Marvel wraps up its summer comic event with a double-sized finale of Fear Itself leaving lasting repercussions to each of the characters involved. The untold story between the Serpent and Odin’s past is revealed within the pages of the Mighty Thor before Fear Itself architect Matt Fraction treats Thor like he treated Iron Man following the events of Secret Invasion and through Dark Reign with Most Wanted. That storyline deconstructed Tony Stark allowing him to be built up again and now Fraction plans to do the same with Thor.
Other Fear Itself tie-ins include Avengers, Avengers Academy Avengers Academy
The Hulk was put through his paces as he became a member of the Serpent’s Worthy and took on Dracula in Fear Itself: Hulk Vs. Dracula. The Incredible Hulk title ended Greg Pak’s run on the title with the Heart of the Monster storyline. Now Marvel relaunches the title with Jason Aaron and Marc Silvestri at the helm with Incredible Hulk. Meanwhile Jeff Parker has provided adequate stories of the Red Hulk within his sole series Hulk.
Writer Dan Slott brings Spider-Island to an end within the pages of the Amazing Spider-Man. The series will be reaching 700 issues next year just in time for the Amazing Spider-Man movie. The series will most likely be relaunched with a new number one much like most of the Marvel titles when they have their own movies hitting the theaters.
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade reaches its penultimate issue as both Avengers and the X-Men team-up against the Young Avengers leading to the death of an Avenger. Writer Ed Brubaker continues his adventures of Steve Rogers in Captain America drawn by artist Steve McNiven. McNiven is also completing the Superior series by writer Mark Millar who plans on concentrating on his creator-owned projects for the foreseeable future.
Big shot writers Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, and Brian Michael Bendis focus on delivering character-driven stories within Daredevil, Punisher, and Moon Knight. While Jason Aaron focuses on the adult version of the Punisher in PunisherMax.
Jonathan Hickman continues the new adventures of the Fantastic Four within FF as the series reaches its twelfth issue next month which is also the 600th issue of the Fantastic Four in November. Hickman continues his second volume of Shield as he supplies new mythology to the Marvel Universe.
The X-Men Universe splits as Fear Itself ends within X-Men Schism. The split brings the final issue of Uncanny X-Men and a new series of Wolverine and the X-Men. Most of the X-titles will bring the fallout between Cyclops and Wolverine and new direction of the mutants for the future as they star in next year’s Marvel event.
The Ultimate Universe continues following the events of Ultimate Fallout as the world finds out the US government is responsible for mutants in Ultimate Comics X-Men and the new Spider-Man soars through the skyline of New York
Overall Marvel Comics has its own publishing schedule according to Joe Quesada, which will not be altered due to its rival DC Comics relaunching all of their titles. Most of the Fear Itself and Spider-Island tie-ins seem to be bombarding the comic racks rather than adding to the comic experience.
OCTOBER 2011 PULL LIST
Fear Itself #7 (Finale)
Fear Itself: Hulk Vs. Dracula #3 (Finale)
The Mighty Thor #7
Invincible Iron Man #509
Journey into Mystery #629
Journey into Mystery #630
Avengers #18
Incredible Hulk #1
Hulk #42
Hulk #43
Amazing Spider-Man #671
Amazing Spider-Man #672
Avengers:The Children’s Crusade #8
Captain America
Daredevil #5
Moon Knight #6
The Punisher #4
PunisherMax #18
FF #10
FF #11
S.H.I.E.L.D #3
X-Men: Schism #5 (Finale)
X-Men: Regenesis #1
Wolverine & the X-Men #1
X-Men #19
Uncanny X-Men #544
Wolverine #17
Uncanny X-Force #16
Superior #5
Superior #6 (Finale)
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #3
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #3
Ultimate Comics X-Men #2
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3
