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!
Fatale #11 (Pick of the Week)
Writer: Ed Brubaker:
Art: Sean Phillips
Colors: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.50
Ed Brubaker has penned a crime/horror noir that will never be duplicated.
The exquisite intricacies produced by every facet of its collaboration bring the comic book genre to another level. Brubaker leaves us bread crumbs that taste good and make the reader feel they are getting one step closer to the truth about Josephine.
In reality, we are nowhere near the truth.
Josephine is the main character that we still don’t know much about. Instead of just giving us the answers, Brubaker makes us rack our brain about the possibilities of Josephine’s being.
Is she human or alien? She seems like a good person, but is she really? How does she make men so infatuated with her by simply standing next to them?
Sean Phillips can do no wrong with his artwork in this series. His illustration of a love sick cop really captures the horror and gravity of the tone Brubaker is trying to convey. If you haven’t jumped on the Fatale bandwagon yet, buy the two graphic novels before reading this issue.
Fatale will now be an ongoing series and the next couple of issues will be exclusively about the mysterious dame we can’t get enough of.
Hellboy in Hell #2
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Mike Mignola
Colors: Dave Stewart
Cover: Mike Mignola
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $2.99
Last month’s return of Hellboy was a mouthwatering appetizer compared to the buffet Mike Mignola delivers here.
Quotes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth heavily influence the script as Hellboy has a chance to slit Satan’s throat while he is sleeping. The demonic decision making process resembles Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol just like the last issue.
The art tells the story in such horrific fashion that reading is almost not required. My instincts lead me to believe Hell is ten times worse than anything my imagination can conjure up.
Mignola’s work makes you think twice about that statement as we see Pandermonium, the throne room of Hell.
Hellboy in Hell #2 is a brilliant read that won’t soon be forgotten.
Grade: A
All New X-Men #5
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger & Craig Yeung
Colors: Marte Gracia & Jason Keith
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Of all the X-Men books in circulation, Bendis’ All New X-Men is the best one by far.
It’s the only book that encompasses all of the major X-Men characters instead of just focusing on a couple of them at a time.
The main focus of this issue is Jean Grey and how she comes to terms with everything she has learned about her future self.
There is an excellent two page spread that displays various images of Jean’s life as she demands that Beast lets her into his head to answer a pivotal question.
All this time we assumed there was only one of two ways the battle for mutant equality could go: Team Xaiver or Team Magneto.
With all the new mutants popping up in the world, Cyclops has decided to take a different approach that lies somewhere in the middle. Bendis’s focus on Cyclops’ point of view makes you wonder if he is right in all of this. It’s a new world which means new questions, new answers, new measures, new everything.
This series has been absolutely amazing and personally, it is currently my favorite series.
Grade: A-
Colder #3
Writer: Paul Tobin
Art: Juan Ferreyra
Cover: Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Paul Tobin’s supernatural thriller continues to bleed as much as it leads with superb writing and the best artwork in comic books right now.
Declan and Reece journey into madness to escape the evil Nimble Jack.
The catch is they can’t be there for too long otherwise Reece will succumb to its insanity. Speaking of Reece, she is still trying to wrap her head about the notion that Declan is not the tragic mental patient she has been taking care of in her own home. Declan feels indebted to Reece for taking care of him even though his mute state was a cover to hide from Nimble Jack.
Their origin story is revealed as Nimble’s literal appetite for the insane souls comes to the forefront. Juan Ferreyra’s art is truly something special. He flawlessly inserts skin crawling imagery with depictions of a radiant woman in Reece.
I’m beyond excited to read next month’s final act and everyone else should be too.
Grade: A-
Batman Incorporated #6
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Chris Burnham
Cover: Chris Burnham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Mat-Bats versus Bat-Robots, Leviathan takes control of Gotham City and Damien gets a new kitten and names him Alfred. That’s all folks.
Of course you know I’m lying because Grant Morrison wrote this story.
The battle between Batman and Talia comes to a head as innocent people and members of Batman Incorporated are dying. This is the background of a much larger picture between the once star-crossed lovers. There is a lot going on in this book, and Morrison makes it feel just right with great pacing. Everything builds off each other to create more tension with every turn of the page.
Chris Burnham’s art does a serviceable job of getting Morrison’s point across. Talia delivers the ultimatum of ultimatums, and not even Batman knows what to do. This is an outstanding issue from top to bottom.
Note to Morrison and Burnham: I want more Bat-Cow in future issues, please.
Grade: B+
Star Wars: Purge – The Tyrant’s Fist #2
Writer: Alexander Freed
Art: Marco Castiello & Andrea Chella
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Cover: Dan Scott
Price: $3.50
Darth Vader is so bad ass that he’s cool.
In fact, he is arguably the coolest character in the Star Wars Universe. We geek out with envy as Vader says “I find your lack of faith disturbing” while force choking an imperial officer. Alexander Freed shows the side of Vader that throws cold water on your face and makes you realize that he’s a vile killer.
Palpatine wants Vader to think as a ruler and not as a soldier, so simply killing Jedi in hiding won’t do. You need to erase their ideals from the memory of the faithful in order to extinguish their light from the galaxy. Freed unleashes the murderous side of Vader to the point where the Dark Lord not only relishes the kill, but also the implementation that leads to the kill.
The artwork does a serviceable job of getting the point across but the heart and soul of this book is Freed’s script. It will make you think twice about cheering for the bad guy.
Grade: A-
Daredevil: End of Days #4
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack
Art: Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz & Alex Maleev
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Ben Urich continues his investigation as Bullseye’s dead body turns up.
With the trail gone cold, Urich visits a prison inmate for what may be his last chance for answers.
“Mapone” is the one word driving everything surrounding Daredevil’s demise and no one knows what it means.
The gritty nature of events is captured is conveyed in such a way that it sucks you right in and makes you feel a little dirty after reading.
The crime scene images of Bullseye’s body looks like a horrible car crash.
There are a lot of good things going on with this series and it just keeps getting better with every issues.
Grade: B
Comics that didn’t make the cut but may just tickle your fancy.
Superman #15 (DC Comics)
Very close to making the list which hasn’t happened in a while. Superman got his ass kick by H’el and needs the help of the greatest criminal mind of our time.
Teen Titans #15 (DC Comics)
Tim Drake has been captured by The Joker and the rest of the Titans attempt to make the save with help from Batgirl.
Harvest #5 (Image Comics)
A thrilling conclusion to this gripping black market or bodily organs.
