To start the ball rolling, let's take a look at the DC and Marvel solicitations for products shipping in April 2010:
- DC solicitations for products shipping in April 2010
- Marvel solicitations for products shipping in April 2010
Over on the DC side of things, we have Geoff John's first issue of Brightest Day #0 following the humongous "Blackest Night" crossover. Personally, I'm avoiding all the continuity-porn that both Marvel and DC seemed to be addicted to since several years back. Having said that, like the sucker I am, I'll probably pick up the TPB collections some months later anyway.
Also from Geoff Johns (who seems to be writing everything in DC these days - like Bendis, Brubaker and Fraction are doing over at Marvel) is the new Flash #1 with Barry Allen having his own ongoing series as the Scarlet Speedster following "Flash: Rebirth". The Flash that I've always known is Wally West and I haven't read any of the Rebirth issues. If it's as good as the Hal Jordan relaunch over at the Green Lantern sector, I just may give it a try.
Greg Rucka's first arc on Detective Comics featuring the new Batwoman is finally collected in a deluxe edition hardcover. It's entitled "Batwoman: Elegy" and it features the sweet art by Promethea artist J.H. Williams III. This would make a great gift for my daughter. Speaking of gifts, my other daughter will go bananas over the "Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam" TPB. There's also the 4th volume of "Superman: New Krypton" collecting the rest of the epic storyline by Greg Rucka and James Robinson - I'm hoping to read the first two volumes during the Lunar New Year break next month.
That's all the stuff from DC. Let's take a look at what Marvel has to offer...
Over at Marvel, we see that Brian Bendis' "Siege" crossover comes to an end launching the new so-called "Heroic Age" at Marvel. Like I said, this is more continuity-porn from Marvel and I'm presently avoiding them all. I usually take a wait-and-see attitude to see what comes next. As most of the titles post-Siege are still unknown (listed as *Classified* under the solicitation notes), it's really a wait-and-see thing. Apparently all the Avengers titles are ending so this marks the end of the era begun since New Avengers #1 years ago.
Jonathan Hickman's new S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 looks like a conspiracy-freak's wet-dream. He's suggesting that the famed spy-organisation is really an Illuminati/Freemason-styled thing that has been around for centuries. I'll probably wait for the trade on this one. Meanwhile, the X-corner of Marvel is knee-deep in the "Second Coming" crossover. This marks the end of the "Messiah"-trilogy of X-storyarcs. I've been following this storyline (with Hope Summers) since Messiah Complex several years ago so I'll definitely be on board for the ending.
As for the trades, the second omnibus volume collecting all the "Inferno" tie-in stuff (that couldn't be fitted into the gigantic first volume) will be released. I've not read any of them so I'll probably check this one out. Other than that, we are getting the hardcover treatment for "Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos" and "Infinity Gauntlet". These two are some sweet cosmic tales from Jim Starlin and Ron Lim (with George Perez) from the 1990s and are best read side-by-side. As for the newer stuff, the only one that interests me is the second "New Mutants" hardcover from Zeb Wells. I enjoyed the first one very much and I'm really looking forward to reading the second volume that ties into "Necrosha" and reveals a little bit more about Illyana Rasputin.
