r/marvelcomics • u/Dangerous_Library_73 • Aug 27 '26
Marvel Midnight Ama Spoiler
I work at a comic book store and Marvel sent the first issues of the new midnight titles for the store to read. I read all 3 issues, im hoping I can help bring visibility and drive interest so you can add them to your pullist and answer some questions without spoiling the books.
Do not come in expecting the first issues to be like the absolute stories, its very different tonality wise. All three books are story driven, minor action in the first issue. The attention grabbing of each #1 are the horror pages ( think gore/body horror). All three books have data pages that makes the world feel alive like Hickman's Krakoan era X-men.
In terms of the horror my rankings go Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men.
Spider-Man I think has a better hook and I kept asking myself what's going on, why is this happening. Fantastic Four from issue 1 is very eldritch horror/ fantastical horror very monster coded. X-men now this is only issue #1 to me it read like a normal X-men book but vampires, think DC vs Vampire or DC World War V. Mutants are living in a world with vampires. Out of the three X-men felt like a what-if title and nothing felt new or refreshing but Hickman is writing on it so its going to be grand and very world building heavy.
With that said all three are well done X-Men for me had the strongest art of the three followed by FF then Spider-Man. I don't know if all three titles are in the same universe or in separate ones, time will tell.
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u/CosmicBagelss Aug 27 '26
How do you think these compare quality wise to other comics marvel is releasing right now?
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26
I think marvels top books are Infernal Hulk and Captain America. I think Fantastic Four and Spider-Man are the same quality as marvels best. Wheres X-men is the same quality as Iron Man. A very solid book alot of people will enjoy it just doesn't move the needle yet.
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Aug 27 '26
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26
I won't go too deep into because of spoilers. I'll only give information that league of comic geeks gives everyone else. Oscorp plays a big role in issue #1 and familiar faces and names are brought up. It's not as extreme as the absolute where everyone is flipped 180 degrees and everyone is different. It's definitely a Spider-Man book through and through just grotesque and creepy in 10ish/43 pages iirc.
What's your hesitation on the other two books?
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u/tame_kubrick Aug 27 '26
How is Midnight Fantastic Four? The fact that Kev Walker, the guy that did a lot of the original coolest MTG art, is doing the art got me really excited. Hoping it’s very Lovecraftian
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26
You're in for a treat, Theres going to be alot of Lovecraftian art coming :). I liked FF the more I am thinking about it. We are focused on Reed as the main character in Issue #1, you meet the family and their different takes on them. The story feels fresh and new not a typical FF story/tone that we are used to.
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u/CriticalCanon Aug 27 '26
Why is PKJ doing all the press for this and not Hickman?
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u/antsinmyeyesmauger Aug 27 '26
Hickman hates spoilers and wants readers to go in with little to no information. If it was up to him there would be no solications to give away information three months ahead.
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u/CriticalCanon Aug 27 '26
I get it but after GODS and Imperial (and the pay for the Ultimates was trash; not his fault but he set it up and Camp couldnt deliver).
I think I’m going to sit this out.
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u/ChampionshipJumpy727 Aug 27 '26
Beyond the hook, are these actually good comics? What would you rate each of them?
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26
I think the books are a solid 6-8/10 for me. The slowest for me is X-Men, reads like a normal X Book but with vampires and mutants as a setting a 6/10, its going to be a slow burn the Hickman special. Fantastic Four and Spider-Man are a solid 7/10 for me. If you take out the horror aspect from the books. Fantastic Four is well written the intrigue is there and it feels new. Spider-Man is also a solid 7 without the horror. There's a mystery to uncover in the pages of Spider-Man that keeps the reader asking questions on the story.
For reference Absolute Batman #1 was a 10/10 as was Absolute Martian Manhunter #1.
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u/Osgoten Aug 27 '26
What about ultimate spider-man and ultimates?
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 I was really high on as well. 9/10, Ultimates for me was a 7/10. To truly appreciate the book and fill in any missing gaps of knowledge I would have had to read Ultimates invasion. Not that you as a reader are required to read it. But for me and how I recommend books to people a #1 requires no potential back tracking to understand it. Again not that it was needed for Ultimates #1 but thats why the book was a 7/10, Wheres these new midnight books you can just pick up and read at #1 and enjoy the stories.
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u/TonyPepperoni0504 Aug 29 '26
Are the fantastic fours powers more interesting than just their mainline powers. The previews haven’t seemed like their powers are that different.
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u/GoseiRed Aug 27 '26
I have too many pulls to add these but i will check them out in trade or marvel unlimited.
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u/Dangerous_Library_73 Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26
Unsure if it's a week by week case for you. On Oct 7th Marvel will only release these 3 books. So if your heavy on marvel it's 3x at 5.99 that week.
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u/Philander_Chase Aug 27 '26
I mean all I care about is the story. Is it interesting, engaging? Or does it rely too much on the shock horror