This new Comic Book Day has a lot of new releases, so let’s get going with it:

Single Issues:

EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES!
The Avengers are confronted with an unstoppable new menace, one that is seemingly impervious to their every strength! But the Avengers aren’t so easily beaten, and when new threats arise, powerful new tools must be brought to bear! Join the Avengers as they battle a brand-new enemy…and begin a deadly game of chess with a shadowy mastermind!

The start of the latest event in the Marvel universe – one that’s going to change everything! Seeing as it’s a brand new series, you won’t need any specific prior reading!

Deadly Hands vs. Deadly Blades!
•  Someone has been stealing artifacts of WMD potential.
•  It’s up to Shang-Chi to find this person and stop them.
•  But is he prepared to go toe-to-toe with Lady Deathstrike?!

With this one, you’ll definitely need to know who Shang-Chi is, as well as Lady Deathstrike. I’d recommend The Hands Of Shang-Chi: Master Of Kung Fu by Steve Englehart for his origins, and the Weapon X storylines for Lady Deathstrike.

THE QUEEN IN RED SAILS!
Red Queen Kate Pryde and her crew of Marauders set sail against the forces of Knull! Captain Kate has pledged to fight for the needy, and a global disaster like this one gives plenty of folks in need.

The next part in the King In Black event, so you’ll want to have read at least the main ‘King In Black’ comics by Donny Cates. You will also need to check out the Marauders series, as well as House Of X/Powers Of X by Jonathan Hickman and Gerry Duggan. My guide to House Of X/Powers of X is here, if you need it.

KING IN BLACK BLACK KNIGHT

THE BLACK KNIGHT DUELS THE KING IN BLACK!
KNULL’s ferocious assault upon earth has begun and Dane Whitman – Avenger, hero, and wielder of the mighty Ebony Blade as the BLACK KNIGHT – takes up sword and shield to defend against the unstoppable onslaught. Though the blade grants Dane incredible power so too does it consume him with a lust for violence and destruction. As the endless horde of symbiote dragons darken the skies of Shanghai, will the Black Knight overcome the growing evil within himself and join AERO and SWORD MASTER in saving the city?! And what secrets will the battle against Knull reveal about Dane’s past?

Again, you’ll need to read King In Black, but also Aero and Sword Master by Greg Pak and Black Knight: Exodus by Ben Raab first. To be honest, there isn’t much in the way of Black Knight solo comics, so I’m hoping that’ll do for now!

Bind Ups:

From ABSOLUTE CARNAGE to “Venom Island,” Donny Cates continues his sensational shake-up of the symbiotic mythos! With the serial killer Cletus Kasady on the warpath, Eddie Brock must protect his son, Dylan, at all costs! But Venom and Carnage aren’t the only two symbiotes around. As more of Venom’s twisted offspring make their presence known, Carnage strikes – and all hell breaks loose! As if things weren’t bad enough, it turns out there’s much more to Dylan than Eddie, Carnage or even the alternate-reality Reed Richards known as the Maker understand – and once they learn the truth, nothing will ever be the same! Then, in the aftermath of Carnage’s assault, Eddie finds himself back on the ominous Island of Bones – where every living thing is out to get him! Venom will be tested like never before! 

Simply, all you need to read before this bind up is volume 1 of the hardcover bind up, which will just be called Venom by Donny Cates volume 1.

The X-Men’s newest crisis is shaping up to be their final adventure! It all starts with a mysterious and tragic disappearance, but the X-Men’s investigation draws the team into a much larger – and deadlier – situation! Who or what are the Four Horsemen of Salvation – and what is their connection to Nate Grey, the incredibly powerful mutant known as X-Man? Will Nate’s home dimension, the Age of Apocalypse, make its horrifying return? Or does the dawn of the Age of X-Man mean the end of the Uncanny X-Men?! It’s a status-quo-smashing story that just might leave all of mutantkind in tatters – and it will take three fan-favorite writers to deliver the mutant madness!

This is the lead up to the Age of X-Man storyline! It sadly did get cancelled for House Of X/Powers Of X, but I’d still say it’s worth a read for any X-Men fan!

The god of war returns! Sword Master and Ji Shuangshuang fight the resurrected demon hordes of Chiyou, the ancient deity – but their greatest enemy might just be themselves! How can SHUANGSHUANG and LIE fight an overwhelming supernatural army when they can’t seem to trust each other? And what is the horrible family secret that threatens to bring Chiyou back to destroy the world? Sword Master is haunted by the past and under attack in the present, and the introduction of two new players is about to transform his future! Can Lie truly master the Sword of Fu Xi, learn the truth about his bloodline and summon the strength to defeat the vengeful god of war? 

You’ll want to read War of The Ancients first!

DeMatteis and Zeck craft the ultimate tale of revenge in the latest in our series of graphic novels handpicked by Marvel Editorial to showcase pivotal storylines written and drawn by some of Marvel’s most acclaimed creators! Kraven the Hunter has stalked and killed every beast known to man. But there is one prey that has eluded him. One quarry that has mocked him at every turn: the Spider. Now, in one last hunt, Kraven will finally prove he is Spider-Man’s master – by burying him alive and taking his place! To destroy the spider, he must become the spider! Prepare for one of the greatest Spidey stories ever told – a tale that has cast its shadow over Peter Parker’s life for years! 

This is a Spider-Man collection from the 60’s and 70’s, so if you’ve been looking out for classic Spidey stories, this is definitely for you!

Spider-Woman’s second Marvel Masterworks volume is here! In these pages, Spider-Woman and Spider-Man meet for the first time as legendary CAPTAIN AMERICA writer Mark Gruenwald joins iconic artist Carmine Infantino. The creative duo kicks things off with the menacing, macabre villain known as the Needle! Then, life for Jessica Drew is no fairy tale when the Brothers Grimm return – and they’ve brought along Madame Doll to help their deadly bedtime story. And the Shroud emerges from the shadows for a multi-issue team-up when Nekra’s villainy is revealed in a shocking way! Plus: The bizarre Waxman melts his way into Spider-Woman’s rogues’ gallery as she tangles with the Werewolf by Night and seeks a new direction as a bounty hunter! 

You’ll definitely need Marvel Masterworks Spider-Woman volume 1 before this one, but you should be fine otherwise.

Sink your teeth into the early years of Morbius, the Living Vampire! Dr. Michael Morbius first made his (bite) mark on the Marvel Universe when a doomed experiment left him with a vampiric lust for blood. And his disturbing debut couldn’t have come at a worse time for Spider-Man – who recently grew four extra arms! Can Spidey find a way to return to normal when all six of his hands are full dealing with Morbius and the Lizard? The Human Torch and the X-Men help Spidey battle the Living Vampire – but Morbius soon sets off on his own, seeking redemption for his past and a cure for his cursed affliction! Plus: A modern-day tale explores Michael’s youth – and the fateful experiment that changed him forever! 

Perfect for anyone looking for the beginnings of Morbius! It’s not tying into the film release anymore, as that’s been pushed back until 2022, but it’ll still be a fun read!

Witchcraft is broken, and the Scarlet Witch must embark on a globe-trotting journey to fix it! From Manhattan’s back alleys to the Greek Isles to the Irish countryside, Wanda Maximoff faces myths and legends, combats curses and discovers there’s more to her complex family history than she knew. But will the powerful mage called the Emerald Warlock be friend or foe? And even as witchcraft is pieced back together, Wanda must discover who shattered it in the first place! The Scarlet Witch will aid brokenhearted hero Le Peregrine and seek help from young witch the Wu, but things won’t be easy when she encounters her brother, Pietro! 

I recently read this series, and while it is not my favourite series in the world, it’s still a good character study of Wanda. It’s also rumoured to be part of the basis of WandaVision, so it’s definitely worth a read if you’ve been enjoying the show!

The horror smash hit lives again! When the corpse of Galactus appears at the edge of Earth’s solar system, the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four investigate. Too late, they discover that the World-Eater’s body is now the vessel of an interstellar terror – which one by one transforms Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into ravenous undead zombies! Now, the world’s remaining defenders must try to escape the super-powered, cannibalistic aberrations that were once their friends and family – but will any survive? Spider-Man made a promise to keep people safe, and he’s not going to quit – even in the literal jaws of death. But the cost of keeping his promises may be horribly high! Can Earth’s hunted heroes hope to protect the planet from an infestation that has already claimed half the known universe?

This is actually the second round of Marvel Zombies, but you can probably read this without the previous instalment if you can’t find it.

Luke Cage burst onto the comics scene in 1972 as the “Hero for Hire!” Equal parts Marvel Method and Blaxploitation boldness, Cage was a new kind of hero for a new era, the historic first African American character to headline his own series. Cage’s adventures depicted New York City’s 1970s grit and the plight of its people with a realism that was gripping in its time, all while incorporating larger-than-life villains, including Black Mariah and Doctor Doom! This Epic Collection presents page after page of classic Luke Cage adventures, including his amazing origin, his growing relationship with Claire Temple, the first appearance of Cottonmouth, a battle against Iron Man and a fight to the finish with a classic Marvel foe for the name Power Man!

A great starting point for Luke Cage fans!

The gods walk the Earth! In ancient times, the cosmic giants called the Celestials came to Earth and created a race of powerful immortal beings: the Eternals! For a time, primitive man worshiped them as gods, but eventually the Eternals disappeared. Now, they’ve returned – and so have the Celestials! A massive golden figure towers over San Francisco, standing in silent judgment – but does he portend the end of the world? As the Eternals discover the nature of the threat heading toward Earth, Ikaris makes a huge move, and schisms in the Eternal community explode! Pacts are broken, lines are drawn and Eternal blood will flow – but can the fractured family pull together in time to save the planet from the Horde? 

I’d definitely recommend reading The Eternals by Jack Kirby first, just so you’ve got the groundwork for the characters.

DAWN OF X TP VOL 12

Matters of life and death in the Dawn of X! As the Hellions face the Goblin Queen, where will Havok’s allegiances lie? The Marauders set their sights on the power-dampening technology that has made its way into far too many hands – most notably, the Russian Army! When a mutant dies, someone must investigate in order to uphold the Krakoan rules of reincarnation. Northstar, Polaris, Prodigy, Eye-Boy, Daken and Prestige take the case as X-Factor – your new favorite mutant team! The Master of Magnetism and the King of Atlantis make for a powerful duo as Magneto heads underwater with Namor the Sub-Mariner! And when mutant babies go missing, Cable takes it personally – almost as personally as his complicated love life.

Again, apologies for the rubbish picture, for some reason I cannot get HQ pictures for the Dawn Of X covers

The next one in the Dawn Of X releases, you’ll basically need House Of X/Powers Of X and Dawn Of X 1-11 to read this one. As before, I’ve also got the reading guide linked in the King In Black: Marauders section!

Jonathan Hickman rocks the Avengers World with INFINITY! To protect their planet from greater dangers, the Avengers got bigger. But when the oldest race in the universe marks Earth for destruction, it’s time for Captain America to think grander still. As the most powerful Avengers team ever assembled heads into space, an old enemy deems their homeworld unprotected. Thanos unleashes his dark forces against Earth in search of a terrible prize, and his Black Order fires the opening shots of a galactic war that will be fought both on Earth and in deep space! As the mad Titan’s secrets are revealed, the Inhuman city of Attilan falls and the secretive Illuminati find themselves on the front line! Galactic empires will fall as Thanos’ crazed plans come to fruition! 

This is a, frankly, giant bind up of Hickman’s Avengers. The first two volumes are, simply, called volumes 1 and 2.

And that’s everything! What’s on your pull list this week? I’m picking up Dawn Of X 12 and Eternals!