1 Jan 2013

On The Pull 02/01/2013


New comics are due to hit the shelves on Wednesday so here’s a look ahead at some of the books we’ll be picking up this week. To see what’s available at Paradox this week, click here.

Matt C: 2013 had only just begun but don’t expect any of the publishers to offer a respite following the festive season. After an extremely light week we’re back in full swing again with the Jonathan Hickman-penned New Avengers #1 leading the way. Dealing with a revamped Illuminati (a great concept that never had its potential realised under Bendis’ stewardship) if it’s anywhere near as good as Hickman’s Avengers then it’ll most certainly be a lock for the pull-list. Speaking of Hickman, I thinking I’m going to be passing on Manhattan Projects #8 this Wednesday. I’ve got a feeling I missed #7 completely (never a good sign if you can’t actually remember!) and to be honest, although I was kind of enjoying it, it never felt like it reached the level it needed to be at, and a recognisable central plotline had yet to fully assert itself. Another Image book I’ll have to leave on the shelf is Glory #31. Again, I’ve quite enjoyed this, but not enough now the priced has been jacked up to $3.99. Still sticking with Prophet though! Over DC’s way, it’s all about the finale of Punk Rock Jesus for me. A superb miniseries that had me wishing it was an ongoing, I can’t see that Sean Murphy will drop the ball as he wraps up his tale. If it had concluded in 2012 it would have been a definite contender for the Best Miniseries Paradoscar.

Stewart R: And we’re back with a vengeance with a rather healthy looking pull-list to start 2013. Before we get stuck into the new there are some final issues to be read through and I’m really looking forward to see how Sean Murphy and AJ Lieberman finish off their respective series. Punk Rock Jesus #6 should cap off a very interesting and gorgeously illustrated series which has evolved as it has progressed into a captivating look at the world of organised religion and mass media. I’ve certainly no clue as to just how Murphy will elect to conclude the story, but I suspect it could be far from a happy ending. I wouldn’t count on their being much of an uplifting feel to Lieberman’s Harvest #5 either as this comic really has found a dark corner from which to conjure its magic as we have followed Dr Benjamin Dane’s fall into the world of black market organ transplants. It’s yet another slim pickings week as far as DC is concerned for me (try a big fat ‘0’) and surprisingly Marvel are only offering up two titles that I’m overly interested in this Wednesday and surprise, surprise, Iron Man #5 is one of them. The other is New Avengers #1 and this is big title of the week for me as I’m interested to see just what Jonathan Hickman weaves with this title which it has been stated will have some high level connections with his twice monthly Avengers book. Considering the apparent focus on a new ‘illuminati’ group within the heroes of the Marvel Universe and the knowledge that Hickman is playing the very long game with his Avengers titles, New Avengers has ‘win’ written all over it.  Elsewhere I’ll be looking at American Vampire #34 as Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque give us their last issue before taking their well-earned break, and I wouldn’t miss James Stokoe’s Godzilla: Half Century War #4 for anything!!

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