GAZE INTO THE FUTURE : 2009 JUNE

The APRIL 2009 solicits are up
(for stuff shipping JUNE 2009)
so what are we waiting for?
Let's journey forth...into... the FUTURE:

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"Greetings, my friends.
We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I
are going to
spend the rest of our lives..."

... while reading comics.
"Official" graphic for this feature; "doctored" image from the cover to Strange Tales # 156
(original art by Marie Severin)

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First, let's take a look at the items where DOCTOR STRANGE will appear, then we'll move onto the other "6-Dimensions".

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Once again, we'll begin with the BIG SHOW:

Dr. Strange, Dormammu and the hunt for a new Sorcerer Supreme comes to a head in:

NEW AVENGERS #54


Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by BILLY TAN
Variant Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

A Sorcerer Supreme is chosen!
Be witness to a very important chapter in Avengers history and the lore of Marvel magic! Plus, the Avengers finally have a big showdown with the Hood and not everyone walks away from it unharmed!

32 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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Big Doc storyline, NO Doc on the cover.
Nice. Jackasses!

Maybe he'll fare better on the BACHALO VARIANT.



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--- Doctor Strange SHOULD be in ---

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AVENGERS/INVADERS #12 (of 12)


Written by JIM KRUEGER & ALEX ROSS
Penciled by STEVE SADOWSKI
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by DALE EAGLESHAM

DUTY NOW...FOR THE FUTURE!
The year long event concludes with a battle royale against a Cosmic Cube powered Red Skull that shakes history to its core. In an altered past and an unrecognizable present, three super-powered teams made up of Earth Mightiest Heroes and the Greatest Heroes of World War Two, find themselves at a crossroads that none of them...or us...may survive.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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Incredible... 12 Alex Ross covers and not ONE had Doc on it.
Maybe Strange is on the Eaglesham variant cover.
Thanks for "NOTHING", Alex Ross!



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MAN-THING
& the "6-DIMENSIONS" characters
appear in these comics:

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MAN-THING (and Midnight Sons) will star in

MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #3


Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by KEV WALKER
Cover by GREG LAND
80s DECADE VARIANT BY TBA

You've heard of Dark Reign, right? Well here comes the Dark Rain--a toxic cloud that zombifies everything in its path! The Midnight Sons can't enter the deadly mist, so they call in a reserve member who can--the macabre Man-Thing! Can the muck-encrusted shambler of the swamps apprehend the undead before the Marvel Universe is totally infected? And will The Hood stop at anything in his mad goal to profit from the growing horror to his own gain? The acclaimed creative team of
Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker continue the madness that CBR.com says "takes the Marvel Zombies franchise in a brand new invigorating direction."

32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

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(2 covers. Including a "1980's variant")
Man-Thing to the rescue!
Dang...I loves me my muck-monster Man-Thing!
But, I HAVE to wonder... what's the deal with that "frankensteined" amalgam (Sandman, Klaw, etc...) villain wearing the Cloak of Levitation?

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CLEA (well... "Cleook") is in:

MARVEL APES: PRIME EIGHT SPECIAL


Written by KARL KESEL
Penciled by TODD NAUCK
Cover by JOHN WATSON

In the face of a fate worse than death, the Ape Universe's greatest minds and leaders must come together to save their world in a secret council known as - the PRIME EIGHT! BLACK BOLT, king of the Inhominids! The invincible IRON MANDRILL! Bruce Bananner, the incredible HULK! PROFESSOR XAPIER, leader of the X-Simians! CLEOOK, Sorceress Supreme! DR. DOOM, master of Latvookia! SILVERBACK SURFER, Simian of the Spaceways! NICK FURY 2099, time traveling secret agent! Monkhattan stands on the brink of disaster in a story we had to call...APE-OKOPLIS NOW!

48 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

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Damn... Why the heck did they kill off the Dr. Strange-ape before the whole Marvel Apes story even started.
Now, they're forced to jump through hoops in order to fill his shoes.
Oh, well... Clea needs some "screen time" too.

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Namor is in:

AGENTS OF ATLAS #6

Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU

Disturbing visions plucked from the malignant mind of Norman Osborn lead the intrepid Agents to the darkest depths of the Atlantic Ocean, where Namora must have words with her infamous cousin - The Sub-Mariner! What happens next shocks her team, who must prepare to say goodbye to their aquatic avenger!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009



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Dracula, Blade & Black Knight (among others) in


CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 ANNUAL #1

Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by MICHAEL COLLINS
Cover by GREG LAND

Meggan is Captain Britain's wife, an X-Man in Hell. And she's going to fight her way home. Over years, bargains, battles, with only her love to guide her. Can she get back to Earth in time to help her husband turn back Dracula and his evil invasion? And is that a metal gauntlet offering a hand? Don't miss this key part of "Vampire State"! Plus: MI13 delves into the secrets behind British Magic.

48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: June 3, 2009

- and -

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #14


Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

"VAMPIRE STATE"
The pieces are all in motion. Dracula, Lilith and Captain Fate are heading for Earth with their invasion force, as the Vampire Lord's deal with Dr. Doom and master plan all come together. MI13 has been taken apart and the world is ripe for the
taking. Part 5 (of 6)

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 10, 2009

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Nekra is a part of

DARK REIGN: LETHAL LEGION #1 (of 3)


Written by FRANK TIERI
Penciled by MATEUS SANTOLOUCO
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS

When Norman Osborn takes over, what happens to the villains who don't make his short list of acceptable allies? Grim Reaper, Mr. Hyde, Absorbing Man, Nekra, and Man-Ape are about to find out when their cooperative of crime lands on the wrong side of Norman's law - but they're not going down without a fight.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: June 3, 2009


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Scarlet Witch seems to be a member of:

MIGHTY AVENGERS #26


Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

DARK REIGN
The Avengers/Fantastic Four slobberknocker continues!
This one's got it all true believers: from MR. FANTASTIC and HANK PYM'S battle of the brains to HERCULES and THE THING'S battle o' the brawn! When it's over, expect BIG changes for Earth's Mightiest Heroes-- including the team's all-new headquarters and a very disturbing DARK REIGN alliance.

32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 17, 2009

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Look at that cover!
Now THAT's a cool looking AVENGERS line-up!

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(alternate universe) Scarlet Witch is a member of

EXILES #3


Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by SALVADOR ESPIN & CASEY JONES
Cover by DAVE BULLOCK

Maybe a new untested team isn't what you want to throw against an island of united X-Men and Brotherhood mutants, all looking to protect Magneto. Then again, maybe it's the perfect solution! And maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay on this world longer, given what the NEXT one has waiting.

32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009

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Scarlet Witch is also in:

FANTASTIC FORCE #3

Written by JOE AHEARNE
Penciled by STEVE KURTH
Cover by BRYAN HITCH

Alex Ultron is in pieces and Banner Jr. has been turned against his teammates. It's a bad time for the Fantastic Force to face three of the most powerful women in the universe: Dark Phoenix, the Scarlet Witch and Polaris! The Hysteries, wrenched from their timeline at their maximum moment of betrayal and insanity, have been summoned to destroy Nu-World and the Fantastic Force are the only super heroes on this brave new planet to stand in their way...if they can even stand!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009

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Nick Fury, Hellfire and Druid are all:

SECRET WARRIORS #5

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by JIM CHEUNG

The smashing first arc of Marvel's best new series comes to a climax as the battle between H.A.M.M.E.R., HYDRA, rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and the Howling Commandos begins!
This is the first shot in a war that will result in the establishment of a new global power structure...and who's caught in the middle? You guessed it: Nick Fury and his team of Caterpillars.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009


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Valinor (the Black Knight's bat-winged steed) and more are in:


MARVEL PETS HANDBOOK


Written by MICHAEL HOSKIN, MADISON CARTER, SEAN MCQUAID, STUART VANDAL, GABRIEL SHECHTER, DAVID WILTFONG, RONALD BYRD, ERIC J. MOREELS, JACOB ROUGEMONT, MARKUS ETTLINGER, JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, MARK O'ENGLISH, MIKE O'SULLIVAN, CHRIS BIGGS & ROB LONDON
Cover by KARL KERSCHL

Rein yourself in for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe you thought you'd never see! A marvelous menagerie of mirthful mammals and more materialize! From the high-flying Falcon's pet Redwing to the ever-familiar Ebony to Speedball's cat Niels to Kitty's dragon Lockheed to Daredevil's dog Deuce to the Mole Man's monsters to Devil Dinosaur and all manner of Asgardian beasts! Cosmo says: "Buy one for me, comrade! Is good!" Lockjaw says: "Woof!" Can you say no to those puppy-dog eyes?

48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

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The HOOD is running things in:

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #25

Written by CHRISTOS N. GAGE
Pencils & Cover by
HUMBERTO RAMOS

"THE INITIATIVE: DISASSEMBLED" reaches its shocking conclusion! The full effects of Dark Reign take hold as Norman Osborn reshapes the Initiative into a place to train the Dark Avengers of tomorrow! And wait until you see who's running things now...(Hint: they're on the cover!) But what will happen to the Gauntlet, Tigra, Trauma and the other heroes who've made the Initiative what it is? Oh, Norman has plans for them as well... DON'T MISS THE ISSUE THAT CHANGES THE INITIATIVE FOREVER!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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The HOOD stars with Dr. Doom and the Cabal guesting in:

DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #2 (of 5)


Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by KYLE HOTZ
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

From the pages of NEW AVENGERS, The Hood leaps into the spotlight! Meeting with Dr. Doom, bossing around his own crime family - anyway you want to cut it, Parker Robbins is getting big. His territory is growing like a wildfire, and you can't keep any of his boys in jail. But there's always someone bigger than you. Calling shots in New York is one thing...but calling them in Latveria, the Atlantic Ocean, and Asgard is another! Worse still, even some of the small fries are trying to edge out Parker, but there's a reason only one of these people is wearing The Hood!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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DR DOOM is raising hell in:

FANTASTIC FOUR #568

Written by MARK MILLAR & JOE AHEARNE
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH

The penultimate chapter of THE MASTER OF DOOM, as Reed Richards is offered a Solomon's choice by the triumphant
Marquis of Death!

32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009


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COLLECTED EDITIONS
HARDCOVERS & TPB's

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Doc is in nearly every issue within:

SENTRY: THE AGE OF THE SENTRY TPB (DM ONLY)

Written by JEFF PARKER & PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by NICK DRAGOTTA, RAMON ROSANAS, BILL GALVAN, MICHAEL CHO & COLLEEN COOVER
Cover by DAVE BULLOCK & MICHAEL CHO

"Classic" tales of the Sentry at the birth of the Marvel Age! Discover the previously unexplored history of the Golden Guardian of Good as he battles the Mad Thinker; Ursus the Ultra Bear; Mountain Man; and Cranio, the Man with the Tri-Level Mind -- all leading up to a final showdown with his arch nemesis, the Void! Featuring guest-stars galore, including Millie the Model and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus: a special story guest-starring one of the greatest -- but sadly forgotten -- British Invasion bands, the Crick-Hits! More than ten tales of old-school super-hero action!
Collecting THE AGE OF THE SENTRY #1-6.

152 PGS./Rated A ...$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3520-3

In Stores: Jun 3, 2009



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VALKYRIE and the Lady Liberators star in:

SHE-HULK VOL. 9: LADY LIBERATORS TPB

Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VINCENZO CUCCA, PASQUALE QUALANO & STEVE SCOTT
Cover by MIKE DEODATO JR.

From the pages of HULK, the Lady Liberators burst on the scene! She-Hulk has been capturing the bad-guys as a bounty hunter...but is that enough for our conflicted hero? Time to kick things up a notch- and that means calling in Valkyrie, Thundra and the Invisible Woman to dispense some hard justice as the Lady Liberators!
Collecting SHE-HULK #34-38.

144 PGS./Rated T+ ...$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4114-3



In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

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Black Knight and more are in:

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 VOL. 2:
HELL COMES TO BIRMINGHAM TPB

Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by BRYAN HITCH

As the team is rocked by confusion in their ranks, they're called into battle on their first official mission. All hell has broken loose in Birmingham and MI 13 agent Captain Midlands in the middle of it. It's super heroes vs. the supernatural, full on. What has Dr. Plokta offered the residents in return for their immortal souls? And why are the Mindless Ones starting their assualt from Birmingham? The team lost one member in their first adventure... can they all survive this?
Collecting CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #5-9.

120 PGS./Rated T+ ...$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3345-2


In Stores: Jun 10, 2009

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The tales of Adam Warlock are in:


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK

The Story: The MARVEL MASTERWORKS line is proud to present one of comics’ most mind-blowingly cosmic sagas. At ’70s Marvel there was no who quite mastered the startling scope and high-concept complexity of truly cosmic adventure like writer/artist and overall Renaissance man, Jim Starlin. His first effort with Captain Marvel redefined a character. His second with Adam Warlock set the tone for star-spanning spectacle that is considered a high-water mark to this day. Taking the legacy laid out by Lee, Kirby, Thomas and Kane, Jim Starlin evolved Warlock to the next level, imbuing the character with the furies and inner demons of a man-god on the brink of insanity. Forced to confront the Magus, an evil version of himself, and the nihilistic menace, Thanos, Warlock’s conflicts weren’t just knuckle-grinding throw-downs, they were epic, existential struggles for the very soul. Culminating in the first-ever assembling of the Infinity Gems, and featuring the first appearances of such cosmic Marvel mainstays as Gamorra and Pip the Troll—not to mention an all-out struggle to save the universe joined by the Avengers, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man—this MASTERWORKs edition is definitive Marvel. So reserve that copy today, True Believer!
Collecting STRANGE TALES #178-181, WARLOCK #9-15, MARVEL TEAM-UP #55, AVENGERS ANNUAL #7 and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #2.

All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3511-1

In Stores: Jun 17, 2009


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Hellcat scratches your fan-bone in:

PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT TPB (DM ONLY)

Written by KATHYRN & STUART IMMONEN
Penciled by DAVID LAFUENTE & STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STUART IMMONEN

Patsy Walker, S.H.I.E.L.D. wants YOU to join the Initiative...and protect the frozen north. You heard me right, sister.
The Klondike. Seward's Folly. Alaska. So pack some long johns and prepare for trouble. Plus, we all know Patsy Walker is Hellcat, so who's the other Hellcat? Find out in this four-part series, from the pages of Marvel Comics Presents. Collecting PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT #1-5 and material from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #1-4.

152 PGS./Rated A ...$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3379-7

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Magik returns from Limbo in:

X-INFERNUS HC

Written by C.B. CEBULSKI
Penciled by GIUSEPPI CAMUNCOLI
Cover by DAVID FINCH

When last we saw Darkchylde, she had claimed the throne of Limbo as her own. And now she's determined to get her soul back, even if she has to conquer Earth in the process. Can the combined forces of the X-Men stop her rampage? They'll have to fight through every demon in Limbo to try. Plus, get the whole story of Magik's exciting return to the Marvel Universe with X-MEN: RETURN OF MAGIK and the X-INFERNUS SAGA!
Collecting X-INFERNUS #1-4, X-INFERNUS SAGA and X-MEN: RETURN OF MAGIK MUST HAVE.

152 PGS./Rated T+ ...$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3947-8
Trim size: oversized



In Stores: Jun 17, 2009

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Doctor Strange and the New Avengers make appearances in:

FALLEN SON: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA HC

Written by JEPH LOEB
Penciled by JOHN CASSADAY, DAVID FINCH, ED MCGUINNESS,
JOHN ROMITA JR. & LEINIL FRANCIS YU
All New Cover by ED MCGUINESS

Where were you when Captain America died? Perhaps you were listening to the radio or reading the morning paper. Maybe you were surfing the web or on the phone with a friend. You were probably shocked, most likely thinking, "How could this happen to Cap?" And for a moment, you perhaps thought about all the ways the super soldier meant something to you. Something very real, very abiding. Fallen Son: Death of Captain America follows the reaction of the legendary heroes' best friends and closest comrades as they struggle to work through the emotions stirred by the loss of their ally, and the stages of grief that make them confront the part they may have played in that loss. This is their story. This is Cap's story. This is our story. The story of a Fallen Son and the world he helped make a better place. Plus, this edition also includes tons of never-before-seen extras!
Collecting FALLEN SON: WOLVERINE, AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPIDER-MAN and IRON MAN; and CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 plus extras from MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CAPTAIN AMERICA REMEMBERED and the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE.

224 PGS./Rated T+...$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4128-0
Trim size: oversized

In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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DOCTOR STRANGE is the Master of the Mystic Arts in:


ESSENTIAL DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 4 TPB



Written by ROGER STERN, DON MCGREGOR, RALPH MACCHIO, CHRIS CLAREMONT, BILL KUNKEL, DAVID MICHELINIE, J.M DEMATTEIS & GARDNER FOX
Penciled by TOM SUTTON, RICARDO VILLAMONTE, ALAN KUPPERBERG, RUBY NEBRES, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, GENE COLAN, DAN GREEN, WALT SIMONSON, AL MILGROM, WENDY PINI, FRANK GIACOIA, JOE RUBINSTEIN, BOB WIACEK, TOM PALMER, KERRY GAMMILL, MICHAEL GOLDEN, MARSHALL ROGERS, TERRY AUSTIN, PAUL SMITH, BRENT ANDERSON, HOWARD CHAYKIN & DON PERLIN
Cover by PAUL SMITH

Dormammu, Ikonn, Tiboro, Ningal, the Dweller in Darkness, names to conjure with...literally! Yet they're only a few of the occult enemies who confront Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, challenged by Baron Mordo, the Eye Killers, and sorcerers from across the world and throughout the dimensions! Weirdness awaits in the Realm of the Shadowqueen and an unfallen Roman Empire, but with Nightmare and D'Spayre around, the human psyche may be the deadliest battleground of all! Plus the mystery of Murdoch Adams, Monster Hunter! With the Man-Thing, Brother Voodoo, and Namor the Sub-Mariner, plus the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the Howling Commandos! Featuring rare horror work by genre legend Howard Chaykin!
Collecting DOCTOR STRANGE #30-56; CHAMBER OF CHILLS #4 and MAN-THING #4.

564 PGS./All Ages ...$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3062-8




In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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Whew!
That seems to be it for this month.
If you see anything that interests you, be sure to pick it up when it ships.

If you like any of the Collected Editions, a kindness of ordering through my Amazon links would be greatly appreciated.
Heck, check them out for anything you might be looking for.

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Feel free to discuss these solicits in the comments section.

(all new comic cover images yoinked from Marvel.com)

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So, once again, my friends... I'll see you... in the future...