I will follow these heroes into Hell itself.

What has come before: Six years worth of comics that had the name Avengers on the cover, but bore no resemblance to the 40 years of Avengers comics that came before those.

Deserved or not, I’ve given Brian Bendis a fair amount of grief for his Marvel output in the last few years. Sure, Siege may have been underwhelming, but at least it tied off some of Marvel’s more annoying plot points (Goodbye Lex Luthor-lite, aka Norman Osborn), and freed us all from any more comics starring the Sentry (for now). I say the end justifies the means, especially if that end is Avengers #1.

This is the Avengers comic I have been waiting six years for. It features a team of A-list heroes fighting epic battles against the biggest threats to the Marvel Universe (Welcome back, Kang; how I’ve missed you). It is new reader friendly, with plenty of bits for longtime fans to chew on (the spread on pages 4-5 are a shout out to both Avengers fans AND Bendis fans). And the art. Oh my God, the art.

John Romita Jr. & Klaus Janson are arguably the highest profile art team at Marvel. By placing them on this title, Marvel appears to have committed to making Avengers their flagship title. And they definitely brought their “A” game. Romita draws as if he was possessed by the ghost of Jack Kirby himself, creating highly stylized work that still tells a clear story. And Janson (Romita’s longtime inker) makes it all “pop”. Throw in Dean White’s bold primary color palette (eye-catching without being garish) and the end result is a comic that feels like the comics I remember falling in love with.

So the slate is clean, Bendis. I’m back in. Don’t abuse my trust.

Joss Whedon, director of "CHUD 2099"

As you’ve no doubt already read on Twitter, Facebook, various RSS feeds, and half the Internet at large, Joss Whedon is in final talks to direct Marvel’s upcoming “Avengers” movie, slated for release May 4 2012.

Whedon is, of course, well known for his various Whedonverse series’, as well as his runs on Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Rumors abound of his potentially reworking the Avengers script to some extent, as well.

Geeks are rending their shirts like pre-pubescent Beatles fans. I, for one, am one part excited, one part hedging my bets completely.

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He's keeping a running tally of all the continuity mistakes...

What has come before: Norman Osborn (formerly the Green Goblin, now the Iron Patriot) pretty much runs America. Clint Barton (formerly Hawkeye, now Ronin) seems to be more upset about this than anyone (even Spider-Man, oddly enough).
This comic dredges up some mixed emotions in me. I’ll get into it further after the break, as there are some spoilers contained herein.

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Note: the first part of this article was written about 5 hours after the now infamous ‘Avengers Avenged’ blog was posted. A followup reaction to the strong reactions posted over the next twelve hours is attached at the end.

I woke up to this link of a comic fan at Wizard World pranking Rob Liefeld. Thank you, Yellow Hat Guy. Rob Liefeld‘s ridiculous lines are a part of comic book history, and this was a pretty good epic footnote to it.

you are a dick for expressing your views of this creation to the creator in a public setting

To the more eloquent defenders of Liefeld who commented on that link, I understand how you feel about something like this. “Here’s this guy who is pranking a creator at a convention while that creator is trying to work, this is an incredibly rude thing to do.” While it certainly was rude, it’s also a non-violent reaction to art work that inspired an emotional response.

Comics books are an artistic expression, and that expression has formed a community. The artists and writers who create them are exchanging their time, talent, and creative spark for a paycheck that, no matter how large, will never truly repay that creator for those moments of self-perceived genius they feel for getting the wording just right or the lines just so.

Readers are on exactly the opposite end of this. They cough up their paychecks to follow their favorite characters and stories every month, hoping to be inspired, tickled, and moved by the contents of these pages. Their entire goal is to have an emotionally charged opinion about about an issue.

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After a long hiatus (sorry about that), I’m finally back to bring you more previews of solicited comic books. This time, I’m showing you what to look forward to in August. And boy, is there a lot to be excited for. It seems like the comic book publishers decided that they wanted to get in on the summer blockbuster action and decided to pull out all the stops in August. Some of the biggest titles of the year look to be coming out, so let me break down some of the big ones to keep an eye on.

The Marvels Project #1

The Marvels Project is likely to be the biggest Marvel comic this year, if not the biggest comic of the year period. While Blackest Night over in DC land might overshadow it slightly, The Marvels Project is likely to be the critically acclaimed hit of the year. Much like the smaller, more story-based movie compared to the summer blockbuster, Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting are celebrating Marvel’s 70th anniversary in style, by retelling the origin story of the entire universe! With talent this great and a story to match, how could you not be excited to see what is in store from this limited series?

Batman: The Widening Gyre #1

While much of the DC fanbase will have their eyes turned towards the previously mentioned Blackest Night event, a little Batman book by acclaimed writer Kevin Smith is set to hit the stands. Set to be a 12-issue maxi-series, Widening Gyre will be 2 6-issue story arcs, separated by a 3 month publishing gap. According to Smith himself, the 3 month gap will allow him to start writing an on-going series about one of the characters he will introduce in Gyre. While some might be skeptical about whether the often-late Smith can really pull out this much writing, I have faith and hope, cause this sounds like a great series from one of comic’s top writers.

Daredevil #500

Nothing shouts “70th anniversary” like milestone issues. And dammit if Marvel hasn’t had their share of them this year. From Thor to Cap to Hulk to the up-coming Amazing Spider-Man, this has been the year of landmark issues (and the return to the original numbering). Add to that list Daredevil, which will hit issue 500 this August. What Brubaker has in store for us is anyone’s guess, but it is sure to be a doozey as he ends his legendary run on Daredevil and passes the reigns over to the capable Andy Diggle.

Incredible Hulk #601

Ok, so this isn’t a milestone issue, but the one after, so what gives? Why is this so exciting? Well, I’ll tell you. Greg Pak is returning to Hulk. Yeah, Jeph Loeb is still going to be fucking up the beloved character over in the Hulk book, but hopefully Greg Pak, the man who brought us the amazing Planet Hulk, can restore the green giant to his former glory.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 and Avengers #1

Speaking of Jeph Loeb fucking up beloved things, Marvel’s Ultimate line relaunches as Ultimate Comics in August with the debut of Spider-Man and Avengers. Fan-favorite Brian Michael Bendis continues his outstanding work with Spidy in the Ultimate universe (though, it might not be Peter Parker, if Loeb has anything to do about it). And even better, universe co-creator and certified badass Mark Millar returns to the Ultimate Line with Avengers, a book which is set to focus on groups or characters in the Ultimate universe (no, this is not replacing Ultimates). Millar has stated that each arc of Avengers will be like a mini-events, so this will be a book to watch. Honestly, I’m pissed at what Loeb is doing to my beloved Ultimates line and I disagree with the “relaunch” and renumbering, but with any luck, we’ll survive this editorial mistake and still have a good universe to enjoy.

Blackest Night: Superman, Batman and Titans

With Blackest Night starting in July, DC is set to start releasing their tie-ins to the universe-altering event in August. Can’t say I’m all too excited about the Superman or Titans tie-ins but Batman should be a book to watch. Not only is it written by the great Peter J. Tomasi, but it might just feature the supposedly dead Bruce Wayne as a Black Lantern. We’ll see when the series launches in August, but those following Blackest Night will probably want to pick up at least 1 of these tie-ins.

Amazing Spider-Man #601, #602 and #603

Coming off their own landmark 600 issue, the ASM crew is not slowing down. Starting at issue 601, Mary Jane is back!!! As a huge fan of MJ and one of many who were sorely disappointed at the breakup of one of comic’s most beloved couples, it is great to see that the Spidy writers are finally bringing her back. Likely, she will not be a romantic interest in Peter Parker’s life (at least not right away), but at least she’s back in the fold and the possibility is there. Here’s hoping we also get some more answers about what exactly Mephisto did at the end of One More Day.

Fantastic Four #570

Last but not least (seriously, any other month, an issue like this would be at the top of things to look forward to) is Fantastic Four #570. Why’s this such a big deal? Well, that would be because writer Jonathan Hickman is taking over the writing duties on Marvel’s first family. Not only has Hickman proven himself to be a great writer with his indie work and his outstanding work on Secret Warriors, he’s proven that he can writer the Fantastic Four like nobody’s business with his work on Dark Reign: Fantastic Four. I, for one, am looking forward to him bringing his unique voice to FF and hopefully continuing Mark Millar’s work at bringing the Fantastic Four back to the top of the Marvel line.

New Avengers #50 Cover

I’ve been contemplating the difference between a great and a good comic lately. You’ll probably notice that we tend to write pretty positive reviews on this site. For me, this is because I really only read comics that I like. I stopped reading The Eternals after 1 issue cause it sucked. Despite being a Marvel book and in continuity, I just couldn’t put myself through it. It’s not worth my time when there are plenty of other comics that are.

That said, however, I do read quite a few comics that are just “ok”. These are the comics that are interesting and enjoyable in their own right, but sometimes just seem like a chore to read. These are the comics that automatically go to the bottom of your weekly read pile. These are the comics that, when you look at the release list for the week, you don’t feel even a little tingle of excitement for. And that, my friends, is the topic of this editorial.

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Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead #1 Cover

Here we are again, solicitation time. Oh yes, those friendly comic book publishers have teased us once again with the issues that we are going to be drooling over in May. So stick around and see what I’ve picked out to spotlight for May, 2009.

Dark Tower: Fall of Gilead #1

Hard to believe that the comics based on Stephen King‘s Dark Tower series are already in their 4 arc. It seems like just yesterday we were following Roland and his Ka’tet on their first adventure. The newest arc kicks off in May and you Tower fans are going to want to make sure that you have this series on your pull list.

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1

Not sure why, but this title really intrigues me. I mean, it’s not jut Avengers, but Pet Avengers! Just sticking Lockjaw and Lockheed in the comic sells it to me. Then you create a character called Frog-Thor and you’ve hooked me. Sure, it’s probably going to be silly, and not really have anything to do with anything, but sometimes, you just need a goofy, fun comic.

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Ultimate Fantastic Four #60

An undeniably slow week in the comic world this week. While many of you will be picking up plenty of issues of your favorite series which are in the middle of the arc, there’s very little new stuff starting up. So, you may be buying a lot, but there’s not much new or exciting stuff to point out. Nevertheless, I’ve complied 4 books (all Marvel, sorry) that you might want to take a look at when you visit the shop this week.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #60

So, it’s the last issue. Pretty much the only thing that makes this worth noting. Truthfully, the series has gone down hill lately and Ultimatum hasn’t really done much to make it better. But, still, being that it is the final issue, it is worth noting here.

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This review will be quick, because it is late, and I haven’t started it yet. Well, I guess I have now.

Ladies and gentlemen, your AVENGERS!

Reviewing this book is kind of a pain, because you’ve already read it, and you already liked it. I wanted to wait until I got my hands on Thunderbolts #128 to see if there were any super-secret important tie-ins, but Marvel, in their brilliance, have left both titles as excellent stand-alones.

Also, if you haven’t read Thunderbolts #128, you are much poorer for it.

However! Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato came at us last week with Dark Avengers #1 and it was amazing. Norman Osborn assembled his own team of Avengers in such a way that brought clarity to *how* the choices were being made, but left the *why* a tantalizing mystery. We get better insights into characters such as Ares and Ms. Marvel, while extending a questioning tendril towards such luminaries as the Sentry, Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel.

You heard me.

Deodato brought back his magnificent work with the Thunderbolts, including his ‘Tommy Lee Jones’ depiction of Osborn, which Bendis writes for with alternating touches of depth and humor, especially his ‘monster’ work with Venom.

Norman, I wouldn’t want to stick my hand in there, either.

Dark Avengers #1 is deliciously pulpy, action packed, and frankly ties into about four other series that you probably follow. If you’re reading any Marvel comics, you’ve already picked this up and agree with me that it’s fantastic. Thanks, yes-men!

Final Crisis #7 Cover

Not a terrible week in comics this week. Not a whole lot of really big releases, but a few interesting end of arc issues are worth  noting. And guess what? I’ll be noting them right here. So don’t move. Here comes your Weekly Previews!

Final Crisis #7

This is the one issue that will probably overshadow everything else put out by any publisher this week. Finally, DC is finishing up their universe-changing event, Final Crisis. Did they really kill Batman? Are the heroes going to be able to defeat evil (yes)? Make sure you pick up this issue, DC fans, cause you will be talking (and probably bitching) about this issue for years to come.

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