Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! This week Jonah Hex takes top billing, a couple more Blackest Night mini-series debuts and a slew of over-sized annuals and one-shots invade your pull list. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Jonah Hex #50
DC Comics – $3.99 US
Writers: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Score: 9.5

The landmark 50th issue of Jonah Hex hits the stands, featuring a done-in-one tale of the scarred bounty hunter’s latest task: to locate and dispose of 50 various bad guys. The cost of victory, however, may prove to be too much to bear…

Jonah Hex is no stranger to violence. We’ve been exposed to his brand of “justice” for decades now, so it’s very easy to forget that, under all of that hatred, this killing machine does have a heart. Thankfully, writing team Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti weave a story that is sure to please the loyal Hex fans with plenty of merciless vengeance, while injecting a tragedy that goes to great lengths to humanize the central character.

Darwyn Cooke handles the art chores on this commemorative issue, further cementing how incredible a read this was. Gorgeous pencils accompany the artist’s usual cinematic flair, with numerous examples of how to kill a man mixed in with a few touching moments, and a final page that speaks volumes without the aid of dialogue. With the holidays around the corner, I’d gladly accept this final page in all of its original glory as a nifty Christmas gift.

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This week is a lighter week than last week, so I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about some of the books that came out last week that I didn’t get a chance to check out because of Thanksgiving. Which reminds me: comics do not come out today (Wednesday, Dec. 2) they come out tomorrow because of the holiday.

Last week the trade came out for one of the best miniseries that not a lot of people may know about. This book is Wildstorm’s The Winter Men by Brett Lewis and John Paul Leon. Lewis is responsible for the creation of Bulletproof Monk and this new book is incomparable. It involves the  development of a super soldier program in Cold War Russia to serve as a deterrent to America’s Superman. The trade came out last week, and if you can find it, you really cannot go wrong with this incredible book. It’s my pick of last week.

As for this week, we have Blackest Night Flash by Geoff Johns. I don’t know exactly why this book exists since the Flash is in the main Blackest Night book more than even Hal Jordan or other Green Lanterns, but I’m intrigued to see if this is different somehow. Other than that, I’m really only getting a couple more books.

Yesterday (December 1st) was Eisner award winning writer Matt Fraction’s birthday, and you can celebrate by buying the recent issue of Uncanny X-Men #518.  My second book of the week is the start of Marvel’s Siege with “The Cabal” by Brian Michael Bendis and art by the awesome Michael Lark. I think this event is going to be genuinely dynamite, and I can’t wait to get every damn issue of the book.

The other book is Hulk Winter Guard by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis, the brains behind the brilliant Zuda webcomic, High Moon. High Moon is a western supernatural story where a gun for hire hunts down supernaturals in the Wild West. There is just one hitch: this gun for hire, cut from a similar cloth to Clint Eastwood’s character in Unforgiven, is also a werewolf. It’s awesome, trust me, go read.

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Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! This week, the Blackest Night event takes center stage, Bendis and Oeming make a triumphant comeback and Archie gets married (again). As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Blackest Night #5 [of 8]
DC Comics – $3.99 US
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
Score: 9.0

The mastermind behind the dead rising stands revealed as the Blackest Night prophecy inches towards becoming true, but will the unified heroes of the world have enough to stop it? Not if a late dinner guest bearing gifts has anything to say about it.

Geoff Johns welcomes you all to hell. How could he not? In the thirty plus years that I’ve been reading comics, I can’t remember a time when things looked so grim in a story thanks to this issue. The big guns of the Justice League arrive in time to assist the Flashes – Barry Allen and Wally West – in confronting Nekron as the Black Lanterns’ power battery reaches full charge. Fast forward to the end of the issue and only two heroes remain standing while the rest are chomping at the bit, dying to feast on some good, old fashioned heart muscle. And this is only the fifth issue in an eight-issue series?!? Wow.

Johns, along with artist Ivan Reis, are obviously toying with us and giggling madly along the way. The re-emergence of “Bruce Wayne” – his name was in quotations in the issue as well – signaled that the next phase was about to begin, but what he did to heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, etc I don’t think anyone saw coming, characters and readers alike. The sixth issue cannot get here fast enough, if you ask me.

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Welcome to The Pull List Comic Reviews! It was a great week for comics as every issue got a really good score, including a surprising (for me, anyway) Pull of the Week. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Sugarshock – Dark Horse Comics – $3.50 US
Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: Fábio Moon
Score: 9.5

Being the lead singer and guitarist of a band can require quite the juggling act, but what if one of those tasks involved saving the Earth? Luckily for us Earthlings, Dandelion has it all under control… somewhat. You see, her band, Sugarshock, has been requested in a battle of the bands, except there are no bands, and they’ll be battling to the death with the planet’s future on the line. Will they save the day or fall between the cracks into obscurity, or worse?

This isn’t your ordinary band, however. The drummer goes by Wade, who also happens to be an alien princess who looks human and can’t say “no” to groupies. Her “mystically enhanced bodyguard,” L’lihdra, doubles as the band’s other guitarist and the bassist is Robot Phil, which pretty much says it all. If there ever was a more rag-tag team of misfits, I’ve yet to see it.

I don’t know where to even begin with this issue. Originally appearing on MySpace’s Dark Horse Presents anthology in 2007, the three-part story is collected here along with Fábio Moon’s sketchbook and Editor Scott Allie’s notations, making for a nice, complete package. In other words, this is as close to perfect as I’ve seen since I started writing the Pull List Comic Reviews. Joss Whedon, who has always had a firm grip on female leads, inflects his usual witty banter but ups it to a whole new level. His characters are, in some cases, out of this world, and you can’t help but fall in love with every single one of them.

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In what could very well be the next step in comic book storytelling, Marvel entered the motion comics arena with Spider-Woman, based off of the recently launched series written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Alex Maleev. Available on iTunes, each episode is $1.99 US each or $8.99 US for the entire series with a total runtime of 53:46. Are we witnessing evolution, or merely a fad? And how is the story itself? Pouring through all five episodes, the answers may surprise you.

Starting with the story, Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, finds herself lost in a world she doesn’t recognize. No, she’s still on Earth, but she was replaced by Veranke the Skrull Queen during the Secret Invasion storyline and has only recently returned to the playing field. Making matters worse, at one point Jessica was an agent of practically anything you can be an agent of in the Marvel Universe – all simultaneously – so it’s no wonder she’s a little out of sorts these days.

When SWORD Agent Abigail Brand tracks her down and offers an outlet for that pent up frustration, Jessica feels that she may find herself and knock a few heads in the process, so she sets off to the island of Madripoor. As the story unfolds, Jessica winds up in a whirlwind of activity as local authorities, Skrulls, the Thunderbolts and the New Avengers try to insert themselves into her booked-solid dance card. Once the dust settles, it’s the decisions going forth that has Jessica’s full attention as she continues to find her rightful place in the world.

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We have a decent load this week, from the conclusion to the exceptional Planetary to quite a number of Marvel books worth your time. Planetary #27 is the conclusion to Warren Ellis and John Cassaday’s brilliant series.  Combining pop culture commentary, with a twisted spin that Ellis is known for and the direction of Astonishing X-Men artist John Cassaday.  There was a preview in the back of Ex Machina #45, which had me excited for this issue.

From Marvel, there is a ton of good stuff. First, we have the premiere of Phil Jimenez on Astonishing X-Men alongside Warren Ellis. Its weird, you know? We have a Planetary/Astonishing X-Men crossover this week and I am looking forward to that ten fold.

Now I’m a giant Rick Remender fan, and this premieres his new ongoing series at Marvel, Doctor Voodoo with Billy Tan.  If you like this I strongly recommend Rick’s series Fear Agent and The End League from Dark Horse. Following that we have Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3.  The first two issues were spectacular, and David Lafuente was born to draw Spider-Man.  This is easily one of the best reads in comics.

Finally, we have the return of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips Criminal with “The Sinners.” 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, check out the one at Midtown Comics.

Happy Reading!

First off I just wanted to thank Dave and John for handling last week’s The Pull List as special guest reviewers. They did a great job, and I’m glad I’ve got backup when I need it!

Pull of the Week:

Giant-Size Wolverine: Old Man Logan One-Shot – Marvel – $4.99

Score: 9.0

Anyone who has read the Pull List knows I am not a huge fan of high priced comics, especially when that higher price only comes with a sketchbook or a reprint of an old issue. But this issue, the conclusion to Millar and McNiven’s “Old Man Logan” eight part story was beyond worth it and easily the best $4.99 issue of the entire year. If you hadn’t been following this story, shame on you.

Fifty years in the future and unlike any other seen in Marvel like “Days of the Future Past” or the time-line Bishop traveled from, the villains have won. In one fell swoop, the villains of the world under the leadership of the Red Skull came together and wiped out all the heroes of the world with only a few survivors, most notably Hawkeye and Logan, who is no longer calling himself Wolverine. After a cross country journey to earn the money he owes the Hulk Gang, the descendants of Bruce Banner, Logan returns to find out he was too late to save his family.

This issue gives what looks to be the final showdown between these age old foes. With nothing left to lose, Logan decides that if Banner is responsible for taking away his family, he will return the favor in kind.

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Just because Monday happened to be a holiday, those lazy postal workers made us all wait an extra day to get our comics. How dare they use Labor Day as an excuse? But the wait was worth it as there were a slew of great titles hitting the shelf this week including this week’s much awaited Pull of the Week: Kick-Ass #7. (Don’t worry, Marvel’s Models Inc. was a close second Matt) Make sure to let us know your thoughts on this week’s The Pull List in the comments section as well as other books we didn’t get to review this week.

Pull of the Week:

Kick-Ass #7 – Icon – $2.99

Score: 8.5

Well it’s about time someone said it. “Red Mist was a *expletive deleted*.” I never liked the kid or trusted him and the end of last issue proved why. Last issue, Kick-Ass and his partner Red Mist teamed up with Big Daddy and Hit-Girl to take it to the mob, only to be betrayed by Red Mist. As a result, this issue starts with Red Mist bashing his partner in the back of the head with the butt of a gun. Hit-Girl spells out for Kick-Ass why Red Mist betrayed him.

Spunky as ever, Hit-Girl tries to defend her beaten father only to be shot out a window by mafia leader John Genovese. And if shooting a little girl wasn’t enough, that’s when things somehow get even worse… like when Kick-Ass has to get interrogated by Bobby Bull-Buster’s shock treatment and yes, it is as brutal as it sounds. In addition, the issue gives the true origin behind Big Daddy before a few more astonishingly violent pages and ultimately the tag at the end reading “To Be Concluded”.

The only thing that I don’t like in the issue is hearing that this story is coming to an end. Yes, I know it sounds weird that I was fine with the little girl getting shot but the story feels so gritty and real for a comic book that I can let the adolescent violence slide. Every time you pick up Kick-Ass you forget it isn’t your standard superhero cape and tights story for just a moment. And then within the first few pages, someone is bloodied to a pulp and it reminds you that this isn’t Superman or Captain America in here. As much as someone can enjoy Mark Millar’s work on super hero stories with his work in books like Marvel’s Civil War, he has shown he shines in tales like Kick-Ass or Wanted.

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If last week broke your wallet, this week is pretty light.

From DC/Vertigo we have The Nobody writer/artist Jeff Lemire’s ongoing series called Sweet Tooth. This one is about a boy named Gus who has deer-like antlers and is part of a group of kids with human/animal attributes that has made them immune to a recent pandemic. Its a little like the Vertigo epic Y: The Last Man and for a buck why not pick it up?

From Image we have the Chew reprints. I’ve been hearing nothing but positive things about this book, but have yet to even try it so I think picking up these four issues are a must have for me this week as well.

From Marvel, we have Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2, which has beautiful David LaFuente art and the usual Bendis fun. We’re just going to have to face facts here, Brian Bendis will probably go down as the best Spider-Man writer ever and even though he is that, its not necessarily a terrible incident that you miss whole arcs as there is very little that ever happens.

Also, we have the profile book of Immortal Weapons #2. The last issue on “Fat Cobra,” written by Jason Aaron, was a gem of gluttony.  This issue is on the “Bride of Nine Spiders.”

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!