Category: Books

Birds of Prey Vs. Court of Owls

 

Birds of Prey #9 courtesy DC Comics

  The Birds of Prey become the hunted! DC’s female crime fighting force face Talon and the Court of Owls as part of the Batman family epic Night of the Owls.

  Gotham’s finest females welcomes Travel Foreman as the new artist with Birds of Prey #9 coming in May. Here’s a preview sketch below. Foreman’s work on Animal Man is winning him raves.

 “We’re really challenging him to go against his animal instincts in his first issue; from the woods to the city streets, from a single super character (OK, with family) to a team book, from one small corner of the DC universe right into the big Bat landscape. It’s going to be exciting!” Editor Bobbie Chase tells The Source.

Birds of Prey preview art courtesy DC Comics

 

  If you haven’t flown with Birds of Prey yet – the New 52 lineup is Black Canary, Batgirl, Katana, Poison Ivy and the one member that knocked me out – Starling.

 

AvX: The Marvel Family United in Secret Avengers

Secret Avengers #27 courtesy Marvel.com

  Can you feel the Kree force on the stunning cover for Secret Avengers #27? Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and the Protector are beautifully rendered by Alan Davis.

  Captain Marvel appears to be bursting from a cosmic aura. Is he erupting from the Phoenix entity? Could the original Mar-Vell be returning from the dead? The Phoenix would certainly have the power to resurrect the late Kree warrior.

  Could this be the unexpected result of a mission in Secret Avengers #26? That preview cover showed Ms. Marvel and a task force of Avengers heading to space to possibly confront the Phoenix before the entity reaches Earth.

Thanks to Marvel.com and Comic Book Resources.

 

AvX Darkness Inside Hope

Avengers Vs. X-Men #3 courtesy Marvel.com

  My heart sank when I saw this Avengers Vs X-Men #3 cover Marvel shared today. Hope Summers appears to have a devil inside. The mutant messiah was born in tragedy, chased across time and endured pain and loss. Hope Summers was the start of a new beginning for the mutant race but will she be the end of life on Earth?

Avengers Assemble: Black Widow and Hawkeye Preview

Avengers Assemble #1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  Even with powerhouses like Thor, Hulk and Iron Man you need some heroes that can be your stealth operatives. Earth’s Mightiest heroes have expert archer Hawkeye and superspy Black Widow. Avengers Assemble by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley is a new series to get you primed for Marvel’s The Avengers on the big screen.

  Clint and Natasha are extraordinary people but they don’t have the powers of Cap, Iron Man, Thor or Hulk. Marvel.com revealed new preview art plus Bagley revealed how he’s making sure the non-powered Avengers never get lost in the background. 

  “Hawkeye is the cocky buccaneer of the team—always has a smile on his face and is ready at a moment’s notice to write a check his butt can’t cash,” says Mark Bagley. “Natasha has earned her place on the team and [writer] Brian [Michael Bendis] will treat her thusly. She certainly isn’t going to be the ‘chick’ character.”

  Avengers Assemble #1 hits stores March 14th.

Age of Apocalypse #1 Preview

courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel twisted their X-universe into the Age of Apocalypse in the 90’s. Charles Xavier never existed. Apocalypse ruled North America. Magneto was the leader of rebel heroes. Wolverine and Jean Grey were lovers.

courtesy Marvel.com

  Rick Remender took his Uncanny X-Force into that dimension for The Dark Angel Saga. In the aftermath, Dave Lapham is taking survivors of that dimension’s mutant-human war to an even more twisted level. Age of Apocalypse #1 is a new ongoing by Lapham with artist Roberto De La Torre.

  Weapon X is leads the war to eliminate humanity. The X-Terminated may be the only hope.

 

courtesy Marvel.com

“This new Age of Apocalypse book does the impossible – it revolutionizes an old concept without a reboot,” explains Senior Editor Nick Lowe. “If you’ve been reading Uncanny X-Force, you know where this is coming from and you’re already in. If you’re an Age of Apocalypse junkie, this builds on the alternate universe’s mythology is fascinating and troubling ways. And if you aren’t either and just want a ground-breaking, easy-entry book that will challenge everything you know about the X-Men, there hasn’t been a better jumping on point.”

courtesy Marvel.com

 The new series debuts in March with covers by Humberto Ramos.

 

Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 Preview Pages

AvX1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel revealed preview pages from Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 by the great John Romita Jr. The idea of Captain America’s arrival usually inspires happiness, relief and confidence. Cap’s arrival on Utopia stirs fear and dread.

 When Emma Frost said, “He’s here for you, Hope,” you can feel the tension.

AvX1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  The Phoenix Force is coming to Earth. Steve Rogers believes it will destroy the world so he’s taking action. Cyclops thinks the entity could save mutantkind. I love Cyclops but he is the new Magneto. Even Erik recognizes how Scott has evolved in his struggle to save the mutant race.

AvX #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  As you read the preview pages I also get the impression that Scott should watch out for Namor. The Submariner’s alliance with the X-Men and love for Emma Frost could be shaken by his long friendship with Captain America.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  The big question is which team will win but you have to think how will the sides change before AvX is over?

Mr. Freeze’s Chilling Tie to Court of Owls

Batman Annual #1 courtesy DC Comics

  As DC Comics New 52 marches on every new villain’s debut is hotly anticipated. Mister Freeze debuts in Batman Annual #1. The icy enemy is connected to the hottest Bat-storyline in years. What is the chilling foe’s role in the Court of Owls scheme to seize Gotham City.

  “Mr. Freeze is a character full of pathos and tragedy and at the end of the day, he’s one of Batman’s deadliest,” Batman writer Scott Snyder told The Source. “So as you can imagine, I’m very excited to be able to do a story that establishes him in the new DCU, with rising stars James Tynion IV and Jay Fabok. This will be tale that really digs into Freeze’s psyche, explaining his connection to the Court of Owls in the present, and exploring dark secrets about his past. Really thrilled to see what you guys think!”

  Jay Fabok provided this chilling preview art revealing Freeze on Batman Annual #1 coming in May.