The siege of Asgard continues, Indigo becomes the new choice of color and Captain America “officially” returns in this latest edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! Due to time constraints and unforeseen delays, this week’s column is abbreviated. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Atom & Hawkman #46
DC Comics – $2.99 US
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ryan Sook
Score: 9/10

Ray Palmer, known better as the Atom, has been knocked down more than most during his career as a costumed crime-fighter, but he always manages to pick himself up. Not surprisingly, that compassion of his has earned him an Indigo ring, and with the dead seemingly winning the war, Ray has figured out a way to swing the battle to the good guys; even if the good guys aren’t all necessarily “good” to begin with.

I would never have thought that, of all the Blackest Night-themed “continuation” issues, this would be the best of the bunch (so far), but with Geoff Johns at the helm, I should have known better. Johns uses a This Is Your Life presentation of Ray Palmer’s history as a canvas to show just how much the character brings to the table, and in doing so, the writer sets the stage for what could be the turning point in war against Nekron.

Artist Ryan Sook simply crushed this issue. Everything in this issue was pitch-perfect, from Ray’s past to the horrific present – every panel led to the next without skipping a beat. Instead, the body of work in this issue touched on varying types of visual storytelling that not only worked incredibly well, but also showed the artist’s vast range of skills.

Wrap all this up and throw in the aforementioned revelation of the Indigo rings, and you’re left with a can’t-miss issue that’s also the Pull of the Week.

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With 2009 coming to a close, the challenge was to pick and rank the 10 best comics from the entire year. I’ve estimated reading approximately 1,500+ issues over that time frame, so obviously it wasn’t the easiest task to complete. Still, after much deliberation, these are my picks for the 10 best comics of 2009.

1. Jonah Hex #50
DC Comics
Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Originally reviewed on December 3, 2009

Perfection. Defined as the highest degree of proficiency, skill or excellence, perfection is near impossible to achieve, especially when every comic ever printed is subjective in nature. You know, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and all that jazz. Still, when I thought about all the comics I’ve read this past year, this issue of Jonah Hex kept coming back to me. While not perfect (frankly, what is?), it’s pretty close.

A wonderful done-in-one tale following our “hero” as he diligently goes about his day job, in this specific case while hunting down 50 various bad guys who had it coming to them. A fine story on it’s own. Now add a dash of romance – or the bounty hunter’s version of it – to the mix, sprinkle in a little personal vengeance, and top it off with a jolting reminder of how cruel life can be, and you’re left with a portrait of a man who makes no excuses for who he is or what he does, life expectations be damned.

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International Creative Management (ICM) has started zeroing in on the comic industry’s more notable assets, with the announcement of signing writer Grant Morrison. Being one of the world’s largest talent and literary agencies, ICM already boasts an impressive list of clients such as actors Jodie Foster and Al Pacino, director Woody Allen, television personality Ellen DeGeneres, author Patricia Cornwell and musician Beyoncé, to name a few.

As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, Morrison has 20 years under his belt, penning fan-favorite works like JLA, X-Men, Doom Patrol and the current Batman and Robin. The spotlight has shined on him even more lately thanks to his ‘Batman: R.I.P.’ and Final Crisis projects, and the gaming world got a dose of Morrison thanks to his classic Arkham Asylum: A Serious Place On Serious Earth graphic novel that became the inspiration for the hit video game Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The newly formed DC Entertainment also counts on Morrison’s contributions and consulting as their goal of emulating Marvel Studios’ approach to comic movies intensifies. Other notable comic creators under ICM’s management are Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and legendary artist Neal Adams, who signed with them in August.

Welcome to the new The Pull List Comic Reviews! We’ve expanded our weekly offering of comic reviews to a whopping 10 issues each week, so kick back, enjoy and let us know what caught your eye this week! Also, the prerequisite WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Daredevil #501 – Marvel Comics – $2.99 US
Writer: Andy Diggle Artist: Roberto De La Torre
Score: 9.5

Following the events of Daredevil #500 and the Dark Reign – The List: Daredevil one-shot, Matt Murdock is now in control of The Hand. But what he doesn’t know is that other players are moving their chess pieces into position, and Matt doesn’t like surprises. Meanwhile, Foggy and Dakota try to figure out what Matt’s up to over a box of doughnuts.

Writer Andy Diggle has really amped up the playing field for Daredevil and his little corner of the Marvel Universe, so much so that you might not recognize your favorite horned-hero once you get to the end of this issue. Diggle has managed to dramatically shift the title character into new, uncharted territory, and admittedly it’s a great ride. Sacrifices aside, this is definitely not your daddy’s Daredevil…

I think one of the keys to making a Daredevil story great is the choice of artist. Many artists have come and gone with a few making significant contributions to the character – Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz, David Mack and Alex Maleev come to mind – so it’s no wonder that artist Roberto De La Torre fits right in with some really beautiful work. This could be the run that puts him firmly in the public’s eye.

Overall, a near-perfect issue that’s also suited for newcomers to jump on board. Even if you missed the aforementioned issues leading into this new arc, do yourself a favor and enjoy what most people will be talking about this week.

OTHER PULLS:

Astonishing X-Men #31 – Marvel Comics – $2.99 US
Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Phil Jimenez
Score: 9.0

When S.W.O.R.D. Agent Abigail Brand has a run-in with The Brood, narrowly escapes and is on a collision course for San Francisco, who’re you going to call? That’s right, the Astonishing X-Men! Naturally, Abby’s boyfriend Beast jumps at the rescue mission to save his sweety, but what really raises eyebrows here is the return of Laurie Collins, also known as Wallflower. Not all is how it seems, however…

Superstar writer Warren Ellis has proven that he’s not perfect, if the last arc is any indication. He’s not a superstar for the hell of it, though, as he bounces back in a big way with this first installment. Full of action and those X-Men moments we know and love, this issue’s got everything we could possibly want. But how does new-to-the-title artist Phil Jimenez compare to the previous arc’s Simone Bianchi? It’s a step up, no question about that. Jimenez’ art is dynamic in every sense of the word, which makes it a no-brainer for this title, especially if Ellis continues to make this story as fun as the first chapter was.

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Happy Wednesday! This week there is a great mix and mash of comics, and we hope you’ll at least give a look at a few of these. First off: ever wonder what it would be like if the writer/artist of The Dark Knight Returns teams with the artist of Watchmen? Now you’ll know this week as Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons team up for The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the 21st century. The thing is PRICEY though, so at keep an eye out for a cheaper version when it hits stands.

From DC Comics this week, we have Philip Tan replacing Frank Quitely on Batman and Robin. Its worth getting to see the difference. There’s a Quitely cover at least. The good news is that Grant Morrison’s collaborator on Seaguy Cameron Stewart will be joining the team following Tan. Fortunately, Quitely is staying on as the cover artist, and every week he turns in a new cover I can’t help but make that my computer background. Just look at that sucker.

Also, from DC is Blackest Night #3, this juicy and horrific tale is crazy weird.  Almost Howling or Piranha-like but in comics. Not cheesy horror, but outlandish horror.

The final five issues of Brian K. Vaughan’s brilliant Ex Machina series starts this week and I kinda feel like I did when Y: The Last Man was ending. Something really special is ending and we’re never going to see it again.  Well, that’s a mixed bag. Though we’re going to have movie versions of these comics I just mentioned, Vaughan is slipping away from comics. With his Roundtable script being on this year’s Black List and selling that script for six figures, plus leaving the Lost writer’s room, I can only imagine that hopefully this means more comics for Vaughan but I fear that’s probably not the case.

From Marvel, the only thing really worth it is Ed Brubaker’s Captain America Reborn. What I like about Ed Brubaker is that while he’s a slow burn and you have to be ultra committed to sticking with him, and this book’s case it is painfully so, its always worth it in the end.  Its time to move the story forward, we get Captain America is Quantum Leaping through his life, now lets move forward from that.

As always, we here at The Flickcast care about what you read, so leave us a comment and let us know what you liked/didn’t like from this week’s comics. For a more complete list of what comes out this week, Midtown Comics has a great listing of everything.

Pull of the Week:

Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #3 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 8.0

I want more Beta Ray Bill. There, I said it. As long as Kieron Gillen writes it, I will be picking up anything that has the horse-headed version of Thor in it. Either that or more stories of Galactus and his heralds written by Kieron works too. This issue concludes the miniseries in fantastic style as the much made fun of hero Beta Ray Bill nears completion of his quest to eliminate Galactus. The issue opens with a scene the likes of which had only been witnessed with Galactus’s imprisonment to Annihillus during the Annihilation Wave (which is also shown during the issue) as the fading World Eater discusses the current state of affairs with his two heralds, Stardust and the Silver Surfer.

The opposing forces of the Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill play greatly in this issue as both are the sole survivors of their respective races at Galactus’s hands and seeing how they respond to that in different ways leads to some great moments between the two in this issue. Now, in addition to being hunted by Beta Ray Bill, Galactus must deal with the survivors of the I’Than race who now seek vengeance upon Galactus and Stardust. Beta Ray Bill finds the Surfer on a desolate, unpopulated planet where he looks to battle his old friend.

Silver Surfer halts Beta Ray Bill’s attack, now without the power of his Stormbringer hammer after the heinous actions Bill did in the previous issue to get them to leave their planet. Instead of fighting, Surfer explains to Bill the consequences of what could happen if Galactus were to be killed, knowing full well that in the god’s weakened state, Bill could have the power to finish Galactus off. They also know that the I’Than are on their way as well.

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John Carle was right, this week will likely break my wallet. Its an Arvid Nelson fest with the end of Rex Mundi this week and the post-apocalyptic Zero Killer. It may, however, not be the end for Nelson’s Holy Grail epic as Johnny Depp has long been developing the movie.

From DC we have Batman and Robin #3, The Flash: Rebirth #4, Detective Comics #854,  Green Lantern # 45 and Kevin Smith’s new Batman The Widening Gyre. From Marvel, we have part 5 of the very good Utopia arc, with Dark Avengers # 8 that shows Matt Fraction is capable of writing an event in fewer than nine parts.  Also we have Secret Warriors #7.

As always, we here at The Flickcast care about what you read, so leave us a comment and let us know what you liked/didn’t like from this week’s comics. For a more complete list of what comes out this week, Midtown Comics has a great listing of everything.

Happy reading!

Captain America Reborn #1 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 6.5

This review doesn’t have to do with the fact that Marvel is bringing back Steve Rogers, something many people are opposed to. Instead, it is based on the merits of the issue itself and how well the story inside is told, even if the central idea isn’t a popular one. The issue starts off with Steve Rogers giving a quick speech as he and the other soldiers get ready to storm Normandy on June 6th, 1944. D-Day. It flashes back to the present where Bucky-Cap and the Black Widow storm one of the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarriers.

At the same time as Bucky and the Black Widow make their way through hordes of H.A.M.M.E.R. agents, the Vision, the Falcon and Sharon Carter, the woman who shot the fatal point blank bullets in to Steve Rogers, go talk to Henry Pym where Sharon admits her involvement in Steve’s death while under the control of the Red Skull and Armin Zola. She then begins to tell the details of that day that make her believe that Steve Rogers still might be able to be brought back. Back on the helicarrier, Bucky and the Black Widow search for an item that played a part in that fateful day one year ago when Steve was killed, only to be intercepted by Ares and Venom of Norman Osborn’s Avengers team.

And, as expected, an explanation of what just happened to Steve Rogers on that very day is explained in full, playing off the events of Captain America #600 and filling in the details that were left unspoken until now after Sharon began to remember all of the events of that day. Unfortunately, unlike Captain America #600, there were no creepily sexual cameos from the disturbed Crossbone and Sinn couple.

The issue itself feels very lean. Like even though there are supposed to be some big reveal moments, the idea that Steve is coming back isn’t a brand new idea in the minds of the reader and the events of Captain America #600 have shown the seeds of how it could happen. The pages with Sharon, Falcon, Vision and Hank Pym talking are pretty boring because of this as it is almost entirely old information and the new information doesn’t prove to be impactful enough to back it up. Norman Osborn, along with a “secret guest”, have a quick appearance that has much of the same lackluster effect.

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I can safely say that this week, I am looking forward to ONE really big release. And because I care about what comics you read, and so does everyone else here, you simply must buy this book:

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Batman and Robin #1. The team that brought you the stellar and perfect All-Star Superman is now ushering in the new age of Batman and Robin.  With Bruce Wayne now “dead,” Dick Grayson has taken over as the Caped Crusader with Bruce’s murderous son Damian as Robin.

In a recent interview with IGN, Morrison described the book this way:

It was taking that aspect of the Batman TV show and then trying it in with David Lynch and Twin Peaks. [laughs] And creepy European cartoons and marionettes and stuff like that. That bad dreamlike feeling of a Marilyn Manson video in the ’90s, or like Chris Cunningham’s video for ‘Windowlicker’. [laughs] Again, it was about trying to fuse those two things together into a bad trip, Lewis Carroll kind of world. I realize I give a massive, long answer every time we speak, Dan. But that was kind of what obsessed me about Batman and Robin going into it – to take these weird elements and marry them together to see what we could get.

I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds like the sh*t. Morrison is a very good salesman but, to say the least, when he is teamed with Quitely, they pretty much always deliver great stuff.

My second recommendation is something quite different than superhero, its Jason Aaron’s  Scalped #29.  Drawn by R.M. Guera, this Vertigo title is near perfect. It follows an undercover FBI agent on an Indian Reservation. Part Sopranos and the natural successor to 100 Bullets, Scalped, like a firmly executed noir, tickles a bone that is really only rivaled by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips’ Criminal series for Marvel/Icon.

Other than that, there isn’t much else going on this week. As always. feel free to head over to Midtown Comics to check out what else is coming out this week. And be sure to leave us a comment telling us what you liked, and didn’t like,  from this week’s comics.