Major Spoilers Staff Picks for November 07, 2012

It’s another week, and that means even more comics are arriving in a store near you.  Major Spoilers runs down the comics they are looking forward to this week.

47 RONIN #1
Writer: Michael Richardson
Artist: Stan Sakai
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Among the best-known tales in Japanese history, the legend of the 47 Ronin and their epic mission to avenge their disgraced master epitomizes the samurai code of honor. It has been said, “To know the story of the 47 Ronin is to know Japan.” Retold through the ages, the legend at last comes to comics in a meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated miniseries from Mike Richardson, Stan Sakai, and editorial consultant Kazuo Koike! Recounting this sweeping tale of honor and violence in all its grandeur, chapter one details the tragic incident that would seal the fate of Lord Asano and set forty-seven of his vassals on a years-long path of vengeance!

STEPHEN: This is a fantastic read, and book that you need to pick up this week. Matthew and I take a peek inside the cover on the next Dueling Review Podcast.

AVENGERS ACADEMY #39
Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Tom Grummett
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: End-of-an-era Series Finale!
• In the aftermath of the grueling “Final Exam”, can friendships, romances – and the Academy itself – survive?

GEORGE: Avengers Academy, I think I will miss you most of all. This has quietly been one of Marvel’s best titles since its inception, with Christos Gage churning out a series full of excellent character work for heroes old and new. It recalled the soap opera of classic X-Men tales while telling complex, modern superhero stories. I don’t think I was ever disappointed by an issue of this series. It was a good ride!

AVX CONSEQUENCES #5
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Spinning directly out of AVX #12, find out what happens next! • We can’t tell you anything else without spoiling everything AVX!

ROB: Just look at the faces on that cover. So much regret from Magneto, and quite the smugness coming from Magik. Seriously, this series has actually been absolutely superb and worth looking into. With the craziness that was AvX and is Marvel NOW! this will get you what you need from Marvel. A character driven movement from one point to the next.

BEFORE WATCHMEN: MOLACH #1
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “We are doing great things here, Edgar. Amazing things.”
And don’t miss the latest chapter of the “Crimson Corsair” backup feature from writer/artist JOHN HIGGINS!

RODRIGO: I was not aware that this was happening. This is by far the most interesting thing to come out of this series for me.

COLDER #1
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Declan Thomas’s body temperature is dropping. He never gets sick, never feels pain. An ex-inmate of an insane asylum that was destroyed in a fire, he has the strange ability to step inside a person’s madness and sometimes cure it. He hopes to one day cure his own, but time is running out, because when his temperature reaches zero . . . it’s over.
* From the creative team behind the Falling Skies comic!
* A new horror comic in the vein of Locke & Key and Preacher.
Dark Horse horror gets under your skin!

RODRIGO: Does it seem to you that this is two separate premises? Madness curing psychic and guy whose temperature is dropping? I mean, it could totally work. But I’m just saying, it’s a little like having a murder mystery in Jurassic Park.

DEADPOOL #1
Written by BRIAN POSEHN & GERRY DUGGAN
Art by TONY MOORE
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATIONS: Dead former United States presidents, from George Washington to Gerald Ford have been resurrected, and that’s BAD. The Marvel heroes can’t be the ones to stop them, someone is needed with the reputation, skills and plausible deniability to take out these com-monsters in chiefs…NOW! is the time for Deadpool… In Wade We Trust!

GEORGE: I love Deadpool, but I am deathly allergic to the writing of Daniel Way. So when I heard the relaunched title was going to have the duo of Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn on writing duty, I was ecstatic. Hearing that Tony Moore was the artist shot my anticipation levels into the stratosphere. Deadpool is ridiculous, but this is honestly one of the Marvel NOW! titles that I am most looking forward to. And a set-up where he has to kill formerly dead US presidents? I’m onboard.

ZACH: Have I ever read a Deadpool comic before? Nope, sure haven’t. So why am I so jazzed for this issue? One reason: Deadpool is spraying bullets while falling into a giant monster’s mouth on the cover. And as a bonus apparently this is suppose to be fairly funny, but I’ll reserve my judgment of that until reading.

DIAL H #6
Writer: China Mieville
Artist: David Lapham
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION:
• Offensive! Shocking! Unspeakable! Manteau cracks open the Refusenik Dossier– and with heroes like these, who needs villains?
• In this story, Nelson is stuck inside the house after he dials up a politically incorrect hero.
• Plus: Manteau reveals some of her forbidden and dangerous guises in the Refusenik Dossier.

ROB: Out of the Second Wave in the New 52, this is easily the weirdest. That fact alone has made it one of the more entertaining reads in DC’s catalog. Now, with a full adventure under Nelson’s belt and our revelations of how the Dial works, the book is set to get weirder, which should make it even more entertaining.

HAWKEYE #4
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: David Aja
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATIONS: You won’t believe what is on The Tape!

S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits Clint to intercept incriminating evidence—before he becomes the most wanted man in the world.

Superstar artist Javier Pulido joins Matt Fraction in a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe…and the darkest parts of Clint Barton.

STEPHEN:  Everyone is talking about this series, so I best get my hands on this now and see what it is all about.  Still early in the series to get the back issues, and the art looks fantastic, so I’ll be picking this up.

ZACH: This current run on Hawkeye is easily in the top five of superhero type comics being created right now. Hawkeye is the series that has me exploring more of what Marvel has to offer. If you are reading Fraction’s take on Clint with superb art from Aja you are doing yourself a disservice.

MAGIC THE GATHERING SPELL THIEF #4
Writer: Matt Forbeck
Artist: Martin Coccolo
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: Dack Fayden’s quest to track down the villainous Sifa Grent has brought him to Grixis, a vast wasteland dominated by the undead and vicious demons—including the demon-dragon Malfegor. Imprisoned by the demon’s cult, Dack soon discovers the morbid origins of Sifa and her sinister ties to Malfegor… but will he be able to escape this undead plane in order to stop her plans?

ROB: More planeswalking, more Magic, and yet another alternate art card, what more could you ask for? How about an idea as to when this is actually taking place? Seriously, with the location the story is jumping to we’re gonna get a good idea of when Dack’s adventure’s are happening and which characters he is most likely to run into. Besides, fun story and great art are nothing to scoff at.

MANHATTAN PROJECTS #7
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Pitarra
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION:
“ABOVE AND BEYOND”
At a top Secret meeting in Iceland, the Americans and Russians have a world-shattering encounter with the Science tyrants of the Manhattan Projects.

The thrilling FEEL GOOD, BAD SCIENCE series continues in THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS#7: ABOVE AND BEYOND!

STEPHEN: You must buy this book. You can thank me later.

STORM DOGS #1
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Doug Braithwaite & Ulises Arreola
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: DAVID HINE and DOUG BRAITHWAITE are re-united for Season One of this science-fiction crime thriller. A uniquely skilled team arrives on a frontier planet to investigate a series of bizarre and violent deaths. Forced to rely on primitive technology, they soon learn what it means to be aliens in a hostile environment. If they are to unravel the mysteries of Amaranth they will also have to learn what it is to be human.

GEORGE: David Hine caught my attention with his superb work on the Bulletproof Coffin series. I’m less familiar with Doug Braithwaite, but I like what I’ve seen of his art. Image has been gangbusters as of late, pushing out tons of quality, creator-owned work that deserves all the attention it can get. I’m betting Storm Dogs will be another solid piece from Image.

RODRIGO: Ok, I know I just got done talking about problems with mashing things together, but this actually looks pretty good.

SUPER DINOSAUR #15
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Jason Howard
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: ESCAPE FROM INNER-EARTH: CONCLUSION!
Derek is now aware of the REPTILOIDS and the threat they pose to the surface world. Super Dinosaur has learned so much about where he comes from–will he want to come back? Answers to this question and more as the stage is set for the next few years of Super Dinosaur adventures! This is where it all begins, people!

ROB: How does Kirkman do it? Seriously, I have yet to read anything from the guy I didn’t like and most of it is catapulted to an instant must-read when I get it. Of all his work though, Super Dinosaur is far and away my favorite. The title alone should sell you. However, for the ever-skeptic, it is still a fun, well written, good looking comic that anyone should enjoy. Give it a chance and you’ll be happy you did.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #2
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATIONS: What are The Red Skull’s new powers? How did he become the most powerful man on Earth?

Can Havok and Thor defeat the spreading influence of Honest John, The Living Propaganda?!

Rogue and Scarlet Witch trapped on the Isle of the Red Skull’s S-Men!

Wolverine & Captain America: uncover the truth behind the worldwide mutant assassination epidemic!

ZACH: I read a single issue of Marvel’s big summer crossover event, so I wasn’t entirely up to speed reading the first issue of Uncanny Avengers but I still enjoyed it. It seems like a while since I read that issue so I can’t exactly pinpoint why I liked it, but I do remember that Thor apparently likes lattes. Seems like reason enough to try out the second issue to me.