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!
She-Hulk #9
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Javier PulidoColorist: Muntsa Vincente
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
The recent list of Marvel’s solicitations revealed that She-Hulk will see her last issue in January and a couple of days later, writer Charles Soule confirmed the cancellation on his blog, citing that despite critical acclaim, the book couldn’t justify its existence on a financial level.
I’ll be the first to admit that I never cared about the She-Hulk character. Normally, when friends and colleagues of mine recommend a book, I check it out. This time, not so much, at least until I heard about the new story arc.
So I gave the last issue a whirl and was impressed with what was inside. Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, is being sued in the wrongful death of a friend dating back to 1940.
She-Hulk is representing Rogers and, much to everyone’s surprise, Matt Murdock is representing the plaintiff.
Soule masterfully dives into the emotional core of the issues at hand. Cap recently lost his super-soldier abilities and is an old man, meaning his days might be numbered. Hulk has an enormous amount of respect for Steve Rogers and doesn’t want murderer to be the final mark in his legacy. Legal counsel on both sides of the fence have tricks up their sleeves, but Cap wants it all done by the book. This is frustrating considering he couldn’t have possibly murdered anyone, right?
Javier Pulido’s artwork does a great job at illustrating all of the expressive responses, expertly showing laughter, anger and frustration. The coloring of Muntsa Vincente brings an almost comical appeal to the story. Seeing a pink-shirt-wearing, flamboyant, ambulance-chasing lawyer trying convince a cane-hobbling Steve Rogers to play tennis was something you just need to see to believe.
So, the question becomes, why bother to, or bother to continue to, read this series when the powers to be at Marvel have already deemed it a failure?
Well, sometimes, the comics with remarkable storytelling only appeal to a select few and fail to capture the imagination of the masses. I read all of the previous issues in this run and judging by my own opinion of the character, I’m not surprised of its short shelf life.
However, I feel She-Hulk deserves to second chance to make a first impression.
Score: 5 out of 5
Arkham Manor #1
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Shawn Crystal
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
I consider myself to be a level-headed person but sometimes, I can get riled up about the core essential elements of a character’s mythos being changed.
When it comes to Batman, Wayne Manor is a staple of who he is and where he comes from.
Now, it has become the new Arkham Asylum.
That makes no sense whatsoever. How the hell can they do such a thing? DC Comics has lost all credibility because Batman would never let anything like that happen.
Well, he did, and the reason why makes perfect sense and instantly lowered my blood pressure.
Batman’s home is the one place he can unwind from the grind of chasing down evil-doers. Even though he has a high-rise penthouse in downtown Gotham, it’s not the same, and Gerry Duggan presents this as a blessing and a weakness for Bruce Wayne.
Doing right by your fellow man while losing something precious will mess with anyone, even Batman. We see this unfold in baby steps as The Dark Knight tells a lady he rescued from a mugging to call 9-1-1 because he is about to thrash her assailant.
Later on, pining for something that is no longer there comes to fruition when goes undercover in his former abode. To one end, he knows the property better than anyone but at the same time, why go through such drastic measures to solve one case when crime on the streets is still a big problem?
These are the questions presented in this debut issue and with Shawn Crystal’s dark brooding imagery, things are only going to get more intriguing.
Score: 4 out of 5
Colder: The Bad Seed #1
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Cover: Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra’s Eisner-nominated series is back and this time, it’s ongoing baby!
In the last series, Declan Thomas and his caretaker, Reece, were almost lost in a deadly encounter with Nimble Jack. Declan prevailed and his powers have become a conduit that can literally suck the insanity out of the insane.
Now in present day, life is great for Declan and Reece, who are now a couple. Tobin really conveys how much they care for each other in their intimate moments and Juan Ferreyra draws them so well that you don’t even need to read the text.
I think that’s saying something about a creative team that score a ten out of ten when getting their point across in such a profound moment manner.
But wait, you don’t care about romance, do you? This is a horror comic so where are the blood and guts? Paul Tobin’s narrative is rife with bone-chilling despair and Juan Ferreyra’s hunting illustrations are the stuff that nightmares are made of.
The new baddie on the block, The Swivel, is looking to pick up where Nimble Jack left off and he makes his presence felt in a horrifying manner that makes him stand out in finger-chopping fashion.
To say I’m happy this series is back is an understatement. Colder is on its way to becoming the epitome of horror comic books. It not all about the decapitating scares or the blood splattering imagery. It’s an extremely well-woven narrative that truly knows it’s audience while appealing to a larger fan base.
Score: 5 out of 5
The Twilight Zone #9
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Guiu Vilanova
Colorist: Vinicius Andrade
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
This issue serves as the start of a new story arc for The Twilight Zone series.
This particular tale follows a private detective, Roy Chambers, who is hired by a grieving father to find out who murdered his son, John.
Things start out normal enough, then they go into the bizarre.
J. Michael Straczynski set a slow, methodical pace by letting us get to know the characters. Roy’s reasons for taking this case besides the financial benefit sheds light on this good natured but flawed individual.
Straczynski lets it all set in which gives the reader more appreciation for everything that occurs while using the same formula of storytelling that has made this franchise endure for decades. Roy works the case, but comes up empty at every turn. John, the murder victim, is a good guy, and no one tells it any different. Of course, that’s the first sign that something isn’t right.
Guiu Vilanova’s imagery is very fitting for this story, displaying a dark sense of ambiguity that just gnaws at you as things begin to unfold. Cold trails bring about spectral evidence that not only points Chambers in the right direction, but ensures that I will be coming back for the next issue.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Butterfly #2
Writer: Marguerite Bennett
Artist: Antonio Fuso
Colorist: Steve Wands
Publisher: Archaia
Price: $3.99
Rebecca Faulkner, aka Butterfly is an ace CIA operative who works for a special division called The Project.
She gets burned by the people in charge and avoids being killed. She finds her father who she believed was dead and sees the man who taught her how to fire a gun before she could play with Barbie dolls, raising another family.
Marguerite Bennett navigates Butterfly’s turmoil in superb fashion. Should she have any love for the man that left her and caused her mother to completely lose it? Antonio Fuso character work is kind of wonky, but makes up for it with page layouts that are easy to follow and detailed settings that convey the established tone.
This series has a Taken meets The Bourne Identity vibe, but has its own voice that is at times verbose but constructs a deep and intense narrative that will hook you right away.
Score: 3 out of 5
