The Weekly Pull: Event Leviathan, Silver Surfer: Black, Immortal Hulk, and More
It’s almost Wednesday again, which means only one thing: new comics! Every Wednesday, comic book [...]
Event Leviathan #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Published by DC
Brian Michael Bendis has slowly built up the Leviathan storyline for months in Action Comics, and it recently took center stage with last month's Leviathan Rising special. This week, Bendis reunites with frequent collaborator Alex Maleev on a tale focused not on Superman, but arguably the two most important people in his life – Batman and Lois Lane. I adore the idea of Lois being Batman's equal when it comes to detective work (she is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist) and Bendis usually thrives at telling stories that have some combination of spycraft, crime, and high stakes. -- Christian Hoffer
prevnextHawkman Vol. 1: Awakening
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Bryan Hitch
Published by DC
Hawkman has been one of DC Comics' most difficult nuts to crack for decades. The character has been buried under reboot on top of reboot, with every new continuity collection only exacerbating the problem. Is he an archaeologist? A reincarnated Egyptian pharaoh? A space cop? An intergalactic warrior? The newest Hawkman series answers all of those questions with a resounding "yes." Robert Venditti's story cuts through the continuity quagmire, incorporating it all into Hawman's journey of outward exploration and inward discovery. This gives Bryan Hitch an excuse to do what he does best, which is draw stunning fight scenes in exotic, pulpy sci-fi locales with cinematic style. This volume collects the first six issues of what seems like it will be the definitive Hawkman story. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextImmortal Hulk #19
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Joe Bennett
Published by Marvel
It might be hard to believe, but The Immortal Hulk keeps finding more momentous and terrifying cliffhangers to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The final page of Immortal Hulk #18 revealed the new Abomination, with an identity and design that left me wanting to scream. Remembering how the hands surrounding this creature's head worked together on its victims is still enough to send chills down my spine. The interceding weeks have been an anxious countdown to see how the series would grapple with this terrible new monster. While the cliffhanger makes this new installment stand out as a must-read, it's really a continuation of quality that makes every single issue of Immortal Hulk fall into that category. This is a series that delivers new thrills and twists every few weeks, all while exploring a poignant mythology of trauma. It simply doesn't get any better than this in superhero comics. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextLollipop Kids Vol. 1: Things That Go Bump In the Night
Written by Adam Glass
Art by Diego Yapur
Published by Aftershock Comics
If you're looking for something a little different that you can sink your teeth into this week, The Lollipop Kids might just be the perfect fit for you. The new trade collects the first five issues of writers Adam and Aidan Glass and artist Diego Yapur's new series that finds a creative new way to explore various avenues of folklore and myth and blends it with the modern day, all wrapped up in a heartfelt story of someone looking for their role in the world and finding it in the unlikeliest of places. The Lollipop Kids might appear to be a bit rough around the edges, but we're sure you'll soon find a lot to love about them if you give the crew a chance. -- Matthew Aguilar
prevnextProdigy #6
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Published by Image
Prodigy has been an exceedingly pleasant surprise, and we think if you give Edison Crane a chance you'll feel much the same way. The first story arc comes to a close with Prodigy #6, but this is the perfect excuse to go and find the first five issues and read it all as one long adventure, where you'll fall in love with the book's eclectic mix of action, smarts, humor, and creativity. It doesn't hurt that Rafael Albuquerque's art has been splendid throughout the series, and coupled with Mark Millar's addicting lead character, Prodigy might just be the book you've been looking for. -- Matthew Aguilar
prevnextSilver Surfer: Black #1
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Tradd Moore
Published by Marvel
Donny Cates has created a rock-star persona at Marvel Comics, one that is partially built on taking fan-favorite characters, like Venom and Beta Ray Bill, and pushing them to their absolute limits. The plot for Silver Surfer: Black was established in his new run on Guardians of the Galaxy when the Surfer and many others were sucked into a black hole with limited hope for survival (or hope) at best. Combine this incredibly metal concept with Tradd Moore, one of the most dynamic and expressive artists working in comics today, and you have a stellar miniseries ready to be read. While it's uncertain where the Surfer will be, who he'll be with, or what trials they will have to endure, the possibilities really do seem endless at this moment. Whatever the answers, it seems certain that Moore and Cates are planning to push one of Marvel's most idiosyncratic heroes to his limits in the pages of Silver Surfer: Black. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextSonata #1
Written by Brian Haberlin and David Hine
Art by Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Vandyke
Published by Image/Shadowline
Some time ago, Brian Haberlin — the writer and artist who co-created Witchblade — got the itch to draw some steampunk sci-fi creatures and characters. He turned to David Hine — writer of Bulletproof Coffin and Strange Embrace — for help in developing a world for those creatures and characters to live in. The result is Sonata, the story of a young girl living on a planet believed to be the promised land. As happens with such promised lands, there's conflict brewing over who controls it. Sonata, a member of a tribe of pacifist settlers, soon finds herself caught up in an adventure that has her weaving her way through the conflict and while trying not to wake the giant, sleeping gods that litter that planets landscape. Sonata looks like it lives at the intersection of The Warlord of the Air and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, so fans of either story or similar ones will probably want to give it a look. -- Jamie Lovett
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