In the post-Civil War II era, which, unfortunately, continues to crazily coexist with the Civil War II era, the Marvel universe still has a need for a team of “awesome people working together to do awesome things.” Maybe more so now than ever. When Ewing and Rocafort’s ANAD Ultimates series wrapped with issue #12 last month, we were treated to yet another one of those g-d spoilers caused by ridiculous scheduling delays. Namely, that Civil War II would conclude with Black Panther switching sides, turning on Captain Marvel, and effectively shutting down their proactive problem-solving super-team of super-scientists. Say it ain’t so, T’Challa. This series was so good.
Of course, we were also given notice that the team would be back in Ultimates² #1. Al Ewing is joined by new series artist Travel Foreman and colorist Dan Brown for the highlight of Marvel NOW! Week 8, hitting stands the same day as the rather anti-climactic Civil War II #7 (which isn’t the last issue by the way). Not a moment too soon, either, because now that the Earth’s heroes have (apparently) finished their petty squabble over the merits of predictive justice, the Ultimates can get back to work taking care of the problems that really need solving. Enter Anti-Man, newly knighted by the transformed Galactus as the first Herald of Life. And if nobody was listening before (except Thanos, ironically), it’s time to pay attention. The universe is in chains, and the Cosmic Jailer seems to be a very pressing issue. Continue reading Ultimates²
No, seriously. How many Jeff Lemires are there? Does this one guy ever sleep? Does he take a day off? For the record, I’m okay with his 
While Thanos is no stranger to recent Marvel books, what makes this series particularly exciting is the rest of this book’s cast. It’s a true family affair, as both Thanos’s brother, the former Avenger Starfox, and Thanos’s son, Thane, have plots in motion to come into conflict with the despot. We also get to see the never-humble Champion of the Universe making some bold proclamations regarding Thanos’s fate. Deodato’s style, both in the gritty realization of his action sequences and the geometric wizardry of his layouts, taps into the great 70’s and 80’s Heavy Metal/Epic vibe of classic four-color science-fiction. The House of Ideas has some marvelously trippy characters in its cosmic catalog, and it’s a treat to read a book that looks to explore that roster.
Marvel’s latest NOW! initiative may not have gotten off to the best start, particularly given the fact that so many of these new titles and storylines were meant to rise out of the ashes of the as-yet-to-be-concluded Civil War II event. This isn’t the first time scheduling delays have caused confusing overlaps between “seasons” of Marvel’s releases, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed among comic book readers, many of whom are expressing their rightful frustration by avoiding new series launches. We’re now in week 6 of the “shattered” NOW! initiative, but still two weeks away from the scheduled release of the final chapter of Civil War II. And delays aside, the series just hasn’t been very good. Whether or not it’s fair, much of the heat falls on Brian Michael Bendis. He’s Marvel’s chief architect, and, as the hardest working guy at The House of Ideas over the last decade-plus, it’s only natural to wonder if maybe he’s just feeling a little worn out. Superhero burnout is real, folks. And, the really scary thing is, history tells us it has a very low recovery rate.
But here’s the thing. Bendis isn’t slowing down. On the contrary, he seems out to prove that his knack for telling some of the most compelling and entertaining capes n’ tights stories of our generation hasn’t cooled in the slightest. The continuing adventures of Miles Morales in Spider-Man; new titles Infamous Iron Man and Jessica Jones; and especially this week’s Invincible Iron Man #1, make the bloated and unwieldy Guardians of the Galaxy and Civil War II runs look like company mandates that steered the scribe too far from his home.
With yet another reboot of one of their flagship titles, this week’s Avengers #1 by Mark Waid and Mike Del Mundo nonetheless represents a return to the fundamental series name and identity. This isn’t “All-New All-Different,” or even “New” for that matter. They aren’t “Mighty” or part of an “Initiative.” There’s nothing “Secret” about them, much less “Uncanny.” These are the freaking Avengers, a team that resonates with historical familiarity, despite a roster unlike one we’ve ever seen.
No surprise, with Marvel’s latest Hollywood blockbuster scheduled for wide release on November 4, that we’re getting a double dose of the good doctor this year. Not since the Defenders days of the 70’s and 80’s has Doctor Strange featured simultaneously in multiple ongoing titles. Doctor Strange and The Sorcerers Supreme #1, by Robbie Thompson and Javier Rodriguez, hits shelves for week 4 of Marvel’s latest NOW! initiative, which gives us one more reason to thank Marvel Studios for making the Master of the Mystic Arts pop-culturally relevant. Unlike Aaron & Bachalo’s 
The story picks up after the events of The Last Days of Magic with Strange still trying to recover what magical energy he can in our universe. Merlin, of Arthurian lore, and no stranger to the Marvel universe, assembles a super-team of super-sorcerers to combat an entity known as The Forgotten, which was purportedly unleashed on the past during Strange’s battle with the Empirikul. It’s like a Web Warriors for the mystical set, except with more flowy capes and fewer anthropomorphic pigs. Suiting up for action is a Wiccan from a future in which he is Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme; a Sir Isaac Newton from a reality in which he commands a “Mindful One” (a creature that looks a lot like Dread Dormammu’s Mindless Ones); a brash, younger version of The Ancient One; and two new characters: Kushala, the Demon Rider, and a mysterious pistol-wielding, swashbuckling woman known only as “The Conjuror.”
Iron Man is dead. Long live Iron Man.
Marvel NOW 
Flatman, who has a mutant stretching ability (provided he maintains a near-two-dimensional shape), has just been informed that he, because of some legal loopholes and technicalities, owns the Avengers™ brand. Apparently this has more to do with Tony Stark’s as-yet-to-be-revealed post-Civil War II fate. Hints and innuendo are fun fuel for fanboy speculation, but with Victor von Doom queued up to don the armor in next week’s Infamous Iron Man, I’m ready for some legitimate answers.
Marvel’s 2016-2017 publishing initiative kicked off this week: a new slate of books for a new era, albeit with old branding. I have less of a problem with the re-hashing of the Marvel NOW! label than I do with the name itself. Reminds me too much of a gawdawful series of pop music compilations. “NOW that’s what I call superheroes!” I also don’t mind that we’re starting the new cycle before the end of Civil War II. As we all remember, the same thing happened last year when the first 
Don’t everybody give up on Vertigo just yet. While we’re all pretty excited about 
Wow. I didn’t think this book was coming. Not that I wasn’t expecting a Trinity #1, but a DC superhero book that connects on a human level was a welcome surprise. These characters in capes and armor are manifestations of our fantasies, symbolic of the struggle between good and evil. But when written with care, they become as stirring a curiosity as the real people we encounter. Yes, I do like seeing Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman fight monsters and villains, but what an awesome feeling it is to feel like these characters have real humanity behind them. If universes collapsed, and people that were thought dead turned up alive, I’d expect someone to have some sort of existential crisis, but instead there’s been a lot of business as usual. To see DC’s big three sit down at a dinner table, to watch Bruce speak one way in front of everyone, yet wax sentimental in a moment with Clark, or seeing Wonder Woman confide in Lois because her sisters in Themyscira are lost to her –those are the kind of nuances that take these superhero books out of childish distractions and into the realm of thoughtful entertainment.
The Institute of Idle Time 