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The Pull List: THE OTHER DEAD #1, THE WAKE #4, JUPITER’S LEGACY #3

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!

Jupiter’s Legacy #3 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Frank Quitely
Colorist: Peter Doherty
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99

What if, one day, the Justice League got tired of Superman’s truth, justice and the American way rhetoric and conspired to kill him?

This is the plot device that Mark Millar uses to crank the intensity up as family drama drastically changes everything. There will always be a stark contrast of opinions when you are dealing with such a huge generation gap like in Jupiter’s Legacy.

The old guard knows what’s best because they used to walk ten miles to school, barefoot, uphill, every day while the new guard can simply take classes online.  Responsibility is supposedly lost on youth, but in reality, they are having a difficult time being the sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews of Earth’s greatest heroes.

Through it all, there is always one older member of the family that believes they know better than everyone and manipulates their way through the rank and file in order to assume the role of leader.

Millar’s examination of familial dissension in a superhero context establishes that not only are the consequences greater for everyone involved, and not involved, but also the simple fact that it can happen to anyone. Those who are placed on a pedestal are often deemed infallible and free from the burden of emotional pain, when in reality, those in the spotlight can be even more susceptible to the pressures of filling one’s shoes. Imagine the real world expectations that would be placed on the child of Superman and Wonder Woman and tell me if they wouldn’t go a little insane?

The fall of The Utopian is executed with such treachery that it makes you wonder if anything is sacred anymore. Walter and Brendan go to such lengths to carry it out that they plan whole thing on top of a satellite in space. After all, you never know who might be listening with super hearing on Earth. The destruction of The Utopian’s family was intensely conveyed by the art direction of Frank Quitley.

One minute, Mrs. Utopian is engaged in a mother/daughter chat and the next, she has been thrown through the wall of her living room and her brother in law is rolling ten deep and ready to take her out.

This issue gets better and better with every turn of the page and it poses the question, how can good prevail, in any way, when they are now all that is evil?

Grade: A+

The Other Dead #1
Writers: Joshua Ortega, Digger T. Mesch
Artist: Qing Ping Mui
Colorist: Blond
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99

I’m an animal lover, so I can appreciate the idea of a zombified deer coming back to life after being shot in the head by Dick Cheney and taking him to the woodshed.

How come we don’t see more of this in the zombie genre? It is weird ideas like this that make you think.

In this issue, Joshua Ortega and Digger T. Mesch have done the thinking for you and created a story that is equally horrifying and intriguing.  Besides a little boy with a learning disability who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, none of the characters introduced are people you can sink your teeth into, but I can let that slide the first time around since the epidemic is what takes center stage.

We are so used to seeing a zombie apocalypse start with humans and for once we are not the first choice of some man-made disease or natural selection. The emotional component of this has a real chance to shine because most would have a hard time killing their undead brother or sister and the same could be said for their dog or cat. The artwork of Qing Ping Mui delivers on two fronts by making the ordinary seem comedic and interesting at the same time while making the bloody imagery worth the price of admission.

This series has a lot of potential and if it is lived up to, IDW will have a real winner on their hands.

Grade: B+

The Trial of The Punisher #1
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Leinij Francis Yu
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99

It’s not often that we see the Punisher being tried by a jury of his peers.

In fact, it has never happened, which is what gave Marc Guggenheim the motivation to write this story. The book reads like a legal drama, which makes sense because Guggenheim used to work as a lawyer and previously wrote for Law & Order.

At first, I was bummed that this wasn’t a continuation of Punisher War Zone.

However, Frank Castle didn’t actually commit the crime he was hunted for in Greg Rucka’s story arc.

This time, he actually did the deed, which makes it more compelling than being on trial for a crime he didn’t commit because we all knew how that would have ended.

Then again, we could say the same thing for this one, but the fact that he is really guilty adds a level of depth not previously seen in other Punisher books.

Grade: B

Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Vol 2 #3
Creator: David Petersen
Writers: Eric Canete, C.P. Wilson III & Cory Godbey
Artists: Eric Canete, C.P. Wilson III & Cory Godbey
Colorist: Scott Keating
Publisher: Archaia
Price: $3.50

One of the many things that make Mouse Guard such a heartwarming series is the charming niceties that embody classic storytelling.

Three new tales captivate the patrons of June’s Pub. The brew is flowing, the laughs are unending, and the spirit of competition has never been higher as everyone vies to share that one story that covers their tab for the evening.

Series creator David Peterson always enlists several different artists in each offering in order to make each chapter truly different and unique. The Mouse General’s has a poetic application that augments the heat of the battle while The Thief, The Star-Gazer, The Hunter & The Tailor has a horror motif that brings about the potential hardships that four brothers face going into the world with nothing but their hopes and dreams.

Despite these stories being derived from a competitive nature, it’s really not about who wins or loses, its about enjoying the wonderful stories in the spirit of a good time.

Grade: A-

The Wake #4
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Publisher: Vertigo
Price: $2.99

Real horror lies in the unknown of what’s out there and who’s next to meet their maker.

Scott Snyder increases the tension every time Doctor Archer and her crew turn a corner.

Mystery and despair produces an underwater labyrinth where the only way out is through those horrible creatures.

Sean Murphy’s artwork gives the reader a sense they are confinement since the space the characters are working with is limited.

In true Snyder fashion, the book ends with one evil element defeated as an even bigger threat emerges.

If you are not reading this series, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.

Grade: A-

Garth Ennis’ Red Team #5
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Craig Cermak
Cover: Howard Chaykin
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99

Dynamite Entertainment doesn’t get the credit they deserve and its books like Garth Ennis’ Red Team that should be a clear indicator that they’ve come to play.

One police officer going rogue has been done before but a close knit team of police officers with different levels of clout and various expertise is just something no one should pass up.

Things haven’t been the same since the assassination of drug dealer Clinton Day. There has been a lot of stress among the team and an attempt to scale things back actually makes matters worse.

With only two issues left, I almost don’t want to read them because that means it will be over.

But who am I kidding. I just got to know if the team makes it out unscathed.

Grade: B+

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