Major Spoilers Staff Picks for June 13, 2012

NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!  There are a number of issues that are coming out this week, and we have our recommendations of what to pick up.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #687 ENDS
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Stefano Caselli
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION:
• The End of the Earth devastates in part 6 of this earth blistering epic!
• Plus: Doctor Octopus has a new Sinister Six—THE AVENGERS!
• Can Spider-Man sacrifice one life to save the entire planet?

ROB: Ends of the Earth has been a great story with Slott utilizing some underrated characters in a great way. This issue marks the end of the story and I am really looking forward to what will become of Ock, the Sinister Six, and Peter after this. Couple in the fact that Caselli has been doing an amazing job and it’d be a shame not to pick this up.

STEPHEN: I didn’t think I would stick with a Marvel title for as long as I have, but Dan Slott has drawn me into this title month after month. Sure it looks like The End for our hero (hint: Spider-Men #1), but as long as Dan Slott is writing, I’m here for the long haul.

ZACH: Slot and crew and weaved an engrossing story involving a whole host of characters, while limiting the number of crossovers. The ending is sure to be huge with, hopefully, repercussion rippling into the future. Pick this up with all the issues leading up if you missed them.

BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE #1
Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Artist: Amanda Conner
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: ‘Oh sweetie, you’re too young to hate. Wait until you’re older and the world gives you a good reason. Trust me, it won’t let you down.’ Plus: Don’t miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

JIMMY: This, along with Rorschach, has been my top pick of the Before Watchmen books, based solely on creative teams involved. Amanda Conner draws the most gorgeous women on the planet, and Darwyn Cooke is an incredible talented writer (in addition to his fantastic talent on pencils). I am not a huge fan of Watchmen; I liked it, but had the misfortune of coming into comic books well after its influence had permeated the medium, so the original didn’t have quite that impact when I finally read it, but I am excited to see the direction some of the creative teams will take the characters in Before Watchmen.

MATTHEW: Minutemen #1 seemed to indicate that Darwyn Cooke, at least, had good intentions when he created his portion of the B.W. skein, and the lovely art that I’ve seen from this makes me more interested than ever. Of course, that’s probably partly due to my wondering if they’re using the weak sister movie-version of Laurie, or if we’ll see the development of the foul-mouthed chain-smoking Silk Spectre I loved from Watchmen…

RODRIGO: There are a lot of questions that I want answered as far as Silk Spectre goes. For example, why is she in this story at all? Maybe this prequel will show us.

STEPHEN: Darwyn Cooke AND Amanda Conner. There is nothing more to say.

BULLETPROOF COFFIN DISINTERRED #5
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Shaky Kane
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: A planet full of hate explodes and aeons later a meteorite lands on Earth, resurrecting a platoon of US soldiers. The full story of The Hateful Dead, featuring art from the legendary set of bubblegum cards, reproduced as full-size paintings.

GEORGE:  There is nothing on the stands like Bulletproof Coffin. It is weird, wonderful, creepy and unique. Disinterred has so far been right up there with the original series, featuring wacky EC Comics-inspired stories that delight and disgust. Issue #5 promises the return of The Hateful Dead, a platoon of Vietnam-era zombies resurrected by outer space horribleness. These guys were some of my favorites from the original series, and I am pleased to see them again.

DEMON KNIGHTS #10
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Diogenes Neves, Oclair Albert, Julio Ferreira
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: While searching for MERLIN, our heroes find KING ARTHUR…both of him!

ROB: Paul Cornell has been doing a fantastic job with Demon Knights. Now, with their very hollow first victory behind them, the team is headed for Avalon to try and save Merlin. Of course, with a few of their number wanting him dead, things should turn out interesting before the end.

GREEN LANTERN #10
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: As “THE SECRET OF THE INDIGO TRIBE” races toward its conclusion, all is revealed about the INDIGO LANTERNS!  Leads into next issue’s shocking turn of events that can’t be missed!

ZACH: This new run on Green Lantern has given me more than I wanted, and certainly expected, since last September. Recently they have been expanding on the back-stories of Abin Sur and the Indigo tribe, which has been great. Looking forward to the impending battle between the Lanterns and the Guardians.

INCORRUPTIBLE #30
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Marcio Takara
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The Final Issue Of What MTV Called, ‘One of the Best Ongoing Comic Book Series!’ The end has come for comics’ favorite anti-hero, Max Damage, but not before an explosive conclusion that will leave fans reeling and finally answer the question – can someone truly be Incorruptible? Don’t miss the incredible last issue of the companion to Mark Waid’s Eisner-nominated superhero series, Irredeemable!

JIMMY: IT’S HERE! Last month we got the ending to Irredeemable, which I reviewed and absolutely loved, and now we’re coming to the end of the Max Damage saga. I feel like Irredeemable came to a fairly natural conclusion over the last several issues of the title, but I really don’t know how Incorruptible is going to be able to end organically–unless Max Damage dies–so I’m a little concerned as to where Mark Waid is headed. One thing we can be absolutely sure of though, is that Marcio Takara will knock it out of the park on the art.

INVINCIBLE #92
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Cory Walker
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: CORY WALKER RETURNS TO INVINCIBLE… AGAIN! What has been going on with Monster Girl and Robot? What happened to them while they were in the Flaxan dimension? All answers will be revealed – starting now! Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in the present and the New Invincible is already in over his head! All this – and where is Mark Grayson?!

JIMMY: Alright, here’s the deal–I’ve actually already read this issue, as Image sent the Major Spoilers staff a digital review copy. So, rather than explain why I’m excited to read this, I’ll just straight-up tell you guys: This is a good issue. We get some exploration of what actually happened to Monster Girl and Robot, which is a plot thread that Kirkman has left hanging for a long while, and we get to see more of Zandale both as Invincible and in his personal life. If you’ve ever read a single issue of anything Kirkman has ever written, you probably know that he excels in interpersonal drama and “mundane” dialogues, so you get a lot of that in this issue, but be warned–there isn’t a whole lot that directly pertains to Mark Grayson in this one. When I finished reading it I was left feeling like I’d just read a filler issue, but going back and rereading it there was actually a LOT of revelations, so I definitely recommend picking this one up.

KISS #1
Writer: Chris Ryall
Artist: Jamal Igle
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best! KISS is back in an all-new comic series that will appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike! Four ordinary humans in 1920s Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will reverberate across time and space in “Dressed to Kill,” part 1!

MATTHEW: The old Dark Horse KISS series was a hoot and a half, picking up the characters from the original Marvel Super-Special back in ’77 (I think I Retro Reviewed that somewhere along the line) as if they’d had their book for the ensuing 20 years. I kind of hope this picks up that thread, but in any case, it’s always fun to see Demon, Starchild, Space Ace and Catman in comics form, if only for their perfect superhero gimmicks and costumes…

RODRIGO: Wow, you guys! A KISS comic! This has never happened before… oh I’m being informed that it has… a thousand times! Oh well, might as well see if this tops psycho circus. Here’s a hint: It doesn’t matter either way.

MASSIVE #1
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Kristian Donaldson
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: In a post-war, post-crash, post-disaster, post-everything world, the environmental-action trawler Kapital scours the earth’s oceans for its mysteriously missing sister ship, The Massive. Captain Callum Israel, a man who has dedicated his life to the ocean, now must ask himself-as our planet dies-what it means to be an environmentalist after the world’s ended. Callum and his crew will come up against pirates, rebels, murderers, and thieves as they struggle to remain noble toward their cause. Can you save a planet that’s already doomed?

GEORGE: I will miss Brian Wood’s Northlanders greatly, but if Wood’s new series is half as good as I’m expecting, I won’t miss it too much. With DMZ, Wood has already shown that he can handle chaotic dystopian futures with aplomb, and Massive’s setting of a world permanently altered by climate change sounds pretty chaotic indeed. By far, this is the title I am most looking forward to this week (and month).

RODRIGO: Ok, so originally I was just going to get this book for its horrendously euphemistic solicitation title (This is my giant sized man-thing… and this is my Massive #1 Wood). But the story actually sounds kind of interesting. Best. Of. Both. Worlds.

ROBOT OVERLORD:  Read our early review of Massive, right here!

RAVAGERS #2
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artist: Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION:  Starring FAIRCHILD, THUNDER, LIGHTNING, RIDGE, BEAST BOY and TERRA!  Trying to hide in the “real world” while on the run from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and its agents proves difficult for teen metas who stand out in a crowd.  If they’re going to survive, these young heroes had better be ready to fight!

ROB: While their intro in The Culling was a little weird and last issue didn’t live up to expectations, I still want to see where this is going to go. Mackie has a good cast to work with and I really feel that the book has some potential. Largely, I really want to know what’s up with Beast Boy’s new look and am hoping to get a lot more world building with it here.

SAUCER COUNTRY #4
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Ryan Kelly
Publisher: Vertigo
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Why is there a gap in the Governor’s files when it comes to Roswell? Michael investigates the secrets of his abduction, powerful enemies gather against the Alvarado campaign, and Arcadia makes the most desperate decision of her life.

GEORGE: When I need a break from the tights and spandex set, I turn to books like Saucer Country. Paul Cornell has been doing a great job with this story of alien abduction and politics, building a creepy atmosphere with compelling characters. This issue promises to address New Mexico’s most famous flying saucer case: Roswell. Cornell and Ryan Kelly are creating an interesting series here, and if you want something other than your usual superhero fare, I can recommend Saucer Country without hesitation.

SPIDER-MEN #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Sara Pichelli
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: History is made as Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales meets the one and only Peter Parker, your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah… Crossover, blah blah blah. I’m still interested to see the first direction integration of Marvel 616 and Ultimate Marvel into one whole through the medium of alternate Spider-Men. When DC used to do this every summer, I seem to recall Marvel making fun of it, but… Y’know, bygones. Plus, Peter might have a new Spider-costume in these pages, as he tends to have one every hour on the hour these days.

STEPHEN: Hey! A SPIDER-MAN/SPIDER-MAN CROSSOVER! What will Miles learn from Peter? What universe are they in? Is this just a gimmick to part a fool with his money? Probably, but I’m still going to get this issue.

ZACH: I have grown to love Spider-Man books in the last year, so now there are two Spider-Mans in one book? Count me in. Peter and Miles are both great wall-crawlers (surely Miles will start doing that soon) and look forward to their interactions.

ROBOT OVERLORD: There you are, a dozen comics for you to select from this week. Enjoy your reading, and remember, I will ensure these meat bags are back next week with another list of comics for you to buy.