Who is this character?" She was serving some story purpose in the Krakoa era, one I don't really understand, but one that flew in the face of her previous characterization. Ororo is too important a character to be a sock puppet for a given writer's narrative.
Storm's characterization has IMO been all over the place in recent years. Sometimes she is a natural and enthusiastic leader, sometimes a remarkably quiet follower. Every now and then she feels the need to present herself as a intense rebel of some sort, not always for reasons that can be discerned.
In X-Men: Red she was _incredibly_ self-confident, all the time, and seemed to have had lost the ability to fail to impress. In all honesty, she was written as some sort of avatar of supreme wisdom and competence walking among incredibly powerful mutants for their benefit. It was dead serious, but coming very close to spontaneously become self-parody. I still think of that take on Ororo as the "Non-White Saviour". She just kept trouncing over each and every difficulty and every adversary leaving no doubt that she would prevail. I don't think that those stories can possibly age well.
And I think that the writers and editorial are correct in pointing out that she can't very well be in some X-Book right now without being the main focus. It would be at least a strong tonal shift, arguably a failure of maintaing characterization (although I never know which version of Ororo is active before a run begin; there are quite a few). On that respect she has become reminescent of Magneto, who she has been paired with often during Ewing's run; he, too, switches goals and personalities with no warning.
But Ororo has a further significant trait that Magneto does not; she has transcended her X-books origins, although you could easily miss that if you only read the X-books. She has been used often and significantly in other books, mainly the Black Panther series. And while that is not brought up very often, she does have significant ties with the Avengers and even more significant ones with the Fantastic Four. Oh, and for decades now we are periodically reminded that she has some significant, apparently inherited, talent for magic.
All of that makes the X-books IMO the least proper arena for showcasing her. In the X-Men you have way too many characters fighting for panel time, so Ororo can go for years with hardly any emphasis - and when she is put into evidence, her very connections to other mutants create so many expectations that the plots available are few and repetitive. For truly fresh takes you pretty much have to keep her apart from the X-Men.
Wow! Quite a dissertation!
And it reminds me of what Bob always says: You've put a lot more thought into this than the writers have.
I recently read the entire run of Marvel Adventures: Avengers in which Storm was a member. Here is an "All-Ages" titles that is truly for all ages.
I recently read the entire run of Marvel Adventures: Avengers in which Storm was a member. Here is an "All-Ages" titles that is truly for all ages.
You're talking me into this. Say, who's the Giant chick? Stature? Janet Van Dyne?
Janet Van Dyne (as "Giant-Girl"). I really think you'd appreciate this series. It's aimed at kids, yes, but so were Silver Age Marvels, really. I honestly enjoyed this series more than any regular "Avengers" since since Kurt Busiek left. It's just good, superhero-y fun, with a continuity all its own. Each story is done-in-one.
Giant-Girl? They didn't strain any brain cells coming up with that one.
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