The Weekly Pull: Fantastic Four: Full Circle, Poison Ivy, Star Trek, and More
Dark Knights of Steel: Tales From the Three Kingdoms #1
- Written by Tom Taylor, Jay Kristoff, and C.S. Pacat
- Art by Caspar Wijngaard, Sean Izaakse, and Michele Bandini
- Colors by Caspar Wijngaard, Romula Fajardo Jr., and Antonio Fabela
- Letters by Wes Abbott
- Published by DC Comics
Dark Knights of Steel has been nothing short of a gift for fans of DC Comics' Elseworlds adventures – recasting the publisher's most-popular characters into a medieval conflict akin to a PG-rated Game of Thrones. The miniseries' focus on an oncoming war provides little space to explore the details and history of such a delightful setting, though, and that's where Tales From the Three Kingdoms comes in handy. This one-shot provides three stories set in the series' past from an array of excellent artistic talent. For current readers, they serve to reaffirm the relationships and personalities of key characters radically changed by the events of war while introducing some figures who may reappear in future issues. Even for the uninitiated, this one-shot provides tales that function independently and introduce the premise of Dark Knights of Steel in its best form with unexpected reimaginings of familiar characters and new styles of story in this high fantasy setting. Regardless of your foreknowledge, Tales From the Three Kingdoms proves to be a surefire hit for anyone who enjoys seeing Batman, Superman, and their sprawling supporting casts in a new light. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextFantastic Four: Full Circle
- Written by Alex Ross
- Art by Alex Ross
- Colors by Alex Ross with Josh Johnson
- Letters by Ariana Mahar
- Published by Abrams ComicArtst
Alex Ross is an iconic artist, known for his painted covers and work on evergreen stories like Kingdom Come and Marvels. Fans have never seen Ross' work as it appears in Fantastic Four: Full Circle, his first time writing a graphic novel and the debut release from Abrams ComicArts' new Marvel Arts imprint. The graphic novel sees Ross' employing a style different from his norm, applying flat colors to inked linework as he pays tribute to Fantastic Four creator Jack Kirby. The result is one of the most stunning adventures the Fantastic Four have ever embarked on and one that shouldn't be overlooked. Read our full Fantastic Four: Full Circle review here. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextHow to Read Comics the Marvel Way
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
I'm always a fan of anything that makes us look at the entire medium of comics in a new light, and it seems like How to Read Comics the Marvel Way is doing that in spades. The four-issue miniseries is collected in this print collection, alongside epic comics-centric adventures involving Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. This seems like it will be an endearing — and useful —collectors' item for fans of all ages. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextIt's So Magic
- Created by Lynda Barry
- Published by Drawn and Quarterly
Lynda Barry remains a preeminent voice in American cartooning and those unfamiliar with her work would be well served to seek out the new and updated volumes released by Drawn and Quarterly, including this week's hardcover reissue of It's So Magic. Focused on the Marlys and the Mullen family, as much of her work is, it emphasizes Marlys' elder sister Maybonne who struggles to see joy in the world amidst so much misery on the micro and macro scales. It's a relatable feeling for anyone who has experienced adolescence, and Barry's whimsical approach to childhood perspectives and storytelling allows readers to reconnect with this critical period. Filled with color and incredibly expressive forms, It's So Magic explores family dynamics and makes even the most personal of conflicts feel as large and important on the page as they do in our own minds. Revisiting the comics contained in these pages, now as a high school teacher, I was reminded as to why Barry's work remains edifying and delightful reading regardless of one's current position in or on life. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextNubia: Queen of the Amazons #4
- Written by Stephanie Williams
- Art by Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales, and John Livesay
- Colors by Alex Guimaraes
- Letters by Becca Carey
- Published by DC Comics
One of the many joys of the recent flux of Wonder Woman-related books has been seeing the criminally-underrated Nubia get her due. Stephanie Williams and company have crafted a gorgeous and complex dissection of Nubia's place in the Amazons' world, which comes to a head in this week's fourth and final issue of Nubia: Queen of the Amazons. It's impossible to deny that Williams' scripts have cemented Nubia as a powerful force in the DC universe, and you owe it to yourself to check out this finale. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextPoison Ivy #4
- Written by G. Willow Wilson
- Art by Marcio Takara
- Colors by Arif Prianto
- Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Published by DC Comics
Poison Ivy has been nothing short of a truly incredible comic on nearly every level. Not only has it been a brilliant exploration of Poison Ivy as a character, but it. has also seamlessly woven in real-world issues and an interesting study of humanity itself even as Poison Ivy is on a mission to destroy humanity in favor of nature. The deeper the series goes, however, the more we see that even Poison Ivy sees value in some humanity as well as is running from her own demons and that is in particular something that shines as we head into issue 4. Each issue of this series from G. Willow Wilson gets better and better and that makes this particular issue high on my recommendations this week. There's something about the life and death of it all — and its bringer being caught in all of it as well — that makes for a fascinating story and this one is not to be missed. -- Nicole Drum
prevnextStar Trek #400
- Written by Chris Eliopoulos, Wil Wheaton, Declan Shalvey, Mike Johnson, Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing
- Art by Luke Sparrow, Joe Eisma, Seth Damoose, Megan Levens, Angel Hernandez, Ramon Rosanas
- Colors by D.C. Alonso, Ronda Mattison, Steve Dallasala, Lee Loughridge
- Letters by Jake Wood, Nathan Widick, Neil Uyetake
- Published by IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing has already claimed the title of the longest-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series in the franchise's existence. Now it's doing something similar with Star Trek. The publisher is celebrating its 400th published Star Trek comic book with the anthology special titled, appropriately enough, Star Trek #400 (about 100 more issues than DC Comics, which previously had the most published Star Trek comics at around 300). The issue features multiple stories from IDW Star Trek mainstay Mike Johnson, a short story by Wesley Crusher himself, Wil Wheaton, and writing from others such as Declan Shalvey and Chris Eliopoulos, teaming with artists such as Angel Hernandez, Joe Eisma, Luke Sparrow, and Megan Levans. Perhaps most exciting is the story from the Star Trek: Year Five writing/"showrunning" team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, teaming with artist Ramon Rosanas. The tale serves as a prelude to the upcoming Star Trek #1 (comic book numbering is funny), which will kick off IDW's next era of Star Trek storytelling. The combination of longtime favorite creators and a story teeing up what's to come next means Star Trek #400 should be essential reading for longtime Star Trek comics readers and those looking to dip their toes in for the first time. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextStarhenge, Book One: The Dragon & The Boar #3
- Created by Liam Sharpe
- Published by Image Comics
Yes, this comic is dense and requires an investment of time and thought and it probably isn't one you just want to jump into with issue 3, but it is also easily one of the most exquisite books out there right now and you absolutely need to check it out — even if that means starting at this week's third issue and then going back for more. The series is an incredible blend of myth, legend, science fiction, time travel, and magic and how it all intersects in a war across time itself. The series is at its midpoint here, and again, you'll need to go back for the first two issues, but this is absolutely a book you should not miss. -- Nicole Drum
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