Weekly Pull List 7-2-14

Several great books this week. Let's start with Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet 2. Since I already got number 1 and it's a 6 issue arc, I figured I might as well go all in. This book is mostly impressive at the way it captures the voices of the characters and the overall jokey and lighthearted feel of the show. General Gumm teams up with the Clown Prince of Crime in this issue and once again we are left in a harrowing cliffhanger!! A lot of fun. It's not the most exciting or brilliant story, but it's fun so I call it a win. 4 out of 5.

Next up is Lazarus 9. Been waiting several months for this one, but we finally find out about the Lift. Turns out the Lift is a test of sorts. It allows a few members of the serf population rise up and begin to work for the family populations. Art is still cool. This issue works great to expand the universe and give us a little of the history of Forever as well. Still a great book and I love Rucka and Lark's teamwork. Lark's artwork works so well with Rucka's writing style. There's a reason they've been working together for so long. All good things. I'm glad this issue finally came out. As usual I'm excited to see more. 4 out of 5. 

Thor God of Thunder 24. The epilogue of the Last Days of Midgard story cleans up Broxton and teases stuff for a future story arc. This is a nicely done issue. Not the most action filled issue, but it's very well done and good to see a transitionary story done right. Most of the issue discusses the rebuilding of Broxton and the decision of Asgard to move elsewhere in order to protect the people of Midgard. We see Jane Foster again and have a lovely conversation between her and Thor. Future Thor explores the newly flourishing, old planet Earth and Galactus is ravaging Mars when the remnants of the Black Blade of Gorr infect him to create the Butcher of Worlds. Great issue. Ribic's art is still stellar. It's a shame we don't get more until September. 3 out of 5.

Also in Marvel land comes Magneto 6. Magneto hunts down a bunch of clones of a mutant team who helped hunt down other mutants. He eventually finds the facility where they make them and alters the formula so they'll be loyal to him somehow. Strange jump to make and the plot doesn't move a whole lot, but the art is awesome. They use colors excellently to emphasize certain pieces of the art. The deaths are equally gruesome and gorgeous. All around an excellent book. This issue was a bit of a lull, but I'm sure it will pick up. 3 out of 5.

Lastly, Green Arrow shows some new tricks in issue 33. There's some great flashbacks between Diggle and Ollie exploring their history with Dragon. He's mad at Arrow for stopping before. It turns out that was during Oliver's depression after his mother died so Diggle ran out as the Arrow to stop some crime. Oliver finds Dragon and Diggle only to find Vertigo as a guard of sorts. The issue ends as Dragon throws Digg out a window and Fyff takes a gunshot to the abdomen while trying to rescue Emiko and get her to safety. Definitely the biggest cliffhanger of the bunch. As usual the art is incredible and the story is very fun. Great issue and it seems things are about to go nuts which is always fun to see. 4 out of 5.

Weekly Pull List 6-18-14

Short week this week. The first book I picked up was due to me listening to Fatman on Batman 66 where they read through the first issue of Batman 66 meets the Green Hornet. It's a fun book if you're a fan of the Adam West series. I've enjoyed what I've seen of it and the movie so I had fun. I don't remember the villain, General Gumm (former Colonel) but he is supposedly from the TV show episode where they met the Green Hornet for the first time. The dialogue is a little jarring to read as it's written so well in the style of the show and reads rather oddly. I'm not a huge fan of the art. Everything has a thick black outline on it and it doesn't work for me. It's almost as if a child drew everything in a big sharpie. The biggest problem of having such bland artwork is that the cover is by Alex Ross so it is incredibly beautiful. Doesn't work great for me overall. Which is why listening to it over at the link above is a good choice. 3 out of 5.

Thor God of Thunder 23 is the other book I picked up. This book picks up shortly after the last book took place. It took just enough of a leap in time to make it feel like I had missed something. Even though there was nothing important to the story that was glossed over at all, it felt off for a while. An epic battle rages between King Thor and Galactus whilst today's Thor battles the Minotaur under Broxton. An extremely awesome conclusion to the last days of Midgard story. I like how Aaron doesn't use 6 issue arcs all the time. It keeps the book feeling fresh. Ribic again does beautiful work. All in all one of the better issues of this series so far. No real complaints to speak of. This story could've been a half issue longer as it was a bit rushed at the end. Otherwise it's all around excellent. 4.5 out of 5.

Weekly Pull List May Pt. 2

Time to play some catch up. Been a bit busy with moving halfway across the country so I let this get away from me. So let's begin. A lot has been happening in the DC Universe. Most of it has been fairly uninteresting to me. I will start with Justice League United 1. The crew assembled in the 0 issue are battling some giant monster that got released last issue. It changes between rock, fire, lightning, etc to battle everyone. As the creature goes to reform, they teleport for a faraway world. Meanwhile, Lobo fights Hawkman and brings him to scientists who have created "Ultra the multi-alien... The slayer of worlds." from the DNA of thousands of prisoners from across the galaxy. Still build up for a story that may be interesting, but the cosmic stuff typically doesn't do much for me. It's a fine book, but definitely nothing special. 2 out of 5.

Now the big new weekly event. Futures End issues 2-4. Issue 2 is Green Arrow's funeral where everyone is sad and it calls back to the relationship between Ollie and Animal man that we see beginning in Justice League United 1. Issue 3 is mostly Grifter researching something and Lois finding out that Red Robin is alive. Issue 4 is Red Robin realizing that Batman Beyond is here and Frankenstein invades S.H.A.D.E. and gets recruited to avenge his former lover. Plastique and some other guy recruit coil for a "last job" which involves breaking into Terrifitech. Grifter finds a lead to the same but gets zapped and knocked out. Overall, I'm bored with this story. It's a lot of characters I have almost no interest in. The one's I want to know more of (Firestorm, Batman Beyond) are all peripheral characters who have yet to take part. I will probably continue picking this up, but I started getting it thinking it was a 12 or 13 issue series and not a 52 week thing. So I don't really see myself going all the way, but it has until I miss an issue or at least a few more issues to pick up a bit before I'm out. 2 out of 5.

Next up is the conclusion of the Outsiders War in Green Arrow 31. Death, destruction, moral quandaries, etc. all wrap up this story fairly quickly. It's a good arc, but it ended rather abruptly and works out a little too nicely. It's pretty awesome how the Diggle story that we've seen bits and pieces of over the last few issues is now heading toward being the focus of the book. I wish there had been another issue of wrap up for the story. This one felt a little rushed and like everything is crammed in too tightly. Art-wise, still an excellent book. Can't wait to see what Lemire does with the gang of classic Green Arrow villains he introduces at the end. 4 out of 5.

Over on the other side I had Loki: Agent of Asgard 4. A fun little issue and a bit of a battle of wits. The twists are a little heavy handed, but didn't hurt it too badly. The dialogue is fairly painful as it feels like an older person trying to talk like the "cool kids nowadays" and it just comes off forced and awkward. Quite a bit of fun, but this story isn't the best. Solid book with pretty awesome art. 3.5 out of 5.

Nightcrawler 2 follows Nightcrawler and Amanda as they return to the circus of their childhood in hopes of finding some answers. They scuffle but the automaton Trimega shows up. Boring. The issue is a fun read, but there's no real movement in the story. There's nothing that really changes between the beginning and the end. It feels like a filler issue. Which is awful because it's number 2. I'll give it a couple more issues, but I don't think it'll last. 1.5 out of 5.

Continuing in Marvel, Amazing X-Men 7. Firestar and Bobby are going shopping for the mansion. Yes you read that correctly. That's the premise of this issue. Then a baby shows up in their cart and Spider-Man arrives chasing him. They take him back to his alien parents. This may be the dumbest comic I've ever read. Definitely this year. Art is cool, but this is obviously a filler issue as it's not Jason Aaron who wrote it. Pretty, but lame. 0.5 out of 5

Thor God of Thunder 22 wraps up my Marvel stuff so far. This is still a great book. The girls of Thunder still fight Galactus whilst Thor the Avenger and Rosalind explore Roxxon's shenanigans and find out about the Trolls under Broxton causing all the sinkholes. Heck of a fun read. I love this book. Both stories are incredibly intriguing and a lot of fun. Classic Thor tale. The end has a great call back to the first arc of the series which ties things together quite nicely. Artwrk is gorgeous as always. 5 out of 5.

Now onto the smaller sector. Serenity Leaves on the Wind 5. Fun issue. It builds up to the final issue next month in an exciting way. It looks to be a solid arc as a whole, setting up another rebellion and whatnot. Action-wise this is the issue where the art really doesn't work. There's a lot of excellent action and fighting, but the art isn't crisp enough to make things clear. There are several panels that aare just awkward and confusing to look at. It's a little disjointed as well. The flow isn't as smooth as some other issues. The jumps between character stories are a bit hard to follow. Still love this book and cannot wait to finish off the first arc. 4 out of 5.

Over at Image I got Velvet 5. This issue dives into Velvet's past and gives you more information about why what is happening is so hard on her. It is incredible character stuff and it manages to work as a declaration of intent on the future of the series. I'm excited to go back and read the first 5 issues that serve as a great introduction to this world and a hint of the main antagonist of the series: the corruption within Velvet Templeton's organization. I imagine I will likely pick this up in trade format in the future to make it easier to get people into this series. Brubaker does a great job of going into the past and making us care a lot about the situation and the characters even if they aren't the normal or most important ones. Incredible book. This series is one of my favorite. 5 out of 5.

Last up is Sixth Gun 40. Everyone knows how I feel about this book so I will keep it short. This issue leads right into the endgame. This series is supposed to end with issue 50 so Bunn and Hurtt are bringing it around towards the final conflict. This issue did feel a bit rushed, but also had some really cool character moments that were excellent to see. They also dismiss a possible time travel argument in a few lines of dialogue. It's always funny when writers acknowledge the complaints that readers will have before they happen. Anyways, good book and I'll be back for more. 4.5 out of 5.

Weekly Pull List 4-16-14

Another light week this week. Although I'm apparently more of a Marvel person than I thought. I picked up two books this week. Two Marvel Books written by Jason Aaron. I'll start with Amazing X-Men 6. Now that Nightcrawler is back from the dead, it's only right to have a party at a bar to commemorate. Kurt's enjoying the celebration when Mystique shows up to find out where Azazel is being taken as a prisoner. I was initially very intrigued by the pirate Nightcrawler from issue one. I wish that we had seen some more of that than we did. Now he's back and has to deal with being alive again. It's a nice touch to see them celebrating for once. Wolverine actually mentions that in his toast. I've not read anything focusing on Nightcrawler and his family before and in that respect it's a fun story. Mystique and Azazel have a ton of animosity towards each other and we see the beginning of an intriguing showdown between them and Nightcrawler which we don't get to see because Nightcrawler gets knocked out I guess? Mystique offers Azazel a job and Kurt is drunk. The end. Okay book, I would have enjoyed seeing more of the fight between the three but since it's part one, I'm hoping we will see more in a few issues.. The art has a very basic and juvenile feel to it. It feels like a kids book and I think it could use a more serious take on the character designs. 2.5 out of 5. Looking forward to seeing more of them.

The other book I got is Thor God of Thunder 21. King Thor's battle with Galactus rages on. Thor the Avenger heads back to Asgard near Broxton, Oklahoma only to find Roxxon has moved in with several floating machine cities polluting the area. In a rage Thor goes to destroy some of the equipment and machines. Only to be handed a note. That's right, Thor is getting sued for damages. As always, an excellent book It's awesome seeing two almighty beings beating the crap out of each other. Thor being sued? Now that's original. Incredibly intrigued as to how that's going to go. Ribic is still doing incredibly beautiful artwork. If either the writing OR the art were as good as it is, I would be buying this book. Since it's both, I feel that the book is twice the value of a normal book. 5 out of 5.

Pull List 4-2-14

It's been a few weeks due to family visiting and general busy-ness so I have quite a few books to catch up on. We'll start with Superman Unchained 6. All the Nuclear Missiles are launched. Superman tries to stop them all with the help of Wonder Woman and Batman. Wraith is still a villain version of Superman. The story is fairly lame and feels familiar and I'm pretty over it. It's got one more issue to hook me or I'm out. The art is beautiful, but I'm just bored with it. 2 out of 5.

Sixth Gun 39 is another great issue. Death, visions, flames of perdition. All this and more are brought together for a very action packed issue that keeps you reading and waiting for number 40. While this issue doesn't matter a ton in the grand scheme of things, it's a very suspenseful episode. There's still one or two issues of this arc so I'm interested in seeing where they're taking it since this feels like the end of it already. Great stuff as usual. 4 of 5.

Next up: Thor God of Thunder 20. King Thor is fighting Galactus to prevent him from eating the Earth while Thor the Avenger is trying to prevent Roxxon corporation from damaging the world to make a profit. Another great issue. Loads of fun. Seeing King Thor taking on the Devourer of worlds is great. The only problem I have with this issue is I just read a Mighty Thor trade where they fight Galactus from only a few years ago. Apart from the redundancy of that aspect of the story, it's nice to see a hero trying to save the world from humans instead of an evil villain. Ribic's art is as incredible as ever. The faces are a lot more detailed than a lot of books out there, which in itself is a great touch. When everything looks great, the book feels top notch. 4 of 5.

Lazarus 7. Forever visits her sister Johanna and has her interrogate the hostage to get info of the "terrorsist cell" while the nomads head to lift. Solid filler issue. Most interesting part was Johanna interrogating Emma, though it was more of a bribery situation. Great intrigue and mystery. Keeps me interested in the next issue which is the goal of comics really. Not much else to say. Don't know what lift is apart from there's a lot of people trying to get to it. It's fun and original. 3.5 out of 5.

Onto week 2. Amazing X-Men 5. Another super interesting story. Nightcrawler and friends are fighting Azazel and his crew in an action packed issue that brings Nightcrawler back to life! (What? I know I am shocked.) Story-wise it's alright. Art and lasting impact-wise it's an excellent issue. Looking forward to see where the next plot is going to take us and who will be joining the cast. 4 out of 5.

Serenity number 3 came out and it was great. River dreams about the academy and what they did to her and she wants to go rescue the other children, Zoey gets transferred to a remote prison camp, and our old friend tries to take over the ship. The first two are interesting developments and promise to lead to good things. The last plot was super abrupt and not as believable or interesting. There's a few good moments, but not super great. The art is growing on me this issue, so that's definitely a plus. The characterization and dialogue feels like a continuation of the show. I love this book and can't wait for the next one. 4.5 out of 5.

This week was pretty villain-centric. I'll start with Pretty Deadly 5 which wraps up the first arc of the series. I read it and was thoroughly lost and confused. I then reread all 5 and the series is very dark and interesting. The narrative function of a dead bunny and a butterfly telling each other the story of death's daughter and the heart of the world. It's got a lot of complex legends and tales all interwoven masterfully. The art is excellently dark and dirty, very fitting for the darkness of the story. Wonderful work all around, but I will wait for the trade on the second story methinks. Much more enjoyable that way. 4.5 out of 5.

Let's head back over to the mind of Cullen Bunn with Magneto 2. While hunting down his lead on the Omega Sentinel Erik remembers his time in the holocaust and how he witnessed the death and betrayal of a couple of friends. Naturally, he sets up a trap and manages to take out several of the people who work for those who created those sentinels. Vigilante Magneto is a sweet take on the character. And flashbacks to World War 2 are always fun. The design for Magneto has already grown on me so that's no longer an issue. This issue was structured quite well and flowed nicely. Great story with excellent history and art that will blow you away. 5 out of 5.

Now for the follow-up to Loki speed dating in Loki Agent of Asgard 3. I don't know what it is about this issue, but I had a hard time reading this one. It has old Loki go back in time and manipulate a young Odin into owing him a favor and giving him a sword that is special for some reason. Just didn't excite me at all. The art was pretty cool but I paid for a Loki story and there was too much Odin that didn't seem to matter. I hope it pays off in the future, but right now it's just a meh story with pretty good art. 3 of 5

Green Arrow 30. Another incredibly beautiful issue by Andrea Sorrentino. Interesting build up to the so called "Outsiders War." Turns out the supposedly dead body of Green Arrow last issue was just Magus pulling a trick. it's a nice issue, just a little odd that it undoes everything we thought we knew at the end of last issue. It's good stuff. Just another middle of the story issue. Good stuff. It's a good suspense builder. Waiting for the powder keg to blow. 4 out of 5.

Weekly Pull List 2-12-14

Solid week this week. Got a few great books and took a chance on a new one. I'll start with the new one. I saw the cover of The Mercenary Sea which looks straight out of a James Bond comic. It's a fun read and pretty quick. Follows a crew of a mercenary ship floating the seven seas. Imagine Pirates of the Caribbean meets Firefly, set in modern times, with a bit of spy thriller thrown in.   The art is pretty cool, but the colors are rather flat. Not a ton of shading and detail, but it works. It's a pretty light story so far and the simplistic art matches quite well. I like it, but I think I'm going to watch for the trade to get the full story. 4 out of 5.

Next up is Justice League of America 12. Still following Martian Manhunter and Stargirl as they fight Despero and try to save the rest of the League as well as the world. J'onn tells an old Martian children's tale which relates to Stargirl's trials in the issue. Decent book as usual. It's just fun, not overly important in the grand scheme of things. The art is spot on with a solid realism and vibrant colors to keep things interesting. The whole Forever Evil thing is rather boring to me which is why I enjoy this smaller, more personal story. 3 out of 5.

Now I jump over to Marvel for Thor God of Thunder 19.Now. First, Marvel's decimal numbering is stupid. For more, go listen to the Watchtower Podcast as I share much of their views on the subject. In this case, however I think it works on this round as it's a new storyline that's pretty simple to jump into. Now for the book! Great start to the new story! Back on Midgard, Rosalind Solomon is following whales when attacked by some whalers. She's saved by Thor and arrives at a press release where Dario Agger of Roxxon is announcing his new ice harvested from a moon of Jupiter. Thor thwarts his plan of world domination via making boatloads of money. In the future, King Thor revels at how blue Earth used to be when an ancient Galactus shows up. Excellent start to another epic tale. It's great to see Thor really caring about the Earth. Also excellent to see Esad Ribic back!! His art is so smooth and beautiful. Fits the epic, medieval feel to the book. He's always been the perfect choice for this book. 4.5 out of 5. Excellent story and room for improvement.

The Sixth Gun 38 rounds out my list this week. You've heard me praise the heck out of Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt. This issue's scale has expanded greatly from what the last few had been leading up to. Loads of action, lots of characters, and a ton of tension being released. They start working to shave off the overload of characters to make the book a little smaller and more intimate like the earlier stories. A story that is not only fresh, but done incredibly well to add to the novelty of it. Best issue I've read in a while. And still a favorite book. 4.5 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.

Pull List 2014 Part 1

And we're back. I didn't get to my last batch of books last year so I'll briefly go through those as well as what I've picked up so far this year. I got Justice League of America 10. A continuation of the forever evil tie in story with Martian Manhunter and Stargirl looking for the rest of the heroes. Good book. Then in issue 11 Stargirl and J'onn travel across the U.S. to get to her parents. Fighting, flashbacks, getting jumped by Despero and ending underwater fighting to surface. Nothing too incredible, I think it will be a better story after we get a few more issues to complete the story.

Lazarus 5 and 6. War is still building between the families. I need to go back and reread these issues. It's been a while. Still good. Rucka is as good as ever. Fun story. Great world. Beautiful art. I have zero complaints about this book.

Pretty Deadly 3 and 4. Another book that will be better in its entirety. Although issue 4 was the best so far as it actually led somewhere. There was some actual development that will matter after this issue. It did feel like a lot of set up, but I wish that this is where we were after issue 2. I will be rereading this series before the next issue so I will get more in depth at that point. The art in the most recent issue took a slight step up. It's almost as if Emma Rios is getting more comfortable with the book. It's got water color style muted colors that tell the gruesome story in the best way.

Thor God of Thunder 16 and 17. The conclusion to the Accursed story. A less obvious touch on a fairly obvious twist made this not quite as good as the previous godbomb story, but it still ended fairly well. As usual the dark elves are predictable in their savagery and chaos-loving natures for a great twist which promises this won't be the last of Malekith. Very solid arc overall, probably a 8 of 10. I'm really looking forward to where the book is going.

Superman Unchained 5. Decent book, but incredibly well written. The whole story feels pretty familiar, even though I have nothing to really compare it to. Wraith is an enemy, then a friend, then he isn't, then he is, and then he fires all the nuclear missiles in the world. The flashback to the first time Clark fries is pretty sweet. It's a fun story, but not the best. I'll give it another issue or two but it's not lasting long.

Next up is Green Arrow 27. Part 1 of the Outsiders War. Decent issue. The art, as usual, is phenomenal. Not really sure how to explain it, but I'll try. Sorrentino uses smaller panels to draw emphasis on small detail or transition between bigger moments. It's amazing. Easily my favorite art of any book right now. Story wise, Oliver goes back to the island and Shado helps convince him that he was stranded there for a reason. The book ends with a pretty shocking twist. I'm kinda wary about it and am withholding judgement until I see how it plays out. I've liked Lemire's work all over the New 52 so far, so I'm hopeful. Great book. Looking forward to the rest of this story.

Velvet 3. My favorite new book from 2013. A great spy thriller set to beautiful art by Steve Epting and incredibly colored by Elizabeth Breitweiser. It's a dark gritty tale is matched by the smooth watercolored backgrounds and stunning art. This issue introduces you to a character you grow to admire in the 23 pages of this single issue. Great mystery and intrigue. The characters are great. It's like reading a James Bond movie if Bond were female. Fantastic all around. Can't wait for more.

Finally I got a few issues (35-37) of Sixth Gun. It's not my favorite story of the series, but it's still got the mysticism and action that usually comes with it. Bunn nails it with the story and Hurtt's art is still excellent. I'm with this book as long as they keep making it. So that catches us up from the holidays. I'm hoping to keep this going steadily and get more other blogging in, so keep the good vibes heading this way.

Bi-Weekly Pull List November Part 1

Several books over the first two weeks of November, and they're most of my favorites. All from the big two though. Over in Marvel I picked up a pair of books by Jason Aaron. The exquisite Thor: God of Thunder 15. This book takes the League of Realms through Alfheim and Jotunheim chasing Malekith and his band of dark elves. There is drinking, merriment, epic battles, and all around goodness. Aaron does great work exploring the worlds and showing Thor and his group. It's a whole bunch of fun and Garney's art helps portray the joyous, yet serious mood of this issue. This is still one of my favorite books ever! 5 out of 5.

Next up, I picked up Amazing X-Men 1. A book coming off the Battle of the Atom story and heading in a nice direction. Nightcrawler is sitting on the edge of paradise (read heaven) when Azazel and his little red BAMFs show up and they have a little showdown. Back in Westchester, Firestar shows up at the Jean Grey school for her first day of teaching. After a busy, busy day the teachers discover a portal inside a wall where a bunch of other BAMFs are hanging out. The discovery leads to Wolverine and Northstar being sucked in to warp them to paradise where they run into a giant pirate ship. Not a whole lot of interesting stuff here. But the promise of seeing Nightcrawler being a badass. It promises to be an epic series for sure. 4 out of 5.

Now over to DC. We've got Superman Unchained 4. This book is pretty good. Seperman teams up with knock off Superman. It's fun and there's a lot of solid action. Not much to say about it, but I like it and am in for the long run (even the short run if the rumors be true). 3 of 5.

Justice League of America 9 follows the Martian Manhunter and Stargirl as they go through the prison to find the others. Stargirl catches up with J'onn as he faces off with himself then they escape, only to be met by Deathstroke and several other villains. And oh yeah... the Manhunter is in Stargirl's head. Alright story. Great art. Fun book. Hope it goes well. 3 of 5.

Lastly, I've got Green Arrow 25. This book has the Zero Year tag on it. It takes place as Oliver returns to Seattle. Mrs. Queen has gone to Gotham to help those in need, accompanied by none other than John Diggle straight from CW's Arrow!! She gets attacked when Batman steps in. As he's about to lose, Green Arrow shows up. As always, Sorrentino's art is phenomenal and stylistically awesome. Great issue and a solid book all around. 5 of 5.

Weekly Pull List 10-9-2013

Light week this week so it will be a short post. Which definitely helps to get it out in time. Oddly a Marvel-centric week. Battle of the Atom part 7 takes place in X-Men 6. It's a nice continuation of a fun, albeit convoluted story. There's a lot going on that isn't easy to follow, but it's easy to overlook assuming that the answers will actually come. The future "X-Men" reveal their evil intentions, but not yet their plan. This issue is decent but it's very useless outside the scope of the story. 3 of 5.

And the other book I picked up was Thor God of Thunder 14. Part 2 of the Accursed story. This book starts with the Dark Elf queen going to hide out with the mountain dwarves of Nidavellir. Thor is getting ready to head out when he is stopped by Volstagg and Freyja who have just come from the Congress of Worlds and they reveal that the council has planned for a League of Realms to hunt down Malekith. It's a bit Lord of the Rings with the elves, trolls, dwarves, etc joining forces. This book has moments of shear beauty when Malekith defeats another elf in a duel using sweet sorcery, great political talk, and even horror (when Malekith sneaks up on Thor in the dark with his glowing eyes). All around a great book. Jason Aaron kicks some ass  with his script and story, and Ron Garney is filling in nicely with the art.