It’s the 18th new comic book day of the new year! This post covers Marvel Comics May 1 2024 releases. Missed last week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering Marvel Comics April 24 2024 new releases.
This week in Marvel Comics: Blood Hunt begins, Captain America de-iced, Daredevil Unmasked, the improbable X-Men 2099, Deadpool & Wolverine go to war, Iron Man & Magneto team up, and more!
This list includes every comic and digital comic out from Marvel this week, plus collected editions in omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. I recap and review every new single issue. Plus, for every new release, I’ll point you to the right guide within my Crushing Comics Guide to Marvel Comics to find out how to collect each character in full – and, if a guide is linked from this post, that means it is updated through the present day!
Marvel Comics May 1 2024 Collected Editions
Captain America Omnibus Vol. 1
(2024 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1302957995 / digital)
See Guide to Captain America. This omnibus collects the start of Cap’s Silver Age return – though, since it is based on the Masterworks mapping, it omits his actual return in Avengers (1963) #4.
We go straight from him despairing over a photo of Bucky in Tales of Suspense (1959) #59 to fighting Baron Zemo in Tales of Suspense (1959) #60. Even if Lee & Kirby lean on action-oriented plots, there are still those moments of Steve being a man out of time trying to absorb the modern day and its new challenges.
Carnage Vol. 1: Born Again
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302955014 / digital)
See Guide to Carnage. This is the very creepy kickoff of Torunn Grønbekk’s 2023 Carnage series, which finds the Carnage symbiote getting back to Earth after nearly attaining godhood and deciding to return to what it knows best – serial killing, one victim at a time.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – The Art of the Movie
(2024 hardcover, ISBN 978-1302956592)
See Guide to Ant-Man.
Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 3: Unmasked
(2024 digest-size paperback, ISBN 978-1302954284 / digital)
See Guide to Daredevil. Marvel’s digest-sized Silver Age collection presses on to the third year of early Daredevil comics. I’m somewhat surprised Marvel extended the Mighty Masterworks line to Daredevil, as his early stories aren’t considered to be particularly significant.
She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 4: Jen-Sational
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302957117 / digital)
See Guide to She-Hulk. This is labeled “Volume 4” despite being the first collection of Sensation She-Hulk (2023) because it picks up directly from the end ofRowell & Company’s 2022 She-Hulk series. While you could pick this up and easily follow it with no preamble, the 15 issues of the prior series are absolutely delightful slice-of-life romance stuff with a just-right amount of punching.
Spider-Boy Vol. 1: The Web-Less Wonder
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302957155 / digital)
See Guide to Spider-Man – Peter Parker (2018 – Present). I rolled my eyes when I first heard that Dan Slott would be launching a Spider-Boy character and accompanying series. Well, I know how to admit that I was wrong. This has been an adorable spider-book with a solid mystery at its center. I sometimes forget just how much I love to follow the perspective of younger characters through the Marvel Universe.
I do find it somewhat hilarious that we needed a new spider-kid now that Miles is such an old high schooler and Arana and various other Spider-Girls have been shunted off into Spider-Verse hijinks, but I guess Spider-Verse means that there will always be more spiders.
Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302956561 / digital)
See Guide to Star Wars Expanded Universe comics. An anthology of stories by Charles Soule following the fall of the Starlight Beacon.
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: Supernova
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302955939 / digital)
See Guide to Spider-Man – Peter Parker (2018 – Present). As I discussed in-depth last week, this Dan Slott book is superior in name only! While it features an unlikely team-up between Peter and Doc-Ock to wrap up some loose plot thread from Slott’s era as Spidey’s author, there’s no return of the Superior Spider-Man we all love to hate. Still, if you enjoy Slott and dig a Mark Bagley spider-book, this one ought to please.
I think Marvel knows exactly what they’re doing with having so many side books by fan-favorite authors running alongside the increasingly-maligned main run of Amazing Spider-Man by Zeb Wells. Spidey-fans have their wallets at the ready, and the more discontent there is about the main series the more willing they will be to buy supporting books like this one.
Thunderbolts Epic Collection Vol. 2: Wanted Dead or Alive
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1302956462 / digital)
See Guide to Thunderbolts. This collects the second year of Kurt Busiek’s Thunderbolts (1997), which at the time was one of the rare few smash hits for a troubled Marvel Comics in the wake of Onslaught during their rocky Heroes Reborn period. While villains reforming as heroes was nothing new, this was one of the first comics to feature an entire team of villains who were fake reforming (at least, at the time) and for that reason it will always be a fun read.
X-Men 2099 Omnibus
(2024 oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1302952068 / digital)
See Guide to Marvel 2099. I still think it is an absolute fever dream that this book is a real thing that exists. ALL of X-Men 2099, ALL in one prestige format oversize hardcover. Please keep in mind that this could not have any less to do with the X-Men you know and love if it was a DC Comic (although some characters have since been tied in with present day X-Men). But, if you like the idea of MUTANTS and you like far-future stories, then this is a gem in the rough you ought to check out.
Read on for a summary of all of the Marvel Comics May 1 2024 single issue and digital releases!
Marvel Comics May 1 2024 Physical Comic Releases
Blood Hunt (2024) #1 – See Marvel Universe Events – Blood Hunt. It’s Marvel’s big event of 2024! We’ve been seeing plenty of vampires in books as far back as Jason Aaron’s first year on Avengers through Ben Percy’s Wolverine and into Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight, so it feels like it’s finally time that all come to a boil – as written by Avengers (and incoming Uncanny X-Men) writer Jed MacKay!
I’m going into this pretty unspoiled other than knowing it will feature a lot of Blade in it, so I’m curious to know what the big vampire plot will be beyond “we vant to suck your blood!”
In a first for modern Marvel, this same issue will also be offered as “Blood Hunt: Red Band Edition #1” with added gore and additional pages! I’m sure that won’t make things even more confusing to explain in my collecting guides five years from now 😂
Cable (2024) #4 – See Guide to Cable. I was so excited for Fabian Nicieza to return to writing a canonical Cable in the present day, but I’m struggling with this series. I don’t think Nicieza has the right vibe for Teen Cable and it feels like the machinations of the villain here are being overwritten to the point of drowning out the fun of seeing Cable destroy their plans.
There are some nice continuity deep cuts here and I enjoyed that this series referenced the retcon from X-Men Legends #10. I think it’s a fine series if you want all the Cable your body is legally allowed to consume, but it’ll be easily forgotten once it wraps up next issue.
Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII (2024) #1 – See Guide to Deadpool or Guide to Wolverine. Joe Kelly is always a good time writing Deadpool and so is Adam Kubert drawing Wolverine. Of course, this is nakedly a movie tie-in meant to grab fans excited about Deadpool & Wolverine, but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of fun along the way!
Get Fury (2024) #1 – I don’t have a guide to Nick Fury. I almost had one last year, but I got caught up in trying to decide if it was really a Fury guide or more of a SHIELD guide and I got too distracted to finish it. Perhaps it’s time for another attempt!
I don’t think this Garth Ennis series will be in canon, because it is specifically set in 1971 Vietnam, with the CIA inserting Frank Castle to rescue a captured Nick Fury. That no longer lines up with the continuity history of Punisher, so I believe this will be MAX or MAX-adjacent.
Immortal Thor (2023) #10 – See Guide to Thor – Odinson. After the parody issue-within-an-issue of ROXXON Presents: Thor a few weeks ago, Thor is finally catching on to the level of manipulation that is twisting his own history. If you haven’t quite caught on to what has been happening in Ewing’s story, here’s a phenomenal explainer from a chat I had with my Comics Twitter buddy RayManta82 earlier this week:
In the first arc, Toranos is essentially the Real Thor from OUR world. He enters the Marvel Universe, is disgusted by what he sees & fights a simpler version of himself but is ultimately defeated by the Thor franchise
If that first arc was the thesis, then this is the antithesis. Upon seeing a simpler version of himself, our Thor is disgusted by what Roxxon’s Marvel Universe has made out of him.
That first battle [in Roxxon Presents] was original vs the corporate IP. The next is corporate IP vs AI generated. The AI generated is the absolute worst version because AI cannot create anything new. Instead it produces a mocking mashup of surface elements from past Thor comics coupled with corporate propaganda & product placement. It’s not trying to be meta satire like AHOY. It’s diegetic.
Both Toranos and Thor, powered by the faith of their worshippers/the audience attention, interacts with their simpler version, wielding a powerful tool/technology (wheel/hammer), but Roxxon Thor is different.
His powers don’t come from belief or magic, but instead AI. The commentary is interesting because to many AI is subtle. It’s the terrible fake photos inundating social media, inaccurate AI generated search results & articles.
This is the comic of tomorrow, today. Made by an app. And you just know some people are gonna keep buying it.
Incredible Hulk (2023) #12 – See Guide to Hulk – Bruce Banner. Folks, I love and respect you all so much that I finally caught up on this title despite not caring much for Hulk or its author.
And, here’s a news flash: this might be both the most creepy book out from Marvel every month as well as the most visually stunning.
We’re fresh off of a New Orleans arc with terrifically gothic art from guest artist Danny Earls and series regular colorist Matthew Wilson. It had a different kind of supernatural enemy and actually changed the status quo of Hulk and his new teenage hanger-on in an interesting way. I think “supernatural” is the key word here. This series really feels like Hulk standing in for the Winchester brothers on the Supernatural TV show (a favorite in this house) with a heavy dose of body horror. It also reads mega-fast – I’m often through the issues in under four minutes, even when I spend time to linger on the art!
Despite this having an overarching narrative about the monsters haunting small town America, I think this issue might be a great place for new readers to jump on since it will be focused on a brand new status quo.
Invincible Iron Man (2022) #18 – See Guide to Iron Man – Tony Stark. After a few crackling issues of this title that proved to be the best of Duggan’s side of the Fall of Krakoa, last issue it felt like it was finally losing steam with a “this isn’t real” mental journey that included a lot of single splash pages (all gorgeous, thanks to Duggan’s Savage Avengers collaborator Patch Zircher).
However, the final panel of the issue connected to the close of Ewing’s Resurrection of Magneto (2024). That might just mean we’re in for some obvious Stark Sentinel carnage in this issue, but I’m hoping Duggan might find some additional nuance as he continues to drag out this final confrontation between Tony vs. Feilong vs. Orchis AI.
Power Pack: Into the Storm (2024) #5 – See Guide to Power Pack. The final issue of this throwback Power Pack series by Louise Simonson & June Brigman, which I wholly adore.
After some back-and-forth action in issue #3 that was starting to feel repetitive, issue #4 had a clear and linear narrative and every panel of art was gorgeous. As with many Power Pack issues, this is as much a Franklin Richards book as a Power Pack book. I think it will click for you whether you enjoy classic Power Pack or the 00s-era All Ages side universe.
HOWEVER, I noticed that last issue introduced what I think is an intractable continuity problem! It references the Technocrat’s satellite being destroyed, which occurred in Power Pack Holiday Special (1992) #1. However, this series features Storm in a mohawk wearing leather with powers and living at the mansion, which only existed as late as 1984. She has the leather + powers look again briefly in 1988, but she is never at the mansion in that period. Even if we ignore the Powers kids expecting Kitty to live at the mansion, there’s just no way to push that status quo for Storm any later than 1988. Either the reference to the Holiday Special is wrong or this series is completely out of continuity.
Spider-Woman (2023) #7 – See Guide to Spider-Woman. Steve Foxe has Spider-Woman traveling on a bumpy road as he navigates her back to her old San Francisco stomping grounds.
I feel like this title has been see-sawing between genuinely enjoyable and on-voice issues like issue #5 with Captain Marvel and Spider-Boy to anonymous-feeling filler stories like Spider-Woman versus Star in issue #6. Then, Issue #6 felt entirely forgettable – no moments that felt true to Jessica Drew and a completely beige version of Kelly Thompson’s creation Star.
Foxe has a good handle on Jess’s voice and I like that he’s really focused on mining her continuity, but this just doesn’t have the kinetic fun factor of the previous Karla Pacheco / Peré Perez run.
Star Wars: Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special (2024) #1 – See Guide to Star Wars Expanded Universe comics. What the kriffing hells, how is it 25 years since the Phantom Menace?! I am turning to dust even as I type this.
Collection solicits have tipped that this will be collected alongside Greg Pak’s outstanding Empire Strikes Back era Darth Vader series – which has heavy ties to the plot of Phantom Menace.
Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2023) #5 – See Guide to Moon Knight. A BLOOD HUNT TIE-IN!
This Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, & Rachelle Rosenberg victory lap on Moon Knight continues to be decompressed fun. Last issue was absolutely the best one yet as it dug into the reveal of the current Moon Knight as uncovered by Tigra and Hunter’s Moon. It was also by far the most decompressed issue yet, with a few huge splashes of Tigra looking menacing with no real plot advancement. However, it ended with a major revelation.
I’ll be interested to see how that spins into Blood Hunt, considering that this is MacKay’s event and he has seeded vampire stuff into his Moon Knight run from the start.
Weapon X-Men (2024) #3 – See Guide to Weapon X. I continue to adore this weird Christos Gage alternate reality “Oops All Wolverines” series despite myself.
Last issue, Team Wolverine visited the home of their alternate Phoenix to really mess up the family dynamics of the extended Summers/Grey clan. They nearly smoked out their quarry – an all powerful alternate Onslaught – but he slipped away. If that all sounds pretty disposable… I agree. But, the way Gage is writing this team of Wolverines is slaying me every issue. In particular, the over-the-hill Earth X Wolverine and the constantly-griping Marvel Zombies Wolverine are real gems when it comes to one-liners and unexpected jolts of emotion.
With the way the Fall of Krakoa is going, we might reach a point where this is my favorite current X-Men comic book before Gail Simone & Company take over.
X-Men (2021) #34 – See Guide to X-Men – Age of Krakoa. This is the penultimate issue of X-Men! The next issue will be the conclusion of the Krakoan era.
Last week, the plots of the Duggan & Gillen halves of this end of Krakoa finally intersected. It feels like there’s very little left to resolve or reveal on the Duggan side – we’re just waiting on the final fate of Orchis. There’s much more plot to resolve on Gillen’s side, which now has three issues remaining to detail the final conflict between The Dominion that sits outside of time and space and a revived multiversal Phoenix Force.
Marvel Comics May 1 2024 Digital-First Comic Releases
This is a list of projected Marvel Comics May 1 2024 Digital-First releases based on the recent digital release schedule. Actual releases are not confirmed until they show up on the Marvel Unlimited app.
These releases have not been quick to be released in print, though we’ve now see print versions of a few of these series trickle out a year or more after they were released.
- Avengers United Infinity Comic (2023) #30 – See Guide to Avengers (2010-Present).
- Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic (2022) #99
- Spider-Man Unlimited Infinity Comic (2023) #35 – Guide to Spider-Man – Peter Parker (2018-Present)
- X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #137 – See Guide to X-Men, The Age of Krakoa
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