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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Wow. Usually, solicitations are the typical new issues of a series. Sometimes they are the start of an exciting arc, but mostly, there’s not a lot to get excited about. The few new series or mini-series are what are usually most exciting. This month, the comic book publishers (mostly Marvel) decided to pull out all the stops and bring out a bunch of really interesting stuff. Seriously, this post is going to be really long, as I have a lot to feature. So sit back, grab a drink and get ready to find out what comics are going to be making headlines as the weather starts to turn warm again.

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Happy new year, dear readers. Sure, tomorrow is Friday and many of us have to go back to work just one day before the weekend, but hey, comics come out tomorrow, so that’s good news, right? Apparently, releasing comics on Christmas Eve is not a problem, but New Years Eve is a different story. But I digress. Just in time to help you get over your hangover or the shock that it is suddenly 2009, here’s what you can look forward to when you make your trip to the comic shop this week.

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Fantastic Four #561 Cover

Wrapping up their second arc of their soon-to-be-legendary run on Fantastic Four, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch released issue 561 of Fantastic Four this week. And let me tell you, as expected, they finished things off with a bang. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know I have a serious passion for this creative team’s run on this book. They are doing an outstanding job and I really hope they never leave (though, I know they will).

You may recall that we are finishing off the Death of the Invisible Woman arc this month. You also may remember that last month, we were left with the shocking realization that the Richards’ new nanny is none other than Sue Richards herself, from the future. On top of this, we find out that this group of time-traveling “superheroes”, known as the New Defenders, plan to use Johnny Storm and Doctor Doom to power an inert Galactus to bring all 8 billion people from the future to the present. Damn. How will this all end? Well, you will have to pick up the issue to find out, but hit the break and I’ll tell you if this issue is worth buying (hint: it is!).

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Ultimates 3 #5 Cover

I wrote a rant/review of Ultimates a few months back, in which I stated that I believed that people were not giving Jeph Loeb enough credit. I said then that people were knocking on him because he is not Mark Millar, who wrote the Ultimates so beautifully. I actually liked the first 4 issues of Ultimates 3. And somewhere in the months and months and months of delays between 4 and 5, this series went to shit.

In the last issue (don’t ask me how I remember this. I had to back track about 3 issues to remember what the fuck was going on), Magneto took the body of his daughter, the Scarlet Witch, back to the Savage Land with him. Half the Ultimates went to go retrieve the body while the rest stayed in NYC to figure out who shot her. In the process of doing so, they found out Hank Pym is creating robot replicas of all the Ultimates.

After the break, I say “WTF Jeph Loeb!?!?!?” a whole lot.

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Fantastic Four #560 Cover

That crazy Scot is at it again! You know I am talking about Mark Millar. And what he is at is Fantastic Four #560. Somehow, despite having a ton of books out right now, he manages to pump out issue after issue of pure, comic book gold. This month’s Fantastic Four is no exception.

Last month (or however long it was. Delays are not fun), our fearless foursome had all kinds of craziness going on. Johnny Storm had just gotten captured by the New Defenders and he and Dr. Doom were all set up to power a out of commission Galactus. On top of this, the Richards have a new nanny that is not all of what she seems.

After the jump, I’ll explain why I have a man-crush on Mark Millar and how it seems like he has a much broader plan in mind for his books.

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Fantastic Four #559 Cover

A little over a month ago, I wrote a review for a comic that completely blew me away. It was so amazing and so shocking that I had to drop every other review and comic and immediately talk about it. That comic was Fantastic Four #558. This week, Fantastic Four #559 came out and nothing has changed: this book is one of the best being published by Marvel right now and it is compelling every single frame.

In case you forgot, last issue, Johnny Storm broke up with his super-villain girlfriend, Psionics, who just happens to be part of a mysterious group, The New Defenders. The New Defenders have broken Doctor Doom out of jail and taken him prisoner, right after he sought out asylum with The Fantastic Four! Oh yeah, and did I mention that Hulk seems to be the leader of this group? And that he is a very smart Hulk. As if that isn’t enough, the Richards have hired a new nanny, Mrs. Deneuve, who has a secret that has to do with their youngest daughter, Valeria.

Now that you are caught up, hit that jump and read my full review after the break.

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I had fully intended to write my first blog post of the (comic) week on Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers, because I was most excited about this issue coming out this week. And after reading that comic first this week, I was already planning what I was going to write tonight. However, that synopsis/review is going to have to wait until tomorrow at least, because immediately after reading SI: Runways/Young Avengers, I read Fantastic Four #558 and HOLY SHIT!!! I was blown away. After the break, Doctor Doom is back, who are the New Defenders? and WTF?!?!?!? The Hulk? Prepare yourself, cause my full recap and review is after the break, with lots of awesome spoilers.

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This is a huge release week for comics, especially in the Marvel Universe. On Wednesday, we are going to see a new story arc in Fantastic Four, an epic battle in Hulk and the start of the Runaways/Young Avengers‘ Secret Invasion tie-in. If that isn’t enough, we are going to see the end of Joss Whedon‘s run on Runaways. And over on DC, the continuation of the major summer event Final Crisis

At the top of my “must-read” list this week is going to be Secret Invasion: Runways/Young Avengers #1. If you read Runaways, you’ll know why. First, you have the Runaways, who just scream teen drama (see the preview of Runaways #30 below for more info). Add to that the Young Avengers, which comes in a close second to Runaways in the teen drama department. Not to mention the fact that when these two groups teamed up in Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways, it made for one very compelling storyline. By all accounts, the series is sure to feature all the great writing that has been constant in both these series. There will also be plenty of action, as the teams are apparently going to be fighting one of the advance Skrull forces in Manhattan. The mini-series is only 3 issues long and if you are looking for a little more story to go along with Secret Invasion, this would be a great mini-series to pick up.

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