The Weekly Pull: GODS, Transformers, Birds of Prey, and More
10/03/2023 11:10 am EDT
Birds of Prey #2
- Written by Kelly Thompson
- Art by Leonardo Romero
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by DC
As someone who has read every Birds of Prey issue, DC's newest relaunch was already going to be my most-anticipated book of the year, but it has been downright surreal to see the first issue get praised on a larger scale. Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, and company are making pure magic on this book — both for the Birds as a concept, and for concepts as a whole. Trust me, this second issue is every bit as magnetic, weird, and genuinely creative as what preceded it. If you're not reading this book already, fix that immediately. — Jenna Anderson
Clementine: Book Two
- Written by Tillie Walden, Robert Kirkman
- Art by Tillie Walden
- Letters by Tillie Walden
- Published by Image Comics
I've never been all that invested in The Walking Dead universe, either in comics or on television. For a long time, I wondered what it would take to change that and get me to eagerly anticipate a new work set in Robert Kirkman's zombified universe. I got my answer when Skybound announced that award-winning cartoonist Tillie Walden, who created such breathtaking comics as On a Sunbeam and Are You Listening?, would create a series of graphic novels focusing on Clementine from Telltale's The Walking Dead video games. Though I only ever played the first season of Telltale's adventure game series, Clementine immediately seemed like an interesting point of view character as she's been forced to grow up in the post-zombie apocalypse world with little memory of the world before the outbreak. Walden is known for writing young characters, so I was overjoyed to find that her voice came through strongly in the first Clementine graphic novel, albeit mixed with the tragic surprises and harsh realities that have come to define The Walking Dead franchise. Clementine: Book Two releases this week and sees Clementine and her friends taken into an island commune. The synopsis has all of the hallmarks of a classic The Walking Dead story – a fresh start that seems too good to be true, a new community with a mysterious leader – yet, despite that familiar premise and knowledge that things rarely end well for The Walking Dead's characters, I find myself once again eagerly anticipating an opportunity to see how Clementine is faring. -- Jamie Lovett
DC's Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun #1
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by DC
We're officially in October, and the latest of DC's holiday-themed anthologies is here to get us all in the spooky spirit. From an unlikely team-up with Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho, to stories involving Man-Bat and Robotman, to a Nightwing story written by fan-favorite actor Christopher Sean, there's a lot in this volume for comic fans to enjoy. These anthologies always manage to be an excellent and festive snapshot of where DC is at a particular moment, and I'm excited to see how Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun continues that trend. — Jenna Anderson
G.O.D.S. #1
- Written by Jonathan Hickman
- Art by Valerio Schiti
- Colors by Marte Gracia
- Letters by Travis Lanham
- Published by Marvel Comics
Never bet against Jonathan Hickman is an axiom that's served me well when seeking out comics to read. The marketing pitch for G.O.D.S. may be muddled in the lead-up to its debut this week and the one-page inserts across the Marvel Comics line have been tedious, at best, but with Jonathan Hickman at the helm and Valerio Schiti crafting the pages, it's still hard to think that G.O.D.S. won't turn out to be one of the most deservedly talked about new series in superhero comics this year. There's an obvious sense of ambition in the name and, given the visionary approach applied to X-Men in House of X and Powers of X – one filled with fantastic new concepts and significant thematic updates, this update to Marvel's many conceptual characters promises to be quite an event. In addition to the many available resources within the shared universe, it seems that G.O.D.S. provides a sandbox beyond the regular events and crossovers that pull so many good ideas astray; only Doctor Strange is set to guest star in G.O.D.S. #1 as its "most boring character." With big ideas, immortal characters, and expansive settings, Schiti's always-rich pages promise an oversized debut filled with visual wonders to match whatever grand designs are introduced here. My recommendation this week is to chuck any skepticism and pick up a copy of G.O.D.S. #1. -- Chase Magnett
Peacemaker Tries Hard! #6
- Written by Kyle Starks
- Art by Steve Pugh
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Becca Carey
- Published by DC
At the start of 2023, I knew a lot of things already: I knew that Kyle Starks' was one of the funniest and strangely sincere writers in comics; I knew Steve Pugh was an outstanding cartoonist; I knew that HBO's Peacemaker was the best superhero adaptation of the prior year. But none of that prepared me for the absolutely exquisite Black Label series Peacemaker Tries Hard! which sees Starks and Pugh build upon the tone and appearances of that series to deliver a story that could only be found at DC Comics. Across six issues the series has incorporated a wide array of DC's most outlandish C-list (perhaps, D-list) characters into propulsive action sequences and stirring underdog attempts with stakes both global and deeply personal. After all, is there anything more pure than a man rescuing his dog from would-be-world conquerors? Especially if that man looks like John Cena? Peacemaker Tries Hard! #6 promises to cap off one of the best comic book miniseries of 2023 and a comic that somehow exceeded already sky-high expectations. -- Chase Magnett
Superman: The Harvests of Youth
- Writing and art by Sina Grace
- Published by DC
As Smallville and even the recent My Adventures With Superman have proved, there is a lot that can be mined from the younger years of Clark Kent. Even then, I can tell that there's something uniquely special about Superman: The Harvest of Youth, a new YA graphic novel from Iceman and Go-Go Power Rangers' Sina Grace. The story is expected to follow a teenaged Clark Kent as he mourns the loss of a classmate and begins to uncover a complicated threat in his hometown, which I'm sure will be an emotional and profound journey. The fact that Grace has cited Taylor Swift's album Folklore as an inspiration doesn't hurt, either. — Jenna Anderson
Transformers #1
- Writing and art by Daniel Warren Johnson
- Colors by Mike Spicer
- Letters by Rus Wooten
- Published by Image Comics
I had a muted response to the news that Skybound Entertainment had acquired the rights to create comics based on Hasbro's toy properties. Then they announced that Daniel Warren Johnson would write and draw the new Transformers series. That got my attention. Johnson has distinguished himself as one of the most exciting cartoonists in direct market comics today. He's previously brought his hearty and energetic style to the Marvel and DC universes with Beta Ray Bill and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth and creator-owned works such as Extremity and Do a Powerbomb. Transformers comics have been around for decades, some good and some less so. I spoke to Johnson about his take on the franchise, and it's clear that he hopes to elevate the new Transformers series to be something more than readers might expect from a comic about a line of fighting robot car toys. But Johnson is also sincere in his love for the Transformers concept – he's got a collection of Optimus Prime toys and has been listening to the Transformers: The Movie soundtrack since he was a kid. If anyone can take a Transformers story to the next level, it's Johnson, and I'm eager to see how the attempt turns out. -- Jamie Lovett
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