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!
Death of Wolverine #1 (of 4)
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Steve McNiven, Jay Leisten
Colorist Justin Ponsor
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing sometimes. Especially when the nice lady at the comic book store plops this issue down in front of me with a look on her face that clearly indicated that my freedom of choice has been taken away from me.
Originally, I had zero interest in this series. The way death is handled in comics has slayed any sense of apprehension or mourning for a character in this situation because they always come back to life.
Charles Soule and the rest of the creative team on this issue did a stellar job at not only making you care about Logan’s time left with us, but also with sharing the pain and anguish he will endure on the way out.
Every page, panel, and word balloon increases the stakes for our Canadian hero. His healing ability is gone and, as a result, there are other issues plaguing him, one issue being the fact that if he chooses to fully defend himself, his date with the grim reaper will only come that much sooner. The artwork is truly something to behold and every image meant something and did a great job of executing those crucial moments.
Reed Richards’ cameo is an example of how the important moments carried such weight and the way he delayed telling Logan the final piece of bad news was drawn with detail and burden.
My favorite scene in the book comes when Nuke arrives on the island to take out a seemingly declawed Logan, only to find a plethora of bodies from the likes of A.I.M., The Hand, and other groups that came before him. The greatest thing the creators accomplished was making the reader feel every ounce of pain ravaging through Logan’s body, leaving you genuinely worried about him. I can’t remember the last time I was concerned for a super hero’s safety.
I think this speaks volumes to how well Death of Wolverine was produced because while he will be resurrected at some point, the road along the way towards his finale already boasts a sense of bereavement that is gripping and chocked full of exciting possibilities.
Score: 5 out of 5
Ex-Con #1
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Keith Burns
Colorist: Aikau Olivia
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
Ex-Con takes place in 1985 Los Angeles and follows Cody Pomeray, a con artist who has a gift for looking into a person’s soul. He can tell if they are weak, good, bad, truthful, or lying, and the artwork brings a color spectrum into the equation.
However, Pomeray picks the wrong mark, gets sent to prison and loses his special ability in the process. None of the characters really stick out on their own, but they serve the narrative well. Things get more intriguing as the story progresses, which kept me interested the majority of the time.
You know what kept knocking me out?
Keith Burns’ artwork. The illustrations brought the gritty to match the tone of the story but didn’t bring anything else. There was nothing defined or anything that stood out.
Plus, the colors representing each human attribute that Pomeray saw was off at times and I had to go back to the beginning to see if I was missing something.
This is a decent first issue, but I fear it may not have the juice to present anything intriguing in future installments. The con become the mark in a scenario that was evident but inquisitive, while lacking importance. Still, I’m just interested enough to stick around and give it a second chance next month.
Score: 2.5 out of 5
Concrete Park #1 (of 5)
Writer: Tony Puryear, Erika Alexander
Artist: Tony Puryear
Colorist: Tony Puryear
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $ 3.99
I didn’t know what to expect when Concrete Park entered my stratosphere. The buzz has been good, but I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype. I’m here to report that it most definitely does.
Our story takes place in the future where L.A. gang banger, Isaac, is arrested and gets sentenced to slave labor on an ice planet. The prison transport crashes on a desert planet and Isaac narrowly escapes. He soon meets a beautiful gang leader named Luca who stumbles upon the wreckage.
Isaac quickly and rapidly is brought into a war in a strange new world. This series is something different where every facet of the story just leaps off the page at every turn.
The artwork compliments the story’s surroundings and the characters have a boastfulness that makes it easy to either like or dislike them. I’m always a fan of comics where the creator writes and draws the book because you’re virtually guaranteed that everything will be in sync. The desert planet felt hot and coarse as two suns orbit it’s space and the dialog that contains its share of urban slang somehow fits in with the story, rather nicely I might add. If I was a betting man, I’d venture to guess that this series will find itself in the critically acclaimed realm sooner or later.
Score: 4 out of 5
The Woods #5
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Michael Dialynas
Colorist: Jose Gonzalez
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Price: $3.99
James Tynion IV continues to do great things outside of Gotham City with The Woods and presents the beginning of the second chapter that is somewhat new reader friendly.
The character development has been spot across the board while the emotional spectrum maintains a horror element while keeping its light heartedness intact.
Its quirkiness is what blends everything together which makes it fresh. This issues goes back and forth between currents events and one year before Bay Point Preparatory High School was transported to another planet.
We get some background information regarding Karen, Maria, and Sanami and we get a sense of who they were before alien creatures and football coaches were trying to kill them.
Michael Dialynas’ illustrations perfectly matches the tone of the story. There is something freaky and majestic about a four eyed giant green tiger or a furry raptor with wings. The colors bring the illustrations to life with vibrant tones and dark shades. There is a small blue eight legged creature the teens in the woods have named Doctor Robot. In some lights he is cute as can be and I want to take him home. In other lights he is creepy as hell and I want to swat him with a stick. I think this is a perfect representation of the overall tone Tynion has set for this series thus far.
Youthful characters with increasing shades of grey are making things go in different directions that is rife with peril and suspense. This might be my new favorite series!
Score: 4.5 out of 5.
Sidekick #8
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tom Mandrake
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
J. Michael Straczynski pens a great issue that details how far Barry Chase has fallen down the rabbit hole as he looks for a way to kill the Red Cowl. The word betrayal doesn’t even begin to describe what Barry has been put through. He’s gone from sidekick, to hero, and now, to villain, all in the name of revenge. It’s beyond revenge, though. This is the most significant thing Barry will ever accomplish.
Barry is so far gone that you kind of feel bad for him and want to see something good happen to him. However, once you see how dismissive the Cowl is towards Barry’s existence, never mind his feelings or state of mind, you thirst for the moment Barry gets his chance to take him out.
Tom Mandrake produces some pleasing visuals throughout the book and does a great job of conveying the emotional state of the characters. Overall, this is another fun installment in a series that gets better with every outing.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
