Originating in Norway back in 1997, Nemi is a weekly comic strip creation of writer and artist Lise Myhre. Focusing on the pop goth Hot Topic mentality of the turn of the millennium, Nemi follows the title character in her exploits in her chocolate eating, boy chasing and alcohol binging unemployed life. UK publisher Titan Books, who brought us the collected volumes of Tank Girl, has begun compiling these weekly strips in to fantastically done hardcover formats.

Because of the nature of the weekly strip format, Nemi Volume III doesn’t have a particular story to speak of. It instead is a series of brilliantly done short character pieces, usually contained to just three or four panels each with the occasional multipage story, but those are few and far between. The best part about Nemi is how relatable a character she actually is.

Whether or not you fell in to a Hot Topic phase during your high school years (which if you had you have hopefully finally grown out of or you have become a Twilight fan), you knew someone who did. This comic does a great job of reminding why even though we thought that person was weird, we were still their friend.

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Everything’s coming up Marvel this week as John Carle returns with his special edition of The Pull List. Sal Loria is back next week so be sure and check in then, and every week, for brand new installments of The Pull List Comic Reviews. – Ed.

Pull Of the Week

X-Factor #50 – Marvel – $3.99
Writer: Peter David Artist: Valentine De Landro
Score: 8.5

X-Factor #50 is the issue where everything finally comes full circle for the events of this entire volume of X-Factor. Ever since the House of M, Layla Miller has been a question mark in the Marvel U. Is her mutant power really that she just “knows stuff”? This issue finally answers the question as Peter David concludes his story arc revolving around Jamie and Layla eighty years in the future dealing with the Summers Rebellion against a corrupt man trying to destroy all mutants using the technology of Doctor Doom and employing a corrupted dupe of Multiple Man who had been misplaced in time during the “Messiah Complex”.

How Peter David did it definitely took some planning as all of the events that spun out of the House of M and created Layla Miller tied up perfectly in this issue and how it happened is something this reviewer never would have guessed when the series first launched with X-Factor #1.

The issue also ends with a short story where X-Factor Investigations picks up a case in New York after finally deciding to leave Detroit. Their first case which will be tackled in the renumbered X-Factor #200 next month is given to them by Franklin and Valeria Richards, children of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, the latter of which has gone missing.

It is certainly an interesting coincidence that Marvel let X-Factor hit issue #50 before letting the next milestone number of issue #200 happen in next month’s renumbering the same way they did with Captain America #50 and Captain America #600. But much like Cap issues #50 and #600 were great issues, X-Factor is already going gangbusters so we can let it slide this time.

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Kill Audio #1 – Boom! Studios – $3.99

Score: 8.5

Back at San Diego Comic-Con, I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Claudio Sanchez, lead singer of Coheed and Cambria and writer of the Amory Wars about his upcoming comic release from Boom! Studios entitled Kill Audio. Check out the interview here (Part 1 and Part 2).  This week, Kill Audio hit shelves and delivered upon what we were expecting from my talk with Claudio and brought a whole lot more to the table as well.

In addition to the knives that through knives, the angry and unstable lead character who cannot die and is constantly haunted by the Fix-ler who is always trying to kill him and of course the jive talking, blow snorting chicken that Claudio had talked to us about, Kill Audio also brings to life a plethora of new and outrageous characters in a complete insane fantasy world that felt like a mix of the land of Brutal Legend and Oz (from both the classic Judy Garland film and the HBO jail series scarily enough).

The issue starts off with the title character Kill Audio running from knives that throw knives before he is pulled “out of harm’s way” by the Fix-ler. After failing yet again to off Kill Audio, they have a brief conversation that sets Kill Audio off on his Wizard of Oz-like journey to search for his higher purpose. Along the way, he encounters Chi-co, the above mentioned constantly hallucinating coke addicted poultry, in his efforts to reach the Watchtower. Also on the way, the duo is joined by the Beav, who looks like a drunken prodigal son of Death, and his little pillow companion DJ.

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To check out yesterday’s reviews of “things that should stay dead”, make sure to click here for yesterday’s The Pull List.

Fall Out Toy Works #1 – Image – $3.99

Score: 7.0

When Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance had a hit on his hands with two successful runs of The Umbrella Academy miniseries with more on the way, it was inevitible that other musicians would give it a go in the comic world. Like Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria who will be debuting Kill Audio soon (whom we will be posted an interview with soon), Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz has thrown his hat in the ring as the co-creator of a work “inspired by the ideas & lyrics of Fall Out Boy” called Fall Out Toy Works. A struggling toy maker who only makes one of a kind robotic toys is approached by a man referred to as the Baron.

The Baron, who has made his money through somewhat questionable means as well as mass production wants the Toy Maker to create a robotic woman for him as his team’s previous attempts have ended less than favorably, like the most recent robotic wife letting herself fall out the window of a high rise building. Inspired by the Fall Out Boy song “Tiffany Blews”, the book also features one of the Toy Maker’s other creations a depressed robotic boy in a bear suit as well as a sentient cell phone who looks like a bee in a bowler hat and acts as the consciousness of the Toy Maker at times.

While well written by Brett Lewis, the concept doesn’t feel new. For the most part, the story feels like a traditional Japanese anime or manga story. Not being a huge fan of manga, it takes a little while to get in to the story as even the futuristic landscape shares that style at times. At the same time, there are a lot of deep layers examined throughout the course of the issue especially focused on creating “a woman” and basically playing God.

These questions are looked at subtley and are often repeatedly hit over the head of the reader as the Toy Maker faces this moral dilemma to work for the Baron or let his factory go under. Through the issue, the Toy Maker is explored thoroughly as he questions not only his ability to make what the Baron is looking for, but also the effects doing so might have on him as he succeeds. This is accomplished really well as he sits with a Japanese server at the Baron’s Doll House establishment.

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Unfortunately, due to a scheduling snafu, I didn’t get my comics this week until late Wednesday night. As a result, I wasn’t able to get through them all in one sitting so there won’t be a Pull of the Week this week. But that won’t stop me from getting you two full days of comic reviews from the books I did get a chance to read this week.

Exiles #6 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 4.0

And finally, Exiles comes to a bittersweet end. And it’s not bittersweet because we will miss our heroic team as they are shown off in classic fashion. It’s bittersweet because the book that was so lacking in story and character development after dragging the name of one of our favorite series through the mud has finally ended and we don’t need to see it dip even further away from the quality it once was. After only four issues, it was revealed that Exiles‘ second volume, which somehow trumped New Exiles for being the worst use of the Exiles team, would be coming to a quick end. So to “celebrate” the series finale, they decided to make it a “mega-sized” final issue to help tie up all those loose ends that originally should have been spread out over an ungodly number of painfully written issues.

Much like the rest of the series, Exiles #6 just isn’t good. After finding out their first mission was not a success, the Exiles return to the world to break up the alliance that was keeping mutant kind united and would ultimately lead to the end of the world by driving the wedge of Scott Summers’ infidelity between Jean Grey and Emma Frost. When this happens, a series of events plays out that explains the “true” origins of the Exiles teams and how the Timebroker, the bugs and the old couple weren’t ever really behind their formation.

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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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Pull of the Week:

Daredevil #500 – Marvel – $4.99
Score: 8.5

70th Anniversary. 600th issue of Thor. 600th issue of Captain America. 600th Hulk. 600 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. And finally the 500th issue of Daredevil. Marvel sure has a big summer. And of the two milestones, the two best written have been those from Ed Brubaker with Captain America #600 and this issue of Daredevil. This issue of Daredevil continues building upon the deal that Daredevil had made with the Kingpin against the Hand. Though Daredevil suspected Fisk was turning against him, it was a move he was forced to make.

The twists of the story and thought processes of Daredevil during the issue just go to show how awesome a writer Brubaker is. In addition, there is a preview of Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil, a great short story about Daredevil and Bullseye called 3 Jacks, a Pinup and Cover Gallery and of course the reprinting of a past issue of Daredevil, this time choosing #191 from Frank Miller’s run on the series. While normally not a fan of reprinting old materials to fill out the length of an oversized issue, the quality of the two new, original stories are well worth the hefty $4.99 price tag.

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For yesterday’s The Pull List, go here.

The Marvels Project #1 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 7.5

Retroactively changing continuity, or “retconning”, can be a tricky feat. And trying to recon an entire universe’s continuity from the start can be an even bigger feat. This is what the focus of The Marvels Project is. Going all the way back to the very first days of the Marvel Universe to the creation of the first Human Torch, this story looks to bring readers an insight in to the relationships that helped forge the current Marvel world. The issue begins with Dr. Halloway, the man destined to become The Angel (though it isn’t mentioned yet in this series) working with a dementia patient known as Matt Hawk back in 1938.

Hawk tells Halloween about the heroes, villains, gods and monsters that will soon rise and how it all begins in New York City. Coming in one morning, Halloway finds out that Hawk died in his sleep but before he passed on, he had left something for the doctor. Upon opening it, Halloway sees a gun and a note that reads, “From One Hero to Another-” only to realize that Matt Hawk was the Two-Gun Kid, a masked western hero that the doctor had read about for years.

He wonders if the future that Matt told him about could be real. From there, the story examines the origins of Namor’s appearance to surface dwellers as Nazis begin to drop depth charges to acquire Atlantean “samples” and FDR’s involvement in the funding of the first Human Torch. When the Torch is first revealed to the public, there is a huge backlash of man made monsters on American soil. Knowing that the American government will need all the support they can garner with the upcoming hostilities with Germany, the President orders the Human Torch disposed of.

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Pull of the Week:

Blackest Night #2 – DC – $3.99

Score: 8.0

As mentioned yesterday in Dave Press’ Weekly Comic Book Recommendations,  this was a big week for DC’s Blackest Night event between Blackest Night #2, Blackest Night: Batman #1 and Green Lantern Corps #39. A previous Pull of the Week with issue #1, Blackest Night #2 continues the eerie first chapter of this horror tale.

After Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been attacked and killed by the Black Lanterns Elongated Man and Sue Dibny, the Atom desperately begs for Hawkman to pick up the phone unaware of his fate. Over in Gotham, Commissioner Gordon stands atop the police headquarters next to the Bat-Symbol with his daughter Barbara awaiting sunrise before Hal Jordan lands on it as a result of his fight with Martian Manhunter.

In Amnesty Bay, Mera and Tempest, the wife and son of Aquaman look to move their king’s remains to the sea only to find the grave desecrated. Thinking they are witnessing a graverobbing, the duo along with guards from Atlantis are attacked by the resurrected Black Lantern Aquaman who has retained his control over the creatures of the sea as seen in a bloody attack on the guards.

Blackest Night #2 feels a lot like it is the part of a movie where the team is being formed. The foundation has been laid out in issue one and now the Black Lantern corps is being built. While the biggest reveals happened in the first issue, these other players are obviously going to be key components to the story moving forward, especially since writer Geoff Johns took the time to give so much attention to their Black Lantern reveals. A perfect example of this is Deadman who already appears in Blackest Night: Batman (which will be reviewed on tomorrow’s edition of the Pull List). Along with that, the two major fight scenes are great glimpses of just how powerful the Black Lanterns can be.

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For yesterday’s The Pull List, go here.

Absolution #1 – Avatar – $3.99

Score: 8.0

Back in early July, we had the chance to talk to Christos Gage about his creator owned property, Absolution, from Avatar Press. The interview can be read here.  This week, Absolution came to stores and delivered what people were hoping for from the title. Absolution takes a different approach to the superhero genre. Unlike Garth Ennis’ edgy work on The Boys which has superheroes as corrupt drug addicted sexual perverts, Gage reinvents the wheel as he poses the question about what could cause a hero to snap.

Unlike the “heroes” of The Boys, Gage’s hero John Dusk is actually a good person. He uses his powers to save the lives of innocents and defeat bad guys. There is no corporate backing or monetary gain for John by doing it. He is the equivalent of a super powered beat cop. And like some cops who have been on Special Victims Units or the homicide for too long, Absolution explores what it takes to break a man.

The issue begins with John Dusk, the spandex wearing hero seen on the cover of the issue, as he fights White Power, a superpowered white supremacist. John’s powers can be compared to a toned down version of the Green Lantern or the Invisible Woman as he controls his aura around him that allows him to make crude objects with it that can be used both offensively and defensively. When things take a turn for the worst in the fight, John must use lethal force to stop his assailant. Even knowing the criminal is a rapist and murder, John still tries to keep him from dying until he sees two of White Powers captives, causing him to make a decision he can never step back from.

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