The Weekly Pull: Roxxon Presents: Thor, Star Trek, The Jurassic League, and More
This week also brings collections of City Boy, Wild's End, and more.
Blow Away #1
- Written by Zac Thompson
- Art by Nicola Izzo
- Colors by Francesco Segala with Gloria Martinelli
- Letters by DC Hopkins
- Published by Boom Studios
Writer Zac Thompson and artist Nicola Izzo present their newest series, Blow Away, to readers this week and it makes the case for both Thompson and Izzo as creators to watch, regardless of what stories they may tell or where they are published. Blow Away #1 presents readers with a neo-noir set amongst mountain climbers (fans of High Crimes watch out); the first issue focuses on wildlife photographer Brynne Brautigan who investigates a possible murder she witnessed while climbing. The series showcases Thompson's range as a writer, contrasting strong horror and sci-fi offerings currently in publication with a much more grounded story. And Izzo's design work and facial expressions are perfectly suited for the tense conversations and hardened individuals involved with this new mystery. Together they showcase a thriller filled with intriguing characters, starkly beautiful settings, and an increasingly complex mystery. It's everything fans of the noir genre could hope to discover in comics from two rising stars ready to build their fortunes on outstanding new concepts, just like this one. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextCity Boy
- Written by Greg Pak
- Art by Minkyu Jung
- Colors by Sebastian Cheng
- Letters by Wes Abbott
- Published by DC
Last year's We Are Legends initiative sought to expand DC's AAPI heroes while bringing to life concepts and gimmicks that still felt fresh in the superhero space. City Boy, which chronicled the origin of teen superhero Cameron Kim, was easily one of the most inventive. Across six issues, Cameron's ability to speak to and control the cities around him lends itself to some emotional moments and unexpected cameos, all of which are definitely worth checking out. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextThe Jurassic League
- Written by Daniel Warren Johnson and Juan Gedeon
- Art by Juan Gedeon, Rafae Garres, and Jon Mikel
- Colors by Mike Spicer
- Letters by Ferran Delgado
- Published by DC
I would take any available opportunity to recommend The Jurassic League, which easily cemented itself among DC's most distinct Elseworlds titles in recent memory. The fact that this dinosaur-themed superhero bonanza is rumored to be getting an animated movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe certainly doesn't hurt either. There is truly nothing like The Jurassic League in mainstream comics right now, and you absolutely deserve to have it in your collection if it isn't already. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextMicronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 1
- Written by Bill Mantlo
- Art by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
It still is a little unbelievable that Micronauts and R.O.M., two of the most long-forgotten and legally tied-up series published under Marvel, are finally back in print. This week is Micronauts' turn, as the first several years of the title's initial run are collected in a new omnibus. I personally can not wait to read some of these zany and action-packed issues in print for the first time. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextRoxxon Presents: Thor #1
- Written by Al Ewing
- Art by Greg Land
- Colors by Frank D'Armata
- Letters by Joe Sabino
- Published by Marvel Comics
One of the most impressive elements of The Immortal Thor thus far is how it takes into consideration both the ancient past and future of storytelling traditions – hailing back to the Utgard pantheon in its opening stories and now spinning out into a dystopian reimagining of Thor comics in Roxxon Presents: Thor. Everything about this particular solicit is stomach churning, seemingly coming straight from the desk of an amoral marketing executive intent on pleasing everyone, especially their shareholders. From the "both sides" logic of environmental destruction to the irreverent hucksterism of its language, it's clear that both on the surface and behind the scenes that this Thor will be a disturbing presentation of heroism. It also serves as, perhaps, the best deployment of artist Greg Land's style with hollow-faced characters and artificiality dominating pages that are intended to appear as if they could be AI-produced. As a critical examination of superhero comics and metatextual commentary on the ever-evolving mythology of Thor, Roxxon Presents: Thor is set to deliver one of the most surprising Thor comics in decades. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextStar Trek #19
- Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
- Art by Megan Levans
- Colors by Lee Loughridge
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing Star Trek comics have been killer ever since the launch of the ongoing Star Trek series and its spinoff, Star Trek: Defiant. The former is about to enter its next, "Pleroma," marking as good a time as any to jump on board while you get caught up via trades or however else you read comics. The new arc reveals the secret identity of T'Lir, supposed "Vulcan of Starfleet," and forces Captain Benjamin Sisko, who was finally reconnecting with his humanity, to face his godly lineage again. Star Trek's creative team has consistently distilled everything great about Trek into this comic book series, and we expect they'll continue to do so as the series continues. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextWild's End: Beyond the Sea
- Written by Dan Abnett
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Art by INJ Culbard
- Published by Boom Studios
Having previously re-released the original Wild's End series in a single-volume collection, Boom Studios is collecting the more recent four-issue Wild's End series this week, now dubbed Wild's End: Beyond the Sea. Don't let the existence of past Wild's End comics keep you away though. Wild's End: Beyond the Sea features a brand-new cast of characters. Knowing what happened in the previous Wild's End series is in no way required for following Beyond the Sea's events, and coming in fresh might even enhance the experience since new readers will be as confounded by the strange events occurring in the pastoral countryside as the characters are. Pitched as The Wind in the Willows meets War of the Worlds, and brought to you by the same creative behind 2000 AD's hit Brink series, both Wild's End series are absolute gems of comic book storytelling that have gone vastly underrated, effortlessly blending the coziness of its setting with a brutality that speaks to the seriousness of the threat to said landscape. Do yourself a favor and check this volume out to see what you've been missing. -- Jamie Lovett
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