The Weekly Pull: Batgirl, X-Men, Locke & Key, and More

It is nearly a new comic book day once again. New releases are on the way and will hit comic book stores and digital comics platforms. Every week in The Weekly Pull, ComicBook.com‘s team highlights some of the releases we’re most excited about that will be arriving in stores. Those releases might be from the big two or a smaller publisher. They might be new monthly issues, an original graphic novel, or a collected edition. It can involve superheroes or come from any other genre. Whatever it may be that has us excited, if it goes on sale this week, then we’re going to let you know all about it.

This week, Locke & Key returns, Star Trek goes back to the Mirror Universe, a new collection of House of X and Powers of X, some great horrors comics, and the all-ages Captain Marvel title flies again.

What comics are you most excited about this week? Let us know which new releases you’re most excited about reading in the comments, and feel free to leave some of your suggestions as well. Check back tomorrow for our weekly review roundup and again next week for a new installment of The Weekly Pull.

Batgirl #48

Written by Cecil Castellucci

Art by Robbi Rodriguez

Published by DC Comics


Last month’s “Joker War” tie-in was one of the best Batgirl issues I’ve read in recent years, which makes this week’s follow-up a must-read issue. In the aftermath of her rematch with The Joker, Barbara tries to navigate the road ahead, something that is only further complicated by the return of her serial killer brother, James Jr. While Batgirl is set to come to a close with its upcoming 50th issue, it certainly seems like the build-up to that will be incredibly compelling and exhilarating. — Jenna Anderson

House of X/Powers of X

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva

Published by Marvel Comics

A million things have already been said about House of X and Powers of X, and it’s deserving of so much more. The 12-issue event completely revolutionized what fans thought they knew about Marvel’s X-Men while setting them on a powerful new status quo. HoX/PoX is comic storytelling at its finest — genre-bending and epic, but incredibly personal and emotional, something that has only continued in the past year of “Dawn of X” books ever since. If you have yet to properly collect this profound piece of storytelling, this trade paperback is your latest chance to remedy that. — Jenna Anderson

John Constantine: Hellblazer #9

Written by Simon Spurrier
Art by Aaron Campbell
Published by DC Black Label

The recent wave of DC Comics cancellations was dispiriting to say the least, as the publisher ended many of its most promising titles while so many tedious ongoing marched forward into more blandness. John Constantine: Hellblazer is perhaps the greatest loss, as the newest series featuring Britain’s grimiest magical con man is the first in well over a decade to capture the magic first discovered in Saga of the Swamp Thing and Hellblazer. The series has balanced an artistic team that captures both the sprawling horror and everyday elements that provide the character with his unique, low key charm. As important is its ability to address significant themes, like class and race in modern Britain. It has skewered the politics of Brexit and lambasted the maintenance of aristocracy with an unmatched air of wit and cynicism. While it is deeply disappointing to see this all brought to an end with issue #12, this week’s newest release provides a perfect one-and-done example of what has set this rendition of John Constantine far above all other recent endeavors. Even as it heads for the exit, John Constantine: Hellblazer remains a must-read series. — Chase Magnett

Killadelphia #7

Written by Rodney Barnes
Art by Jason Shawn Alexander
Published by Image Comics

Killadelphia #7 launches a new story arc for the horror series, giving readers a bit of a time jump and introduces, in a sense, the real villain of the series. It’s an interesting leap for the series that did an outstanding job of ending its first arc in a place that could have worked brilliantly as a series finale, but it’s one that infuses a whole new sense of darkness and interest and makes for an excellent read for longtime Killadelphia readers and newcomers to the series as well. — Nicole Drum

Locke & Key: …In Pale Battalions Go… #1

Written by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
Published by IDW Publishing

Re-reading Locke & Key before the first season of the Netflix series was released, I was struck by how complete the entire project felt. While it’s clear the Locke children have a future ahead of them, it isn’t a story that needs to be told. Keyhouse, on the other hand, is a place filled with history and possibilities, which is what makes this new installment so exciting. The power and corruption swirling about this horror-filled franchise make a perfect partner for elements of American history, including its involvement in the First World War. That is what makes In Pale Battalions Go #1 appear to be the ideal outcome for fans who want more from Hill, Rodriguez, and the world they created, without diluting the story that was already told. Now fans of both the Netflix series and comics can go back in time to see how past generations of the family handled their enormous responsibilities and how the mysteries of Keyhouse interacted with dark eras from the past. However the current mythos connects to one of the bloodiest and most futile conflicts in world history, it’s bound to deliver a truly horrifying comic book. — Chase Magnett

The Red Mother Vol. 1

Written By Jeremy Haun
Art by Danny Luckert
Published by BOOM! Studios

Red Mother has hands-down been one of the best new series in comics over the past year with its mix of a deeply human story and slow-burn horror and if you’ve missed even a single issue of the run thus far, you won’t want to miss Red Mother Vol. 1. Collecting the first four issues of the series, the book lays out Daisy’s story and gives readers a real sense of unease as our protagonist tries to heal from losing both her love and her eye in a mugging even as some unknown horror cements itself in her life. You don’t want to miss it. — Nicole Drum

Star Trek: Hell’s Mirror #1

Written by J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Michael Dow Smith
Published by IDW Publishing

There is arguably no Star Trek villain as iconic as Khan Noonien Singh, who debuted in “Space Seed” and then returned for revenge in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, both times played by the brilliant Ricardo Montalban. Equally as iconic is Star Trek‘s Mirror Universe, the universe where good is evil and evil is good. Critically-lauded writer J.M. DeMatteis will combine these great flavors in his first Star Trek story in 40 years. With art by Michael Dow Smith, Star Trek: Hell’s Mirror will reveal the Khan of the Mirror Universe, which is sure to be a delightful tale for Star Trek fans. — Jamie Lovett

Suneater #1

Written by Dylan Sprouse
Art by Diego Yapur
Published by Heavy Metal

Look, I’m as skeptical as the next person whenever a celebrity decides to dabble in writing comics. But while some of these projects have turned into train wrecks, a handful of performers and writers from other media have managed to do quality comics work. I’m holding out hope that Riverdale star Dylan Sprouse pulls off his comic book debut, Suneater, because Diego Yapur is going to make it look good, regardless. Suneater is a grim and gritty Viking action-fantasy about a father fused with a mystical parasite to rescue his son from the king of Norway. If you have a taste for the grimdark, this looks like it could be bloody fun. — Jamie Lovett