Tracie's Pull List - Week of September 7, 2011

Last week may have been the kickoff of the new DC Universe but this week is where it REALLY gets rolling and this new universe takes shape.

Also some other comics exist.

What're you looking forward to, tomorrow?

ACTION COMICS #1

This is easily the New 52 comic I'm most looking forward to, or at least the one I've put the most hope into. I need to tell myself that it's probably not going to be All-Star Superman Year One but at the very least, I want to be excited about and inspired by Superman again. Being as this is a fresh-faced, new to the scene Superman, I shouldn't expect for him to be a man who inspires, just yet, but he definitely should be someone who excites. We are talking about what is now being retconned as (or, rather, returned to?) the world's first superhero. Let's see some super heroism, please.

ANIMAL MAN #1

All of the early reviews I've seen for Animal Man say that this is the book to look out for, in the New 52. I'm not surprised. Jeff Lemire has impressed me with his writing from the get-go and I've been following him around since. He's paired with a pretty remarkable artist in Travel Foreman and I'm thrilled to see what the two of them have put together. I never read Morrison's Animal Man run but I enjoyed the character during the 52 maxiseries. Let's see what this NEW 52 Animal Man has to offer.

BATGIRL #1

While Action Comics may be the book we're hanging most of our hopes on, Batgirl is probably where we're hanging most of our fears. This series has quite the uphill battle ahead of it. I'm definitely among those that felt that Barbara was a much stronger and more interesting character as Oracle than she ever was as Batgirl and we've had some very captivating and distinguished Batgirls in Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. In fact, in the entire time I've been reading comics (nearly 20 years), Barbara has never been Batgirl. I've only known her as Batgirl through the Adam West TV show, the animated series, and flashbacks/backissues. I love Gail Simone, though. I love her dearly. And surely no one outside of, probably, Chuck Dixon knows Barbara Gordon better than Gail so if anyone was going to get her back on her feet (literally), it would have to be her. Godspeed.

BATWING #1

I don't remember if I put this on my pull list or if I'd elected to wait for the trade. I'm thinking the latter. I'm a big fan of Judd Winick (yes, we exist) and I'm certainly interested in a character operating as "the Batman of Africa" (though lord help him, that's a lot more space to cover than what Gotham City amounts to). It's a slightly ballsy move to place this character as the lead of an ongoing series when he's barely had but a few panels to his name during Batman Incorporated. Now, if they could've given Man of Bats his own series too, that'd be just grand.

HAWK AND DOVE #1

I am buying this first issue out of love and respect for Sterling Gates. But it is REALLY going to have to floor me. I'm forcing myself to be extra harsh on these New 52 books because so many of them have my eye and there are sure to be more on the horizon but I won't be suckered into sticking with a series out of some sense of habit or "completionism" or whatever. If I love it, I'll keep buying it. If I don't, I won't. You're getting a fresh start, well I'm trying to get one too. And of course, there's always trade paperbacks down the road if something changes my mind.

IRREDEEMABLE #29

I'm sorry, Irredeemable, I don't have a whole lot to say about you because you're so consistently good but thank you.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1

This is another one I'm iffy on. I love the team (especially if it actually includes Plastic Man) but I like the creative team just so-so. But we'll see. There's a lot of fun they could have with these guys.

MEGA MAN HORN CVR #5

This is the first issue without Patrick Spaziente on art and I really hope that it still engages me just as much because I LOVED the first four issues of the series. But as with the Sonic Genesis comic, I can already feel my interest waning the second "Spaz" stopped providing the art.

MOON KNIGHT #5

This book gets better with each issue and this one could really be the kicker as the ACTUAL Avengers show up.

MYSTIC #2 (OF 4)

OH SWEET GOODNESS, Mystic #1 was absolutely beautiful. A really good "Hey girls and exceptionally cool dudes, come see what comics can do!"

NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #1

WONDER MAN AND THE REVENGERS! They've been teasing it since AVENGERS #1 (2010) and now Simon and some of our favorite Obscure Characters are teaming up to poop on their party. Plus Gabrielle Del'otto does non-painted comics work!

SPIDER-ISLAND AVENGERS #1

Speaking of our favorite Obscure Characters, this is a good Week for them as Frog-Man joins the Avengers in this Spider-Island tie-in, written by one of the lead writers of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon.

SPIDER-ISLAND I LOVE NEW YORK CITY SPI #1

Short stories by awesome creators, detailing stories of the varied reactions of this Spider-Plague that's hit New York and given regular joes spider powers. Includes a Punisher story by current writer Greg Rucka! Also Spider-Cat by Skottie Young!

STATIC SHOCK #1

YAY STATIC! I'm really pretty stoked to have Static back in an ongoing series and especially one with as great a team as John Rozum and Scott McDaniel. He looks great and this really stands the chance to be the Spider-Man of the DCnU.

STORMWATCH #1

I really wasn't planning on buying Stormwatch at all and I'm still a bit on the fence, but all of the buzz around Paul Cornell and his take on this book placing it at the very epicenter of the DCnU has my interest peaked quite a lot. It'll really come down to that last minute decision upon leafing through it at the shop tomorrow.

SWAMP THING #1

I really have almost no prior interest in Swamp Thing. I understand that Alan Moore did some great stuff with it. I read all of Brightest Day (but skipped the really lackluster-looking follow-up mini starring Swampy). I even own all of the Brian K. Vaughan series, though I haven't read any of them yet. (got em super cheap and purely because it was BKV's big run preceding Y the Last Man) I'm pretty ready for this series to wow me, though. Scott Snyder continues to impress the heck out of me and he's teamed with some brilliant artists, including Yanick Paquette and Franco Francavilla. And heck, maybe it'll light a spark in me to finally read those BKV issues.

SWEET TOOTH #25

Hey it's Jeff Lemire again and his awesome Vertigo series that he also draws!

THE PUNISHER #3

Oh hey, double dose of Greg Rucka's Punisher! These are good Punisher comics, says the girl who doesn't read Punisher comics.

THUNDERBOLTS #163

Thunderbolts B-Squad has turned traitor and--teamed up with Captain America and Namor???

COMICS!