Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition is all about Marvel’s August announcements, of which there are many. Hit the links for more information.
Marvel released their solicitations for August today (You can find the complete listings on Newsarama or The Beat) and they included several new stories and big storylines that I may or may not have already covered here. So, here’s a round-up of what to expect and what looks interesting …
Damage Control, which debuted back in 1989 in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents before spinning off into its own miniseries, will return in August in a new miniseries written by Adam Goldberg (from The Goldbergs TV show), Hans Rodionoff and Charlotte Fullerton, and with art by Will Robson and Jay Fosgitt.
The original Damage Control, created by Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colon, was made up of normal folks who were called in to clean up after big superhero battles. This time around, the story will focus on Gus, a newcomer to DC (um, I guess I shouldn’t use an acronym here, should I?) and it promises to “pull back the curtain and reveal the secret inner workings that were previously only available to people with Clearance Level Eight.” It’ll also feature cameos by Ghost Rider, Quicksilver, Moon Knight, She-Hulk and Nightcrawler. You can read more about it on CBR.
Speaking of She-Hulk and Nightcrawler, they appear together on the cover to She-Hulk #6, drawn by Jen Bartel. Having tea in their finest.
I think this is the best comics cover I’ve ever seen. Bartel talks about how it came together on her Substack.
Marvel’s big Judgment Day crossover continues in August with not only the main issue — A.X.E.: Judgment Day #3 — of the miniseries, but also a bunch of crossover issues. The story will run through several of the X-Men titles, Avengers, Fantastic Four and even Amazing Spider-Man, as various Marvel characters are judged by the Celestials for past actions. Any excuse to dig up Gwen Stacy, I guess … of note: David Pepose (this week’s new Savage Avengers) will write the Fantastic Four tie-in issues, while Mark Russell is writing Avengers #60, which features Hawkeye.
Carnage #6 by Ram V and Roge Antonio kicks off a new storyline as the bloodthirsty symbiote heads to the realm of the Dark Elves, intent on taking the throne of Malekith.
It seems like forever ago when Marvel launched its Gwen Stacy miniseries, especially when you take into account the last three years. But now they’re finally getting back to it, with Christos Gage and Todd Nauck set to wrap it all up in Giant-Size Gwen Stacy. It’ll include the first two issues, released back in 2019, and the final three issues all in one package.
“The icing on the cake is that for the first time I get to see my name on a Giant-Size title…a nice thick volume containing ALL 5 issues,” Gage said. “Ever since I was a kid, Marvel’s Giant-Size books have held a special place in my heart, so I couldn’t think of a better, more exciting way for Gwen to return. I thank everyone who’s waited so long, kept asking about the book and retained their enthusiasm for it…I hope you find it worth the wait!”
Moon Girl’s journey around the Marvel universe that starts in June will continue in August as she meets the X-Men. This issue, written by Mohale Mashigo, will feature art by David Cutler.
Speaking of wacky team-ups, Ms. Marvel is also meeting up with various Marvel characters in a series of one-shots, and in August, it’s Moon Knight, courtesy of Jody Houser and Ibraim Roberson.
Dan Slott, Mark Bagley and more are working on the next Edge of the Spider-Verse miniseries, which debuts in August. The anthology will, in addition to spotlighting various Spider-characters around the multiverse, set up The End of the Spider-Verse, which is coming later this year.
“Marvel has decided to do the unthinkable, go big, and bring the saga of the comic book Spider-Verse to a fiery conclusion,” Slott said. “Yes, that’s right. Later this year we shall all bear witness to The End of the Spider-Verse!”
Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Julius Ohta will launch a new Alien series, which will reveal why “a new cast of characters must go deep into Xenomorph territory for a chance to combat human extinction.”
“The series kicks off a chapter called Alien: Icarus, which heightens the action in a similar way to how James Cameron’s 1986 Aliens did after the original film,” Johnson said. “In Alien: Icarus, readers will meet the legendary Synthetic Special Operations Team, led by one of my favorite original Alien characters so far: an unstoppable synthetic named Freyja.”
Also coming from Marvel in August: Amazing Fantasy #1000 and a new Ultraman miniseries. Again, you can find the complete solicitations for Marvel in August on Newsarama or The Beat.