Coming from Marvel in December

[JD]

Marvel have seemingly stopped their detestable practice of witholding key solicitation info, so let's try to catch up.

For the solicitations at Newsarama : http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090922- ... tions.html
If you prefer Comic Book Resources, here you go : http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=23010
Or you could go directly to the Marvel website : http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-12

NEW SERIES

Nothing this month.

NEW MINISERIES

- NATION X #1 (of 4), the latest anthology book featuring various X-characters

- SPIDER-MAN & THE SECRET WARS #1 (of 4), by Tobin & Scherberger : because everyone demanded a retelling of that decades-old crossover from Spidey's point of view. Wonder how this will fit into continuity...

- BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #1 & 2 (of 4), by Tobin, Espin & Camagni. Er, I'm not really sure this fits into continuity, but we'll see.

- The first two "NOIR" miniseries were deemed successful enough to warrant sequels by the same creative teams :
* X-MEN NOIR: MARK OF CAIN #1 (of 4), by Van Lente & Calero
* SPIDER-MAN NOIR: EYES WITHOUT A FACE #1 (of 4), by Hine, Sapolsky & Di Giandomenico

- HALO: BLOOD LINE #1 (of 5), by Van Lente & Portela.

ONESHOTS

- SIEGE: THE CABAL (Bendis and Lark) is a prelude to the next big crossover (which is presumably the end of the Dark Reign era). There's also a tie-in in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #31.
* ORIGINS OF SIEGE is a FREE guide to the crossover, with character profiles, pinups, a Loki story, and a preview of SIEGE #1.

- On the other hand, there's another croosover event that's starting in the Hulk books, starting with the following two one-shots :
* FALL OF THE HULKS ALPHA, by Parker & Pelletier
* FALL OF THE HULKS GAMMA, by Loeb & JRJr

- HULK: WINTER GUARD, by Gallaher and Ellis, features the Russian team (and maybe a bit of the Hulk). There's also a reprint of H2 #393.

- X-NECROSHA: THE GATHERING, by Kyle, Yost & various artists, is an anthology one-shot featuring the members of Selene's inner circle.

- WOLVERINE: UNDER THE BOARDWALK, by Moore & Coker : yet another random Wolverine one-shot.

- CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR – PRISONERS OF DUTY, by Higgins, Siegel & Padilla, has Steve Rogers escaping a Nazi POW camp.

- It's that time of the month, so we get a new slew of What If? :
* WHAT IF? ASTONISHING X-MEN wonders what would happen if Jean Grey had been resurrected instead of Colossus. Also, what if Danger had become the bride of Ultron ? (what ?)
* WHAT IF? WORLD WAR HULK : What if the Hulk had actually succeeded in killing the Illuminati ? Also, what if Thor had paticipated in it ?
* WHAT IF? DAREDEVIL VS. ELEKTRA wonders about if Daredevil had been the one resurrected and brainwashed by the Hand
* WHAT IF? SPIDER-MAN: HOUSE OF M : What if Gwen Stacy had survived the crossover ? (two different versions of it)
* WHAT IF? SECRET INVASION : What if the Skrulls had won ? And what if the invasion had actually stayed secret ?

- DOCTOR VOODOO: THE ORIGIN OF JERICHO DRUMM reprints STRANGE TALES #169-170, with a new framing sequence by Thomas (he's still around ?) & Massacci.

- ENDER'S GAME: WAR OF GIFTS, by Black & Green, is yet another OSC adaptation/spin-off.

- ED HANNIGAN: COVERED is a benefit book.

Glorified fill-in watch :
- CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD? by Brubaker and Guice, an epilogue to REBORN that might has well have been CA #602.

NOTABLE ISSUES

- Shipping twice this month : UNCANNY X-MEN (#518 & #519), X-MEN LEGACY (#230 & #231).

- DARK AVENGERS ANNUAL #1, by Bendis & Bachalo, focuses on Marvel Boy.
- NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3, by Bendis & Mayhew, apparently features the return of Jessica Jones as a superhero.
- X-FORCE ANNUAL #1, by Kirkman & Pearson, features a Wolverine solo story. There's also a Necrosha-related backup by Kyle, Yost & Barberi.

- NECROSHA continues in X-FORCE #22, NEW MUTANTS #8, X-MEN LEGACY #231, the backup story in X-FORCE ANNUAL #1, and X-NECROSHA: THE GATHERING.

- Not a joke : DEADPOOL TEAM-UP is indeed a third Deadpool title. And it's numbered in reverse (this month : #898).

- CABLE #21 teases an upcoming X-Men event called X-MEN: SECOND COMING. There are also Cable "backstories" in X-FORCE #22 and X-MEN LEGACY #230.

- X-FACTOR is renumbered to #200, with a new statu quo.

GONE MISSING THIS MONTH :
- RUNAWAYS is officially on hiatus while waiting for yet another retooling.
- CAPTAIN AMERICA
- SON OF HULK (probably cancelled, as Jenkins's run was solicited a 5-issue-long)
- WOLVERINE: FIRST CLASS (uh oh)

PRICE WATCH
Follow Marvel's price hikes in real time ! (for MU regular titles only)

- 104 pages for $4.99 : X-FACTOR #200 (including reprints)
- 48 pages for $3.99 : WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #3, MIGHTY AVENGERS #32
- 40 pages for $3.99 : INCREDIBLE HULK #605, INCREDIBLE HERCULES #139, CABLE #21, X-MEN LEGACY #230, X-FORCE #22
- 32 pages for $3.99 : ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #5, ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #5, DARK AVENGERS #12, NEW AVENGERS #60, HULK #18, WOLVERINE WEAPON X #8, X-MEN FOREVER #13 & 14, PUNISHERMAX #2

SPIDER-MAN & THE SECRET WARS and BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS are rare $2.99-priced miniseries.

NOTABLE COLLECTIONS

- Marvel Masterworks : X-Men v8 (guest-appearances in the reprint era), Atlas Era Tales to Astonish v3, and a TPB of Uncanny X-Men v2
- Essentials : X-Factor v3
- What If? Classic v6

- DARK REIGN: THE UNDERSIDE TPB collects all three minis featuring the underworld's reaction to Dark Reign (MISTER NEGATIVE, LETHAL LEGION & ZODIAC)

- IRON MAN: IRON MONGER PREMIERE HC reprints IM #193-200 (from the O'Neil run)
- BLACK WIDOW: WEB OF INTRIGUE PREMIERE HC collects her 80s appearances (MARVEL FANFARE #10-13, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #25 and BLACK WIDOW: THE COLDEST WAR GN)

- There's a new printing of the MARVELS TPB.

- MINI MARVELS ULTIMATE COLLECTION GN-TPB

- EXILES ULTIMATE COLLECTION BOOK 3 TPB

- BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS: 10 YEARS AT MARVEL TPB reprints various key issues he's written.

So, what caught up your eye this time ?