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!
Silver Surfer #7
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Michael Allred
Colorist: Laura Allred
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
The childhood version of me would have hated everything about this book because of the cosmic friendship Dan Slott has developed between Silver Surfer and Dawn, along with random craziness such as lady bug space creatures.
However, now that I’m in my mid-thirties, married with three cats, a dog, and some amazing nieces and nephews, I find myself saying the word “cute” more than is probably socially acceptable among my comrades, but that’s the first word that comes to mind when reading this book.
There is an almost irresistible charm to this story that Slott injects with such warmth and vigor that made me yearn for Dawn and Surfer to reunite after being lost in the empty void of space.
According to definition, this isn’t a love story, but feelings of intense admiration lying below the surface drives the narrative to the point where you don’t care about shoot outs and fisticuffs. You just want to see these two have a jolly good time riding the waves of deep space.
Michael Allred is the perfect artist for this type of endeavor. His zany depictions don’t taken themselves too seriously yet, they command your attention in a way where you have no choice but to have fun with space rednecks trying to force Dawn into a cosmic shotgun wedding. The refreshing nature of this book gives readers a break from the next major intergalactic threat and displays the softer and crazier side of space.
This issue serves as a great jumping on point since a recap of what you might have missed is seamlessly woven into the current story.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Resurrectionists #1
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artists: Maurizio Rosenzweig, Moreno Dinisio
Colorist: Moreno Dinisio
Letters: Nate Piekos
Cover: Juan Doe
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.50
Resurrectionists is a great heist story coupled with a fascinating tale of a group of people that can not only remember their past lives, but can also become them.
Fred Van Lente is an award winning writer who brings his style of intrigue that draws you in from the onset.
Meet Jericho Way, a clever thief who inadvertently travels back to his past life in ancient Egypt while robbing a museum in the present. Van Lente does a great job of conveying Way’s conviction that what he experienced was no dream.
The transitions from the past to the present work extremely well here and the dialog was spot on as those who belonged in the past spoke with their native tongue while those who were summoned back communicated with contemporary lingo and verbiage.
The illustrations of Maurizio Rosenzweig and Moreno Dinisio simply command your attention on every page and operates with sheer precision when depicting characters, background, and most of all, conveying the emotion of the moment.
There is one panel in Egypt where it was revealed that Tao/Jericho’s wife was shot in the back with an arrow and I wondered how I had missed in the pages before as they escaped their attackers. I went back and few pages to see how I had missed the arrow and sure enough, it was there entire time but placed subtlety so it was be easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Dark Horse has a potential hit on their hands as everything about this opening salvo has laid the groundwork for a story that is chock-full of mystery and complexity that is sure to deliver.
Here’s hoping with both sets of fingers crossed that this isn’t just another series that has an amazing first issue and falters shortly after.
Score: 5 out of 5
Evil Empire #7
Writer: Max Bemis
Artist: Andrea Mutti
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
The battle between social norms and chaos rages on as Reese strikes the first serious blow to the Evil Empire.
Once of the things that makes the writing of Max Bemis so enthralling is the message he sends while effortlessly making the reader think about right and wrong. America is under the control of an evil President Sam Duggins and he is using the guise of granting people the absolute freedom to do whatever they want.
Of course, Reese tags the White House wall with a personally degrading remark about Duggins which he shrugs off publicly with a smile, but tears apart the oval office in anger when the cameras are off.
This speaks to the corruption that is highlighted in Bemis’ work while twisting the story in a darker direction with more reveals that turns everything you know about this series and shakes it while turning it upside down.
Andrea Mutti perfectly complements the narrative with stunning visuals and chaotic. There are a lot of possibilities surround what’s next for Reese and her resistance movement. The scary thing is, all of her work may be for nothing, but only time will tell.
Score: 4 out of 5
Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #7
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Marquez
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
When I picked up my copy of Ultimate Spider-Man and saw Katie Bishop on the cover, I
assumed this meant Miles and her were getting back together after she broke up with him when his crime fighting occupation was revealed. Well, to say that didn’t happen would be an understatement. Two words are going to completely change the world as we know it for Miles Morales.
Brian Michael Bendis has this innate ability to draw the reader in with the very first balloon of the book.
In this case, Miles is uncharacteristically pissed off and is looking to kick field goal through Norman Osborn which is many ways brings this story full circle. A new Spider-Man picked up where his predecessor left off and now, he is in a fight to the death against the person that made Miles the person he is today. There is really nothing else to say about the artwork of David Marquez. It’s rich in detail, large in scope and has defined the titular character which heroic poise. Justin Ponsor’s coloring is always top notch and nicely fills out the action sequences when a fiery blaze surrounds the scene of the final battle.
When talking about this series as a whole, so far, this second run has been a B+ which is nothing to complain about. However, it’s leaves a little to be desired when every issue in the first run was an A+. Different directions take time to flesh out and this issue brings the series back to that elite level quality and leaves lots of intriguing things in store for Miles Morales in the months ahead.
Score: 5 out of 5
Red Sonja #13
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Walter Geovani
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
In this new story arc which serves a great jumping on point for new readers, Gail Simone takes the red she-devil down a treacherous path where she becomes her own worst enemy.
One of the things that makes this series such a pleasant read is the exploration of Red Sonja’s character and personality through inner dialog that is brutally honest and optimizes how this is the last person you would ever want to mess with. Sonja is cursed by a wizard she slew with the inability to never forgive. Sounded kind of lame until she snapped at the slightest accidental transgression.
This makes things beyond interesting because Sonja is a surly individual that naturally itches for a fight. Walter Geovani’s illustrations are a visual wonder that highlights Sonja as a strong powerful warrior. While he doesn’t hide Sonja’s beauty by any means, he also doesn’t make her overly sexy which makes it easy to take the character seriously and the world he’s created in these pages is so rich where not a single space in a panel is wasted.
In my humble opinion, if you haven’t jumped on the Red Sonja bandwagon, what the heck are you doing? Start reading this series now.
Score: 4 out of 4
