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!
Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Nate Cosby
Art: Chris Eliopoulos
Colors: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Archaia
Price: $19.95
Cow Boy follows the story of a bounty huntin’ 10 year old named Boyd Linney who is looking to collect by bringing a certain set of criminals to justice…his family.
Boyd, armed with his hobby horse shaped peashooter travels through out the Wild West looking to right the wrongs his family have perpetrated.
Nate Cosby brilliantly captures Boyd’s innocence as he hides behind the economics of collecting bounties but inside is a hurt child who just hates seeing bad things happening to good people.
The fact that it’s his family doing the hurting is what drives his incorruptible sprit. There is a vulnerability to this tough as nails child that will absolutely make you cheer for him.
Chris Eliopoulos’ art does a fantastic job of conveying a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, and feelings the script is trying to get across.
The collaborative efforts of the entire creative team have produced a novel that is heartwarmingly clever that people of all ages will thoroughly enjoy.
The four bonus side stories added to this extraordinary tale of the little boy Linney makes this without question, a can’t miss book. Please, believe the hype. It’s all good!
Grade: A
The Bionic Woman #2
Writer: Paul Tobin
Art: Leno Carvalho
Colors: Mark Roberts
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
Damn, I thought The Bionic Man was an amazing thrill ride, but The Bionic Woman ups the ante.
Jamie Sommers is a walking target as a group of unknown bad guys want what Jamie has: her bionic parts.
It’s easy to see how in sync Carvalho and Tobin are. Moments where Jamie’s abilities are on display are some of the best action sequences in comics today.
Even the “subtle” moments such as when Jamie crushes an assailant’s hand while being held at gun point are astounding.
Readers will find this easier to get into because the strife in the story is more focused on the title character than it was in The Bionic Man.
If you are looking to changes things up and add something new to your Wednesday pick up, you have just found it.
Grade: B+
Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation² #1
Writer: Scott Tipton, David Tipton & Tony Lee
Art: J.K. Woodward
Colors: J.K. Woodward
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
The story opens with the Borg and their mysterious new ally’s assault on Delta IV. The Federation desperately scrambles to protect The Prime Minister as their defenses are powerless against assimilation. In another time and place, The Doctor and company uncover an alien hiding out in ancient Egypt.
After they save the day, they travel in The Tardis to 1940’s San Francisco where they find some android in a pinstripe suit.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when my eyes landed on J.K. Woodward’s cover on the new release rack but I’m here to report this book is filled with action and adventure that everyone will enjoy.
How am I so sure about this?
Because I have never watched an episode of Doctor Who.
This may seem a little weird since I work for a web site called Forces of Geek, but don’t let my inexperience with the good Doctor steer you away from this title.
The writers deserve a lot of credit for producing a carefully crafted and entertaining script. Woodward’s oil painting style artwork is the icing on the cake of one wonderful comic book.
Grade: A-
America’s Got Powers #2 (of 6)
Writer: Jonathan Ross
Art: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
The best way I can describe this series is its True Blood meets The Running Man.
Tommy Watts is the nation’s center of attention as his powers has everyone talking.
The government wants Tommy to fight on the show but he flat out refuses since his twin brother, Bobby, was killed in a couple of season’s ago. We learn a lot about who Tommy is as person and the relationship he had with his brother.
Of course, the government will do anything to get what it wants and they use Tommy’s Mother in an interesting way in order sway him to fight.
I can’t wait to see what Ross has in store for the series as it captivates your attention in a way that makes you want to throw your money down. While the art is pretty decent, the interesting plot is what makes this series tick. I would highly recommend to pick up issue one if you haven’t read it yet.
Grade: B
Star Wars: Blood Ties – Boba Fett is Dead #2
Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Chris Scalf
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.50
The second installment of Boba Fett’s trip to the grave turns out to be a ruse as the fearless bounty hunter was alive all this time.
I’m not spoiling anything because we all knew he wasn’t really dead.
However, the rest of the galaxy thinks he is dead and Boba needs to make sure it stays that way in order to complete his objective. Once again,
Chris Scalf’s artwork was on point with some great panels including a wide shot of Blackfel, a moon a used by the Empire as a training facility. As Star Destroyers, TIE Fighters and Imperial Shuttles orbit this moon, Boba flies towards them ominiously.
As far as rating the entertainment value of a Star Wars mini series, Tom Taylor is definitely two for two.
Grade: B+
Superman Family Adventures #1
Writer: Art Baltazar & Franco
Art: Art Baltazar
Cover: Art Baltazar
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
This is normally the type of book that would never make it home in my shopping bag as I would just read it in the store. If you like Tiny Titans then you will love this title. Everything you love about Superman is in this book. Classic Man of Steel heroics, Clark’s hijinks at the Daily Planet, Perry White constantly yelling at Jimmy Olsen and Lex Luthor in his vintage green and purple attire is guaranteed to bring out the kid in you.
Connor Kent, Supergirl and Krypto are a part of Superman’s entourage and they all add to the story instead of playing background characters.
Besides this book making me miss Krypto even more, I can sum this up in one word: Fun!
Grade: B+
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10
Writer: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
Art: Dan Duncan
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
In this issue, Shredder makes his first full appearace as the story is told through eyes of Splinter as he is being held captive by the Foot Clan.
We are treated to a series of tension filled moments that left me with goose bumps. This all leads to the climax where old rivals Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki realize they are in the same room and five feet away from each other.
Knowing the back story helps you appreciate this moment a lot more. Dan Duncan’s art is always solid and this time was no exception.
A tense Splinter being stuck in a battle he did not wish to fight was depicted quite nicely.
The battle lines have been drawn as the Foot has plans of world domination.
Grade: A-
Exile on the Planet of the Apes #2 (Of 4)
Writer: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Marc Laming
Colors: Darrin Moore
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
The Planet of the Apes franchise is one of the most unique franchises in science fiction.
While you might not find anyone who will say they enjoy it more than Star Wars or Star Trek, the distinctive differences POTA brings to the table it what makes this ever evolving story highly entertaining.
Truths are revealed about the Forbidden Zone where General Aleron is forming a human army. Timon and Prisca kind of ride the fence as to what side they are on until Timon makes a decision that he feels is in the best interest of everyone and confronts the council with a forbidden offer they may not be able to refuse.
The term human rights takes on a whole new meaning as their importance or unimportance is constantly debated. If they don’t matter then who cares if they are wiped out. If they do matter then why continue to treat them like second class citizens.
Nothing will be fair for anyone as long as Doctor Zaius is in charge. It almost makes you wonder why someone with a discriminatory view of things couldn’t read this and see how the other side lives when they have to live their life under prejudice and persecution.
Whether you are looking for a sociology lesson or a kick ass comic book, this title will surely fit the bill.
Grade: B-
