Ultimate Books...
ULTIMATES 2 #1
Written by Mark Millar, pencils and cover by Bryan Hitch.
Part 1 of 5. It's been one year since they stopped an alien invasion, and now things get hard. New members, new costumes and 12 months of gossip to catch up on! Who's getting married? Who's divorced? Who's gone nuts since we last saw them?
Why, just in this first arc we see Ultimate Hulk, the secret origin of Ultimate Thor, and we get a look at the entire Ultimate Universe as drawn by Bryan Hitch. It's guest-stars galore, with everyone from the X-Men, Daredevil, Captain Britain and even The Defenders.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 1.
ULTIMATE SECRET #1
Written by Warren Ellis, pencils and cover by Steve McNiven.
Part 1 of 4. A new propulsion system devised by the U.S. government puts Mars just days away. It creates interplanetary opportunities unprecedented for the human race. But someone -- or something -- wants Earth's progression into space to stop. Let's see what that means to the Ultimates and the ultimate FF! And who is that mysterious white and green figure on the cover above? Find out this December.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE #5
Written by Warren Ellis, pencils by Trevor Hairsine, cover by Jimmy Cheung.
Part 5 of 5. The final chapter. The explosive conclusion as the Ultimates take on Ultimate X-Men in the wastes of Tunguska. But beyond the battle is the dreaded final secret hidden in this awful place for decades. It will be worth the wait.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 1.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #70
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and cover by Mark Bagley.
In the midst of Peter's bizarre dreams and flashbacks, he goes to see the one man who might be able to help him -- Dr. Stephen Strange -- Master of the Mystic Arts! Special appearance by the Ultimates, too.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec.15.
ULTIMATE X-MEN #54
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, penciled by Stuart Immonen, cover by Andy Kubert.
"Longshot," part 1 of 3. The introduction of Ultimate Longshot! It's the ultimate reality show as mutants convicted of capital crimes are released on an island where they're hunted down by contestants. Longshot has survived longest and the X-Men are sent to rescue him--until they become part of the game themselves.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 8.
ULTIMATE ELEKTRA #5
Written by Mike Carey, pencils and cover by Salvador Larroca.
The battle lines have been drawn--but will Elektra find herself on the same side of the law as Matt Murdock? The two ex-lovers come face-to-face with Wilson Fisk and his mysterious assassin, with the fate of more than just Elektra's family hanging in the balance.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 22.
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #14
Written by Warren Ellis, pencils and cover by Adam Kubert.
"Negative," part 2 of 5. Young Reed Richards leads his three friends into the unknown depths of the N-Zone with an attempt to find a way to reverse the consequences of the accident that made them what they are. But will they find a cure for their genetic alteration or will the trip end in a tragedy none of them could foresee?
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 29.
What If? Books...
WHAT IF JESSICA JONES HAD JOINED THE AVENGERS?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Michael Gaydos, cover by David Finch.
Ripped from the pages of the Avengers Alias -- Jessica Jones, ex-superhero private eye was once tapped to join the Avengers, but chose not to and gave up being a super-hero altogether. But what if she had taken the job? The events that followed shake up both the Avengers and Jessica's life in ways no one could have guessed. Could Jessica have saved the Avengers from the disasters of Disassembled? For the first time Avengers' writer Brian Bendis reunites with Alias artist Michel Gaydos, with a special cover by Avengers' artist David Finch.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHAT IF KAREN PAGE HAD LIVED?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Kevin Smith, art by Alex Maleev, cover by Joe Quesada.
The worst thing that ever happened to Daredevil was watching his one true love Karen Page die in his arms after a brutal attack by his archenemy Bullseye. The events that followed spiraled Matt Murdock's life out of control and he has never recovered. The award-winning team behind DD's monthly book join DD legends Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada in this shocking once-in-a-lifetime look at Daredevil.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHAT IF AUNT MAY HAD DIED INSTEAD OF UNCLE BEN?
Written by Ed Brubaker, art by Andrea DiVito, cover by Andy Brase.
We all know that Spider-Man's heroic career was inspired by Uncle Ben's death after his speech about great power and great responsibility... But what if Uncle Ben wasn't the one who died? What if Peter's mother figure, Aunt May had been the one in the path of that bullet? How different would Peter's life have been?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHA... HUH?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Stan Lee, Mark Millar, J. Michael Straczynski, Garth Ennis, Brian K. Vaughan, Peter David, art and cover by Jim Mahfood.
Because clearly Bendis doesn't have enough books to write this month, the big baby bullied Marvel's upper management into green-lighting this ridiculous pile of silly nonsense! In the great tradition of Not Brand Echh and the old humor issues of What If?, Wha...Huh? asks the questions that no one really cares about... What if the Identity Crisis happened in the Marvel Universe? What if Modok has an itch? What if Kevin Smith finished his books? Bendis reteams with hilarious Clerks artist Jim Mahfood and all the best Marvel scribes--Mark Millar, JMS, Garth Ennis and a ton of others--to make the dumbest comic published this year. No one is safe!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHAT IF DR. DOOM HAD BECOME THE THING?
Written by Karl Kesel, pencils and cover by Paul Smith.
How could the Fantastic Four's strongest member also be their deadliest enemy? A seemingly minor decision made long before the FF even existed could have changed everything for the World's Greatest Super-Team, Victor Von Doom... and even the Incredible Hulk! And that's just for starters...
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHAT IF MAGNETO HAD FORMED THE X-MEN WITH PROFESSOR X?
Written by Chris Claremont, art by Cully Hamner, cover by Jim Cheung.
X-Men legend Chris Claremont joins with the hotshot artistic team of Cully Hamner (inside) and Jim Cheung (outside) to ask a question that must be answered only with speculation. Imagine a world where the Master of Magnetism had chosen a different path. Or perhaps he could have swayed Xavier from his own beliefs? These two legends stalk the halls of X-Men Canon, and at last the question is asked, "What if things had been different?"
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
WHAT IF GENERAL ROSS HAD BECOME THE HULK?
Written by Peter David, art by Bart Sears, cover by Gary Frank
Meet again, for the first time, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross... a veteran army officer who believes that the time for talk is long past, and all that matters is his country's ability to develop weapons that will annihilate its enemies. Experience with him what happens when he himself becomes the mightiest weapon on two legs...but is trapped within that weapon, unable to communicate with former allies who only want to destroy him.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
Marvel Age Books...
MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #17
Written by Todd Dezago, plot by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, penciled by Logan Lubera, cover by Roger Cruz.
"The End Of Spider-Man!" Spider-Man Quits? Following Spidey's hasty exit from a battle with the Green Goblin, J. Jonah Jameson has all of New York wondering if our favorite Web-Slinger has indeed given up. And it's a situation that leaves Peter Parker wondering if in fact he should turn in his web-shooters to stay at home and take care of his ailing Aunt May. All this and the return of the Sandman, eager to take revenge on Spider-Man for capturing him last time.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 15.
MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #18
Written by Todd Dezago, plot by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, penciled by Logan Lubera, cover by Roger Cruz.
"Spidey Strikes Back!" Featuring The Human Torch. With much of New York thinking that Spidey is washed up, and worse, a coward, the Wall-Crawler has to put his best web forward to re-establish himself as a hero and crime fighter. But before he can, the Sandman, joining forces with The Enforcers, makes plans for the biggest robbery ever--easier now that there;s no Spider-Man around to stop them! But when the Human Torch gets in their way, it's up to Spidey to find and free his fiery pal before the bad guys can get away with the loot.
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 29.
MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP #4
Inspired by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru, written by Todd Dezago, penciled by Ron Lim, cover by Randy Green.
"Out of Time." Featuring Spider-Man and Thor. When a horde of trolls freezes time to launch surprise attacks on both Earth and Asgard, Spider-Man and the mighty Thor find themselves the only ones left to stand against the armies of Krillk the Conqueror! It's a battle of epic proportions as Spidey and the thunder god try to figure out how to defeat the trolls--and restore the flow of time itself!
32 pages, $1.75, in stores on Dec. 1.
MARVEL AGE HULK #4
Written by Mike Raicht, penciled by Ryan Odagawa, cover by Shane Davis.
Someone is framing the Hulk for destruction in Texas... and there's only one other big green monster that could fit the bill! That's right! It's the brawl you've been waiting for! The Hulk versus the Abomination in a drag-out, knock-down, green-fisted fight! How do these two monsters know each other?
32 pages, $1.75, in stores on Dec. 8.
SPIDER-GIRL #81
Written by Tom DeFalco, pencils and cover by Ron Frenz.
When his daughter's crime spree leads to another confrontation with Spider-Girl, Electro comes out of retirement to seek the help of his old enemy Spider-Man.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 1.
JUBILEE #4
Written by Robert Kirkman, penciled by Derec Donovan, cover by Casey Jones.
Can you say, "Sheıs a firecracker?" You can if the "she" in question is Jubilee -- one of Marvelıs mainstay X-Men mutants, at last in her own series!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 1.
MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #9
Written by Marc Sumerak, penciled by Alitha Martinez, cover by Makoto Nakatsuka.
The Fantastic Four face off against their most unusual foes yet--bankruptcy and reality TV! (Oh, and that Namor guy is back, too!) It's a new twist on a Lee and Kirby classic for the modern Marvel Age!
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 15.
MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #10
Written by Marc Sumerak, penciled by Alitha Martinez, cover by Makoto Nakatsuka.
The Fantastic Four's most dangerous foe finally returns! How did Dr. Doom survive his exile in space...and what secrets has he brought back with him that could destroy his sworn enemies once and for all? Find out in this modern day retelling of a Marvel classic!
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Dec. 29.
EMMA FROST #18
Written by Karl Bollers, penciled by Carlo Pagulayan, cover by Greg Horn.
"Bloom" part 6 of 6. Say it ainıt so! With the love of her life on trial for his job, what is Emma willing to do to save him? Also, donıt miss the ultimate telepathic catfight!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
THOR: SON OF ASGARD #11
Written by Akira Yoshida, penciled by Greg Tocchini, cover by Jo Chen.
"Worthy" Part 2 of 3. When Sif is kidnapped by Frost Giants, Odin instructs Thor to stay and guard the palace. But given his feelings for Sif, Thor would travel to the gates of Hel itself to save her... and he just may have to!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
Marvel Knights Books...
ELEKTRA: THE MOVIE
Written by Sean McKeever, pencils by Mike Perkins, photo cover of Jennifer Garner.
Jennifer Garner explodes onto the silver screen January 14, 2005. This official adaptation of the movie is far more than the average comic, as itıs chock-full of all the extras we could muster, including interviews, pinups, handbook entries, elektra checklists and more. Beat the crowds by close to two months with this special edition, just in time for the holidays.
72 pages, $5.99, in stores on Dec. 29
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #9
Written by Mark Millar. pencils and cover by Terry Dodson.
"The Last Stand" part 1 of 4. In this 4-part conclusion to the super-story, the identity of Aunt Mayıs abductor is finally revealed. But is that the villain who really pulls the strings? The roller-coaster ride that is Marvel Knights Spider-Man picks up speed, riding a corkscrew to its conclusion!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
BLACK WIDOW #4
Written by Richard K. Morgan, art by Bill Sienkiewicz, layouts by Goran Parlov, cover by Greg Land.
The Widow comes home to Moscow for the first time in ages -- and what she finds there ain't pretty. The Motherland has changed a lot in the years since Natasha left the KGB. Picking up the pieces of her lost past leads her straight back to the elite black-ops training academy known only as the Red Room..or what's left it. The secrets she discovers about her training there will shatter her past and send shockwaves deep into her future.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 22.
BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS #4
Written by Daniel Way, penciled by Steve Dillon, cover by Mike Deodato, Jr.
Part 4 of 5. Bullseye relives his crowning achievement, revealing a new wrinkle in his tumultuous relationship with a certain female assassin. Guest-starring Daredevil and Elektra!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
MADROX #4
Written by Peter David, penciled by Pablo Raimondi, cover by David Lloyd.
Part 4 of 5. A stunning revelation about his ladylove shocks Madrox as he seeks to discover the nature of Vance's "final solution for the mutant problem." But as a trap is sprung in a blazing warehouse, Madrox finds his greatest opposition may be closer than he suspected. Meanwhile, Rahne squares off against a cheating spouse who will do whatever it takes--including killing Rahne--to cover his tracks.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 15.
DISTRICT X #8
Written by David Hine, penciled by Lan Medina, cover by Steve McNiven.
"Underground" part 2 of 6. As the mystery of the creature underneath the streets deepens, a more personal matter threatens Bishop and Ismaelıs friendship.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
ELEKTRA: THE HAND #5
Written by Akira Yoshida, penciled by Christian Gossett and Jim Chueng, cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.
Part 5 of 5. Betrayed by the very group he helped create, Yoshioka and Eliza take on The Hand in this pulse-pounding climax. Do these two warriors stand a chance against the most powerful samurai in all Japan? And what impact will this fateful battle have on the Marvel Universe, and The Hand's place in it? The stunning conclusion that ties the past to the present!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 29.
DAREDEVIL #68
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, art and cover by Alex Maleev.
"Golden Age" part 3 of 4. The epic Daredevil anniversary storyline continues, traversing three different eras in Daredevil's life. As Matt Murdock's past catches up with him, the original Kingpin is there to deal the punishment! Featuring stunning artwork by Alex Maleev in a style you've never seen before.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 15.
HULK & THING: HARD KNOCKS #4
Written by Bruce Jones, art and cover by Jae Lee.
Thing...fight...dirty...Hulk...smash! Itıs the final round of the ultimate slugfest. Think you know everything about the unique relationship between this pair? Guess again.
32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Dec. 1.
TOMB OF DRACULA #3
Written by Rob Rodi, penciled by Jamie Tolagson, cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.
Part 3 of 6. As Dracula undergoes a violent physical transformation that might result in the extermination of the human race, Blade and his team of vampire hunters race toward Castle Dracula only to find themselves under assault by the first wave of alpha-vampires who are sworn to protect their master.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 1.
STOKER'S DRACULA #2
Written by Roy Thomas, art and cover by Dick Giordano.
Part 2 of 4. The horror continues as Dracula makes his way to England and sets his sights on Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker. This issue finishes reprinting the previously serialized B&W ink-wash adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and continues with the first pages of all-new artwork in almost 30 years! Every 6 weeks another issue will arise.
48 pages, black and white, $3.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
STRANGE #3
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes, art and cover by Brandon Peterson.
Part 3 of 6. Brash young surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange is on a collision course with destiny -- a journey that will force him to search the deepest corners of his own heart...and the outer reaches of the cosmos.
32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Dec. 1.
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #13
Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, penciled by Jim Muinez, cover by Frank Cho.
"Eyes Without A Face" part 1 of 2. Itıs good news all around-not just for the FF, who have reclaimed their status as New Yorkıs premiere super hero team-but for their friend and ally Alicia Masters. After a lifetime of darkness, the blind sculptressıs eyesight has been restored by her father Philip Masters-the seemingly reformed villain Puppet Master-but at what cost? Either all is as it seems...or darker forces are at work.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
MAX Books...
SUPREME POWER #14
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Gary Frank.
"The Squadron" part 2 of 6. It's high noon as Hyperion, Nighthawk and The Blur have a long-overdue showdown with the super-powered serial killer that has been terrorizing the nation. Find out here if the newly formed squadron makes it out of this fight alive.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
PUNISHER #15
Written by Garth Ennis, penciled by Doug Braithwaite, cover By Tim Bradstreet.
"Mother Russia" Part 3 of 6. Frank Castle cuts a bloody swath through Russia, where a lot of bad men need to be punished
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
PUNISHER: RED XMAS
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, art and cover by Mark Texeira.
'Tis the season... for revenge. Following an eight casket funeral, a group of vengeful mob widows go holiday shopping for the perfect assassin to take down the man responsible -- and enlist the services of the lovely and lethal Sicilian assassin known as Suspiria.
48 pages, $3.99, in stores on Dec. 22.
Icon Books...
POWERS #7
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, art and cover by Michael Avon Oeming.
Brand-new story arc! One of the great defenders of the city's dark streets has been murdered... by a cop. And how does this affect the burgeoning career of the new Retro Girl?
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Dec. 8.
