Marvel are releasing a lot of new comics and bind ups this week, so happy new comic book day to us all!

Single Issues:

In the tradition of SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY, and in celebration of the FF’s 60th Anniversary, comes this series setting the lives of the fabulous foursome in real time across the years!
Amid the backdrop of the Cold War and the Space Race, a terrible accident gives the Fantastic Four great powers, a terrible secret, and entangles them in the history of their planet.

At the moment, I am thinking that this can be read by newbies and old comic fans, as this goes back to the start of the Fantastic Four and looks at what would have happened if they had aged in real time, instead of comic time!

AL EWING AND ALEX PAKNADEL INTRODUCE THE ORIGINAL HULK!
•  Ten thousand years ago, something green and glowing comes to poison the ancient ground of the Fertile Crescent – and the hearts of its people.
•  One boy is left to bear the consequences – and, for the first time…to open THE GREEN DOOR.
•  Plus: Bruce Banner faces a challenge unlike any he’s seen before as writer David Vaughan makes his Marvel debut!

This one can be read by newbies, as this isn’t focusing on Bruce, it’s focusing on the first ever Hulk!

SHANG-CHI VS. THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!
Shang-Chi and his family are back! And this time, they’re colliding head-to-head with the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes! Shang-Chi has finally taken his place as the leader of the Five Weapons Society. But using an evil secret organisation as a force for good won’t be easy. And it’s about to get a lot harder when Shang-Chi’s fellow super heroes, like the Amazing Spider-Man, start to see him as the bad guy! Gene Luen Yang and Dike Ruan return to bring you the next chapter of this Marvel legend!

I’d recommend having some Shang-Chi knowledge before reading this comic – I’ll have a guide up in September when the film comes out!

Bind Ups:

Marvel’s stronger-than-steel man of the streets Luke Cage partners with the mystic kung fu master Iron Fist in the beginning of one of the greatest teams in comic book history! Together, Power Man and Iron Fist are heroes for hire, taking on any job and any challenge – as long as their clients can meet the price. But both heroes have long pasts and old foes out to destroy them. Between facing those menaces and making ends meet, it’s a life short on downtime and long on action! This inaugural Epic Collection features the beginning of our heroes’ partnership; guest appearances by Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, the Daughters of the Dragon; a team-up with the X-Men; and classic villains including Nightshade, Bushmaster and Sabretooth! 

I’d say that you should probably know a little about Power Man and Iron Fist before reading this, but if you’re looking for the beginning of Heroes For Hire – this is it!

Spider-Man’s symbiotic sparring partner goes solo as he heads to San Francisco – but is he deadly villain or lethal protector? Find out, along with the Punisher, Daredevil, Iron Man, Hulk, Darkhawk, Juggernaut, Spidey and more! Venom faces madness, vengeance and a bad case of separation anxiety – plus the ultimate symbiote showdown with the psychopathic Carnage! It’s a Brock-buster volume that could only be called a Venomnibus!

The first in a Venom Omnibus, collecting issues from the 60’s!

One of the mightiest Avengers vs. one of the most steadfast X-Men! Rogue used to be a villain, and she and Captain Marvel once clashed in a battle that left both women changed forever! On behalf of the Brotherhood, Rogue ambushed Carol – and permanently absorbed her memories and powers! As Rogue battled the Avengers, Carol struggled to rebuild her life. Tormented by Carol’s memories, Rogue eventually reformed. The two powerhouses have crossed paths time and again since then, both as enemies and reluctant allies. But can Captain Marvel and Rogue ever find a way to bury the hatchet – other than in each other’s heads? 

This, as far as I can tell, includes Rogue’s introduction and every other interaction she’s ever had with Carol! If you love both characters, this is the bind up for you!

Robbie Reyes is the newest Ghost Rider – with a twist! He’s got a sweet ride, but the car is haunted by a vengeful spirit named Eli, and it’s hell on wheels! When Robbie’s East L.A. neighbourhood is overrun by Mr. Hyde’s drug-fueled gang violence, can he use this new power to put vengeance in overdrive – or will he submit to Eli’s darkness? When Johnny Blaze shows up, hellfire sparks will fly in a street race to eternal damnation! And when Robbie learns a shocking truth about his absent parents, will it push him over the edge? Plus: A mysterious crash landing brings Robbie face-to-face with Amadeus Cho, X-23 and Silk! And Ghost Rider goes metal in a wild “What If” featuring music, monsters and Marvel! 

If you caught Robbie in Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which you should have, the show is amazing), and want to know more about Robbie’s comic counterpart, then this is the perfect thing to read!

In 1973, Marvel’s iconic series Strange Tales was reborn starring an extraordinary new horror hero. Today, the Marvel Masterworks are bringing the zombie hunting adventures of that hero-Brother Voodoo-back to life! Haitian-born, Jericho Drumm left his island nation to study psychology in America. When his brother is on his death bed, he returns home and this man of science becomes entangled in the spiritual world of voodoo! Jericho’s brother’s spirit is joined with his own, making him the new Brother Voodoo and a powerful protector of mankind. His exploits pit him against zombies and A.I.M. and team him with Moon Knight and Doctor Strange. The classic tales of Brother Brother are beautifully restored and collected in complete in this single volume.

Brother Voodoo is a lesser known character, but definitely worth checking out – here you’ll find his origins, and several of his earliest adventures!

Roger Stern brings his timeless Hulk run to a close with an Incredible finish! With Hulk icon Sal Buscema at the drawing board, ol’ Jade Jaws gets wound up in an epic four-issue struggle with Machine Man that’ll test the limits of both man and, well, machine! The high-tech thief Goldbug is searching for a lost city of gold, and needs the Hulk to find it, but what is his connection to the enigmatic They Who Wield Power? And can Hulk stand up to a foe even bigger than he is? Find out when he takes on It the Living Colossus! Plus: It’s Hulk vs. Canadian heavyweight Sasquatch in one extra-sized Annual, and the legendary Steve Ditko is on hand to draw another! 

The first 14 volumes are all named by their numbers, so should be easy to find!

Barry Windsor-Smith joins Roy Thomas for a three-part super-saga that assembles every Avenger from issue #1 to #100 against the combined threat of Ares and the Enchantress! Then, Steve Englehart takes the reins and begins his iconic tenure writing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with an excursion to the Savage Land, the return of the Black Panther, and the traitorous master plan of the Grim Reaper and the Space Phantom! Hawkeye quits the team just as Magneto arrives to battle the combined forces of the Avengers, the X-Men and Daredevil, Mantis makes her stunning first appearance, romance blooms between the Vision and Scarlet Witch, the Black Widow returns, and the Swordsman joins the Avengers’ ranks!

The released volumes before this one are: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Once An Avenger, Masters of Evil, Behold… The Vision and The Beachhead Earth.

Loki’s villainous machinations pit Spider-Man and the X-Men against unfamiliar foes! Spidey has his hands full with powerful sparring partners like Graviton, Magneto and the terrifying Tri-Sentinel – but when a cosmic upgrade boosts his powers, the ruthless Doctor Doom puts the web-slinger in his crosshairs! Meanwhile, the X-Men take on the Mandarin – and Psylocke is transformed! Teeth meet claws when Wolverine battles Tiger Shark! Nitro and the Vulture target the New Mutants’ Rusty and Skids! And it’s tyrant vs. trickster when Apocalypse faces Loki! Plus: Alpha Flight tackles an unholy alliance of super villains – including Nekra, the Scorpion and the Owl! 

Collecting issues from the 60’s, onwards!

And that’s everything coming out today! What’s on your pull list? I’m certainly looking into Ghost Rider!