The Weekly Pull: Punisher, Superman '78, Zawa, and More
This week also brings a new issue of Birds of Prey and Thanos' return.
Birds of Prey #3
- Written by Kelly Thompson
- Art by Leonardo Romero
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by DC
Birds of Prey's first arc is nearing its halfway point, and this issue ups the ante in some truly incredible ways. Kelly Thompson's script allows an ever-growing ensemble to shine, with some especially great moments for Black Canary and a few surprising characters. Leonardo Romero's art continues to wow, both in the action-packed fight sequences and the quieter moments. If you somehow haven't started this new run yet, you need to fix that. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextFire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3
- Written by Joanne Starer
- Art by Natacha Bustos
- Colors by Tamra Bonvillain
- Letters by Ariana Maher
- Published by DC
No comic in recent memory has made me laugh out loud as much as this week's Fire & Ice has. As Fire's attempt at notoriety — and possibly a supervillain reality show — gets more complicated, an arrival from Jimmy Olsen throws things into purely delightful chaos. I am in awe of how much personality and charm this book exudes, from Joanne Starer's excellent script to Natacha Bustos' imaginative art. I'm sad this miniseries is already at its halfway point, but it is delivering every single time. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextPunisher #1
- Written by David Pepose
- Art by Dave Wachter
- Colors by Dan Brown
- Letters by Cory Petit
- Published by Marvel Comics
If I'm being honest, I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the person tasked with launching a new Punisher series with a brand-new character in the title role who is not Frank Castle in the year 2023. The character has become a poltiical flashpoint, and Marvel would rather not have to wade through that morass to continue publishing comics with the character, who is popular with fans and has a much richer storytelling history than the discourse would lead you to believe (though Frank did address the elephant in the room himself within the Marvel Comics universe). Enter David Pepose, a former comics journalist/critic turned writer who has paid his dues in the industry over the last few years, starting with successful original co-creations like Spencer & Locke before being tapped by Marvel for somewhat under-the-radar successes like Savage Avengers and Moon Knight: City of the Dead. In what's easily his highest-profile writing job to date, Pepose will team with artist David Wachter – a versatile talent whose Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles work shows he knows how to do street-level action – to launch a new Punisher series about a new Punisher filling the void left by Frank Castle's disappearance. They've got a steep hill in front of them, but I'm excited to see how Pepose and Wachter climb it. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextStar Wars: The High Republic #1
- Written by Cavan Scott
- Art by Ario Anindito, Jim Towe
- Inks by Mark Morales, Ario Anindito, Jim Towe
- Colors by Jim Campbell
- Letters by Ariana Maher
- Published by Marvel Comics
I remember being excited about the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative when it launched. It may not have been a proper return to The Old Republic, but it was close enough, and there was lots of it. I enjoyed the first volume of Marvel's Star Wars: The High Republic comic book series and the three novels targeting adult audiences that Penguin Random House published for the saga's Phase I. However, my attention waned when Lucasfilm Publishing made the puzzling decision to set Phase II of The High Republic's story a century before the events of Phase I, introducing an almost entirely new cast of characters and ensuring there'd be no follow-up to the galaxy-changing events that concluded Phase I for at least a year. I fell off The High Republic at that point as I found myself too uninterested in the main plot's focus on star-crossed royalty from obscure planets to stick with it long enough to find out why it all mattered in the grand scheme of things. But here we are, one year after Phase I ended and at the start of Phase III: Trial of the Jedi. A year has passed in-universe for The High Republic characters, and Phase III will finally tell us what happened to the cast we first grew fond of when the initiative launched. While Marvel already got in on Phase III with the launch of Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight in October, a miniseries more closely intertwined with the events of The High Republic novels, including George Mann's The Eye of Darkness, which goes on sale next week, I'm looking forward to the return of Marvel's flagship Star Wars: The High Republic series. The title will again focus on Keeve Trennis, introduced as a Padawan in the first volume of Marvel's Star Wars: The High Republic ongoing and now a Jedi Master as the series relaunches. I'm hopeful that, after a year of disinterest, The High Republic era will get its hooks in me again. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextSuperman '78: The Metal Curtain #1
- Written by Robert Venditti
- Art by Gavin Guidry
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Dave Lanphear
- Published by DC
The first Superman '78 series was an absolute triumph for fans of the iconic Richard Donner superhero films starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Writer Robert Venditti effortlessly recaptured the tone and voices found in those films and artist Wilfredo Torres found their likenesses while leaning more heavily into the strengths of comics imagery and expression. Their take on Brainiac, without the technical or budgetary constraints imposed on a film, was stunning and read like a sincere vision of what another chapter in Donner's vision might have looked like. So the announcement that Venditti will return for another installment sub-titled The Metal Curtain this week was nothing short of thrilling for those same fans, myself included. This time Venditti is joined by artist Gavin Guidry to examine the Cold War tensions of that era. Superman '78: The Metal Curtain #1 shifts its perspective from intergalactic conflicts to one between America's Superman and a mysterious new power behind the USSR's Iron Curtain bound to reveal a new take on a classic Superman villain, but which one? Given the existing track record for Superman '78 comics, it's hard for any comics reader who loves Reeves' iconic kindness and Donner's rich tapestry to deny that The Metal Curtain will be the must-read release from DC Comics this week. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextThanos #1
- Written by Christopher Cantwell
- Art by Luca Pizzari
- Colors by Ruth Redmond
- Letters by Cory Petit
- Published by Marvel Comics
After his incredible runs on Iron Man, Hellcat, and Doctor Doom, there are very few Marvel characters I wouldn't want to see Christopher Cantwell put his stamp on. The fact that he's writing this new Thanos miniseries is nothing short of a pleasant surprise — both because I'm sure he'll have a great take on the Mad Titan and because the core plot concept is so cool in and of itself. Cantwell and artist Luca Pizzari craft a scenario where Thanos has to face off against The Illuminati, and I'm extremely curious to see what that ends up entailing. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextZawa + The Belly of the Beast #1
- Written by Michael Dialynas
- Art by Michael Dialynas
- Colors by Michael Dialynas
- Letters by Michael Dialynas
- Published by Boom Studios
Michael Dialynas is an absolute force as a cartoonist. Ever since I first encountered his work in The Woods—written by James Tynion IV and also published by Boom Studios—I recognized that his work would be worth watching. Dialynas' figures possess a wild energy that electrifies settings, delivers compelling action sequences, and summons some of the most impactful monsters and oddities in comics today. Subsequent outings on series like Wynd and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have only proven this assessment correct. Now Dialynas turns his full attention to a series that is entirely his own in Zawa – the tale of a guardian spirit fed nothing but waste by a neglectful society until she is rediscovered by two young people. The metaphor for climate change and opportunities to explore man's relationship with the natural world is obvious. While that subject matter may be familiar, Dialynas' ability to depict Zawa and the corruption of her world opens new windows into exploring those potent themes. Acting as a consummate cartoonist covering every aspect of the work from its outlines to the lettering, Dialynas promises readers his best work to date and that sets a very high bar for expectations when Zawa #1 arrives this week. -- Chase Magnett
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