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!
The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction #1
(Pick of the Week)
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Paul Smith
Cover: Paul Smith
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
Mark Waid produces a comic book tour de force that seamlessly feels like two separate stories. When a team up book like this is assembled, showing how the heroes meet can either make or break the story.
The aftermath of a mysterious Central City death reaches Los Angeles and traumatizes Cliff Secord’s main squeeze, Betty.
The Spirit goes on a road trip to investigate the matter and finds himself in aerial combat with The Rocketeer. The moments leading up to their introduction fits like a glove as old friends forge new alliances.
Paul Smith’s artwork does a phenomenal job of making the book feel like something out of the 1950’s. In a world where the majority of top comics article storylines that have world ending odds, it’s nice to read a well put together mystery that is a little more grounded in real world affairs while peaking our imagination to the fullest. In other words, it’s all out fun and a must buy.
Grade: A+
The Flash #22
Writers: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Artist: Francis Manapul
Colors: Brian Buccellato & Ian Herring
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Barry Allen finally comes face to face with the Reverse Flash and all hell breaks loose.
Wow, it’s weird to read that last sentence back considering their history before the New 52.
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s refreshing take on this new origin story feels as natural as the original because they are not trying to top any previous work or create shock and awe moments for the hell of it. That has been the benchmark of this run of The Flash.
It is a work horse that clocks in, does its job and goes home quietly until the next shift.
The fruits of their labor produces an all-around solid story that leads the reader on a journey that culminates with the mystery of what will happen next. The only human connections left to the Speed Force are Barry and Iris West.
Reverse Flash wants to ensure he is the only speedster left standing.
We still don’t know Reverse Flash’s motive, but it is revealed how he was unable able to track down Barry until now. The reason is simple, and perfectly makes sense.
The red and yellow cover gets my vote for cover of the week because it excellently signifies the tone of this arc. No matter how fast Barry moves, he is always one step behind a threat that is much bigger than him.
Grade: A-
Batman/Superman #2
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee
Colorist: June Chung
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Last month’s debut issue provided fans with a highly entertaining look into the first encounter between the two greatest superheroes of all time.
The issue was almost perfect until a very confusing teleportation scene muddied the waters.
It was my hope that it would be cleared up in this issue and Greg Pak didn’t disappoint.
It turned out to be an excellent plot device where the younger and greener duo that the story centers around meets their old and wiser future selves in an alternate future.
There is a powerful moment involving the Kent Family where Jonathan questions the younger Superman’s morality compared to the older version and Martha deduces that unlike their son, this one knows loss. This moment was great enough on its own, but Jae Lee’s artwork puts it over the top as the young Superman falls to his knees in sorrow. There was some hesitation about the release of this series in the blogosphere since the DC universe is now only 5-7 years old thanks to the New 52.
Batman and Superman don’t have the rich history of camaraderie that we’ve known for years and counting on our knowledge of their previous history is a risky way to sell a book considering it technically never happened. Greg Pak’s direction in this new venture eliminates those concerns because instead of waiting ten or fifteen issues down the line to see the team finally click, the future is going to inspire them by showing them what they could be.
That, my friends, is a recipe for great things to come.
Grade: A-
Justice League Dark #22
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: 3.99
If Justice League Dark appears in your regular rotation of comics, was the one dollar extra worth the price of admission?
Absolutely!
JLD members get appropriate screen time compared to the other Leaguers that begins a domino effect of chaos. Jeff Lemire’s story telling has a knack for making intricate stories very intriguing.
The puppet masters behind it all have caused the three Justice Leagues to intertwine their ranks.
Each third has a different agenda and believes that their path is the right one.
Frankenstein agrees with Wonder Woman’s plan that helping Superman is what matters most. Batman feels the opposite despite wanting to badly help his friend and several JLA members appear at his side. The “correct course of action” is what drives the plot because while none of them may be right, none of them may be wrong, either. Everyone is going to have an opinion on the matter, which tempts the reader to pick a side.
Mikel Janin seems to get better and better with each issue. I constantly look at previous issues to see if a new artist has been assigned to the series. Janin is one of the most underrated artists in the game today. His detailed character work is not too muscular, not too slender, it’s just right.
The books dramatic conclusion reveals a deep rooted treachery that changes the game for everyone.
Grade: B+
Captain America #9
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Cover: John Romita Jr.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
The preview text for this book states, “if Steve Rogers escapes intact, he will never be the same again.”
What is usually just an advertising hook may actually be true this time.
Dimension Z has been the ultimate mind @#%& for Steve Rogers.
Thirty years of trying to keep his son safe while fighting the good fight and keeping a Zola virus at bay has brought the star spangled hero to his breaking point.
Ian, his adoptive son, is dead.
Rogers feels he failed his most important mission in life, even though he would have died otherwise.
Rick Remender pulls a complete 180 from Ed Brubaker’s legendary run and gives us something we are not used to seeing; a near hopeless Captain America.
That statement alone sends chills down my spine because Cap’s glass half full mentality has always been the one character trait that pushes him to succeed where others have failed. The artwork of John Romita Jr. shows the anguish in Roger’s soul as it takes everything he has in order to muster a striking blow against Arnim Zola with a nice looking two page shield shot.
To say I’m excited for next month’s conclusion would be putting it mildly.
This issue will make you feel the same way as it set the stage for either the rise or fall of the Steve Rogers we know.
Grade: A-
Star Wars Legacy #5
Writer: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Artist: Gabriel Hardman
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $2.99
Corinna Bechko’s and Gabriel Hardman’s marvelous character development throughout this first story arc is what makes this Star Wars series stand out from the rest of the pack.
Ania Solo makes you want to cheer her and choke her at the same time. Her stubbornness almost gets everyone killed while her bravery helps free a Jedi Knight.
When it is all said and done, we are better off for being immersed in the universe they’ve created because they are held down by the shackles of continuity.
Ania barely gets by as a junk dealer which makes you wonder how someone with her pedigree fell so far down the galactic food chain.
Hardman’s art tied in with the coloring of Rachelle Rosenberg perfectly fits the narrative with familiar sights and news horizons that feel fresh and familiar at the same time.
The Sith have shown their hand and it means nothing but bad things for everyone involved, except for fans everywhere.
Grade: B
