Weekly comic books are a big part of my life and below is a list of what I’ll be picking up this Wednesday along with cover artwork and previews courtesy of Comixology’s Pull List app.

Only six new books this week after a string of longer lists. The theme this time seems to be books I’ve fallen behind on.

• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #686 – The Ends of the Earth storyline continues as Doctor Octopus threatens to destroy the world. I’m almost too embarrassed to tell you the last issue I’ve read of this series, yet I continue to buy it.
• AQUAMAN #9 – I’ve been less interested in this title after the first arc, but I’m sticking with it to see where Geoff Johns takes the secret history of Atlantis.
• ASTONISHING X-MEN #50 – This book is getting some mainstream attention with the announcement of Northstar’s wedding. I’m not sure if that will make it more difficult to find, but I know I have to read about eight issues to get caught up.
• JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #638 – Another chapter in the Exiled crossover with New Mutants. The weekly shipping schedule has taken me by surprise and there’s some catching up to do here as well.
• SECRET AVENGERS #27 – Captain Marvel returns! Again… I enjoyed the first part of this AvX tie-in, but I wasn’t crazy that the story spilled into Avengers #26 last week. I’m interested in what writer Rick Remender is doing with the title, so I won’t be going anywhere. Plus, this looks to be the story that will lead into Ms. Marvel‘s new series and that certainly has my interest.
• ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #12 – I don’t normally read this title (or any of Marvel’s Ultimate line), but is that Havok on the cover?

Check back every week to see what’s on My Latest Pull List and please share your thoughts on these titles and everything you’re reading this week in the comments.

Weekly comic books are a big part of my life and I’ve been thinking of sharing something regularly on MLD for some time now. I just discovered a feature within Comixology’s pull list app (which I’ve been using for years) to share my list along with cover artwork and previews.

This is a somewhat lighter week for me than last with eight new books on my list. Three are Avengers versus X-Men tie-ins (plus the first issue of the “AvX VS” series), but they’re all titles I regularly buy.

• AQUAMAN #8 – I’m still still surprised by just how good this series has been. I need to read #7, but the mysteries of Atlantis are shaping another intriguing story arc.
• ASTONISHING X-MEN #49 – Another book I’ve fallen behind on. I still read this title like it’s shipping every six months.
• AVX VS. #1 – Magneto vs. Iron Man, Thing vs. Namor. This could be a lot of fun, but AvX #2 already seemed like a lot of fighting and this might not add much.
• NEW AVENGERS #25 – So far Brian Bendis’ Avengers tie-ins for AvX haven’t really been for me (the Walt Simonson art on last week’s Avengers #25 helped), but I tend to appreciate his event books more from a distance.
• SECRET AVENGERS #26 – This could be a great AvX tie-in as a team takes to outer space to intercept the Phoenix.
• THE TWELVE #12 – I don’t even know if I have all of these. The book began being published in 2008, but it feels like it’s been running since the ’40s when these characters debuted.
• UNCANNY X-MEN #11 – Another AvX tie-in, and while Red Hulk vs. Colossus/Juggernaut doesn’t thrill me, Kieron Gillen’s work on this book has. Of course, there’s also the Greg Land art to consider…
• X-MEN: LEGACY #265 – This book has grown on me since Christos Gage took over. The solicit suggests a “friend from the past” may save the day and I’m honestly intrigued by the possibilities.

Check back every week to see what’s on My Latest Pull List and please share your thoughts on these titles, along with everything you’re reading, in the comments.

Last year we spent some time talking about the relaunch of Marvel’s Avengers line here at MLD. These series introduced the publisher’s new Heroic Age that introduced new lineups, new creative teams and new threats. It was a good time to give all of these titles a shot. Some of the books really captured my attention, others did not, but they all have their appeal. As we gear up for this year’s Fear Itself crossover, the books are wrapping their current arcs and headed for some changes that make now a good time to revisit them.

Some spoiling may occur.

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I followed Ed Brubaker’s Captain America until Steve Rogers returned during Captain America: Reborn. Rogers’ return was not great to put it mildly. It was equal parts story and shipping schedule that hurt it, but I’m over it and I’m ready to enjoy Secret Avengers. Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter are running the show here and this is really Brubaker’s continuation of their story as Bucky Barnes has taken over the pages of Captain America. I did fall behind in reading as this book was shipping, but diving back into them made for some fun reading. Intrigue, an interesting cast and a mandate to protect the world from unknown threats combine to form something special here.

Spoilers may follow.

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Our discussion of the new Avengers titles launching as part of Marvel’s Heroic Age continues with Secret Avengers #1. This was a book both of us were looking forward to for different reasons that you’ll see below along with spoilers for the issue.

PTB: I liked this. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but to be honest I wouldn’t know how to describe what I was expecting.

Steve Rogers plan to eliminate threats that the world doesn’t or can’t know about could be a great spin on the character and the Marvel Universe. I was questioning whether this was something that made sense for the character, but the reference to Cap’s experiences in World War II and having just read The Marvels Project got me over that.

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