Pull List Roundtable 8/31/2016 – All-New Wolverine Annual #1, Eden’s Fall #1, Afterlife With Archie #10 & More!

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Matt Graham

Must be a last week of the month.

  • My top pull: All-New Wolverine Annual #1 – Thank you Tom Taylor and Marcio Takara. I’ve been looking forward to this one all summer. The pitch says it all: An All-New Story featuring YOUR FAVORITE SURVIVING CLAW-POPPING CHARACTERS! ALL-NEW WOLVERINE + SPIDER-GWEN = ALL-NEW WOLVERGWEN AND SPIDERINE! GABBY THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS LITTLE SISTER! PLUS: JONATHAN THE WOLVERINE!
  • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #6 – This series has some clever leeway with the mythology and characters of the era I’m most nostalgic for, giving me one of the more fun superhero books on my pull list.
  • Eden’s Fall #1 – A short and sweet love and revenge story kicks off. Matt Hawkins has been putting in work writing Postal, The Tithe, and Think Tank. Now they collide in Eden’s Fall for a three-issue event, with co-scripting from Bryan Hill and art by Atilio Rojo. Hawkins went on record that he isn’t a fan of mega cross-overs and multiple peripherally-connected books, aiming for a concise and contained arc.
  • Han Solo #3 – I’m a longtime fan of Marjorie Liu, and Mark Brooks on art just sealed this. This story is the closest Marvel has come to recapturing the Expanded Universe magic of the now-deleted novel and Dark Horse tales. Not related to this series, but now that Grand Admiral Thrawn is returned to his former glory in Rebels, maybe Disney/Marvel could return Mara Jade or Corran Horn in a new incarnation.

Mike Maillaro

I have a lot of comics for a fifth week, including several of my favorite Image titles! Actually it looks like only DC is treating this as a fifth week, as I only have one DC book on my pulllist this week, and that never happens.

  • EDEN’S FALL #1 – Postal and The Tithe are two of my favorite series. Even though I don’t read Think Tank (though I probably will catch up on it as soon as I can), I am really curious about this crossover. A lot of the time, Image’s books seem to exist in their own bubbles, so it’s great to see some of them spilling over like this. Hopefully we will get a Saga/Paper Girls crossover soon!
  • GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #11/ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT #8 – I am not typically on the “hate Bendis” train, but I basically jumped off Guardians of the Galaxy when it relaunched last year. It just felt like it had gotten kind of boring and stale. I am only picking this up because it’s Civil War II. Hopefully it’s picked back up some. I usually like the Guardians of the Galaxy, but at the moment the only Guardians book I buy regularly is ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT, which also happens to come out this week.
  • DREAM POLICE #11 – Only two issues to go on this great series. I am glad that JMS got a chance to revisit DREAM POLICE. He’s created a deep and compelling world here, populating it with brilliant characters. JMS has said that he will be getting away from comics moving forward. That makes me sad, because I was really hoping he was going to bring back BOOK OF LOST SOULS like he did DREAM POLICE.
  • SAGA #37 – SAGA is back from one of it’s frequent breaks. SAGA continues to be one of my favorite comics. Vaughan constantly shakes up the status quo moving the time line forward, and the result is just a brilliant sci-fi masterpiece. Always glad to see a new issues of SAGA on my pull list.
  • THUNDERBOLTS #4, SILVER SURFER #4, X-MEN ’92 #6 – Maybe it is just because DC and Marvel release so many bi-weekly books, but it feels like I have been waiting forever for these three series, all of which I enjoy. But all three of them have been fairly close to a normal schedule. I am not sure if that was particular worth commenting on, but hey it’s my column. I never claimed everything that comes out is gold…
  • FUTURE QUEST #4 – I loved last issue where we got a few short stories giving us back story for some of the characters. I am mostly familiar with the characters who have been showing up in FUTURE QUEST, but it had been a long time since I saw a cartoon starring Birdman or Space Ghost. I hope they do a few more backups like that because it definitely adds to my enjoyment of this great series.
  • X-O MANOWAR #49 – I can’t believe this series ends next month. This is Valiant’s longest running series, and one of their best. I really hope that we get a relaunch fairly soon because a comic shelf without X-O is a depressing concept for me…
  • HYPERION #6 – One thing Marvel has done really well is to give the spotlight to lesser known characters. I didn’t know what to expect from a HYPERION solo series, but it’s been very good! I love a good road trip book, and you don’t get enough of those these days.
  • SPIDER-MAN #7/NOVA #10/MS MARVEL #10 – Three characters who seem to be at the heart of Marvel’s youth movement moving forward. Personally, I think Marvel needs a jolt of fresh characters, and I hope that they stay in the spotlight. I mentioned last week in a column that I kind of hope that the vision of the future with all the dead heroes comes true and stays true. Marvel needs to stop using their old characters as a crutch and move forward. That would be a very bold direction and one I would be very much in favor of.
  • Previews #336 (September 2016)
  • Rough Riders #5
  • Afterlife With Archie #10
  • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #6
  • Groo Fray Of The Gods #2
  • Mae #4
  • Predator Vs Judge Dredd Vs Aliens #2 (Of 4)
  • James Bond #9
  • Postal #14
  • Spawn #265, $2.99
  • All-New Wolverine Annual #1
  • Amazing Spider-Man #17
  • Astonishing Ant-Man #11
  • Carnage #11
  • Civil War II Choosing Sides #5 (Of 6)
  • Howard The Duck #10
  • Spider-Man 2099 #14
  • Star Wars Han Solo #3 (Of 5)
  • Uncanny Avengers #13
  • 4001 A.D. #4 (Of 4)
  • Bloodshot Reborn #16

James Fulton

It looks like DC is the only company that really has a ‘fifth week’ schedule anymore, with the result being that I’m not buying any of their books this week, giving me a chance to pause a little from their biweekly onslaught.

  • Afterlife with Archie #10 – Always a surprise, and I’m referring to the fact that it exists, not that whatever might happen inside the comic. That’s usually surprising too.
  • Aliens Defiance #4 – Brian Wood’s Alien comic is kind of interesting – it stands on its own, but makes nice little nods to the film continuity.
  • Pitiful Human-Lizard #9 – Two weeks in a row? I have no idea what’s going on at Chapterhouse, but I’m not complaining because I love this comic.
  • Spider-Man #7 – I just really like Miles Morales.

Paul Miranda

After a 3-month hiatus, it feels gratifying and completely natural to be back in the thick of things!!! I have read all of the DC Rebirth titles so far and am keeping up with select Marvel books. Even though I’ve been remiss in posting the weekly roundtable, my return is official.

Here’s what’s on my radar for the last week of August and before the dread back-to-school scenario.

  • FOURTH PLANET #2
  • LIFE, DEATH & SORCERY #2
  • PITIFUL HUMAN-LIZARD #9
    ChapterHouse Comics is all-Canadian creators. Some books touch on all-Canadian content. The trio of titles this week has all the writers and illustrators attending FANeXpo Canada in Toronto, Ontario this Labour Day Weekend!!! That’s not a typo. Us Canadians use the ‘u’ in “labor”.
  • FUTURE QUEST #4
    Really digging the Hanna-Barbera action heroes!!! Jeff Parker has the magic touch when it comes to flushing out the best of decades gone by. Last issue’s “Vortex Tales” were enjoyable and informative. Make way for Mightor and deem Dino Boy worthy!!
  • GOTHAM ACADEMY ANNUAL #1
    This book slipped from my consciousness after Karl Kerschl left. However, I caught up with the remaining six issues. I also am adding to my fix with the Lumberjanes co-starring mini-series. The annual is a great cap before SECOND SEMESTER.
  • LEGEND of WONDER WOMAN #9 (of 9)
    To every end, there is another beginning. Someone should quote me on that one. There’s no need to share tears since Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon have been granted another go at the Amazing Amazon. DC would be dumb not to, since it’s Diana’s 75th year in existence and her (finally) solo motion pic hits theatres next year.
  • SUICIDE SQUAD: WAR CRIMES
    Banking on their popularity, especially the silver screen counterparts, was inevitable. What’s more notable is that the modern creator John Ostrander gets to reacquaint himself with a different version!! Political hot potato!!!
  • reincarNATE #1
  • SKIP to the END #1 (of 4)
    Heavy Metal has really stepped up their game with the proliferation of comic books. I always give the number ones a try and these two new entries are no exception. The premise of the first one is a new take on the concept. The second deals with the struggles of a grunge singer.
  • JEM and the HOLOGRAMS #18
  • IMAGE+ #5
  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17
  • CIVIL WAR II: CHOOSING SIDES #5 (of 6)
    This one is a must for all Canucks (like myself) especially since the variant featues Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Aside from that, he will be spotlighted in the main story as the one who orders Alpha Flight, Canada’s finest super-team!!
  • DEADPOOL v GAMBIT #4 (of 5)
  • SPIDER-MAN #7
  • ELASTICATOR #4 (of 8)
  • HENCHGIRL #10
  • 4001 A.D. #4 (of 4)
  • BLOODSHOT REBORN #16
  • X-O MANOWAR #49

John Babos

Only 5 books for this “fifth week” of August.

  • 4001 A.D. #4 – The end of Valiant’s big 2017 event. They do events right.
  • Bloodshot Reborn #16 – Bloodshot. ‘Nuff said. Pick it up.
  • Earth 2 Society Annual #1 – Surprised to still see this book on stands and almost fighting the current with the old JSA en route back to main DC Earth as revealed in the DC Universe Rebirth #1 one-shot. That said, DC Comics has a huge multiverse and we should see more ongoing series or mini-series exploring those various worlds.
  • Suicide Squad War Crimes Special #1 – The father of the modern interpretation of the Suicide Squad, writer John Ostrander, returns to Taskforce X for a one-shot. I’m in.
  • Thunderbolts #4 – Winter Soldier is a pretty could fit for this team and the book’s been fun so far.
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.