MARVEL (?!) Previews

Normally, I don't give much thought to the Marvel section of Previews. I write the newest issues of Runaways and Daredevil on my pull list along with maybe one or two other books (Currently, it's Marvel Zombies 2 and House of M: Avengers). It's not that I don't like Marvel characters and writers, but I'm burned out on X-Men, et al and don't care for a lot of their current artists.

However, several things caught my attention in this months Previews. All of these titles should ship in January.

While the nauseating Joe Madureira is puking all over Ultimates, Cary Nord's cross-hatches are looking pretty good on Ultimate Human. I'm not sure who's coloring, but I appreciate the washed out colors that allow the line-work to shine. Writer Warren Ellis lost me on issue 3 of Ultimate Secret, though, so I won't be getting this one.

In addition, Ultimate War Machine debuts in Ultimate Iron Man II #2, by Orson Scott Card and Pasqual Ferry. Salvador Larroca (New Universal, Ultimate Elektra) takes over pencils on Ultimate X-men with issue 90. Robert "Invincible and Walking Dead" Kirkman is still writing the series.

The book that caught me most by surprise, was the new Spider-Man mini, With Great Power. David "Stray Bullets" Lapham writes the 5-issue arch, which focuses on the time after Parker gained his powers and before he decided to use them for fighting crime rather than personal gain. Tony "Ex Fucking Machina" Harris handles the artwork! Spider-Man rarely interests me when not in a team dynamic, where he works well as comic relief, but the creative crew on this one might land it in my hands come '08.

Ed Brubaker's Captain America debuts the new hero--complete with pistol, dagger/sword, and Alex Ross-designed costume--in issue 34. I initially assumed that they had prematurely brought back Steve Rogers. The death of Captain America was one of the biggest cultural events of the year, and bringing him back would only cheapen the Civil War storyline and damage Marvel's cred. However, it seems that this is a new Captain, perhaps James Newman from The Chosen. I don't know; I don't keep up with this stuff.

Along with the great Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness (Batman/Superman) will be working on the new Hulk series. Loeb's obcession with colors brings us a red Hulk. Man-Thing makes an appearance in X-Men: First Class #8. I'm not really sure what is going on in The Tweleve, but Straczynski is writing and it features classic heroes in contemporary times.

The cover to Marvel "Still Written by Robert Kirkman" Zombies II #4 is Suydam's tribute to Iron Man's first appearance in Tales of Suspense. And is that Dexter's David Zayas (Angel) on the cover of Daredevil #104?