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Reading The Punisher (2011) 7 as part of Marvel's wider catalogue reveals an issue with a clear personality and a surprisingly immediate sense of purpose. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of The Punisher, it places Punisher at the centre of a conflict shaped by duty and courage. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The plot is strongest when The Punisher (2011) 7 allows one decision to create the next problem ins

Strikeforce: Morituri We Who Are About to Die (2011) 1 opens the door to a distinct corner of Marvel history rather than feeling like a catalogue entry that should be admired from a distance. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Strikeforce: Morituri We Who Are About to Die, it places Reprinting STRIKEFORCE at the centre of a conflict shaped by duty and courage. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The plot is str

Hulk (2008) 47 provides an enjoyable reminder that Marvel history is built from individual issues with their own rhythms, risks and small surprises. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Hulk, it places Red She Hulk at the centre of a conflict shaped by loyalty and belonging. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Hulk (2008) 47 works through accumulation, adding one concern after another until th

What first stands out about Fear Itself: The Fearless (2011) 6 is not its age or collectable status, but the directness with which it asks the reader to enter the story. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Fear Itself: The Fearless, it places Project Pegasus at the centre of a conflict shaped by courage and justice. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Fear Itself: The Fearless (2011) 6 works

ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 (Trade Paperback) arrives with the confidence of a comic that knows spectacle matters most when the people inside it have something meaningful to lose. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 , it places ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 at the centre of a conflict shaped by identity and responsibility. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelli

A strong comic issue should offer a reason to care before the machinery of the plot takes over, and Defenders (2011) 2 understands that principle. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Defenders, it places Wundagore Mountain at the centre of a conflict shaped by courage and justice. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Defenders (2011) 2 works through accumulation, adding one concern after anoth

There is something inviting about the way Avengers: X Sanction (2011) 2 establishes its world, its conflict and its emotional temperature with very little fuss. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Avengers: X Sanction, it places Iron Man at the centre of a conflict shaped by courage and justice. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Avengers: X Sanction (2011) 2 works through accumulation, addi

Avengers Annual (2012) 1 is the kind of issue that makes an old publication date feel less important than the energy waiting on the first page. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Avengers Annual, it places Simon Williams at the centre of a conflict shaped by courage and justice. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Avengers Annual (2012) 1 works through accumulation, adding one concern after

Reading Avengers Academy (2010) 24 as part of Marvel's wider catalogue reveals an issue with a clear personality and a surprisingly immediate sense of purpose. Published on 4 January 2012 as part of Avengers Academy, it places Avengers Academy at the centre of a conflict shaped by courage and justice. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The storytelling in Avengers Academy (2010) 24 works through accumulation, addi

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword (2012) 1 opens the door to a distinct corner of Marvel history rather than feeling like a catalogue entry that should be admired from a distance. Published on 1 January 2012 as part of King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword, it places King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword at the centre of a conflict shaped by identity and responsibility. The opening explains enough to welcome a new reader while keeping the emotional pressure clear. ⁠ The stor