Forward Thinking: Marvel Comics for April 2006

Tom Bondurant and I pulled up the Marvel solicits for April and recorded our dialogue for your edification as comics consumers. Here's what we talked about ...


THE THING #6

Tom: Probably the book I'm anticipating most from Marvel is THE THING #6. After thoroughly enjoying Spider-Man/Human Torch, and being very happy with the Thing series so far, I'm itching to see what Dan Slott does with Spidey and Ben Grimm.

Brian: I am as a rule not a huge fan of team character close-up minis like Slott's THE THING -- typically because it's usually obvious that the writer doesn't seem too concerned with anything presently going on in the team book and the story ends being flat, pulpy, and irrelevant. However, I enjoy Slott's work quite a bit and have been enjoying THE THING because it's been sort of a throwback to the old TEAM-UP stories that just set their sights on a shock'n awe goal with a reasonable amount of attention on the the central character. Issue #6 sounds like it will be a fun read.

MOON KNIGHT #1

Brian: MOON KNIGHT #1 is going down as my second pick for the month. I haven't read any of Charlie Huston's work, but the return of Fist of Khonshu and David Finch are enough to make me look at the first couple of issues. Also, I'm usually more impressed by novelist imports like Brad Meltzer Orson Scott Card, because of their stories are often more evenly composed. I look forward to seeing if Huston makes the transition.

FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST FAMILY #2 (of 6)

Tom: You've got your Moon Knight revival -- I'm looking forward to Joe Casey and Chris Weston's back-to-the-beginning FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST FAMILY. I'm interested to see how the Ministry of Space artist handles Marvel's own astronautical pioneers.

ULTIMATE HULK VS. WOLVERINE #3

Brian:Speaking of shock'n awe, ULTIMATE HULK VS. WOLVERINE #3 is at the top of my pick list for the month. I haven't even seen the fight begin yet, but Lenil Yu's got my eyes popping open every time one of them breathes. And with that intoduction? That's the level of perversely entertaining mutilation I expect from an Ennis book. The fight apparently shifts into full gear in issue #3, so I'll certainly be reading it with popcorn in hand.

UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC

Tom: For pure curiosity value, though, I might have to save my pennies and get UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 1. I have never really been an X-Men fan, but it would be nice to see these influential issues presented close to how they originally appeared. Maybe it's the vintage lettercolumns that are tempting me. Maybe I should just blow my savings on The Complete Calvin & Hobbes instead....

Brian: The UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 also sounds like a feast. Those old back issues always make me starry-eyed for the old Claremont writing from before the predictable ho-hum interdimensional aliens and recycled plot twists displayed in the events of X-TREME X-MEN and his latest work in the core titles because the norm. He was one of the greats at his peak, and the stories in here are the reasons why.

FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: GEORGE PÉREZ VOL. 2 TPB

Tom: I will be getting FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: GEORGE PEREZ VOL. 2, though. As a FF fan and a Perez fan, this hits me where I live.

Brian: I'm also a huge FF fan, and while I don't know if FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: GEORGE PEREZ VOL. 2 is going to find its way into my budget, it will certainly be passing through my fingers on the racks. There's going to be an institute named for this guy one day.

ARES #4

Brian: ARES #4 is also going to be on my pull list. Oeming does the mythology figures of Marvel like no one else. He's right up there with Walt Simonson in my book as a Thor writer, and he seems like a perfect fit for ARES. Despite Thor's continuing absence I'm happy to see Marvel is shining some light back into the mythology characters and couldn't be more pleased to see Oeming getting the assignments.

DAREDEVIL #84

Tom: Ed Brubaker's second issue of DAREDEVIL comes out in April, and while I've really enjoyed his Captain America, this book may be a different story. Brubaker's Cap is moody but hopeful, and from the solicit it sounds like Brubaker's Daredevil will be moody and ... crazy? Still, the solicit for CAPTAIN AMERICA also highlights the word "vengeance," so maybe this is Brubaker's new schtick.

Brian: Ditto on Brubaker's DAREDEVIL. He got an impeccable knack for taking established heroes and making stories I read and say, "Wow, the character development from beginning to end was signature Brubaker." His Cap is top notch. His DAREDEVIL will certainly be worth a look.

SQUADRON SUPREME #2

Tom: Speaking of moody and crazy, I bailed out on Supreme Power after twelve issues because it was so decompressed, oxygen masks had deployed. However, I may have to give SQUADRON SUPREME a try, assuming that this time they're on pace to take over the world before issue #6.

Brian: I don't know too much about what's been going on with Straczynski's SUPREME POWER work for the last year or so, but the solicit sounds like the kind of rehashed Authority story that cooled me off to the book a long while ago.

MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX: RESTRAINING ORDERS ARE FOR OTHER GIRLS

Tom: With all this angst, it's a good thing Marvel is putting out an expressly funny book in MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX. Mushy old comics + today's irreverent writers = comedy gold! SHE-HULK is also full of l'amour this month, and in ASTONISHING X-MEN, Emma kisses Wolverine -- does Marvel think Valentine's Day is in April?

Brian: I was wondering the same thing looking down the list. Did I miss the memo where April books were going to start shipping in February? MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX looks hilarious though. And I'll give a second look to anything with Kyle Baker or Keith Giffen's name on the credits.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #531

Brian: My teeth are gritting looking at the solicit for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #531 and the unveiling of Spidey's new costume's new "very special features." My lukewarm anticipation of the whole Illuminati story combined with my exasperated interest left in the wake of "The Other" and most of the aftermath of "House of M" have me flinching almost out of habit at anything remotely corny or earth-shattering. Hopefully the new features include fresh and interesting story concepts that advance something into new territory and don't give me bad 90s déjà vu.

AMAZING FANTASY #20

Brian:And while we're on the subject, does anyone know how many comics titles have had storylines named "Unnatural Selection," such as the one concluded in AMAZING FANTASY #20? Just curious.

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