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!
Justice, Inc. #1
Writer: Michael Uslan
Artist: Giovanni Timpano
Colorist: Marco Lesko
Letters: Simon Bowland
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
Dynamite Entertainment has a knack for producing interesting team-up books that not only make sense but are highly enjoyable.
When Justice, Inc. was announced as a time traveling crossover, there was a little apprehension on my part because there is a high risk of this becoming a convoluted mess of a comic.
So far, no worries at all on that end.
Michael Uslan dose a great job of conveying the intricacies of time travel in a way that is well developed and easy to follow.
Seeing Doc Savage and Albert Einstein banter back and forth about the perplexities of such an endeavor was fun to watch on its own merit because it’s the highest intellects of science fact and science fiction chewing the fat over something “theoretical.” The Avenger and The Shadow’s inclusion leaves many intriguing questions since we are dealing with two entities that could shift the balance of power in either direction.
Giovanni Timpano’s art did a serviceable job of illustrating the events throughout the book. However, Marco Lesko’s coloring is what really makes you pay attention to the depictions. Neither of their applications are drop dead gorgeous, but they work well together in enhancing the story at hand.
The series has the task of linking up three different heroes between the past and the present and sets up a whirlwind of possibilities. It was established that time is curved and not a straight line which suggested there is a high risk of calamity in meddling with the space time continuum.
Seeing Doc Savage from 1939 and 2014, face to face, should make for some interesting reading in the months ahead. I so want to speculate on how such an epic meeting of the minds would go, but I’m going to wait until the second issue to see if my hypothesis is correct.
Score: 4 out of 5.
Nova #20
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artists: David Balldeon & Terry Pallot
Colorist: David Curiel
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Original Sin seems to know no bounds as far as its personal impact on the characters inside the Marvel Universe.
The newest Nova, Sam Alexander, is a teenager that discovers the truth behind the grim tales regarding his father. Rocket Raccoon lends a helping hand, but both find themselves in a poisonous situation and time is running out. Fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy film will enjoy this because it, to it’s benefit, inadvertently expands on some of the elements in the cosmic universe that were glossed over.
I absolutely love how Rocket and Sam work off each other. It’s kind of a student-teacher relationship so the dynamic is different as opposed to the interactions between Rocket and Groot.
A lot of team up books are simply meant to draw in more money and often have little substance. The history between Rocket and Nova is enough on it’s own to justify the pairing. However, Sam is fighting two battles as he fights to stay alive while dealing with the emotional fallout that Jesse, his father, is a murderer. Sam really needs help this time around and Rocket fits the bill on every level.
The clear and well defined art of David Balldeon and Terry Pallot, coupled with the colors of David Curiel, complements the witting and makes it just a beautiful book to look. In my opinion, Nova is one of the unsung heroes of Marvel’s comic book line-up. It’s consistently entertaining while exceeding expectations, and often well reviewed, but it tends gets lost in the shuffle of the A list character books.
Hopefully, the success of Marvel Studios latest movie will help to change that.
4.5 out of 5
Black Market #2
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Artist: Victor Santos
Colorist: Adam Metcalfe
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
Normally, when you read about people stealing super powers from super heroes, it’s assumed that the thieves are automatically the bad guys. However, that proposition isn’t so black and white in the world Frank Barbiere has created.
The Supers do good work, but some people like them and some people hate them. The reasons why feelings are split down the middle are examined to an extent.
The first issue showed things already in progress as Ray Willis, a disgraced medical examiner making ends meet as an undertaker, helps his ex-con brother, Denny, steal Supers DNA.
This issue shows us Ray’s life before, and how everything went downhill for he and his wife, Shannon. In both issues, the interaction between Ray and Shannon produced some lighthearted moments that really made you root for them as a couple. This really stands out consider the cesspool of criminal activity that Ray is involved with, under Denny’s coercion.
The artwork of Victor Santos brings a grounded and gritty vibe that is just right for this kind of story. It reminds me of David Aja’s work on the Hawkeye series, producing great emotional reactions and disheveled looking characters.
This really should have been the first issue, but I liked the creative switcheroo. Seeing the act after learning how it all came to be really changed my view of things and got me into the characters a little more. Ray is not a monster, but in many ways, he might as well be. Then again, maybe he is doing everyone a favor. After all, does the world really need superheroes that look down on us mere mortals from the heavens?
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir #4
Writer: Jeremy Barlow
Artist: Juan Frigeri, Mauro Vargas
Colorist: Wes Dzioba
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $ 3.50
When I read the slate of comics released by Dark Horse this week, I said to myself, I’m not going to review Star Wars, no matter how good it is.
Everyone knows the score with The Force by now.
Give another book a chance to shine on The Pull List.
However, the finale of this miniseries provided some epic moments that fans would have killed to see on the silver screen and serves as a true farewell to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. We know the fate of every dark side character we’ve seen except for Darth Maul.
The conclusion of this book reveals his status since The Clone Wars is officially canon and Son of Dathomir is based on unproduced episodes of the TV show.
Mother Talzin’s spirit possess Count Dooku and Darth Maul is at side as Darth Sidious enters the fight.
At first, I thought Maul vs. Sidious 2 would be another mismatch with Maul being the punching bag again. Giving it a second look, Maul was caught off guard by the wrath of his former master since everything he did was to please him. That wasn’t the case this time around, and the duel was a bit more evenly matched.
My friends and I have had many arguments over which Sith Lord is the evilest of them all. Seeing Maul, Dooku, Sidious, Grievous, and Talzin together, in the same place, for the first time, made me geek out. The artwork did wonders for the final battle and just sucked me in as if I had a font row seat to this Sith battle royal of sorts.
The very end was a little flat, but it should cause some speculation for what could possibly happen when Episode VII hits theaters next year.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
The Fade Out #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colorist: Elizabeth Breitweiser
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.50
It should come to no surprise that an Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips collaboration is simply great reading.
Still, the hype surrounding of their debut series under their unprecedented exclusive deal with Image Comics raised expectations to a point where perfection was the only option.
Brubaker stays in his wheel house of mystery nior, and it’s is exquisitely crafted in every way. The pacing is just right, the story hooks you immediately, and Phillips beautiful illustrations makes it all come together. It’s easy to see how much TLC went into project, especially in the magazine version for an extra $1.50.
If you’ve read my column over the years, Fatale was a series that I couldn’t get enough of. However, there were times where I had to go back and reread certain pages in order to understand the importance of certain moments. That was not a problem this time around. It’s the beginning of a guessing game about a Hollywood murder mystery set in the 1940’s that is clear and cohesive.
This is probably my favorite single issue of the year so far. The world is ugly in a sense that things aren’t going to go well for those involved which has me beyond enthralled with what’s to come.
Score: 5 out of 5
