On The Pull: Lockdown Edition 3

Matt C: DC's announcement last week that they're severing ties with Diamond was a shocker (although not totally unexpected) but until then Diamond are currently the sole distributor to the UK and deliveries are currently on a fortnightly basis while the Covid situation continues. So that means there are new comics this week available from Paradox, and the complete list is as follows...

DARK HORSE:     
Butcher of Paris #5 (of 5)     £3.45
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #6   £3.45
Frankenstein Unbound #2 (of 5)     £3.45
     
DC COMICS:      
Action Comics #1022      £3.45
Amethyst #3 (of 6)      £3.45
Aquaman #59       £3.45
Batman #92       £3.45
Batman Secret Files #3      £4.25
Batman / Superman #9      £3.45
Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 (of 6)   £3.45
Batmans Grave #7 (of 12)     £3.45
Birds of Prey #1      £8.40
DC Classics: The Batman Adventures #1    £1.75
Detective Comics #1022      £3.45
Far Sector #6 (of 12)      £3.45
Harley Quinn #73      £3.45
John Constantine: Hellblazer #6     £3.45
Joker: 80th Anniversary 100 Page Spec    £8.40
Justice League #46      £3.45
Justice League Dark #22      £3.45
Justice League Odyssey ##21     £3.45
Killadelphia #6       £3.45
Last God Sourcebook #1      £4.25
Legion of Super-Heroes #6     £3.45
Lois Lane #11 (of 12)      £3.45
Nightwing #71       £3.45
Scooby Doo, Where are You? #104     £2.60
Shazam #12       £3.45
Superman Giant #3      £4.25
Supermans Pal Jimmy Olsen #10 (of 12)    £3.45
Swamp Thing Giant #4      £4.25
Wonder Woman #755      £3.45
Wonder Woman #756      £3.45
     
IMAGE:      
Adventureman #1       £3.45
Bitter Root #8       £3.45
Decorum #2       £3.45
Die Die Die #10       £3.45
Ice Cream Man #19      £3.45
Nailbiter Returns #1       £3.45
Postal: Deliverence #8      £3.45
Reaver #8       £3.45
Sonata #10       £3.45
Stealth #2 (of 6)      £3.45
Undiscovered Country #6      £3.45
      
MARVEL:      
Black Cat #11       £3.45
Daredevil #20       £3.45
Deadpool #5       £3.45
Excalibur #10       £3.45
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #17     £3.45
New Mutants #10       £3.45
     
MORE:       
2000AD #2178       £2.99
2000AD #2179       £2.99
Alienated #3 (of 6)      £3.45
Boys: Dear Becky #1      £3.45
Buffy: Every Generation #1     £6.75
Cimmerian: Red Nails 1#      £3.45
Cobra Kai: Karate Kid Saga Continues #4    £3.45
Dejah Thoris #5       £3.45
Faithless II #1       £3.45
GI Joe: A Real American Hero #271    £3.45
Go Go Power Rangers #32      £3.45
James Bond #5       £3.45
Jim Hensons Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #8   £3.45
Kill Lock #5 (of 6)      £3.45
KISS: Zombies #5      £3.45
Mountainhead #4 (of 5)      £3.45
Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys: Death of Nancy Drew #1   £3.45
Ragnarok: Breaking of Helheim #5 (of 6)    £4.25
Red Mother #5       £3.45
Something is Killing the Children #7    £3.45
Vampirella / Red Sonja #8     £3.45
     
GRAPHIC NOVELS:     
920 London Tp       £15.99
Mephisto: Speak of the Devil Tp     £35.99
Paul is Dead OGN      £14.99
Red Mother Vol.1 Tp      £10.99
Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed Tp     £14.99
X-Men by Jonathan Hickman Vol.1 Tp    £15.99

On The Pull: Lockdown Edition 2

Matt C: Things are far from getting back to normal yet but they seem to be heading in the right direction at least. So that means that - yes! - new comics are arriving this week.

Some of you will be aware that, during the period that Diamond closed its doors, DC used the services of a couple of newly set up distributors to get comics to places that could take them in the States, meaning there will be a bit of catching up to do on these shores (hence two issues of Justice League). Marvel are taking a more cautious approach with their scheduling.

The below will be available from Paradox Comics this week but bear in mind the shop isn't officially open for business so make sure you get in touch directly if you need any of the below.

DARK HORSE:

(Nothing this week)

DC COMICS:

Basketful of Heads #7 (of 7)     £3.45

Batman Beyond #43      £3.45

Batman Giant #4       £3.45

Books of Magic #19      £4.25

Daphne Byrne #4 (of 6)      £3.45

DCeased: Unkillables #3 (of 3)     £4.25

Dollhouse Family #6 (of 6)     £3.45

Dreaming #20       £3.45

Harley Quinn #72      £3.45

He-Man & Masters of the Multiverse #6    £3.45

Justice League #44      £3.45

Justice League #45      £3.45

Justice League Odyssey #20     £3.45

Lois Lane #10 (of 12)      £3.45

Low Low Woods #5 (of 6)      £3.45

Metal Men #6 (of 12)      £3.45

Our Fighting Forces Giant #1     £4.25

Plunge #3 (of 6)      £3.45

Red Hood: Outlaw #45      £3.45

Suicide Squad #5      £3.45

Teen Titans #41       £3.45

Terrifics #27       £3.45

Wonder Woman Giant #4      £4.25

     

On The Pull: Lockdown Edition

Matt C: As you'll probably be aware, comics due for release in the UK on 26th March have been sat in a Diamond warehouse since before that date, waiting for the first signs of life to spark back into the industry after it all came to an abrupt but inevitable standstill.

Well, the wait is finally over as those comics have now left the warehouse, are in circulation, and have arrived at our very own Paradox Comics!

Rumours are that something approaching normal service (or a new definition of normal) will resume at the end of May, with Marvel beginning to revise their shipping schedules.

In the meantime, we've got new issues of personal favourites like X-Men, Far Sector and Lazarus: Risen within our grasp and no amount of lockdown is ever going to kick the comics habit for those of us in it for the long haul.

It's worth remembering that, especially in times like these, comic shops need cashflow to keep going, so get your orders in and make sure that money changes hands as soon as it's possible to do so (they have digital financial transactions these days, don't you know)!

The PCG remains in 'quiet mode' for the interim, but our passion for this medium remains undiminished!

On The Pull 18/03/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: Blasting my 'one new start per week' rule pretty much into space, my mid-Mad March list racks up an inexcusable four issue one bonanza. I'll skim over Starship Down as you can catch the skinny on that in my Cover To Cover review, plus I talked about Artemis And The Assassin #1 for the Shipping Forecast too.

The other halves of my new start double date are: Wicked Things #1 - John Allison and Max Sarin spin out of their Giant Days success with a story about Charlotte Grote, former child detective now teen framed for murder. Our own Andy H is still struggling to come to terms with the completion of the Giant Days main series and his misty-eyed reviews are enough to have me taking the chance at this new start - and, c'mon, you expect me to pass on something called X-Ray Robot? Michael Allred writes and draws a story of a futuristic robot science hero who can see through dimensions - oh boy, that sounds too good to miss!

Something Is Killing The Children hits issue #6 this week  and, after the traumatic events of #5, you could be forgiven for hoping for a little peace for our monster-hunting crew but, let's face it, those murderous forest dwelling nightmares don't take a day off! Last month's BANG! #1 was an original, twisty, hyper-clever take on the international spy genre from the brilliant mind of Matt Kindt making issue #2 unmissable, and while we're talking brilliant creative minds, Jeff Lemire continues to grow his Family Tree: his skill for making people living in an impossible physical world feel real and relevant is astonishing.

On The Pull 11/03/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Andy H: Never one to rest on his laurels, maestro of mutant mania Jonathan Hickman has found time to release a new title from Image. Decorum #1 is about assassins. There are a lot of them in the universe, apparently, and here we follow one in particular: we're told she is the most well-mannered among them, and hopefully we can expect the usual level of world building from Hickman. In the previews Mike Huddleston's art is knocking it out the park so this should be a feast for brain and eyes.

Also starting afresh this week is Cable #1. Gone is the familiar war-worn version we know and love, this time it's a younger version of Nathan Summers, now on Krakoa with the other mutants - you'd think he'd be putting his feet up but where's the fun in that? Gerry Duggan (Deadpool) is the writer with a firm favourite of mine, Phil Noto, on art.

Manifest Destiny #42 brings the latest story arc of the series to an end. This has been a solid read over the years and this arc has not let us down - with more 'monsters', more mystery and more questions, this keeps me coming back for more. Creators Chris Dingess and Matthew Roberts have done a great job and I'm already waiting for #43!

Over the years, Jim Henson's Storyteller has produced some fabulous series of one-shots; Giants, Dragons, Fairies and Sirens. Now it's the turn of ghosts, with a first issue written and drawn by Mark Laszlo. Set within Scandinavian folklore this tale follows a traveller who has to carry a spirit to its proper burial site. What he doesn't realise is that this is a vengeful spook and he may not survive the encounter.

Finally, more big green fun with Immortal Hulk #32. Al Ewing and Joe Bennett continue to impress with this incarnation of the Hulk and 32 issues in, the Alex Ross covers are worth the price of entry alone.

On The Pull 04/03/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: It's time for Strange Adventures #1.

Over the last few years Tom King's star has risen dramatically in the creative community through creator-owned work like Sheriff Of Babylon and his epic stint on Batman, but it's with the critically acclaimed, award-winning maxi-series The Vision and Mister Miracle where he's really made his mark. Both had bold, unique takes on 'lesser known' characters that were as intelligent as they were inventive. Now he's tackling Adam Strange at DC in what the spiel describes as "a story of blood, war, and love that readers will be talking about for years to come". I was already sold the moment the project was announced, and with Mister Miracle artist Mitch Gerads along for the ride, this will no doubt be bothering end-of-year lists come December. Basically, don't leave this one on the shelf.

Over at Marvel we have, ah, Marvel #1. In the tradition of the seminal series Marvels, artist Alex Ross is bringing us an anthology series that will have us once again looking at popular characters in new ways (or so we're told). I love Marvels, and revisit it regularly, so I'm expecting good things from this (original Marvels writer Kurt Busiek's presence in the credits bodes well).

If you want an ongoing that requires your attention, look no further than Daredevil, which reaches its nineteenth issue this week. Chip Zdarsky has been on fire with this book; if you've ever enjoyed the adventures of Matt Murdock at his most tortured and angsty, this is for you.

On The Pull 26/02/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: This week's list is such a cracking mixture of all my favourite goodies, I'm like a labrador given opposable thumbs and the run of a pet store - I don't know what to tear open first! Marvel are offering me hit after hit: my beloved Spider-Ham reaches his miniseries halfway point, the surprisingly excellent Tarot (no, still not that one) has its issue #3 and the Hickman X-revolution continues apace with the main title in the 'Dawn of X' event leading the way; X-Men is proving to be a masterclass in world-building and story innovation. Were that not enough, the second issue of Kelly Thompson's challenging new solo character, Star, appears this week: the first issue was unexpectedly dark and interesting - not at all what I expected from the cover - and showed how Thompson's skill in characterisation is a precious asset in the Marvel creator pantheon.

I'm also picking up Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost; two of my favourite characters (also Storm featuring strongly in the previews art), under the skilled guidance of Hickman and Russell Dauterman, and it's a slot-in to the current superb X-Men events - that's too tasty for me to pass up on.

On The Pull 19/02/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

James R: It's one of those weeks where my pull-list is full of gems: that's largely due to the ongoing output of Jeff Lemire but, beyond the Canadian genius, there's some great reading for me this week. First and foremost is Bang! #1 from Dark Horse. Created by Matt Kindt and Wifredo Torres, this book boasts 'action, mystery and altered reality' - how could I say no to that?! Dark Horse are also releasing the next issue of Jeff Lemire and Tonci Zonjic's Skulldigger And Skeleton Boy. This Black Hammer Universe title has been one of the strongest auxiliary books and has lived up to the promise of Lemire and Zonjic working together.

From DC, I'll be picking up one of my favourite current titles: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen was one of the surprise packages of 2019, and I'm relishing every issue of this - inventive, funny and one of the reasons why DC picked up 'Best Publisher' at the Paradoscars! I'll also be getting the last issue of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's Joker: Killer Smile. The Gideon Falls team have easily transferred their magic to the Clown Prince of Crime, and this has been the best Black Label title thus far for me.

It's that man Lemire again at Image this week - I'll be buying the latest issue of Family Tree, the intriguing horror title that he's created with Phil Hester, which has started strongly, and really hitting its stride as the mystery begins to reveal. Finally, Titan Comics brings me a treat - the latest chapter in the Blade Runner 2019 saga. This book has been far better than I'd dare hope, and as a huge fan of the movies, I've loved seeing the universe explored and expanded with such verve.

On The Pull 12/02/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: The Image books delayed from last week's shipment across the Atlantic arrive on Wednesday, so for me that means I get my hands on the latest instalments of Gideon Falls and Manifest Destiny, both proving they have significant staying power many issues into their runs. Correctly on schedule is Ascender #9, the follow up to Descender, where magic has replaced technology, and Dustin Nguyen's watercolours continue to astound.

Marvel have two third chapters for Hawkeye: Freefall and Thor: I feel that the former freewheels rather than freefalls, but I kind of like it for that, and the latter has a brilliantly engaging universal scenario, with the Thunder God acting as the new herald of Galactus.

Not all of the 'Dawn Of X' launches have quite held my interest (I'm down to three series now) but after initially looking like it would be left behind, X-Men is right out in front of the pack again, exactly where it should be.

DARK HORSE:

Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out #3 £3.45

Stranger Things: Into the Fire #2 (of 4) £3.45

Tales from Harrow County - Deaths Choir #3 (of 4) £3.45

On The Pull 05/02/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Andy H: While the pallet containing this week's Image comics missed the flight over, there's still plenty of good reading to be had. First up is X-Men/Fantastic Four #1: not only does this boast a cover by Terry and Rachel Dodson, they supply the interior art as well! The art isn't the only 'draw' though - this miniseries is written by Chip Zdarsky, a writer always worth following. Krakoa is the home to all mutants but there's room for one more - Franklin Richards - though that may not sit well with the family Fantastic.

Fresh from her appearance in Conan: Serpent Crown, Dark Agnes gets her own miniseries. Set in 16th century France, I'm looking forward to seeing how writer Becky Cloonan brings Robert E Howards' swashbuckling leading lady to life. The Hulk leaves Bruce Banner and inhabits Peter Parker in Immortal Hulk: Great Power #1, a one-shot from writer Tom Taylor with Jorge Molina supplying some stunning artwork as Spider-Man goes green (and not in a good way). If you're going to do horror then one artist you should consider is Kelly Jones. Daphne Byrne #2 means I get to have another fix of this master of the genre - eerie stuff!

Finally, there's Savage Avengers #0. I wouldn't normally showcase what is essentially a reprint but this was one of my favourite two-part stories of the '80s. Kulan Gath has transformed Manhattan and all of its inhabitants, none of whom have any memory of their previous lives, including its heroes. Written by Chris Claremont and with art by John Romita Jr, this is a little hidden classic and well worth reading, again or for the first time.

On The Pull 29/01/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: After the magnetic intensity of the previous issue, with a heist going wrong in dramatic fashion, the latest issue of Criminal deals with the aftermath. The various plot threads that have been weaving in and out of each other will finally come together in an undoubtedly violent conclusion that should underline why this series remains a cut above its contemporaries.

Marvel have the sophomore issues of two books that really impressed with their debuts: Hawkeye: Freefall and Thor. The latter was fairly majestic and showed that Donny Cates has a few tricks up his sleeve for the Thunder God while the former met expectations following some advanced drum beating from us (check out our interview with writer Matt Rosenberg if you haven't already). Jonathan Hickman's X-Men reaches its fifth instalment and here's hoping it doubles down on the terrific fourth issue which provided a potent reminder of why House Of X and Powers Of X were such a welcome shock to the system.

Over at DC is a Black Label book that perhaps isn't getting the attention it deserves. I'm not usually swayed by the sword and sorcery genre but Last God has the chops with a gritty atmosphere and some stupendous artwork. Definitely worth moving beyond preconceptions to check it out.

On The Pull 22/01/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: My list this week is a delicious selection box of tasty morsels, with a little smidgen of each of my preferred comics genres. Kicking off in the horror zone, Hill House Comics' A Basketful Of Heads is really coming along nicely, with the origin of the cursed-enchanted axe starting to unfold and the quiet little town in which it has been hidden turning out to be riddled with secrets. Alongside that little fright-fest I'm going to give Kidz #1 a try; Ablaze comics are making a niche for themselves converting European comics for the US market and the art and premise for this (a handful of boys have survived the zombie apocalypse, and then the eventual zombie famine, but have their world shaken when a couple of girls join their group) appealed to me.

My sci-fi thirst is slaked by issue #3 of Far Sector, a Green Lantern story with some really inventive world building, and Kill Lock #2 - the first instalment of the latter drew my attention initially because, well, robots, but then delivered a feast of beautiful art matched with writing full of heart and intrigue, a surprise from leftfield and a real treat. Up in the Big Two zone, James Tynion's helming of Batman navigates us into Riddler territory with Guillem March and Tomeu Morey supplying the art this time, and while I'm in Gotham, I'm going to do a little homework in preparation for the upcoming movie, by snagging the Birds Of Prey Giant #1 - I don't know much about this team (other than the ubiquitous Harley Quinn) so I'm going to start a little research project on Huntress et al here. Marvel supplies just Marauders #6 for me this time - this series has been excellent so far.

On The Pull 15/01/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Mike S: After a few weeks of bank balance battering, things return to relative normality with this week’s comics bundle. Firstly, an unusually Marvel-light week sees me pulling only two titles from the House of Ideas, with Valkyrie: Jane Foster continuing a fantastic run and Fallen Angels, while not as stellar, providing a novel view on the current 'Dawn of X' universe. Two independent titles this week too, both of which grabbed me with their first issues and promised a great deal: now to see if they deliver! Firstly we have Red Mother from BOOM! Studios, which I loved when I read #1: a dark, sinister title with a real sense of lurking menace. Then we return to the Black Hammer universe with the second issue of Skulldigger And Skeletonboy: a Batman pastiche told from the viewpoint of the sidekick but with enough of a twist to make it stand out from the crowd of the seemingly endless Batmen of the multiverse.

Over at DC, I continue with a variety of ongoing titles: Aquaman #56, Batman’s Grave #4, Flash #86, a new and, so far, interesting take on the Legion Of Super-Heroes #3 and Flash Forward #5, in which I hope that Wally West might finally be saved from the ignominy of the whole Heroes In Crisis debacle. Finally from DC I'll be getting the final issue of Freedom Fighters (#12) which has been one of my favourite titles from the publisher of late: I’ve always loved the Freedom Fighters, ever since their '70s title, and am a sucker of alternate reality dystopias, so this has been fantastic for me, with a dark, political slant on the old stories combined with some excellent artwork!

On The Pull 08/01/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: After an overstuffed pull-list these past few weeks (the Wednesday prior to Christmas beating my all-time record with a whopping haul!), I'm pleased to see things settle down again (even if it's not likely to last!).

Top of the pile is Marvels X #1, a prequel to Alex Ross' and Jim Kruger's classic Earth X series (now over 20 years old!!), which imagined a dystopic future for the Marvel Universe. I'm not entirely sure what to expect as it's set prior to the events of Earth X (and its direct sequels Universe X and Paradise X) but the original series was memorable enough that I'll happy return to this particular alt.universe.

New Mutants and Excalibur are two of the best series to launch out of 'Dawn Of X', so I'm looking forward to the fifth issues of each from Marvel. Image have two books from Jeff Lemire: the next instalment of the exciting, emotive, beautifully painted sequel to Descender, Ascender, and the twentieth issue of the writer's collaboration with Paradoscar winner Andrea Sorrentino, Gideon Falls.

I will have a look at Batman #86 too. Tom King may have departed but I feel I owe the title some sort of allegiance and at least see what the new creative team have in store.

On The Pull 01/01/2020

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: The feeling that I've got my pull-list working tightly has been reinforced over the last couple of months - it's almost as if I'm finally getting the hang of this lark - but the first pull of the brand new year (and a new decade, depending on how you count it) must surely be the zenith, with just exactly the right balance of miniseries coming to a close, rich and tasty ongoings and a couple of fresh starts which have me all a-tingle.

Ruby Falls wraps with its final quarter this week: it has been an 'almost' for me - there are so many things to love in this mining town story of shadowy memories of a murder lost to time and collective secrecy, and I'm hoping the concluding issue satisfies my minor concerns about the smoothness of dialogue. Ruby Falls is joined by Lois Lane to complete my very short list of non-Marvel titles (just how it falls sometimes, I guess).

...and then there's Marvel! Daredevil and Doctor Doom power ahead in the list: I've enjoyed the quirkiness of the Doom title so far - the story is super-entertaining in a way I didn't wholly expect - and this Daredevil series has been superb, I'm especially enjoying the Wilson Fisk scenes as he tries to maintain control whilst being outclassed by those he seeks to exert influence over. I'm also staying with some of the 'Dawn of X' titles: the X-Men themselves and the magnificent Marauders, which might have been considered to be something of a makeweight initially but is actually forging a path of its own in the event, led by a resolute Kate Pryde (no longer Kitty!).

On The Pull 25/12/2019

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: With New Comic Book Day this week falling on Christmas Day, most publishers seem to have opted to front load the holiday batch of comics resulting in a tremendous number of comics in the week just gone (which I admit to not having made much headway with yet!). It won't be an entirely silent NCBD this week - though delayed, for us at least, to Friday to give our hardworking comic book shop owner a small but incredibly well-earned rest, there are still some delights to be had as we digest a mountain of sprouts and polish off a glass or two of snowball. Marvel are wrapping up an amazing year and segueing into the next with their Incoming title: it's a chunky cover price (but, okay, quiet week) and it promises to bring together many of the big teams in a murder mystery storyline.

Paradoscar nominee, and sometime vehicle of the winner of our award for Most Promising Talent Jacob Phillips; the current series of Criminal has been infused with quality and as the story reaches its final phase, I'm fascinated to see how it all comes together. Finally, two books which clearly have my name all over them: Matt C wrote about The Kill Lock for the Shipping Forecast - a story of four robots convicted of crimes and banished whilst locked together by mutually destructive software, this looks like it could have been written for me. Writer-artist Livio Ramondelli is a relatively new name for us, so here's hoping the beautiful cover art is representative of the content. Last, and very definitely not least, the porky polymath, the hamtastic hero, the spider-who-was-bitten-by-a-radioactive-pig who's here to save the day, Spider-Ham is back in town! What more could I ask to wrap up a golden year of comics?

On The Pull 18/12/2019

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Matt C: With Christmas falling on Wednesday next week, Wednesday this week is a wallet-buster with a veritable wealth of great comics arriving for us to somehow find the time to read across the festive season. And it's a week of endings.

Away from the printed page we've seen the sublime finale to Damon Lindelof's how-is-it-possibly-this-good Watchmen TV series while the final Star Wars film of the Skywalker Saga is unleashed at the end of the week. Comics-wise, we start off with the concluding issue Doomsday Clock, Geoff Johns' and Gary Frank's sort-of sequel to Watchmen. It's obviously been massively overshadowed by the aforementioned TV show (which started and finished in between the release of issues #11 and #12 of this book), and no matter how impressive and intelligent it's been, Lindelof's version has it beat - maybe it'll take time to appreciate both as individual entities without the need for comparison. Either way, it's certainly exceeded initial expectations and the conclusion promises an epic confrontation between Doctor Manhattan and the Man of Steel.

Also from DC is the last issue of Tom King's run on Batman. Of course we know he's carrying on with the Bat in the forthcoming team-up book with Catwoman (due at some point early next year) but what he's done on this particular title over the last couple of years has been provocative and frequently exceptional. It'll take some beating. Also putting a cap on a long tenure of writing Dark Knight tales are the team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo in Batman: Last Knight On Earth. As with King, they've helped to shape Batman in the 21st century, and personally I feel Bruce Wayne and his costumed alter ego are in a pretty good place right now thanks to these creators.

On The Pull 08/12/2019

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Mike S: As Christmas looms, it seems my postman is destined to suffer as this week has a mammoth list of goodies and next week we’re upping the ante even more! Lots of ongoing goodness and only one new title this Wednesday as BOOM! Studios release the intriguing Red Mother: a prosthetic eye with a possible window to the otherworldly. Red Mother is unique and distinctive enough to grab my attention, especially in light of the publisher's excellent work on other horror titles.

From Marvel comes more of the superb 'Dawn of X' with the release of New Mutants #3, X-Force #3 and Fallen Angels #3, all of which offer distinctive viewpoints on the world of Marvel’s mutants. Sticking with Marvel, but moving into the wider universe, I am looking forward to continuing to discover more of Morbius, Annihilation Scourge (Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill both feature this week), Fantastic Four and especially the hugely enjoyable powerhouse that is Valkyrie: Jane Foster - surely one of the break out characters and titles of the year.

Over at DC, it’s more ongoing goodness, with the highlights for me being Flash #84, Hawkman #19, Batman’s Grave #3 and the different and engaging Gotham City Monsters #4, offering a take on the villains of Gotham that thankfully moves beyond the ubiquitous Joker and frankly boring and far too prevalent Harley Quinn. Finally from DC is the latest issue of Titans: Burning Rage: while not absolutely amazing, this title manages to provide something akin to the nostalgic love I have for the classic New Teen Titans run from Perez and Wolfman, currently being re-read (maybe I need to explore those classic tales in an article of their own?) and reminding me of what the classic characters were and should have remained.

On The Pull 04/12/2019

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Andy H: The X-Men onslaught (no pun intended) moves apace and in its present incarnation, that's no bad thing. Kitty Pryde (I'm not used to calling her Kate yet), leads the charge as Marauders #3 continues its bold voyage on the high seas, looking after the interests of mutants everywhere - the conversations between Kitty and Emma have been a surprising bonus. The new Captain Britain has caught a few of us by surprise. I wasn't sure I was ready for a new Cap but Betsy is a great character and fits the role perfectly. Excalibur #3 sees our new Captain appear on the radar of MI-13 and she must face the truth about her brother. Of course we mustn't forget the flagship title and X-Men #3 is also out this week. It's great to be this excited about the X-books again!

Moving away from all that marvellous mutant mayhem I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Conan and his adventures in the Marvel Universe. Conan: Serpent War #1 brings together more of Robert E Howard's creations. Our favourite barbarian is joined by Solomon Kane and Dark Agnes, plus thrown in for good measure is Moon Knight - well, he has been quiet since the end of his own series! A quest across time, Elder gods and a job lot of REH creations is enough to grab my interest for this miniseries.

On The Pull 27/11/2019

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 along with a full list of titles that will be available from Paradox Comics.

Jo S: Another week, another superb list of treats to have me racing home from Paradox Comics and tearing off the wrapping with glee! Some long awaited next instalments first: Lazarus: Risen #3 is probably one of my most anticipated regular books and the lengthy absence between issues certainly does make the heart grow fonder and the pangs intensify; it's a testament to the strength and uniqueness of this story that it feels so fresh still in my mind. Still longer anticipated, and an incredible two years since we raved about issue #1, the fourth and final Batman: Creature Of The Night finally appears; I do remember falling headlong into the story of Bruce Wainwright and the dark force which might be keeping him safe but might also be something very different from, and darker than, our old pal Batman.

Also at #4 of four this week is the renamed Machine Gun Wizards: apparently a Cease and Desist Order was enforced on the original Tommy Gun Wizards title, and so the final issue, wrapping up the alternative magical universe version of the story of Elliott Ness versus the Mob, goes out under a new banner. We were talking only this week about comics where the title alone just pulls you in: I'm not sure I would have engaged with Machine Gun Wizards from the start… but what am I saying?! It's Christian Ward! Of course I would! And talking of Ward, Invisible Kingdom's second arc continues this week - Ward's art blazes off the page, setting off G Willow Wilson's witty, educated writing perfectly.