The Weekly Pull: Superman: Kal-El Returns, Spider-Men: Double Trouble, Super Trash Clash, and More
Batgirls 2022 Annual
- Written by Michael W. Conrad & Becky Cloonan
- Art by Robbi Rodriguez
- Published by DC
My favorite superhero comic annuals are the ones that fundamentally have fun with their central concepts, and I have a feeling this week's Batgirls Annual will accomplish that in spades. This oversized issue is expected to be centered around a tried-and-true Freaky Friday scenario, in which Cass and Steph accidentally swap bodies, which only further complicates the Batgirls' already-complicated relationships with their supervillain parents. With Cloonan, Conrad, and Robbi Rodriguez at the helm, I'm expecting this issue to be filled with delightful moments — and a lot of lasting complications. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextDC's Grifter Got Run Over by a Reindeer #1
- Written by various
- Art by Various
- Colors by Various
- Letters by Various
- Published by DC
It's the holiday season and as usual, I'm all in for holiday comics. This year's DC anthology, DC's Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer is my pick because of the wide variety of tales — both funny and heartwarming — on its pages. Truly, this issue has a little bit of everything. You've got Harley in a Hanukkah story, Black Canary and John Constantine, the Hawks (which always makes me happy), and even Animal Man. It's a smorgasbord of holiday fun and you absolutely need to read it to get your cheer on. Even if you're a humbug. -- Nicole Drum
prevnextJustice Society of America #1
- Written by Geoff Johns
- Art by Mikel Janin
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire
- Letters by Rob Leigh
- Published by DC
The JSA is back — with what might be the team's biggest challenge yet. Part of The New Golden Age and tying into that one-shot, Flashpoint Beyond, Stargirl: The Lost Children and so much more, this first issue of the new series sets up some very high stakes as someone is killing the JSA leaving Helena Wayne/Huntress of the future to crash into the past to try to save the team. There's no good way to summarize this first issue as it covers a lot of ground and weaves in not just comics history but some fresh reinvention into a story that is part mystery, part thriller, and all with the potential to change everything. The art is also a treat here so if you are a fan of the JSA, you can't miss this one. -- Nicole Drum
prevnextThe Mighty Thor Epic Collection: Blood and Thunder
- Written by Ron Marz, Roy Thomas, and Jim Starlin
- Art by Bruce Zick, MC Wyman, Sandu Florea, Tom Grindberg, and others
- Colors by Various
- Letters by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
The late 80s and early 90s remain a very fertile era for the cosmic aspects of Marvel Comics' mythos and writer Ron Marz stands at the center of many of this period's epics. That includes "Blood and Thunder," which sprang from the pages of The Mighty Thor to include the likes of Silver Surfer and Warlock & the Infinity Watch in another cosmic odyssey. The crossover and surrounding issues, now economically collected in the 21st volume of Thor Epic Collections, includes other Marvel luminaries like Roy Thomas and Jim Starlin alongside a revealing collection of less-familiar artists from the early- and mid-90s. While the individual quality of issues may fluctuate, readers who cherish the significant works of Marz and Starlin will be rewarded in rediscovering this oft-forgotten crossover and the many creators contained within its pages. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextNubia & the Justice League Special #1
- Written by Michael W. Conrad & Becky Cloonan, Stephanie Williams
- Art by Amancay Nahuelpan, Alitha Martinez, and Mark Morales
- Published by DC
Seeing Nubia become more prominent in the DC universe over the past year or so has been a bonafide joy, with the fan-favorite Amazon leading her own solo series twice over. This week, Nubia gets a long-overdue opportunity to bump elbows with the Justice League, in an adventure that is expected to be monumentally fun and narratively significant for everyone involved. Whether you've been reading all of Nubia's recent exploits or you're just joining in on this journey, you owe it to yourself to check out this week's special. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextPeter Parker & Miles Morales - Spider-Men: Double Trouble #1
- Written by Mariko Tamaki, Vita Ayala
- Art by Gurihiru
- Letters by Cory Petit
- Published by Marvel Comics
Quality all-ages comics featuring iconic characters aren't as common as they ought to be, but Marvel's Double Trouble comics from Mariko Tamaki and Gurihiru are helping to solve that problem. After previously giving us tales about Thor & Loki and Spider-Man & Venom, Tamaki and Gurihiru are getting some help from Vita Ayala for a story about the Spider-Men (Spider-Mans?) -- Peter Parker and Miles Morales -- that will see Miles doing his best to step out of Peter's shadow. There's no one better to draw delightful, all-ages adventures stories than Gurihiru (seriously, check out their Avatar: The Last Airbender comics), and Tamaki and Ayala have both shown they're capable of writing compelling young heroes with works like Crush and Lobo from the former and New Mutants from the latter. This series is shaping up to be a delightful read. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextSavage Spider-Man
- Written by Joe Kelly
- Art by Gerardo Sandoval, Christopher Nava, Mike Bowden, and Wayne Faucher
- Colors by Chris Sotomayor
- Letters by Travis Lanham
- Published by Marvel Comics
In a fallow era for Spider-Man comics (at least, until the recent Wells and Romita Jr. revival of Amazing), Non-Stop Spider-Man gave readers a recognizable vision of Peter Parker that still felt fresh with an abundance of energy coursing through its very premise. That series flung itself forward like Spidey skyrocketing through the concrete canyons of Manhattan with such velocity that it had to be continued in the pages of Savage Spider-Man, which arrives in its entirety this week. With Peter Parker transformed into a monstrous arachnid version of himself, he still has to defeat a global conspiracy of eugenicists set to murder most of the globe. It's a tremendous problem and one that writer Joe Kelly and penciler Gerardo Sandoval excel in complicating. Spider-Man's mission creates a constant sense of tension that lays the foundations for crackling action sequences and some supremely smart humor in each issue. This is a pure adrenaline Spider-Man story told with the artistic gusto and snappy repartee that mark the best Spidey stories; don't miss it. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextSuper Trash Clash
- Created by Edgar Camacho
- Published by Top Shelf Productions
With Super Trash Clash, Edgar Camacho examines the link that forms between video games from our childhoods (like so many things we obsess over during our youth) and our memory. Here, the premise is that a young woman catches sight of a video game in a second-hand store, one that her single mother worked overtime hours to purchase for her birthday without realizing that the game is terrible. The 96-page story is quick and breezy to read, but packs sentimentality and emotion, particularly for anyone who grew up at the right time to recognize all of the nostalgic references in the stylish artwork. While it's sure to appeal to any readers who remember going through lean times with their family, it'll pack an additional punch for anyone who remembers owning a 16-bit video game console and pining for nothing more than the latest, greatest cartridge on every birthday and holiday. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextSuperman: Kal-El Returns Special
- Written by various
- Art by various
- Colors by various
- Letters by various
- Published by DC
Superman is back and while he's been back on the pages of Action Comics for a bit, this anthology issue lets us in on how his return impacts various people in his life: Batman, Jimmy Olsen, his family. It's a really lovely way to experience the return of the iconic hero and it's always nice to get a bigger picture of Superman's world because that's the heart of Superman: it's not always about him. -- Nicole Drum
prev