Marvel Comics Solicitations for January 2012

The finale of Fear Itself had four epilogues exploding into four titles: Fear Itself: The Fearless, Battle Scars, Incredible Hulk, and the Defenders. While other titles like the Avengers Academy lost its seem following the tie-in stories with Fear Itself. Following X-Men: Schism, the only titles worth picking up are Wolverine and the X-Men, Uncanny X-Force,and Wolverine, which all have Wolverine in their pages. This seems to conclude events don’t seem to generate the interests necessary for titles to stay on its own. If you want the audience to buy multiple titles then crossovers are necessary like this month’s Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil.

The three titles with the Ultimate Universe stay strong: Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and Ultimates. Due to the limited amount of titles you need to get to know an entire universe, the Ultimate Universe seems like a great value pick. Marvel is pushing its architect writers to form a tight universe to make the Marvel Universe believable including top writers Matt Fraction, Brian Michael Bendis, Jonathan Hickman, and Jason Aaron.

Matt Fraction

The architect behind Fear Itself brought us the death of Thor and a new God of Thunder in the form of Tanarus within the pages of the Mighty Thor. Fraction also let loose Nul of the Breaker of Worlds from Fear Itself who the Defenders must subdue. While Fraction returns the Mandarin to the pages of the Invincible Iron Man.

Brian Michael Bendis

The architect of the Avengers since Avengers: Disassembled returns H.A.M.M.E.R.,Norman Osborn, and the Dark Avengers to the pages of both Avengers and New Avengers. Bendis also concludes the battle between Wonder Man’s Revengers and the Avengers in the Avengers Annual. Bendis also brings two of his creator-owned projects from Jinxworld: Scarlet and Brilliant as well as two Marvel characters: Ultimate Spider-Man and Moon Knight.

Meanwhile other writers are playing in Bendis’ Avengers sandbox. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade comes to a close leading to an all-new Young Avengers line-up by Alan Heinberg. Cable goes against the Avengers in Avengers: X-Sanction leading to 2012 yet-to-be-announced Marvel event.

Jonathan Hickman

Hickman takes on two titles starting the first family: Fantastic Four and FF while also taking on the Ultimates within the Ultimate Universe.

Jason Aaron

Aaron brings Wolverine and the X-Men back to New York to open the Jean School of Higher Learning while in the Incredible Hulk Banner is separated from his monster. The Wolverine title is restored to its original numbering cumulating to 300 with artist Adam Kubert at the helm. Aaron takes on Frank Castle within the mature title of PunisherMax.

JANUARY 2012 PULL LIST

1/4

Amazing Spider-Man #677

Avengers Annual #1

Avengers:X-Sanction #2

Defenders #2

Hulk #47

Moon Knight #9

Uncanny X-Force #19.1

1/11

Captain America #7

Daredevil #8

Incredible Hulk #4

New Avengers #20

PunisherMax #21

Ultimate Comics X-Men #6

Wolverine #300

Wolverine& The X-Men #6

Scarlet #7

Brilliant #4

1/18

Amazing Spider-Man #678

Avengers #21

Avengers:The Children’s Crusade #9

Invincible Iron Man #512

Ultimate Spider-Man #6

Uncanny X-Force #20

1/25

Fantastic Four #602

FF #14

The Might Thor #10

Ultimates #6