The Weekly Pull: DC Pride, She-Hulk, The Good Asian, and More

By Jenna Anderson - May 30, 2023 05:01 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 latest DC Pride one-shot spotlights more trailblazing LGBTQ+ stories, and Power Girl, Fire, and Ice get major status quo changes in the Power Girl Special. Plus, key annuals for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek, and some awesome new reprints.

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.

DC Pride 2023 #1

Written by Various
Art by Various
Published by DC

June is Pride Month and while there is a conversation to be had about corporate demonstrations of allyship, if there is one thing that DC does well each year it is their Pride anthology — which is why this year's installment makes my list this week. The issue is both a showcase of some really fantastic creators, but it also does a wonderful job of highlighting the wide range of queer experiences, sharing important perspectives and stories in a way that is authentic and not just a display or a spectacle. The issue does what too many "Pride" collections simply do not: treat people as, well, people.This is selection that is for everyone because these are stories about everyone. It's a must read this week. -- Nicole Drum

The Good Asian Deluxe Edition Vol. 1

Written by Pornsak Pichetshote
Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Letters by Jeff Powell
Published by Image Comics

One of the most critically-acclaimed comics from the pandemic era is now available in its entirety in a gorgeous hardcover edition collecting all 10 issues of The Good Asian alongside exclusive bonus content. For those who missed this series when it was serialized, The Good Asian tells the story of Edison Hark—one of the first Asian-American police detectives in (this fictionalized) U.S. history—investigating a murder tied to his own white, adoptive family. It's a thrilling mystery that reveals both a protagonist and conspiracy as complex as the setting they occupy and ideas they explore. Although it's set in the pre-World War II era nearly 100 years ago, The Good Asian's examination of race and justice in America feels immediately relevant to life in the United States today. Combine that insightful writing with some of the most striking noir comics storytelling and imagery of the past decade and you're left with an instant-classic. Even as someone who followed each issue with fervent interest and already has 2 paperbacks sitting on their bookshelf, this hardcover demands a purchase as the best presentation of one of the best comics published so far this decade. Whether or not you missed it earlier, this gorgeous hardcover demands your attention. -- Chase Magnett

Power Girl Special #1

Written by Leah Williams
Art by Marguerite Sauvage
Colors by Marguerite Sauvage and Marissa Louise
Letters by Becca Carey
Published by DC

There really is just one reason that I have to put Power Girl Special #1 as one of my choices this week and it's this: Williams and Sauvage kick so much ass with Power Girl and Omen and if you're not reading you are majorly missing out. The pair have been doing some fantastic work on their stories and this issue just deepens it in a way that finally gives Power Girl her due and is just damn good comics generally. And there's also some Streaky action and you do not want to miss that now, do you? Read it. You know you want to. -- Nicole Drum

The Punisher #12

Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Jesus Saiz and Paul Azaceta
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
Letters by Cory Petit
Published by Marvel Comics

When this Punisher series began, I was very skeptical of the murderous child Frank depicted by Paul Azaceta and the mysticism infused into his mass-murdering adult self. Yet here at the story's end with writer Jason Aaron's approach to the character clarified, I am anxiously anticipating the final chapter in a genuinely unique take on one of Marvel's most troubling and iconic characters. Rather than obscuring Frank's modus operandi as being "complicated," Punisher has embraced the notion that he is the villain of his own story – a man devoted to war and murder above all else who destroys anyone who might love him as a consequence. Seeing that vision distilled into a showdown between Frank and his undead wife Maria is a horrifying and entirely appropriate outcome. However it plays out and wherever Frank goes next, Aaron has earned the benefit of the doubt in this transformative series that makes it clear Frank Castle doesn't simply send people to hell, he reigns over it, too. -- Chase Magnett

She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts

Written by Rainbow Rowell
Art by Luca Maresca and Takeshi Miyazawa
Colors by Rico Renzi
Published by Marvel Comics

This new She-Hulk run has been the perfect accompaniment to last year's Disney+ series, delivering some stellar adventures for Jennifer Walters month after month. The newest collection of that run leans into Jen's lives as a superheroine and a superhero lawyer beautifully, with tons of character crossovers, romance, and other fun within. If you've been sleeping on this series, use this new trade paperback as an opportunity to remedy that. -- Jenna Anderson

She-Hulk Epic Collection: The Cosmic Squish Principle

Written by Steve Gerber
Art by Bryan Hitch
Published by Marvel Comics

This stint of Sensational She-Hulk issues, sandwiched between John Byrne's iconic stints on the character, have been some of the most elusive to track down for Shulkie fans… until now. This new Epic Collection reprints Steve Gerber's irreverent tales for Jennifer Walters, parodying DC with the hilarious Nostferata arc, and parodying all of superhero event comics with the bonkers Howard the Duck crossover that gives the reprint its name. There is so much lovely and genuinely weird storytelling within these pages, and I am elated to know that it'll find a larger audience with this week's reprint. -- Jenna Anderson

Star Trek Annual 2023 #1

Written by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Christopher Cantwell
Art by Rachael Stott
Published by IDW Publishing

Holodeck stories are some of the most beloved in all of Star Trek, and Star Trek Annual 2023 might the most holodeck story of them all. Written by the current writing team behind IDW's Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant -- Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Christopher Cantwell -- with the always stellar artwork of Rachael Stott, this special issue sees Captain Sisko and the crew of the USS Theseus solving a mystery aboard. Their first clue: a distress message from James T. Kirk hidden in the holodeck. The issue's cover and synopsis promise guest stars from throughout Star Trek history, from Star Trek: The Original Series through Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. We fully expect this to be a delight for Star Trek fans of every era. -- Jamie Lovett

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023 #1

Written by Michael Walsh
Art by Vlad Legostaev
Published by IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics have succeeded under largely consistent and stable creative stewardship, but special issues like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023 allow for creators outside of that bubble to contribute to the TMNT saga. Michael Walsh writes this story, with Vlad Legostaeve providing artwork, introducing a new character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' future. Is he a friend or foe? That should become clear when the issue is released. Given how much fun the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' other time-twisting adventures have been, this is an issue that every TMNT fan should be hotly anticipating. -- Jamie Lovett

X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga

Written by Chris Claremont
Art by John Byrne
Published by Marvel Comics

At this point, The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the closest things Marvel has to a perrennially-printed story — and deservedly so. This week, a new edition of the iconic X-Men storyline is put out into the world, given the easiest (and most cost-effective) opportunity to check out the story. Through all of its ups and downs, The Dark Phoenix Saga was a definitive and fascinating turning point for Jean Grey and her fellow X-Men, and you might be overdue to read (or reread) it. -- Jenna Anderson