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!
Flash: #7 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Brian Buccellato & Francis Manapul
Art: Francis Manapul
Colors: Brian Buccellato
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
If I were to sum up this issue in two words it would be Captain Cold and Wormholes.
Add some eye-popping innovative art to the mix and you have one hell of a comic book. All of the issues in this series are appropriately fast paced and served with a lot of meat and potatoes.
Flash has to limit how fast he runs other wise he will tear a hole into the speed force causing a wormhole.
This presents some interesting situations for Barry because at his safest speed limit, his fastest is sometimes not fast enough. He has to think before he acts and sometimes he thinks too fast causing more harm than good.
The ending introduces a new bad guy who is connected to the Speed Force and will makes things a lot more complicated for the Flash.
Grade: A-
Avenging Spider-Man #5
Writer: Zeb Wells
Art: Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan
Colors: Sunny Gho
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
The cat is out of the bag.
Captain America use to be a nerd and Spider-Man just can’t let it go.
As they are on a mission together, Spidey keeps pestering him and insists he should embrace it but Cap feels that part of his life was over long ago.
This is a heartfelt story that is entertaining from beginning to end and the detail in Lenil Francis’ art is just what the doctor ordered.
Grade: B+
Superman #7
Writers: Dan Jurgens & Keith Giffen
Art: Dan Jurgens & Jesus Merino
Colors: Tanya Horie & Richard Horie
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
A fresh new creative team provides a breath of fresh air as we finally get to see the Superman we have been waiting for.
Superman battles Wildstorm villain, Hellspont, who gives the Man of Steel all he can handle.
The artwork was amazing and had that epic vibe you want out of an epic hero. Everything from the story to the page layouts were executed to perfection and for the first time in seven months, I’m excited to read a Superman book again.
Grade: B+
The Avengers #24.1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Brandon Peterson and David Finch
Colors: Sonia Oback & Frank D’Armata
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
The cover says it all.
This issue is all about Vision and him trying to figure out how to move on and focus on the future.
But first, he has to let go of the past.
She-Hulk and Magneto are the two stops on his journey and one of them goes well, while the other one…
not so much.
The art in this issue left me scratching my head as it felt like it was trying to accomplish two different things when there was only one story being told. It’s a good issue to pick up if you haven’t read the Avengers in a while or you want to know where things stand before Avengers vs. X-Men begins.
Grade: B
Avengers vs. X-Men #0
Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & Jason Aaron
Art: Frank Cho
Colors: Jason Keith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Wednesday’s press release announcing this issue as a sellout was no joke.
I had to visit four stores in order to get my hands on a copy.
This is Marvel’s big event of the year and we kick off with a tale revolving around Hope Summers and Wanda, The Scarlett Witch.
This issue didn’t spend one iota of time explaining why the two super groups are going to fight.
Smart move in this instance since these two will be pivotal to the story.
Hope is tired be coddled by Scott and wants a chance to spread her wings while Wanda is trying to ease herself back into everyday life. The art was nice and shined most during the fight scenes. Awesome start to what is looking to be a crossover event we can sink out teeth into.
I just hope it’s better that Fear Itself.
Grade: B+
Aquaman #7
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Colors: Rod Reis
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Black Manta makes his debut in the New 52 and we discover that he and Aquaman have history together even though they never cross paths in this issue.
The artwork by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado has been consistently fantastic and Rod Reis’s vibrant color treatment is amazing.
Their combined efforts flat out tell you that Manta is going to be a deadly force to be reckoned with. There is also an intriguing storyline involving “The Others” whom Aquaman is familiar with but Mera has no idea who they are.
It’s been said plenty of times and I’ll say it again; Geoff Johns has made Aquaman cool again. Even if the story sucked, the art makes this book a must own.
Grade: B+
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8
Writers: Tom Waltz & Kevin Eastman
Art: Dan Duncan
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
This book is mainly a slugfest with the Turtles fighting hundreds of Mousers.
In other news,General Krang grows tired of Baxter Stockman’s delays and the blossoming romance between April O’Neil and Casey Jones takes an interesting turn.
This is not the best issue to start with if you looking for a jumping on point but it’s entertainment value screams “Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go”.
Questions are answered and new ones are presented in story that begins to get a little darker.
Grade: B-
Daredevil #10
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Paolo Rivera
Colors: Javier Rodriguez
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
A friend of mine who reads this column called me a Mark Waid fanboy.
I just might be because I don’t think I could say anything bad about his writing if you paid me. His work on Daredevil is just that good and never ceases to amaze me. The same can be said for Paolo Rivera who is going to be at Boston Comic Con this month!
Waid has made Mole-Man the definition of creepy as Daredevil attempts to recover a plethora of coffins stolen by the villain.
Rivera’s art is the perfect compliment and his depiction of the Molester makes you want to hit him yourself.
This mission is harder than most for Matt because one of the coffins stolen belongs to his father, Jack Murdock, and that premise alone makes you wonder how any superhero would deal with this.
The Black Cat’s presence is felt in a bitter weet moment and things are set in motion for the Omega Effect crossover event along with the Punisher and Spider-Man.
Grade: A-
Batman: The Dark Knight #7 (Shelf Listed: Disappointment of the Week)
Writer: David Finch & Paul Jenkins
Art: David Finch & Richard Friend
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Just when you thought this series had turned the corner, we wind up back at square one with a story that is more style over substance.
The story involving Bane and the White Rabbit is poorly executed and things seem to happen way too easily. Bane is beating up Batman like he stole his wife and just as he is about to land the crushing blow, Batman punches him in the throat to gain the advantage.
It should take a little more than a punch to the throat to a Bane is using a more advanced version of Venom.
