Check out what I checked out this week.Whether the comics are inspiring or disappointing, I read them all.
Welcome to The Pull List.
And, as always...Spoilers ahead!
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Frank Quitely
Colors: Peter Doherty
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
This Mark Millar fella is pretty good at this writing thing, and proves he is still on top of his game, with Jupiter’s Legacy.
This is a superhero tale with generational depth. Sheldon, the protagonist, was born into privilege and saw how far his life and country had gone downhill during the Great Depression. His journey to makes things better gifted him and those around him with superpowers and made a mark on the world the likes of which may never have happened otherwise.
The story picks up in the present where Sheldon’s offspring don’t share his devotion to the cause.
Endorsements, parties, and living up to a seemingly impossible ideal hinder the current crop of heroes. The Golden Age collides with the Modern Age in attempt to dictate the future. Some stick to their beliefs, while others begin to see things in a different light. Truth, justice, and the American way may not be the best thing in 2013, according to Sheldon’s brother, who also gained super powers on that fateful journey. Superheroes in comic books are one thing, but super heroes in the real world are a different story, exactly the kind Mark Millar is telling in exquisite fashion.
Grade: A
Writer: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Artist: Gabriel Hardman
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $2.99
Issue #2 picks up the pace in action from its predecessor and delivers on all fronts. A new Sith Lord captured a Jedi Knight and assumed his identity.
Ania Solo and her friend, Sauk, are being persued by local police as a result of the lightsaber they found, which unbeknownst to them, belongs to the captured Jedi.
The art did a really good job of laying out the chase scenes in the tunnel where the chase occurred. Sauk’s facial expressions, as he clumsily makes things go boom with the lightsaber, was priceless.
Bechko & Hardman add an element of romance and mystery to the fold which opens all sorts of possibilities.
Grade: B+
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Nick Dragotta
Colors: Frank Martin
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.50
Jonathan Hickman’s tale of an alternative America shows a fractured nation where anarchy and deliverance are welcomed by a powerful few.
Death, the book's main character, kills the President in order to send a statement to the other three Horseman. “The Message” is the prophecy that drives everything, as its intention is to end the world.
Jonathan Hickman is never one to hold the reader's hand as he tells the story. While it may be requisite for some, this is what makes his comics either hit or miss and this one is in the process of being a big hit.
This tension-filled issue climaxes at the end, as Death discovers the existence of something that was once lost.
Nick Dragotta’s artwork is something of a mystery to me. It’s is refined at times and dull at others. I’m not sure if this is by design, since the moments such as The Horsemen “selecting” the new President was eerily depicted.
Overall, this looks to be one of Image Comics' breakout successes of 2013. While it can be hard to follow at times, it is a splendid read that gives comic book fans more than enough to sink their teeth into.
Grade: B
Read more »