Major Spoilers Staff Picks for November 06, 2013

IT’S NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!

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

AMAZING X-MEN #1
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Ed McGuiness
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: An AMAZING new era for the X-Men starts here! Ever since his Nightcrawler’s death in X-MEN MESSIAH COMPLEX, the X-Men have been without their heart and soul. After learning that their friend may not be gone after all, it’s up to WOLVERINE, STORM, BEAST, ICEMAN, NORTHSTAR and FIRESTAR to find and bring back the fan favorite fuzzy blue elf! Super star artist ED MCGUINNESS (HULK) joins master X-Writer JASON AARON (WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, X-MEN: SCHISM) to bring you the most exciting comic on the stands!

ROB: X-Men adventures, good. Attempting to return Nightcrawler to the limelight, also good. An interesting team both in and on the book, I think I can handle this. Marvel timed this issue right, setting it in a completely dead week for me, and I think I may see what they have in store.

BALTIMORE: THE INFERNAL TRAIN #3
Writer: Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck,
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.50
SOLICITATION: Baltimore jumps aboard the Infernal Train and fights high-priest vampires and an evil witch to stop them from resurrecting a vampire god.

KEVIN: Vampire hunting never looked so great in a comic book. Set in an alternate time in history, Mike Mignola and Chirstopher Golden’s story about vampire hunter Lord Baltimore is a wonderful read. The vampires are vicious, bloodthristy, and do not sparkle. Ben Stenbeck gritty artwork is amazing. If you are a fan of Magnola’s Hellboy, I suggest checking out the Baltimore series.

BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE #3
Writer: Lee Bermejo, Rian Hughes, Damian Scott, Paul Dini, Marv Wolfman
Artist: Lee Bermejo, Rian Hughes, Damion Scott, Stephanie Roux, Riccardo Burchielli
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
SOLICITATION: “It’s another spectacular selection of adventures by some of comics’ top talents, with tales of The Dark Knight by Lee Bermejo, Marv Wolfman and Riccardo Burchielli, Rian Hughes, Damion Scott, and Paul Dini and Stephane Roux.”

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

DOCTOR WHO PRISONERS OF TIME #10
Writer: Scott Tipton/David Tipton
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Our yearlong celebration of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary continues! Brilliant! The Tenth Doctor takes the spotlight in this issue of a 12-part epic adventure featuring all 11 incarnations of the Doctor. The Doctor brings Martha to 1950s Los Angeles and the Griffith Observatory to give her a glimpse of Gallifrey, but soon encounters a film crew whose members are mysteriously disappearing!

MATTHEW: Just choosing to use Martha over Rose gets this book the nod from me, and now that we know who’s behind the kidnapping of the Doctor’s friends, I’m hoping that we’re about to get the 11 Doctor team-up that the television series doesn’t have the budget to show us…

FOREVER EVIL #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: David Finch, Richard Friend
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The first universe-wide event of The New 52 continues to explode across the DC Universe! With the world under the rule of the mysterious and deadly Crime Syndicate and our greatest heroes dead, it’s up to the unlikeliest of defenders to rise up to save us-humanity’s only hope-Lex Luthor?! Plus, a startling revelation about the dark secret of the Syndicate’s mission on Earth-and what it means for the future of the DC Universe and its heroes and villains.

CHRIS: Forever Evil hasn’t been the greatest of events but I’m enjoying it enough that I’m still reading. Johns is full on here and that can be a good and bad thing, but so far I’m along for the ride.

GHOSTBUSTERS #9
Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Dan Schoening
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “Devil’s Night” — When he died, Stingy Jack couldn’t get into Heaven or Hell, and has wandered the Earth ever since. He’s made his way to Manhattan, he’s feeling malicious… and if the Ghostbusters can’t stop him, he’ll burn the city to the ground! It’s the beginning of a busy season of horrifying holidays for our heroes — HAPPY HORROR DAYS starts here!

ROB: Just when the spooky month ends, more Ghostbusters. Seriously though, this series is really fun and doing a great job of balancing the extensive cast. And now it’s time to hop back into an extended story line with the full crew, what more could I want from this book?

GHOSTED #5
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Goran Sudzuka
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: “Winters escaped one prison only to find himself trapped in the Trask Mansion with the last of his team of ghost thieves. Will their first score also be their last? The first arc ends here!”

WAYNE: How in the world do you “collect” a ghost? I just gotta know! I also need to find out just who survives and who doesn’t! Great comic!

GREEN LANTERN #25
Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Billy Tan
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: The shockwaves of ‘Lights Out’ are just starting to be felt, as Hal Jordan makes a controversial decision that will change the mission of the Green Lantern Corps! But not everyone agrees with Hal’s goals, and the dissent could weaken the Corps further! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

RODRIGO: I was sad when I realize the combo item wasn’t some kind of food.

LONGSHOT SAVES MARVEL UNIVERSE #1
Writer: Hastings
Artist: Jacopo Camagni
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: When someone is targeting the lucky for death, it won’t take long before the luckiest X-Man, Longshot, is in the killer’s sights. But things quickly go from bad to worse as super heroes, villains, all of S.H.I.E.L.D. and even COSMIC ENTITIES have it out for our boy! Is Longshot finally in over his head, or can he beat the odds and save the Marvel Universe when no one else can?

MATTHEW: I admit it; I loved the original ‘Fred Hembeck Kills The Marvel Universe.’ The return of that title has been mostly ultra-violence pandering to fans of the most brutal heroes (and Deadpool.) Part of me is psyched that this miniseries seems to have a positive bent to it. Plus: Longshot, second best X-Man in history!

ROB: In a week with a whole lot of nothing for me, this just happened to catch my eye. It sounds like a ridiculous premise, and if my store has an extra copy I may just have to try it out.

MARK WAID GREEN HORNET #7
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Ronilson Freire
Publisher: Dynamite Publications
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Now that The Voice has been silenced, a new menace threatens the city–and without the Hornet around to protect the citizens, can Kato survive as a solo agent?

MATTHEW: Mark Waid is an author who knows how to give his characters a distinct voice, without squashing what made them fun to begin with. Given how much I’ve enjoyed the first few issues, there’s no way I’m not excited about seeing Kato as a solo agent. (Perhaps we’ll even get to see the Green Hornet remind us why they’re a team, rather than a Bruce Lee tribute band with hats.)

MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #2
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Marco Rudy
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: Spider-Man’s got 99 problems…and a race against time is one of them! Spider-Man finds himself thousands of miles above the planet, fighting for his life against some of his greatest foe.

CHRIS: Matt Kindt killed it first issue providing a total mind f@ck of a story with equally trippy art from Marco Rudy. It’s a great stand-alone story that’s not weighed down with continuity and a plain great read. I can’t wait to see what’s Kindt brings next. Plus, fans of Peter Parker have nothing to complain about here!

MICHAEL AVON OEMING’S VICTORIES #6
Writer: Michael Avon Oeming
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Publisher: Dark Horse
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: “The Victories ongoing continues!! With all superheroes ordered to internment camps until research can prove that they aren’t a diseased risk to humanity, and one of the world’s most powerful heroes now a mind slave to mysterious powers, who will stand to save humanity from the shadowy group taking over the world?”

WAYNE: I’ve really enjoyed this title and am glad it’s now coming out monthly! BTW, if you’d like to listen to my interview with Mr. Oeming, you can check it out here!

PLANTS VS ZOMBIES HC LAWNMAGEDDON
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Ron Chan
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price:$9.99
SOLICITATION: The confusing-yet-brilliant inventor known only as Crazy Dave helps his niece, Patrice, and young adventurer Nate Timely fend off a “fun-dead” neighborhood invasion in Plants vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon! Winner of over thirty “Game of the Year” awards, Plants vs. Zombies is now determined to shuffle onto all-ages bookshelves to tickle funny bones and thrill . . .brains.

RODRIGO: I’m always concern when they add more information about Plants Vs. Zombies. There’s something glorious about the simplicity of the original. Still if this has a similar sense of humor I’m interested.

QUANTUM AND WOODY #5
Writer: James Asmus
Artist: Lee Garbett
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point! All-new…problems? Eric and Woody have had their lives turned upside down. What do you do when the most annoying person in your life is also the only thing keeping you alive? You move in with him! And his goat. And his barely legal clone girlfriend. Besides, every team of heroes needs a secret headquarters…and this one has a slightly used hot tub. Plus: Quantum meets his first true super-villain!

CHRIS: I’ve yet to be disappointed with an issue of Quantum and Woody. It’s consistent in its humor and just plain fun. The first arc was great and I expect nothing less from the next. Plus there’s the goat.

SPAWN #237
Writer: Todd McFarlane
Artist: Szymon Kudranski
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
SOLICITATION: COGLIOSTRO RETURNS!!!
But is it too late to save Jim Downing from his fate?
Al Simmons’ old mentor returns to guide Jim in his journey to control the vast powers that haunt him. But Cog has already betrayed one Spawn. Is he sinister enough to do it again, or is there more to his motivations than simple greed?
The lessons that will shape Jim’s future BEGIN HERE! Secrets that rest at the very core of the Spawn mythos are set to be revealed!

RODRIGO: It’s about time for me to check back with Spawn, judging from this description exactly one thing has changed.

TRANSFORMERS DARK CYBERTRON #1
Writer: James Roberts, John Barber
Artist: Phil Jimenez & Various
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Cover Price: $3.99
SOLICITATION: THE END OF EVERYTHING! SHOCKWAVE makes a move millions of years in the planning-an ultimate plan to remake Cybertron and destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons! Bringing together the casts of the hit MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE and ROBOTS IN DISGUISE for the first time in two years!

CHRIS: The Transformers universe has been building to this for years and I can’t wait to see it come to a head. Having the whole cast finally come together looks awesome and Shockwave is finally the disturbing badass he should be. Exciting stuff!