The Pull List (12-17-08): Wait, I'm getting Sentry and Supergirl now?

Man! A minute ago it was 11 a.m. and now it's more than five hours later! Damn this "getting work done" (not that I blog from work ... because that would be wrong). I don't know where the time goes, but I do know it's time for the list!

Getting ...

Age of the Sentry #4 (of 6): In spite of my hatred for this character, it only took one issue to make me fall in love with this ode to Silver Age silliness. Nifty, appropriately cartoony art and breezy writing make this one of the most fun books currently on the stands and leaves me feeling like that guy from the Hotels[dot]com commercial: Aagh, it's working! They got me!

Cthulhu Tales #9: Fun fact: If a book has "Cthulhu" in the title, there's an 86 percent chance I'm going to want to buy it. It doesn't hurt that this series is fairly well-done as far as anthologies go; some stories wind up being duds here and there, but the quality stuff is consistent enough to make it worth picking up.

Fall Of Cthulhu: Godwar #4: Along with Cthulhu Tales, this horror comic is consistently good, and writer Michael Alan Nelson is bringing together all the pieces he's put in place for a story that's become suddenly tense and menacing. It's a fine homage to Lovecraft while remaining neatly original.

Manhunter #37: A new storyline begins with this issue — too bad the series ends with the next one.

Supergirl #36: Generally speaking, I try to avoid getting sucked into all the crossover, here's-your-checklist-complete-with-index, "event" books ... but an interesting story that's establishing a new status quo for the Superman family has grabbed me. I credit the coordination between writers Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates for producing separate chapters that read as one cohesive story.


Maybe ...

DCU Holiday Special 2008

Thor God-Sized #1

Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down The Pub (one-shot)


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

Conan the Cimmerian #6

Ex Machina #40

Fables #79


Recommended ...

Vagabond Vol 2 (VIZBIG Edition)

Welcome To Dingburg: A Zippy Collection

The Pull List (11-19-08): Eisner's Spirit and Miller's Sins

It looks as if it's going to be a light week for me, but it also looks like there's going to be some solid stuff in this Wednesday's pile.

A happy surprise is The Spirit Special #1. This is supposed to be DC's way of whipping up interest in the Frank Miller-directed movie, but it seems like a dicey gamble to me. The special is a reprint of four Will Eisner stories — "Sign of the Octopus," "Black Alley," "Sand Seref" and "Bring in Sand Seref" — and from I've seen of the previews, you couldn't find anything less like the upcoming movie. This is a good thing if you're a fan of comics since Eisner's stories are acknowledged as groundbreaking classics, and the early word on Miller's film boils down to a stylish but shallow Sin City rehash. The difference is hardly a surprise to regular comic book readers, but I think if someone picks up the comic to see what the fuss is about, and then goes to see the movie in December ... well, it's going to be a lot different than what they might be expecting.

But at least they'll have picked up a good comic. I'm glad DC went with reprints of stories that made the Spirit such an iconic character rather than releasing some Millerized movie adaptation. A sample issue like The Spirit Special #1 is a good way to introduce the curious to comics, and who knows, maybe it will even spark some new interest in the old Eisner stories. You can never have too much Spirit in your collection, and this is a good way to start.


Also getting ...

Atomic Robo: Dogs of War #4

The Brave and The Bold #19

Supergirl #35 (yeeeah ... they got me with their shiny "New Krypton.")


Maybe ...

The Age of the Sentry #3: In spite of my all-consuming hatred for the Sentry, I have heard good things about this comic. A fun, Silver Age version of Marvel's Superman analogue is probably what they should have done with this character in the first place, and seriously, there's a good chance that someday I'll end up buying everything with Jeff Parker's name on it anyway. Plus, this issue features a hillbilly bad guy called Mountain Man, Manoo and Millie the Model! Sigh ... I am weak.

Crogan's Vengeance: The loose, cartoony art is strangely fitting and impressively expressive, and the promise of future chapters chronicling different branches of the Crogan family tree sounds like an interesting premise. Besides, it's hard to go wrong when you start out with pirates. Oni has a 29-page (!) preview online, so go check it out and see what you think.


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

Ambush Bug: Year None #4

Ex Machina #39

Fables Vol. 11: War and Pieces (trade paperback)

So what are you picking up this week? Let me know in the comments!