The Weekly Pull: She-Hulk, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Arcade Kings, and More

20 km/h

• Created by Woshibai
• Published by Drawn and Quarterly

Comics fans seeking new frontiers for their reading know they can rely upon Drawn & Quarterly to bring them powerful new perspectives and brilliant new styles from across the world. Such is the case with 20 km/h, a collection of comic vignettes responding to the absurdity of modern life from the prolific (and anonymous) Chinese cartoonist Woshibai. Readers will be struck by the whimsical approach taken in near-silent contemplations of time, space, consumption, and much more, like in this brief sample where readers witness a man pulling down the moon from the sky only to deposit it later for a soda. Woshibai's minimalist style invites us to project ourselves and our own perspectives into these meditations on existence. Each concept is so clearly displayed to remind readers how comics can overcome language barriers and express universal ideas crossing borders and oceans. Whether you're already anticipating this brilliant new collection or simply looking for something new in the world of comics, 20 km/h will not disappoint. -- Chase Magnett

Arcade Kings #1

• Writing and art by Dylan Burnett
• Colors by Walter Baiamonte, Sara Antonellini
• Letters by Andworld Design
• Published by Image Comics

It's fair to say there's a fair bit of overlap between comic readers and video game players. Arcade Kings from Dylan Burnett looks to live at the intersection of the two forms. The prestige comic book is borrowing the style and tropes of classic video games to tell a real-world story focusing on the current reigning champion of a local arcade scene. If Burnett can deliver a heartfelt story to match the book's gorgeous visuals, Arcade Kings could be something special. -- Jamie Lovett

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1

• Written by Ed Brisson, Tom King, Christopher Cantwell, Dan More
• Art by Dan Mora, Javier Rodriguez, Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes
• Letters by Clayton Cowles

The Batman anthology format is back at DC this week with the launch of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which sees the Dark Knight teaming up with various other heroes from across the DC Universe. While the writers involved in the four stories featured in this first issue are stellar -- Tom King, Ed Brisson, and Christopher Cantwell -- it's the artistic talent that really has me excited. King teams with frequent collaborator Mitch Gerads, Javier Rodriguez teams with Cantwell, Brisson re-teams with Jeff Spokes, and Dan Mora gets a story all to himself. Batman: The Brave and the Bold could be an exciting showcase for great comics talent. -- Jamie Lovett

Dawn of DC: Primer #1

• Written by Joshua Williamson
• Art by Leandro Fernandez
• Colors by Daniela Miwa
• Letters by Troy Peteri
• Published by DC

We're nearly halfway through the Dawn of DC event, which has been taking DC's crop of heroes and villains into a new, but familiar light. With this week's Dawn of DC: Primer, we finally have an inkling of what will tie those relaunches and resets together — a conflict with Amanda Waller that is much more than meets the eye. This issue is sure to play an important role in the next six months of storytelling and beyond, so be sure to not miss it. — Jenna Anderson

Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1

• Written by Che Grayson
• Art by Kelsey Ramsay
• Colors by Ronda Pattison
• Letters by Shawn Lee
• Published by IDW Publishing

The first installment of Dark Spaces, Scott Snyder's new anthology-horror series at IDW Publishing, subtitled Wildfire was a riveting read to no one's surprise. Our own coverage of the series highlighted its use of nuanced characters, a colorful, high-stakes setting, and how its premise draws out the worst (and not-so-bad) of humanity. It was an impressive debut, which is exactly what readers expect from Snyder and his collaborators. However, I'm even more excited for the second installment of Dark Spaces kicking off this week in Good Deeds #1. Snyder's reputation as a mentor to emerging talent ought to rival his reputation as a writer, and this new story sees him drafting rising comics stars into the spotlight. Writer Che Grayson is joined by artist Kelsey Ramsay to tell the story of a rural Florida community celebrating its 450th anniversary. That festival inevitably leads to bloodshed and an investigation by disgraced journalist Cheyenne into what caused the horrible event and how it relates to the town's history. As an examination of colonialism and how the past is never really past, Dark Spaces: Good Deeds promises readers an intelligent and thrilling new horror story told in fantastic style. This is not a comic to be missed. -- Chase Magnett

She-Hulk #13

• Written by Rainbow Rowell
• Art by Andres Genolet
• Colors by Rico Renzi
• Letters by Joe Carasmagna
• Published by Marvel Comics

Now that She-Hulk's landmark 175th legacy issue has come and gone, Jen Walters' story is headed into a brand new territory. Rainbow Rowell, Andres Genolet, and company are at the top of their game in this run, and between dealing with Jen's newest foe and crossing over with Patsy Walker / Hellcat, I'm very excited to see what they do with this installment. — Jenna Anderson

Star Trek: Echoes #1

• Written by Marc Guggenheim
• Art by Oleg Chudakov
• Colors by DC Alonso
• Letters by Jeff Eckleberry
• Published by IDW Publishing

Star Trek returns to the era of the original motion picture in IDW Publishing's new Echoes miniseries. Taking place in Star Trek: The Motion Picture's immediate aftermath, Echoes could serve as a great continuation of themes from the excellent Star Trek: Year Five, which wrapped as the Enterprise crew entered this era. With Kirk still in command of the Enterprise after the V'ger incident, the crew must investigate and incursion from another reality that could lead to war with the Romulan Star Empire. Under the capable pen of Marc Guggenheim and with the artwork of Oleg Chudakov, we expect this to be a satisfying story set in a relatively underutilized place on the Star Trek timeline. -- Jamie Lovett

Tom Strong Compendium

Written by Alan Moore, et al.

Art by Chris Sprouse, et al.

Published by DC

Tom Strong might not be a household name amongst some DC fans, with the science-based hero skirting the line between pulp and superherodom in peculiar ways since the 1990s. But his weird and wonderful story deserves to be experienced, and this week's Tom Strong Compendium might be the best possibility in a while to do so. Collecting the 36 issues of Tom's Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse-crafted solo run, this compendium is filled with some underrated and wild adventures, which will make you look at the DCU in a new light. — Jenna Anderson