The Weekly Pull: She-Hulk, DC Silent Tales, The Expanse: Dragon Tooth, and More
Chilling Adventures Presents… The Cult of That Wilkin Boy #1
- Written by Cullen Bunn
- Art by Dan Schoening and Ben Galvan
- Colors by Matt Herms
- Letters by Jack Morelli
- Published by Archie Comics
I'll be completely honest: anything that even acknowledges the existence of the oft-forgotten Wilkin corner of Archie lore is a must-read for me. As the publisher's own quasi-pastiche of Archie and his friends, That Wilkin Boy made way for some zany and specific storytelling, which snowballs directly into this week's Chilling Adventures one-shot. The Cult of That Wilkin Boy frames Bingo and his band through a new lens: as leaders of a malicious rock and roll cult. Come for that bizarre combination of elements, stay for what is sure to be excellent, terrifying work from Cullen Bunn, Dan Schoening, and company. — Jenna Anderson
DC Silent Tales #1
- Created by Gustavo Duarte
- Published by DC
Have you ever seen some cover art and thought, "I would like more of that, please"? That happened when I scanned the cover of DC Silent Tales #1, which features a collection of short comics by Brazilian cartoonist Gustavo Duarte. I can't say I'm familiar with Duarte's work. Yet, the energetic and expressive cover immediately appealed to me for having a similar quality to the best artwork associated with the DC Animated Universe. Duarte is known for wordless comics and applies that style here (hence the Silent Tales title). With stories focusing on such important questions as where Harley Quinn gets her seemingly endless supply of mallets, I'm looking forward to seeing what Duarte brings to these characters. -- Jamie Lovett
The Expanse: Dragon Tooth #1
- Written by Andy Diggle
- Art by Rubine
- Colors by Raúl Angulo
- Letters by Pat Brosseau
- Published by Boom Studios
Although I've only seen the excellent television adaptation of The Expanse and readily acknowledge that there's an excellent collection of novels upon which it is based, until I can carve time out time for several thousand pages of prose, I'm glad to discover more in a 12-part licensed comic from Boom Studios. The Expanse is one of the most engaging and clever examples of hard sci-fi I've ever encountered as it uses an appreciation for the harsh realities of space travel and colonization to compose compelling portraits of the human condition. While licensed continuations are rarely sure things—just look at our coverage of many licensed comics—writer Andy Diggle promises a high bar for quality and an individual with an appreciation for both the genre and medium they are working in. Combine that with an outstanding cover from Christian Ward evoking both the television series' likenesses and grandeur and Dragon Tooth feels like the sort of series that could really capture the magic others have seen in so many novels and short stories, as well as on SyFy and Amazon Prime. I am very excited to return to Earth, Mars, the Belt, and so many worlds beyond our solar system this Wednesday. -- Chase Magnett
Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story
- Written by Sarah Kuhn
- Art by Arielle Jovellanos
- Published by DC
I've been excited for Girl Taking Over from the split second it was announced, as it seems to be offering a fresh and infinitely-charming take on Lois Lane. Tracking a young Lois through her internship in the big city, the YA story showcases her unique brand of gusto and charm, all while folding in Asian-American culture. After Sarah Kuhn's excellent work on the Cassandra Cain graphic novel Shadow of the Batgirl and years of enjoying Arielle Jovellanos' work, I am extremely excited to see them make some magic with this graphic novel. — Jenna Anderson
Guardians of the Galaxy by Al Ewing
- Written by Al Ewing
- Art by various
- Published by Marvel Comics
The hype train heading into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has pulled out of the station, and there are plenty of comics for excited fans to enjoy while they await opening weekend. Just last week, The Weekly Pull featured the first issue of Marvel's brand new Guardians of the Galaxy series and a collection of classic comics featuring the original Guardians of the Galaxy team. This week, we're the most recent Guardians of the Galaxy series to run before this latest launch, collected in its entirety in Guardians of the Galaxy by Al Ewing. The book includes all 18 issues of Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy, his contribution to the 2021 Guardians of the Galaxy Annual, and the Rocket series he wrote preceding his run. These stories represent character-redefining tales for the likes of Rocket and Star-Lord and cosmic Marvel weirdness as only Ewing seems capable of these days, all realized by incredible artists like Juann Cabal, Marcio Takara, and Adam Gorham. If you want to read the best run of Guardians of the Galaxy comics since Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning rebooted the concept 15 years ago, then you want to read this volume. -- Jamie Lovett
She-Hulk #12
- Written by Rainbow Rowell
- Art by Andres Genolet and Joe Quinones
- Colors by Dee Cunniffe and Bryan Valenza
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
With this week's She-Hulk, Jen Walters has now had 175 solo issues in the pages of Marvel Comics — and luckily, that is being celebrated in style. This issue is set to play off of Jen's new status quo in some shocking and delightful ways, both with a story continuing the series' main narrative, and a backup story reuniting Jen with many of her friends and fellow heroines. Rainbow Rowell, Andres Genolet, and company are already making magic on this series, but when you add in Joe Quinones providing art for the backup issue, this is absolutely a must-buy for Shulkie fans. — Jenna Anderson
Terrorwar #1
- Written by Saladin Ahmed
- Art by Dave Acosta
- Inks by Jay Leisten
- Colors by Walter Pereyra
- Letters by Shawn Lee
- Published by Image Comics
Saladin Ahmed became known in comics (after rising to prominence with his fantasy novel Throne of the Crescent Moon) with a pair of breakout 12-issue series in Black Bolt and Exiles, followed by longer runs writing two of Marvel's hottest young heroes, Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales. Since then, he's moved into creator-owned comics with his Copper Bottle imprint. Terrorwar, created with Elvira artist Dave Acosta, first appeared on Copper Bottle's Substack page and now comes to print via Image Comics. The story blends horror and dystopian sci-fi, taking place on a feature Earth nearly entirely overrun by Terrors, monsters capable of transforming into the worst fears of their victims. Blue City, the last bastion of civilization, is defended by freelance "Terrorfighters" led by Muhammed Cho. They're overworked and underpaid, and their humanity's last hope of survival. However, as the tagline says, they're not heroes. They're contractors. It's an appealing pitch for fans of genre fiction. If you, like me, haven't ever really taken to Substack comics, this print debut seems to be the right time to give it a look. -- Jamie Lovett
We Are on Our Own
- Created by Miriam Katin
- Published by Drawn and Quarterly
The paperback release of We Are On Our Own this week returns Miriam Katin's harrowing journey of escaping the Holocaust as a small child, originally captured in penciled memory at age 63, to print. Katin's recollection reminds readers that in the midst of fascism, authoritarian rule, and genocide, innocence cannot escape as her fractured memories depict a toddler's perspective on historical atrocities. Small details and moments, like the sudden disappearance of her dog Rexy, leave readers to process the violence, uncertainty, and terror in a fragmented array. We Are On Our Own remains a stirring testament to how children witness the worst of humanity and how it shapes their lives moving forward, especially as Katin grapples with her own faith and concept of God in adulthood. Yet in 2023 it also reminds readers that these stories are not simply memories sent from the past but warnings against a darkening future. I hope that Katin's brilliant cartooning and depiction of her own life provide helpful wisdom for all who discover it today. -- Chase Magnett
