The Weekly Pull: The Flash, Star Trek, Usagi Yojimbo, and More
Plus, Green Arrow, Power Girl, and Batgirl: Year One.
Batgirl: Year One
- Written by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon
- Art by Marcos Martin
- Inks by Alvaro Lopez
- Colors by Javier Rodriguez, Heroic Age
- Letters by Willie Schubert
- Published by DC
Do I still lament the shelving of DC's Batgirl movie? Absolutely. If you're in a similar boat and want to experience one of the stories that seemingly inspired the movie, this week's reprint of Batgirl: Year One is here to help. The 2003 miniseries chronicles a young Barbara Gordon's journey to being a superhero, which puts her at odds with Killer Moth and Firefly, as well as the misogyny of her male counterparts. There's so much of this story — including Barbara's stellar first team-up with Black Canary — that makes this a must-read for DC fans. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextBlackward
- Created by Lawrence Lindell
- Published by Drawn and Quarterly
If The Eltingville Club is a cynicism-infused love letter to the failures of geek culture, then Blackward may be the necessarily optimistic response and defense of those strange spaces. The Drawn and Quarterly debut of cartoonist Lawrence Lindell portrays four awkward Black young people seeking to find their people. It embraces the awkwardness that comes with being an outsider and defining one's identity in a cascade of perspectives, without denying the challenges inherent in such a task. The original graphic novel follows four adolescents—Lika, Amor, Lala, and Tony—as they assemble at their community center and attempt to carve out a space of their own. Lindell's cartooning is bright and indulgent, capturing the feelings of youth in characters who wear loud expressions and a world that always seems ripe for discovery. It doesn't seek to indulge old stereotypes or easy platitudes either but confronts the difficulties of being Black, queer, and nerdy in the United States without losing track of the dreams that make those difficulties worth enduring. Blackward is bound to strike a note with readers young and old, and hopefully marks the start of many more publications from Lindell in the years to come. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextThe Flash #1
- Written by Si Spurrier
- Art by Mike Deodato Jr.
- Colors by Trish Mulvihill
- Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Published by DC
The Flash was one of the characters who first drew me into reading monthly superhero comics at the peak of Geoff Johns' outstanding run; discovering the history and depths of lore surrounding fast-paced, current adventures was a delight. In the intervening years, my interest has waxed and waned – sometimes digging out classic runs like that of Mark Waid, but often finding mid-tier additions and little of note filling the title. However, the character appears to be at the cusp of another astonishing era this week as writer Si Spurrier and artist Mike Deodato Jr. prepare to take over. Spurrier has established himself as one of the most ambitious, innovative, and creative voices in direct market comics across the past decade. His work on the X-line has been excellent, but series like Damn Them All, Step By Bloody Step, and Coda have made it clear that Spurrier is a writer looking to push the medium even further than any specific genre. DC Comics has given signals that they expect Spurrier to do great things with this long-standing mythos and trust him to go wild with promises of eldritch horror and examinations of time. Deodato may be a divisive artist, but even as a skeptic, I'm intrigued by their flashy style and slick linework applied to a story where speed and montage are centered. If The Flash is defined by iconic runs that redefine the character, then it appears the series is at the cusp of its next great era and I'm very excited to see where it races off to in The Flash #1 this week. -- Chase Magnett
prevnextGreen Arrow #4
- Written by Joshua Williamson
- Art by Sean Isaake
- Romulo Fajardo Jr.
- Letters by Troy Peteri
- Published by DC
After a multiple-month hiatus due to DC's Knight Terrors event, the latest Green Arrow title is finally back — and it has a lot to catch up on. From the unexpected return of a Parallax-corrupted Hal to the lingering mystery regarding the entire Arrow family, Joshua Williamson and Sean Isaake are putting their stamp on the book with oodles of style and heart. It's not too late to catch up on Green Arrow's universe-spanning journey, and then read this week's excellent new issue. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextPower Girl #1
- Written by Leah Williams
- Art by Eduardo Pansica
- Inks by Julio Ferreira
- Colros by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
- Letters by Becca Carey
- Published by DC
For me, one of the biggest delights of the Dawn of DC initiative has been the narrative resurgence of Power Girl, with Leah Williams reinvigorating the character and giving her a meaningful and action-packed new status quo. This week, Williams and artist Eduardo Pansica join forces to give PeeGee her first solo title in a decade — and it's safe to assume that it will continue to be an utter delight. — Jenna Anderson
prevnextStar Trek #12
- Written by Collin Kelly &Jackson Lanzing
- Art by Angel Unzueta
- Colors by Marissa Louise
- Letters by Clayton Cowles
- Published by IDW Publishing
Star Trek's first-ever comic book crossover event, Day of Blood, has been a resounding success, and it concludes in this week's Star Trek #12. The story sees the Eisner-nominated Star Trek ongoing serie and its spinoff, Star Trek: Defiant, colliding as two crews whose captains' relationship has taken an antagonistic turn -- Ben Sisko and Worf -- must put their recent clashes aside to stop Kahelss II and his fascist cult from upending the galaxy. The story has been a tense thriller that has offered some great character beats and memorable moments, such as Spock and Scotty reuniting for the first time in decades and resident too-cool-for-Starfleet antiheroes Ro Laren and Sela getting dressed down by the likes of Beverley Crusher and Aholialili "Lily" Sato (Hoshi Sato's Andorian descendent). By incorporating characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, it feels like a cinematic celebration of that entire era of Star Trek, the likes of which those casts never got to participate in, while also setting characters like Worf, Ro, and Shaxs on the paths they'll walk on their ways into Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Speaking of Shaxs, the one-shot Star Trek: Day of Blood – Shaxs' Best Day also ships this week, showing events from Shaxs' perspective and in the style of the comedic Lower Decks series. Both issues should be on any Star Trek fan's pull list this week. -- Jamie Lovett
prevnextUsagi Yojimbo: Ice and Snow #1
- Written by Stan Sakai
- Art by Stan Sakai
- Colors by HiFi Colour Design
- Letters by Stan Sakai
- Published by Dark Horse Comics
Usagi Yojimbo's adventures continue into a new era as Stan Sakai brings the wandering samurai's adventure back to Dark Horse Comics, its previous home and the company that published the series the longest. Usagi's adventures didn't slow down during their years at IDW Publishing, even enjoying a multi-issue crossover with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, any comics fan should be happy to see Sakai continuing Usagi's trek regardless of publisher. Usagi Yojimbo will now come out as a series of miniseries rather than a single ongoing series, similar to the format Mike Mignola and Dark Horse have used for Hellboy (though Usagi's continuous numbering continues to appear on the covers). Every new Usagi Yojimbo story is a welcoming jumping-on-point for new readers. With Usagi's 40th anniversary in 2024, now's a great time to hop aboard this ongoing comics classic. -- Jamie Lovett
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