Foraging For Comics: The Marvel May Solicits

Event Season kicks into gear once more. Whose side are you on? (I'm on the same side I always am: Mine.)

MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #15
Written by ZEB WELLS
Penciled by PATRICK SCHERBERGER
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
When an incarcerated Doc Ock commands his tentacles to find and defeat Spider-Man, the results aren't quite what he expects... Will Peter be able to deal when Otto's arms start following him around like a puppy dog?

I always loved the old bit where Ock’s arms would break him out of prison. This looks like a fun twist on that.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #532
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils & Cover by Ron Garney
"THE WAR AT HOME" Part 1 (of 7)
CIVIL WAR TIE-IN
After rushing to the aftermath of the Riverbank Massacre to offer aid to its victims, Peter travels with Tony Stark to Washington DC and the White House, where the enactment of the Super Hero Registration Act appears imminent. As the Marvel Universe braces for the implications of legislation that will forever change the societal status of super heroes, Peter will have to make a very important personal decision -- one that just might be the most important decision of his life

Oh, ye Gods, is that *really* the trade dress? Plus: sucks to be Stamford.

FANTASTIC FOUR - A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - ONE-SHOT
Written by Karl Kesel
Pencils & Cover by Lee Weeks
The Invisible Woman is dead! As Reed cradles his murdered wife, lost in grief, and Ben rampages after Sue's killer, Johnny defiantly decides to do whatever it takes- no matter the cost or consequence- to see his sister alive again. What he does will change the way the Fantastic Four look at him forever. "A Death in the Family"-- not a dream, not a hoax... and not to be missed. Includes bonus Fantastic Four issue #245!

Uh-huh. Right. Sure. Note the lack of the third “not a” statement.

MS. MARVEL #3
Written by Brian Reed
Penciled by Roberto De La Torre
Inks by JIMMY Palmiotti
Cover by Frank Cho
The fate of thousands hangs in the balance as Ms. Marvel faces a deadly new foe from beyond the stars! Can she defeat this foe, and her own inner demons, to become the hero shewas meant to be? Plus, an appearance by Marvel's first family, The Fantastic Four!

Brood appearance: Good. Gratuitous ass shot: Bad.

RUNAWAYS #16
Written by Brian Vaughan
Penciled by Adrian Alphona
Cover by Marcos Martin
"Parental Guidance" continues! To save the life of one of their own, the Runaways charge into battle against their late parents' evil successors, the all-new Pride. Who will live and who will die?

Oh, that’s a *good* cover.

THE THING #7
Written by Dan Slott
Pencils & Cover by Andrea Di Vito
"...On the Way to the Forum"
It's Alicia's birthday and the Thing has the perfect gift for her: a trip to Greece! Scratch that. Too simple. How about a trip to Ancient Greece? Yeah! Stretcho wouldn't mind Ben taking the time machine for a spin, right? And like, what could possibly go wrong?

There's something you don't see too often anymore: Gratuitous time travel.

EXILES #80
Written by Tony Bedard
Pencils & Cover by Paul Pelletier
"WORLD TOUR: FUTURE IMPERFECT"
The World Tour is almost over, but that doesn't mean the Exiles are out of the woods quite yet. Another Exile has yet to fall to Proteus, and it happens here! Will the Exiles be able to pick up the pieces after losing another one of their own!? Part 2 (of 2)!

Place yer bets, folks. My money’s on Morph.

STORM #4 (of 6)
Written by Eric Jerome Dickey
Penciled by David Yardin
Cover by Mike Mayhew
Knowing that their very survival may hinge on Ororo's ability to harness her newfound powers, T'Challa and Ororo travel deeper into the jungle, just a step ahead of the mercenaries that are hot on their trail. There, the sparks between the two teenagers finally ignite into fire, and their relationship takes on a whole new meaning.

Translation: They do it.

X-MEN #186
Written by Peter Milligan
Pencils & Cover by Salvador Larroca
"BLOOD OF APOCALYPSE"
Are you ready for some action?! The ending to Blood of Apocalypse happens here, and does it ever happen! X-Men are lost, battles are won, heroes are reborn, and some villains are still evil! You will not want to miss this! Introducing two brand new Sentinels!!! Also features a bonus 5-page back-up story of the Horsemen! Part 5 (of 5)!

I swear, Milligan, if you kill Gambit, drinks are on me.

X-MEN FAIRY TALES #1 (of 4)
Written by C. B. Cebulski
Art and Cover by SANA TAKEDA
In the tradition of the X-Men Classic, "Kitty's Fairy Tale," comes a series of new legends, reimagining the greatest X-Men stories through folktales, myths and fables from across the globe. In the story of Momotaro, the Peach-Boy, an old Japanese woodcutter and his wife cut open a giant peach only to find a baby boy with a peach pit for an eye, crying inside! The couple quickly learns that there is more than meets the eye as the baby shoots ruby-red optic blasts when the pit is removed! Afraid of how the outside world would treat him, the Peach-Boy is raised in seclusion until a mysterious Monk comes along and shows the teenaged Peach-Boy that his is a gift to be proud of. Believing he is destined for greater things, the boy joins the monk on a journey to defeat the evil demons that have plagued his lands and captured a beautiful red-haired princess.

O….k…

PUNISHER: THE TYGER
Written by Garth Ennis
Penciled by John Severin
Cover by Tim Bradstreet
Comics legend John Severin joins Punisher scribe extraordinaire Garth Ennis in this double-sized special! Long before he waged a one-man vendetta against organized crime, long before he was Young Lieutenant waging war in the jungles of 'Nam, Frank Castle was a 10-year-old boy growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn. When a classmate commits suicide in the aftermath of an unspeakable act, young Frank uncovers a secret dark enough to blacken the purest of hearts. Thus begins his first journey on the road that will eventually turn him into the man known as the Punisher, a journey that will bring him face to face with the Tyger: a creature not made by God, but just as vital to the world as anything He created.

Oh, good God, Ennis, what’s next? Frank pistol-whipping his preschool teacher?

HAUNT OF HORROR: EDGAR ALLAN POE #1 (OF 3)
Written by Richard Corben & RICH MARGOPOULOS
Pencils & Cover by Richard Corben
What scares you? Serial killers? Vampires? Earthquakes? Extreme sports? The dentist? Horror comics legend Richard Corben (Creepy, Eerie) and long-time collaborator Rich Margopoulos leave no gravestone unturned in this 3-issue limited series that offers wicked spins on the classic poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Each issue features three adaptations -- hauntingly rendered in B&W with gray tones as only Corben can do it -- along with the full text of Poe's poem for comparison. In issue #1: Behold "The Conqueror Worm" . . . fear "The Sleeper"... and beware "The Raven." It's classic horror in glorious black & white!

Cool.

SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT: EVIL THAT MEN DO MARVEL PREMIERE HC
Written by KEVIN SMITH
Penciled by TERRY DODSON
Cover by TERRY DODSON
The mysterious disappearance of an old friend brings Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, to New York in search of answers, and a certain web-slinging ex-lover of hers is following the same trail. How long will it take before they do some...catching up?
Collects SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT: EVIL THAT MEN DO #1-6.

No one wants this.

X-MEN: FIRESTAR DIGEST
Written by TOM DEFALCO
Penciled by MARY WILSHIRE
Cover by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH
Before the Avengers, before the New Warriors, mutandom's fiery favorite almost had a vocation in villainy thanks to the teacher from Hellfire, the White Queen! Can she find her way to heroism before things get too hot? Guest-starring the New Mutants!

Someone's been optioned by Hollywood...

SKRULL KILL KREW TPB
Written by GRANT MORRISON & MARK MILLAR
Penciled by STEVE YEOWELL
Cover by STEVE YEOWELL
See where two of Marvel's masters of mutantdom first made their mark! Grant Morrison and Mark Millar co-wrote this chilling story of murderous shape-changing criminals...and the menace they've sworn to cleanse from the Earth!

No one besides Joe Rice wants this.

ESSENTIAL CLASSIC X-MEN VOL. 2
Written by ROY THOMAS, GARY FRIEDRICH & ARNOLD DRAKE
Penciled by WERNER ROTH, JACK SPARLING, DAN ADKINS, ROSS ANDRU, DON HECK, GEORGE TUSKA, JIM STERANKO, BARRY SMITH & JOHN BUSCEMA
Cover by GIL KANE
Enemies both infamous and obscure abound in another archive of the X-Men's early adventures! Mainstay malefactors like Magneto and the Juggernaut are joined by the thunderous threat of Factor Three! Plus: the first appearances of Banshee and Polaris! Mimic vs. the Super-Adaptoid! Subterranean civil war! The X-Men's first individualistic uniforms! The return of a Golden Age great...and the death of Professor X!? Guest-starring Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and the Avengers! Featuring Ogre of Thunderbolts fame! Collects X-MEN #25-53 and AVENGERS #53.

About goddamn time.

That’s all this month. Full solicits are here. Happy hunting.