The Weekly Pull: X-Men, Justice League Infinity, Black's Myth, and More

Black's Myth #1

• Written by Eric Palicki
• Art by Wendell Cavalcanti
• Colors by Wendell Cavalcanti
• Letters by Rob Steen
• Published by Ahoy Comics

Writer Eric Palicki and artist Wendell Cavalcanti's last supernatural thriller, Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists, was a thrilling surprise, one that laid down its own mythology and quickly developed new characters in a satisfying 4-issue story. Palicki and Cavalcanti return to the genre in Black's Myth, an L.A. detective story featuring a werewolf detective and her djinn assistant at Ahoy Comics. Palicki appreciates that brevity is the soul of wit and has already shown readers he can complete a narrative and still leave the door open to more—an approach perfectly suited to the episodic and conspiratorial nature of detective stories. Cavalcanti possesses a knack for facial expressions that permits characters to clearly act and develop sympathy. Even before sitting down to read Black's Myth #1, I'm well aware that I'll be sticking around for the ending; these two creators simply tell a great horror yarn. When you combine their track record with Ahoy's practice of providing readers with an abundance of supplemental material, including short stories and other oddities, readers can be assured that Black's Myth #1 is a surefire bet for an entertaining Wednesday afternoon. -- Chase Magnett

Fight Girls #1

• Writing and art by Frank Cho
• Colors by Sabine Rich
• Letters by Sal Cipriano
• Published by AWA Studios

Described as "Gladiator meets The Hunger Games", Fight Girls #1 not only signals Frank Cho's return to comics but also has an intriguing premise. Ten women from different parts of an Empire gather to compete in an ancient, deadly competition for the throne of Queen - but with an unexpected twist. Now, for me personally, stories like Gladiator and The Hunger Games are favorites so a comic book that claims to be sort of a female-centric collision of the two is going to be an automatic read for me, but it is a genuinely interesting book and the art is impressive as well. While Cho is known for his specific style and perhaps his emphasis on certain female features, the art in Fight Girls #1 is actually pretty great. It's just a fun, genre book worth checking out. -- Nicole Drum

Justice League Infinity #1

• Written by James Tucker, JM DeMatteis
• Art by Ethen Beavers
• Colors by Nick Filardi
• Letters by Tom Napolitano
• Published by DC Comics

The Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series provided a gateway into the DC Universe for an entire generation of fans. For some, those shows were their first brush with DC's characters. Others followed the creators who built Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series into their next endeavor, telling new tales and adapting DC Comics classics with an expanded cast of characters and a high standard of quality. For many, the DC Animated Universe remains the definitive version of DC's Universe years after its final episode. Those fans will be happy to know that Justice League Unlimited producer James Tucker and writer JM DeMatteis are teaming with artist Ethen Beavers to tell new stories set in that same universe after Unlimited's finale in Justice League Infinity. Even if you aren't familiar with the DC Animated Universe Justice League -- and you really should watch those shows -- Justice League Infinity looks to offer strong storytelling and an endearing style that any fan can enjoy. -- Jamie Lovett

Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 3

• Written by Various
• Art by Various
• Published by DC Comics

Honestly, the first two Justice League of America Bronze Age omnibuses are basically sacred tomes in my household, and the release of this third installment has been a long time coming, especially after it was initially canceled in 2019. This massive compilation reprints over 40 stories of the Justice League of America's "Satellite Era", which saw the iconic team continuing to grow and evolve across the late 1970s. The Satellite Era is arguably the Justice League at its finest, and every change in the roster, new adversary, or shocking team-up with another superhero team is genuinely riveting to behold. Even though I've already read almost all of the issues included in Vol. 3, I could not be happier to add this omnibus to my shelf. — Jenna Anderson

Mamo #1

• Written by Sas Milledge
• Art by Sas Milledge
• Colors by Sas Milledge
• Letters by Sas Milledge
• Published by Boom Studios

Sas Milledge's work with writer Michael Moreci on The Lost Carnival was outstanding, which makes the announcement of their own original series Mamo a genuine thrill. They are setting out to tell a story of hedge witches, growing up, and responsibility in an increasingly chaotic world. The story focuses on Orla, a young witch called home to manage her village's relationship with faeries and magic after her grandmother passes. This premise is perfectly suited to Milledge's style, which captures both the soft marvels and hard edges of adolescence as well as bridging the gap between the mundane and fantastic wonderfully. Milledge offers a Ghibli-like sense of wonder when exploring the strange or uncertain that will doubtlessly be incorporated into the many small struggles Orla encounters. Mamo promises to be one of the best-looking and most subtly enticing new comics of 2021, and I cannot wait to see it in person. -- Chase Magnett

True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem

• Written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
• Art by Leonardo Romero
• Colors by Jordie Bellaire
• Lettering by Nate Piekos
• Published by Dark Horse Comics

It's been over a decade since My Chemical Romance released Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, an ambitious concept album that chronicles a group of punk-rock outsiders in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and was briefly spun out into a comic series by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon in 2013. All these years later, the themes of individuality, oppression, and found family throughout the Killjoys universe have only grown more relevant, which made the release of the recent National Anthem comic miniseries all the more special. In National Anthem, the Killjoys are left assimilated into society without their memories, only for an explosive series of events to set Mike Milligram and the rest of the group on a chaotic — but familiar — fight. Way and Simon take the familiar "getting the band back together" trope and mold it into an energetic, meaningful, and surprisingly queer journey, one that is accessible for both diehard fans and new readers. Leonardo Romero's art and Jordie Bellaire's colorwork take the series into an even more incredible direction, with an awe-inspiring punk-rock aesthetic. National Anthem ended up being one of the biggest pleasant surprises comics gave to me last year — and odds are, it might be for you too. — Jenna Anderson

X-Men #1

• Written by Gerry Duggan
• Art by Pepe Larraz
• Colors by Marte Gracia
• Letters by Clayton Cowles
• Published by Marvel Comics

It's strange to think that since 2019 when House of X and Powers of X turned the X-line into the most buzzed-about thing in superhero comics, the X-Men ceased to exist as a superhero team. We've had an ongoing X-Men series focusing on the Summers family and other icons of the mutant community. Still, the mutant narrative became more extensive than a single team and less involved in the usual super-heroics of the Marvel Universe. That changes this week as Gerry Duggan, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia, three creators responsible for some of the best mutant-centric comics of the past two years, launch a brand new X-Men series in X-Men #1. During "X of Swords," Cyclops and Marvel Girl recognized the need for mutant heroes. Now they'll lead the first democratically elected team of X-Men as they recommit themselves to protecting the world that fears and hates them. Fans will have to check it out to see if they survive the experience. -- Jamie Lovett

[Read out advance review of X-Men #1 here.]