Tag Archives: ramon f. bachs

NYCC 2023: Marvel lifts the curtain on Gang War!

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During New York Comic Con 2023, Marvel put the spotlight on the upcoming “Gang War” storyline. Check out the covers and art for the anticipated event.

Amazing Spider-Man #41

GANG WAR CONTINUES! With all of New York’s super underworld fighting for dominance, you didn’t think Wilson Fisk, the former Kingpin of Crime, would sit it out, did you?

Out January 3 from writer Zeb Wells and an art and cover by John Romita Jr.

Amazing Spider-Man #41

Amazing Spider-Man #42

GANG WAR CONTINUES! The Beetle has stepped up in her father’s absence, and she’s become a very different Janice Lincoln. She’s smart, dangerous and ready to take the big chair. With Spider-Man and others distracted by Kingpin, she just might do it.

Out January 17 from writer Zeb Wells and an art and cover by John Romita Jr.

Amazing Spider-Man #42

Amazing Spider-Man #43

The Final Fight of GANG WAR starts here! The biggest and most brutal battle in Spider-Man history starts now, so batten your hatches!!!  If you thought you knew what Madame Masque or Hobgoblin or Beetle or Diamondback was capable of, THINK AGAIN! 

Out February 14 from writer Zeb Wells and an art and cover by John Romita Jr.

Amazing Spider-Man #43

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #2 (of 3)

GANG WAR is here! Shang-Chi’s greatest weapons are lost to him! And Chinatown will burn if the Master of Kung Fu doesn’t win the war! Can Shang-Chi defeat his rivals and protect Chinatown without sacrificing his principles? Or will SPIDER-MAN and his allies bring him down first?! 

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 is by Greg Pak, Caio Majado, with a cover by David Aja and is on sale January 31.

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #2 (of 3)

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 (of 3)

The pieces are all assembled, and Shang-Chi is surrounded on all sides! Can the Master of Kung Fu fend off attacks from New York’s strongest crime families and Earth’s mightiest heroes at once? And, even if he can, will Chinatown survive? 

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 is by Greg Pak, Caio Majado, with a cover by David Aja and is on sale February 14.

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 (of 3)

Luke Cage: Gang War #3 (of 4)

THE FIGHT FOR NEW YORK IS ON! SPIDER-SLAYERS are back and bigger than ever! Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Jessica Jones, Cloak and Dagger face a GIANT threat as they battle for the soul of New York! 

On sale January 10 from writer Rodney Barnes, art by Ramon F. Bachs, and cover by Caanan White.

Luke Cage: Gang War #3 (of 4)

Luke Cage: Gang War #4 (of 4)

Unmasked and faced with giant Spider-Slayers, Luke Cage suits up as he never has before! New York City may survive this Gang War, but after breaking the anti-vigilante law, how can Luke still be mayor at the end? Will he even want to be? 

On sale February 21 from writer Rodney Barnes, art by Ramon F. Bachs, and cover by Caanan White.

Luke Cage: Gang War #4

Daredevil: Gang War #2 (of 4)

AS GANG WAR RAGES ON, A NEW PLAYER EMERGES! New York City’s criminal element stands poised to tear itself and the entire island to pieces with only Elektra standing between them and the citizens of Hell’s Kitchen! Fighting against foes first seen in Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder’s first explosive chapter of DAREDEVIL, Elektra has her hands full to begin with – but a dangerous new player with powerful and lethal abilities and skills to match Elektra’s own explodes into the fray! 

From writer Erica Schultz, art and cover by Sergio Davila, it arrives on January 10.

Daredevil: Gang War #2

Spider-Woman #3

GANG WAR RAGES ON! Spider-Woman tried to take down Diamondback’s operation from the top…and barely escaped with her life. Now she’s angrier than ever and ready to hit him – and Hydra – where it hurts. Jessica Drew goes street level as GANG WAR nears its brutal conclusion! 

Spider-Woman #3 is out January 24 from Steve Foxe, art by Carola Borelli, and cover by Leinil Francis Yu.

Spider-Woman #3

Spider-Woman #4

GANG WAR RAGES ON! Jessica Drew finds the answers she’s been looking for, but her reunion with her son propels her into a new paradigm. But first, there’s a GANG WAR to finish! And Jess won’t be fighting alone. Not when her best friend is Captain Marvel!

Out February 21, Spider-Woman #4 is written by Steve Foxe, with art by Carola Borelli, and cover by Leinil Francis Yu.

Spider-Woman #4

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #15

MS. MARVEL CHARGES INTO GANG WAR! MILES MORALES is losing his battle to save Brooklyn – can MS. MARVEL turn the tide?! HOBGOBLIN is out for revenge against SPIDER-MAN – but he’s not the only classic Spidey villain who wants a piece of Miles… 

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #15 is by Cody Ziglar with art and cover by Federico Vicentini and comes to shop on January 10.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #15

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #16

MILES MAKES HIS FINAL STAND IN THE GANG WAR! Miles vs. Hobgoblin. Only one can win the Gang War raging across Brooklyn. • But Hobgoblin’s master stroke is about to fall, and if it does, he’ll be the most powerful super villain in all of New York City. A traitor is in their midst –  and this single betrayal could define the rest of Spider-Man’s life!

Written by Cody Ziglar with art and a cover by Federico Vicentini, Miles Morales: Spider-Man #16 comes to shops on February 14.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #16

Jackpot #1

Written by Celeste Bronfman with art by Joey Vazquez and a cover by Pablo Villalobos, Jackpot #1 is a tie-in arriving on January 17th.

ALWAYS BET ON RED! A GANG WAR TIE-IN! Mary Jane Watson, A.K.A. JACKPOT, gets her first solo super story since her debut in ASM #31! New York City is in chaos as the super-powered criminal gangs are at war, and it’s all hands on deck! It’s a baptism by fire, but, come on, this is Mary Jane. What CAN’T she handle?!

Jackpot #1

Spider-Man Unlimited #19

Spider-Boy leaps into the action in a new arc of SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED! Kicking off this January in SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #19, the new saga will be written by written by Preeti Chhibber (Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma) and drawn by E.J. Su (Ultraman: The Mystery of Ultraseven). The Marvel Unlimited Infinity comic will bring Marvel’s breakout young hero into Gang War as Spidey’s long-lost sidekick embarks on his own solo mission!

The Marvel Unlimited Infinity Comic arrives in January written by Preeti Chhibber with art by E.J. Su.

What If? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 is a comic legend revisiting a classic storyline

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What If? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1

I might get hate letters from the over-sixty crowd for saying this, but 50 years after he killed off Gwen Stacy in the legendary Amazing Spider-Man #121, plotter Gerry Conway does an incredible job course correcting it in What If…? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1, which is co-plotted and scripted by Jody Houser with art and colors from Ramon F. Bachs and Dee Cunniffe. Of course, this comic won’t have the historical value of “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”, which made superhero comics grow up for better or worse with the death of a key Amazing Spider-Man supporting character and also set a precedent for the “women in refrigerators” trope. But it’s a heartstrings-tearing look at loss and revenge through the characters of Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn that definitely lives up to that “Dark” subtitle while offering a sliver of hope and heroism in the end. In many ways, it ends up being a classic Spider-Man comic, but with Gwen Stacy instead of Peter Parker picking up the mantle as she takes responsibility for a big mistake she made and defending New York as a masked hero.

A recurring theme throughout What If Dark: Spider-Gwen is the toll that secret identities take on interpersonal relationships beginning with Gwen realizing that she never really knew Peter Parker, and that Harry Osborn never knew him either as well as his father Norman Osborn. Conway, Houser, and Bachs channel pain and loss throughout this one-shot, and most panels of Gwen are her alone channeling her grief over Peter’s loss into revenge. Even though Mary Jane offers her comfort and companionship, Gwen doesn’t bond with her until the very end of the comic after her life has plunged even deeper into darkness. What If Dark: Spider-Gwen is an elegy to the isolated, lonely superhero constrained by turn of the century genre conventions and lacking the vibrant community around contemporary heroes like Miles Morales, Jaime Reyes, Kamala Khan, and even Superman when Brian Michael Bendis wrote him.

While Conway and Houser’s writing adds new psychological depth to the character of Gwen Stacy that wasn’t present in her original stories, Ramon F. Bachs and Cunniffe’s art capture the look and the feel of that transitional period between the Silver Age and Bronze Age of superhero comics. The original Green Goblin suit and the Osborns’ tire tread haircuts are intact, but there are plenty of shadows, dark warehouses, and guns. The heroes might still be wearing primary colors, but Dirty Harry and Death Wish were showing in the cinema so putting on a trench coat and extralegally shooting a criminal wasn’t out of the question although Gwen justifies her pointing her father’s service piece at the Green Goblin to be justice because it belonged to a former police officer. The confrontation between Gwen, Harry, and the Green Goblin has masks and costumes, but lacks the wordiness and pro-wrestling-style fight choreography of the excerpt from Amazing Spider-Man #121 that opens the book.

Bachs’ art does the heavy lifting in the big emotional climax with some gorgeous, nostalgia-tinged work from him and Dee Cunniffe demonstrating how much Gwen loved Peter and also acts as a nice homage to Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale’s lovely Spider-Man: Blue comic. It’s a gorgeous page with sparse narration from Houser that is immediately undercut by the barrel gun and a reminder of the Dark in What If? Dark. This page and the whole last act of the comic are a reminder that all wearers of the Spider-Man mantle come from tragedy and an inability to stop bad things from happening like Harry Osborn becoming the “New Goblin”, or the death of their friends, families, and lovers.

Despite the title, What If? Dark Spider-Gwen isn’t a piece of edgelord superheroics. It’s actually a comics legend getting to revisit one of his classic storylines and with the help of co-writer Houser and artists Bachs and Cunniffe, Gerry Conway gets to give Gwen Stacy agency and a robust character arc even if the inciting incident of the story (Spider-Man drowning) is a little flimsy.

Plot: Gerry Conway, Jody Houser Script: Jody Houser Art: Ramon F. Bachs 
Colors: Dee Cunniffe Letters: Ariana Maher
Story: 7.9 Art: 8.3 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

SDCC 2023: Marvel announces its next major crossover event, Gang War!

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Each year, the Marvel: Next Big Thing panel is one of the most anticipated moments of San Diego Comic-Con as it’s where fans gather to learn about the most monumental sagas coming to the Marvel Universe. This year was no different as Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and Executive Editor Nick Lowe were joined by were joined by Senior Editor Jordan D. White, Editor Sarah Brunstad, Amazing Spider-Man writer Zeb Wells, Guardians of the Galaxy writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, X-Men writer Gerry Duggan, and Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant co-writer Sabir Pirzada to deliver a wealth of thrilling announcements including the reveal of the next milestone Marvel Comics crossover epic: GANG WAR!

Spinning out of Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.’s hit run of Amazing Spider-Man, GANG WAR will see a war erupt between the gang lords of New York City, causing chaos throughout the Big Apple. Villains are fighting villains. Criminals are fighting criminals. Hobgoblin, Mr. Negative, the Owl, Shotgun, Diamondback, A.I.M., H.Y.D.R.A., and more battle with and against each other for NYC supremacy. For Peter Parker, “going on patrol” isn’t enough.. and he declares his own war on super-crime. It’s General Spidey at the helm, leading a group of heroes that includes fellow Spider-Man Miles Morales, She-Hulk, Daredevil, and Spider-Woman. Their goal: take down the super-gangs in under 48 hours. But what does Mayor Luke Cage and the city’s strong anti-vigilante laws have to say about it? Will Jackpot gamble on getting involved? And is Shang-Chi a friend or foe? They better all figure it out before two classic villains make a game-changing return!

Big things are brewing and the battles will spill over into the pages of both Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man as well as all-new limited series launching this November and December! Read on to learn about what awaits in the prelude issues, dubbed GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE, and the opening installments of GANG WAR!

Amazing Spider-Man #37

Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by Ed McGuinness
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!

Rek-Rap returns! Spider-Man’s fun-house reflection might just be the thing to help the wall-crawler out of the darkness he can’t seem to shake. Well, Rek-Rap MIGHT help if he weren’t targeted by the scariest new Spidey-Villain in decades! GANG WAR IS COMING!

Amazing Spider-Man #38

Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by Ed McGuinness
GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!

Can Spider-Man and Rek-Rap both survive the repulsive Repo?! The last issue of Amazing Spider-Man before Gang War!

Amazing Spider-Man Gang War: First Strike #1

Written by Zeb Wells
Art by Joey Vasquez
Cover by John Romita Jr. 

SPECIAL ONE-SHOT GANG WAR PRELUDE!
The super-crime landscape of New York has been on edge. This issue, they jump over that edge. What incites the war?! Who hired Shotgun and took out Tombstone? What, if anything, can Spider-Man do about it? Everything you need to know before GANG WAR officially kicks off next month is HERE.

Luke Cage: Gang War #1 (of 4)

Written by Rodney Barnes
Art by Ramon F. Bachs
Cover by Caanan White

GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!  
In the wake of the Anti-Vigilante Act, Luke has been trying to save the city from behind a desk. But a meeting with old friend Danny Rand reminds him of the good old days when problems could be punched in order to solve them. As New York descends into a GANG WAR, Luke must use every power he has to protect the innocent and save his city!

Spider-Woman #1 (of 4)

Written by Steve Foxe
Art by Carola Borelli
Cover by Leinil Francis Yu

GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
The Web of Destiny restored Spider-Woman’s life, but even Captain Marvel and Madame Web can tell something’s changed. Now Spider-Man wants to recruit her for a new team because Viper has engineered a deadly union between Hydra and Diamondback that’s about to tear the city apart, bringing forth a new foe powerful enough to destroy the city while burning Spider-Woman’s world to the ground. Don’t miss out on this action-packed premiere that introduces a terrifying new force of evil in Spider-Woman’s world!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12

Written by Cody Ziglar
Art by Partha Pratim
Cover by Federico Vicentini

GANG WAR: FIRST STRIKE!
Spider-Man is on the hunt to find a terrifying new foe before they sink their fangs into Miles’ best friends. Only the vampire hunter Blade and his daughter, Bloodline, may know the secret of the villain’s past – but are the vampire hunters keeping secrets of their own? And what is Hobgoblin secretly scheming while Spidey is completely overwhelmed? Last issue before GANG WAR!

Amazing Spider-Man #39

Written by Zeb Wells
Art and Cover by John Romita Jr.

GANG WAR STARTS HERE!
Super-crime is running rampant, and Spider-Man can’t solve just one problem at a time. So Spidey builds a team to take down ALL the super-criminals of NYC in 48 hours. Good luck, Spidey.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13

Written by Cody Ziglar
Art and Cover by Federico Vicentini

AMAZING TEAM-UP AS THE GANG WAR RAGES ON!!!
New York is under siege as super villains and criminal gangs violently carve the city up like pie. Miles Morales’ job? Save all of Brooklyn from destruction! But there are too many fires for the Spider-Man to put out on their own. The most unlikely super-allies will rise on BOTH sides. And while Miles has his hands full fighting criminals and escaping Scorpion and the anti-super Cape Killers taskforce, Hobgoblin is making his big move!!!

Daredevil: Gang War #1 (of 4)

Written by Erica Schultz
Art and Cover by Sergio Davila

GANG WAR TIE-IN!
Elektra Natchios, former assassin turned Daredevil, has been recruited by  Spider-Man to stop New York City from tearing itself apart from gang rule as every mobster and super villain in town go to war! And Elektra is the only thing standing in the way of Hell’s Kitchen’s annihilation at the hands of a dangerous new gang—the HEAT—whose violent schemes from the pages of DAREDEVIL unfold!

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14

Written by Cody Ziglar
Art and Cover by Federico Vicentini

WILL THE PROWLER WIN THE GANG WAR?!
Hobgoblin launches his first strike in the Gang War and he’s offering no quarter for Spider-Man! And the Prowler joins the fight—but is he friend or foe?!

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (of 3)

Written by Greg Pak
Cover by David Aja
Foil Variant Cover by Benjamin Su

THE ART OF GANG WAR!

GANG WAR has thrown the crime lords and super heroes of New York into a deadly conflict and as both, Shang-Chi must play each side against each other in a dangerous game of deception! When he became leader of his family’s Five Weapons Society, he promised to use it for good, but friends and foes alike have been unsure of his true intentions. The stakes of Gang War will force his hand as he vows to protect Chinatown and use the opportunity to eliminate the Five Weapon Society biggest rivals! He’ll use his world class fighting skills as well as deceit, calculation, and manipulation to navigate the battlefields as he learns the Art of War is all about the shades of gray!

C2E2: The Summer of Symbiotes takes over with new announcements and reveals

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At Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) 2023, Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski and Venom editor Devin Lewis, along with David Pepose, Sabir Pirzada, and Zeb Wells, revealed what’s next for Spidey and the twisted symbiotic family tree of the Marvel Universe!

Fans can now witness the full scope of Summer of Symbiotes, a season’s worth of symbiote sagas to celebrate Venom’s 35th anniversary! The insanity kicks off in May with titles like Cult of Carnage: Misery, Extreme Venomverse, Carnage Reigns, and more. Here’s just some of what was revealed about what’s in store for Venom, Carnage, Red Goblin, Misery, and the rest of the Venomverse all summer long!

CARNAGE SEEKS TO INHERIT THE EARTH in Web of Carnage, a new series by Ram V, Francesco Manna, and more. In the aftermath of Carnage Reigns where Cletus Kasady exacted his vengeance on Miles Morales and the Marvel Universe, the Carnage symbiote remains left to its own devices, adrift among the stars. With its purpose renewed, Carnage has scant few hurdles between it and a glorious ascension to the throne of the King in Black…and the first is named Morlun.

Alex Paknadel and Jan Bazaldua begin a new arc “Nature Vs. Nuture” in Red Goblin #6! Carnage Reigns may be over, but Normie Osborn and the Rascal symbiote’s problems are only just beginning! For weeks, Normie’s pacified the symbiote and managed to keep the rabid killing machine inside it under control. But in this issue, Normie learns that you can’t fight nature…

It’s a fight against MADNESS in Sabir Pirzada and Francesco Mortarino’s Cult of Carnage: Misery! The new symbiotic monstrosity called Madness inadvertently forced Liz Allan to bond to the all-new MISERY symbiote, changing both her life and the future of symbitoes! Imbued with all the powers and personalities of the LIFE FOUNDATION SYMBIOTES (and more!), Madness is a symbiotic force unlike any other in the Marvel Universe. There is nowhere that Liz Allan can go that Madness cannot follow, no one she can ask for help that Madness cannot destroy, and nothing she can do to stop the brutality of its onslaught. Fans can see Madness in all his glory on the cover of CULT OF CARNAGE: MISERY #4 and concept art by Francesco Mortarino!

Behold a radical transformation of Eddie Brock as Venom in Al Ewing and Ramon F. Bachs’ Venom #22! For months, Eddie Brock’s consciousness has been displaced in time! You’ve seen what happens when he’s flung himself to the far future of the Marvel Universe – now see what happens when he tries to traverse its past! Face to face with the mysterious FLEXO in the past, Venom learns a shocking secret about the role symbiotes playing in Marvel history! 

Then, Torunn Grønbekk and Ken Lashley create a new vision of TOXIN in Venom#23! Toxin is the offspring of the most dangerous symbiote in the history of the Marvel Universe: CARNAGE. But while Carnage and Cletus Kasady are separated and both devising machinations and plans of cosmic bloodshed and conquest, what has its progeny been doing? And will Dylan Brock or the Venom symbiote survive when they come face to face with this latest terrifying Toxin?! And Toxin isn’t the only symbiote in this story who’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen! The symbiote family is about to grow a little larger… and what’s coming will change the continuing saga of the symbiotes FOREVER!

The Summer of Symbiotes will also infect Marvel Unlimited in the Edge of Venomverse Unlimited Infinity Comic series! A new Venom has been unleashed upon an unsuspecting world in this saga by writer Clay McLeod Chapman and an exciting lineup of artists including Phillip Sevy, Gustavo Duarte, Dax Gordine, and Nathan Stockman. On a freezing, snow-covered night a Holy Man comes to the aid of a mother and father terrified to kiss their little girl goodnight. Will he offer salvation or the ultimate destruction? The series drops on Marvel Unlimited on Tuesday, June 13 and J. Holtham will be writing alternating stories, beginning with a special 4th of July address from President Venom.

And finally, the capstone to Summer of Symbiotes and spinning out of Extreme Venomverse comes THE DEATH OF THE VENOMVERSE! Symbiote hotshots Cullen Bunn and Gerardo Sandoval are reuniting to bring the symbiotic ax down on the VENOMVERSE! Carnage has been building his powers up, extracting unique abilities from many villains throughout the Marvel Universe to the point of traversing the Multiverse with a singular goal: KILL ANY AND ALL VENOMS! The limited series will also include a classic tale in the vein of Venom: Lethal Protector by Venom co-creator David Michelinie. All five issues will release in August and will be packed with more symbiote shakeups than you can wrap your head around!

Check out the covers now and stay tuned for more Summer of Symbiotes news! 

Travel across the ages to learn the origins of Kang in Who Is… ? Kang Infinity Comic

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WHO IS…? KANG INFINITY COMIC #1

Writer: Rich Douek
Artist: Ramón F. Bachs
Colorist: Pete Pantazis
Editor: Mark Basso
One-shot launches on Wednesday, January 25

With all of time at his disposal, KANG has dedicated his life to one goal: CONQUERING! Travel across the ages to learn the origins of Kang, from ancient eras to his conflicts with the AVENGERS to the far reaches of the future!

New Spider-Verse Unlimited and Strange Tales: Ghost Rider comes to Marvel Unlimited

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Marvel Unlimited readers can get ready for Halloween with two all-new spooky stories this week! First, a new Spider-Man story kicks off in Spider-Verse Unlimited Infinity Comic #21, now available on the app. Then, on Wednesday, October 26, follow a story about Johnny Blaze facing some of his worst fears in the new one-shot Strange Tales: Ghost Rider #1.

SPIDER-VERSE UNLIMITED INFINITY COMIC #21

Writer, Artist, Colorist: Gustavo Duarte
Editor: Sarah Brunstad

Available Now!

Master storyteller Gustavo Duarte writes and draws a spook-tacular Spidey tale!

SPIDER-VERSE UNLIMITED INFINITY COMIC #21

STRANGE TALES: GHOST RIDER #1

Writer: Rich Douek
Artist: Ramón F. Bachs
Colorist: Java Tartaglia
Editor: Mark Basso

All-new one-shot launches Wednesday, October 26

On a lonely highway, Johnny Blaze faces some of his worst fears – the other Ghost Riders, Danny Ketch and Robbie Reyes! Who will come out on top in a knock-down, drag-out battle between Riders?

STRANGE TALES: GHOST RIDER #1

Thor and Jane Foster join forces in Strange Tales: Thor & Jane Foster

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The next story in the series of Strange Tales one-shots launches on Marvel Unlimited! The all-new Infinity Comic follows a team-up tale between Jane Foster and Thor in Strange Tales: Thor & Jane Foster #1.

Written by Tim Seeley, it features art by Ramon F. Bachs, color by Java Tartaglia, and edited by Jordon White.

The man behind the mirror presents a team-up tale between Jane Foster: Valkyrie and the God of Thunder, Thor! Mr. Hyde doesn’t stand a chance… 

Strange Tales: Thor & Jane Foster #1

Preview: RAI #5

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RAI #5

Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by JUAN JOSÉ RYP
Colors by ANDREW DALHOUSE
Letters by DAVE SHARPE
Cover A by RAMÓN F. BACHS
Cover B by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
Cover C by ADAM POLLINA
Preorder Cover by JASON METCALF
On sale MARCH 11 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

Rai and the Eternal Warrior fight in a bloody war against Bloodfather’s forces in the battle for Hope Springs.

RAI #5

Preview: Bloodshot #0

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BLOODSHOT #0

Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by MARC LAMING
Colors by ANDREW DALHOUSE
Letters by DAVE SHARPE
Cover A by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover B by RAMÓN F. BACHS
Cover C by FRANCIS PORTELA
On sale FEBRUARY 19 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

Artist Mac Laming unleashes eye-popping artwork as the truth behind Bloodshot’s mission is revealed!

BLOODSHOT #0

Review: Roku #4

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Roku #4

Roku faces her sharpest enemy ever, the Minister of Blades, in the epic final battle in Roku #4! Who lives? Who dies? Find out here!

If you’ve read the previous three issues of Roku then you’ll know roughly what to expect. While not a bad book, Roku #4 isn’t going to convince anybody to read the series. But, it does wrap the story up nicely.

Cullen Bunn has set up a confrontation between frenemies Roku and Ember-1 with a host of assassins over the fate of the human information depository/internet Marybeth. There’s time and space for both Roku and Ember-1 to shine in their own bloody way during the scrap. Whether it’s the strangely deadly hair of the titular character or Ember-1’s more traditional fighting skills, they each bring something different to the comic. It’s a confrontation brought to life by Ramon F. Bachs and colorist Stephane Paitreau.

The art is solid and, although it won’t make or break the book, it’s clean in the way you want action to be. You can follow every knife thrust, slash and cut with ease. There were moments where I had to look twice as my eyes made sense of the character’s actions from one panel to the next, but nothing game breaking.

At this point, nothing I can say about this comic is going to make you want to read the series. I’ve enjoyed every issue myself, but I’m not going to claim that it’s a book for everybody. Roku is an interesting antagonist for one of the publisher’s more well-known characters. This book hasn’t really done a lot to make this a must-read for any but the most dedicated of Valiant fans. Those looking to read an action story about a strong female lead with a little depth will enjoy it too. You don’t need any prior knowledge which makes this a great introduction, but less so other established characters.

When it comes down to brass tacks, Roku hasn’t been a groundbreaking series. It has been somewhat predictable and hasn’t done much beyond setting up Roku for the future. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it; the introduction of Ember-1, the Minister of Blades and Marybeth and their journey across Europe was a fun read. Is it essential reading? No; but skipping it will deprive you of a solid four issue story.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Ramon F. Bachs
Colors: Stephane Paitreau Letters: Dace Sharpe
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.8 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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