Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 15, 2023

MARVEL COMICS

NOV220870 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY WELLS ROMITA JR TP VOL 03 HOBGOBLIN $19.99

DEC220745 AVENGERS END TIMES MARVEL TALES #1 $7.99

DEC220747 AVENGERS FOREVER #14 $3.99

DEC220748 AVENGERS FOREVER #14 BROOKS INFINITY SAGA PHASE 3 VAR $3.99

DEC220749 AVENGERS FOREVER #14 LUBERA 90S AVENGERS ASSEMBLE CONNECT VA $3.99

DEC220750 AVENGERS FOREVER #14 TALASKI PLANET OF THE APES VAR $3.99

JUL220954 CAPTAIN AMERICA BY NICK SPENCER OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 ROSS DM VA $100.00

JUL220953 CAPTAIN AMERICA BY NICK SPENCER OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 SAIZ CVR $100.00

OCT221023 CAPTAIN AMERICA SENTINEL OF LIBERTY TP VOL 01 REVOLUTION $19.99

NOV220935 CAPTAIN MARVEL #46 $3.99

NOV220936 CAPTAIN MARVEL #46 LAND VAR $3.99

NOV220937 CAPTAIN MARVEL #46 MOMOKO PLANET OF THE APES VAR $3.99

OCT221022 DAREDEVIL AND ELEKTRA BY CHIP ZDARSKY TP VOL 01 RED FIST SAG $17.99

NOV220881 DAREDEVIL EPIC COLLECTION THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR TP $44.99

OCT221040 DOCTOR STRANGE EPIC COLL TP NIGHTMARE ON BLEECKER STREET $44.99

OCT221027 EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE TP $17.99

NOV220955 FANTASTIC FOUR #4 $3.99

NOV220959 FANTASTIC FOUR #4 25 COPY INCV SWABY VAR $3.99

NOV220956 FANTASTIC FOUR #4 ALEX ROSS VAR $3.99

NOV220957 FANTASTIC FOUR #4 ALLEN STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99

NOV220958 FANTASTIC FOUR #4 CABAL PLANET OF THE APES VAR $3.99

OCT221033 GENIS-VELL TP CAPTAIN MARVEL $17.99

DEC220792 HULK #12 $3.99

DEC220795 HULK #12 JURGENS X-TREME MARVEL VAR $3.99

DEC220794 HULK #12 LARROCA PLANET OF APES VAR $3.99

DEC220796 HULK #12 NO PRIZE VAR $3.99

AUG220978 HULK PLANET HULK OMNIBUS HC LADRONN ARENA DM VAR NEW PTG $100.00

AUG220977 HULK PLANET HULK OMNIBUS HC LADRONN PORTRAIT CVR NEW PTG $100.00

OCT228574 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 2ND PTG BAGLEY VAR $4.99

NOV220969 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 $3.99

NOV220970 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 25 COPY INCV BAGLEY VAR $3.99

NOV220971 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 LAYTON CONNECTING VAR $3.99

NOV220973 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 LOBE MARVEL ANATOMY VAR $3.99

NOV220972 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #3 MANNA PLANET OF THE APES VAR $3.99

NOV220867 IRON MAN TP VOL 04 SOURCE CONTROL $19.99

DEC220778 MARAUDERS #11 $3.99

DEC220780 MARAUDERS #11 GOMEZ PLANET OF APES VAR $3.99

DEC220779 MARAUDERS #11 SHAVRIN VAR $3.99

OCT221044 MARVEL KNIGHTS TP MAKE WORLD GO AWAY $19.99

NOV220977 MARVELS VOICES WAKANDA FOREVER #1 $5.99

AUG228997 MARVELS VOICES WAKANDA FOREVER #1 DARBOE VAR $5.99

AUG228999 MARVELS VOICES WAKANDA FOREVER #1 EDGE VAR $5.99

AUG228998 MARVELS VOICES WAKANDA FOREVER #1 RICHARDSON VAR $5.99

NOV228161 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG BAZALDUA VAR $4.99

NOV220978 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #3 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV220979 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #3 (OF 5) BAZALDUA VAR $3.99

NOV220980 MARY JANE AND BLACK CAT #3 (OF 5) GOMEZ HOWARD THE DUCK VAR $3.99

AUG220983 MMW INVINCIBLE IRON MAN HC VOL 16 $75.00

AUG220984 MMW INVINCIBLE IRON MAN HC VOL 16 DM VAR $75.00

NOV220985 MONICA RAMBEAU PHOTON #3 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV220986 MONICA RAMBEAU PHOTON #3 (OF 5) ANDREWS VAR $3.99

NOV220987 MONICA RAMBEAU PHOTON #3 (OF 5) COLA PLANET OF THE APES VAR $3.99

DEC220768 MURDERWORLD MOON KNIGHT #1 $3.99

DEC220769 MURDERWORLD MOON KNIGHT #1 HOTZ VAR $3.99

DEC220740 NIGHTCRAWLERS #1 (OF 3) $3.99

DEC220741 NIGHTCRAWLERS #1 (OF 3) GIST VAR $3.99

DEC220744 NIGHTCRAWLERS #1 (OF 3) NOTO SOS FEBRUARY CONNECTING VAR $3.99

NOV228164 SCARLET WITCH #1 2ND PTG PICHELLI VAR $4.99

NOV221016 SPIDER-MAN #5 $4.99

AUG229003 SPIDER-MAN #5 DARBOE PHOTON BLACK HISTORY MONTH VAR $4.99

NOV221017 SPIDER-MAN #5 MEDINA PLANET OF THE APES VAR $4.99

NOV221018 SPIDER-MAN #5 RAMOS VAR $4.99

DEC220762 SPIDER-MAN LOST HUNT #4 (OF 5) $3.99

DEC220763 SPIDER-MAN LOST HUNT #4 (OF 5) WOLF VAR $3.99

NOV221019 STAR WARS #31 $3.99

NOV221022 STAR WARS #31 25 COPY INCV WIJNGAARD VAR $3.99

NOV221020 STAR WARS #31 CHRISTOPHER ACTION FIGURE VAR $3.99

AUG229004 STAR WARS #31 MANHANINI BLACK HISTORY MONTH VAR $3.99

NOV221021 STAR WARS #31 SPROUSE RETURN JEDI 40TH ANNIVERSARY VAR $3.99

NOV221023 STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTERS #31 $3.99

AUG229005 STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTERS #31 MANHANINI BLACK HISTORY MONTH $3.99

NOV221024 STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTERS #31 RETURN JEDI 40TH ANN SPROUSE $3.99

OCT221032 STAR WARS BOUNTY HUNTERS TP VOL 05 RAID ON VERMILLION (O/A) $17.99

NOV228166 TIMELESS 2022 #1 2ND PTG ZIRCHER VAR $5.99

NOV221057 WASP #2 (OF 4) $3.99

NOV221058 WASP #2 (OF 4) RUAN INFINITY SAGA PHASE 3 VAR $3.99

NOV221059 WASP #2 (OF 4) ZITRO VAR $3.99

DEC220773 WOLVERINE #30 $3.99

DEC220775 WOLVERINE #30 LAND PLANET OF APES VAR $3.99

DEC220774 WOLVERINE #30 VICENTINI STORMBREAKERS VAR $3.99

NOV221063 X-MEN #19 $3.99

NOV221064 X-MEN #19 25 COPY INCV SLINEY VAR $3.99

NOV221065 X-MEN #19 CAMUNCOLI TRADING CARD VAR $3.99

NOV221066 X-MEN #19 DODSON CLASSIC HOMAGE VAR $3.99

OCT221031 X-MEN HELLFIRE GALA TP IMMORTAL $24.99

OCT221211 X-TREME X-MEN #3 (OF 5) $3.99

JUL229326 X-TREME X-MEN #3 (OF 5) JURGENS HOMAGE VAR $3.99

OCT221213 X-TREME X-MEN #3 (OF 5) SANDOVAL VAR $3.99

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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 14, 2018

MARVEL COMICS

DEC170833    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #42 HAWTHORNE VAR LEG    $4.99
DEC170832    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #42 LEG    $4.99
DEC170837    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RENEW YOUR VOWS #16 LEG    $3.99
NOV178606    AVENGERS #675 2ND PTG LARRAZ VAR LEG    $4.99
DEC170803    AVENGERS #680 LEG WW    $3.99
DEC170840    BEN REILLY SCARLET SPIDER #14 LEG    $3.99
DEC170913    CABLE #154 LEG    $3.99
DEC170811    CAPTAIN AMERICA #698 LEG    $3.99
NOV171071    COLOR YOUR OWN X-MEN NEW MUTANTS TP    $9.99
NOV171080    DAREDEVIL EPIC COLLECTION TP MIKE MURDOCK MUST DIE    $39.99
DEC170908    DESPICABLE DEADPOOL #294 LEG    $3.99
DEC170850    DOCTOR STRANGE #385 LEG    $3.99
DEC170820    FALCON #5 LEG    $3.99
NOV171093    MARVEL GRAPHIC COMIC BOXES BLACK PANTHER (BUNDLE OF 5)    $45.00
DEC170871    MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #3 LEG WW    $3.99
NOV171037    MARVELS BLACK PANTHER ART OF MOVIE SLIPCASE HC    $50.00
DEC170880    MS MARVEL #27 LEG    $3.99
NOV171069    NEW MUTANTS BY ZEB WELLS TP COMPLETE COLLECTION    $39.99
DEC170853    OLD MAN HAWKEYE #2 (OF 12) LEG    $3.99
DEC170904    OLD MAN LOGAN #35 LEG    $3.99
NOV178610    PHOENIX RESURRECTION RETURN JEAN GREY #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG VAR    $4.99
DEC170848    PUNISHER #221 LEG    $3.99
DEC170932    STAR WARS DARTH VADER #11    $3.99
DEC170926    STAR WARS POE DAMERON #24    $3.99
DEC170922    STAR WARS THRAWN #1 (OF 6)    $4.99
DEC170864    UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #29 LEG    $3.99
DEC170915    WEAPON X #14 LEG    $3.99
DEC170896    X-MEN BLUE #21 LEG    $3.99
DEC178007    X-MEN GRAND DESIGN #1 (OF 2) 2ND PTG PISKOR VAR    $5.99
DEC178008    X-MEN GRAND DESIGN #2 (OF 2) 2ND PTG PISKOR VAR    $5.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 27 2013

MARVEL COMICS

SEP130752 ALL NEW X-MEN #19 $3.99
SEP130680 AVENGERS ARENA #18 $2.99
SEP130683 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #21 INF $3.99
SEP130816 AVENGERS TP BOOK 01 ABSOLUTE VISION $39.99
AUG130878 CAPTAIN AMERICA PREM HC VOL 02 CASTAWAY DIMENSION Z BK 2 $24.99
SEP130693 CATACLYSM ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 $3.99
SEP130766 DEADPOOL ANNUAL #1 $4.99
SEP130730 FF #14 $2.99
SEP130801 GAMBIT TP VOL 03 KING OF THIEVES $15.99
JUN130633 HAWKEYE #14 $2.99
SEP130716 INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #16 $3.99
SEP130661 INFINITY #6 $5.99
AUG130763 INFINITY HEIST #3 $3.99
SEP130671 INFINITY HUNT #4 INF $3.99
AUG130861 KICK-ASS 3 #5 (MR) $2.99
SEP130733 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #20 SYU $2.99
SEP130785 MMW ANT-MAN GIANT-MAN TP VOL 01 $24.99
AUG130886 MORBIUS LIVING VAMPIRE TP MAN CALLED MORBIUS $24.99
SEP130666 NEW AVENGERS #12 INF $3.99
SEP130718 NOVA #10 INF $4.99
AUG130863 POWERS BUREAU #8 (MR) $3.95
SEP130759 SAVAGE WOLVERINE #12 $3.99
SEP130705 SCARLET SPIDER #24 $2.99
SEP130795 SHADOW WALK PREM HC $24.99
JUN130676 SPIDER-MAN AND WOLVERINE BY WELLS AND MADUREIRA HC $29.99
SEP130811 SPIDER-MAN BIG TIME TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLLECTION $34.99
SEP130814 SPIDER-MAN MARK OF TARANTULA TP $29.99
SEP130701 SUPERIOR CARNAGE #5 $3.99
SEP130697 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #22 $3.99
AUG130882 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 03 NO ESCAPE $17.99
SEP130677 UNCANNY AVENGERS #14 $3.99
SEP130767 UNCANNY X-FORCE #14 $3.99
SEP130748 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #38 $3.99
SEP130676 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN ANNUAL #1 INF $4.99

I Reads You Review: SAVAGE WOLVERINE #7

"Zeb not well; Mad is crazy good"

SAVAGE WOLVERINE #7
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Zeb Wells
ARTIST: Joe Madureira
COLORS: Peter Steigerwald
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
28pp, Color, $3.99 (September 2013)

Parental Advisory

One of the titles to come out of Marvel Comics’ “Marvel NOW” initiative is a new Wolverine series, Savage Wolverine.  The first five issues of the series were drawn by good girl artist, Frank Cho.  Now, Joe Madureira (A.K.A. Joe Mad) is the series artist, and he is delivering some of his best work in well over a decade.

In the current storyline, Wolverine and Elektra find themselves helping Wilson Fisk – The Kingpin.  Fisk is now the head of The Hand, the notorious ninja clan.  [I didn’t know that, either.]  A faction of The Hand apparently plans to resurrect the deceased lethal marksman, Bullseye, as their champion to depose Fisk.  No one, least of all Elektra, wants that Bullseye brought back to life.

As Savage Wolverine #7 opens, Wolverine and Elektra launch an attack on a New York City hideout of the Hand.  The two (anti) heroes end up in a pitched battle against a legion of ninja and some of the Arbiters, which are particularly grotesque members of the Hand.  Nothing can prepare Wolverine and Elektra, however, for the thing known as Shikaru.

I’ll be honest and admit that I bought Savage Wolverine #7 solely because of Joe Madureira.  I was a rabid fan of Joe Mad’s art after his then original art agent gave me a tip about a hot new talent.  After finding a few comic books featuring his art, “Joe Mad” became something like my Justin Beiber of comic book artists.  I am happy to say that his art in Savage Wolverine #7 reflects what I consider the period of Madureira’s best work.  That would be the latter half of his run on the Uncanny X-Men in the mid-1990s, when Tim Townsend was his inker, into the early issues of his creator-owned series, Battle Chasers (for Cliffhanger, an imprint of Image Comics’ Wildstorm Productions).

Even without Townsend as an inker, Madureira produces art for Savage Wolverine that also recalls the influences that shaped his style:   anime, manga, and Art Adams.  Peter Steigerwald’s colors give Mad’s Savage Wolverine art a kind of futuristic and apocalyptic mood.  That is a good thing, because the art’s sinister atmosphere saves the story.

All that writer Zeb Wells is offering in Savage Wolverine is an unimaginative, barely inspired rehash of everything that Frank Miller has done ten times better with Elektra, the Hand, the Kingpin, and Wolverine.  Yes, Virginia, Savage Wolverine #7 is a catalogue of Frank Miller clichés. There is a saying that those who can’t do, teach.  In comics, those who can’t do original, do Frank Miller.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1

"Need another Spidey title like you need a hole in your head"

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Zeb Wells
ARTIST: Joe Madureira
COLORS: Ferran Daniel
LETTERS: VC’s Joe Caramagna
COVER: Joe Madureira and Aron Lusen (Variant coves by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado; J. Scott Campbell and Edgar Delgado; and Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, and Richard Isanove)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.
Rated T+

The new Spider-Man comic book series, Avenging Spider-Man, acts as the latest Spider-Man team-up title. The most famous is Marvel Team-Up, which first ran from the 1972 to 1985 (Vol. 1). There is an “afterword” in the back of Avenging Spider-Man, in which editor Stephen Wacker writes that this new title is going to be a star creator-oriented comic book that will feature oddball comic book characters, as well as popular characters as guest stars.

The star creators to start this are writer Zeb Wells (a star?) and artist Joe Madureira (still a star, but likely not as bright as he was back in the 90s). The team-up joins Spider-Man and the Red Hulk.

As Avenging Spider-Man #1 opens, Spider-Man and his Avenger teammates are battling A.I.M. and a giant A.I.M.Bot. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor J. Jonah Jameson has just shot the starter pistol to begin the New York City Marathon. The marathoners, however, immediately find their progress impeded by an invasion of diminutive yellow monsters. Hopping a ride to NYC on the back of the Red Hulk, Spider-Man finds himself arriving just in time to lose to the invaders – even with the Hulk’s help?!

Back in the mid-1990s, penciller Joe Madureira (also known as Joe Mad) and inker Tim Townsend formed one of the best (if not the best) art teams working in superhero comics. Maduriera’s anime and manga influenced style were transformed into solid comic book art by Townsend, an inker with a master illustrator’s touch. Madureira’s art did not suffer much when he left Marvel for Wildstorm Productions and Image Comics to produce his creator-owned title, Battle Chasers (published under Wildstorm’s Cliffhanger imprint). By the beginning of the 21st century, however, Madureira had left comics to work in the video game industry.

Joe Mad returned to comics in 2007 for The Ultimates 3 from Marvel Comics, but his art was no longer inked by Townsend or inked at all for that matter. Now, Madureira’s art was colored directly from the pencils. For me, it left much to be desired. As best as I can tell, Madureira’s is producing the art for Avenging Spider-Man the same as he did for The Ultimates.

It is not that I think Mad’s art here isn’t good. I do think that compared to the work he did on Uncanny X-Men with Townsend inking, this Avenging Spider-Man art is inferior, at least in terms of style and draftsmanship. However, I still admire Mad’s compositional and design skills. Some other artists may stretch out stories with splash pages or pages composed of big panels simply because those pages are more attractive to sell as original art. Mad uses splash pages and big panels to create a heightened sense of the dramatic or convey the power of action, force, movement, etc. The way Mad positions characters and objects in panels and the “camera” angles he uses reflect what Stan Lee preached in his How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (co-authored with John Buscema).

As for the story: it’s mediocre. I’m amazed that Marvel and DC Comics can still get away with producing remarkably mediocre material, the kind of toad burger product that would spell doom for a publisher not financed by a multi-national media corporation. I’m surprised at the mediocrity because I remember when Zeb Wells first showed up on the comics scene; he was supposed to be some kind of golden boy. Is that golden as in piss gold?

My grade reflects my still-alive love of Joe Mad, but the grade should be lower because of the story.

C

[This comic book includes a preview of Avengers: X-Sanction #1 by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.]

P.S. I’m going to buy a copy of Avengers: X-Sanction #1 just to rag on it. The five pages that are previewed here are just lousy. I’d really be disappointed if it turned out to be good, thus denying me some fun.