Gint's 4-29-15 Pull-List Review

Quick hits this week because I'm exhausted after a long weekend complete with a fun Free Comic Book Day.

Sixth Place:

Batman #40

That'll do it, folks – the last issue of a bad Batman book that will appear on the Pull-List. What started out strong wound up spinning round and round and right down the toilet. Art grade: A+. From start to finish Greg Capullo has been a monster cranking out great issues month after month. But at some point Scott Snyder stopped telling interesting Batman stories and made the stories too big for their own good. At the end of this issue, Bruce Wayne dies. Hasn't he died enough over the last few years? It sets up the coming issues for Snyder to really go nuts and write his own book, because he quit writing a "Batman" book a long time ago. So... c'ya, Batman. We had some good times, but you suck now.

Sixth Place:

Convergence #4

Convergence is still on the Pull-List just because I want to be up-to-speed with what DC is up to. Actual entertainment value: minimal. We're not rooting for the bad guys yet, but we're not 100% in the corner of the good guys. This one got slightly more interesting, but only because I read Futures End. If you didn't read Futures End, the supposed-to-be-shocking cliffhanger won't mean beans. Eight more to go, folks! Halfway there!

Fourth Place:

Nova #30

About two issues ago, this book started getting boring. I feel like Nova's been fighting the Chitauri and looking for his father for fucking ever. This issue they actually find each other... and then immediately get separated. A very enjoyable book. That's not in question. But this storyline is tired. Time to put it to bed, Gerry Duggan. This book has been pretty amazing, time to shift gears to keep it that way.

Third Place:

Princess Leia #3

My McSoss co-horts find this book boring with lackluster artwork. I find this book pretty awesome with great artwork. I'll give the conceit that some of the color-holds on the linework can be tedious, but that's small potatoes. Terry and Rachel Dodson draw a super pretty Princess Leia. I'm a big fan. Mark Waid is a Hall of Famer. He's keeping the tone of this book right where it needs to be: moderately light and action adventure-ey. Star Wars in comic form may not be able to completely blow my doors off, but its capable of being mighty entertaining.

Second Place:

Justice League #40

The Darkseid War begins! And... its a slow burn. This issue is setup on top of setup with a side of setup. We learn who Metron is. We learn who and why Apokolips and New Genesis are who they are. We also learn who the Anti-Monitor is and he gets more pathos and depth of character than ever before. You actually want him to win a little. The scale of pure cosmic-ness is off the scale, but Geoff Johns takes all these huge, crazy Jack Kirby concepts and really focuses on the emotional beats. The actual Justice League only appear in flashbacks/visions, but the table is set for a heck of a ride. Johns traditionally starts strong and finishes weak, and like that tradition, this is a good start.

First Place:

He-Man: The Eternity War #5

Shit is going DOWN. Last issue Skeletor saves Adora from being murdered by Hordak. This time, its because Skeletor needs Adora's help to become human again. Its a plea you'd never expect Skeletor to make, but a great turn of the story. Dan Abnett has a strange knack for writing Skeletor so you hear the old cartoon voice of Alan Oppenheimer, but in a manner that takes the silliness out of it. The complexity with which Abnett and artist Pop Mhan are fleshing out this license is really second-to-none in the modern era. What a cool fucking book.

Panel of the Week:

While DC is doing all the multiverse business in Convergence, Abnett uses the multiverse to solidify the Masters of the Universe-DC link (Constantine even makes an appearance this issue) to flesh out the concept in the Masters universe.

-Gint