Its a new year so that means new comics and our friends at Marvel are already ready to unleash some brand new titles to keep you excited going into 2010. Some of the ones we’re most interested in this week include the latest issue of Cable, Punisher Max: Get Castle, Nation X: X-Factor and, of course, the debut of Marvel’s latest “event” Siege #1.

As always, we’ve got some cool previews of some of the covers for some of these books, so be sure to check them out after the jump.

Comics On-Sale:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: JACKPOT #1
CABLE #22
DAFFODIL #1
DAFFODIL #1 VARIANT
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #897
MARVEL BOY: THE URANIAN #1
MARVEL PREVIEWS #77
NATION X: X-FACTOR
NEW MUTANTS #9 (XN)
PUNISHER MAX: GET CASTLE
SIEGE #1

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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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Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! The latest mutant milestone issue gets top billing, Spidey winds up in the wrong sandbox and Guy Gardner sees a whole lot more than just red. As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

X-Factor #200
Marvel Comics – $4.99 US
Writer: Peter David
Artists: Bing Cansino, Marco Santucci, Karl Moline
Score: 9.5/10

X-Factor Investigations makes the move from Detroit to New York in hopes of wrangling some new clients of the super-hero variety, but when their first client winds up being Franklin and Valeria Richards – the children to Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four – the team realizes that all is not what it seems.

Long-time X-Factor scribe Peter David continues to mix jaw-dropping plot bombs with great characterizations and intelligent humor in this over-sized anniversary special. The mystery of the missing Invisible Woman, on it’s own, is a great story, but throw in Monet’s father being abducted by terrorists, Siryn’s shocking rendezvous with an old flame (hint: he’s nuts) and Layla Miller’s surprising allegiance to Latveria, and you’ve got one hell of a jump-on issue.

The art team of Bing Cansino and Marco Santucci do a great job of pacing this mammoth story, and their takes on the characters are both familiar and fresh. With a title that relies heavily on many speaking scenes, which should come as no surprise to current readers, their art is right on the money, but they also flex their proverbial muscle in the action scenes, especially where the Thing is involved.

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With Christmas fast approaching, if you’re still not sure what gifts to get for your favorite geek, why not some cool comics? Our friends at Marvel want to help and are coming out with all new comics this week which would make perfect gifts for that geek in your life, or even for yourself. Come on you work hard, why not reward yourself with a few comics too, right?

To help you in your gift-giving quest, here’s a list of all the comics coming out this week from Marvel. And, as always, be sure to click through to check out some cool art and overs for these books.

Comics On-Sale:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #615 (GNTLT)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #615 VILLAIN VARIANT (GNTLT)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS: ANTI-VENOM – NEW WAYS TO LIVE #3
ASTONISHING X-MEN #33
BLACK PANTHER #11
CABLE #21
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #5 WRAPAROUND COVER
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #5 CASSADAY VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #5 FINCH VARIANT
DAREDEVIL #503
DARK AVENGERS #12
DARK WOLVERINE #81
DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #6

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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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Now that the week is back with five days again we can get news of new comics on Monday instead of Tuesday. That also means that new comics come out this week, as they normally do, on Wednesday. So, with that in mind, following is this week’s list of Marvel titles dropping this week for your reading pleasure.

Among the ones I’m most interested in are the new Dark Avengers #9, Deadpool #12, Punisher #9 and X-Factor #48. But as always, check out the full list here from the official Marvel press release. Plus we’ve also got some cool cover art for you after the jump as ell. Enjoy.

Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on September 16th, 2009. For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-09-16 or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook.

Comics On-Sale:

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Each and every week the folks at Marvel release lots of great comics for all of us to read and enjoy. This week is no exception and boasts lots of new and exciting titles for your reading pleasure including Punisher Noir #1, a new issue of Deadpool: Suicide Kings and the 500th issue of Daredevil.

But hey, don’t take my word for it, check out all the upcoming books for this week below via the official Marvel press release. And, as always, be sure to check out previews of some of the cool upcoming comic covers that will be hitting stores this week.

Comics On-Sale:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #603

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #603 70TH FRAME VARIANT

DAREDEVIL #500 DJURDJEVIC GATEFOLD COVER

DAREDEVIL #500 ROSS COVER

DAREDEVIL #500 70TH FRAME VARIANT

DAREDEVIL #500 DARROW VARIANT

DAREDEVIL #500 DELL’OTTO VARIANT

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Love comics? Of course you do. Love Marvel? So do we. Fortunately, Marvel just keeps on coming out with comics each and every week for everyone’s reading pleasure. This week, there’s a whole new crop of them and we’ve got the details for you direct from the source. Well, direct from a Marvel press release anyway, which is almost as good.

Of the new books, I’m particularly looking forward to the new Dark Avengers #7, Captain America #601 and X-Factor #46. You got a problem with that? Anyway, here’s all the Marvel comics on sale this week (and some cool cover art as well after the break):

Hey there True Believers, here’s your official list of comic books, collections and posters arriving in comic stores on July 15th, 2009. For more information on any of these titles, and on upcoming mighty Marvel releases, please visit http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?date=2009-07-15 or contact your local comic book retailer at 1-888-comicbook. Stay tuned each week for a brand new list of Marvel releases so that you’ll never miss your favorite heroes in action!

Comics On-Sale:

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This week was, to say the least, a BIG week in comics. My personal Pull List was 23 issues of all new books. Comic stores even said how expensive a week it was just by the sheer volume of books released. I’m just doing my best to keep you informed with the newest quality and best ongoing series from around the comics world. With that said, let’s get to the pulls.

Pull of the Week:

Dark Avengers / Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1 – Marvel – $3.99

Score: 8.5

The new superstar creative team of 2009 has finally arrived. Matt Fraction and Marc Silvestri may be the best combination of writer and artist to be placed on any series thus far this year. This one shot issue does a fantastic job of setting events in to motion for the Utopia crossover as well as the formation of the Dark X-Men team.

With anti-mutant tensions at an all time high following footage of the massacre in Alaska following the first mutant birth since M-Day coming to the public’s attention, Simon Trask and his Humanity Now organization march on San Francisco to support the enactment of a law regulating mutant breeding to prevent another incident like that in Alaska from occurring again.

They are met on the streets by another peaceful protest lead by Beast along with Northstar, Hellion, Rockslide and Pixie. Trask incites a riot to break out which ultimately results in his injury at the hands of Hellion and the incarceration of Beast. Playing off the anti-mutant sentiments, the media puts the blame on the X-Men for the riot which leads to further protests and violence around the city between the opposing groups for and against mutant rights, as well as the X-Men who put themselves in the roles of peacekeepers between the two.

The world looks on as these protests lead to further rioting to the point that the San Fran PD and the X-Men can no longer keep everything in control. Enter Norman Osborn, H.A.M.M.E.R. and the Dark Avengers. Split up and playing with kid gloves on, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Hawkeye and Ares take to the city to calm the riots.

Norman doesn’t put himself in the field but instead calls a meeting with one of his Cabal, Emma Frost. He had placed Emma in charge of making sure mutants were kept in control and promised not to intervene until she failed to uphold her side of the bargain. Norman hands Emma a folder with a large white X on it and lets her know that now is the time to think big.

As said before here on the Pull List, Fraction knows the X-Men. He can handle all of the characters expertly, much like Chris Clairemont was able to during his famous run on the series. Fraction also displays an understand of not just the major players like Cyclops, Emma and Beast. He also takes the supporting roles very seriously with his great representation of Mercury, Hellion and the Cuckoo triplets.

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In addition to the fantastic X-Force, one of my other personal favorite comics of late is Peter David’s excellent X-Factor. His take on some of the more peripheral X-Men characters is always interesting and he manages to put his own spin on them and take them in new and different direction. Plus, David is just a great writer, which help immensely.

Marvel hasn’t pushed the series as much as they maybe could have but now it appears they are going to give it some love as the series hits issue #45 today.

Here’s all the scoop directly from Marvel via an official press release:

One of Marvel’s most critically acclaimed series continues in X-Factor #45, on-sale today, and if you haven’t tried this series, now’s the time! Superstar Eisner Award winning writer Peter David, along with the fan favorite artistic team of Valentine De Landro and Marco Santucci, present the perfect jumping on point for new readers.

Doctor Doom and Madrox meet in the future! Shatterstar battles X-Factor! And just what is the Cortex? Now’s your chance to find out why X-Factor is so red hot with fans and critics alike!

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