THE MARVEL TO COME: NOVEMBER AND 2006's TRADES

[MattBrady]

This week eagled-eyed comic book fans who knew where to look got a possible glimpse into some of Marvel’s future plans. Marvel’s email newsletter to retailers and database for the ‘nets largest online bookseller were updated with information that may or may not serve as a crystal ball for upcoming Marvel offerings.

Starting with the more reliable of the two, on Tuesday Marvel released the following info to retailers, intended to demonstrate the significance of what’s currently occurring the House of M. Information that has since found its way into several public forums.

Here’s what Marvel had to say…

”The core of our publishing plan for the next 18 months springs out of House of M and the events therein. Immediately after House of M finishes, you’ll see a number of projects, storylines, specials and one-shots that deal with the instantaneous ramifications of the climax of House of M while setting the stage for the big event of 2006. Among these projects are:

November
House Of M: The Day After One-shot
Generation M Limited Series
X-Men: Deadly Genesis (30th anniversary of the All-New, All-Different X-Men) Limited Series [editor’s note: Newsarama’s story/preview].
Wolverine #36 begins a year-long story arc, “The Quest,” directly out of the events of HoM
Son of M Limited Series

And in 2006:
New Avengers #15 begins a six-issue arc introducing a major new villain out of the HoM

You’ll hear more details about these and other House of M aftermath projects as the weeks go by!”

Marvel did not comment on any of these titles when asked by Newsarama for details, creative teams, and clarification.

As for that online bookseller mentioned above, every few months industrious comic book readers (and members of the press) will head on over to Amazon.com, and using the online giant’s Search tools find early listings for potential Marvel trade paperbacks and collections.

Because Marvel sells to the mass book market well in advance of the three month window common in the direct market, the publisher prepares a special bookstore catalog (published twice a year) and “sell sheets” for bookstore buyers, sometimes offering products over a year before their scheduled mass market publication, which could equate to up to 6 to 9 months in the direct market.

And occasionally, Amazon updates their database with some of these listings far in advance of their direct market solicitation.

One caveat to this sort of online prospecting, however, is that since the listings are so far in advance, they often have little to no creator or story details, and can be in fact tentative, with projects never actually making it to the direct or any other market. So while reading the below, bare in mind while the projects listed probably now or at least once appeared on a Marvel editorial calendar, these is no 100% guarantee they’ll eventually be published and many of them are subject to interpretation.

So with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s see what Amazon has to offer.

- Marvel’s very first listing when sorted by publication date is August 2006’s “Angel: Fallen”, listed as 120 pages and collecting “Angel: Fallen #1-5”, perhaps referring to an Angel solo series of some kind.

- Also in August is something titled “Nextwave”, a 144-pager collecting “Nextwave #1-6”. Your guess is as good as ours. Reportedly, “Nextwave” is Warren Ellis’ forthcoming team book.

- ”Silver Sable/Dominic Fortune”, collecting #1-6 of a title by that name has a July 2006 arrival date, as does a 120-page “Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Digest”.

- July ‘06’s “The Essential Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition Volume 1 TPB” - 496 pages for $16.99 (Amazon’s price) collecting “OHOTMU Deluxe (1st 3rd)” will be preceded in May ’06 by the “Essential Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe Volume 1 TPB”, 544 pages (same price) collecting “OHOTMU #1-15”.

- ”X-Men: Deadly Genesis” appears twice in Marvel’s listings, once as a “Premiere Hardcover” in June ‘06 and earlier as a TPB scheduled for May, as do other recently announced projects like “Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos” (though referred only as “Howling Commandos” on Amazon).

- ”Zombie” is an unidentified 104-page June ’06 TPB, though it seems likely to have some relation to December’s “Essential Tales Of The Zombie Volume 1 TPB”. Here’s Amazon’s description of the latter collection along with an image.

“He lives! He strikes! No grave can hold him! Nothing can stop the man without a soul! Marked for human sacrifice by voodoo practitioners, Simon Garth was instead reanimated by mystical means - to be controlled by whoever holds the fabled Amulet of Damballah. And so begin the Tales of the Zombie! Collects stories from Tales of the Zombie #1-10; Dracula Lives #1-2.”

- One interesting title of a collection for a current Marvel title is May 06’s “Black Panther: The Wedding”, 184 pages collecting Black Panther #7-13.

- Other less descript titles of trade paperbacks of monthly series include “The Incredible Hulk: Peace in Our Time” and “X-Men: House of Broken Dreams”.

A 152-page “House Of M: Aftermath TPB” is listed for May ’06, likely having some relation to the information from this week’s retailer newsletter.

- ”Fantastic Four: Invulnerable” collects something listed as “Fantastic Four: Invulnerable #1-4” in March 2006.

- And in February, a 144-page “Cloak & Dagger Volume 1 TPB” is listed. Though there is no information as to what is being collected new or older material, but the 144-page count seems to indicate a 6-issue collection. This may be a good time to mention obviously Marvel does offer new collections of old series sometimes, so Cloak & Dagger fans proceed with even more caution than usual with your optimism here.

”Essential X-Factor Volume 1 TPB” is a 568-page volume and this one also has a description:

”The death of Jean Grey re-defined the X-Men, but her resurrection did nothing less! Recovered by the Avengers and revived by the Fantastic Four, Jean's return re-grouped her fellow founders into a supposed mutant-hunting unit that ferreted out some of mutantdom's rising stars - including the devastating debut of the ancient evil everyone identifies as Apocalypse! With Mystique, the Morlocks, and the Master Mold! Featuring tie-ins to the infamous Mutant Massacre! Guest-starring Thor and Power Pack! Collects X-Factor #1-16, Annual #1, Avengers #262, Fantastic Four #286, Thor #373-374, and Power Pack #27.”

Peter David’s initial X-Factor story arc also had a trade paperback coming.

Finally, a “Captain Universe TPB” (Feb. ’06) collecting “Captain Universe 2nd Series #1-5” almost certainly has some relation to the Jay Faerber written event that begins as back-ups in the fall’s Amazing Fantasy #13-14.

[motteditor]

Peter David’s initial X-Factor story arc also had a trade paperback coming.

For whatever reason, I had no interest in David's X-Factor back then. I might have to give it another try now, see if it's more to my 10+ year older tastes (hard to believe it's been that long, but I remember my best friend in high school getting the books).

[Howard]

One thing you didn't mention is a 6th Runaways digest, that collects issues 13-18, meaning the book appears to be safe through at least 18 at this point.

(If memory serves me correctly, BKV mentioned the book was guaranteed through 12 at least but hasn't mentioned past that as far as I know)

[Aaron]

The only two projects I'm even remotely excited about here are the two Essentials. It's nice to see Marvel's continuing to put them out in some kind of sequence, since the X-Men Essentials are now up to the point where X-Factor begins (although we never saw a New Mutants Essential.) I do hope there's more in the works than just these two, though. Marvel's been very good at releasing about one new book a month, I'd hate to see them slow that schedule down again in 2006.

The rest of it? House of Meh.

Aaron

[joekelly007]

so apparently, DC is still the ORIGINAL universe.............

instead of trying to revive its broken '70s concepts , Marvel needs to recapture the spirit of the '80s , give me ROGER STERN'S AVENGERS over BMB FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH-we are just using spidey and wolverine to boost sales nonsense.............

[Tom Daylight]

Shouldn't that be New Avengers #16? #7-10 is a Sentry story with art by Steve McNiven, #11-13 the Ronin story with art by David Finch and #14-15, as I understood it, a Spider-Woman story with art by Frank Cho?

[Rod Odom]

Originally posted by joekelly007
so apparently, DC is still the ORIGINAL universe.............

instead of trying to revive its broken '70s concepts , Marvel needs to recapture the spirit of the '80s , give me ROGER STERN'S AVENGERS over BMB FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH-we are just using spidey and wolverine to boost sales nonsense.............

There are a lot of Roger Stern fans out there. Marvel would like to pretend they don't exist; they haven't published anything by him in five years. Please visit Roger's message board at www.sterntalk.net and show your support.

[david r]

Originally posted by Aaron
The only two projects I'm even remotely excited about here are the two Essentials. It's nice to see Marvel's continuing to put them out in some kind of sequence, since the X-Men Essentials are now up to the point where X-Factor begins (although we never saw a New Mutants Essential.) I do hope there's more in the works than just these two, though. Marvel's been very good at releasing about one new book a month, I'd hate to see them slow that schedule down again in 2006.

Hadn't you heard. Marvel will be releasing 24, I say 24!! Essentials in 2006.

That should be a lot of B&W reading!!

[ghostly1]

Originally posted by Howard
One thing you didn't mention is a 6th Runaways digest, that collects issues 13-18, meaning the book appears to be safe through at least 18 at this point.

(If memory serves me correctly, BKV mentioned the book was guaranteed through 12 at least but hasn't mentioned past that as far as I know)

He did mention on his site at one point that because of the sales of the first couple issue, it's safe to at least 18.

[Marxist 64]

According to this post the lastest Wizard confirms that Nextwave is the new Ellis team book.

[Rich Johnston]

Warren Ellis and Stuart Immomen - Nextwave.

"An elite, superhuman task force of H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort), the Nextwave team was orginally hired by the government to stop superhuman terroists, but finds their own organization is the one behind big-time bad guys taking out small towns in rural states where superheroes never venture, and decide to turn on their former bosses"

Machine Man, Pulsar, Boom Boom and more.

[Gerson]

Originally posted by Rich Johnston
Also: No mention of Nextwave, the new Warren Ellis Marvel team book, also a TPB on Amazon...

Don't know what you mean. Ellis book was mentioned in the article:

- Also in August is something titled “Nextwave”, a 144-pager collecting “Nextwave #1-6”. Your guess is as good as ours. Reportedly, “Nextwave” is Warren Ellis’ forthcoming team book.

[dr.no]

Originally posted by joekelly007
so apparently, DC is still the ORIGINAL universe.............

instead of trying to revive its broken '70s concepts , Marvel needs to recapture the spirit of the '80s , give me ROGER STERN'S AVENGERS over BMB FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH-we are just using spidey and wolverine to boost sales nonsense.............

You probably didn't notice, but the eighties are long gone.

[Rod Odom]

Funny thing is most of us fans are holdovers from the 80's.

[Sesshomaru]

so apparently, DC is still the ORIGINAL universe.............

Please enlighten us about wich part of DC is so much more original ... i see the same old core books , and as many new concepts failling and succeding...

instead of trying to revive its broken '70s concepts , Marvel needs to recapture the spirit of the '80s , give me ROGER STERN'S AVENGERS over BMB FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH-we are just using spidey and wolverine to boost sales nonsense..

bah people could say the same way , that they dont care about the broken 80s concepts and want the 70s

[Rawle Austin]

Some good stuff here.

These essentials are looking sweet. The Marvel Universe sets are great reading. What's the difference between the two sets though? Are they collecting the Official Handbook series and the following Official Handbook Deluxe series?

Also, about time X-Factor was collected. But where's my John Byrne Alpha Flight set. This was the best arc the team ever had, though Bill Mantlo did a great follow up with Steve Lieahola (sp).

And it sounds like T'Challa will finally be tying the knot with Ororo. After Reed and Sue, Hank and Jan, Scott and Jean, Vision and Wanda, Clint and Bobbi...


Growler

[Punchy]

There's lots of 70's stuff being revived, Defenders, (possibly)Champions, Ghost Rider, Daughters of The Dragon

So quit you're complaining ('there's not enough 90's creations!')

Anyhoo, lots of good stuff here, Silver/Sable I'll check out depending on the creators, Nextwave is Ellis, so I'm there, an Angel series? Why does he need a mini?

[Rawle Austin]

Originally posted by Rod Odom
Funny thing is most of us fans are holdovers from the 80's.

Too true!

Roger Stern's entire 80's Avengers run needs to be collected as does Priest's 90's & 00's Black Panther run.

Growler

[Rory]

Just LOOK at all that great stuff jam packed into that Essential X-Factor! And that's only w/in a mere 16 issues! CARAMBA! These were my favorite times in X-Men history. When all the teams operated independently from one another and it was a HUGE treat to see them cross over. And holy crap, forget Apocalypse! Can anyone say SKIDS!???!!!

I'm glad to see them put out Peter David's original X-Factor in a trade. If I didn't already have all the original issues, I would certainly want to pick it up.

[Kolimar]

Originally posted by Rich Johnston
Warren Ellis and Stuart Immomen - Nextwave.

"An elite, superhuman task force of H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort), the Nextwave team was orginally hired by the government to stop superhuman terroists, but finds their own organization is the one behind big-time bad guys taking out small towns in rural states where superheroes never venture, and decide to turn on their former bosses"

Machine Man, Pulsar, Boom Boom and more.

I'd love to but my elbow is acting up again and my knee hasn't recovered from my last car crash. Thanks for the invite anyway.

[Blind Assassin]

Originally posted by ghostly1
He did mention on his site at one point that because of the sales of the first couple issue, it's safe to at least 18.

that's exactly what happened last time.

'safe to 18' and then discontinued.

I hope this volume doesn't meet the same fate.

[Twigglet]

Yes, BOOM BOOM!

For some reason she's one my favorite characters behind Jubilee (Yes, I do have bad taste lol)

Can't wait for the 24 essentials, about 7 more (1 FF. 2 Thors, Namor, Iron Man, and some Uncanny and Nick Fury) and I can read the whole silver age, that'll be awesome!

[Kolimar]

Originally posted by Rory
Just LOOK at all that great stuff jam packed into that Essential X-Factor! And that's only w/in a mere 16 issues! CARAMBA! These were my favorite times in X-Men history. When all the teams operated independently from one another and it was a HUGE treat to see them cross over. And holy crap, forget Apocalypse! Can anyone say SKIDS!???!!!

Say no more. I'm still mourning Rusty's death.

[Kolimar]

Originally posted by Twigglet
Yes, BOOM BOOM!

When did she go back to "Boom Boom"? Or is that just an Ellis thing?

[Punchy]

Originally posted by Twigglet
Yes, BOOM BOOM!

For some reason she's one my favorite characters behind Jubilee (Yes, I do have bad taste lol)

Can't wait for the 24 essentials, about 7 more (1 FF. 2 Thors, Namor, Iron Man, and some Uncanny and Nick Fury) and I can read the whole silver age, that'll be awesome!

Could it be that they have the exact same powers and look?