Weekly Pull List 2-26-14

Well I'm back. Last week was a short week as well as this week. I only have 2 new books to discuss so I'll review a trade or two I've read. First up Amazing X-Men 4 came out last week. It's a great continuation of Wolverine and friends through hell whilst trying to find Nightcrawler. Beast and Storm had come across Azazel last issue when Beast got stabbed in the back which makes him go a little nuts. Which is when Nightcrawler shows up!! He gathers the rest of the lost X-Men and they prepare for the final battle with Azazel's fleet. It's a great book. The writing is spot on and rather compelling. Jason Aaron works well with his pacing. This story flows great and leaves you wanting more. The art is decent but it's still a little juvenile, which actually does work for the light-hearted nature of the book. Story-wise I like most of the characters involved. Nightcrawler has been a favorite since the intro to the second film where he assaults the White House. I'm not a huge fan of Wolverine in general, but his interactions with Northstar are handled well enough for me to care about both of them. I've always liked Storm, apart from her hairstyle in the recent series. Firestar is a new character for me, but works as a foil to Ice Man. Loving this book and am really glad I took a chance based on Jason Aaron and the cover for issue 1. 4.5 out of 5.

Now for this week. I picked up Serenity Leaves on the Wind 2.The crew of the Serenity take Zoe to a medical ship. When the alliance get wind of it they rush to capture them forcing Mal to leave her behind.They contemplate how to get the alliance to give up Zoe so River decides to go into a coma to try to remember what other secrets they told her when another ship docks with them and Jayne Cobb appears with Bea. When Mal tries to get them to leave they realize Bea's crew has been killed by an old acquaintance. Where the first issue was quite a bit of setup, this issue turns the game on and gets the ball rolling. It's interesting to see how the dynamics have shifted since the Serenity movie. Mal and Jayne are at odds, which was hinted at happening during the show. They've now built up the conflict between Mal and crew and the Alliance, some good internal conflict twixt the crew and the imminent danger of an intruder lurking on the serenity. All of these plots are interesting and promise to unfold in classic Whedon glory. I love Zach's work and the voice sounds just like the show. The art still feels more along the lines of Buffy, but it's all good for this story. All around great book. 4 out of 5.

Weekly Pull List 1-29-14

Best week of comics this year! (I know that's not saying much considering it's the 3rd week of comics, but that may even apply to last year.) I did only get 2 books this week, but they were both excellent!

First up is Thor God of Thunder 18. Last book ended the Accursed storyline, so this issue we get a new story. From beginning to the end. It's great! Almost never see a full story in a single issue these days. Aaron weaves a fairy tale of young Thor answering the prayers of a village and befriending a dragon. In a "Hangover" style intro we see him waking up in the dragon's mouth. It follows a great little arc and there's great development of Thor and his new friend Skabgagg. On top of the wonderful writing of Jason Aaron, we get a new artist for this issue, Das Pastoras. His art is gloriously raw, yet beautifully watered down. It's almost as if the art is a representation of the godly hangover Thor has at the beginning of the issue. Love it! Absolutely love this book, and could not have asked for a better "filler" issue. 5 of 5.

The only other book I picked up this week was Serenity: Leaves on the Wind 1. With the 'verse in turmoil after the events of Serenity there is unrest over the revelation of Miranda. A new resistance has formed and is looking for a leader. Coincidentally, the alliance has turned to a presumed dead character to help look for Malcolm Reynolds to bring him to justice for disturbing the peace, to say the least. Good book. Great start to a potentially great series. I'm a huge fan of this universe so I'm in for the long haul. The art is by Georges Jeanty who does great work on the Buffy comics, but I don't think was the best choice for this story. It's a little too cartoony. It's great on a lighter story like Buffy, but Serenity left us in a darker world where everything has just been turned a little bleaker. Solid first issue to reintroduce us to the 'verse. Good stuff. 4.5 out of 5.