Marvel has revealed its May 2015 solicitations, providing a look at the publisher’s near future in the month that the heavily hyped “Secret Wars” debuts. Along with the first two issues of the main series of the mega-event, written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Esad Ribic, there are plenty of previously announced related series on the way, including “Old Man Logan,” “Inhumans: Attilan Rising,” “Ultimate End” and much more. Marvel’s May 2015 solicitations proved to be a newsworthy crop — even beyond major developments already announced like Brian Michael Bendis leaving the X-books with “Uncanny X-Men #600 — and here are a few new details worth noting.
- Since the new, female Thor was first announced last July, the character’s true identity has remained a much-speculated about mystery. It looks like that’ll change with May’s “Thor” #8 by writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Duaterman. The solicitation text promises story beats including “The final battle with the Destroyer” — “And oh yeah…Thor’s secret identity revealed at last!!!”
- Another long-brewing mystery may be coming to a close in May: Rick Remender and Daniel Acuña’s “Uncanny Avengers” #5 is set to including “The truth that will shatter the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver,” following questions and heavy speculation surrounding their heritage, which first surfaced during “AXIS.”
No creative teams were revealed for “Secret Wars Journal” when the book was announced earlier this month, but the May solicitations listed the contributors to the first issue of the anthology series: writers Prudence Shen and Michael Rosenberg, plus artists Ramon Bachs & Luca Pizzari, telling stories including that of the “Hawkeye Bandit” of Marvel 1602. - May’s “Amazing Spider-Man” #18 looks to be a pivotal issue, but it won’t be written by longtime series scribe Dan Slott: Christos Gage, a frequent contributor to the Spidey saga, steps in for the month, for an issue (illustrated by Humberto Ramos) billed thusly: “A huge chapter in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN history comes to a close!”
- Meanwhile in the Spidey books, though the “Fantastic Four” comic book series ends in April, it looks like the main characters will pop up in unexpected places: like Johnny Storm on a first date with Silk in May’s “Silk” #4, by Robbie Thompson and Stacey Lee.
- May’s “Superior Iron Man” #8 from Tom Taylor and Yıldıray Çınarcertainly suggests a major shakeup to that series is on the way, stating, “SUPERIOR IRON MAN IS DEAD! LONG LIVE SUPERIOR IRON WOMAN!” — along with a cover image (seen above) that sure looks like Pepper Potts back in a suit of armor.
It looks like Kaare Andrews’s “Iron Fist: The Living Weapon” ends in May with issue #12: “THE INCREDIBLE GRAND FINALE TO KAARE ANDREWS’ KUNG FU EPIC!” - Multiple long-running story arcs appear to be reaching or nearing their conclusion in May. “Daredevil” #16, from Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, suggests that the title hero’s time in San Francisco may be up — as well as the usefulness of the Matt Murdock identity. In “Hulk” #16, by Gerry Duggan and Mark Bagley, the conclusion to the “Omega Hulk” story arrives with Doc Green vs. Jen Walters.
- On the lighter side of things, “Guardians Team-Up” #5 is set to feature the (reluctant) pairing of Rocket Raccoon and the Pet Avengers. The issue is co-written by frequent Marvel cosmic fixture Andy Lanning and former Marvel editor Andy Schmidt, who edited many cosmic titles in his time at the publisher, including much of the “Annihilation” saga.
- Finally, in what could be a tie-in to the “Daredevil” Netflix TV series, a 112-page reprint of “Night Nurse” stories is scheduled for release in May. On “Daredevil,” Rosario Dawson will play Claire Temple, a separate Marvel character than the Night Nurse of the comics, but speculated as potentially filling that role on the series.
