Before I get into this New Comic Book Day’s releases, happy holidays to anyone who celebrates this time of year, and if you are someone who does not celebrate any date in December, then I just hope you have a great final week of 2020!

This week’s offerings are all bind ups – there’s no new first issues coming out this week – so let’s get right do it!

John Byrne transforms the West Coast Avengers! The team must survive showdowns with the Defiler and the Night Shift – and Mockingbird is haunted by the terrible specter of the Phantom Rider! Then John Byrne takes charge – and the legendary writer/artist immediately leaves his mark on the Whackos with a startling transformation for the Vision! As the team grapples with what’s happened to their old friend, Vision’s wife, the Scarlet Witch, descends into darkness – and learns shocking revelations about her children! Amid the chaos, the U.S.Agent muscles his way onto the roster, the Great Lakes Avengers assemble and a Golden Age legend blazes his way back from the grave!

There are three books before this one: How The West Was Won, Lost In Space-Time and Tales To Astonish. If you’ve got those, you’re good to go with this book!

Out of the pages of AMAZING FANTASY comes a spectacular hero! She’s a wall-crawler for a whole new generation: Anya Corazon, A.K.A. Araña! When scrappy Brooklyn high school student Anya accidentally crosses paths with the mystical Spider Society, she finds herself empowered with a magical tattoo that generates a strange armored exoskeleton – and grants her amazing powers! But as Araña gets more and more involved with the Spider Society, she learns of their ancient, hidden war against a ruthless enemy. Will Araña become a Hunter? Can she keep her father, an inquisitive reporter, from learning the truth? And what happens when her brand-new archenemy transfers into her school?! Meet the modern marvel with the heart of the spider! 

This edition collects Amazing Fantasy and Araña, so it should be a self contained story to itself – perfect for any young fan of all things Spider-Verse!

Ravencroft reopened! After the hellish horrors of ABSOLUTE CARNAGE, the Ravencroft Institute has received a much-needed face-lift and is open for business. But will Ravencroft transform the mentally unstable villains of the Marvel Universe back into upstanding citizens – or will they fall prey to the hospital’s oddly…sinister nature? The Institute is fully staffed, but who thought it was a good idea to put this new batch of lunatics in charge of the asylum? John Jameson, the former Man-Wolf, works tirelessly at Ravencroft – attempting to atone for his recent sins and keep all the beasts at bay. But he’s feeling the pressure from both sides as Mayor Wilson Fisk continues to extort him while Misty Knight implores him to do the right thing! And you know what they say about stress: It brings out the animal in people!

You’ll want to read the Absolute Carnage series first – for those who need it, I’ll write up a reading guide in the new year!

Who is Ronin? When a mysterious and ruthless new Ronin starts tearing a destructive path through the city, suspicion immediately falls on Hawkeye – but Clint Barton has more to worry about than who’s wearing his old costume. After a clash with the Hood ends badly, Hawkeye takes on a new mission that places him in the crosshairs of one of New York’s most dangerous villains. But Clint and Ronin are on a collision course – and only one will walk away! As things around him get ever more dangerous, Clint is pushed to make some tough – and probably really bad – decisions. With everything falling apart, can he find a way to get through this crisis with clean hands – or will he be forced to return to his criminal ways?

You’ll probably need a bit of Ronin/Hawkeye knowledge before going into this comic! If you want a guide to Hawkeye, or Ronin, or both, let me know down in the comments!

Gwen Stacy lives two lives! Hopping back and forth between her home of Earth-65 and the mainstream Marvel Universe, she’s the happening hero known as Ghost-Spider! But two worlds means twice the problems, and Gwen’s about to answer the question nobody even thought to ask: Whatever happened to the Susan and Johnny Storm of Earth-65?! Then, rock ‘n’ roll dreams come true as Gwen takes her band, the Mary Janes, on a rip-roaring multiversal concert tour! But not all those watchful eyes belong to starstruck fans. There’s something symbiotic and sinister stirring in the Marvel Universe. Ms. Stacy was already jailed once on Earth-65 for her super hero activities – and now she’s about to be outlawed in the Marvel U! But what exactly is the alternate-reality Reed Richards, the Machiavellian Maker, up to on her homeworld?

The latest in the Spider-Gwen series – you’ll want to read the Spider-Geddon event and the Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider – Spider-Geddon, The Impossible Year and Dog Days Are Over first!

Blockbuster writer Donny Cates (VENOM, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, THOR) unleashes cosmic chaos! Ask the galaxy’s most powerful beings how they fear the universe will end, and they will answer with two words: “Thanos wins.” Now, that disturbing thought becomes a horrific reality! Meanwhile, the Kree have targeted the Inhumans for annihilation, and Black Bolt must lead the few survivors into one final, bloody battle. In the future, Frank Castle has been transformed into the Cosmic Ghost Rider! And now this bizarre hero has plans for vengeance on Thanos himself! And when the Silver Surfer is lost in space and time, his struggle to survive will leave him changed forever! 

As this is a huge bind up collection of multiple story lines (Thanos 2016, Thanos: Legacy, Death Of The Inhumans, Cosmic Ghost Rider and Silver Surfer: Black) you should be fine to read this. But, just to make sure, I’d check out Thanos: Thanos Returns and The God Quarry, just to make sure you’ve got all the background knowledge on Thanos’ story first.

These two mighty Avengers shared one of the greatest romances in the entire Marvel-Verse! They are the synthezoid Vision and the reality-manipulating Scarlet Witch – and these are some of their most action-packed adventures! First, the Vision is unleashed on the Avengers by his “father” – the evil android, Ultron! Vision’s control of his density makes him a formidable opponent, but his inner nobility soon sees him turn on his inhuman creator! Joining the team, Vision soon finds love with Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch – and their far-out wedding is one of the greatest Avengers stories ever told! Wanda and Vision make one heck of a team – but even with Spider-Man by their side, can they defeat the dark sorcerer Necrodamus?

Perfect for anyone looking forward to Wandavision and wanting to find out more about their original romance!

The future of the X-Men is here! Karma. Wolfsbane. Sunspot. Cannonball. Moonstar. Follow their early days at Xavier’s School – including battles against Sentinels, the Hellfire Club, the Brood and more! New recruits Magma, Magik and Cypher find their footing; a deadly rivalry begins with Emma Frost’s Hellions and the Demon Bear that haunts Dani Moonstar bares his teeth – Bill Sienkiewicz-style! Will the New Mutants survive – and if so, can they make a new friend in the alien Warlock? Plus: The mind-bending debut of Professor X’s son, Legion! The unsettling return of a shadow from the past! And the tragic tale that transformed Illyana Rasputin into Magik! 

This is one hell of a bind up, featuring so many classic New Mutants stories – it’s perfect for anyone looking to get to know the characters better, or anyone who is just looking for all these stories in one place!

And that’s everything coming out before Christmas! What’s everyone got on their pull list? I’m definitely picking up Hawkeye Freefall and Ghost-Spider: Party People!