Highlights from Marvel July 2013 solicitations

Age of Ultron #10 U.C. Teaser

After looking at the DC Comics July solicitations the other day, it’s only fair that Marvel gets a proper look in for those important summer months (or winter as the case may be here in Australia).

While DC are launching headlong into their Trinity War, Marvel are mysteriously teasing something called Age Of Ultron #10 U.C. What could it possibly stand for? There’s an alternate retelling of Avengers Vs. X-Men in What If AVX? (sigh), Superior Spider-Month launches, Deadpool Kills Deadpool while we see Wolverine In the Flesh.

I See You: Age of A.I…and U.C?

Age of Ultron #10 U.C. TeaserWe already know that Avengers A.I. #1 will launch the “Age of A.I.” in July with a team of robot Avengers. Yet now there is a new solicitation for something simply (or complexly) titled Age of Ultron #10 U.C., which confusingly follows both Age of Ultron #10 and Age of Ultron #10A.I. Clear as mud, now?

The actual solicitation offers no help either:

AGE OF ULTRON #10 U.C.
CLASSIFIED (W) • CLASSIFIED (A/C)
32 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ …$3.99

The image is big and purple and mentions a hunger. Who is big and purple and hungry? Our mind immediately goes to Galactus, as it has been a while since we’ve seen him hanging around the Marvel Universe, and it is a year of cosmic happenings after all.

We’ll bring you more as soon as we work out what the hell is going on, and maybe something useful like who is writing this mystery box within a purple enigma.

Superior Spider-Month

Another one we’ve already covered to death, with Marvel announcing the The Superior Foes Of Spider-Man #1, Superior Carnage #1, Superior Spider-Man Team Up #1 and of course, Superior Spider-Man’s “Shadowland” arc to come in July. It seems that Doc Ock has found a better way to make Spider-Man a success story, and it’s by putting “Superior” in front of a whole bunch of a different Spider-Books.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers #1

Guardians of the Galaxy and the Bendis/Gaiman Ultimate Team-Up

Speaking of wringing the pockets, Guardians of the Galaxy have become a big cash-cow again and for pretty good reason. Fond memories of the DnA run and the dream-team of Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven have launched the reboot in style. July brings the highly publicised Bendis team-up with Neil Gaiman for Guardians of the Galaxy #5, perhaps leading on from Gaiman’s Angela character appearing in Age of Ultron #10. July will give us a double-whammy of Guardians as Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow’s Avengers #1 is released as a one-shot, solicited as a chance to find out more about Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax and Groot. However, judging from the creative teams of writer Bendis and artists Mike Oeming, Ming Doyle & Michael Del Mundo, this simply seems to be a reprint of the previously digital-only Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comics. Ka-ching! The Ming Doyle cover sure is nice though.

What if AvX…left and never returned?

AvX was arguably one of the weakest events of the last few years, and yet it has given us countless spin-offs and indeed, the backbone of several Marvel NOW! titles going into 2013. As the solicitation reads, “We all know what happened to the Avengers and the X-Men… but what if the story had gone differently?” Many of us were left wondering this, along with questions like ‘What if the story hadn’t been treading water for 8 of its 12 issues?’ and ‘Will this event simply lead into another event?’ We may never know the answer to these questions, but we will presumably find out what would have happened if the Phoenix Force hadn’t been defeated and the world had actually ended. I think we may have saved you four issues of reading there, but look out for the entire What If? AvX #1 – 4 mini-series to be released weekly in July.

Wolverine: In the Flesh #1

And now the rest…

  • The final act of the Deadpool Killogy begins in Deadpool Kills Deadpool #1
  • Wolverine: In the Flesh #1: Reality star Chris Cosentino tells a tale about Wolverine and food like only a Top Chef Master can! What part about “Adamantium claws meet steel kitchen knives in a culinary caper staring your favorite costumed Canadian!” doesn’t excite you? None of it? Us either!
  • Eric Shanower and Skottie Young launch straight into a new 5-part series, this time for The Emerald City of Oz #1.

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