Marvel's occasional Point One specials are one-shot comics compiling short stories designed to provide clues to or otherwise tease Marvel Universe events to take place in the months or years to come. Sometimes these events turn out to be capital-E Events, sometimes they're new series. In every case, the Point One books feel maddeningly incomplete but do the job of building anticipation among fans of the characters and creators involved. Based on the preview images released by Marvel on Wednesday, this year's is likely no exception.

Featuring new artwork by Michael Allred, Lee Garbett, Phil Noto, Adrian Alphona, Rags Morales, Steve Pugh with stories by Dan Slott, Al Ewing, James Robinson, G. Willow Wilson, Nick Spencer and Nathan Edmonson, January's All-New Marvel Now Point One comes with signs and portents for next year's Invaders, Silver Surfer, Loki: Agent of Asgard, Avengers World, Black Widow and of course the much anticipated Ms. Marvel.

What's conspicuously un-teased in these images and not mentioned in the solicitation text for All-New Marvel Now Point One is anything having to do with Matt Fraction and Joe Madureira's Inhuman, which when announced earlier this year was said to be a major new project for Marvel spinning out of a "banner event" (like "Dark Reign") called "Inhumanity." Bleeding Cool reports that retailers have been informed by Diamond Comic Distributors, Marvel's wholesaler in the direct market, that orders for Inhuman #1 have been cancelled, with the book now meant to be offered again at a later date. We've asked Marvel for comment and will update this post if and when we have more information.

UPDATE: CBR is reporting that retailers received a communique from Marvel indicating Inhuman #1-2 will be re-solicited in February and March, meaning the books will go on sale in April and May, respectively, because the comics industry is just sort of terrible in that way.

For now, well, it's obviously too soon to pass much judgement on any of the new projects, but based on these teases alone, I'm guessing Allred and Slott's Silver Surfer is going to be a particular favorite among the ComicsAlliance staff. The book goes on sale January 8, 2014.

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Black Widow art by Phil Noto
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(click to enlarge) Invaders art by Steve Pugh
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Loki: Agent of Asgard art by Lee Garbett
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Ms. Marvel art by Adrian Alphona
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Avengers World art by Rags Morales
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Silver Surfer art by Michael and Laura Allred
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