Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! Superboy’s Adventure comes to an end, Daytripper continues to be trippy and the Rhino gets a happy ending that may actually stick. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Adventure Comics #6
DC Comics – $3.99 US
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Francis Manapul
Score: 9/10

Superboy has been trying to “find himself” and determine if he’s more Superman than Lex Luthor, since his genetic make-up is made from both of them. Unfortunately, it’s Luthor who finds him first and serves notice that for all his intellect and power, Luthor still has that nasty little streak in him.

Honestly, this has been a fun, engaging run by superstar writer Geoff Johns. Equal parts adventure (which works great with the title) and drama, all revolved around Superboy’s own identity crisis, this arc hit all the right buttons without coming across as preachy or whiny; a testament to the writer’s considerable talent of making relevant topics matter in the pages of a comic book.

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Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! An incredibly solid week as we’ve got three Blackest Night tie-ins, some speedster action and a particularly “horrible” tale, but only one issue each week tops the “list.” Be sure to let us know what you thought of these issues, we’re always interested to hear from you, the readers. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

Dark Reign: The List – Amazing Spider-Man One-Shot – Marvel Comics – $3.99 US
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Adam Kubert
Score: 9.5

Norman Osborn made a list and he’s checking it more than twice as certain thorns in his side have gotten his full attention. Everyone from the X-Men to the Avengers have had to deal with him, and by now you’ve heard of how the Punisher went to pieces over his clash with the H.A.M.M.E.R. Director, so how will Spider-Man do? Hint: Spidey doesn’t win this one.

I’ll start with Dan Slott’s writing in this issue, and simply state that he crushed it. There’s no other way to say it, really. Sure, an argument could be made that Spidey should have done something by now, especially considering his history with Stormin’ Norman. Put that aside, if you ever wanted to see Peter Parker triumph at anything – he’s had a ridiculously long losing streak since “Brand New Day” – then this is the issue for you.

It’s been a few months since artist Adam Kubert penciled some pages, but with that amount of lead-time you knew this issue would be stunning. He failed to disappoint. Crammed with gorgeous visuals, the entire one-shot was a treat, even when the action had decidedly died down for the last act. One look at the very first page is all you need to know in regards to how good the art is.

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Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! We’ve got a lot off good issues to get through, so let’s get to it. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

S.W.O.R.D. #1 – Marvel Comics – $3.99 US
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artists: Steven Sanders, Jamie McKelvie
Score: 9.0

Spinning out of Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s seminal Astonishing X-Men run, S.W.O.R.D. is the new title focusing on the organization entrusted to ensure that alien invasions are kept to a minimum. The Sentient World Observation and Response Department’s co-commander, Abigail Brand, has enough on her plate as it is, but having Henry Peter Gyrich – yes, THAT guy – as your co-commander simply can’t be a good thing.

After making a name for himself with the critically acclaimed Phonogram series, Marvel thought that writer Kieron Gillen would be able to handle the launch of a new, ongoing series that has a lot of ties to it, and boy were they right. The juggling parallels between what Agent Brand must endure and the various plot threads that Gillen must keep going wasn’t lost on me; in fact, I’d say it only added to the story’s flow. Imagine Men In Black done up right.

So new that he could be considered a rookie, artist Steven Sanders is anything but. Sharp, clean pencils fill this issue from cover to cover, and while his interpretation of how Beast looks takes a little getting used to, ultimately it’s nit picking on an otherwise near-perfect comic. His rendition of Gyrich, especially, should be noted, as the character has never looked more dick-ish.

About as entertaining as an issue can be, this first issue manages to draw you in with quirky moments – Beast’s lovesick commentary, Lockheed’s binge drinking – and stunning revelations – hello, Kitty! – made this an incredibly easy selection for our Pull of the Week.

OTHER PULLS:

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Are you wondering how a series that’s only hit issue #13 recently could be releasing issue #900 in October of this year? Well, to be honest, we’re a bit confused ourselves. Fortunately, as often happens, our confusion can be cleared up with the liberal application of this official Marvel press release. And, as always, be sure to check out the larger cover art from this mysterious comic after the jump.

It is I, the whimsical Wade Wilson, wishing you a wonderful warning (That’s not too much alliteration is it?) – Buy Deadpool #900, with seven all new stories, my first team up and more!  It seems like only yesterday I was starring in Deadpool #13, but here I am, at the apex of comic glory!  This issue is so big only the most hardcore Deadhead (Isn’t that the name for fans of the Grateful – Shut Up!) creators could handle it!  In the first of seven stories, “Pinky Swear”, is presented by Joe Kelly and Rob Liefeld.

“One Down” is brought to you by Charlie Huston and Kyle Baker and “Close Encounters” is created by Jason Aaron and Rick Staggs.  Mike Benson and Damian Scott deliver “Shrunken Master” while Fred Van Lente and Dalibor Talijic present “Silent But Deadly.”  “What Happens in Vegas” is told by Duane Swierczysnki (Is that how you spell it?) and Shawn Crystal.  And lastly, we have “Great Balls of Thunder on the Deep Blue Sea” by Victor Gischler and Sanford Greene  Watch as your favorite crimson comedian faces off against probe-happy aliens (They didn’t even offer us a drink!) and killer mimes (Did their guns have silencers? Bwahaha)!  But the fun doesn’t stop there, I also meet a shrink that’s crazier than me (You’re crazy?) and partake in a heinous assassination (My favorite type!)!

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A moderate week in terms of number of books shipped, mostly from the big two publishers, but definitely not moderate in terms of quality. With all the hype leading up to Blackest Night, it is no surprise it would be the first book I read this week, even beating out the much anticipated conclusion of the Spider-Man “American Son” storyline. As always, we can’t review every book each week here at The Pull List, but if you have any thoughts about other comics or think we missed a good one, let us know.

Pull of the Week:

Blackest Night #1 – DC – $3.99

Score: 9.0

Big summer event. Months of hype. Tales that the writer has been planting seeds for the past five years for the main character. Sounds like a perfect set up for something to fall flat on its face. Thankfully this superstar creative team was able to avoid the trap that so many big crossover events often fall into. The first of eight issues of Blackest Night sets itself up perfectly for those not familiar with the history of the DC Universe. After an eerie message coming from the Black Hand and the emersion of the Black rings, the issue begins telling the tale of the yearly memorial day in honor of the superheroes who gave their lives to save the people of earth as well as those people that weren’t lucky enough to be saved.

The four Green Lanterns from Earth, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner, head to Coast City, a place that had been destroyed during a conflict between two villains that cost seven million their lives. Hal talks about the loss he had seen others experience on this day, including his other Green Lanterns. The book then weaves its way around the world to different locations, visiting various losses like Jonathan Kent, Ronnie Raymond and Arthur Curry. Back at the headquarters of the Justice League, Hal meets up with Barry Allen, who is dealing with his recent resurrection, and finding out the fates of those who had been lost while he was gone until they are interrupted by a friend who has uncovered an unearthed grave.

Back on Oa, the Guardians watch their failures as the war of light erupts around the universe. The Guardians ready to call the entire Green Lantern Corps until things break down for them as well. At this point, the Black Rings start flying around the universe including to the Black Lantern that people had seen coming for months, Martian Manhunter who goes to Hal and Barry, declaring they should both be dead. The book concludes with another surprise attack which leads to the creation of two new Black Lanterns.

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