The Weekly Pull: Wolverine & Captain America, Black Hammer/Justice League, and More
It’s almost Wednesday again, which means only one thing: new comics! Every Wednesday, comic book [...]
Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice! #1
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Michael Walsh
Published by Dark Horse/DC
After slowly building up momentum for the past few years, Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer universe is finally arriving on its biggest stage yet as it crosses over with the biggest comics universe in existence. Lemire himself previously told ComicBook.com that this crossover would largely stand alone, giving those curious in checking out the Black Hammer world an easy way to hop on board. -- Adam Barnhardt
prevnextCriminal #6
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips
Published by Image Comics
The current story in Criminal, which began last month in the pages of Criminal #5, has been described by its creators as the most ambitious story in the series' long and lauded history. That refers to both its length and scope, going longer and including far more characters, perspectives, and plotlines than found in any previous volume. That's a promise worth chasing considering what the names Brubaker and Phillips mean in comics and just how well this narrative began in Criminal #5. The first issue made it clear that this duo still understands how to transform all of the best tropes in the detective and crime genres into a story that feels new and relevant. It introduced several compelling new characters while leaving subtle hints as to how it ties into the series' ongoing mythos. If every subsequent issue, starting with this one, meets the bar established by that beginning, then this story will be a crime comics classic, not just the best Criminal tale to date. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #1
Written by Jody Houser
Art by Olivia Samson
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Critical Role is a fan-favorite webseries/podcast about a bunch of nerdy voice actors who play Dungeons & Dragons. When the series launched in 2015, the show introduced fans to Vox Machina, a group of adventurers who would one day save the world from dark gods and evil dragons. However, fans only got to see part of Vox Machina's journey as Critical Role started mid-campaign, so now Dark Horse is releasing a comic book featuring Vox Machina in their earliest days. The first volume (released digital only) was a perennial best-seller on Comixology, and the second volume should be a hot seller as well. More importantly, Vox Machina Origins should fill that fantasy itch for most comics fans, especially those who enjoy stories about adventurers just trying to scrape by in the world. -- Christian Hoffer
prevnextGiant-Size X-Statix #1
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Mike Allred
Published by Marvel
The X-Men franchise has spawned some strange characters and unique spinoffs, but none quite like X-Statix. Peter Milligan and Michael Allred first came on to revamp Marvel's X-Force ongoing, but their post-modern take on superheroism as filtered through early 21st-century celebrity-obsessed culture soon took on a life of its own. Though critically revered, X-Statix never quite achieved the sales it deserved. It's returned in spurts here and there, through limited series focusing on characters like Dead Girl and Doop, and we're happy to see it back again at full strength even if only for one Giant-Size story. There are few superhero series as iconoclastic and worthwhile as X-Statix. Start here, then go back and discover the rest. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextGo Go Power Rangers #21
Written by Sina Grace, Ryan Parrott
Arty by Francesco Mortarino
Published by BOOM! Studios
Fans have been looking forward to Go Go Power Rangers' take on the Green Ranger saga for a while now, but that isn't all fans will find in Go Go Power Rangers #21. Writers Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace have some big surprises in store, and artist Francesco Mortarino and inker Vincenzo Federici are set to deliver some gorgeous sequences that Range fans will assuredly adore. A new era of Power Rangers all starts here! -- Matthew Aguilar
prevnextInvisible Woman #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Mattia De Iulis
Published by Marvel
Despite being one of the longest-tenured characters in the Marvel mythos, Sue Storm has never had a solo title until now. With Mark Waid in tow to pen the character's first self-titled book, this five-issue mini-series series already shows an incredible amount of potential. Then on top of that, you have upcoming star Mattia De Iulis (Jessica Jones) on the interior artwork, bringing a certain realism and grittiness to the character that promises to provide a complex blend of a grounded, yet out-of-this-world science fiction tale. -- Adam Barnhardt
prevnextSecond Coming #1
Written by Mark Russell
Art by Leonard Kirk and Richard Pace
Published by AHOY Comics
The first printing of Second Coming has been a long time coming. The series was originally announced last summer as part of a Vertigo Comics relaunch only to run into controversy due to its premise, something that would lead to the series parting ways with DC Comics and moving to Ahoy Comics. The controversy wasn't altogether surprising, though. This is a satirical series about the classic Judeo-Christian God, presented with a flowing white beard and robes, returning his son Jesus to Earth in the modern day in order to be mentored by a Superman-analog. It is a concept that pokes fun both at the superhero genre and some modern religious coalitions, but does so in a way that is ultimately appreciative of the complexity and ideas that have made its source material a cornerstone in modern history. Describing this idiosyncratic blend of humor, genre, and politics as ambitious might be understating the case, but it's that ambition that makes this first issue a must-read pick. Even if Second Coming doesn't achieve all that it intends, the attempt itself should be revealing. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextWolverine & Captain America: Weapon Plus #1
Written by Ethan Sacks
Art by Diogenes Neves
Published by Marvel
Back in the early 2000s, Grant Morrison revitalized the X-Men line by reexamining many of its core tenets and turning them on their heads. One of those Tenet was Wolverine's mysterious origin. Morrison decided that Weapon X was Weapon 10 written with a Roman numeral and that it was the tenth such Weapon project in a series that began with Project Rebirth birthing Captain America as the world's first and only super-soldier. Like many of Morrison's high concepts, most writers to follow chose to write around this revelation rather than write into it, but this one-shot Captain America and Wolverine team-up looks to dive head in. Ethan Sacks has become one of Marvel's secret weapons, cutting his teeth on titles set in the "Old Man" universe such as Old Man Hawkeye and Old Man Quill. We can't wait to see Sacks and artist Diogenes Neves (Demon Knights) wrestle with Cap and Wolverine's shared history. -- Jamie Lovett
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