The Weekly Pull: X-Men, Batman, Angel, and More

Absolute Carnage #4

Written by Donny Cates
Art by Ryan Stegman
Published by Marvel Comics

Our jaws dropped at the end of Absolute Carnage #3 when Hulk became one with Venom against Carnage's symbiote hordes, and now we get to see the chaos that ensues when you give one of the strongest beings on the planet even more power. Writer Donny Cates has a way of weaving in small but vital character moments into all the action, and coupled with artist Ryan Stegman's stellar work on the series thus far, that makes Absolute Carnage #4 a must-read. -- Matthew Aguilar

Angel Legacy Edition: Book One

Written by Joss Whedon, Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, and David Fury
Art by Eric Powell, Hector Gomez, Clem Robins, Christian Zanier, and Ryan Sook
Published by BOOM! Studios

BOOM! Studios has successfully created an all-new Buffy universe for fans to enjoy, which now includes not only Buffy but also its spinoff Angel. Before that came to be though there were several fantastic Angel stories, and BOOM! is now collecting those in a new collection called the Angel Legacy Edition: Book One. This will collect Angel #1 - #9 as well as Angel: The Hollower, Angel: Point of Order, and Angel: Lovely, Dark, and Deep into one handy place, and if you're a fan of the Angel universe, you don't want to miss out on more stellar storytelling. — Matthew Aguilar

Batman #81

Written by Tom King
Art by John Romita
Published by DC Comics

We're getting ever closer to the end of King's run on Batman but that also means we're getting closer to the finale of "City of Bane" and in Batman #81, King reveals that Batman's had a plan for dealing with things all along. To be fair, the reveal sort of takes some of the emotional punch out of earlier issues of the run with a somewhat difficult to believe explanation that Batman willingly went through the torment he experienced as part of a grand plan, but there's a twist near the end of the issue that strikes at the heart of things -- one that reveals that even for all his planning Batman isn't always right. It underscores the humanity of the character and makes for an exciting read well worth your time. -- Nicole Drum

Chastity #2

Written by Leah Williams
Art by Daniel Maine
Published by Dynamite Comics

Even if you're not familiar with the world of Chastity, this limited series is absolutely worth checking out. This second issue finds the titular half-vampire stuck in the middle of a smuggling ring as she races to save herself and the women who were also kidnapped. Leah Williams and Daniel Maine have crafted a fun, spooky, and feminist read that has a lot of potential. — Jenna Anderson

Contagion #3

Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Roge Antonio, Stephen Segovia
Published by Marvel Comics

Not to put too fine a point on things, but Contagion is a great series. Issue #3 is just one example of this and probably one of the most engaging and harrowing yet. A cross between a superhero comic and a horror comic, Contagion has been incorporating heroes from every corner of the Marvel Universe and this issue is no exception. With the series roughly at its midpoint, Ben Grimm thinks he's ended the thread but at a potentially horrible cost -- but there are twists and turns here that makes it pretty clear that the contagion is only getting started. Truly engaging and unexpected, this one is a must-read. -- Nicole Drum

Cult Classic: Creature Feature #1

Written by Eliot Rahal
Art by John Bivens
Published by Vault Comics

Vault Comics is getting into the Halloween spirit with another horrific debut tied to the aesthetics and themes of the season. The Plot #1 delivered a recognizable, but not too familiar, take on the iconic American haunted house tale, and now Cult Classic: Creature Feature is prepared to tackle grindhouse horror (with plenty of gore). The series is set to riff on all-but-extinct late-night shows that would screen the oddest old horror cinema around. It features antagonists that map perfectly onto 1950s movies about alien invasions and several packs of roaming teens who are certainly unprepared for what's coming. It's a potent blend of nostalgia and opportunities for top-notch comics body horror, exactly what many readers will be looking for late at night as October 31st draws ever closer. Twisted, ugly, and pulling from a potent vault of source material—this is a comic ready to thrill and chill, and have a lot of fun along the way. -- Chase Magnett

Rumble #17

Written by John Arcudi
Art by Andrew MacLean, James Harren, and Gonzalo Ruggieri
Published by Image Comics

In the wake of climactic events in Rumble, the series has temporarily shifted away from its ongoing narrative to deliver anthology issues packed with artistic talents. Rumble #16 was a showcase of bravado and style, and Rumble #17 appears ready to top it. The return of James Harren (artist of Rumble's first volume) alone should spark joy in fans and interest from the uninitiated. Harren's recent work on mainstream series like Thor has shown how his exaggerated approach to form and action can make superhero comics every bit as exciting as Rumble. Further additions of Andrew MacLean (Head Lopper) and relative newcomer Gonzalo Ruggieri make it clear that any reader interested in top-notch action-oriented artwork needs to read this new collection of short stories. Rumble #17 provides an accessible entry point to the series and an introduction to some of the best artists working in comics today. What more could one ask for? -- Chase Magnett

Superman Smashes the Klan #1

Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Gurihiru
Published by DC Comics

Gene Luen Yang is one of the most gifted cartoonists of our time, producing award-winning works like American Born Chinese. His short run writing Superman at DC was a pleasant surprise, and then he moved on to creating a new batch of fantastic characters in New Super-Man and the Justice League of China.

Here, Yang writes a story that combines his personal point of view with his love of Superman. In Superman Smashes the Klan, Yang teams with artist Gurihiru for a story set in 1946 about a family that moves to Metropolis and is targeted by the Ku Klux Klan. The daughter of the family teams with Superman to stop the terrorist and expose their financiers. Aimed at middle-grade kids, this is a dream creative team working on a dream project. -- Jamie Lovett

X-Men #1

Written by Jamie Lovett
Art by Leinil Francis Yu
Published by Marvel Comics

After three months of changing the entire landscape of the Marvel Universe for mutants in House of X and Powers of X, Jonathan Hickman's time writing the flagship X-Men title begins here. He's teaming with top tier artist Leinil Francis Yu for this first issue, which focuses on the family life of the first X-Man, Cyclops. Hickman is known for big, long-running storylines, so if you're an X-Men fan or a fan of superhero stories with big-swing setups then you'll want to get into this on the ground floor. — Jamie Lovett