The Weekly Pull: The Original X-Men, Star Wars: Revelations, Kaijumax, and More
12/19/2023 03:21 pm EST
Hawkeye By Matt Fraction and David Aja Omnibus
- Written by Matt Fraction
- Art by David Aja, et al.
- Colors by Matt Hollingsworth, et al.
- Letters by Chris Eliopoulos, et al.
- Published by Marvel Comics
It's been nearly two years since the Hawkeye live-action series made its way onto Disney+, but the world of Kate Bishop and Clint Barton has still delighted many. If you don't already have a physical copy of the landmark comic run that inspired it all, this new omnibus is here to help. Written by Matt Fraction with art led by David Aja, Hawkeye blazed a lot of new trails for Marvel in the 21st century — and it definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf. — Jenna Anderson
Kaijumax Deluxe Edition Book 3
- Created by Zander Cannon
- Published by Oni Press
Kaijumax is a comic achievement – a collection of six six-issue series detailing the allegorical prison culture of kaiju to reflect the social flaws of our own world. Zander Cannon, the series' sole cartoonist who crafted each page from layouts to letters, used his literally larger-than-life characters and colorful genre lore to examine issues like the prison-industrial complex, the war on drugs, institutionalized poverty, and much more. His utilization of fantastical creature designs, enormous battles, and all sorts of strange aliens and technology made the critical consideration of those topics much easier to read than they appear in the newspaper. Yet throughout the series, Cannon never made a joke of the serious subject matter nor let the jokes fall flat due to the gravity of the story matter. It's a nearly impossible balance walked brilliantly by Cannon in the only medium where such a strange fusion might be possible: Comics. Although Kaijumax concluded its final story last fall, collectors and new readers are now able to possess the complete saga in the best possible format as the third and final Deluxe Edition hardcover arrives in stores this week, collecting the fifth and sixth miniseries alongside dozens of pages of production materials and notes. This volume, alongside the first two, will look brilliant in any library and presents one of the most enjoyable, well-considered, and idiosyncratic comics of the 21st century in the best fashion possible. Enjoy. -- Chase Magnett
Loki the Liar
- Written by Dan Watters
- Art by German Peralta
- Colors by Mike Spicer
- Letters by Travis Lanham
- Published by Marvel Comics
Loki's sophomore season might have come to a close on Disney+ earlier this fall, but there are still plenty of stories to enjoy with regards to the God of Stories. This week's collection of the latest Loki miniseries is among them, offering a condensed but fascinating look at Loki's current standing in the Marvel Universe. Dan Watters brings an equal amount of reverence and subversion when crafting the story, as well as a bit of body horror that fans of his work on Coffin Bound and Arkham City: The Order of the World will surely recognize. When paired with German Peralta's art, the end result is more than worth your time. — Jenna Anderson
The Original X-Men #1
- Written by Christos Gage
- Art by Greg Land and Jay Leisten
- Colors by Frank D'Armata
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by Marvel Comics
No matter how large Marvel's mutant saga grows, there remains a fascination with its humble beginnings crafted by Kirby and Lee around five teenage adventurers. Those original five X-Men—Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, and Angel—have reappeared in plenty of flashback sequences, retold miniseries, and even as time-travelers in writer Brian Michael Bendis' take on the franchise, so it's no surprise to see them appear in their original costumes again this week in The Original X-Men #1. The one-shot arriving just as the "Fall of X" draws to a close, promises readers both a new tale from those early years in yellow costumes but another time-displaced member as well. Given how much things have changed for all five, that promise is particularly intriguing for fans of the franchise; just imagine how a young Beast would respond to the mass atrocities committed by his older self in X-Force. Writer Christos Gage promises readers a reliable hand at the wheel as a writer who regularly utilizes continuity and time travel to weave excellent Spidey stories with similar twists. Although artist Greg Land is a more divisive figure, readers can keep their fingers crossed that their smooth style will portray these mutants in outstanding fashion without too many obvious examples of tracing. Regardless of any potential missteps, the return of the original five for a new adventure and new connections to the present is bound to be an irresistible promise for X-fans everywhere. -- Chase Magnett
ROM and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1
- Written by Bill Mantlo
- Art by Sal Buscema
- Inks by Joe Sinnott, Frank Giacoia
- Colors by Ben Sean
- Letters by Rick Parker, Michael Higgins
- Published by Marvel Comics
I've been reading X-Men comics consistently for long enough now that there aren't many X-Men stories that I haven't lain eyes on, but ROM and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1 presents a few examples. Thanks to the complicated rights surrounding Hasbro's Rom and his original adventures in the Marvel Universe, Marvel hasn't been able to reprint the handful of stories in which the Spaceknight crosses paths with the X-Men until now, despite Rom's enemies, the Dire Wraiths, popping up in one of the greatest X-Men stories of all time, "Lifedeath." Preceding the first volume of Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus collections, which will reprint the entirety of Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema's original Rom series, plus Rom's crossovers into other Marvel publications of the era, ROM and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1 collects two different two-part tales in which Rom meets mutants into a single 100-page issue for X-Men fans to get precisely what they're most interested in. Whether you're a diehard X-Men fan looking to fill some missing pieces in your collection or simply can't wait for the Rom omnibuses to start rolling out, ROM and the X-Men: Marvel Tales #1 should be a fun throwback to a bygone Marvel age. -- Jamie Lovett
Star Wars: Revelations #1
- Written by various
- Art by various
- Published by Marvel Comics.
I've been a little out of touch with Marvel's Star Wars line as of late (it got a little too invested in making Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker fit in with the rest of the Star Wars canon for my taste) but I've been feeling the call of that galaxy far, far away lately. Star Wars: Revelations seems like the perfect one-shot for lapsed readers or newcomers to the Marvel corner of the Star Wars universe to get their bearings. The one-shot contains glimpses into the future of Star Wars comics, and Rod Reis' cover art provides a visual summation of what's on offer. Star Wars: Revelations will tease what's next for Marvel's core Star Wars ongoing series -- Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Doctor Aphra, which are all set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -- after the current Dark Droids event concludes. Star Wars: Revelations also ventures beyond the original Star Wars trilogy with glimpses of the upcoming prequel-era Mace Windu and Jango Fett series, the continuing adventures of Keeve Trennis in Star Wars: The High Republic, and Marvel's adaptation of Thrawn: Alliances, the Timothy Zahn novel that revealed a relationship between new/old Star Wars big bad Grand Admiral Thrawn and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader that dates back to the Clone Wars. If you want a sampling platter of Marvel's Star Wars comics, then Star Wars: Revelations #1 is the comic book you're looking for. -- Jamie Lovett
Wonder Man: The Early Years Omnibus
- Written by various
- Art by various
- Published by Marvel Comics
For better or for worse (depending on which comic fan you ask), Wonder Man has become a distinct part of Marvel Comics lore. With a Disney+ series on the horizon, now is as good of a time as ever to catch up on Simon Williams' weird and wacky superhero tenure — beginning with this new omnibus. Collecting his first solo issue and a slew of ancillary appearances in other books, this provides a delightful snapshot of the heroic hilarity that Wonder Man is capable of. — Jenna Anderson
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