The Weekly Pull: X-Men Blue: Origins, Batman '89: Echoes, Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks, and More
11/28/2023 11:34 am EST
All Eight Eyes
- Written by Steve Foxe
- Art by Piotr Kowalski
- Colors by Brad Simpson
- Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Published by Dark Horse Comics
This is the time of year when I begin to build a holiday reading list and the collected edition of All Eight Eyes is smack dab in the middle of 2023's for a re-read. The four-issue miniseries from writer Steve Foxe and artist Piotr Kowalski delivers a satisfying tale combining horror and conspiracy in an outstanding package. As the series begins the world resembles our own but the secret of enormous, man-eating spiders stalking the globe quickly becomes apparent to the protagonist and reader alike. It is the sort of imagery perfectly suited to comics with each new eight-legged menace terrifying in its alien appearance and daunting contrast against (typically much larger) human beings. Kowalski's depictions of the spiders are consistently spine-chilling and the action sequences satisfy on every level with plenty of big moments grounded in the mundane ugliness of battling beasts beneath the streets of New York. Throughout the set pieces and monstrous spiders, Foxe weaves a story that delves into themes of belief and perception that are bound to reward repeat readings. All Eight Eyes emerges from 2023 as one of the year's best horror miniseries – an outstanding comic book perfectly suited to enjoy from the (hopefully spider-free) comfort of one's own home. -- Chase Magnett
Batman '89: Echoes #1
- Written by Sam Hamm
- Art by Joe Quinones
- Colors by Leonardo Ito
- Letters by Carlos M. Managual
- Published by DC
Welcome back to the "Burton-verse," a.k.a. the "pretend Batman Forever and Batman & Robin didn't happen" timeline. The 2021-2022 Batman '89 series continued the tale of the Dark Knight as seen in the Tim Burton-directed films Batman and Batman Returns. Batman '89: Echoes sees the return of the creative team from that series – writer Sam Hamm (who worked on both Burton-directed movies), artist Joe Quinones, and colorist Leonardo Ito – for a follow-up set two years after the conclusion of the previous miniseries. Where Batman '89 gave us the imagined but never-realized introductions of Two-Face and Robin, Batman '89: Echoes brings the introduction of Harley Quinn and the Scarecrow into this universe's rogues' gallery and the transformation of this timeline's Barbara Gordon (who is quite different from Alicia Silverstone's version of the character from Batman & Robin) into Batgirl. For those who will always think of Michael Keaton as Batman and still remember all the hype around that iconic black-and-gold movie logo, Batman '89: Echoes should be a nostalgic trip to an alternate dimension where Burton's Batman vision endured far longer than it did in ours. -- Jamie Lovett
Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks
- Written by Alan Barnes
- Art by Lee Sullivan
- Colors by James Offredi
- Letters by Roger Landridge
- Published by Panini Comics
The hype around Doctor Who's 60th anniversary is real. The release of "The Star Beast" (based on a great Doctor Who comic) likely has longtime Doctor Who fans more invested in the series than they have been in years. Maybe it's nostalgia, but there's something special about David Tennant and Catherine Tate embarking on another Russel T Davies-written Doctor Who adventure. However, some fans may not realize that "The Star Beast" isn't the Fourteenth Doctor's first adventure, and no, I'm not talking about "Destination: Skaaro" either. The Fourteenth Doctor in "The Star Beast" seems unusually calm and collected for a Doctor who recently underwent a regeneration because his regeneration wasn't as recent as one might think. The Fourteenth Doctor's actual post-regeneration story occurred in the pages of comics serialized in Doctor Who Magazine during the year between "The Power of the Doctor" and "The Star Beast" airing, picking up on that same cliff where the Thirteenth Doctor transformed into the Fourteenth Doctor. That story, now collected in Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks, is remarkable for a few reasons: it's the first post-regeneration story told in Doctor Who comics, the first time the Daleks have played a significant role in Doctor Who Magazine's comics in years, and Davies has declared the story fully canonical with the Fourteenth Doctor's televised adventures. For those still riding that Doctor Who anniversary high, Doctor Who: Liberation of the Daleks is essential reading. -- Jamie Lovett
Green Arrow #6
- Written by Joshua Williamson
- Art by Sean Isaake, Phil Hester, Trevor Hairsine
- Inks by Ande Parks
- Colors by Romula Fajardo Jr.
- Letters by Troy Peteri
- Published by DC
Green Arrow's first arc finally comes to a close with this issue, leaving a slew of intriguing repercussions for the ArrowFam as a whole. Joshua Williamson's script has put a menagerie of heroes and villains through the proverbial wringer, and it's fun seeing that culminate in this particular instance. Plus, having Phil Hester and Ande Parks back on art once again should make this a must-read for any Green Arrow fan. — Jenna Anderson
Howard the Duck #1
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
There's a lot about this one-shot, which celebrates Howard's 50th anniversary in a zany and eclectic style, that immediately makes me want to check it out. From Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones returning to the character following a pitch-perfect run in the 2010s, to Daniel Kibblesmith and Annie Wu partnering for a story where Howard is President, this one-shot is sure to deliver in ways that fans definitely aren't expecting. Whether you love or hate Howard as a character, I have a feeling that this will be worth your time. — Jenna Anderson
Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #4
- Written by Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada
- Art by Carlos Gomez and Adam Gorham
- Colors by Erick Arciniega
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
Kamala Khan has had quite the year, from her big-screen showcase in The Marvels to her shocking death in Amazing Spider-Man to her subsequent resurrection as one of Marvel's merry mutants. This week, the first chapter in Kamala's new status quo comes to a close, as she faces off against Orchis and comes to terms with her new standing within the Marvel universe. This series' creative team, led by Kamala's live-action actress Iman Vellani, has been knocking it out of the park thus far, and I have hope that they'll deliver an entertaining finale. — Jenna Anderson
Spider-Woman #1
- Written by Steve Foxe
- Art by Carola Borelli
- Colors by Arif Prianto
- Letters by Joe Sabino
- Published by Marvel Comics
Spider-Woman is a series that has regularly overshot expectations at Marvel Comics for the past decade. Whether readers are considering the soap opera stories written by Dennis Hopeless about a pregnant Jessica Drew and her emerging found family or the intricately woven and humor-filled stories of Karla Pacheco, Spider-Woman draws from the best of the rising talents in the Marvel bullpen to deliver original spins on the superhero genre. So seeing the names of writer Steve Foxe and artist Carola Borelli attached to Spider-Woman #1 this week is cause for interest to all and excitement for those who already recognize Foxe and Borelli. The latter's slick line work provides a perfect approach for emotional character performances and fast-paced action, while the former's character-driven stories and appreciation for superhero C-listers are primed to take advantage of Spider-Woman's place in the Marvel ecosystem. Their new series' debut is ready to take advantage of the upcoming "Gang War" story spinning out of the pages of Amazing Spider-Man with an abundance of threats for Jessica to battle in addition to the kidnapping of her own child. If the preview released earlier this year is any indication, then both Foxe and Borelli are about to garner a lot of new (and well-deserved) readers when they launch their run on Spider-Woman this week. -- Chase Magnett
X-Men Blue: Origins #1
- Written by Si Spurrier
- Art by Wilton Santos, Marcus To
- Inks by Oren Junior
- Colors by Ceci de la Cruz
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
As a longtime X-Men fan, I can confirm that Nightcrawler's origin story has long been a shambles. He was introduced as a traveling circus acrobat, having been taken in after being abandoned by his family when his mutation became apparent. Simple, straightforward, thematically appropriate. Then someone at Marvel decided that Nightcrawler and Mystique being blue-skinned meant they must be related. X-Men comics hinted at the connection and then, years later, confirmed that Mystique was Nightcrawler's mother who abandoned him (the idea of Mystique being Nightcrawler's biological father, making use of her shapeshifting power, was floated, but Marvel wouldn't go that far during the Comics Code Authority days). Then, years later, Marvel revealed that Azazel, a demonic being, had fathered Nightcrawler and provided him with his devilish looks. It's all a mess, but X-Men Blue: Origins could finally clean it up. Si Spurrier, who has become a definitive Nightcrawler writer through his works on Way of X, Legion of X, and the current Uncanny Spider-Man series, is writing the issue and has already hinted in issues of Uncanny Spider-Man that Mystique hasn't been entirely forthcoming with the truth about Nightcrawler's conception and birth. Could X-Men Blue: Origins finally give our "fuzzy elf" the coherent, thematically consistent origin story he deserves? X-Men fans have every reason to hope. -- Jamie Lovett
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