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!
Buzzkill #1 of 4 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Colorist: Lauren Shaw
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: 3.99
HOLY SHIT! This book is soooooo good.
I don’t even want to say or type another word about it because you really need to read it. I don’t care where you are or what you are doing at this very moment. Go to the comic book store or head over to Dark Horse.com and download it immediately. This will probably be the most enjoyable buzzkill of your life.
The story follows Ruben, a superhero who gets his powers drinking alcohol and doing drugs. He no longer wants to lead the life he has been living so he enters group counseling but struggles with the reality of his situation because he is not an addict like everyone else around him.
Then again, maybe he is.
That part is not clear at the moment but there are bread crumbs that could go down either path. Geoff Shaw’s artwork produces a cartoony vibe that is filled with great emotion. Facial expressions from Ruben and other characters augment certain scenes that deliver the desired result. The story gets better and better with each turn of the pages as each new development makes the book even more intriguing. This is one of the best single issues of the year. I hope the rest of the series will be just as good because the bar has been set extremely high.
Grade: A+
Wonder Woman: Cheetah #23.1
Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Victor Ibanez Ramirez
Colorist: Wil Quintana
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Geoff John’s did an amazing job with his Cheetah story in Justice League and with such a high benchmark, this issue could have fallen flat.
Thankfully, that was not the case. In many ways, Barbara Minerva has really never had a life to call her own. After being cursed by Godslayer knife, the Cheetah spirit encompassed the very fabric of who she was once was.
This Villain’s Month title shows the path she embarks on after being released from Bell Reve by the secret society. What John Ostrander was able to do was make Cheetah captivating enough to carry this particular issue by showing how ruthless she is while, unbeknownst to her, battling what’s left of her humanity.
Victor Ibanez Ramirez’s page layouts provided a great pace to the story going from the village run by Minerva’s “mother” to the flash back scene that gave us a better understanding of why she has always had such a killer instinct. At the end of the day, villains are some of the coolest characters inpop culture. Cheetah has become one of my favorites since the New 52 began and I hope we see more of her in the months ahead.
Grade: B+
Bravest Warriors #12
Writer: Joey Comeau
Artist: Mike Holmes
Colorist: Lisa Moore
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
Bravest Warriors makes me laugh more than any other comic book on the market today. Adorable chaos is the perfect statement to describe this series.
What makes everything click on such a humorous level is how the innocence of the characters coincides with the ridiculousness of it all.
“Welcome to the Multiverse Battle Chess Blitz Bloodbath” is really all you need to know about this installment.
The simplicity infused in the overall storytelling augments how everything resonates with the reader. In the backup story titled “Warp Zoned Out”
Danny is so into a video game that he is completely oblivious to everything around him.
That has happened to all of us at some point in our life so it is easy to relate to but the off the wall hilarity that ensues when trying to get his attention is simply priceless. Generally, I don’t read comic books based on a show because I already know what I’m going to get. If you also feel this way then please make this the exception to the rule because you will be very thankful you did.
Grade: A-
Superior Spider-Man #18
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Ryan Stegman
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
I got out of work early for a change on Wednesday and wouldn’t you know it. All five comic book stores I went to were sold out Superior Spider-Man #18.
Airing my grievances on this matter caught the attention of Dan Slott who retweeted my grumblings which blew up my Twitter account and resulted in several new followers. One of them even offered me their ComiXology version when they were done. It serves me right since I’ve gone the digital route these days but I really wanted a physical copy of this issue because it brings us a Spider-Man moment we’ve been waiting to see for a long time. Spider-Man vs. Spider-Man 2099.
Was it everything we hoped it would be?
Kind of.
They duked it out alright but there encounter almost plays second fiddle to the larger issues at hand with the time stream being distorted, the drama at Horizon Labs, the Goblin attacks and everything going on in 2099. Those storylines have been well written but I wanted the fight of the century. I would have been totally cool with just glossing over all of the other drama for a witty thirty two page slug fest. The fight started off with a bang when Otto is shocked when he discovers that Miguel O’Hara (2099’s secret identity) knows he supposed Peter Parker.
Moments later O’Hara calls Spider-Man “Low-Tech” and Otto completely loses it. The moments were great but there were not enough of them for my taste. No complaints about the artwork and coloring. Ryan Stegman illustrations are always top notch and Edgar Delgado’s color treatment brings a lot of energy to the pages. Overall, you should buy this issue not only for its historical significance but because it is a good story even if there weren’t enough meat and potatoes on the plate.
Grade: B-
Zero #1
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Michael Walsh
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
If you ever walked into a comic book store, looked at all of the books with capes and cowls and said “I want to try something different”, this is that something different you want to try.
Ales Kot weaves a brilliant tale of espionage, war and bio engineered soldiers. The suspense builds as the mission progresses and there is a plenty of sex, action and brutal violence to go around.
The titular character, Edward Zero is a spy who will do anything to accomplishing his mission and there is not a single bit of hyperbole in that statement.
Michael Walsh’s amazing artwork commands your attention in every panel with explosive imagery and bloody visuals.
This is truly a spy story taken to the next level and one you don’t want to miss.
Grade: A-
Damsels: Mermaids #5 of 5
Writer: Matt Sturges
Art: Jean-Paul Deshong
Colors: Ivan Nunes
Letters: Simon Bowland
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
Matt Sturges brings about the fall of Atlantis in this miniseries conclusion.
Prince John is a self-centered jerk and despite all he has done, the Mermaid still loves him.
It’s so frustrating to watch, but it’s so well done that you can’t put the book down.
Sturges’ dialog reads like poetry and the imagery perfectly complements the tone. There are some elements with the narrative that might cause some people to be completely turned off by this series.
The Mermaid is a woman scorned and should see the error of her ways in the men she chooses.
She doesn’t which to a certain extent, makes you roll your eyes as opposed to feeling sorry for her. However, people will do strange things for love which is why I was able to forgive the characters poor lack of judgment. This is the end of this particular series but the ending suggests that there is more to come going forward.
Grade: C+
