The Weekly Pull: Poison Ivy, Stillwater, Planet of the Apes, and More
Adam Warlock Omnibus
- Written by Various
- Art by Various
- Published by Marvel Comics
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 right around the corner, now is as good of a time as ever to get acquainted with the wild history of Adam Warlock. The cosmic character might have one of the most eccentric tenures in all of Marvel, a good portion of which gets collected in this week's new omnibus. Come for the obvious plot details, like the debut of the Infinity Gems and Adam's death and resurrection, and stay for some genuinely good, under-the-radar comic book storytelling. — Jenna Anderson
Fantastic Four:
- Written by Stan Lee
- Art by Jack Kirby
- Colors by Will Glass, Dale Crain, All Thumbs Creative
- Inks by Frank Giacoia, Chic Stone, Vince Colletta, Joe Sinnott
- Letters by Artie Simek, Sam Rosen
- Published by Marvel Comics
Jack Kirby and Stan Lee launched the Marvel Universe in Fantastic Four #1 in 1961. While the first few years of their historic run contain plenty of memorable stories, with almost every issue introducing a new cornerstone character or concept into Marvel's growing mythology, most fans would agree that Kirby and Lee didn't hit the peak of their creative power until Fantastic Four #48-50, a trio of issues that would come to be unofficially known as "The Galactus Trilogy." Here, Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, make their first appearances as Marvel's First Family must contend with a god-like being that is, at that point, wildly out of their league. It was a comic book event before there was such a thing. Now it's collected in color, along with many other issues of the foundational Kirby/Lee run, in Fantastic Four Epic Collection: The Coming of Galactus. It's possibly the most affordable way to read this chapter of comic book history in print, and readers shouldn't miss it. -- Jamie Lovett
Koshchei in Hell #4
- Written by Mike Mignola
- Art by Ben Stenbeck
- Colors by Dave Stewart
- Letters by Clem Robins
- Published by Dark Horse Comics
Hellboy in Hell set a very high bar for a concept that had already earned its place in the comics canon many times over. It depicted a surreal unreality built on old-world architecture and strange configurations of familiar mythology that played out in the manner of a fairytale. So it has been remarkable to see Koshchei's own travels through the largely abandoned and declining realm of Hell provide a sequel of sorts that meets such high expectations. Mignola's interest in Koshchei, a figure from Russian folklore unable to die, delivers a tragedy infused with both classic lore and modern additions from Hellboy comics as the former antagonist seeks his own end. Artist Ben Stenbeck has summoned a vision of Hell that nearly rivals Mignola's own with rustic architecture and wretched inhabitants outlining a realm in decline. Together this character and place have quickly explored the final moments of great devils and the inevitable trickery of minor demons. Wherever Koshchei's journey concludes this week, Koshchei in Hell promises to be a coda to Mignola's exploration of the underworld bound to meet the very high artistic standards established over multiple decades of incredible, gothic comic books. -- Chase Magnett
Planet of the Apes #1
- Written by David F. Walker
- Art by Dave Wachter
- Colors by Bryan Valenza
- Letters by Joe Caramagna
- Published by Marvel Comics
Planet of the Apes is one of the few major classic sci-fi franchises I haven't dug into deeply. However, I adore the modern reboot series and am excited to see its world expand in Marvel Comics' new Planet of the Apes ongoing series. Marvel regained the rights to Planet of the Apes (having previously published comics based on the original films in the 1970s) via Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Planet of the Apes #1 is the debut comic from Marvel's new 20th Century Studios imprint, named after the movie studio that makes Planet of the Apes films, as rechristened by Disney post-merger. That's one sign of how seriously Marvel is taking this Planet of the Apes launch. The other is that they've enlisted David F. Walker, the writer of such acclaimed comics as Bitter Root and a recent run of Luke Cage, and artist David Wachter, an artist whose done some killer work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and elsewhere, to create an original story set in the modern film series' continuity. All Planet of the Apes fans should be eager to see what these creators have cooked up. -- Jamie Lovett
Poison Ivy #11
- Written by G. Willow Wilson
- Art by Marcio Takara
- Published by DC
The debut of any new issue of Poison Ivy is a momentous occasion for me, as I am genuinely in awe of the work that G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, and company are doing in this book. This week's installment might be one of the most fun premises of the series yet, giving Ivy a spa day that quickly turns macabre. Please read this book, you won't regret it. — Jenna Anderson
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country Vol. 1
- Written by James Tynion IV
- Art by Lisandro Estherren, et al.
- Colors by Patricio Delpeche
- Letters by Simon Bowland
- Published by DC
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country has been a stellar addition to the Sandman mythology through its first six issues, now collected in this volume. James Tynion IV teams with Lisandro Estherren for a tale following the reborn Corinthian as he discovers his previous incarnation. Through this tale, he crosses paths with several other curious characters as Tynion examines the nightmarish state of the country. Additionally, each issue features a section of pages from a guest artist, including such heavy hitters as Yanick Paquette, Francesco Francavilla, and Andrea Sorrentino, giving the whole series an added art gallery vibe that doesn't distract or detract from the core narrative. The best part of this book coming out this week is that the story resumes with next week's debut issue of The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country -- Glass House, picking up where this series' wild cliffhanger ending left off. Now's the time to jump on board. -- Jamie Lovett
Stillwater #18
- Written by Chip Zdarsky
- Art by Ramón K. Perez
- Colors by Mike Spicer
- Letters by Rus Wooton
- Published by Image Comics
Chip Zdarsky and Ramón K. Perez crafted a saga depicting an undying American small town that sought to preserve the world as it was through any means necessary in the pages of Stillwater – a story set to conclude in the pages of issue #18 this week. Throughout the series elements of body horror and violence provided readers with a tense and often frightening read with bodies regenerating themselves as soon as they were shot, stabbed, or set aflame. Yet the most frightening elements in the series remain its depiction of attitudes and beliefs deeply seated in the country it depicts. Philosophical struggles between nonviolent revolution and a brutal, leviathan-like form of governance have stuffed each gorey sequence with meaning. Stillwater has defined itself as a horror story from the start and now at its end, there seems to be no promises of a good outcome nor even a hopeful one. Whatever is coming in this oversized finale, readers can expect it to be depicted in tremendous fashion by Perez's outstanding compositions and for it to say something significant as Zdarsky's characters resonate with modern perspectives on a crumbling empire. The only sure bet on Stillwater is that the series is bound to stick its landing. -- Chase Magnett
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