The Weekly Pull: Once & Future, Dark Crisis: Green Arrow, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and More
ATOM: The Beginning Vol. 1
- Written by Masami Yuuki
- Art by Tetsuro Kasahara
- Published by Titan Books
While I've never read Osamu Tezuka's seminal Astro Boy manga (it's on my list), I spent some time not long ago reading Naoki Urasawa's incredible riff on the story in Pluto. It proved a masterful sci-fi comic that was impossible to put down and enjoyable even with little to no knowledge of the source material. ATOM: The Beginning from Masami Yuuki and Tetsuro Kasahara is another story that uses Astro Boy as a jumping-off point, beginning as a prequel to the original manga before veering off in a new direction. While Pluto is a tough act to follow, ATOM: The Beginning has crisp and clean linework that readers will appreciate and seems a stellar start to a new take on a sci-fi classic. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextDark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League: Green Arrow #1
- Written by Stephanie Phillips and Dennis Culver
- Art by Clayton Henry and Nicole Virella
- Published by DC
There are clearly multiple goals of the Worlds Without a Justice League one-shots – not only to prove how significant each character is to the DC universe but to dive into what alternate reality they were thrown into during the fight with Pariah months ago. This week's Green Arrow and Black Canary-centric issue takes on both of those concepts to an interesting degree, while also proving just how much we're missing by not having Dinah and Oliver's solo adventures published more often. Come for the Robin Hood and cyberpunk-themed Elseworlds concepts that the pair are thrown into, and stay for a cosmic but compelling examination of the pair's decades-old love story. -- Jenna Anderson
prevnextDC's Terrors Through Time
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by DC
I'm always a champion of DC's seasonal 80-page giants, especially the ones that spotlight characters who are a little underrepresented in the DC universe. DC's Terrors Through Time is the latest to deliver on both accounts, with eight stories traversing the multiverse and the past near-century of the publisher's history. The end result absolutely has something for everyone, from a charming throwback with the Justice Society of America to a gorgeous romp with the Gotham City Sirens. Terrors Through Time will give you the most bang for your buck with regard to DC titles this week. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextNamor the Sub-Mariner #1
- Written by Christopher Cantwell
- Art by Pasqual Ferry
- Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
Namor is having a moment. Thanks to the character entering the MCU next month in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there seems to be a whole new interest in one of Marvel's very first characters. And it's that interest that makes "Namor: Conquered Shores" a must-read this week, both for those intrigued by the comic book version of the character and those who have long been fans of this iconic undersea king. The series kicks off with an aged Namor who is still very much a man in charge more than a century into the future and of a world that has been reclaimed by the sea due to catastrophes of both human and other origins. The setting allows for a new exploration of Namor and his conflicted relationship with the surface while also opening up plenty of questions about the human condition — both within the remaining human survivors and within Namor himself. If you love Namor, you need to read this. If you've never met Namor, you need to read this. — Nicole Drum
prevnextOnce & Future #30
- Written by Kieron Gillen
- Art by Dan Mora
- Colors by Tamra Bonvillain
- Letters by Ed Dukeshire
- Published by Boom Studios
There's only one downside to picking up Once & Future #30 this week: Once you read it, the story is over. It's a bittersweet affair to reach the conclusion for one of comics' greatest original tales to spin out of the last few years – a guaranteed "Best of" selection at the end of the 2020s. Writer Kieron Gillen's examination of Arthurian lore, alongside a few other related selections, has delivered a powerful epic exploring both the nature of mythology and an enthralling family bound up in those myths. Every page has felt like a gift given the tremendous skill and imagination displayed by artist Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain throughout, a testament to their current placement as two of the best working artists in the medium today. While the final issue is oversized and set to wrap up all of the essential loose ends, it's difficult to imagine finding everything readers might want with fewer than 40 pages left to be read. However, Once & Future has yet to let its readers down, and the grand finale seems bound to deliver both spectacle and meaning as it closes out one of comics' modern classics. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextReckless: Follow Me Down
- Written by Ed Brubaker
- Art by Sean Phillips
- Colors by Jacob Phillips
- Published by Image Comics
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips doing killer noir comics is nothing new. They've been knocking that particular ball out of the park for years. That doesn't make it any less thrilling to behold. While Criminal tends to be the duo's most lauded project, there's something I love about Reckless. Maybe it's the fascinating protagonist, Ethan Reckless, the neo-noir period piece setting, or the fast-paced, pulpy vibe, as each issue delivers plenty of action to accompany the mystery, always reaching a satisfying conclusion by the end of the volume. Maybe it's all of that combined. Whatever the case may be, Follow Me Down is the latest installment of the series and promises to offer more of that potent mixture. With six months having passed since the previous volume was released, we're more than ready for it. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextWakanda #1
- Written by Evan Narcisse and Stephanie Renee Williams
- Art by Paco Medina, Natacha Bustos, and Walden Wong
- Colors by Jordie Bellaire and Bryan Valenza
- Letters by Joe Sabino
- Published by Marvel Comics
With Black Panther no longer welcome in Wakanda and a new form of government reigning over the traditional monarchy, things are changing rapidly in Marvel's most beloved fictional country. Wakanda sets out to explore what's happening within its borders through the lens of a different Wakandan character in each issue. Those tales include an incredible array of storytelling talent, including writers like Evan Narcisse and Stephanie Renee Williams who prepare to expand readers' conception of what this afrofuturist nation contains. It's also bound to produce quite the spectacle with artists like Paco Medina and Natacha Bustos ready to depict both its fabulous, Vibranium-laced cities alongside its beautiful natural features. Wakanda #1 focuses on Shuri, T'Challa's sister, former Black Panther in comics, and upcoming Black Panther at Marvel Studios. Given her tremendous popularity already combined with the upcoming release of Wakanda Forever, Shuri and issues like Wakanda #1 are bound to be a focal point for Marvel readers in the months to come – the good news is it looks like we're going to enjoy most of what we find. -- Chase Magnett
prev