Major Spoilers Staff Picks for October 02, 2013

IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!

Major Spoilers runs down the comics we are looking forward to, and recommending, this week.

 ALL NEW X-MEN #17
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Stuart Immonen
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM, PART 6! Magik and Young Beast have a special mission!The X-Men and Future X-Men have Jean Grey and Cyclops and are going to send them back in time with the rest of the Original X-Men.But who is opposing them and why?

ROB: More groups of Future X-Men are arriving every moment, but which team is in the right, and where are the original X-Men going to end up at this point? I find myself more and more surprised by how much I like this story arc, it’s definitely been worth the read.

BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE #1
Writers: Rafael Grampá, Dan DiDio, Rafael Albuquerque, Jeff Lemire, Michael Uslan
Artists: Rafael Grampá, J.G. Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Alex Nino, Dave Bullock
Publisher: DC Comics

Cover Price: $4.99

SOLICITATION: “The Eisner Award-winning series continues with a second amazing issue! Don’t miss new takes on the Dark Knight from legendary creators including Rafael Grampá, Dan DiDio and J.G. Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Jeff Lemire and Alex Niño, and Michael Uslan and Dave Bullock! Plus, a cover by the amazing Jim Steranko!”

WAYNE: The first issue of the latest Batman: Black and White was great, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this issue as well!

DETECTIVE COMICS #24

Writer: John Layman

Artist: Jason Fabok

Publisher: DC Comics

Cover Price: $3.99

SOLICITATION: “Batman’s final confrontation with The Wrath is here! Can Batman stop his evil counterpart from claiming any more victims as an epic battle bursts onto the city streets?”

WAYNE: I’ve really enjoyed this updating of The Wrath, so I’m anxious to read this conclusion. I’d love it if this villain moved up in the ranks of Batman’s rogue’s gallery.

EARTH 2 #16
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The war against Steppenwolf and the Hunger Dogs is over…all hope is lost!

ROB: Robinson’s run is almost over, and I really want to know where he’s going to leave us. Seems here he’s leaving Earth 2 as a darker place than when he arrived.

FANTOMEX MAX #1
Writer: Andrew Hope
Artist: Shawn Crystal
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The X-Men’s own International Super-Thief in his own MAX miniseries!Sexy secret agents, weird weaponry, vintage champagne and a damsel in distress.All the uncensored action you could ever want in a comic… and MORE!

MATTHEW: He’s based on one of the earliest Golden Age heroes, he’s got Grant Morrison-stamps all over his origin, and he’s utterly suitable for a MAX title… This could be good!

MASS EFFECT 18.5” SOVEREIGN REAPER SHIP REPLICA
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $349.99
DESCRIPTION: Sovereign is the flagship of the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius. An enormous, sentient dreadnought larger than any ship in any known fleet, and its original construction hints at a mysterious and alien origin.

Did we say it was big ? It is gigantic. Dark Horse, working directly with Bioware, has gone to a huge 18″ size with this detailed, limited-edition reproduction.

Our depiction of Sovereign also has a sculpted base depicting a devastated planetary surface, and giving the replica a proportion that conveys its huge scale

RODRIGO: Although I didn’t even manage to get through the first game I do like a lot of the designs in the Mass Effect series, Sovereign is a really creepy ship and would look good on top of my microwave, I think.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #2
Writer: Alasdair David Ewing
Artist: Greg Land
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: INFINITY TIE-IN! new ongoing series! Proxima Midnight is killing New York City one block at a time…Luke Cage’s ad-hoc Avengers might not be able to stop her…And the one hero who can is at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.Think it can’t get worse? It can always get worse.

MATTHEW: So. It’s an Infinity crossover, and I hate the fact that it’s called Mighty Avengers (mostly because it’s like the seventy-third Avengers title in the last ten years. It’s still got a cool cast of characters, and some interesting interplay between the rookies and experienced heroes. Plus, mystery of who the heck is Ronin or some such, but mostly? Luke Cage. I liked #1, hoping this is awesome.

MOVEMENT #5
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: The wealthy inhabitants of Coral City have had enough of The Movement’s civil disobedience, so they hire a goon squad of super-powered mercenaries and set them loose in the city. Introducing the Graveyard Faction—death for hire!

ROB: Ah, finally back to The Movement. Gail Simone has done some more excellent work on this title and I’m happy Villain’s Month is over so we can finally continue into what looks to be the first big fight.

QUANTUM & WOODY #4
Writer: James Asmus
Artist: Tom Fowler
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: Quantum gets the drop on the mysterious force behind his father’s death! Plus, the staggering first appearance of a little character we like to call…the Goat!

Bitterly divided and hopelessly outgunned, Quantum and Woody are getting torn apart! Literally! Can they get their #$@% together before being shredded to atoms by the mysterious Crone and her super-science foot soldiers?! Probably not. But when a new ally emerges from the shadows, they’ll find the strength to fight baaaaack.

MATTHEW: THE! GOAT! MUST! BUY!

(Hope it doesn’t suck…)

THE SHADOW NOW #1

Writer: David Liss
Artist: Colton Worley

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “Having spent decades in the east to rejuvenate himself, the greatest pulp hero of them all, The Shadow, returns to New York in modern times. Lamont Cranston seeks to resume his old life, and his heroic alter-ego is ready to stand once more as an enemy to evil. But while he was gone, his foes have remained vigilant, and the most dangerous man The Shadow has ever faced prepares to rise once more. It’s the shocking beginning to a new era for The Shadow!”

WAYNE: David Liss has done a “super” job on The Spider, so I’m seriously looking forward to his work on The Shadow. What I’ve seen of the art really “wows” me, so I can’t wait for this title!

THE STAR WARS #2
Writer: Jonathan Rinzler
Artist: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The Empire is poised for an attack on the peaceful world of Aquilae, and only Jedi General Luke Skywalker seems concerned. When King Kayos is killed, Jedi in training Annikin Starkiller is ordered to find Princess Leia, while Skywalker sends his only squadron against the Empire’s powerful new battle station!

RODRIGO: I missed the first issue of this, but I’m interested in seeing how this goes.

WITCHING HOUR #1
Writers: Kelly Sue Deconnick, Lauren Beukes, Cliff Chiang, Matthew Sturges, Toby Litt, Annie Mok
Artists: Mark Buckingham, Cliff Chiang, Shawn McManus, Emily Carroll, Steve Beach, Various
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $7.99
SOLICITATION: The secret spell to controlling the universe is contained in this anthology! Also included are nine new supernatural tales by a coven of the best writers and artists VERTIGO could cram into 70 pages. Practice witchcraft with VERTIGO and destroy all men!

RODRIGO: Did somebody say creepy anthology book? I’m there.