The Weekly Pull: Harley Quinn, House of X, Legion of Super-Heroes, and More

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8

Written by Jordie Bellaire
Art by David Lopez
Published by BOOM! Studios

The path to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's first major crossover comic book crossover event begins here. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8 is a prologue to Hellmouth, which will bring BOOM! Studios' rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel series crashing together. Writer Jordie Bellaire is putting a fresh yet still familiar spin on Buffy, the Scoobies, and their enemies. If you're a Buffy fan, you should for sure give this book a try. With Hellmouth coming up, now is the best time to jump in or catch up. — Jamie Lovett

DCeased: A Good Day to Die

Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Laura Braga and Darick Robertson
Published by DC Comics

The core heroes of the DC Universe have been doing their best to push back against the tide created by Darkseid's corrupted anti-life equation in Tom Taylor's DCeased, but this one-shot by Taylor and artists Laura Braga and Darick Robertson takes a side step to the main story and shows us what's happening outside of the Justice League. While it isn't by any means less grim, it does put a spotlight on some fan favorites like Mr. Miracle, Barda, Booster Gold, and John Constantine, reminding you why you love these characters in the first place. — Matthew Aguilar

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #1

Written by Jody Houser
Art by Adriana Melo
Published by DC Comics

One of Gotham's most fan-favorite couples is finally getting their own miniseries, and the first installment is shaping up to be a gem. Without getting into spoilers, this debut issue is endearing and surprising, and Jody Houser's writing style feels like a natural fit for Harley and Ivy. Adriana Melo's art is a gorgeous foil to the events of what's going on, allowing things to go from heartfelt and cartoony to bizarre at the drop of a hat. Having a female creative team at the head of the series is a delight, and it will be interesting to see where the remaining five issues go next. — Jenna Anderson

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass

Written by Mariko Tamaki
Art by Steve Pugh
Published by DC Comics

At first glance, the idea of a reimagining of Harley Quinn as a high school student may seem a bit bland, but Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass is anything but. Mariko Tamaki gives new life to the beloved DC character in a rich, moving, and beautiful story that is both completely unique and absolutely true to the character fans know and love. Enhancing that brilliant storytelling is Steve Pugh's masterful artwork. Trust me: this might be one of the most beautifully drawn books you'll ever read. The whole thing is a true masterpiece and one you won't want to miss. -- Nicole Drum

House of X #4

Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Pepe Larraz
Published by Marvel Comics

House of X #3 left things off with a huge cliffhanger, and we can't wait to see what happens with our favorite X-Men and get at least a few answers to some of the bigger scale questions of this epic storyline. Hickman has built the foundation through House and Powers of X, and now we're just enjoying this crazy Moira-X driven rollercoaster of a ride. Throw in more amazing artwork from Pepe Larraz and you've got yourself one of the biggest books of the week each and every new comic book day. — Matthew Aguilar

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen, Andrea Sorrentino, André Lima Araújo, et al.
Published by DC Comics

It feels appropriate that Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium arrives at the start of football season because the hype surrounding this two-part story and the ongoing series to follow it feels like a stadium of hype. It's a celebration of all things DC Comics, not just the Legion, tying together decades of brilliant storytelling and 1,000 years of superhero continuity. Considering the past few years of work by Brian Michael Bendis, it's difficult to imagine a better writer at DC in 2019 to guide that celebration either. Working with some of today's absolute best artists, Bendis is someone who can be expected to find the joy in the genre and appreciate even the oddest characters and stories from the past. Millennium is framed to be a love letter for superheroes and how they continue to inspire future stories, even well beyond our current imagining, and this is one celebration that I'm very excited to attend. -- Chase Magnett

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt

Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Caspar Wijngaard
Published by Dynamite Entertainment

Since 1986, Watchmen has sat on a pedestal, worshipped as the platonic ideal of comic book storytelling in many circles. DC Comics has been content publishing prequels and sequels feel like a spectral imitation of the original. They also pale in comparison to what Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard do here, with their reboot of Peter Cannon. They use the character that inspired Ozymandias to fight back the decades-long shadow that Watchmen has cast over the medium. Even outside of its commentary on Watchmen and formalism, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt is a brilliant meditation on what the mission statement of every storyteller should be and a beacon lighting the way to comics' future. Dynamite collects it here in the deluxe hardcover format it deserves. If you slept on this series while it was being serialized, do not make the same mistake twice. -- Jamie Lovett

Update: Dynamite has informed us that the deluxe hardcover won't be out this week. They're looking to release it in late October. Our recommendation stands and maybe you should just go ahead and pre-order it.

Pretty Deadly: The Rat #1

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art by Emma Ríos
Published by Image Comics

Pretty Deadly has been absent from comic book stands long enough to go forgotten, but it has not been. Amongst a barrage of high profile new series emerging from Image Comics, it was the rare one that managed to attract attention from all corners of the comics market, finding fans amongst mainstream superhero readers and the pickiest critics. Its return—with the original creative team intact—is cause for celebration. Each installment takes readers to another era that ties deeply into both modern history and genre fare, and now "The Rat" will take this story of impermanence and death to a location where youth is the greatest commodity: Hollywood. It's a potent landscape well suited for the poignant themes of Pretty Deadly. We simply cannot wait to see what every issue of this return delivers. -- Chase Magnett

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order–Dark Temple #1

Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Art by Paolo Villanelli
Published by Marvel Comics

These next few months are proving to be a pretty epic time to be a Star Wars fan, between The Rise of Skywalker, Disney+'s The Mandalorian series, and the Jedi: Fallen Order video game. Whether you want to get hyped for the game itself or just experience more of the galaxy far, far away, this issue seems like a promising way to do so. Not only will the issue dive into some previously-unseen parts of the prequel trilogy era, but it's expected to provide more background on Cere Junda, who is expected to be a mentor to Fallen Order's lead character. With Matthew Rosenberg and Paolo Villanelli on board, this has all the makings of a great Star Wars comic. — Jenna Anderson

The Wicked + The Divine #45

Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Jamie McKelvie
Published by Image Comics

This Wednesday will be a difficult one for many comic book readers. In the midst of so many exciting debuts and relaunches, one series is arriving at a conclusion—the rare conclusion in comics that will be permanent, too. The Wicked + The Divine has been a critical success from its first issue, and that success has been well-earned. Even as the series has shifted into different modes of storytelling, it never lost what made it great. As a character study, examination of culture, and sprawling, generational epic, The Wicked + The Divine never disappointed. Now it's ready for the final curtain call and, having already read this issue, the last moments live up to the promise of what came before. The final few pages of this issue will resonate for years and almost certainly ensure that The Wicked + The Divine will discover and inspire many new generations of comics readers. -- Chase Magnett