The Weekly Pull: Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary, X-Terminators, Look Back, and More
Action Journalism #1
- Written by Eric Skillman
- Art by Miklós Felvidéki
- Colors by Mariane Gusmão
- Letters by Miklós Felvidéki
- Published by Oni Press
If I'm being honest, stories with journalists as protagonists have always been an easy sell to me. Unsurprisingly, I'm interested to see what Action Journalism brings to the table. Billed as a fast-paced genre-hopper, the story follows reporter Kate Kelly as she infiltrates a fleet that's about to bump into an alien threat. She's looking for scandalous stories and high-profile interviews, and just maybe to stop an interstellar war. Will she land that interview? Will she get the gossip? Will she avert disaster? I guess we'll have to tune into Action Journalism to find out. -- Jamie Lovett
Batman: One Bad Day -- Two-Face #1
- Written by Mariko Tamaki
- Art by Javier Fernandez
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Ariana Maher
- Published by DC Comics
I find the One Bad Day title to be endlessly motivating because of the creative lineups involved. Each issue brings new promise with a parade of genuine A-list artists and writers tackling some of the moodiest and gnarliest villains throughout DC Comics. Both of those labels apply to the man known as Two-Face; Mariko Tamaki, Javier Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire ensure he meets the hype in a story with an abundance of style. While Harvey Dent possesses a simple motif, it's also one that's endlessly fun to play with in the space of a comics page. Fernandez has long since established himself as a master of the form with an excellent eye for both page layouts and character design. Tamaki's run on Detective Comics emphasized new understandings of classic villains and applied a great deal of empathy to complex characters – her final thoughts on Harvey are bound to be engaging. With all-stars lined up to reconsider one of Batman's most iconic villains, it feels impossible to resist picking up another issue of One Bad Day. -- Chase Magnett
Big Ethel Energy Vol. 1
- Written by Keryl Brown Ahmed
- Art by Siobhan Keenan
- Published by Archie Comics
When it was first announced, Archie Comics' partnership with Webtoon felt like an absolute no-brainer, with the publisher's surreal slice-of-life blend working perfectly on the Webtoon platform. The first title in that collaboration has been Big Ethel Energy, the first volume of which is in print this week. Spotlighting Ethel Muggs, the charming, but underappreciated classmate of Archie, Jughead, and company, this series is poised to offer an endlessly delightful take on the slice-of-life tropes that Archie has been known for decades. — Jenna Anderson
Chilling Adventures Presents... Weirder Mysteries #1
- Written by Frank Tieri, Ron Robbins, Matt Herms, Joanne Starer
- Art by Federico Sabbatini, Juan Bobillo, Ryan Jampole
- Colors by Matt Herms
- Letters by Jack Morelli
- Published by Archie Comics
It's spooky season — I mean, c'mon, it's officially fall on Wednesday, spooky Season is here -- which means that it's a great time for spooky comics which means that this week, you should check out some spooky Archie Comics. Weirder Mysteries gives readers three creepy horror tales featuring familiar Archie favorites and let's be honest — no one does weird like Riverdale and Archie Comics. Don't worry, there's nothing too scary here, but it's a super fun way to get spooky and you can't miss it. -- Nicole Drum
Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by DC Comics
It's been 30 years since Harley Quinn made her big debut and DC is celebrating the fan-favorite character sometimes referred to as the fourth pillar of DC Comics (the other three being Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman — our girl's in good company) with her own special. And if you're a Harley fan, you absolutely must check this out. 100 pages of Harley adventures from a truly staggering roster of creators, including Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti as well as Paul Dini. There's a little bit of everything in this volume, every iteration of Harley. It's a fantastic way to celebrate the character and remind yourself just how awesome she is — and if you aren't already a fan, get in on this already! -- Nicole Drum
Look Back
- Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Published by Viz Media
Manga-ka Tatsuki Fujimoto is best known for his serialized Shonen Jump series Chainsaw Man, but in the summer of 2021, he dropped a one-shot story on unsuspecting fans. Titled Look Back, it has a straightforward premise: two girls in middle school bond over their shared love of art as they grow up through high school and into adulthood. But Fujimoto makes it so much more, wrapping themes about our relationships with art, with artists, with time, and with practically everything into what on its face seems like a simple tale. What's more, Fujimoto shows why he is a master storyteller, elevating so many moments from mere plot beats to mini-masterpieces that resonate on a deep emotional frequency via his skill with compositions and careful use of varied lines and textures. Look Back is a masterful work and now that it is being released as a standalone volume there's no reason not to read it. -- Jamie Lovett
Stuff of Nightmares #1
- Written by R.L. Stine
- Art by A.L. Kaplan
- Colors by Roman Titov
- Letters by Jim Campbell
- Published by Boom Studios
One of my first fascinations in reading was R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series of horror tales for young readers. Other millennials will surely recall how quickly each book read with constant revelations and twists stacking up tension in a fashion that walked the line between frightening and fun brilliantly for an 8-year-old. Stine hasn't skipped a beat in the decades since I was hooked on the horror genre and is bringing a new spin on Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein to comics. This tale promises revelations of reanimation between two twisted brothers – it's the sort of premise that makes my inner child salivate, especially when paired with a grisly cover from Francesco Francavilla. The interiors look nearly as slick with sharp line art from A.L. Kaplan building looming shadows and a sense of unease into even seemingly innocent pages. Stuff of Nightmares promises exactly what is spelled out in the title and it's bound to be an eye-popping and smile-inducing romp through the lands of the undead given Stine's well-earned reputation. -- Chase Magnett
X-Terminators #1
- Written by Leah Williams
- Art by Carlos Gomez
- Colors by Bryan Valenza
- Letters by Travis Lanham
- Published by Marvel Comics
I knew almost immediately that I would adore X-Terminators, between the team of Dazzler, Boom-Boom, and Jubilee; and the behind-the-scenes creative team of Leah Williams, Carlos Gomez, and company. Issue #1 is set to open on a drunken night between the three friends, which will snowball into what might be the most unpredictable adventure the X-books have had as of late. I know I am going to absolutely, positively adore this book — and if you love gleefully chaotic and gleefully feminine stories, you probably will too. — Jenna Anderson
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