Oh look, Marvel's October MU #1's!

The August - October 2015 edition of Marvel Previews is out. Know what that means? October marks the first month of its sixty first issues initiative. I question the wisdom of doing so when Secret Wars approaches its conclusion and mini-What If? event; but I am not Marvel so I have no idea what they are thinking. In any case, here's my thoughts on each solicitation. Only will cover Marvel Universe titles so no Star Wars or non-continuity titles.

• Invincible Iron-Man #1 & 2: New purpose? That could be intriguing. New supporting cast? Sounds good. Who are  his biological parents? On second thought, this is a pass for me. I hate the revelation that his parents aren't his actual parents. Actual colored interior pages are included and they do look purdy. Madame Masque being back is rather cool.
• All-New, All-Different Marvel Point One #1: One of those titles that leads me to question Marvel's publishing wisdom. Why publish this title when the new initiative has begun? Why not before? Short stories are provided for six titles, two of which are 'classified'. Impulse buy.
• Avengers #0: See previous rant. New stories for all six Avengers titles plus what seems to the beginning to next Avengers meta-plot. Probably a must-read for Avengers fans.
• Amazing Spider-man #1 & 2: The first issue is a double issue for double the price! I like the 'Tony Stark'-ified Peter. The Zodiac is a fun group of villains. Its a direction that we have never seen before. First issue also provides stories for the rest of the Spider-line. If it wasn't for the implied twice a month publishing, I would buy this. I dropped Amazing because I could not keep up with the two or three times a month schedule. Impulse buy.
• Angela: Queen of Hel #1: Angela (of Spawn fame) is now in Asgard's Hel because her companion is there. She is now its queen. Al Simmons and her should compare notes.
• Blade #1: A female Blade! That's all Marvel provided. Pass!
• Astonishing Ant-Man #1: If you saw the free Marvel previews magazine that Marvel provided, there's nothing new here. A maybe.
• Contest of Champions #1: Appears to be bridging series between Secret Wars and the ANAD Marvel U. Maestro, Gamora, Devil Dinosaur. An extra dollar for an extra 8 to 18 pages. Would have been nice if Marvel listed how long the title will last...
• Doctor Strange #1: Apparently Doctor Strange will be paying price for each act of magic. Probably explains why he wields a battle axe now. Wonder if the title will touch upon the nerve damage in his hand or whether the Vishanti are upset with him. Has possibilities. As an aside, it does provide fodder for a character concept for 5E D&D. Hmm, future blog post.
• Exraordinary X-Men #1& 2 - Guess, Storm is leading this team. Yep, do you like the roster?
• Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - I have been collecting GotG so... the solicitation has not changed my mind... Ben Grimm & Kitty Pryde (Star-Lady ?!)
• Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1: Marvel actually included interior art from the issue that not only do I appreciate that they did but I appreciate the art. The solicitation says that the division S.T.A.K.E. (very pun-y) comprises of aliens, mythical beasts, and extra-normal entities. My kind of title. So I give it 12 to 24 issues. Sadly...
• Karnak #1: Warren Ellis's new book about the inhuman Karnak. Turns out it sees the flaws in everything. So Karnak might be more philosophical than at first glance. Plus an Agent Caulson appearance! Could be good although with Ellis's current track record either he or the book will last 6 or 12 issues.
• New Avengers #1 &2: Oh that's Sunspot in the lead. Sunspot's a cool character. Except I don't see how he fits the idea of Avengers Idea Mechanics. I'm not sure how any of the characters on the first issue's cover fits that idea. Pass.
• Captain America: Sam Wilson#1 & 2: Nothing new revealed. At least the title is no longer call 'All-New...' anymore and could easily be changed...
• Spider-Gwen #1: The spider-powered Gwen Stacy has her very own title. Not going to lie this development arose after I dropped Amazing so I do not have much to go on. So solicitation it is. The Lizard is involved. Plus apparently Marvel's multiverse is back too.
• Spider-Man 2099 #1 &2: Peter David writes it.
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Unless she's on the GLA written by Dan Slott, pass.
• Uncanny Avengers #1: Another title where the roster will make the difference. Deadpool is Avenger seems the major selling point.
• Uncanny Inhumans #1: Hey lists the full team of Medusa, Black Bolt, Triton, Reader, Human Torch, and Beast! Surprisingly, its a first... sadly. Whoa, they are taking on Kang the Conqueror! Marvel provided a sample in this year's FCBD of which I mean to comment on but they may actually have sold me on it based on the solicitation.

There you have it. Marvel's October launch. Five dollar comics concern me especially if they are followed by another issue that month. Such a flooding of the market does not help any retailer or reader choose which titles to read. The opaque solicitations and lack of samples does not help the matter. Of the twenty titles or one-shots debuting in October, only ten stir any interest whatsoever. If the rest of the roll out follows suit, there's not much to bring this former Marvel zombie back into the fold. Maybe the actual content will change my mind but $4 and $5 dollar comics act as a barrier.