The Weekly Pull: Green Arrow, Storm, Kaya, and More
20th Century Men
- Written by Deniz Camp
- Art by Stipan Morian
- Colors by Stipan Morian
- Letters by Aditya Bidikar
- Published by Image Comics
The moment I finished reading 20th Century Men, I emailed my comic book store to reserve two copies of the collection: one for my home and one for my classroom. It's the sort of comic that is obviously awesome, using that word in its original sense, the moment you read it. Writer Deniz Camp and artist Stipan Morian detail an alternate version of 20th-century history in which the imperial powers of the United States and the Soviet Union possess superpowers and use them for predictably destructive purposes. Yet the story really centers on the people of Afghanistan and the international struggles inflicted upon them, using the superhero genre as a metaphor for a tragic history of violence and terror. Morian's depiction of this saga is nothing short of monumental possessing a deft ability to shift between styles depending upon the needs of the story and always guaranteed to enrapt readers' eyes. It is a stunning artistic accomplishment that reveals more with each subsequent reading as the layers of artwork and subtle contemplation of history give way to increasing complexity. 20th Century Men is a testament to the ongoing power of the comics form and the many stories still to be told in a seemingly limitless medium; you won't want to miss it whether it's for first or fifth-time reading. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextDC Pride: The New Generation
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by DC
I have already repeatedly sung the praises of last year's DC Pride, the second of DC's incredibly-ambitious and heartfelt odes to the LGBTQ+ community. This week's The New Generation reprint offers the installment in a gorgeous hardcover, as well as material tied to Tim Drake / Robin coming out as bisexual. DC Pride was filled with stories that deserve to be read (or reread), from Kevin Conroy's beautiful autobiographical "Finding Batman", to key developments in the stories of Connor Hawke and Kid Quick. This is absolutely a collectors' item. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextThe Forged #3
- Written by Gregg Ruck, Eric Trautmann
- Art by Mike Henderson
- Colors by Nolan Woodard
- Letters by Ariana Maher
- Published by Image Comics
If there's one thing that Greg Rucka and his collaborators are good at, making every issue of an ongoing series feel like an event is it. Having found success fleshing out the world of Lazarus and Lazarus Risen with backmatter, Ricka is taking the same approach with The Forged, the pulpy space opera he created with fellow writer Eric Trautmann and artist Mike Henderson. Each issue feels like getting a great, action-packed comic book in the vein of Heavy Metal and 2000 AD in the front and source material for a tabletop RPG that doesn't exist (yet?) in the back, making every installment feel worthwhile. The Forged #3 is the last solicited issue of the series, meaning it may be a while before we see more of it, but it's well worth checking this issue out cold or grabbing all three if you can find them. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextFury #1
- Written by Al Ewing
- Art by Adam Kubert, Scott Eaton, Tom Reilly, Ramon Rosanas, and Cam Smith
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
There are no three words more effective in capturing my attention for a new Marvel Comics release than "Al Ewing writes…" Those are the words that drew my attention to Fury #1, the newest series detailing the generational espionage adventures of Nick Fury and Nick Fury Jr., this time featuring the latter's investigation into a conspiracy steeped in the former's history. Given Ewing's penchant for weaving Marvel continuity together into even more compelling epics and an excellent cadre of artists ready to depict everything from Golden Age war adventures to modern Marvel style, it seems a perfect alignment between creators and concept, as well. Fury #1 promises readers both a brand new thriller filled with mysterious elements grounded throughout Marvel Comics' history and, given Ewing's typical approach, preparing to build something fascinating and new. Fans of the publisher or excellent spy comics won't want to miss this series debut. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextGreen Arrow #3
- Written by Joshua Williamson
- Art by Sean Isaake
- Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
- Letters by Troy Peteri
- Published by DC
This new Green Arrow maxi-series is by far my most-anticipated Dawn of DC title, and if these first two issues are any indication, my hype is more than justified. This week's Green Arrow #2 advances the intergalactic conspiracy at the center of Oliver Queen and his family's lives, with all of the new character debuts, dynamic action sequences, and heartfelt humor that only superhero comics can deliver. If you didn't read this first issue yet, you need to change that — and pick up this second issue as well. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextKaya #8
- Writing/art by Wes Craig
- Colors by Jason Wordie
- Letters by Tom Napolitano
- Published by Image Comics
I don't tend to recommend issues that are middle chapters, but I'll make an exception for Kaya, Wes Craig's incredible ongoing series at Image Comics. This book synthesizes great adventure stories ranging from Adventure Time to Kamandi into something fresh. The story follows Kaya and her younger brother as they attempt to survive in a dangerous land and make sense of the prophecies that may doom or save them all, all rendered in Craig's gorgeous art style, which is worth the price of admission alone. The first volume of Kaya is on sale now, making it easy to see what you missed. However, Craig is peppering the series with standalone stories between arcs that won't be included in those collections, making monthly serialized issues the ideal way to read it. Kaya #8 is only the second chapter of the book's second arc. Get on board now, then get caught up later. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextStorm #1
- Written by Ann Nocenti
- Art by Sid Kotian
- Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
- Letters by Ariana Maher
- Published by Marvel Comics
Marvel has been leaning hard into its history by launching several series set during past eras and well-loved runs from the publisher's history. The quality of these series has varied wildly, but one of the best of the bunch is Ann Nocenti's return to Longshot. Now Nocenti is back again and diving into X-Men history with a series focusing on Storm during her leather and mohawk phase. On Storm, Nocenti is teaming with artist Sid Kotian, who previously worked with another legend, Chris Claremont, to provide expressive artwork on another flashback series focusing on Gambit. The solicitations for Storm promise a brand-new villain, Blowback, with elemental abilities that will push Storm's talent for weather manipulation to its limits, a new romantic interest for the X-Men leader, and classic X-Men team action. In the hands of this creative team, we trust the series to satisfy those who miss the X-Men of the 1980s. -- Jamie Lovett
prev