Marvel Comics November 2019 Solicitation Analysis

Marvel is not slowing down as they head into the new year with a ton of things in development. By the time we hit November we already have the X-Men going in the various directions all their team books are embarking. The second to last month of the year will also see the return to the 2099 Universe and a new Annihilation event kicking off. That’s all in addition to November marking the end of Absolute Carnage, Captain Marvel’s heel turn, Garth Ennis’ return to Punisher and much more. Let’s check out all the notable things Marvel announced in their new November 2019 solicitations.

MARVEL’S STAR WARS SERIES COMES TO AN END

Probably the biggest thing to come out of Marvel’s November solicitation was something that the company buried near the bottom of the list. And that is the announcement that Marvel’s Star Wars series would be ending with its 75th issue. Though Marvel still has several Star Wars comics that are continuing mostly mini-series. The only Star Wars series with the main comic’s end after November will be Doctor Aphra. That is a significant drop considering how Marvel has been publishing several ongoings along with the sleuth of mini-series until recently.

What makes the cancelation of the main Star Wars comic an even bigger question is the fact that it was not a bad seller at all. The Star Wars series was normally in the Top 25 or Top 30 in comics sold to retailers, consistently selling in the mid-40,000 to 50,000 physical copies a month. Taking that into account you have to wonder why Marvel would cancel one of their best selling comics?

This not passing blame but given how Disney has been more open to working with other companies to produce content with their properties this may be one of those case. In the comic book realm alone we’ve seen IDW co-publish comics starring Spider-Man and the Avengers. A crossover between properties is one thing but to actually have IDW publishing books about these characters is eyebrow raising. Don’t be surprised if Disney goes down this route with Star Wars in the future. Whatever the case is we will likely hear more about the future of Star Wars comics when New York Comic-Con takes place later this year.

A NEW ANNIHILATION LOOMS OVER THE MARVEL UNIVERSE

Annihilation is the event that started the rise of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova within the Marvel Universe. It set the groundwork for both of them to be major players. It paid off as a lot of the work DnA did with Guardians of the Galaxy, in particular, was used as an inspiration for the MCU movies. So it is not at all surprising that Marvel would revisit the epic Annihilation event. They have after all recycled the Civil War and Infinity War.

The deal breaker for this new Annihilation event is the fact that Matthew Rosenberg is writing this series. Rosenberg just about destroyed the X-Men franchise. If it was not for Jonathan Hickman coming in to save the entire franchise who knows what Marvel would’ve done with with the incinerated remains Rosenberg left behind. So with that still fresh in mind Annihilation is a Marvel event that will be a complete pass.

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE DEATH BATTLE: VENOM VS. CARNAGE

Absolute Carnage had a great start with its first issue. Donny Cates did well into tapping into the horror aspect of Carnage’s character. Seeing the final battle in Absolute Carnage come down to Venom and Carnage is expected. What will be interesting to see is if Cates and Stegman actually go through with making the final showdown between Venom and Carnage a true death battle. Afterall, it would be a shame to lose Carnage after all the work that is being done to make him into a top tier villain.

2099 UNIVERSE RETURNS WITH A VENGEANCE

Marvel is going all in on the return of the 2099 Universe. Not only do they have the one-shot, 2099 Alpha #1, launching the franchise back into prominence there are also three new series accompanying its release in November. Those titles are Conan 2099, Punisher 2099 and Fantastic Four 2099. I’m guessing since Spider-Man 2099 is busy in the past at the moment that Miguel O’Hara will get his own series at a later point. 

The one thing that is concerning about Marvel’s approach towards the 2099 Universe is that they are going to deep with several comics. It may have been better for Marvel to focus on one 2099 series to build the groundwork for the entire universe. That way Marvel could test the interest in the 2099 Universe without having to eventually cancel an entire line, like they have done in the past when they’ve gone all in on a certain franchise.

WILL INVISIBLE WOMAN CROSS THE LINE?

Invisible Woman #1 started with revealing the secret agent life that Sue Storm had early on in her superhero career. One of the things this secret life explored was Sue being criticized by her partner for not using a gun during their mission. Her choice to not use a gun is something that Mark Waid is going to be coming back to in the final issue of Invisible Woman #5. The cover shows Invisible Woman possibly firing a gun, something that is against who she is as a person. Since this would be a big change to Sue’s character it is hard to believe that Marvel would actually go through with one of their greatest characters resorting to using a gun. More than likely this is a tease to help the series get some attention. At I hope because this would definitely be a decision met by a negative response from Marvel fans. 

GARTH ENNIS RETURNS TO PUNISHER

Garth Ennis run on Punisher is the stuff of legends. It was one of the best comic runs from the 2000s. And this is coming from a Marvel fan who has never been big on the Punisher. Ever since Ennis left Punisher has not been the same as Marvel has tried multiple times to get the character over. 

Because of that seeing Ennis back at Marvel and writing a new Punisher mini-series is a big deal. Titling it Punisher Soviet indicates that Ennis will be tapping into the political climate going on in Russia. That is a topic that needs to be handled with care given everything going on in the political realm across the world. That said, Ennis has built up the clout to be trusted to handle Punisher Soviet with the care it needs.

KELLY THOMPSON TAKES OVER DEADPOOL

Kelly Thompson is a rising star within Marvel. To her credit Thompson has done a good job with every series she has worked on. Her work on Mr. & Mrs. X in particular was a standout. The series showed Thompson knows how to write a series that is just a ton of fun. So to see that she is going to be taking over the main Deadpool series was a great announcement. She is the perfect writer for a series involving the craziest comic book character around. Having Chris Bachalo on as the artist further makes the new Deadpool series a must read.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN MEETS SPIDER-MAN 2099

Spider-Man has had his hands full as of late. Now things are going to be getting even busier as he must help his 2099 counterpart, Miguel O’Hara, from damaging the future. It is still not clear why Spider-Man 2099 is in the present. In addition, we don’t know why Spider-Man 2099 presents such a danger by appearing in the present. He has appeared in the present several times before and it did not put everything in danger like Amazing Spider-Man #33 is teasing. Maybe that is where Doctor Doom’s appearance comes into play. He has been known to love to mess with space and time before. Maybe Spider-Man 2099 will invigorate him to do so again. 

AMAZING MARY JANE VS MYSTERIO SHOWDOWN

One of the things that is helping to launch the new Amazing Mary Jane ongoing series is MJ stepping back into the acting world. Helping MJ get her acting career moving again is Mysterio’s latest plot that involves putting her on his new show. That is something that was expected to be hanging over the series as a major sub-plot. But the mystery around Mysterio’s involvement in MJ’s career is not lasting long. That is something that is teased in the solicitation for Amazing Mary Jane #2. Though given that the solicitation uses Quentin Beck’s name rather than Mysterio maybe the secret of Spider-Man’s villains involvement in MJ’s career will still be a mystery for the series.

SPIDER-MAN AND BLACK CAT FINALLY GET MARRIED

Spider-Man and Black Cat have had a storied on-and-off again relationship. Even when they are not in a relationship Spider-Man and Black Cat can’t help flirting with each other when they are together. It is part of their natural banter. And recently they become friends again after Peter Parker revealed his identity as Spider-Man to Black Cat again, in doing so Felicia Hardy got all her memories of Peter restored.

Now even though Peter is in a relationship with MJ it looks like Spider-Man and Black Cat will be tying the knot in November. At least that is what Black Cat Annual #2 is implying. Given that comic book weddings don’t have a great recent track record this wedding between Spider-Man and Black Cat is hard to believe actually happening. But hey, maybe Marvel will surprise is by having Black Cat Annual #1 take place in an alternate universe where a wedding between Spider-Man and Black Cat can happen without repercussions towards the main Marvel Universe.

CAPTAIN MARVEL JOINS THE DARK SIDE

Captain Marvel is currently in the middle of a storyline in which she is at risk of losing her powers and her popularity has been taken by the new hero on the block, Star. From the solicitation for Captain Marvel #12 that looks to be where Carol Danvers’ troubles just start. Because with the November issue it looks as though Captain Marvel is turning to the dark side. The new darker costume Captain Marvel gets, along with the unconscious bodies of the Avengers, indicates that this will be the start of a brand new story arc. How this new story relates to the current storyline with Captain Marvel will be interesting to find out.

KRAKOA BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND FOR THE X-MEN

House of X and Powers of X have established Krakoa as its own nation for mutants. Whatever happens in both books it looks as though that is something that will continue into what the new X-Men continuity will be. Though the peace that the X-Men and mutants have enjoyed on Krakoa looks to be coming to an end. That is if we are to believe the solicitation for X-Men #2. What surprises this new version of Krakoa holds is still a big mystery that neither House of X or Powers of X have explored. The main X-Men series tackling this particular plot point makes it come across as an important discovery to the franchise.

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