Tag: Avengers

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist!

Posted on | by Super Robot Lifeform

There’s dever a Knull moment in this summer’s thrilling Queen in Black crossover, from your friends and ours at Marvel Comics! WHOOPS, we mean knever a dull moment! WHOOPS, we mean never a dull moment! WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Listen, just trust us—this latest edge-of-your-seater in the Knull saga will put the silent K in the word KPULSE-POUNDING!

This is what we know so far—check back for regular updates!

WHAT’S YOUR MARVEL QUEEN IN BLACK READING ORDER?

1. KNULL #5

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Knull has conquered the Lightforce Dimension and left his dastardly eternal mark in SUPERNOVA fashion! But wait! An enemy he thought he’d eliminated with extreme prejudice is back for more…and he comes UPGRADED for battle this time! Meanwhile, the newly crowned Queen in Black, HELA OF ASGARD, is beginning to question her strategy against Knull – is it time to activate Plan B? This is it! The bombastic grand finale! Who will fall? Who will rise? Who will CLAIM THE LIGHT?! Whatever happens, the Marvel Universe will never be the same!

On sale 5/13/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 4/13/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

2. VENOM #259

VenoMJ GETS AN ALL-NEW LOOK!

A face from Venom’s past is back from the dead – with a warning that could mean the end of the world! In the face of the apocalypse, who can Mary Jane Watson trust with her greatest secret? Not who you think! Meanwhile, Dylan Brock makes a decision…and the Venom family may never be the same! Plus, an all-new look for VenoMJ!

On sale 6/24/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 5/11/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

3. QUEEN IN BLACK #1

HEL ON EARTH!

On the farthest edges of the solar system, KNULL, GOD OF THE VOID, builds a brand-new army to destroy Earth… but HELA OF ASGARD might have gotten there first – as she makes planetfall with a legion of the galaxy’s deadliest symbiotes! Two of the most powerful evils in the galaxy are at war… and the SON OF VENOM is caught right in the middle! Writer Al Ewing (IMMORTAL HULK, MORTAL THOR) and Iban Coello (IMPERIAL, FANTASTIC FOUR) – the team behind VENOM WAR – bring you a cosmic collision of evil versus evil with the good caught in the middle!

On sale 7/1/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 4/20/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

4. QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #1

UNLEASH THE HEROES!

Beta Ray Bill is the only hero in Midgard who remembers Hela, the Goddess of Death… but does that mean he and his team can counter a Queen In Black? Meanwhile, Tony Stark’s all-new Black Metal Armor is the ultimate weapon against Knull, God of the Void… but does he have command of his own defense squad? This all leads to the mission that’ll decide the outcome of the Queen In Black saga!

On sale 7/8/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/8/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

5. QUEEN IN BLACK: HELA #1

THE QUEEN TAKES HER THRONE!

• All the secrets of the Queen in Black – revealed!

• Why were Hela and Tyr in Midgard when the Rainbow Bridge fell? How did she cage Knull, God of the Void? And which Thor tried to stop her?

• Balder the Brave seeks the answers from Karnilla of the Norns… but will he live to tell anyone else?

On sale 7/22/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/22/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

6. VENOM #260

Months ago, Dylan Brock was killed by Carnage – and granted an audience with the Eventuality, the ultimate iteration of his father. He asked five questions and he was given five answers – hints at a dark future waiting for him. Now that future is here…

On sale 7/8/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/8/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

7. QUEEN IN BLACK: VENOM UNCHAINED #1

EDDIE BROCK: IMPRISONED!

Eddie Brock is in prison after a failed bond with Carnage, and the Queen In Black is coming!!! Eddie wants to get back to Venom. But without a symbiote, how will he escape?!

On sale 7/15/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/15/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

8. QUEEN IN BLACK #2

A CATACLYSM OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS!

Tony Stark races against time, assembling powerful twin teams- Defenders of Light and Defenders of Dark – to battle Hela and Knull amidst the cosmic void. As their clash shakes the stars, Hela unleashes her devastating assault on Earth, forcing the AVENGERS OF EARTH into action for humanity’s survival. But chaos doesn’t end there: the monstrous SYMBIOTE INTELLIGENCE descends upon New York City, igniting a fierce confrontation as Venom and the Fantastic Four leap into battle! Will heroes unite and overcome the tide of darkness threatening the universe?

On sale 7/29/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/29/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

9. QUEEN IN BLACK: THOR #1

As Beta Ray Bill battles Hela at the edge of space, he considers his role as the heir of Thor’s story…

… little dreaming that the story continues with Sigurd Jarlson…

… or that the Death Goddess has plans for the Mortal Thor. Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer is about to face the ultimate test.

On sale 8/12/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 7/13/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

10. VENOM #260

Months ago, Dylan Brock was killed by Carnage – and granted an audience with the Eventuality, the ultimate iteration of his father. He asked five questions and he was given five answers – hints at a dark future waiting for him. Now that future is here…

On sale 7/8/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 6/8/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

11. QUEEN IN BLACK #3

THE CODEX IS THE KEY!

Hela wants him as her secret weapon – Knull just wants him dead! Dylan Brock’s survival might be the one thing Venom and Eddie Brock agree about – but even at the end of the world, can they work together? All this and the rollicking return of the Fantastic Five!

On sale 8/19/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 7/20/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics

11. QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #2

LIGHT AND DARK COLLIDE!

The Defenders have taken the fight to the dual threat of Hela and Knull, choosing offense over defense to save the Earth. But will in-fighting and tragedy combine to seal the fates of Team Dark and Team Light before they can complete their desperate mission? Or will the mysterious and dangerous “Plan B” turn the tide in this seemingly unwinnable battle? The fate of the world hangs in the balance between the forces of light and dark!

On sale 8/19/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 7/20/2026.

Your Marvel Queen in Black Reading Order Checklist! - Ash Avenue Comics
There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

There’s Always Next Week: January 12, 2024

Posted on | by Super Robot Lifeform

by Paul

With the overwhelming, three-roll blockbuster1 success of last week’s Ultimate Spider-Man #1, what lessons will Marvel take away? Was it the beard (not Mary Jane, the beard of hair on his face)? Will bearded superheroes become the next hot trend in comics? Sure, you’ve seen Batman fight the Joker a million times… but you’ve never seen him do it with a beard! Be on the lookout for the first bearded cover appearance of your favorite characters and get ready to sit on them until Key Collector sounds the Slab Alert. In the meantime… there’s always next week!

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

AVENGERS: TWILIGHT #1

Art: Daniel Acuña | Story: Chip Zdarsky (Marvel Comics, $5.99)

In the weird world of tomorrow’s Marvel Universe, an aging but still clean-shaven Steve Rogers (who would definitely have been drawn with a beard if this had been commissioned a few months later) struggles to find his place in a world that hates and fears him. (TBD if anyone calls him out for this mutant appropriation.) The preview I read looks like an Old Man Logan-style story crossed with the mall scene from Minority Report, so who knows where it will lead? There’s a lot of buzz around this book because readers are hip to Chip and Alex Ross is providing covers, so get in on the ground floor here at Ash Ave Comics.

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER—DEAD IN AMERICA #1

Art: Aaron Campbell | Story: Si Spurrier (DC Comics, $4.99)

I didn’t realize until I went to fetch the updated cover art with the trade dress that this was a Sandman Universe thing. No doubt DC is hewing to the comics industry superstition, dating back to the 20s (when Krazy Kat Presents: World of Krazy Kat—Mrs. Kwakk Wakk’s Revenge [The Death of Officer Pupp] bombed and tanked the circulation of dozens of Hearst papers), that a book with three titles is box office but a book with four titles is commercial suicide. Campbell and Spurrier bring John Constantine here to America to tell us what’s what (or, more accurately, wot’s wot) and rub elbows with some of his Vertigo buddies from the old days like Sandman and Swamp Thing. They had the magic (or should I say magick) touch with Hellblazer a few years ago so it seems a cinch they’ll do it again.

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: FANG THE HUNTER #1

Art: Mauro Fonseca | Story: Ian Flynn (IDW Publishing, $3.99)

I was a Nintendo kid so I only ever played Sonic the Hedgehog when I went to visit my cousin, who was brand-loyal to Sega for one reason or another and had both the Sega Master System and the Genesis. It was always like visiting a parallel universe where the guy who invented Super Mario went into greeting cards or something instead, setting in motion a chain of events leading to Sega dominating the earth. I relate this to you because the only two things I know about Sonic the Hedgehog are that my cousin had his game (and I was terrible at it), and we sell the 1:10 Sonic incentive cover every month like clockwork. There is a dedicated audience for this series, and if you’re part of it, we at Ash Avenue Comics salute you. This Fang the Hunter spin-off bills itself as “the first Classic-era Sonic the Hedgehog miniseries from IDW” (which I take to mean it’s related to his Archie Comics days and stars a fedora-wearing jerboa, a thing I never heard of before that looks like a cute little pocket-sized kangaroo and is probably an absolute terror. Jerboas, your ship has come in.

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

COLONIZED (ONE-SHOT)

Art: Drew Moss | Story: Chris Ryall (Image Comics, $9.99)

This caught my eye because it’s a spin-off of Zombies Vs. Robots, the Ashley Wood book that was written by Chris Ryall that I was really into about 15-20 years ago. This time it’s zombies vs. aliens, a struggle in which I don’t have any particular rooting interest (aliens, I guess), but it may be wise to read this in the event that a real-life zombie/alien conflict ever breaks out. I mean, knock on wood. I pray to god it never happens.

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

COBRA COMMANDER #1 (OF 5)

Art: Andrea Milana | Story: Joshua Williamson (Image Comics, $4.99)

For my money, Cobra Commander was the best comic book villain when I was a kid. Sure, maybe your Magnetos or your Doctor Dooms had more sympathetic back stories or convincing reasons for their evildoing, but they didn’t make me laugh. In supervillainy, as in so many other things, that goes a long way. He also features in one of my favorite comic panels of all time:

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

Now that is one evil chap. I have doubts that CC will be funny this time around. In fact, I suspect we’ll probably see him wreak some kind of sensational ultra-violence in the name of Seriousness and Sophistication. But all the other Energon Universe books have been winners so far to one degree or another, so this one deserves a look too.

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

JACKPOT #1

Art: Joey Vasquez | Story: Celeste Bronfman (Marvel Comics, $4.99)

Can we all be happy that Ultimate Spider-Man is here to band-aid that Spider-Man marriage wound for people? This way we get to see mainstream Mary Jane do stuff like this or Betty and Veronica around with Black Cat, while Ultimate Mary Jane can sit at home with the rolling pin when Spider-Man stays out too late or have Mary Worth-style subplots that interrupt the main action, which are the two things I remember her doing when I was a kid. Also, point of interest: Is writer Celeste Bronfman related to the Bronfman heiresses who were in the thick of the NXIVM cult we all read about in the news a few years ago? Is that a tasteless question to ask? I’m just saying, if she is, we might be seeing Mary Jane say and do some things we’ve never seen her say and do before. If you want my advice, my friends, you should buy this comic and find out.

ON FOC THIS WEEK

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

THUNDERCATS #1

Art: Drew Moss | Story: Declan Shalvey (Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99) | FOC: 1/15

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

SPIDER-PUNK: ARMS RACE #1

Art: Justin Mason | Story: Cody Ziglar (Marvel Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 1/15

There's Always Next Week: January 12, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #1

Art: Nico Leon | Story: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson (Boom! Studios, $4.99) | FOC: 1/15

  1. A three-roll blockbuster is what we boys of the comics-by-mail game call a book for which we needed three rolls of packing tape to wrap up all the orders we shipped out. ↩︎