Check out what I checked out this week.
Whether the comics are inspiring or disappointing, I read them all.
Welcome to The Pull List.
And, as always…Spoilers ahead!
Amazing Spider-Man # 675 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
The Vulture has found some angst-filled teenagers to do his filthy deeds for him while Carlie will labor with Spider-Man, but wants zilch from Peter Parker.
The new dynamic to their relationship is interesting and entertaining with a couple of teases that make you wonder if Carlie still has feelings for Peter.
Her character is becoming more important than ever before which is a sign that she is sticking around for a while. Vulture’s run in the Punisher comics was well done and he is devious to the extreme even though his story arc is wrapped up in this issue. It takes a little getting used to the more muscular appearance of Camuncoli’s Spider-Man, but it’s nothing to complain about. The color tone was appropriate for the story Slott was telling and overall the artwork was well done. There is one page layout during the battle scene where Vulture uses one of new abilities to throw a water tower at Carlie and it looks as if she was hit right in the head, but it turns out Spidey made a razor thin rescue on the next page.
Dan Slott’s streak continues with another fantastic outing.
Grade: A-
Detective Comics #4
Writer: Tony S Daniel
Art: Tony S Daniel
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
It takes incredible skill and talent to write and draw your own comic book in the fashion that Tony S. Daniel has done so far with Detective Comics.
It’s only a matter of time before his writing is mentioned in the same breath as Geoff Johns, Joe Hill and Ed Brubaker by fanboys.
He really gets Batman more than most and draws him in a way that makes me think, “Now, this is the Dark Knight”. The page layouts are fantastic and portrayed intense action. This twisted and terrifying adaptation of Gotham City makes you wonder if it’s even worth saving. The Dollmaker is a horrifying villain who has made an indelible impression with the caped crusader. The Joker’s face, which was cut off by the Dollmaker in the first issue, becomes a point of interest and one of Batman’s most popular foes plays his hand in this wicked game of puppet master.
Grade: B+
Heart #2
Writer: Blair Butler
Art: Kevin Mellon
Letters: Crank!
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
Oren “Rooster” Redmond has tasted the fight life and he never wants to go back to the 9-5 grind ever again.
The second installment of this mixed martial arts tale chronicles Redmond’s journey from amateur to professional fighter.
We meet the entire cast of characters at the gym where he works out at and they all have their own little story. The life of a professional MMA fighter is brutal as the training is some of the hardest in all of sports. It’s something you need to be 100% committed to in order to be successful. Redmond doesn’t want to be another weekend warrior or some guy who likes wearing skin tight Tap Out shirts. He wants to be a world champion and he is going to enjoy the ride. We discover how Oren got the nickname “Rooster” and we see him in his first professional bout.
If you watch G4 you know Blair Butler is a huge fight fan. Speaking as someone who has dabbled with MMA training, Butler’s approach is pretty authentic and her insight shows in her writing. It was a smart move to only make this series a limited run. That’s not a knock at all. The story has the potential to become redundant since it lacks a little of that comic element that fans long for.
Anyone who is a fan of MMA or looking for something different on Wednesdays will not be disappointed.
Grade: B
Action Comics #4
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Rags Morales, Rick Bryant & Sean Parsons
Publisher: DC Comics
Backstory Written by Sholly Fisch / Art by Brad Walker
Price: $2.99
It’s The Man of Steel vs. The Man of Steel as Metallo’s new origin story is taking in an issue that left me a little underwhelmed.
Superman’s first real adversity has taken an interesting turn because he is handling it as young adult who goes all in without thinking unlike in the old universe where he always had a solid game plan.
As good as this issue is, I was a little disengaged at times. Superman’s shirt went from light blue to completely white as the story went on and I could not tell if that was by design. There is a lot of green energy emanating from Metallo but it doesn’t appear to be Kryptonite so it was a little confusing. Lex Luthor has gone from the greatest criminal mind of our time to the cowardly lion.
Again, I know it’s a new universe but how anyone can take this incarnation of the character seriously?
The art and color is on par with what was displayed in the last issue. We also see the debut of John Henry Irons as Steel which may lead to his own comic book series. Grant Morrison provides a great pace to the story and blends everything together very nicely despite lots of different things going on at once.
Less is more most of the time but in Grant Morrison’s storytelling it appears to be the exception to the rule.
Grade: B+
The Punisher #6
Writer: Greg Rucka
Art: Matthew Clark & Matthew Southworth
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
If you always wanted to see Frank Castle doing what he does best in white snow camouflage, this is the issue for you.
The Punisher is as ruthless as ever and no one is spared, not even animals.
Frank Castle discovers the location of a meeting being held by members of the Exchange and…..well, you know. This current character arc appears one where he to be not only killing the guilty but killing anyone mildly associated with the guilty. Certainly, it will be interesting to see where is goes.
No complaints with the art and colors and the overall story was well done but nothing major occurred as this was set up issue for something larger coming down the pipe.
Grade: B
Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games #4 (Shelf-Listed: Disappointment of the Week)
Writer: Erik Bear & Greg Bear
Art: Jorge Jimenez
Colors: Studio C-10
Publisher: IDW
Price: $3.99
This month’s chapter was a slight improvement from the last issue of this series which was one of the worst comic books I have ever read.
Agent Espinoza and Dr. White find their way off the island with her pack of trained raptors and infiltrate the hideout of drug kingpin, Cazares.
I know I’m supposed to suspend reality when reading comics but I can’t get behind everyone seeming to use dinosaurs for their own personal use. The only good thing about this book came at the last page where Cazares corners Espinoza with a dinosaur that he is controlling with what looks like a Tyco remote control with extended antenna. It’s a funny visual but not enough to spend $3.99 on.
The artwork is very inorganic and the anime application brought to this series has no life or personality, which is how this entire series has been.
Grade: D+
