August, 2025 - The World That's Coming

The curse of Comic-Con strikes again, and then some — having a lack of wifi in my hotel room at SDCC this year (don’t ask; it was very frustrating) meant that I couldn’t read anything on Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe Infinite, or any other cloud-based reader for a full week, putting me slightly behind my reading totals of the past few months. Still, it’s not about how many comics, right? Right?

Anyway: I transitioned out of reading Fantastic Four before the movie came out — honestly, the movie hype might have overloaded me on the characters? — and opted in, instead, to revisiting some of Al Ewing’s Marvel stuff from the past few years and related stories, which is how I ended up both a Defenders and Guardians of the Galaxy rabbit hole at the end of the month… although what brought me to both Avengers vs. X-Men and Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus, I really couldn’t tell you.

Anyway: Here’s what I read comic-wise last month, delayed just a little because I wanted to complain about The Fantastic Four: First Steps first.

Captain America (2025) #1
All-New Venom #8
Avengers (2023) #28
The Immortal Thor #25
Empyre #s 1-2
Fantastic Four (2018) #21
Iron Man (1968) #226
Captain America (1998) #13
Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes II #3
Green Lantern Corps (2006) #2
Iron Man (1968) #s 227-231
Empyre #3
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #s 284-285
Captain America (1998) #s 14-15
Iron Man (1968) #232
Empyre #s 4-5
Fantastic Four (2018) #s 22-23
Empyre #6
Empyre Aftermath: Avengers #1
Empyre Aftermath: Fantastic Four #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #286
The Ultimates (2024) #13
Fantastic Four (2018) #24
Captain America (1998) #s 16-18
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #287
Iron Man (1968) #233
Avengers (1963) #120
Captain America (1998) #19
Defenders (1972) #13
Green Lantern Corps (2006) #3
Eternals (2006) #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #288
Transformers (2023) #s 19-22
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #289
Captain America (1998) #s 20-22
Fantastic Four (2018) #25
Iron Man (1968) #234
Avengers (1963) #121
2000 AD Prog 2441
Archie Meets Jay and Silent Bob #1
The Power Fantasy #10
X-Men (2024) #19
X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1
The Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #7
Where Monsters Lie #1
Blood Squad Seven #1
DC All In Special #1
Challengers of the Unknown (2024) #s 1-5
The Question: All Along The Watchtower #1
Lucas Wars OGN
Drome OGN
Fantastic Four (2018) #26
Avengers (1963) #122
Captain America (1998) #23
Captain America (2017) #695
The Question: All Along The Watchtower #s 2-3
Marvel Fanfare #7
Where Monsters Lie #s 2-3
Local Man #1
The Question: All Along The Watchtower #s 4-6
Iron Man (1968) #s 235-236
Defenders (1972) #13
Avengers (1963) #123
Where Monsters Lie #4
Fantastic Four (2018) #s 27-28
Captain America (2017) #696
Justice League: The Atom Project #1
Action Comics #1064
Superman (2023) #13
Void Rivals #s 7-12
Star Trek (2022) #19
Thundercats (2024) #1
Avengers (1963) #124
Captain Marvel (1968) #s 25-27
Captain America (2017) #697
Fantastic Four (2018) #s 29-30
Fantastic Four: 4 Yancy Street #1
Fantastic Four (2018) #31
X-Men/Fantastic Four (2020) #s 1-2
Fantastic Four: Prodigal Son #1
Fantastic Four: Marvels Snapshots #1
X-Men: Marvels Snapshots #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1982) #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #290
Fantastic Four (2025) #1
The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1
It’s Jeff: Infinity Paws #1
X-Men/Fantastic Four (2020) #s 3-4
Fantastic Four (2018) #32
Captain America (2017) #698
Superman: House of Brainiac Special #1
Action Comics #1065
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #291
Void Rivals #s 13-18
Captain Marvel (1968) #s 28-33
Avengers (1963) #125
Captain America (2017) #s 699-700
Iron Man (1968) #237
Fantastic Four (2018) #33
Defenders (1972) #14
Marvel Legacy #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #s 292-293
Superman (2023) #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #294
Superman (2023) #2
Fantastic Four (2018) #34
Iron Man (1968) #238
Superman (2023) #s 3-4
Captain America (2017) #s 701-704
Iron Man (1968) #s 239-240
Steelworks #s 1-6
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #295
Green Lantern Corps (2006) #s 4-6
Avengers (1963) #126
Defenders (1972) #15
Avengers (2016) #675
Uncanny Avengers (2015) #s 26-27
The Spectre (1992) #54
Final Crisis: Resist #1
Avengers (1963) #127
Fantastic Four (1961) #150
Uncanny Avengers (2015) #s 28-30
Avengers (2016) #676
Iron Man (1968) #241
Fantastic Four (2018) #35
Avengers (2016) #677
Iron Man (1968) #242
Avengers (1963) #128
Defenders (1972) #16
Superman (2023) #5
Superman Annual (2023) #1
Iron Man (1968) #s 243-244
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #s 296-297
Avengers (2016) #678
Fantastic Four (2018) #36
Avengers (1963) #129
Iron Man (1968) #245
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #s 298-299
Giant-Size Avengers #2
Avengers (1963) #130
Avengers (2016) #679
Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals #1
Fantastic Four (2018) #37
Iron Man (1968) #246
Fantastic Four (2018) #38
Avengers (2016) #680
Iron Man (1968) #s 247-248
Avengers (1963) #131
Void Rivals #19
G.I. Joe (2024) #9
Avengers (2016) #s 681-684
Contagion (2019) #s 1-5
Iron Man (1968) #s 249-250
Fantastic Four (2018) #39
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #300
Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1
Avengers (2016) #685
Iron Man (1968) #s 251-253
Avengers (2016) #686
Superman (2023) #6
Fantastic Four (2018) #40
Iron Man (1968) #s 254-257
Avengers (1963) #132
Giant-Size Avengers #3
Avengers (2016) #687
Superman (2023) #7
Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1
Avengers (2016) #688
Fantastic Four (2018) #41
Fantastic Four: Trial of the Watcher #1
Avengers (2016) #s 689-690
Quicksilver: No Surrender #s 1-5
Avengers: No Road Home #1
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #301
Beyond! #1
Fantastic Four (1998) #544
Inhumans Prime #1
Absolute Green Lantern #1
Beyond! #s 2-6
Fantastic Four (1998) #s 545-546
Absolute Green Lantern #s 2-3
Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #s 2-3
Superman (2023) #s 8-9
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #302
Fantastic Four (2018) #42
Avengers: No Road Home #2
Iron Man (1968) #s 258-260
Superman (2023) #10
Fantastic Four (2018) #s 43-46
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #303
The Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1982) #2
Marvel Comics #1000
Defenders (2021) #s 1-3
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #304
Iron Man (1968) #261
Fantastic Four (1998) #547
Avengers: No Road Home #s 3-4
Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League #1
Supergirl (2025) #3
Batman & Robin: Year One #9
Superman (2023) #28
New History of the DC Universe #2
Justice League Unlimited (2024) #9
Justice League: Dark Tomorrow Special #1
JSA (2024) #s 9-10
Batman (2025) #1
Absolute Green Lantern #s 4-5
Superman Unlimited #3
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #41
Titans (2023) #25
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #s 305-306
Imperial #2
Metamorpho: The Element Man (2024) #s 1-2
Superman (2023) #11
The New Adventures of Superboy #50
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #307
Iron Man (1968) #s 262-263
Defenders (2021) #s 4-5
Defenders (2011) #1
Fantastic Four Fanfare #3
The Insurgent Iron Man #10
The Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #308
Defenders (2011) #s 2-3
Iron Man (1968) #264
Metamorpho: The Element Man (2024) #3
Letter 44 #1
Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers/X-Men #1
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1
AXE: Judgement Day #s 1-6
AXE: Avengers #1
AXE: X-Men #1
AXE: Eternals #1
The Brave and the Bold #200
Batman and the Outsiders (1982) #1
Roxy: Romance Reborn #1
Letter 44 #s 2-7
Avengers (1963) #133
Avengers: No Road Home #5
Defenders (2011) #4
Fantastic Four (1998) #548
Royals #1
Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #1
Annihilation: Scourge Alpha #1
Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) #1
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1
Demon Knights #1
Superman (2023) #12
Action Comics #1065
Superman (2023) #s 14-15
Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Sixteen #1
Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #8
GODS: One World Under Doom #1
Uncanny X-Men (2024) #18
West Coast Avengers (2024) #9
Assorted Crisis Events #5
Ultimates (2024) #14
Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #19
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #2
Royals #2
Defenders (2011) #5
Demon Knights #2
Incredible Hulk vs. Quasimodo #1
Secret Six (2025) #s 5-6
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #38
Justice League Unlimited (2024) #6
Royals #s 3-4
Archie: The Decision #1
Duke (2023) #s 1-4
Royals #s 5-6
Defenders (2011) #6
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #3
Avengers vs. X-Men #0
Batman (2025) #2
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #s 4-9
Iron Man (2012) #1
Avengers vs. X-Men #1
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #10
Defenders (2011) #7
Royals #7
Fantastic Four (1998) #549
Fear Itself #1
Avengers vs. X-Men #1.5
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #11
Royals #8
Duke (2023) #5
Cobra Commander #s 1-2
Avengers vs. X-Men #2
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #1
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Annual #1
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #39
Justice League Unlimited (2024) #s 7-8
Avengers vs. X-Men #s 3-4
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #2
Avengers vs. X-Men #5
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #3
Avengers vs. X-Men #6
Superman (2023) #16
Cobra Commander #s 3-4
Defenders (2011) #8
All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #12
Avengers vs. X-Men #s 7-9
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #s 4-5
Avengers vs. X-Men #s 10-12
Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus #6

So, I finally saw The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a movie that might have done better in its opening weekend if Marvel hadn’t opened it at exactly the same time as San Diego Comic-Con, where roughly 160,000 of its target demographic were too busy to go find a movie theater anywhere closeby. I was at more than one Marvel panel that weekend where someone on stage would ask, “Hey, who’s seen Fantastic Four? Oh, huh, less than half the room,” as if it was a surprise. Sometimes, I think people forget that there’s a limit to pop culture obsession even for people spending thousands of dollars on a convention weekend away.

Anyway, First Steps was… fine, I guess? I couldn’t help but feel as if it had the bad luck to open two weeks after Superman, a movie that was far more charming, coherent, and successful at convincing the audience that it was hopeful and optimistic and sincere — in a world where this had been the first superhero movie anyone had seen after, say, Thunderbolts or Deadpool and Wolverine, I’m sure it would’ve played differently for a lot of people, me included.

There’s one line in the movie that hit such a sour note that it’s still in my head days later: Reed Richards explaining how hard it is to be him by saying that his genius allows him to identify threats and work out “ways to hurt them before they hurt us.” I heard that and I just thought, nope, that’s not a hero, that’s the entire basis of this being a more optimistic story/world down the drain. It was one line that immediately made everything surrounding it feel more cynical and cold, and also made me feel somewhat sad about the movie and everyone involved in its creation: This is what a selfless, old-school hero looks like to you? This is what you got from all the Reed Richards in all the comics? Really?

What I love about the best Fantastic Four comics is the sense of adventure, discovery, and potential that’s on display — and, honestly, there’s little of that on display in the actual movie, with what’s there basically being a surface-level step back from outright cynicism and a muddy aesthetic. Superman made me believe in Superman; The Fantastic Four: First Steps made me believe that Marvel Studios is going to work out how to keep being Marvel Studios no matter the project.

Month: August 2025

Of All The Stars I’ve Ever Seen

The Comics of July 2025

Cynicism in the Face of Adversity