Pull List Roundtable – 12/31/2014 – SHIELD #1, Batman Eternal #39, X-O Manowar #31 (Spoilers Free)

Features, Roundtables, Top Story

Click here for a full list of this week’s new releases


James Fulton

I love weeks like this, because it gives me time to get caught up on other reading, and to remind me of how things would be if I had more self-control as far as my pull-file is concerned.

My top picks for the week:

  • East of West #16 – This series does not have to be part of a small week for me to consider it a top pick. I’ve loved every issue of Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s sprawling science fiction epic. Two weeks ago we got a glimpse into Hickman’s plans through his The World one-shot, and now I’m excited to see those plans put into motion.
  • X-O Manowar #31 – I’ve been a fan of this version of X-O since Valiant relaunched with it, and am always ready to see what Robert Venditti does with the character. This is a good, solid, dependable comic.
  • Looks like I’m not likely to be getting any Marvel books this week. The idea of Grant Morrison writing Miracleman is interesting, but not so much with Joe Quesada drawing it. I’ll read it eventually.
  • Mark Waid writing a SHIELD comic that focuses on done-in-one stories with top artists should be a winning approach, but this is TV SHIELD, and most of those characters annoy the hell out of me. I’d check the comic out anyway, because Mark Waid, but not at $5.

Joe Smith

  • X-O Manowar #31 – This series continues to move along at a very consistent rate. When I think there’s going to be a lull in the story, I’m proven wrong every time. I only wish Venditti would’ve brought this high level of work and entertainment to some of his other projects.

Mike “Skitch” Maillaro

  • Batman Eternal #39
  • Earth 2 World’s End #13
  • New 52 Futures End #35
  • All-New Miracleman Annual #1
  • S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
  • X-O Manowar #31

I don’t think this has ever happened before, but I am buying every single comic put out by Marvel, DC, and Valiant this week. Granted that only ends up being 6 books. Yay for the holiday and fifth week combining to make a real light week on my wallet. This works out doubly great for me since I am still without tablet, so I haven’t even read my comics for the last 2 weeks yet. First world problems…

While I did think it got off to a shaky start, I thought Agents of SHIELD evolved into a real good show over the course of its first season. Season 2 has been even stronger although I was pretty pissed off by the fact they seemed to kill one of my favorite characters in the mid-season finale. I am hoping that’s another fake out. The new SHIELD comic takes a lot of these characters and plops them into the real Marvel universe, with Mark Waid writing it. This is definitely the book I am most looking forward to this week.

X-O Manowar has been one of Valiant’s heavy hitters.  I do think that at times the book gets a little event heavy. I did enjoy Armor Hunters, but X-O has been in “Armor Hunters” mode or what feels like forever at this point. And this month’s Previews suggests that we are getting more Armor Hunters fall out in the months to come. Still a great book though.

DC’s weekly titles are always solid performers, especially Batman Eternal and Future’s End. Weekly books usually have some consistency issues, and I will admit that Batman Eternal and Future’s End have had a lot of storylines that I felt were mostly padding, but on a whole, they still have been excellent books each and every week.

World’s End I don’t have as much of a feel for. Future’s End has been dealing with the ramifications of World’s End since long before World’s End had started, so it makes the book feel awkward to me at times. It’s not a bad title…in fact, some of the storylines are far more compelling that “Fifty Sue” in Future’s End and the supernatural elements of Batman Eternal…but I think a lot of it could have been told better in the pages of Earth 2 and World’s Finest without having an entire weekly titled of it’s own.

I actually have not read Miracleman yet, though I do have every issue. I keep hoping to get some time to catch up, but that just never seems to happen.

By the way, both of Marvel’s books this week are 5 bucks each…I hope that is not becoming the new norm…


Alexander Lucard

  • X-O Manowar #31 – That’s all I’ve got.

John Babos

From DC Comics I’ll be picking up Earth 2 World’s End and the New 52: Futures End. I’ve enjoyed these weekly books. I am curious how they will converge (pun intended) with the end of Multiversity to give us DC’s 2 month Convergence event where their main universe ongoing titles are paused.

I’ll also be picking up X-O Manowar as I’m curious about its modern-day revival and reimagining of the Armorines.

Happy New Year everyone.

Mike Maillaro is a lifelong Jersey Boy and geek. Mike has been a comic fan for about 30 years from when his mom used to buy him Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Adventures at our local newsstand. Thanks, Mom!! Mike's goal is to bring more positivity to the discussion of comics and pop culture.