The Pull List (2-10-10): What I'm not getting this week

Suddenly, it's late in the day and I've got to assume most people have either picked up their comics or have already decided what titles they'll be getting this week. So instead of telling you what I'm planning to get once I make it to my LCS, here's a few comics I WON'T be getting:

Green Arrow/Black Canary #29: I actually really want to get this, as much as I want to really enjoy a Green Arrow comic again. But I'm afraid neither one will be happening today, as tempted as I am by art that's been finished by Bill Sienkiewicz. The recent storyline — something about an obsessed Arrow fan who suddenly can hold her own in a superhero fight or something? — has left me cold, and a constantly brooding Ollie gets old really fast. And while this is the last issue in the current storyline, the promos for the upcoming one trumpeting "spinning out of Justice League: Cry for Justice" don't exactly fill me with hope.


Human Target #1: Look, I love the Human Target, both it's Silver Age version and the excellent reimagining by Peter Milligan. And I was initially excited to see one of Christopher Chance's creators, Len Wein, would be writing a six-issue mini-series starring the master-of-disguise, deep-undercover bodyguard. Except, that's not what Wein will be doing. Instead, the series will more closely follow the recently kicked-off TV series, which has done away completely with everything that made Human Target interesting — namely the disguise angle, and all the questions about identity and Chance's eroding sense of self that went with it. Why is this called Human Target, again?


Hit-Monkey #1: No. No, no, no, no, no. I refuse to slip into Marvel's latest meme-trap. I gave up on the zombies, and I managed to completely ignore the monkeys the first time, so I will not fall for an obviously silly story about an ape with a gun and ... and ...

... monnnkeeeeys ...



(Oh, OK — and here's what I will be getting this week:)

Anchor #5

Batman and Robin #8

Booster Gold #29

Daytripper #3

Muppet King Arthur #1

Muppet Show #2


Preview: Green Arrow/Black Canary #29
Preview: Human Target #1
Preview: Hit-Monkey #1

Blue Romance, part 3: Under the covers!

Before we get back to the inexplicable tale of romance that is Beauty and the Beast, let's take a look at one of the best things about this four-part mini-series — the covers.

I've mentioned it before, but Bill Sienkiewicz is one of my favorite artists. His artsy sensibility and ever-evolving — yet still signature — technique has a tendency to elevate whatever particular comic book he's working on. That's certainly the case with his Beauty and the Beast covers.

Each of these has that Sienkiewicz look, and while I think issues #3 and #4 are pretty standard in terms of setting and design, they've all got a certain visual energy. That said, what's up with issue #4? That one is particularly weak and looking at it is the optical equivalent of a sour note — I want to ignore it, but it's tinny and flat in a way that just bugs me. I always get the feeling Sienkiewicz phoned that last one in.


My favorite, though, is probably the cover to issue #2, just because it's such a great callback to the classic romance comic. I especially dig the way Sienkiewicz renders Dazzler's light powers; it's subtle but touches on an important characteristic while also drawing in the viewers' focus without hitting them over the head with it.

Take a look, and see what you think:


Even more than the covers themselves, my absolute favorite design element is the itty-bitty Beast and Dazzler that Sienkiewicz drew for the cornerbox. In just one little mini-scene, the artist has summed up the attempted tone of the story and all the bittersweet, clutching emotion that goes with it. It's really freakin' impressive, actually:


Awww — aren't they adorable?


Beauty and the Beast: Blue Romance week continues tomorrow! Catch up with parts 1 and 2 here!

Cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz

Go, Team Sienkiewicz!

I was rummaging throughout the house last night, trying to find a box of greeting cards my wife was looking for, when I came across this:

Nice, huh? A good pal was nice enough to bring back a bagful of free swag from Comic-Con for me one year (2006? '07?), including a booklet of Adult Swim postcards. It's no surprise that my favorite of the bunch is this detail taken from a larger image done by legendary comics artist Bill Sienkiewicz for the Venture Brothers Season 1 DVD.

Sienkiewicz is one of my favorite artists, and the art is a big part of the reason I still hold on to comics like The Shadow and that Sabretooth mini drawn by Mark Texeira from — holy geez — 1993 (ooooh, die-cut!).

I should probably do some more digging when I get a chance — I'm pretty sure there's a Dark Horse cookie in there somewhere.

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.