The Weekly Pull: Dark Knights of Steel, America Chavez: Made In the USA, Newburn, and More

By Jamie Lovett - November 2, 2021 04:46 pm EDT

It's almost another new comic book day, which means new releases hitting stores and digital platforms. Each week in The Weekly Pull, the ComicBook.com team highlights the new releases that have us the most excited about another week of comics. Whether those releases are from the most prominent publisher or a small press, brand new issues of ongoing series, original graphic novels, or collected editions of older material, whether it involves capes and cowls or comes from any other genre, if it has us excited about comic books this week, then we're going to tell you about it in The Weekly Pull.

This week, the DC Universe goes fantasy in Dark Knights of Steel and DC Comics launches a new Human Target series. Plus, America Chavez's latest series gets collected, a new creator-owned comic from Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillips, and more.

What comics are you most excited about this week? Let us know which new releases you're looking forward to reading in the comments, and feel free to leave some of your suggestions as well. Check back tomorrow for our weekly reviews and again next week for a new installment of The Weekly Pull.

America Chavez: Made in the USA

Written by Kalinda Vazquez
Art by Carlos Gomez
Colors by Jesus Aburtov
Letters by Travis Lanham
Published by Marvel Comics

America Chavez has become a fan favorite, but fans got a chance to discover a whole new side of America's life in Made In The USA, and now the five-issue limited series is in one handy collection. Not only will you learn why America's relationship with her adopted family became fractured, but you'll also discover that not everything about her origins is as it seems, and all in all you'll come away with a whole new appreciation for America and what she had to go through to become the hero she is today, making this a must-read for any America Chavez fan. -- Matthew Aguilar

Beast of Burden: Occupied Territory

Published by Dark Horse Comic
Written by Evan Dorkin
Art by Benjamin Dewey
Colors by Nate Piekos
Letters by Benjamin Dewey

Beasts of Burden remains one of the most overlooked series in all of modern comics. It blends the heart of Bone with the lore of Hellboy in thrilling adventures of canines battling the supernatural - all from exceptionally talented creators. Occupied Territory provides the series one of its first flashbacks as it frames a story from Japan's post-World War II reconstruction amidst the current characters' recollections. This narrative not only expands the story to the eastern hemisphere and provides a deeper perspective on how and how long Wise Dogs have protected humanity, but it also serves as a perfect point of introduction for any curious new readers. A recognizable face is accompanied by a new companion (a mutt traveling alongside American G.I.s) to confront dark terrors from Japanese folklore threatening local inhabitants. Whether it's Dewey's portrayal of various Japanese monsters or Dorkin's endearing and all too human characterizations, it's a story that is bound to suck in readers of all ages, especially those with a fondness for ghosts and dogs. If you haven't yet read Beasts of Burden, don't wait to find the right issue or collection - it just arrived. -- Chase Magnett

Dark Knights of Steel #1

Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Yasmine Putri
Letters by Wes Abbott
Published by DC Comics

Tom Tayler is quite adept at spinning the DC Universe into fantastical new directions without sacrificing rich character beats and emotional storytelling, and we expect the same from his newest project with artist Yasmine Putri Dark Knights of Steel #1 The series reimagines the DC Universe as an entirely medieval world that is shaken when Kal-El's spaceship crashes into the planet. What follows is a mix of the superheroes and villains that we know and love in a world of swords, magic, and Arhthurian legends, and it is going to be an epic tale. -- Matthew Aguilar

DC Horror Presents: Soul Plumber #2

(Photo: John McCrea, Mike Spicer, DC Comics)

Written by Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski
Art by Jon McCrea and PJ Holden
Colors by Mike Spicer
Letters by Becca Carey
Published by DC Comics

If the first issue of Soul Plumber was any indication, this horror series is one that is set to be both heartfelt and heartbreaking - though this week's second issue certainly takes things to a wild new level as Edgar manages to actually bring something across using his demon-extracting device. Part commentary on blind faith and how it can easily be exploited and part absolutely bugnuts adventure, this is a series you absolutely need to be reading for its wild turns and inventive choices. -- Nicole Drum

The Human Target #1

Written by Tom King
Art by Greg Smallwood
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Published by DC Comics

I knew, before I even opened the first page, that Human Target would probably be one of my favorite comics of the year. A partnership between Tom King and Greg Smallwood — much less one that covers such an underrated corner of the universe in the form of Human Target and the Justice League International — was bound to be something that I knew I would enjoy in concept. In practice, the first issue is even more brilliant, combining an intriguing and well-crafted murder mystery with Smallwood's gorgeous and timeless art. I promise, Human Target #1 absolutely lives up to the hype, and you owe it to yourself to check it out. — Jenna Anderson

Lure

Created by Lane Milburn
Published by Fantagraphics

Are you interested in some beautiful, personal sci-fi? Then look no further than Lure, the new graphic novel from Lane Milburn hitting shelves this week from Fantagraphics. Lure takes place in a not too distant future, where the wealthy are abandoning Earth to climate disaster and heading for Lure, a planet that was formerly a vacation destination. The story follows artist Jo Sparta who gets the chance to visit Lure. She sees it as an opportunity but stumbles onto a conspiracy among her corporate employers. In light of some of the recent headlines about billionaire space travel and climate change, Lure is unnervingly relevant but rooted in very personal anxieties. All of this comes through in Milburn's artwork, which is intimate without sacrificing a sense of sci-fi wonder. For meaningful, emotive science fiction, give Lure your attention. -- Jamie Lovett

The Me You Love In the Dark #4

Written by Skottie Young
Art by Jorge Corona
Colors by Jean Francois Beaulieu
Letters by Nate Piekos
Published by Image Comics

Spooky season may be over, but this absolute gem of a horror comic continues and in this fourth issue of The Me You Love in the Dark, things take a truly dark turn for Ro and the entity she's become entangled with. While the story has been a slow burn to now, this issue truly ignites and promises some pulse-pounding turns from here. You simply cannot miss this series broadly if you're a fan of horror love stories, but this issue, in particular, is a real gem. -- Nicole Drum

My Bad #1

Written by Mark Russell
Art by Peter Krause
Colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letter by Rob Steen
Published by Ahoy Comics

Mark Russell has emerged as the preeminent satirist in mainstream comic books through his writing titles from The Flintstones to Second Coming. Next, he's turning his attention directly towards the comic book industry, or at least the genre that has most dominated and shaped it in North America. My Bad sees Russell teaming up with Peter Krause -- the co-creator of Irredeemable, and thus no stranger to deconstructing superheroes -- for what's sure to be a "valuable new I.P" (I mean, it says so right there on the cover!). If you're ready for someone to take a few well-earned swipes at superhero pop culture dominance, My Bad should do the trick. -- Jamie Lovett

Newburn #1

Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Jacob Phillips
Published by Image Comics

Jacob Phillips has established himself as one of the most promising new talents in crime comics in the pages of That Texas Blood - an atmospheric thriller set in Hill Country and filled with grit and blood at every turn. Chip Zdarsky has surprised many longtime fans by revealing his talents with horror and suspense are every bit as potent as his comedic chops in series like Stillwater and The Silver Coin. So when you pair these artists together on a series centering upon a private detective working for rival crime organizations, it's one of the most promising debuts of 2021. This is an example of top talents working on an idea perfectly suited to them, and it's why I have been excitedly awaiting the arrival of Newburn #1 since it was announced. Regardless of how familiar the tropes contained in this pitch may seem, Phillips and Zdarsky have consistently shown themselves capable of subverting expectations and discovering new trails in the midst of genre fiction. I can't wait to discover what else they can dig up on detective stories. -- Chase Magnett

A Thing Called Truth #1

Written by Iolanda Zanfardino
Art by Elisa Romboli
Published by Image Comics

As soon as I saw the words "chaotic LGBTQ+ road trip" in the pitch for A Thing Called Truth, I knew it would be a book I wanted to check out. The series chronicles the journey of Magdalene, a scientist who is forced to reevaluate her priorities after a series of events, culminating in her waking up on a road trip through Europe with a mysterious woman. Iolanda Zanfardino's script creates just enough intrigue while getting me invested in the characters' chaotic ordeal, while Elisa Romboli's art is filled with expressive, slice-of-life energy. I have high hopes for this series, and you should too. — Jenna Anderson