1. AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #7
For anyone who has been following the series up until this point, there's no way that
Avengers Vs. X-Men #7 isn't THE most essential purchase of the week. Act Two has seen the Phoenix Five reshape the Marvel Universe into a very different (and arguably better) place. However, The Avengers aren't too pleased with the deadly force having that sort of control and have vowed to stop the X-Men, leading Cyclops to declare, "No More Avengers." Jonathan Hickman has been responsible for some of the best chapters in the series so far, while
Avengers Vs. X-Men #6 was proof enough that Olivier Coipel's stunning pencils are perfect for the book. This installment promises to show the mutants taking down Earth's Mightiest Heroes as the epic event passes the halfway mark and the plot continues to thicken.
2. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #689
What originally looked set to be a fairly standard Spider-Man/Lizard story was turned on its head with a very clever cliffhanger from Dan Slott in last week's
Amazing Spider-Man #686. The Lizard said that Connors died when he killed and ate his son Billy, and while Morbius the Living Vampire's cure returned him to his human form, he actually retained the mind of the reptilian bad guy! Quite a twist. Previews have shown that the Lizard will struggle to maintain the facade and this promises to deliver a fresh and original take not seen before. The solicitation for the book also promises that fan favourite character Morbius will lose control, so there's something for everyone in the second part of "No Turning Back". Throw in Giuseppe Camuncoli's artwork (which has proved to be a perfect match for this arc so far) and this is a must-read.
3. INVINCIBLE #93
Robert Kirkman may now be best known for
The Walking Dead, but that doesn't mean comic book fans should forget about
Invincible. As the series hurtles towards its landmark 100th issue, the writer continues to tell the story of Mark Grayson as he deals with the after-effects of the Scourge Virus. Meanwhile, the "new" Invincible continues to face the challenges which come with taking on the mantle, but the most compelling story currently being told is what exactly went on between Robot and Monster Girl during their time spent in the Flaxan Dimension. It was revealed last issue that they spent over 800 years together, but one event drove them apart. Kirkman often stretches out various subplots and storylines over dozens of issues, but readers are desperate to learn more about this one. With art from both Ryan Ottley AND Cory Walker, it's a dream come true for fans of the series.
4. WOLVERINE #310
Oddly, Marvel are publishing
Wolverine #310 BEFORE
Wolverine #309. Regardless, Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi re-team to tell the story behind Sabretooth's recent resurrection. This is the same creative team who actually killed off the villain a few years back (in a death which appeared to be pretty permanent) so how they'll handle his return and plans for revenge on the man who killed him - Wolverine - promise to be very interesting indeed. This arc will also feature Cloak and Dagger, although their involvement in events hasn't been made entirely clear at this point. However, a recent preview revealed that the latter is kidnapped by the villain, so it's pretty clear that Victor Creed has some fairly nefarious plans up his furry sleeves. Definitely one to watch out for.
5. BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS #1
Last week's
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl didn't impress everyone as it covered a lot of ground already familiar to hardcore
Watchmen fans. Regardless of your thoughts on that installment in this series of prequel stories, another #1 hits this week, this time focusing on the origin story of Ozymandias, the man who would ultimately become the villain of the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons book. What should fans expect from
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1? Well, no one really knows, as it is once again shrouded in secrecy and accompanied only with the tagline, "I have goals to achieve. Dreams to make come true." Written by Len Wein, with what promises to be some stunning artwork from Jae Lee, it will hopefully offer a very compelling look at the motivations and back story of the character.
THE BEST OF THE REST...
6. PUNISHER #13
7. ACTION COMICS #11
8. EARTH 2 #3
9. ANIMAL MAN #11
10. INFERNAL MAN-THING #1