Tag Archives: x-men: hellfire gala

Take a trip through X-Men history with Variant Covers this July

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This year marks 60 thrilling years of both the Avengers and the X-Men! In June, the 2023 class of Marvel’s Stormbreakers will celebrate the Avengers with stunning new variant covers – and come July, it’s the mutants’ turn!

Just as the X-Men enter Fall of X, an unpredictable new era for Marvel’s Merry Mutants, revisit your favorite time periods from throughout X-history in eight stunning covers that will adorn Marvel’s hottest titles in July. Marvel’s elite artists have delivered fresh takes on classic moments in the mutant mythos including Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost’s fabulous debut, Rogue joining the team, the rise of the Sentinels, and more.

Each month, Marvel’s Stormbreakers bring their incredible talents to your favorite comic series and characters and flex their skills with exciting themed variant cover collections. The current group of artists includes Elena Casagrande, Nic Klein, Jan Bazaldua, Chris Allen, Martin Coccolo, Lucas Werneck, Federico Vicentini, and C.F. Villa. Each of these artists embody the raw talent and creative potential to shatter the limits of visual storytelling in comics today! As the next evolution of the groundbreaking Marvel’s Young Guns program, Marvel’s Stormbreakers continues the tradition of spotlighting and elevating these powerful artists to showcase their abilities, artwork and prominence in the world of comic books.

Check out all eight covers now and pick them up at your local comic shop this July! 

  • CAPTAIN MARVEL: DARK TEMPEST #1 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY C.F. VILLA – 75960620532500161
  • X-MEN #24 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY ELENA CASAGRANDE – 75960609999302481
  • X-MEN: BEFORE THE FALL – SINISTER FOUR #1 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY MARTIN COCCOLO – 75960620661200141
  • IMMORTAL X-MEN #13 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY JAN BAZALDUA – 75960620004701351
  • X-FORCE #42 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY NIC KLEIN – 75960609467704231
  • X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST – DOOMSDAY #1 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS ALLEN – 75960620591200151
  • X-MEN RED #13 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY FEDERICO VICENTINI – 75960620212601341
  • X-MEN: HELLFIRE GALA 2023 #1 STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY LUCAS WERNECK – 75960620574500191

Marvel introduces the G.O.D.S.

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Who are the G.O.D.S.? This fall, readers will find out in a revolutionary series by Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti. Announced back in March, G.O.D.S. will see two of the industry’s greatest modern visionaries dramatically redefine Marvel’s pantheon of cosmic beings and masterfully deconstruct the forces behind reality. The breathtaking new saga will introduce a host of new characters—all players in a secret conflict at the crossroads of science and magic!

Heralding their debut, a new line of variant covers this August will spotlight some of the core cast as they team up with heroes and villains from throughout the Marvel Universe. This past weekend, fans met Wyn in Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/X-Men #1, and these new variant covers provide a first look at the likes of Aiko Maki, Dmitri, Cubisk Core, and Mia. From powerful mystics to daring scientists, these are agents of THE POWERS THAT BE and THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS and servants to the very building blocks of creation. They may be new to readers but they’ve been scheming and clashing with each other for eons in the shadows.

The G.O.D.S. Variant Covers will adorn nine issues that each contain a bonus story page written by Hickman that explore just how these characters move throughout the Marvel Universe and how they interact with its iconic inhabitants like the Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Scarlet Witch, and more. In addition, some of the cast of G.O.D.S. will attend mutantkind’s biggest night and witness the beginning of the Fall of X in July’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1!

Here are the characters spotlighted in the variant covers and bonus pages:

  • Wyn, a powerful magic expert who’s operated in secret for thousands of years and is now forced to come out of the shadows.
  • Aiko Maki, a high-ranking agent brutally loyal to the ways of science and willing to do anything to keep the building blocks of creation in balance.
  • Dmitri the Science Boy, Wyn’s reckless partner who has a secret mission of his own to discover the dark truth of his past.
  • Mia the Magic Girl, a young sorcerer struggling to achieve her full potential.
  • Cubisk Core, a mysterious being of pure corruption seeking to shatter the existing systems.
  • And more!

Check out seven of the G.O.D.S. Variant Covers now and stay tuned for more news about G.O.D.S. in the months ahead.

  • DOCTOR STRANGE #6 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY EMA LUPACCHINO – 75960620534900641
  • FANTASTIC FOUR #10 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI – 75960620289801031
  • MOON KNIGHT #26  G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY SALVADOR LARROCA – 75960620137202631
  • SCARLET WITCH #7 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY LUCAS WERNECK – 75960620235500731
  • GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK – 75960620535600531
  • UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY GREG LAND – 75960620597400191
  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #32 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY ADAM KUBERT – 75960620200303251
  • IMMORTAL THOR #1 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY BRYAN HITCH – 75960620664300191
  • VENOM #24 G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY JAN BAZALDUA – 75960620191402441

The X-Men ’97 team join the Hellfire Gala with a Variant Cover

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A special variant cover for July’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 will give eager fans a sneak peek at Marvel Studios’ X-Men ’97, the upcoming Disney+ series and sequel to the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series. Dan Veesenmeyer, a storyboard artist on the original series and the illustrator behind the packaging for Hasbro’s recent Marvel Legends 90s Animated Series line, captures the excitement behind the X-Men’s animated heyday in this stunning cover. The piece spotlights the main cast of the show including Magneto, who will join the X-Men in the series. Adorning the one-shot that will propel the X-Men into the Fall of X era, the X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 X-Men ’97 Variant Cover celebrates the X-Men’s return to the world of animation in style and hits stands just in time for the X-Men’s milestone 60th anniversary.

Check out the cover below and pick it up at your local comic shop this July! 

X-MEN: HELLFIRE GALA #1 X-MEN ’97 VARIANT COVER

MegaCon 2023: Fall of X details revealed!

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At the Marvel Comics: Fall of X Panel at MegaCon Orlando, fans got fresh insights into the X-Men’s upcoming new era, Fall of X! Senior Editor Jordan D. White was joined by a trio of X-Men talent—writers Gerry Duggan and Benjamin Percy and artist Joshua Cassara—to chat about some of the new series, stories, and shakeups in this exciting era.

Since 2019’s revolutionary House of X and Powers of X series, mutantkind has experienced unparalleled growth and prosperity on the island nation Krakoa – but can it really last forever? It all begins in July’s shocking X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 one-shot where danger, conspiracy, and sacrifice threatens to shatter everything mutantkind accomplished on Krakoa. Revealed earlier today and showcased at the panel was a brand-new Fall of X teaser image by Bryan Hitch. The haunting image is accompanied by a list of Fall of X tie-in titles, some of which have yet to be announced! 

Below are additional upcoming titles and issues revealed at today’s panel:

  • Announced last month at Marvel Unlimited’s X-Men: 60 Uncanny Years Live Virtual Event, the devastating events of the Hellfire Gala and the tragic circumstances of Fall of X calls for the return of the Avengers’ Unity Squad in a new run of Uncanny Avengers written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Javier Garrón! The new lineup will include Captain America, Rogue, Deadpool, Quicksilver, Psylocke, and Penance. This powerhouse new team must solve the mystery of who the new, murderous Captain Krakoa is — and stop his army of killers from igniting the fires of a new world war. Fans can check out the team on the newly revealed main cover of this highly-anticipated series!
  • Duggan will also continue to write X-Men throughout Fall of X. Following the Hellfire Gala, the title will see a cast shakeup with new additions such as the winner of this year’s X-Men fan vote and Kate Pryde. She’s been known as Kitty, Sprite, Ariel, Red Queen and Captain Kate. Now, as the X-Men finds their way through their darkest hour… SHADOWKAT emerges! Harkening back to the character’s ninja training, see the characters radical transformation in a new design sheet by visionary artist Peach Momoko.
  • Benjamin Percy’s run on X-Force has been delivering pulse-pounding action and thought-provoking drama since the Dawn of X, and now the stakes are higher than ever! Daniel Acuña joins as cover artist for this bold new era, and his X-Force #43 piece unveils new team leader Colossus on the frontlines with the squad…but where he leads them you will never expect!
  • Percy’s astounding work on Wolverine will also be kicked into high gear as the dire circumstances of Fall of X send Logan on the run and into a collision course with Ghost Rider! Alongside acclaimed artist Geoff Shaw, Percy will bring both his Wolverine and Ghost Rider runs together in a four-part epic: Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance! A demonic serial killer is murdering innocent mutants. But what is it about this deadly new villain that forces our two heroes to team up? And what buried secret does he share with Wolverine and Ghost Rider’s never-before-seen very first meeting in the past? The crossover kicks off in August’s Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha before unfolding in the pages of Ghost Rider #17 and Wolverine #36 and coming to a fiery conclusion in Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega.
  • Fans also got a peek at Tony Stark’s new stealth armor on the cover of Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri’s Invincible Iron Man #9. With Feilong in control of Stark Unlimited and using its resources to build Stark Sentinels, Tony Stark has proposed a new alliance with Emma Frost. Tony will play a key role during Fall of X and his latest solo title impacts mutantkind’s new status quo in surprising ways. 

Check out the covers now and stay tuned for more Fall of X announcements including news about titles launching this summer!

The Fall of X begins with this year’s Hellfire Gala as Uncanny Avengers returns!

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Marvel recently held a virtual event celebrating 60 years of the X-Men. Not only did it look at the past but also teased what’s coming in the future. Gerry Duggan announced the return of Uncanny Avengers in August spinning out of July’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala. It all kicks off the next era of the X-Men, “Fall of X“!

The Hellfire Gala is always the biggest event of the season…but this year’s will upend Krakoa as we know it. What is meant to be mutantkind’s greatest night becomes their worst nightmare as the “Fall of X” begins! Written by Gerry Duggan alongside an all-star lineup of artists including Kris Anka, Joshua Cassara, Russell Dauterman, Adam Kubert, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, and Luciano Vecchio, X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 will be a giant-sized one-shot that propels mutankind into an unpredictable future. All your favorite X-Men are going to be left reeling after a series of shocking revelations, stunning betrayals, horrifying tragedy, impossible deaths…and more. Fans will also see their favorite heroes from throughout the Marvel Universe turn out in the most glamorous looks of the year and witness the reveal of the all-new X-Men lineup, including the winner of this year’s X-Men Fan Vote! Page after page of jaw dropping moments that no one will seeing coming, all in one CANNOT-MISS package!

“Fall of X” will be a major turning point for the X-Men franchise that will see huge changes in current ongoing X-titles and the launch of multiple exciting new series! The devastating events of the Hellfire Gala and the tragic circumstances of “Fall of X” calls for the return of the Avengers’ Unity Squad in a new run of Uncanny Avengers written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Javier Garrón! Innocent people and world leaders are dead after simultaneous attacks on the U.S. and Krakoan governments, and that means one thing: it’s time for a new squad of Avengers. False flag attacks meant to whip up anti-mutant hysteria are unfolding and hey, some of Steve Rogers’ best friends are mutants. Marvel’s new unity squad will include Captain America, Rogue, Deadpool, Quicksilver, Psylocke, and Penance. This powerhouse new team must solve the mystery of who the new, murderous Captain Krakoa is — and stop his team of killers from igniting the fires of a new world war.

Also revealed, a REAL-LIFE Hellfire Gala during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con in July! Get your gowns, crowns, and capes ready, and stay tuned for more details coming soon!

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Detective Comics #1062

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Ant-Man #1 (Marvel) – It’s Ant-Man throughout the years!

Book of Shadows #1 (Valiant) – The mystic heroes of the Valiant Universe come together to take on a major threat.

DC Mech #1 (DC Comics) – A twist on the DC world as the heroes we know pilot mechs to take on threats. In this case, a strange alien from a dying world.

Detective Comics #1062 (DC Comics) – A new creative team takes on the series and the art looks great. Definitely worth checking it out to hop on.

Gambit #1 (Marvel) – Chris Claremont takes us back to when Gambit was hanging out with a young Storm.

Kaiju Score: Steal from the Gods #4 (AfterShock) – The kaiju has woken up and at this point we have no idea how our thieves are getting out of there and how the kaiju will be stopped before it destroys the world.

The Naughty List #4 (AfterShock) – A fun twist on Santa Claus. We now know who has the naughty list, now it’s time for some violence to get it back!

Public Domain #2 (Image Comics) – The debut was an interesting meta story about rights to characters and the adaptation of comic creations to the screen. It’s a layered drama in comic form.

Something is Killing the Children #25 (BOOM! Studios) – A universe is being built between the two series as the OG hits a big publishing number!

The Variants #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was fantastic and left us guessing as to whether Jessica Jones was losing her mind or this is a multiverse adventure.

Review: X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

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X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

Last year’s Hellfire Gala delivered memorable moments. The X-Men’s godlike plans for Mars were revealed. There was a murder. It was a coming out of sorts further onto the world, and galactic, stage for the mutant nation. For all of the grand ideas of last year’s event, X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 lacks pretty much all of that. It’s a rather choppy issue whose whole at times makes little sense.

Written by Gerry Duggan, X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 revolves around the revelation of mutant resurrection to the world. It is now a known thing setting up questions, both in how will every react, and does it create a security issue. The answer to the first is, not in any realistic way and the latter is, of course. The event will be held and it’s just Avengers, X-Men, and some celebrities that attend. And that’s what’s rather odd. With such an announcement you’d either have world leaders there to protest or protesting and not going. None of that is addressed. The Avengers attend and kind of shrug their shoulders about it all instead flirting with Emma Frost. Even when it’s revealed that Mr. Fantastic had his mind wiped over something, no one seems pissed about it. It’s like everyone took pills to relax before. For a revelation that’s built up as world shattering, the end result during the Hellfire Gala is a reaction that lacks emotion. Even Doctor Doom, who would make a speech or plot around it, makes a joke about returning David Bowie. For something that’s set to such a high pedestal, no one beyond the X-Men are treating it as such.

Then there’s the Spider-Man tie-in. Moira as infiltrated the event through Mary Jane Watson and while there’s a confrontation it doesn’t result in much after it feels like. Wolverine heads to Spider-Man’s comic for an issue but you’d think there’d be some more action regarding this. Was anyone else compromised? No one is going to check? Shut the place down? Your enemy showed up and then gets away and there’s… talk. It’s all rather odd.

Finally, the election of the new X-Men team doesn’t feel like an election. Three members remain on the team, Emma suggests one, and then others feel like they’re volunteered. Where’s the election? Wouldn’t it had been better to have some suspense and have the mutants of Krakoa vote as some are nominated and show an actual “vote”? It’s rather odd in the execution.

But, many will be buying the comic for the fashion. Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, and CF Villa all provide the art. Rain Beredo, Frank Martin, Matt Milla, and Matthew Wilson handle the color. Cory Petit is on lettering. The designs are always interesting to see. Some are beautiful dresses but this year’s fashion doesn’t feel as inspired by last year’s. Maybe a theme for next year would be better? Overall though, it looks good and I can’t knock the visuals too much. But, it also doesn’t quite have the memorable moments like last year.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 is not the sum of its parts. It is not a better whole than each individual piece. That’s partially because each individual piece is in itself rather odd. X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 feels like a zero issue in some ways. It sets up A.X.E.: Judgement Day for the X-Men and like Eve of Judgement being from the Eternal’s point of view, this delivers the X-Men’s side. It’s an issue that had potential but it never quite lives up to the importance it claims it has.

Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, CF Villa
Color: Rain Beredo, Frank Martin, Matt Milla, Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Cory Petit Design: Tom Muller, Jay Bowen
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – TFAW – comiXology/Kindle

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Barbaric: Harvest Blades

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Above Snakes #1 (Image Comics) – The series brings together Western tropes and good ole American vengeance from the creators of The Few and Thumbs.

AXE: Eve of Judgement #1 (Marvel) – Kicking off the big event of the summer for Marvel. The opening round of the Eternals battle against the people of Krakoa begins here.

Barbaric: Harvest Blades (Vault Comics) – The first volume was great with a fun take on the fantasy genre that delivered a lot of action and some good humor.

By the Horns: Dark Earth #2 (Scout Comics) – For those that enjoy fantasy, this is a must. It’s a great mix of magic and tech as magic is all out of whack and the world is in danger.

Cities of Magick #3 (Scout Comics) – The first two issues have been intriguing building up the world as magic now rules and technology is a thing of the past. It’s an interesting flip on the magic vs. tech story we’ve seen before.

Daredevil #1 (Marvel) – The next phase of Daredevil’s story begins here as the two go international and shift their focus on The Hand. You know this will eventually have the two having to take on the Punisher.

Dogs of London #3 (AfterShock) – We went in expecting a series about former gangsters haunted by their pasts but what’s been teased shows this is so much more. We’re stumped and want to know what’s going on.

Eight Billion Genies #3 (Image Comics) – The comic has been great so far. The ideas are wild but it’s also intelligently kept things focused as the world deals with everyone having a genie and a wish.

Flavor Girls #1 (BOOM! Studios) – A Magical Girl story with an environmental twist.

Justice Warriors #2 (AHOY Comics) – The first issue was great satire taking on the police and so much more. We want more of the same and hoping for exactly that. Skewer away!

Rogues #3 (DC Comics/DC Black Label) – The series has been a twisted heist story as the Rogues go for one last big one. It’s been amazing so far and a must for those that love the characters or that type of story.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 (Marvel) – Last year’s event was a big deal so expect the same here.

Preview: X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

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X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Matteo Lolli, C.F. Villa, Various (CA) Russell Dauterman
RATED T+
In Shops: Jul 13, 2022
SRP: $7.99

NEW TEAM REVEALED!
At last year’s gala, mutants changed the face of the solar system, terraforming Mars and claiming it for mutantkind. Do you think you can afford to miss this year’s gala, all contained in this one over-sized issue!?

X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1

Jean Grey grabs the spotlight in Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 Cover

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Mutantkind is set to send shockwaves through the Marvel Universe yet again in this year’s Hellfire Gala! A night overflowing with heavy drama, surprise guests, and game-changing revelations, the event will take place in July’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1, a giant-sized one-shot will be written by current X-Men writer Gerry Duggan along with an all-star lineup of artists: Kris Anka, Russell Dauterman, Matteo Lolli, and C.F. Villa. A Marvel Comic of such magnitude wouldn’t be complete without an incredible variant cover from artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau! The mega-popular cover artist depicts Jean Grey is her now iconic Hellfire Gala outfit from last year, ready to announce the new team of X-Men!

At last year’s gala, mutants changed the face of the solar system, terraforming Mars and claiming it for mutantkind. Don’t dare miss this issue to see what comes next! Check out the cover below and stay tuned for more news!

X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 Stanley Lau
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