It has been a while since Marvel has been able to create excitement across their entire publishing line. While Marvel knows how to build hype around their new directions they have yet to find a way to keep that momentum going. There are many reasons for that but “Fresh Start” first full month of solicitations does seem to indicate that there is going to be something for all Marvel fans to at least check out. Though there are some things do seem to make you wonder if which Marvel we will see in the future under the new regime. Now, let’s take a closer look at everything that is coming down the pipeline from Marvel in June 2018.
JASON AARON’S NEXT CHAPTER IN THOR
With how many big talents have left Marvel over the years it has made the fact Jason Aaron is continuing on even more impressive. It is clear he is not done telling stories with Marvel characters, especially with him taking over the Avengers for “Fresh Start.” What is even more impressive is the fact Aaron’s run on the Thor franchise will continue. No one would’ve blamed Aaron for ending his Thor run with his story of Jane Foster’s time as Thor coming to an end. But it looks like Aaron’s ideas for Thor and Asgard aren’t over just yet.
What makes Aaron’s continued run even more exciting is that he is not giving up on being weird or cosmic with his take on Thor’s world. Now having Thor vs Juggernaut kick things off for the new series may not sound terribly exciting. But at this point Aaron has not let fans down yet. And that is shown with the very next issue of Thor featuring the God of Thunder and Loki riding a monster truck out of Mad Max. How can you not love that? I for sure am looking to catch up on reading Aaron’s Thor in time to reading this series.
DAN SLOTT MOVES ON TO IRON MAN
With Dan Slott ending his long running run on Amazing Spider-Man (more on that later) we knew that Marvel wouldn’t give him just any character. Officially in June we are now going to see Slott take over the reigns of the Iron Man franchise. And it is smart that we aren’t seeing Slott or Marvel try to make things seem big by giving us multiple Iron Man comics. Instead we are only seeing one Iron Man comic in the form of Tony Stark: Iron Man #1. That is a good way to deliver the message that this is the Iron Man comic fans will need to focus their attention on.
And while Slott has a love him or hate him reputation with Marvel fans he has shown in his work on Amazing Spider-Man that he knows how to write dialogue for Tony Stark when the character guest starred in the series. Now that he writing Tony Stark full time it will be a good chance for Slott to show how he writes different characters outside of Spider-Man.
HULK IS BACK AND HE IS IMMORTAL
It’s been a while since we saw the Bruce Banner version of Hulk full-time. Now it is time for Bruce to reclaim his Hulk title. Though this time we are going to be fully exploring why Bruce can never actually die as the Hulk makes him an immortal, which is the title of his new series. It’s not really clear what this direction will mean for Hulk and his cast of supporting characters and villains but at least it is something different. And Al Ewing has been one of those talents that has been gaining more traction at Marvel. This will be a great chance for Ewing to break out with one of Marvel’s more well-known characters.
MULTIPLE MAN AND ANT-MAN & WASP MINI-SERIES
While Ant-Man and the Wasp popularity is going to increase that does not mean that their comics will sell more. Marvel is smart to give both characters a mini-series to see what demand for an Ant-Man and the Wasp title is. This will keep fans from being disappointed from an their ongoing being canceled if it does not sell well. But if it does sell well enough Marvel could deliver some good news and upgrade Ant-Man and the Wasp to an ongoing series.
The same goes for Multiple Man. He is character that has his loyal fan base but that does not mean he will sell monster numbers. Giving him an ongoing gives Multiple Man a series to enjoy. At the same time Marvel can gauge how popular Multiple Man is right now to see if they should give him a bigger role within the X-Men franchise since he has been out of the spotlight for quite a while.
THE SENTRY SURPRISING RETURN
While it is a good move to have Ant-Man & the Wasp and Multiple Man’s comics start as mini-series it is a bit headscratching that Sentry is getting an ongoing series. Sentry has never been over in the way Marvel would like him to be. And that has not been due to the lack of trying. There have been plenty of chances for Sentry to gain popularity but he has never connected with Marvel fans.
Now having Jeff Lemire onboard as the the writer for The Sentry ongoing is a good move. Lemire has shown he has a great understanding of what Marvel fans want, with his run on Old Man Logan being a good showing for that. Still, I am not 100% sold that Lemire’s popularity will help The Sentry out as the character has yet to prove to be a selling point for a comic book.
DOCTOR STRANGE GOES GALACTIC
Mark Waid on Doctor Strange is a great fit for him to continue his ongoing work with Marvel. Waid has always had a good understanding with Marvel’s characters. What is interesting about Waid’s new run on Doctor Strange is the fact that he is taking Doctor Strange into space. That is not a setting you would expect to see Doctor Strange explore. Though it is not out of the realm of possibility in terms of setting as Doctor Strange’s power set opens the opportunity for strange encounters with unique cosmic action sequences. It is definitely a direction that will at least ensure I’ll give the first issue a chance to grab a spot on my pull list.
WHERE IS MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN?
With Brian Bendis time now over there are a lot of questions as to what will happen to the characters he has shepherded into the Marvel Universe. The biggest in terms of star power that is oddly missing from Marvel’s June 2018 solicitations is Miles Morales. While he is still a part of the Champions there is no sign of what his solo adventures will be in the post-Bendis era. It is a big omission given that Miles has become one of Marvel’s most well-known and popular minority character. If anything it would be great to see, instead of getting a new series, Marvel has Miles take over Spectacular Spider-Man as the lead character with Chip Zdarksy still writing the series. It would also help not split Spider-Man fan further by adding another new series in the franchise.
AN AMAZING (SPIDER-MAN) GOODBYE DAN SLOTT
June 2018 marks the final month we will see Dan Slott on Amazing Spider-Man. Say what you will about Slott’s run on Amazing Spider-Man but he has done a lot to establish who the character is in the post-One More Day world. With how ill received One More Day was it has actually been incredible to see how Slott has returned Spider-Man to his original status quo as a single guy while also making big changes to Peter Parker’s career. And having the phenomenal Marcos Martin on art duties will ensure Slott ends his run win an great looking issue in Amazing Spider-Man #801.
REED RICHARDS RETURNS TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
While it is not the return of the actual Reed Richards we all know and love seeing that the Council of Reeds is returning is positive news. It at least shows that Marvel knows that Reed has a popularity that can’t be ignored for long. And this could actually give us a taste of what may actually be in store for Reed and Sue’s eventual return. Doctor Doom being at the center of the Council of Reeds reappearance insures that the Marvel 2-In-One will have some fun things for Fantastic Four fans to enjoy.
KITTY PRYDE AND COLOSSUS WEDDING
How do you beat the wedding of the century with Batman and Catwoman’s upcoming marriage? Why not just have Kitty Pryde and Colossus tie the knot? At least that is how this latest X-Men wedding feels like. Even though Kitty Pryde is one of my favorite X-Men and Marvel characters in general it is hard to get excited for this wedding. Especially when you consider how X-Men marriages go down there isn’t a lot to hope for the future of both characters. It all just feels like a cheap cry for attention on the X-Men front since Gold and Blue aren’t selling the numbers you expect from the franchise and aren’t critical darlings.