CIVIL WAR II TIE-INS
10 you-count-'em CWII tie-ins this week; 11 if you count Gwenpool. That's a lot! At least some of the miniseries are coming to an end this week, so the count ought to go down from here on in. Who can afford all this, anyway?
A-FORCE #9
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: KELLY THOMPSON
Art/Cover: PAULO SIQUEIRA
Cosplay Variant: CRYSTAL MELTON
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• The fates of NICO MINORU, a mysterious missing girl named Alice, and a small town in Colorado are all tied together as CIVIL WAR II heats up and threatens to tear A-FORCE apart.
• The team, with ELSA BLOODSTONE in foul-mouthed tow, splits up to hunt down the apparent source of the trouble in the hopes of saving the town.
• However, it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems with the team -- A-Force is changing -- and by morning there may not be anyone left to save the day.
That cover on the left has an EC horror book construction, but I don't know if it's homaging a specific cover.
CIVIL WAR II AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 (of 4)
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer; CHRISTOS GAGE
Art/Cover: TRAVEL FOREMAN
Variant: SIMONE BIANCHI
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
The effects of Ulysses’ prediction are felt as CLASH ATTACKS SPIDER-MAN!
Wait, there's a villain named The Clash? Now I'll have "London Calling" on a loop in my head for the rest of the day!
CIVIL WAR II GODS OF WAR #4 (of 4)
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: DAN ABNETT
Art: EMILIO LAISO (A)
Cover by JAY ANACLETO
Variant: JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
Captain America 75th Anniversary Variant: TBA
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE GODS OF WAR!
• With the world locked in Civil War, HERCULES and the GODS OF WAR face down a catastrophic threat that the other heroes of the Marvel Universe are blind to.
• Can they prevail alone against the wrath of a new race of gods?
• Or has the Civil War provided the Uprising Storm with the perfect opportunity to master the world and change it forever?
CIVIL WAR II ULYSSES #2
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: AL EWING
Art: JEFTE PALO
Cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
Variant: STEFANO CASSELLI
40 PGS. • Rated T+ • $4.99
• Ulysses experiences one of his first terrifying visions.
• So why won’t Karnak help him prevent this disaster?
DEADPOOL #18
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: GERRY DUGGAN
Art: MIKE HAWTHORNE
Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Secret Comics Variant: SCOTT KOBLISH
Defenders Variant: ANNIE WU
32 PGS. • Parental Advisory • $3.99
• One thing everyone who knows Deadpool agrees on …
• … they’d really love to sock him one!
• You don’t need a vision to tell you Deadpool’s gonna screw up his life!
Who's the chick in purple with the custard pie? Power Princess? Shiklah, Queen of the Undead? Soupy Sales?
GWENPOOL #6
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: CHRIS HASTINGS
Art: GURIHIRU
Cover by STACEY LEE
Cosplay Variant: ALANA WAFFLES
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• Gwen’s “team-up” with Miles Morales ends … badly!
• Man, oh, man, she is not a good person! It gets dark!
• We promise this is not a Civil War II tie-in!
They say this isn't a Civil War II tie-in. But do you believe 'em?
MOCKINGBIRD #7
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: CHELSEA CAIN
Art: KATE NIEMCZYK
Cover by JOËLLE JONES
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• Trapped on a ship full of super hero cosplayers, Bobbi investigates the murder of one of the passengers. But this ship of fools has dark secrets. Someone is pulling the strings.
• Bobbi, Hunter and a motley band of surprisingly committed cosplayers must puzzle out the conspiracy as the ship continues to circle the Bermuda Triangle.
Hunter from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is in this book? I haven't been reading Mockingbird -- the character's clumsy use over the years has soured me -- so it's news to me. And if so, is he an ex-husband like on the show? Because the comic book Mockingbird has an extensive dating history that we already know, and Hunter ain't in it. Did they just meet, or what?
ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT #9
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: NICK KOCHER
Art: MICHAEL WALSH
CoverS by DAVID LOPEZ
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
• We don’t mean to be carpet-braggers, but you’ll have to (Ulysses S.) grant that these are the best issues of the entire event!
• When Rocket, Groot and Gwenpool all go after the same bounty in Georgia, the results are antebellum-believable!
• Get-tysburg as many copies as you can!
Hey, a Gone with the Wind movie poster homage ... with talking raccoons and trees!
SPIDER-MAN #8
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art: NICO LEON
Cover by SARA PICHELLI
Cosplay Variant: PIERRE DEMERY
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
• Ulysses’ latest prediction has the whole Marvel Universe on Miles’ tail
• Escape is out of the question, but survival might be, too.
Anybody else getting a Steve Ditko vibe from the pose Captain Marvel is in above? I seem to remember Captain Atom or Spider-Man or someone in that pose in the '60s, but I can't put my finger on it.
SPIDER-MAN 2099 #15
Publisher: MARVEL COMCIS
Writer: PETER DAVID
Art: WILL SLINEY
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
• MIGUEL and his allies race the clock to save CAPTAIN AMERICA from certain doom.
• But the mysterious new CEO of ALCHEMAX has called in S.H.I.E.L.D. to put an end to the super power problem for good.
• Outnumbered. Outgunned. Can Spidey find his friend and get back to the present when the entire world is against him?
There are three Spider-Man books this week, only one of which stars Peter Parker. I guess it doesn't matter, since "my" Spider-Man doesn't really exist any more. And I know there's a passel of Spider-Women, too, although I doubt they travel in passels.
UNCANNY AVENGERS #14
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: GERRY DUGGAN
Art/Cover: RYAN STEGMAN
32 PGS. • Rated T • $3.99
• The Unity Squad’s mutants go rogue, no pun intended, as they search for a solution to the Terrigen Mist problem that’s been killing their brethren.
• Steve Rogers makes a shocking decision, and the Unity Squad will never be the same!
• Doctor Voodoo’s brother’s makes a deal with the devil. (Actually, The Hand, and they’re way worse.)
UNCANNY INHUMANS #13
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: CHARLES SOULE
Art: CARLOS PACHECO
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
Marvel Tsum Tsum Takeover Variant: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
32 PGS. • Rated T+ • $3.99
• While the heroes of the Marvel Universe battle it out with each other, Medusa and the Inhumans have their own private civil war!
• Who will side with whom and how will the balance of power tip in New Attilan?
REBIRTH
ACTION COMICS #963
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by CLAY MANN and SETH MANN
Variant cover by GARY FRANK
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“WHO IS CLARK KENT?” part 1!
Look -- down there on the ground! It’s a guy, he’s kinda ordinary ... it’s -- Clark Kent?! As Metropolis recovers from the devastating attack of Doomsday, the mysterious figure claiming to be Clark Kent takes the spotlight to clear his name and prove once and for all that Clark Kent is not Superman!
You know, if they establish a real Clark Kent, that would expand the supporting cast with a character who wouldn't need super-powers to be a major player (think of the George Reeves version on Adventures of Superman). And, why not? It could be the New 52 character revived, only without his Super-memories or -powers, which could create no end of story springboards. That would certainly shake things up!
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #2
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JULIE BENSON and SHAWNA BENSON
Art by CLAIRE ROE
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by KAMOME SHIRAHAMA
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“WHO IS ORACLE?” part 3!
Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress must team up with the GCPD to protect a mafia capo from an attack by his one-time friends! He’s the only man with a lead on the nefarious new Oracle … but dead men tell no tales! Of course, it’s hard to make a team-up work when the team’s ready to tear itself apart on its first mission!
I like this version of Huntress better than the previous one -- for one thing, she's got the training to do the things she does, instead of being a talented amateur.
DEATHSTROKE #2
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ
Cover by ACO
Variant cover by SHANE DAVIS
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
“The Professional” part 2!
Deathstroke investigates a connection between Wintergreen’s kidnapping and their old special ops unit to find out which of Slade’s trusted inner circle has betrayed him!
Anybody know why we should care about Deathstroke? I just want him dead for all the bad things he's done. I'm sure not going to root for him.
DETECTIVE COMICS #940
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Rise Of The Batmen” part 7!
This epic concludes with a battle against the Colony that will change Batman’s world forever -- and in a way you’d never expect! Whether they win or lose, they’ve already lost.
Yeah, it looks like they're killing off Tim Drake. But one of the Bat-writers tweeted that they've got plans for him, so looks can be deceiving.
THE FLASH #6
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Variant cover by DAVE JOHNSON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE” part 6! You’ve seen glimpses of him. You’ve witnessed the carnage he’s unleashed on Central City. Now meet Godspeed, the super-speed serial killer who murders speedsters and steals their powers. Barry Allen is going to need help!
"Godspeed"? They're scraping the bottom of the barrel of speed puns, aren't they?
GREEN LANTERNS #6
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by JACK HERBERT
Covers by ROBSON ROCHA
Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“FAMILY DINNER”!
The rookie Green Lanterns try to reconcile some of their differences, when Simon Baz makes a terrifying offer to Jessica by inviting her over for dinner with his family. Can the two survive this with the mysterious Guardian tracking the duo?
Again: If they take the cliche path and make these two a couple after they've hated each other for so many issues, I'm gonna be disappointed. You know, most of the time when a guy and a girl can't stand each other, it's not a prelude to romance -- they just can't stand each other.
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #4
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Sinestro’s Law” part 4!
Sinestro’s grip on the universe tightens with Hal Jordan captured, as the two former partners edge closer to a final confrontation for control of the cosmos!
Will Hal and the Corps actually meet up in this issue? The title has to make sense eventually.
NEW SUPER-MAN #3
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC and RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
Variant cover by BERNARD CHANG
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“MADE IN CHINA” part 3!
When Kenan Kong decided to out the Justice League of China to the world, he was just trying to impress people, not start a revolution! But the damage is done, and the fallout turns deadly as these heroes come face to face with Flying Dragon General and the Freedom Fighters of China!
I'm really warming to this title. Super-Man is such a loser!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #2
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by DEXTER SOY
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI and CAM SMITH
Variant cover by MATTEO SCALERA
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Dark Trinity” part 2!
Red Hood’s investigation takes a painful turn when he encounters a mysterious woman named Artemis! Outmatched by this powerful Amazon, Jason’s only hope for survival is finding a common ground with his attacker -- that is, if Artemis gives him the chance!
And our final team member finally makes an appearance. Talk about decompressed storylines!
SUICIDE SQUAD #2
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
“THE BLACK VAULT” part 2!
What was meant to be a routine mission to retrieve a “cosmic item” from an undersea fortress has become a nightmare beyond anything the Suicide Squad ever expected. And with half the team down, it’s up to Harley Quinn, Katana and a demon-possessed graphic designer named June Moore to save the Squad from the most dangerous man in the DC Universe. That’s right ... they’re screwed.
Anybody think Harley Quinn, Deadpool or Boomerang are in any actual danger? Yeah, me neither. But if I were the other team members, I wouldn't buy any unripe bananas.
SUPERWOMAN #2
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by PHIL JIMENEZ
Art by PHIL JIMENEZ and MATT SANTORELLI
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
Variant cover by TERRY DODSON and RACHEL DODSON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“WHO IS SUPERWOMAN?” part 2!
The battle of Metropolis Harbor rages on and the casualties are mounting! To save both herself and the city from the ultra-powered Bizarress duo, Superwoman must turn to John Henry Irons -- a.k.a. Steel -- for help! But there is a larger villainous force at work behind the scenes, and you won’t believe who it is! Buckle up for the shocking true identity of Ultra Woman!
Ultra Woman doesn't need a shocking true identity. The old one -- a perverse and perverted Lois Lane from Earth-3 -- was shocking enough! Speaking of Loises, that first cover indicates New 52 Lois may not be quite as dead as we were led to believe last issue.
Also, Lana? Redheads don't wear red. Red and almost-red clash. The best fashion choice for redheads is the color complement, green. Take a look at a color wheel sometime, 'kay?
WONDER WOMAN #6
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by GREG RUCKA
Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT
Variant cover by FRANK CHO
32 pg • FC, • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“WONDER WOMAN YEAR ONE” part 3!
Diana brings Steve back home, but the reception is not what either of them expected. Amid suspicion and a looming threat, the Patrons pay a visit, and new friendships are forged.
I read somewhere that the original Rebirth plan was to only run the twice-monthly books that way for six months, before they settled into a regular monthly schedule. But they've proved so successful, DC is re-evaluating. Anyway, that leads me to believe that one of the WW storylines -- probably the "origin" story -- was planned to end at the six-month mark and probably still will.
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