20
Uncanny X-Men
Cullen Bunn & Greg Land
An X-Book that is straight to business from the get-go. This is the classic X-Men premise of mutants protecting the world, and protecting themselves from the world. Except now Magneto is at the center, and he doesn’t seem as peaceful as he’s been in previous conversions. Once you get past the roll call in the first few pages, the real plot picks up, and I’m into the Inhumans/Mutants race war. The “Dark Riders” don’t seem to have a lot of allure outside of being mutant-hating Inhumans, but I’ll look forward to seeing this badass X-team go off on chumps. On a Greg Land note, outside of the cover, it seems he’s stepped back a little from his signature photo-realistic style, and I still think it looks crisp, but now it’s got grit. Also: What happened to Angel? Can we stick a mutant’s brain in there or something? – RF
First collection: Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1: Survival of the Fittest (July)
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19
Squadron Supreme
James Robinson & Leonard Kirk
Awesome. Both James Robinson books are must-reads for me. Feels like one of the early Millar/Bendis Ultimate U books. Maybe it’s a bit confusing with all the references to the Incursions and the atrocities committed by Namor and The Cabal… but I think the shock value is intact. Plus, I freaking hate Namor. – MMDG
This is easily gonna be one of my favorite capes ‘n’ tights books of this ANADM. I have liked the alternate realities of Squadron Supreme that I’ve read, and seeing them combined permanently in the Marvel U (not just an Ultimates crossover) is exciting. I think Marvel is pretty excited too because they’re letting Ross do the covers. The Squadron I’m familiar with has always been about gritty interpretations of classic hero types (Superman, Batman, Flash Wonder Woman, etc.) and the less sentimental Squadron will easily clash with the moral stances of many classic Marvel heroes. I’m surprised this cover doesn’t advertise the Namor fight; that seems like kind of a huge deal. Next issue they face one of the oldest MU characters ever, as well as their newest, strangest Avengers team, and as long as this book can maintain it’s “MAX-line” quality, I think I’ll keep reading. – RF
First collection: Deadpool, Vol. 1: By Any Means Necessary! (June)
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18
Extraordinary X-Men
Jeff Lemire & Humberto Ramos
I’m happy that this X-book is immediately intriguing. It could be because I have no concrete idea of what’s been going on the last few years, but the main plot points seem compelling. Without the rights to X-Men movies, Marvel seems to be maneuvering around their world of mutants using the Terrigen mists, which I’m not entirely comfortable with, but you can’t stop progress. Anyway, The X-Men seem to be where I like them, trapped between protecting the world from threats and protecting themselves from the world. I’m a sucker for team-building plots, and once their whole cast is assembled, the adventures should be fun. I still don’t like evil Cyclops, and I feel like the whole “No More Mutants” thing is being wrung for everything its worth, but the heart of the book, the family of the X-Men, still beats strongly. – RF
News-team…..ASSEMBBBBLE!! This didn’t blow me away, but I wasn’t disappointed either. Clearly, I’m supposed to like this teleporting, sword-wielding witch.. but I get it; every group needs its Poochy. Still, everytime Nightcrawler goes pop, I get a nerd boner. The overall plot arc is really interesting, even if it’s mostly a business requirement. It was a good start to a beloved classic. – SS
First collection: Extraordinary X-Men, Vol. 1: X-Haven (May)
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17
All New Hawkeye
Jeff Lemire & Ramon Perez
A solid Hawkguy book. I really like what has been happening with the character lately and this book is another in a long line of impressive Hawk-tales. Multiple Hawkeyes in one title is very appealing and the art had me lingering a little longer on every page. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. – IP
Really didn’t care for this starting out, but the relationship between Kate and Clint grew on me and the two separate storylines was an interesting dynamic. The artwork might take a little getting used to, but I’d keep reading this. – MH
I love Lemire’s writing and the way he plays with time and relationships. The jump to “20 years later” made me smile and grabbed my attention till the very end. Beautiful comic. – 3D
First collection: Hawkeye, Vol. 6: Hawkeyes (June)
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16
Daredevil
Charles Soule & Ron Garney
So Matt Fraction wasn’t going to be able to write Hawkeye forever, and Mark Waid wasn’t going to be on Daredevil for an eternity either. Maybe my expectations were low, preparing for a letdown… but this was right good. Ignoring the cheap ret-con (only Foggy knows who you are/Netflix series congruity), this was good old-fashioned DD. Being a prosecutor is a fun twist, and I was pleasantly surprised by Ron Garney’s art. That dude’s been around a while, and he still manages to learn a few new tricks. Digging it. – MMDG
Daredevil making everyone forget who he is except for Foggy is about as good a trick as bringing the original X-Men to the present with a time portal. Even so, what a great story! As Soule explains, Daredevil can take risks again. If the villains happen to be as cool at twenty-fingered crimelords, then I am excited to see what comes of this story. Garney’s art seems a respectful nod to Miller’s interpretation, and I’m down with the new costume and Blindspot. This is a book I’ll look forward to next month. – RF
First collection: Daredevil: Back in Black, Vol. 1: Chinatown (May)
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15
Scarlet Witch
James Robinson & Various
Again, a character I know next to nothing about made instantly readable and provoking. Robinson nails it. But honestly the reason this title will be on my pull list for the foreseeable future is the artwork. Beautiful stuff invoking a moody, gothic vibe that takes Robinson’s script into a realm I don’t think he even imagined. The full page of Scarlet Witch and the ghost looking out into New York is stunning. – 3D
A magic noir with Wanda as downtrodden witch detective? Count me in. Del Rey’s artwork and Bellaire’s colors make the book feel like a beautiful illustration in a lost tome. One of my favorites so far. – BC
Scarlet Witch has never made much sense to me, and this book could be her first definitive story. Her powers have been vaguely described as “chaos magic” in the past as an easy means to write away solutions or conjure random threats. From the get-go, Robinson emphasizes, “witchcraft,” and he acknowledges Scarlet Witch’s past while clearly stating that this book is unlike any of her other stories. I’ve always liked Wanda, but now that Robinson is putting her at the helm of her own fate, she is finally going to come into her own and stop being used as a convenient plot device. – RF
First collection: Scarlet Witch, Vol. 1: Witches’ Road (July)
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14
Power Man and Iron Fist
David Walker & Sanford Greene
All that I want of a Power Man and Iron Fist comic and I didn’t even consider that this book would deliver. It’s a 70’s exploitation comic down to the tiniest scale. The art is wonderful and brings back the glory of movie posters from this era while being able to convey fluid action perfectly. The plot is simple, yet you already feel connected to the characters and get a sense of the stakes. I want more of this, stat. – BC
Love it. Iron Fist is my favorite superhero and Luke Cage is right up there too, so I’m biased when it comes to Heroes for Hire. Regardless of my feelings though, I am confident that this series is a fun, kinetic, stylish good time. That’s exactly what I want from this team. I will say that the cover isn’t great, but overall I actually really liked the art. This book is what I wanted from a Marvel reboot, so good on ya. – IP
First collection:Power Man & Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Boys Are Back in Town (September)
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13
All New All Different Avengers
Mark Waid & Adam Kubert
So many Marvel “architects” have moved on, or seem to be writing in a very limited capacity (no Fraction, Brubaker, or Hickman; scant Aaron). But seeing Mark Waid captain one of the signature books is very encouraging. So far, it’s the one Avengers book that feels most like an Avengers book. Very Busiek-esque. – MMDG
Let’s start at the cover. Alex Ross delivers again. Next up, the lineup: I was really impressed with how well this team meshed. It can take a long time for a team to feel appropriate, and to feel earned, but this series got there quickly. Ms. Marvel is probably my favorite character in the MU right now, and with this book showcasing her so well it’s only natural that I should love it. I’m not sold on this new young Nova, but I will give him a shot. This is a solid book and I’m looking forward to more. – IP
Felt very much like an old school Avengers book and I appreciated that. Avengers has felt like something else for a really long time and this was actually fun. Excited to read more. – BC
First collection: All New All Different Avengers, Vol. 1: The Magnificent Seven (May)
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12
The Ultimates
Al Ewing & Kenneth Rocafort
As someone with not a whole lot of experience with the current Marvel Cosmic Universe, this is a fun way to get acquainted. I don’t know much about Ewing, but I like his sci-fi-mindedness, and would like to read more. Even though the team consists of B-listers, all of their powers seem synergistic. A lot of the other teams seem unbalanced, weighed down maybe, by secondary heroes who don’t really belong in Avengers-threat-level situations. The Ultimates cast is totally complementary, and they have a clear purpose and act under their own mandate. They could be the most classic super hero iteration in the New Marvel in that respect. – RF
I found myself enjoying this story a lot for some reason. I can’t logically explain it or really point to anything in particular other than this book left me wanting more. I think the conceit and the idea that they are real outsiders is silly but the book just works. One of my favorites… inexplicably. – IP
First collection: The Ultimates, Vol. 1: Start with the Impossible (July)
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11
Weirdworld
Sam Humphries & Michael Del Mundo
Maybe it’s better to be “weird” than “different.” The absence of big-name heroes may give this title the ability to take risks on the stories, and because it’s stocked with wizards and wizard-slayers, I can see a pretty big fan movement building around it. Del Mundo’s artwork perfectly captures the fantasy elements of the story. The setup is simple fish-out-of-water stuff, but portal-jockeying wizards and hot-rod driving valkyries seem like a classic Kirby move, or maybe the Hernandez brothers. Even the quest to properly disperse ashes has more of an early Love & Rockets feel. This book truly feels like something different for Marvel, and I’m pretty excited to see how it develops. – RF
Whoa. This one came as a surprise. Some phenomenal art by Mike Del Mundo makes this book feel like something Image would publish. The story has a Through the Looking Glass feel to it, and a tight, amusing script that keeps a good pace while letting the characters develop. This has been a favorite of mine so far. A must read. – IP
First collection: Weirdworld, Vol. 1: Where Lost Things Go (July)
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The Institute of Idle Time 