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Marvel Comics JUNE 2020 Empyre Solicitations

Weekly Roundup | Marvel Legacy

Marvel is releasing a 50 page one shot titled Marvel Legacy by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic in September which will revert long-running titles into Legacy numbering. Apparently Marvel Legacy is born out of the Generations event running between August and September 2017. Artist Esad Ribic has worked with Jason Aaron before on Thor and also with Jonathan Hickman on Secret Wars in 2015 where the Fantastic Four began mapping the Marvel Multiverse. Most likely Marvel Legacy is the return of the Fantastic Four as well as a threat discovered while mapping the Marvel Multiverse. 

Devil Comics Review | Silver Surfer #3 [2016] Dan Slott | 50th Anniversary Issue

Hype

The issue celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Silver Surfer hinting at a major turning point in the life of Norrin Radd. The last time writer Dan Slott promised this was in Spider-Man #700 where Doctor Octopus assumed the role to become the Superior Spider-Man. Now we will see what he will do with the Silver Surfer.

Rehash

The Earth is being converted to Zenn-La culture by the Keep of Truth Shalla Bal, the Silver Surfer’s first love. She wants peace throughout the cosmos so she is reshaping worlds into Zenn-La. Shalla Bal took the Thing as her herald and she has him battle the Silver Surfer. The Avengers arrives however Shalla Bal manages to control them as the Silver Surfer makes one last effort to save Earth. The Silver Surfer destroys the Illuminatrix and along with it the Zenn-La culture across all worlds leaving him dead.

Feedback

This would have been wonderful if this was the final issue of the Silver Surfer however we have the next issue and the 200th issue coming up. Whether we will get an all new Silver Surfer remains to be seen but writer Dan Slott pulled it off to give all a very Doctor Whoish series. The solicitations for the next issues leading toward the 200th issue give little hints about the fate of the Silver Surfer except that Dawn Greenwood may become the next Silver Surfer.

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

Devil Comics Review | Secret Wars [2015] Jonathan Hickman | Esad Ribic

The announcement of Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic was released just before the 2014 New York Comic Con. It is the conclusion of Time Runs Out story arcs running between both Avengers and New Avengers. Marvel brought a female Thor, created an arrogant Tony Stark in Superior Iron Man, and made Sam Wilson as Captain America in 2014. Now those characters will face off against their classic versions of their namesakes as well as their multiverse counterparts on Battleworld. Secret Wars is the culmination of Jonathan Hickman’s work at Marvel. From the Ultimate Universe to the Marvel Universe, from the past in SHIELD to the future in Avengers, this is the final act that has been building up since 2012 when Hickman took over the Avengers and New Avengers titles.

Secret Wars #0 sees the Future Foundation kids building a ship to escape the final Incursion with the Ultimate Universe. We are given a history of how the heroes attempted to save us that led to destroying worlds and creating the Cabal. We also see the Ultimate Universe deciding to invade and destroy the Marvel Universe during the final Incursion. The stage is set up for Secret Wars that has been building since 2012. 

Secret Wars #1 follows the endings of Avengers #44, New Avengers #33, and Secret Wars #0. The Ultimate Universe of 1610 decides to invade and destroy the Marvel Universe 616 in a last attempt to save their worlds. The Marvel Universe decides to build life rafts to save the best people to restart humanity. The Guardians of the Galaxy arrive to help protect Earth as well as Cyclop’s Sentinels. The Hulk, She-Hulk, and Colossus travel to Earth-1610 where they topple their headquarters. However the invasion by the Ultimate Universe was only a diversion set up by the Cabal and the Ultimate Reed Richards to set up a second invasion using superior weapons. Cyclops opens the Phoenix Egg to release its powers to become the Phoenix as some of our heroes are rescued on the life raft. The Incursion occurs and both the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe collide leaving nothing.

Secret Wars #2 Victor Von Doom has somehow forged Battleworld with heroes under his control. Doom sits at the throne of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. The Thors act has his Stormtroopers, Doctor Strange is the Law and sheriff, and Valeria Richards is the Foundation. Science is called discovery and religion is called Doom on Battleworld. Borders exist between each kingdoms and a Baron or Baroness controls their provinces.

The Thors arrive on Bar Sinister and charge Mr. Sinister with discord with House Braddock by aligning himself with Hyperion, the Baron of Utopolis. They take him to Doomstadt for judgment at the Court of Doom. He is found guilty and Sinister asks for a trail by combat with Brian Braddock. Sinister wins however Brian Braddock is brought before Doom. Apparently his name Braddock has been whispered in the silent chambers of Manhattan where heretics and thieves are planning to cast down Doom. Jamie Braddock admits he is the one the heretic spoke of. Doom removes Jamie from his position on Avalon and promotes his brother Brian Braddock to Baron.

The life raft from the first issue is discovered and Strange invokes a quarantine. The Thors quarantine the life raft however it opens and slaughters a Thor. It is revealed the Ultimate Reed Richards constructed a life raft for the Cabal to escape and land on Battleworld. 

   

Secret Wars #3 Doom and Strange discuss matters as we discover the Molecule Man sacrificed himself to create Battleworld, Johnny Storm became the Sun, and the unmasking of Doom. Strange arrive at the location of the life raft and the fallen Thor. He meets the Miles Morales Spider-Man who hitched a ride with the Cabal and discovers he remembers the events before Battleworld. Strange takes Miles back to his hidden isle of Agamotto where he opens the first life raft which contains the Marvel heroes including Reed Richards, Black Panther, and Cyclops who is now the Phoenix. They discover Doom created Battleworld as the Thors catch up to the Cabal. 

Secret Wars #4 Doctor Strange explains to our heroes how Doctor Doom created Battleworld as the Thors battle the Cabal. Doom is aware of the battle between the Thors and the Cabal. Strange and the heroes arrive to aid the Thors and Doom notices Reed Richards is among them. Doom arrives and confronts Richards as Cyclops with the power of the Phoenix attempts to stop him. He kills Cyclops and Strange scatters our heroes before Doom has a chance to destroy them. Doom kills Strange for betraying him and now the Richards is back to take back his life. 

Secret Wars #5 sees Hickman pay homage to Thor: The Dark World with the mention of the Ether as we witness the funeral for Sheriff Stephen Strange. Doom visits Owen Reece AKA the Molecule Man who was made by the Beyonders as a bomb to kill a universe. Owen went into the Marvel Multiverse to kill himself to diminish the charge within him and built a religion involving the Black Swans who were determined to kill Owens. He also built a better bomb to destroy the Beyonders and steal their powers. Dr. Strange couldn’t determine which worlds will live or die so he allowed Doom to decide. The Future Foundation hunt down the rebels who they believe killed Sheriff Strange however they soon realize Strange was the one who scattered the heroes. The decide to find out what is really going on and why Doom is scared. 

Secret Wars #6 takes place three weeks after issue five as Doom’s daughter Valeria is tracking the survivors of the Incursions. We see the Maker and Reed Richards working together to stop Doom. Valeria meets Miles Morales and Peter Parker as Spider-Men. Now they discover the Molecule Man created Battleworld. Meanwhile the Prophet is raising an army against Doom as Black Panther and Namor find an Infinity Gauntlet to use against Doom. In the SHIELD detention level Thanos reveals to the Thing that none of this world is reality and asks him to rise against Doom.

Secret Wars #7 Maximus of the Inhumans launches an assault against Doom as well as the Thors and Maestro who sends an army of Hulks. Reed Richards works with his Ultimate counter-part the Maker to stop Doom while the Black Panther and Namor bring the Marvel Zombies to Doom’s doorsteps.

Secret Wars #8 Ben Grimm takes down Maestro and faces Franklin Richards using Galactus’ body. Reed, Star Lord, and the Maker break into Doom’s castle. Star Lord uses Groot to take down Doom’s castle as Doom destroys Thanos. The Marvel Zombies arrive thanks to Black Panther and Namor to Doom’s doorsteps.

Secret Wars #9 Namor and Black Panther confront Doctor Doom with the Infinity Gauntlet before Doom realized it was all a distraction. Reed Richards meets his wife Susan Storm and daughter Valeria before taking his counter-part from the Ultimate Universe the Maker to the source of Doom’s powers, the Molecule Man. The Maker betrays Reed by turning him into a monkey however the Molecule Man turns Reed back while changing the Maker into pizza. Doom arrives and the Molecule Man makes it a fair fight between Reed and Doom. During the battle Doom agrees that Reed could have created a better world so the Molecule Man empowers him.

The Prime Earth of the Marvel Universe is created where Wakanda has a space program to explore the twelve planets of the Solar System. Molecule Man thanks Miles Morales for the burger and returns him with his parents on Prime Earth.

Franklin Richards helps shape the new universes with the help of his father Reed and the Molecule Man. The Fantastic Four and the Future Foundation are left to shape universes and explore the multiverse. Ben and Johnny are back on Prime Earth along with a restored Doctor Doom. Writer Jonathan Hickman gives us his send off from the Marvel Universe by putting everything back in the bottle from his run in Avengers and expanding the Marvel Universe. For the time being this will be the last Fantastic Four story. 

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

Secret Wars Variant Action Figure Covers [2015] John Tyler Christopher

Film Review: Fantastic Four [2015]

Sony’s Spider-Man is now apart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will premiere next year in Captain America: Civil War. Both Fox Studios franchises X-Men and Fantastic Four are not. Currently the X-Men movies have been going down in quality since the return of Bryan Singer. Now the Fantastic Four arrives ten years after the original with a white Susan Storm and African-American Johnny Storm. It would have been brave if they were both African-American instead of creating diversity for diversity’s sake. Susan Storm is adopted by Dr. Franklin Richards. The trailers of the Fantastic Four sound if they were from the nineties with excessive exposition on describing situations instead of situations forcing the characters into action. Dialogue like “We should use these powers to help people” just gives us a glimpse of how bad this version of the Fantastic Four will be. Then we have a naked Thing. 

The movie begins Reed Richards and his best friend Ben Grimm create a teleporter using spare parts from his family's junkyard. During a school science fair they repeat the experiment which gets them recruited by the Baxter Foundation by Dr. Franklin Storm to help create a teleporter to a new dimension to exploit the resources. They are joined by Victor Von Doom, Johnny and Susan Storm. When Dr. Allen of the Baxter Foundation decides to hand over the tech to NASA after the successful first test launch, Reed, Victor, and Johnny decide they should be the first to take the leap into the teleporter to Planet Zero with Ben Grimm in tow.

Each of the Fantastic Four’s powers evolved through circumstances of contacting with some goo on Planet Zero. Doom’s suit is melted onto him, Ben’s capsule is filled with rocks, Johnny’s by fire, Sue protects herself while returning the men home, and Reed stretches after having his leg caught in debris. They are captured by the military in Area 57 and one year later they have all moved on. 

The Thing is used as a weapon for covert operations and they use him to track and trap Reed Richards. They want him to reopen the portal back to Planet Zero so they can find answers on how they can cure themselves. Meanwhile Victor was left for dead on Planet Zero and he created the teleporter at the Baxter Foundation. He believes Earth doesn’t need saving because people are running it into the ground but later he worked with Reed to develop a working teleporter. However it was Reed and Susan who finished the project that Victor started. 

One year later the team that was sent back to Planet Zero, discover Victor is still alive and transformed so they bring him back. Now he psychic powers and kills Dr. Franklin Storm before heading back home. However the portal created a black hole which will destroy the Earth leading the battle between Doom and the Fantastic Four. If you didn’t know anything about the Fantastic Four then this would have been a great movie. However in the age of the internet the audience expected a lot more from the new Fantastic Four than the one that premiered ten years ago.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5

E95: Avengers #44 | New Avengers #33 | Fantastic Four #645 Reviews [Devil Comics Entertainment]

Avengers #44 prepares the final two Marvel universes (616 and 1610) to face the final Incursion in Secret Wars. In the Marvel 616 Universe the heroes are preparing who should be saved during the upcoming Incursion on the lifeboat. Steve Rogers makes it clear he does not want Tony Stark on it and decides to settle the matter face-to-face with four minutes left before the Incursion. The two battle it out as a SHIELD Helicarrier crashes onto of them as world burns. The issue comes full circle from the first issue of Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers where the two friends of Steve and Tony become their worst enemies. A heartbreaking issue as the two heroes battle it out with one another in their final moments.

New Avengers #33 sees the Molecule Man educated Doctor Doom by comparing how he is the same within the multiverse. He kills an early version of himself in one universe thereby creating a bomb that will go off in 25 years. He sends Doom into the Multiverse to kill other Molecule Men thereby causing the Incursions and the contraction of the Multiverse. Doom did this to stop the Beyonders from doing the same thing and to allow something to survive. However Doom underestimated the Beyonders as they destroyed most of the Multiverse leaving only two dozen left. The issue shows how Doom wanted to control his destiny however ended up destroying it on the eve of Secret Wars. 

The finale of Fourever begins as Quiet Man loses control as the Psycho Man is controlling the chaos. Susan, Namor, and Sleepwalker fight within the dreamscape as Franklin attempts to shut down it down. The Frightful Four joins the Thing and takes on the Heroes Reborn Avengers. Reed Richards and his daughter have found out a way to shut down the portals however Susan and Franklin need to return from the dreamscape. They finally escape as the portals and the Heroes Reborn Avengers are shut down while the Psycho Man is trapped in the dreamscape. This is the final issue of the Fantastic Four however with the upcoming movie it seems like Marvel may want to launch a new first issue. Only time will tell after Secret Wars but bringing the series back after another send-off seems pointless after building up the hype this is truly the final issue of the Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four: The End is Fourever [2015] by James Robinson | Leonard Kirk

FANTASTIC FOUR VOL.4: THE END IS FOUREVER TPB

The Fantastic Four comes to an end again and this time it’s with writer James Robinson. Fantastic Four returns to its original numbering as it nears its end. The issue is a rehash of the previous issue continuing with the Quiet Man tormenting Reed Richards as he explains he has been behind all the mishaps against them. He plans to frame Reed with an invasion and disgracing him. Meanwhile Bentley rescues Franklin Richards as SHIELD recruits Sleepwalker. This issue is fragmented with fights, brawls, and dialogue which seems inconsistent from writer James Robinson. Hopefully everything will be explained before the series wraps up. 

The second part of End of Fourever continues as SHIELD recruits Sleepwalker to enter Franklin Richards dreamscape as the Quiet Man unleashes monsters worldwide. Reed Richards breaks free from the Quiet Man and reunites with the Fantastic Four as Franklin and the Future Foundation kids return. As the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man stop the invasion of monsters, the Heroes Reborn Avengers arrives to cause havoc on our world. Writer James Robinson writes a below average tale and reintroduces the Sleepwalker however does not use him within this issue. Much like the last issue this issue seems pointless. Marvel seems to be closing down the Fantastic Four until the new rebooted movie arrives in August 2015 or after the Secret Wars event. 

Fantastic Four #644 sees the Fantastic Four united as they defend against the monsters from Franklin Richard’s dreamscape and the Heroes Reborn Avengers. Reed Richards takes on the Quiet Man while Susan with the help of Sleepwalker enter Franklin’s dreamscape only to discover Psycho Man behind the chaos. 

The finale of Fourever begins as Quiet Man loses control as the Psycho Man is controlling the chaos. Susan, Namor, and Sleepwalker fight within the dreamscape as Franklin attempts to shut down it down. The Frightful Four joins the Thing and takes on the Heroes Reborn Avengers. Reed Richards and his daughter have found out a way to shut down the portals however Susan and Franklin need to return from the dreamscape. They finally escape as the portals and the Heroes Reborn Avengers are shut down while the Psycho Man is trapped in the dreamscape. This is the final issue of the Fantastic Four however with the upcoming movie it seems like Marvel may want to launch a new first issue. Only time will tell after Secret Wars but bringing the series back after another send-off seems pointless after building up the hype this is truly the final issue of the Fantastic Four.

This hardcover collects

Fantastic Four #642-645

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

E79: Ant-Man #3 | Fantastic Four #644 | Wolverines #10 Reviews [Devil Comics Entertainment]

Ant-Man #3 sees Scott Lang targeted by Taskmaster as a diversion so his daughter Cassie could be kidnapped by Augustine Cross the son of Darren Cross who plans on resurrecting his father.

Fantastic Four #644 sees the Fantastic Four united as they defend against the monsters from Franklin Richard’s dreamscape and the Heroes Reborn Avengers. Reed Richards takes on the Quiet Man while Susan with the help of Sleepwalker enter Franklin’s dreamscape only to discover Psycho Man behind the chaos. 

Wolverines #10 begins with Fang taking Sabretooth away from the rest of the Wolverines on an adventure 68 light years outside the galaxy. Fang has plans to storm the flagship of a pirate fleet leading to Sabretooth slaughtering them for their crimes. Fang returns home with Sabretooth and takes X-23 Laura on his next adventure as Mystique has a plan to stop Fang. Overall the Wolverines weekly series is not perfect but it’s a fun read giving us a perspective of how Wolverine affected their lives and others. 

E73: Spider-Verse Epilogue | Superior Iron Man #5 | Fantastic Four #643 Reviews [Devil Comics Entertainment]

The epilogue of Spider-Verse sees the multiverse of Spider-Men and women return to their respective realities. Spider-Girl returns home with Uncle Ben who now is a grandfather. After the events of Spider-Verse, Mayday Parker has decided to don her father’s costume and become Spider-Woman. Meanwhile Superior Spider-Man decides to destroy the Great Web after realizing he will eventually be defeated by Peter Parker. The 616 Spider-Men and women are determined to stop Superior Spider-Man from causing further damage. Superior Spider-Man returns to his own time with no memory of the events of Spider-Verse. Spider-Uk discovers his reality was consumed by the incursions leading him and Anya to become the Web Warriors of the Multiverse. We also see Kaine who was previously killed be reborn again. Out of all the issues of Spider-Verse, the epilogue issue is pure Dan Slott returning to his excellence.

The first arc of Superior Iron Man comes to a close as we learn the origin of Teen Abomination. His mother Katrina Carlson used to work at Stark Industries dealing with Gamma Rays until an accident occurred leading to her firing eight years ago. She died two weeks ago as Jamie became the Teen Abomination. Stark discovers the father of Jamie is Happy Hogan and agrees to sincerely help him. Tom Taylor does it again as the reader becomes fully invested in the story as a connection is made with one of Stark’s supporting characters.

The second part of End of Fourever continues as SHIELD recruits Sleepwalker to enter Franklin Richards dreamscape as the Quiet Man unleashes monsters worldwide. Reed Richards breaks free from the Quiet Man and reunites with the Fantastic Four as Franklin and the Future Foundation kids return. As the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man stop the invasion of monsters, the Heroes Reborn Avengers arrives to cause havoc on our world. Writer James Robinson writes a below average tale and reintroduces the Sleepwalker however does not use him within this issue. Much like the last issue this issue seems pointless. Marvel seems to be closing down the Fantastic Four until the new rebooted movie arrives in August 2015 or after the Secret Wars event.