Comic Vine News

54 Comments

Comic Book Predictions This Week: 1/09/13

What's going to happen in tomorrow's big comics? Join us in taking a guess or two!

Welcome to the first edition of "Comic Book Predictions This Week." What is it, though? Well, every Tuesday (assuming traffic does well!) I'm going to take (hopefully educated) guesses at what I think will happen in the new issues I'm excited about. Additionally, I call upon you (yes, you) to join in on the fun and attempt to predict what'll happen in your favorite comics. Later, we can bump the feature to see if any predictions held true or if they were totally off the mark. I'm sure many Nelson "ha ha!" memes shall be had when we're dead wrong.

Each week I'll pick 3 issues to discuss. However, you're welcome to guess about any of the new releases (click here for the full list). If my coffee has kicked in and granted me enough energy, I'll also add a few lighthearted predictions at the end of the segment.

If you've managed to get early spoilers on any of these issues, please be a dear and don't ruin it for the rest of us. Thanks.

FANTASTIC FOUR #3

This is also the cover of their first album.
This is also the cover of their first album.

Matt Fraction's adventure for Marvel's first family has begun! Reed's family has left time and space with the belief it'll be a mere family trip, but they're oblivious to his hidden agenda. You see, he's dying and there's no cure for it in his universe, but he also suspects he's not the only one infected. So, he's traveling to parts unknown in hopes of finding a cure while his family thinks it'll just be a fun expedition.

So what do I think will happen with issue #3? I'm guessing this will have one heck of a cliffhanger where someone else will discover Reed's secret, or at least stumble onto him while he's fiddling around with his injured arm. But who? Sue would be the most logical choice because it would provide the biggest emotional impact. He's blatantly lied to her and this will cause a huge rift in their relationship. Seeing him struggle to pick up the pieces of his marriage while trying to save everyone would be quite interesting.

While Sue would generate a better emotional hit, seeing Johnny or Ben's reaction would prove far more humorous. They'd naturally be mad at first, but I imagine Reed could persuade them into going along with his lie... and then seeing either of them struggle to hold onto that lie could be hilarious -- and hilarious just happens to be what Matt Fraction does best (Hawkguy, bro).

Do you think someone will find out about Reed's secret in the next issue or would you rather see that revelation saved for a later date?

== TEASER ==

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1

"AGH! My childhood!" says any irrational fan.

If there's one thing villains tend to be good at, it's running their mouths. Ock says he's going to be a "superior" Spider-Man, but I'm calling his bluff. I don't think he has what it takes to fill Peter Parker's shoes... at least not immediately. While he's been hit by a tsunami of Peter's memories and experiences, I don't believe he's done anything to prove he has the drive to endure Parker's chaotic life. Stopping petty criminals, stopping major criminals, team membership annnnnnnnd maintaining a job at Horizon Labs. That's a lot to juggle and I imagine Ock, despite his brilliant mind, overlooked the obvious when switching bodies -- being Spider-Man isn't a walk in the park.

Because of this, I believe the first issue will essentially focus on Ock having an epiphany that he's not prepared for the daunting challenges Parker faces on a day-to-day basis. Will this force him to crumble? Probably not. We'll likely see him have his moments of doubt before reverting back to his "anything he can do, I can do better" mindset. What do you think will go down in tomorrow's issue?

WAR ZONE #3

"You want me to put the hammer down?!"

Okay, Punisher eluding the likes of Black Widow is believable. But Thor? The God of friggin' Thunder? Yeah, good luck with that one, Frank. Yes, Castle has escaped the likes of Sentry before with a bomb threat, but I'd like to believe writer Greg Rucka will have something else up his sleeve.

Frank knows the Avengers are gunning for him and if he could barely get away from Spider-Man, what hope does he have to evade the bigger threats? Frank is by no means a dumb man. He knows Captain America, a tactical genius, is pulling the strings and has powerhouses like Thor at his command. If I had to take a guess, I'd say Frank is aware of the fact that he'll eventually get captured. After all, with his now fairly limited gear (compared to the days of Pym Particles and such), he has no practical means of defeating or even holding off the Asgardian. I'm sure he's going to annoy Thor quite a bit with some explosions and what have you, but ultimately, I think Thor might succeed in bringing Frank in. That said, would this be part of Frank's plan all along? That, or Frank will elude Thor by forcing him to save innocents, but that would just be rehashing last issue and his encounter with Sentry. Regardless of what happens, I'm excited to see what Rucka has in store for us. Do you think Thor will be the man to bring the Punisher in... or will Frank get away yet again?

Extra Predictions

AVENGERS ARENA #3 - A character will die and no matter how well it's written, it's going to piss off a lot of fans... even if they don't read the issue.

STAR WARS #1 - It'll give us a strong urge to re-watch the franchise. Yes, even the prequels.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1 - Despite a huge amount of fans claiming they're going to hate it, many will still end up shelling out $3.99 for the first issue.

SHADOWMAN #3 - Will be super awesome but not get the amount of attention it deserves.