Go here for yesterday’s edition of The Pull List.

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Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36 – Marvel – #3.99
Score: 4.5

What are two things that don’t belong in a Spider-Man comic? One, forced Boston accents from all characters in dialogue boxes. And two, any mention of the Clone Saga. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The extra sized annual issue begins with a man in a house burning down around him as he fights someone who looks to be Peter Parker.

Fast forward to the modern day where Peter Parker sits at a banquet table in Boston for his Aunt May’s impending nuptuals to J. Jonah Jameson Sr. as he sits across from J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson Sr. reveals his engagement present to Aunt May, a photo of her family that she has lost touch with, before opening a door and revealing the entire family that May and Peter didn’t know still existed. And of all people to walk in with the reunited family, the man from the opening pages seen in the burning house with “Peter Parker”.

Moments later after Peter has awkwardly thought inappropriate thoughts about his newfound cousins, Peter is attacked in the restroom by the man now donning a supersuit and calling himself Raptor. What follows are a few pages of rather bland fight scenes and tons of Bah-ston speak and “Jeter sucks” shouts from the on looking crowd. Though some may consider this next part a spoiler, it’s obvious where this story was going right from the first page. Raptor isn’t after Peter Parker, he’s after Ben Reilly. (Insert ominous music here)

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For part one of this week’s Pull List, click here.

Timestorm 2009 – 2099: Spider-Man – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 4.5

After Spider-Man: A Short Halloween failed to get reviewed by the Pull List because it had been on the bottom of an eighteen book stack, I made sure that didn’t happen again with another Spider-Man one-shot. Unfortunately, this issue was nowhere close to the quality of A Short Halloween. This issue continues the ongoing “Timestorm” series which sent both Spider-Man and Wolverine in to the future and the Punisher of 2099 stuck in the modern age. After an explosion caused by a time-shift, young Miguel O’Hara has attained abilities similar to the Spider-Man of what he calls the heroic age. Resulting from the same explosion, another boy in his class has mutated in to a large scorpion-like monster.

At the same time, Peter Parker, our modern day Spider-Man sits in a rubber room with a straight jacket with a young mutant girl Shakti who can see in to people’s past and future. The two escape their holding facility before crossing paths with Miguel. As this run-in occurs an explosion goes off, forcing Spider-Man to go find out its cause and leaving Miguel and Shakti behind. Miguel is about to give chase when Shakti tells him he needs a disguise or his identity will be found out.

Miguel dons a costume of Spider-Man 2099 and rushes in to help Spider-Man face the scorpion creature that had been created alongside him. Before heading off to try and find a way home, Spider-Man tells Miguel to burn the costume as wearing it will bring nothing good to his life. Instead, Miguel mimics what Peter originally did and steps in to a fight arena to try and take on his time’s Human Torch.

The more I look at the issue, the less I like it. First off, it is very confusing as there are apparently three separate alternate 2099 continuities. While they all have the same basis, none of them matchup between this version where Miguel gains the powers as a youth, the original Spider-Man 2099 series, and the Spider-Man 2099 who had a brief stint in the exiles.

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Due to the holiday, this week’s books were out yesterday and the publishers treated us to a huge week of new top titles. Choosing this week’s Pull of the Week wasn’t an easy choice.

Pull of the Week:

Wolverine #72 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 9.0

This is the Wolverine we know and love. Despite being fifty years down the line and having lived through one of the most traumatic experiences ever when he was tricked into killing his own teammates years ago by Mysterio, this issue of the “Old Man Logan” story proves that some people never really change. Logan is the best at what he does and this issue proves that even as an old man, he will still be the best.

The issue starts with a grim flashback of the day the villains won as the Red Skull explains to Captain America how he united the world’s super-villains in an effort to finally take over. There’s something very eerie about the Red Skull as he stands over the fallen Bucky-Cap, knowing that in this world, he has taken out both Steve Rogers and his successor successfully. Now, fifty years later, Skull stands in his trophy room surrounded by weapons and pieces of costume from various iconic heroes (including the costume and cape of the Sentry, giving me hope that he can be killed off and never brought back), reflecting on his successes as his minions bring him the corpse of Hawkeye and what they believe to be a dead Logan.

What comes next is one of the best fight one on one fight scenes in recent memory as Logan and the Skull take to each other using the weapons of the fallen heroes. Even knowing that this is an alternate reality, it’s still somewhat heart wrenching to see Logan forced to fight for his life and that of his family around the trophies the Red Skull had claimed off his former comrades. But like much of the rest of Logan’s life, the issue ends in tragic fashion before a very stark and powerful two page spread. Never before have two pages with literally no illustration on them been as meaningful as they are in this issue.

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This is part two of this week’s Pull List, check out yesterday’s reviews here.

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 8.0
Under the cover headline “They’re exactly what you think”  stands a team of unknowns in the same pose as the Young Avengers on their first cover. In the opening pages the reader is introduced to this new cast of characters who introduce themselves to a group of liquor store robbers as the “Young Avengers”. The rag-tag group is made up of Coat of Arms (sword wielding artist who had brought the team together), Enchantress (not the classic Thor villain, but with similar powers), Egghead (a robot), Big Zero (a size changer with a bad attitude), Executioner (a weapons expert) and Melter (the team leader whose name is fairly self explanatory for his powers).

Originally announced as Norman Osborn’s own team of Young Avengers, this issue shows that the team actually has no affiliation with the former Green Goblin but instead came together in an effort to be heroes similar to the way the original Young Avengers had done. Their methods however quickly come into question as their “success” isn’t gained in the way any hero would have done.  This brings about what looks to be the theme of the issue, and hopefully the rest of the series, of “what makes a hero a hero?” Seen in actions of the characters, flashbacks and conversation between Melter and Coat of Arms, this seemingly simple question is one that is actually very hard to answer.  Even Melter, the one who is so in tuned with what his idea of what makes a hero and his desire to be one must question his own place on the team as the issue plays out.

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This is part one of this week’s Pull List, check back tomorrow for part two, and check out last week’s edition here and here.

Before we start off, I have to offer my apologies to a few readers. Despite all the hype and love people have for their pets,  I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers…sorry again.
—- John

Pull of the Week:

Green Lantern Corps #36 – DC – $2.99
Score: 9.0

Continuing to move towards Blackest Night, writer Peter Tomasi takes the reader through three very different stories that all seem to be very dependent on each other. The first picks up with Sinestro, the leader of the Sinestro Corps, explaining to his daughter how the revelation of their relationship came to pass. It becomes quite a heart wrenching scene as Green Lantern Soranik must come to accept that the man, whose defeat made her the hero of her planet and people, is actually her father. Sinestro doesn’t come across as a typical mustache twirling super-villain in the scene either as there seem to be some honest intentions from the former tyrant. He explains to Soranik her role in what is supposedly destined to come.

At the same time there has been a breach in the facility where the Green Lantern Corps has been holding members of the Sinestro Corps captive for their despicable actions. These pages play out beautifully more as a news real feed than a comic book action sequence. Fleeting glimpses of the chaos are shown instead of following each of the specific Green or Yellow Lanterns during the battle. Instead, the overall drama of the confrontation is told with almost CNN-style narrative over what is definitely more than just the “Riot!” proclaimed on the cover of the issue.

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This is part two of this week’s Pull List, check out part one here!

Deadpool #10 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 8.0
What’s the one way to make an already funny book like Deadpool even more entertaining? Pair him up with an individual who–while may not be as funny–has a more twisted view of the world. That’s what happens in this issue as Norman Osborn decides to send in one of his heavy hitters, Hawkeye a.k.a. Bullseye, to take on the ‘Merc with the Mouth’.  The interesting thing is that Bullseye is pretty funny himself, in a very sick kind of way. The back and forth between the two makes the interaction feel something like the Odd Couple on acid. Surprisingly, Bullseye isn’t present through most of the issue, but instead Daniel Way takes the reader through one of Deadpool’s lowest paying and comical hits before letting the two psychopaths cross… um, paths. What follows are some greatly choreographed and intelligently put together action panels that rival most well done action movies.

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This is part one of this week’s Pull List, check back tomorrow for part two. Check out last week’s Pull List here and here!

Pull of the Week:

Irredeemable #2 – Boom! – $3.99
Score: 8.5
After hearing all the buzz about this series, I went back and picked up the first issue as well as this week’s new release with issue #2. This issue picks up with Kaidan, a former teammate of the fallen hero, The Plutonian, on the search for any information regarding just who the new rogue used to be or what may be his weakness. Kaiden’s journey takes her to the ruins of Sky City, a place she and the Plutonian used to protect together, which is now just a scrap heap left in the Plutonian’s wake. Her journey takes her to a woman who was once the Plutonian’s girlfriend and in hearing the girl’s tale, Kaidan must also look back on her own experiences with someone she once considered a friend in order to see what may have caused him to snap.

Writer Mark Waid does a great job of overlapping super hero action on a gritty detective story. While the book has many of the standard super hero conventions that seemingly parody characters like Superman, such as his utterly laughable “secret” identity and the ability to fly to space in back in mere moments, the Plutonian is as far from the Man of Steel as they come.  Something has really snapped in this former hero, as witnessed by his actions in the first issue to one of his former teammates the Hornet, as well as the Hornet’s wife and baby. And while the actions of the Plutonian are gruesome in their own right, the scariest part about him are the moments left unseen and without description. Leaving only the aftermath as evidence, the reader is only given a small peek in to the obviously broken psyche of the man who was once considered his world’s greatest hero. Peter Krause does a great job illustrating the story in a style that resembles Dynamite’s The Boys. The two books actually share a lot in common with their takes on the super hero genre.

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Check out last week’s Pull List comic reviews here and here. Part two of this week’s list will be out tomorrow.

Pull of the Week

Dark Avengers #4 – Marvel – $3.99
Score: 8.0

After reading just about every Dark Reign book, one thing has become very obvious to the reader, and that is that the status quo has changed. Villains teaming with villains to take on other villains. Something about that picture just doesn’t sound right on paper… but it works in this issue. Without a single “hero” to cheer for, the reader shouldn’t be rooting for anyone in this book, not even the anti-heroes. With the exceptions of Ares and the Sentry, every other character is a murderous, psychopathic lunatic in one capacity or another. Somehow, though, writer Brian Michael Bendis makes the reader hope for the success of the centerpieces in this issue; Norman Osborn and Doctor Doom. Yes. You read that right. The guy who killed Gwen Stacey and ol’ iron face himself are the people who you are hoping win big in this issue. But like Norman likes to remind us, he did kill the Skrull queen so he can’t be THAT bad of a guy right?

Artist Mike Deodato couldn’t have been placed on more perfect a project, given his style. Many of the pages in the issue revolve more around shadow as he allows these villains to hide in plain sight. Call it a gut feeling, but this type of book most likely wouldn’t have been able to work in a style like recent issues of The Runaways, Deadpool or The Avengers: The Initiative with thick outlines and cartoonish colors. Every character’s appearance has a sense of grit and a feel of realism to them.  The cold dead stare of Hawkeye (or Bullseye, whichever you prefer) makes you believe he can–and will–kill you without a second thought.  Deodato has also done a great job with his take on Doctor Doom as he has been able to get so much expression out of a stiff iron mask.

Over the coming issues, it remains to be seen if the titular team is destined to ultimately fall apart due to outside conflict or internal quarrels.  As with many of Bendis’ stories, the issue ends, not with a cliff hanger, but a moment that leaves the reader questioning the thoughts and mentality of the issues key characters. Are they really as insane as we think they are? Is there the potential for them to do some good? Are they beyond redemption? Do they even want it?

Other Pulls:

Thunderbolts #131 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 7.0

In a market where $2.99 books are becoming fewer and farther between, it’s almost impossible to pass up any Marvel book featuring the Merc with the Mouth for such a reasonable price. Deadpool has proven he is a character that he can elevate any book with a subpar cast (if under the right writer). Deadpool is able to rub some of his popularity on to some of the lesser known characters like the Headsman and Ghost, who have yet to be greatly explored.

Since the team’s roster change, the Thunderbolts are no longer about redemption as they once were. Instead they are a group of black ops killers at the beck and call of the highest bidder, their boss Norman Osborn. Picking up with “Deadpool”, (actually the Taskmaster in disguise),who is in the clutches of the Thunderbolts and Norman, this issue concludes the crossover arc between Deadpool and the T-Bolts. He even attempts a stirring rendition of a Bon Jovi classic. (Well, not that I could actually hear how it sounded, but I imagined the song being done in Ryan Reynolds voice.) Diggle seems to enjoy working with Ant-Man on the team as he has been given a spot as one of the more clever members of the team despite Kirkman’s creation not originally having such tactical insight.

The only real weakness of the issue that prevented it from reaching it’s real potential was the artwork. Understandably, the editors must have wanted a more lighthearted feel to the book, as opposed to the dirty, dark style of Dark Avengers, to help fit Deadpool’s insane nature. This, however, was taken too far as the issue resembled Saturday morning cartoons more than it did a comic book. The characters are surrounded by bold, thick black lines that often are so stark, they distract from the rest of the panel. Often times the characters faces and poses don’t resemble human anatomy anymore or the way a person’s body can actually move.
Gears of War #6 – Wildstorm – $3.99
Score: 6.0

I know what you are thinking. “A video game adapted into a comic book… There’s no way it can be good.” While the series has, by no means, been mind-blowing, it has been enjoyable read for any fan of the video game franchise. (One nice thing about the comic series has been the exclusion of Dom’s hopeless–and often annoying–stories about his wife that he hasn’t found in ten years that plague the narrative of the game.) The book is comfortable to read for anyone who enjoyed the game as it has a similar pacing. The group of heroes known as “the Cogs” find themselves traveling between locations only to be forced into a series of battles against the locust horde. Marcus and Dom drop a few four letter words and shoot their way out of the situation as the supporting cast comes and goes. While the story is told from the perspective Jace (one of the cogs), it is obvious that the real hero of the story is Marcus which was smart since he is the most recognizable figure of the franchise.

Scribe Joshua Ortega and artist Liam Sharp together bring this normally interactive story to the page in the same spirit as the creators of the famed Xbox 360 series.  One very interesting aspect of the book comes from the perspective of Jace as he describes his thoughts during the issue’s encounter with a Berserker. As he describes the mad locust destroyer, his sentiments echo the thoughts of many gamers who recall their similar encounter from the first Gears game.  Sharp captures the violent nature of the game in a way that it doesn’t feel gratuitous, which is surprising considering the level of bloodshed often seen hitting television screens during the game.

Gears of War as a comic, like all others come before it, inevitably faces the fact that it will be compared with its parent property. Unfortunately for the comic, this property is not known for its rich mythos and compelling characterizations. Gears of War as a whole is best if taken in small doses as a source of mindless fun action sequences. The comic carries along that tradition as well, despite attempts at the underlying emotional strings that Jace’s story tries to bring with it. A fan of the game is much more likely to enjoy Gears than a casual reader but anyone looking for a quick, violent read can enjoy the series as well.
Uncanny X-Men #509 – Marvel – $2.99
Score: 7.5

Not since Joss Whedon’s first issues of his run on Astonishing X-Men has a writer connected to an X-Men cast like Matt Fraction. Something about Fraction’s style captures many of the lesser known mutants in the series and instantly makes the reader care about them. While Northstar, Dazzler, Pixie or Hank McCoy’s genetic genius team “X-Club” won’t be receiving any series of their own any time soon, they are the ones who help drive this book. Fraction also does a great job of splitting the book in terms of character progression and action with much of the book building smoothly to the events of the final few pages.

The issue itself is layered with multiple stories going on in the X-Men saga ranging from the relocation of the group to San Francisco, a proposed mutant breeding law and the group of scientists working to reawaken the X-gene to the return of Madelyne Pryor’s villainy and Northstar’s reinstatement to the X-Men. That has always been one of the strong suits of the X-Men’s story. While they were forced to deal with immediate problems such as a power-hungry mutant’s attack on them, they were always dealing with the underlying political climate and world view of themselves at the same time.

Greg Land does a great job of bringing Fraction’s world to life with brilliant detail. The only weakness that could be seen from his illustrations are the sometimes vacant eyes of some of the characters who are often drawn without pupils. This can easily be overlooked though because of how beautiful the rest of the issue looks. Also, bonus points to Fraction and Land for the panel of Rockslide and Colossus, wearing a Gladiator helmet at an Oakland Raiders game.

While it’s hard to say which X-story is currently the best being told, it is obvious that Uncanny X-Men takes the role as being the central hub through which all other X books are tied in to. Members of every team are present as the book works to push the larger events in the lives of the characters forward. While Madelyne villainous story isn’t the most enthralling, the return of Psylocke to the main Marvel universe and the dynamic of the X-Men make this book well worth the read.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part two of John’s reviews of comic books coming out this week. A brand new feature right here at The Flickcast.