The Pull List (9-4-08): Aiiee! El Diablo!!

Aaaaaaaaand ... to the list!

El Diablo #1: This is probably a ridiculous, fanciful dream, but I'd like to see a return of DC heroes to that mythical place called "The West." Not necessarily the Old West (that Bat Lash mini? Blech.), but just the West as a concept, as the idea of a place of wild lawlessness but with an urban update. We've already got Blue Beetle patrolling the El Paso/Juarez borderland, and it would be nice to see other characters keeping an eye on something other than the Eastern Seaboard.

I don't know exactly where El Diablo #1 is set, but it sure doesn't look like Metropolis. I'm looking forward to this new version of the Haunted Horseman, particularly since the new Diablo is Hispanic; is joined by the original character acting as a mentor (I'm a sucker for the ol' Ancient Advisor bit); and it's written by Jai Nitz, who wrote that all-Spanish issue of Blue Beetle (I smell team-up!), with art by Phil Hester and Ande Parks.

I wouldn't mind if DC came up with some new characters instead of just new versions of old characters once in a while, but if they're going to do it they might as well make it fun — and this looks as if it has what it takes to hit the mark like a gunslinger at High Noon.


The rest ...

Army @ Love: The Art of War #2

Manhunter #34


Maybe ...

Fringe #1 (of 6): Investigators of the paranormal is usually the sort of thing that's right up my alley, but I just can't shake the feeling that this tie-in to an upcoming TV show of the same name isn't going to be much more than six issues of paper-thin advertising. And even though one of the writers is Dr. Horrible co-creator Zack Whedon (and seriously, this title takes three writers?), I don't think there's enough here to tempt me into buying it. Huh, what do you know — I just talked myself out of it.

Mixed Vegetables Vol. 1: I have a confession to make — I have a soft spot for silly manga about star-crossed lovers, and this one about a wannabe sushi chef and a wannabe pastry chef looks like fun. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.

Spooks Omega Team #1: I was about to disregard this as just another "elite, special-ops task force kicking ass" sorta thing until I realized it was an elite, special-ops task force kicking ass sorta thing written by Larry Hama. The guy who wrote all that G.I. Joe. I even like the art work. Well played, Devil's Due.

Sub-Mariner: Depths #1: The art looks OK, but I'm probably going to wait and see if the story goes beyond Namor shouting "Imperious Rex" and acting like a douchebag. Don't get me wrong, I love that, but I don't know if it can carry an entire mini-series. I'm assuming it's a mini — the solicitation doesn't say. If it's a regular series, consider me even more doubtful. (Also, a helpful hint to the guys and gals at Marvel online: If you're going to post a preview, make sure the first three pages are actually legible. Thanks!)


Recommended ...

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven: As close to a perfect kung-fu comic mixing modern sensibilities with 70s-style wah-taaah! as you can get.

Krazy & Ignatz 1925-1926: A Happy Lend Fur Away (trade paperback; new printing): George Herriman's Krazy Kat is considered one of the most important, groundbreaking comic strips in the history of the medium, and rightly so. Beautiful in its starkness, surreal in story and heartbreaking in its ever-present undercurrent of unrequited — and unconditional — love, the strip is also consistently funny and strangely real. Like a brick to the head, Krazy Kat hits you hard and leaves a lasting impression: Get it.

The Pull List (6-25-08): I really should be working right now

So real life — or more specifically, the Real Job — has been keeping me busy lately, so this pull list is going to have be even more basic than usual. I mean, ba-sic. But if you think I'm missing something I should absolutely be picking up (or you can't believe I'm getting that comic, because, seriously, what?), let me know in the comments.

But for now — to the list!


Getting ...

Captain America #39

Conan the Cimmerian #0

Daredevil #108

Final Crisis #2

Immortal Iron Fist #16

The Nearly Infamous Zango #3




Maybe ...

Gantz Vol. 1

Madame Xanadu #1


Trading up ...
(Titles I either am, or will be, picking up in trade)

Green Lantern #32

Jack of Fables #23

Jack of Fables Vol. 3: The Bad Prince

Wasteland #18


Recommended ...

Demo (trade paperback)

Umbrella Academy Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite

The Pull List (5-29-08): That's a whole lotta Morrison

Holy crap! Three different books by Grant Morrison coming out in the same week, along with some of my favorite ongoing titles?! Let's just say that if my weekly comic budget was a diet, I'd be stuffing my face with cupcakes and spare ribs ... delicious, delicious spare ribs.

Who else is hungry? To the list!

It's no secret Grant Morrison is one of my favorite writers, so when he's the source of three fairly significant titles coming out at the same time, it's kind of a big deal. Big enough that the only way I can wrap my mind around it is to squeeze All Star Superman #11, Batman #677 and Final Crisis #1 into one big lump of weirdo goodness.

All Star Superman has been a consistently strong title, re-energizing Superman with plenty of Morrison's hyper-modern, out-there concepts while fondly touching on iconic characters, locations and scenarios. There is nothing about AS Superman that doesn't feel as if it's solidly two minutes in the future, but at the same time it is nicely familiar and exceptionally inviting. A lot of the credit for that goes to the characterization of Superman himself, who is portrayed as the ideal hero who, essentially, is just trying to be the best person he can be. I have no idea if Morrison will revisit his version of Superman once this storyline ends with the next issue, but if not, at least I'll be able to reread and enjoy what will be considered a landmark Superman story.

As if that weren't enough, Morrison is also the writer for Batman #677 (part of the Batman R.I.P. story) and Final Crisis #1. Morrison writes an interesting Batman, and more importantly an interesting Bruce Wayne, so I'm curious to see where he takes things. Final Crisis is supposed to be the definitive wrap-up to the whole Infinite Crisis-52-Countdown thing, but really sounds more like it ties into his excellent (and mind-bending) Seven Soldiers "mega-series." Personally, that sounds A-OK to me and makes me care more about a story I might have chosen to ignore instead.


The rest ...

Giant-size Astonishing X-Men #1: The finale to Joss Whedon's big ol' X-Men in Space story.

Blue Beetle #27: Another issue written by pinch-hitters while the title transitions to a new, permanent creative team in July. Also — more Traci Thirteen.

Daredevil #107: Great crime-noir driven stuff every month about Marvel's mopiest superhero. It's the start of a new storyline, so try jumping on if you haven't already.

Immortal Iron Fist #15: Not only has the regular storyline been a fantastic blend of mystic kung-fu, superhero scenery chewing and sinister political machinations (not to mention a super-sumo named Fat Cobra), but the occasional looks at the Iron Fists of the past have been a highlight of this series. It's a clever way at deepening the legend of the Iron Fist and helps give Danny Rand an honest-to-God legacy; it also gives us titles like, "The Story of the Iron Fist Bei Bang-Wen — The Perfect Strategy Mind and his Miraculous Travels to the Dark Continent, and What Mysteries of the World and of the Self that He Learned There (1827-1860)."


Trading up ...
(Titles I either am, or will be, picking up in trade)

Fables #73

Green Lantern #31

Thor #9


Maybe ...

Firebreather #1

Zombie Tales #1

Beyond #1


Recommended ...

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven (hardcover)

Jack Kirby's OMAC: One Man Army Corps (hardcover)

The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus (trade paperback)

The Pull List (4-30-08): Wait, what do you mean Blue Beetle speaks Spanish?

The return of old favorites, unexpected shake-ups and at least one shocking resurrection — it's like a Mexican novela around here! Speaking of fun things with an accent y con sabor muy Latino — vamos a la lista!

Blue Beetle #26: You might have guessed from the espanich, but I'm pretty excited about this month's issue of Blue Beetle. I'm sure some people are grousing about it, but DC deserves some credit for publishing a comic in a language that's now spoken by a fairly large amount of people in this country (not to mention others). And it's pretty canny — Latinos make up the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, and it makes sense to start feeling them out as a potential market.

But really I'm mostly stoked that someone at DC realized that for a lot of people, particularly those living in border towns like El Paso, English is not necessarily the default language. The social situation that Jaime and his non-Spanish speaking girlfriend (the awesome Traci Thirteen) find themselves in when they go to a family gathering where no one is speaking English isn't far-fetched at all (even if most people along the border tend to be bilingual). This is particularly true when the border cities are so deeply integrated that having business, friends and family on both sides of the border is so common it's taken for granted.

This story is a great way to touch on aspects of Jaime's character, as well as the cultural background that is an integral part of him and the city he calls home. As I've mentioned before, I grew up and lived most of my life in El Paso myself, so it's nice to see some attention paid, not necessarily to the spot of geography itself, but to what that geography means in terms of culture, history and the people who are a part of both.

Of course, Marvel already did a Spanish-language issue with Fantastic Four: Isla de la Muerte, but I'd argue that Blue Beetle has a chance to resonate more because while Isla translated characters that normally speak English into Spanish, speaking Spanish would be a natural part of who Jaime Reyes is — it would be more remarkable if Jaime didn't speak Spanish once in a while. And in a smart move, DC is including the script in English for those who don't know Spanish (or those who are, er, not as fluent as they should be ... ahem ...), which is something Isla could have benefited from. Especially since Puerto Rican Spanish is a little different from Mexican Spanish ... which is a little different from Cuban Spanish ... which is ...

Is it a gimmick? Sure. But it's a gimmick that will help add another layer to the character of the Blue Beetle, who also happens to be a young Latino named Jaime Reyes. In that case, I'm all for it. Check out the preview and see what you think.

(By the way, I still see it debated here and there, but Jaime's name really is pronounced that way.)


The rest ...

DC Universe Zero (one-shot): You know you want to see what Grant Morrison is coming up with, too. Stop looking at me like that.

Immortal Iron Fist #14: The conclusion to the best mystic kung-fu/super-science/crazy-ass espionage movie that happens to be a comic book.

Local #11 (of 12): Finally! Did you know this series was supposed to wrap up in January? 2007? According to writer Brian Wood, in spite of the sketchy schedule "it's undoubtedly a better book for all the delays." And y'know, I can't argue with him — Local is a wonderful bit of superior storytelling with beautiful artwork by Ryan Kelly. I'll be sorry to see it go when it concludes with #12 in May. Supposedly.


Trading up ...
(Titles I either am, or will be, picking up in trade)

Abyss #4

Green Lantern #30 (a six-issue retelling of the GL origin? Seriously?)

Jack of Fables #22

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #8 (of 8)


Maybe ...

Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula #1

Thor: Ages of Thunder #1


Recommended ...

Amor Y Cohetes: A Love and Rockets Book: I tend to evangelize for Love and Rockets and almost anything Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez produce, but I'll also be the first to admit that they can be tough to just jump into. If you ever really wanted to start from the beginning — and I mean before Maggie or Palomar were more than nebulous ideas just taking shape — you'll want to get Amor Y Cohetes, which collects the first 50 issues of Love and Rockets ever. It should be considered essential, and at $16.99 there's no reason this shouldn't be added to your library.

The Pull List (12-19-07): Don't forget your Umbrella

This Wednesday's list looks as if it will start out small but could end up growing like Santa's bowl-full-of-jelly once I'm actually at the shop. It may not be as flashy as the Perfect Storm of November '07, but it's a solid week for comics. Satire, action and philosophy are all out for the picking, so if there's someone you know who's been wondering why you're still into this "kids' stuff," this would be a good time to take something from the rack, roll it up real tight and smack 'em in the melon with it. Then when you're done, let them read some of the smarter and more imaginative titles on the market right now.

Got your thinking caps on? Then on to the list!

Umbrella Academy #4: A lot has been made about Umbrella writer Gerard Way being the lead singer for My Chemical Romance, a band I've got to admit I'd heard of but didn't know much about. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Whether Way's band is your cup of tea or not, he's a hell of a comic book writer and Umbrella Academy is easily one of my favorite current titles. A rich, dark history of the dysfunctional "family" gathered together for study is caught in glimpses, while those same characters slug it out in action-packed battles with homicidal magicians and Zombie-Robot Gustav Eiffel. As if that wasn't enough, it's all illustrated by Gabriel Ba, one of the best comic book artists working today and who brings a genuine sense of moody tension and heartbreak to the book. Pick up Umbrella Academy — it's easily one of the best superhero team books out there, if not one of the best comic books, period. There's a preview of the first issue available, as well as previews for #2 and #3, so give it a look.


The rest...

Army @ Love #10

Immortal Iron Fist #11

Special Forces #2


Maybe ...

Conan #47: OK, so is this coming out or what? Dark Horse says it is, but every shipping list has a Frost Giant's Daughter one-shot scheduled for release. If it's the one-shot, consider it a good way to sample the series without having to commit to a whole story arc; if it's the regular title, I'll probably be picking it up (though this title has been edging toward the "wait-for-trade" list).

Incredible Hulk #112: Marvel's lunkheaded version of Hercules taking over for the Hulk? Pretty tempting, especially after reading the preview.

Long Count #1: An interesting mash-up of the cyberpunk and Latino magical-realism genres, with what looks like a strong female protagonist and art that blends gritty, photo-realistic backgrounds with character designs that make me think of Heavy Metal — yeah, I think I've pretty much talked myself into this one. Read the preview and see what you think.


Recommended ...

Action Philosopher's Giant-Size Thing Vol. 3: True story — I once started dozing in a philosophy class and did that falling-asleep-sudden-jerk thing and shot all my books right down the aisle; I have the exact opposite reaction when I read Action Philosophers, so give this smart and funny comic a try.

WTF Wednesday: Be wary, friends!

When the rebooted Immortal Iron Fist recently began a storyline that combined my favorite kung-fu hero with a celestial martial arts tournament, I thought things had gotten as good as it could get. Then Iron Fist's first opponent was introduced, and it was a sumo-like fighter going by the name Fat Cobra.

Fat Cobra! Obviously writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction — along with David Aja and his moody, fluid artwork — were determined to bring the title to levels of awesome I wouldn't have thought possible.

And then it got even better.

"Bullshit!" you cry. "Surely you exaggerate!" To which I say, "Nuh-uh!" and maybe poke you in the eye for good measure. How can I be so sure?

Because the recent Immortal Iron First Annual included a story with art by personal favorite Dan Brereton to bring us THIS:


If that doesn't make you want to shout, "Oh, YES!" then you should just lie down now, because you're obviously dead inside and I feel sorry for you.

Barko agrees!

Cheaper than a doctor bill!

Wow, no Pull List this week, and then no WTF Wednesday? What's going on here at the Post, anyway?!?

Eh, slackin', mostly.

But to make up for it, I give you this pair of ads from 1983 promoting Power Man and Iron Fist, which are obviously awesome! Both ads manage to be funny and sum up the characters really well, not to mention they're rockin' classic Bill Sienkiewicz art. You have to give credit to whatever unnamed shlub in the Marvel marketing department came up with the idea of running the ads in separate, consecutive issues — it was a cute and clever way to reward regular readers with an old-fashioned "a-ha!" moment.


Continuity in house-ads — exactly the crazy-great kind of thing that made me love comics in the first place.

The Pull List: 9-26-07

I'm schizophrenic when it comes to Wednesdays. On one hand, it's the day of my weekly department meeting at work. On the other, it's also the day new comics come out. I'm no math guy, but I'm pretty sure it works out like this:

meeting = no fun

comics = big fun

Therefore, comics are mathematically superior to meetings. Hmm. I'm not sure we needed science to figure that one out, actually. Still, this week looks like it's packed with especially fun titles, so - to the list!

Uncle Sam and The Freedom Fighters #1 (of 8): This is the second mini-series starring the revamped Freedom Fighters, and I think it's the perfect way to keep this current version going. Tight, self-contained story-arcs which, hopefully, aren't too reliant on new readers having deep knowledge of what's gone before will help maintain interest better than an ongoing series featuring what many consider fringe characters. And believe me, it kills me to say that, but I actually had someone outright mock my love of the original Freedom Fighters (I never forget, Lisa - never). Maybe someone in the DC offices had the same problem, because these Fighters - with the exception of grandfatherly ass-kicker Uncle Sam - are definitely more grim-and-gritty than the originals. Returning writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti do a good job of giving the angst well-weighted context, though, as well as infusing each character with a distinct personality and motivation. The work of new artist Renato Arlem looks as if it will be a good fit, and look at that cover by Dave Johnson! The first mini-series certainly had some clunky spots, but all in all I'm looking forward to this.


The rest ...

Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord #3

Blue Beetle #19

Crossing Midnight #11

Immortal Iron Fist #9

Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1

The Spirit #10


Maybe ...

I Killed Adolf Hitler (trade paperback): Contract killers, time-travel and waiting decades to catch up with a wiley Adolf Hitler puts this slim trade (48 pages) on the short-list. Also, it's supposed to be funny, so I'll be giving it a close look.

Justice League of America #13: The recent Wedding Special was OK, and I hear there are high-hopes that the JLA will be worth reading about again - we'll see. Can anyone give me a solid recommendation for this? Speaking of which ...


Recommended ...

Daredevil: Hell to Pay Vol. 1: It's Ed Brubaker, it's some of the best Daredevil writing in a long time, and if you haven't been reading it monthly you really should be getting this trade.

Madman Vol. 1 (Image edition): A caveat! If you've been reading the latest Madman series, or have read it in the past, and been amused, interested or intrigued - pick this up. If it only frustrated you with what can honestly be described as superhero navel-gazing and sometimes meandering plotting, then take a pass.

Showcase Presents: Metal Men Vol. 1: With another caveat that you must have a high-tolerance for comics that are so packed with awesome that there's no room left for logic. Bob Kanigher, who brought us The War That Time Forgot, was on a roll when he came up with these stories.

The Pull List: 7-25-07

That thing called "work" keeps conspiring to keep me from posting as regularly as I plan, so this time around the pull list is what I actually picked up and is now sitting next to me, as expectant and goofily sweet as a puppy. Stop making those eyes at me, comics!

Awwww ... you know I can't say no to you!

Now, I've been following the main Annihilation: Conquest title, but not the various tie-ins (it's an experiment, I'll let you know how it goes). There is an exception though, and that exception is called Annihilation: Conquest: Star-Lord #1. Apparently I'm a whore for even half-way decent marketing, because I was hooked when the cover art was released months ago. I mean, look at it - that's bad-ass!

But then I realized Keith Giffen was writing it, and the hooks dug a little deeper. And then I saw the art from Timothy Green II and thought, "Well, that's perfect."

But it got better. It got this:


Here's what else I picked up:

Blue Beetle #17

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5

Crossing Midnight #9

Grendel: Behold the Devil #0

Immortal Iron Fist #7

Elephantmen #10