In our latest recap of the weekly news from Marvel Comics comes news on what they have planned for the 25th anniversary of MARVELS, news about FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK coming in January, variant covers featuring the Skrulls, and Captain Marvel, in February, a new mini-series about Darth Vader, and more.
On Monday, Marvel announced plans for a special week dedicated to Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four.
The week of January 8th will kick off with a special livestream on Marvel.com and will continue with special editions of Marvel’s weekly shows including This Week in Marvel and Earth’s Mightiest Show.
To commemorate over 50 years of the team, Marvel will release variant covers that feature of of the team’s most notable antiheroes in December.
On Monday night the second trailer for CAPTAIN MARVEL dropped, and with it came a good look at The Skrulls. Coming this February to the comic side of Marvel will be a series of variant covers featuring characters taking on (or being impersonated by) some of the shape shifting race of green skinned aliens.
Some of the artists who will be contributing to the 22 different variant covers include Bobby Rubio, Mike McKone, Ryan Benjamin, Humberto Ramos, Annie Wu, and a LOT more.
The Skrull variants aren’t the only Captain Marvel related variant coming to shops.
Captain Marvel herself will be adorning 5 different variant covers (4 of which you can see below) from artists Mike Hawthorne, Gerald Parel, Valerio Schiti, and Jesus Saiz in February. No preview was released for the cover done by Pepe Larraz.
On Wednesday a new limited series featuring Darth Vader was announced. The series titled STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS will debut in March with 2 issues. Dennis Hopeless will write both while Paolo Villanelli will handle art for the first issue and Brian Level taking the art reins for the second issue.
The first two issue of the 5 part series that will take “readers to the darkest parts of the galaxy. Places where even the mysterious anti-hero known as Darth Vader can be someone’s greatest fear, and even…someone’s greatest hope ” will both feature cover art from Greg Smallwood.
On Friday, Marvel announced that the most famous resident of Cimmeria will be crossing over with The Avengers when
AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME #6 gets released in March.
The issue from the team of writers Al Ewing, Mark Waid, and Jim Zub along with artist Sean Izaakse will see Scarlet Witch entering the Hyborian Age which leads to the Avengers teaming up with Conan to take on the Queen of the Night.
Look for the issue at your local comic book shop on March 20th, 2019 with a cover from Yasmine Putri.
The Conan crossover with The Avengers wasn’t the only Conan news this week as it was also announced that AGE OF CONAN: BÊLIT #1 from
Tini Howard and artist Kate Niemczyk will be released in March.
The five part series will showcase one of more memorable companions of r Conan in Bêlit, Queen of the Black Coast and how she came to be.
The first issue is set for release on March 13th, 2019 and will be released with two cover versions; the main one from Sana Takeda and a variant from Afu Chan.
One of my favorite mini-series from the 90s will turn 25 next year, and to celebrate the anniversary Marvel has some big plans.
In 1994 MARVELS from writer Kurt Busiek and artist Alex Ross was released. The series chronicled some of the noteworthy events in the Marvel Universe as seen by photographer Phil Sheldon from the first Human Torch up to until the death of Gwen Stacy.
The four part series won multiple Eisner Awards and for it’s 25th anniversary Marvel is releasing a few variant covers with art painted by Ross as well as a MARVELS ANNOTATED series with never seen before commentary from Busiek and Ross.
I for one can’t wait for the four part Marvels Annotated series to come out.
Full press releases are below. All artwork courtesy of Marvel.
GET READY FOR FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK!
Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Week kicks off live this January!
New York, NY – December 3, 2018 – Last August, the Fantastic Four ruled the comic bestseller charts with their critically-acclaimed return to the Marvel Universe, becoming one of the industry’s top-selling books of the year. Fans and critics alike have praised the new adventures of Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben, and this January, the celebration continues when FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK kicks off with a special livestream event on Marvel.com, January 8!
Running from January 8–16, FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK will offer fans a sneak peek into what’s next for Marvel’s First Family – with special episodes of shows like This Week in Marvel and Earth’s Mightiest Show, exclusive video interviews, Fantastic Four trivia, curated reading lists, delicious themed recipes, and more! Marvel fans will also have a chance to order limited-edition Fantastic Four apparel in January to celebrate their favorite characters.
Marvel will also be celebrating over 50 years of the Fantastic Four with special variant covers showcasing the team’s most memorable antiheroes! Featuring stunning art by Marcos Martin, Adi Granov, Marko Djurdjevic, and more, these variant covers will be on over 20 select titles at your favorite comic shops this December. And on January 16, as the culmination of FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK, Marvel will be releasing the first of four all-new mystery variants, starting with “The Herald of Doom” storyline in Fantastic Four #6 by Dan Slott and Aaron Kuder!
Whether you’re being introduced to the Super Hero family for the first time or re-living their iconic adventures, you won’t want to miss this exclusive week of nonstop Fantastic Four festivities.
Tune in to Marvel.com’s live stream on January 8 to kick off FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK! For more information and updates on FANTASTIC FOUR: WORLD’S GREATEST WEEK, visit www.marvel.com/fantasticfourweek.
More details on products will be shared over the coming weeks.
The “Herald of Doom” arrives with FANTASTIC FOUR #6, on sale January 16!
Skrulls Take Center Stage This February!
Featuring art from Annie Wu, Lee Garbett, Pepe Larraz, and more!
New York, NY—December 4, 2018—Before you meet them in Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, see them on the covers of your favorite comic books! This February, Marvel is celebrating one of the universe’s most famous alien race with a series of variant covers featuring key Marvel characters taking on shape-shifting Krees!
Look for Marvel’s Skrull variant covers on these select titles:
1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15 by Lee Garbett
2. AVENGERS #14 by Carlos Pacheco
3. BLACK PANTHER #9 by Ryan Benjamin
4. CAPTAIN AMERICA #8 by Nick Bradshaw
5. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #3 Pepe Larraz
6. DAREDEVIL #1 Humberto Ramos
7. DEADPOOL #9 by Mike Hawthorne
8. FANTASTIC FOUR #7 Mike McKone
9. HULKVERINES #1 TBD
10. IMMORTAL HULK #13 Chris Stevens
11. LOVE ROMANCES #1 Annie Wu
12. SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST SPIDER #5 Pasqual Ferry
13. THE GUNHAWKS #1 Bob McLeod
14. THOR #10 Khary Randolph
15. TONY STARK: IRON MAN #9 Khoi Pham
16. UNCANNY X-MEN #11 Inhyuk Lee
17. UNCANNY X-MEN: WINTER’S END Tom Raney
18. VENOM #11 John Tyler Christopher
19. WOLVERINE: INFINITY WATCH #1 Jee Hyung Lee
20. X-23 #9 Ema Lupacchino
21. X-FORCE #3 Butch Guice
22. ZIGGY PIG – SILLY SEAL COMICS #1 Bobby Rubio
Don’t miss your chance to collect all 22 variant covers, coming to comic shops this February!
Captain Marvel Blasts onto Comic Covers This February!
New York, NY—December 4, 2018—Captain Marvel is heading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel is celebrating the legacy of Carol Danvers with special variant covers from superstar artists Mike Hawthorne, Gerald Parel, Pepe Larraz, Valerio Schiti and Jesus Saiz!
Look for Marvel’s CAPTAIN MARVEL variant covers on these select titles:
1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16 by Mike Hawthorne with colors by Nathan Fairbairn
2. AVENGERS #15 by Gerald Parel
3. CHAMPIONS #2 by Pepe Larraz
4. FANTASTIC FOUR #4 by Valerio Schiti with colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
5. SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #3 by Jesus Saiz
Don’t miss your chance to collect all five variant covers, coming to comic shops this February!
Unearth the Secrets of Darth Vader in STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS!
New York, NY—December 5, 2018—Who is Darth Vader? You’ve known him as a symbol of power, a villainous commander, and a Sith Warrior. But this March, get ready to see a side of Vader you’ve neverseen before – and a side that the galaxy has never seen before!
Writer Dennis Hopeless (Cloak and Dagger, Jean Grey) invites you to experience all-new twisted adventures of the Dark Lord. With rising star artist Paolo Villanelli (Star Wars: Lando Double or Nothing, Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation) taking on issue #1 and break-out artist Brian Level (Thanos Legacy, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows) joining for issue #2, STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS takes readers to the darkest parts of the galaxy. Places where even the mysterious anti-hero known as Darth Vader can be someone’s greatest fear, and even…someone’s greatest hope!
The limited series begins this spring, in a story that will shed a new light on the many sides of the galaxy’s greatest villain.
Don’t miss STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS, in comic shops this March!
STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS #1 (OF 5)
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by PAOLO VILLANELLI
Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
STAR WARS: VADER – DARK VISIONS #2 (OF 5)
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by BRIAN LEVEL
Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD
Universes Collide!
Conan Enters The Marvel Universe in AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME!
New York, NY—December 7, 2018—The all-new weekly Avengers event continues in March with an epic story from Al Ewing, Mark Waid, and Jim Zub, with art by Sean Izaakse and Paco Medina – and the famed barbarian himself is slashing his way into the Marvel Universe in AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME!
It all starts when The Scarlet Witch enters the Hyborian Age, and continues when the Avengers take their fight to the Queen of the Night! And while Conan and the Avengers will fight together, the question remains…whose side is Conan really on?
It’s an action-filled, jam-packed story that you won’t want to miss, and it all starts in AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME #6 – when the Marvel Universe will be forever changed, by Crom!
AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME #6
Written by AL EWING, MARK WAID, JIM ZUB
Art by SEAN IZAAKSE
Cover by YASMINE PUTRI
On Sale 3/20/19
The Pirate Queen Returns in AGE OF CONAN: BÊLIT!
Featuring a story by Tini Howard and art by Kate Niemczyk!
New York, NY—December 7, 2018—Those who know her fear her…and those who know the sea have felt her wrath. This March, the AGE OF CONAN will showcase one of Conan’s most formidable and memorable companions: the one and only Bêlit, Queen of the Black Coast!
In an all-new story from rising star Tini Howard (Marvel Knights 20th, Captain America Annual #1) and artist Kate Niemczyk (Mockingbird, Invincible Iron Man), learn how the most formidable pirate queen came to be, as a teenage Bêlit stows away on the ship of the Dread Admiral Atrahasis…her adventures leading her down a dangerous and deadly road, one that will change her life and the lives of all who roam the seas of the Hyborian Age!
Plus, don’t miss the first chapter in an all-new BÊLIT prose novella, presented here for the first time!
Witness the She-Devil of the Sea in all her glory when AGE OF CONAN: BÊLIT #1 arrives in comic shops this March!
AGE OF CONAN: BÊLIT #1 (of 5)
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by KATE NIEMCZYK
Cover by SANA TAKEDA
Variant Cover by AFU CHAN
On Sale 3/13/19
Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of MARVELS!
Don’t miss the return of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross with curated behind-the-scenes content, exclusive reprints, variants, and more commemorating the landmark series MARVELS
New York, NY – December 7, 2018 – Years ago, photojournalist Phil Sheldon reported an unprecedented story spanning the history of the Marvel Universe – from larger-than-life battles in New York City to incredible Super Heroes soaring through the sky – through his own eyes, changing the way the world looked at the Marvel Universe. Lauded as “a classic and watershed moment for the industry” by IGN and “a landmark” by Publisher’s Weekly, join us next year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed series MARVELS.
MARVELS ANNOTATED:
In February, don’t miss the MARVELS ANNOTATED series kicking off with never-before-seen commentary from Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. Read the original MARVELS series with new covers and insight from the creators themselves.
MARVELS VARIANT COVERS:
Marvel will release exclusive monthly MARVELS 25th anniversary variant covers, painted by the legendary Alex Ross, starting with FANTASTIC FOUR #6 in January, TONY STARK: IRON MAN #9 in February, and THE IMMORTAL HULK #15 in March! Later in June, 20 artists will come together to pay tribute in a MARVELS 25thanniversary homage variant program across Marvel’s most popular titles.
MARVELS REMASTERED:
As part of the anniversary, MARVELS has also been remastered and reprinted in a trade paperback for fans to enjoy, on sale now!
MARVELS ANNOTATED #1 (OF 4)
ALEX ROSS & KURT BUSIEK (W) • ALEX ROSS (A/C)
VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY PAOLO RIVERA
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series that changed the way we look at super heroes, the landmark MARVELS is back! In the year 1939, young photojournalist Phil Sheldon attends the sensational unveiling of the fiery android Human Torch — little knowing he is witnessing the dawn of the Age of Marvels! Prepare to relive Marvel’s Golden Age from a whole new point of view as Phil covers the superhuman sightings of the 1930s and 1940s — from the terror caused by the Human Torch’s epic clash with the Sub-Mariner to the patriotism stirred by the debut of Captain America and more! Packed with extras and completely remastered, you don’t want to miss this unique look back at the MARVELS phenomenon! Collecting MARVELS #0-1.
MARVELS ANNOTATED #2 (OF 4)
ALEX ROSS & KURT BUSIEK (W) • ALEX ROSS (A/C)
VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY PAOLO RIVERA
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series that changed the way we look at super heroes, the landmark MARVELS is back — with all-new commentary from comic book masters Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross! Phil Sheldon, photographer for the Daily Bugle, trains his eagle eye on the birth of the Marvels — from Earth’s Mightiest Heroes assembling as the Avengers to the wedding of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl. But when the X-Men’s public debut brings about a surge of anti-mutant hysteria, the issue hits home for Phil in a very personal way! Packed with extras and completely remastered, you don’t want to miss this unique look back at the MARVELS phenomenon! Collecting MARVELS #2.
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