Tracie's Pull List - Week of July 18, 2012

BATMAN IS HAPPENING YOU GUYS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Wonder of wonders, I am actually attending the midnight opening of The Dark Knight Rises. I honestly don't think I've been to a midnight opening since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Is that film to blame or is it merely a window to state my life has been in since that time. I don't know. What was I talking about? The Dark Knight will Rise at 12:01 AM on Friday (though the movie theater thinks that still counts as Thursday) and members of Comicbook Crossfire will be there, openly weeping into each other's arms. Y'know. For justice.

A 3 hour midnight movie on during the workweek would normally be a terrible idea for me, lacking access to any Lazarus Pits, but I managed to get a half day off work for morningtime sleepings SO WE GOOD.

Almost as exciting for me is the rise of another superhero in comics this week so let's talk about that, shall we...?



Avengers Vs X-Men #8

Adam Kubert joins AvX as artist! Namor goes crazy-go-nuts on errbody! Also this is somehow the first issue Bendis has written since the start of the event. How did that happen?

Batwoman #11

GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE. J.H. Williams assures us that, even though he is doing a fancy new Sandman comic with Neil Gaiman, he is not leaving Batwoman. Whether that means he'll still come back for more art or just that he'll keep co-writing, I guess we'll just wait and see. But so long as Trevor McCarthy sticks around, we should still be in good shape.

Before Watchmen Silk Spectre #2

Addmittedly, the only Before Watchmen books I've read at this point are Minutemen and Silk Spectre but I have a hard time imagining any of the other books could be anywhere as good as these two and Spectre, in particular, has impressed the heck out of me. Say what you will about Moore and DC and legacy tamperings and whathaveyou but this is just a danged good book about mother/daughter relationships both as superheroes and as a family. The 60's setting makes me feel like I'm reading an adult Archie comic. Also, Amanda Conner is just the best.

Birds Of Prey #11

THIS BOOK IS STILL VERY GOOD, YOU GUYS. Most interesting use of Poison Ivy since, what... No Man's Land?

Captain Marvel #1

THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS. This may be my most anticipated book of the week and this is a week where DAREDEVIL happens! I'm not entirely sold on the art just yet (it's good but very unusual) but I'm SUPER SOLD on Kelly Sue Deconnick's writing and her Avenging Spider-Man issue from last week (sneaky first appearance of the new Captain Marvel) was maybe my favorite thing I read. Her take on Carol Danvers is my favorite that I've read and I am so ready to have a female-led superhero book by a smart, talented female writer. If you track down the video on YouTube of Kelly Sue talking about Captain Marvel with Greg Pak, her enthusiasm is completely infectious. You can tell how much she loves this character and loves writing this book and, believe me, it shows in the writing. I am ready to meet my new favorite superheroine.

Daredevil #15

Oh Daredevil... you are perfect. What more is there to say? Best use of Daredevil's blindness I've ever read, as a whole, but in particular, this past issue. Also CHRIS SAMNEEEEEE.

Fantastic Four #608

Jonathan Hickman turning his sights to Wakanda is just the best thing. This better translate to either a Black Panther series by Hickman or a spot on one of Hickman's two upcoming Avengers books in Marvel NOW!.

Glory #28

WHAT KIND OF NERD I AM: This book has lost a little something when they replaced colorists. I dunno, I was just so in love with the look and feel of the series as a whole that that one little chance has thrown it a bit askew for me. It's still a really good "Wonder Woman by way of Dark Knight" story.

Invincible Iron Man #521

We are now just months away from the end of Fraction & Larroca's transformative and lengthy run on this character. It's sad to see such a great team who made such a mark on a series bid their goodbyes but they seem to be pulling out all the stops.

Journey Into Mystery #641

And so begins the final arc of Kieron Gillen's Journey Into Mystery. Shall I just start my ugly crying now? I don't want it to end and I most definitely do not want Kid Loki to go away... but I just can't help but feel like that's where this will go. I hope I'm wrong!

Justice League #11

I do hope there is some better inking being done in this issue. There were several inkers last month and they all seemed to be suffering under the DC Deadline. It's sad to see that sort of thing happen to an artist like Jim Lee.

Saga #5

Brian K. Vaughan is writing a comic which means it is a comic you need to be reading. Also Fiona Staples is a brilliant artist. #GirlPower

Supergirl #11

New storyline! Supergirl on a date? New powers? I don't know what you're talking about, solicitation text, she can't even speak English yet! Superman needs to take better/any care of his newly-discovered cousin. C'MON, SUPERMAN. I know you're busy being boring in anything that isn't set 5 years in the past, but...

Uncanny X-Men #16

MORE GILLEN/ACUNA! More Phoenix Force Five versus Sinister City! And, according to the internet, a surprise appearance by Gambit that is awesome somehow? WE SHALL SEE, INTERNET. WE. SHALL. SEE.

Wolverine #309

Are you confused that #309 is coming out after #310? WELL YOU SHOULD BE. I guess they wanted #310 out before San Diego Comic-Con or something? I don't know. But anyway, don't be confused that this issue has nothing to do with Loeb/Bianchi's Return of Sabretooth storyline. This is a special one-off by Ivan Brandon (who recently quit DC's Grifter series) and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque (of American Vampire fame) where Wolverine tries to help a mutant depowered by M-Day. You had me at Albuquerque.

Wonder Woman #11

New storyline! Return of Cliff Chiang? Ares does Ares things!

THAT IS ALL. BUY CAPTAIN MARVEL AND DAREDEVIL EVERYBODY. 'Til next time. Excelsior!