Welcome to this week's entry of the Weekly Comic Pull! This is the show where I catch you up on the latest goings on in comics, This week, we have a great variety of comics, from more Rebirth titles to some interesting picks from the Marvel Universe. Without further adeu, let's get started.
Titans Rebirth #1
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Brett Booth
So uh. The cover probably already gave it away, so there's probably no use in putting a spoiler warning, but it is worth saying that it's definitely recommended that you read the DC Universe Rebirth special before reading this, as it gives context for Wally West being here. I'd also recommend being caught up on Titans Hunt, though I haven't read it myself, because it also gives context to the other Titans being here. With that out of the way, this issue is a setup for really ONLY the upcoming Titans series. I was somewhat disappointed that the upcoming Teen Titans series went unaddressed, but given the roster there, one assumes it won't need a lot of setup. Instead, this issue details Wally West and his attempt to get the team back together. The Titans may have all reunited, but there was one thing they were missing, and that's him. The encounter was somewhat annoying because each of the Titans all seemed very quick to jump to attack before anything else, but it did offer a great chance for us to see Wally interacting with them again as his lightnng jolts their memories back when they touch him. We get flashbacks from throughout the Titans' history, many of which are quite touching, especially one between Wally and Lilith, and between Wally and Nightwing. The art is also quite exceptional, for the most part. Most of the models all look really nice, evoking a cool 90's aesthetic without it looking overly detailed or ugly. The one part I'll harp on, though, is we keep seeing this photo, and in this photo, Lilith's hand is so awkwardly drawn, it looks like her hand is broken and her fingers are weirdly situated. It's the only example of bad art in the entire issue, but we keep seeing it, and I can't help but be put off by it. Otherwise, everyone, especially Donna Troy, Lilith, and Wally, look great. Lilith's and Donna's modern costumes especially look fantastic. It's a quick and dirty issue, but it's a good one. It's good to see that, even if he struck out with me with Aquaman, Abnett can hit it out of the park in the Titans department. Now, to see what Ben Percy does with the Teen Titans.
Tony's Score: 8/10
Batman #1
Written by Tom King
Art by David Finch
And here it is, probably the most anticipated Rebirth title of them all, the brand new Batman written by Tom King with David Finch on pencils. Following Scott Snyder's now legendary run with the character was never going to be an easy task, especially given that, not only is King a newer writer with Snyder's legacy to live up to, but also has other names like Grant Morrison to compare to. So, what's the verdict? I'm happy to report that King manages to carve his own nitch for the character, while at the same time, not reinventing the wheel. This first issue sees the Batman struggling to save a commercial airliner in freefall after being hit by a rocket, and the Batman struggling to find a way to save the day once again. By the end, Batman's situation looks grim, only for him to have an encounter with two mysterious figures. Without giving anything away, their presence seems to change the entire game for the Caped Crusader. The issue ends around this time, but from what we can gather, this arc is going to question a lot of WHY Batman does what he does, and and why he is Gotham's hero, something we kind of explored with the Superheavy arc of Snyder's run, but this is seemingly going to deal more directly with the Batman as a figure and less with the man, Bruce Wayne. I loved this issue. Everything about how he worked out how to maneuver the plane, radioing Duke and Alfred for precise angles, checking every possible way this could play out, until the end when things really start seeming grim for him. If this is the level of, not just action, but tension we can expect from Tom King, then this will be a run to remember. DC made a great decision locking him down for an exclusive deal. Don't you dare miss out.
Tony's Score: 9/10
Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat #7
Written by Kate Leth
Art by Brittney L. Williams
Is this the best issue of Patsy Walker to date? Probably. Does that have anything to do with Jessica Jones being in this one? Most certainly. And that's not a knock on Patsy Walker at all, I've stated more than once on this segment how much I love this series, and this is just them taking advantage of the fact that they're in the Marvel universe. This issue sees Hedy's plan to get Jessica Jones to dig up dirt on Patsy backfire since Jess and Patsy are old Defenders teammates. Instead, we see Jess and Patsy teaming up to finally take Hedy down and reclaim the rights to Patsy's comics. Probably the thing that surprised me the most is how much this issue makes reference to a lot of Patsy's extended history, such as her 70's re-emergence as Hellcat and her mother's making a deal with a demon. There's even one or two emotional gut-punches that are effective because they're so unexpected. Jessica really is the highlight of the issue, because her sardonic attitude is a great contrast with Patsy's optimistic-to-a-fault personality. That being said, the best joke, which I won't dare spoil, actually involves Luke Cage in the short few panels where he makes an appearance. It made me realize how much I want a Patsy/Power Man and Iron Fist crossover book. Really, the only thing about this issue I don't like is the very last page where it shows the cover of the next issue showing that it's a tie-in to Civil War II, which I've elected to skip. Other than that, I couldn't stop smiling while I was reading this.
Tony's Score: 9/10
Green Lanterns #1
Written by Sam Humphries
Art by Jay Leisten
Yeah, it's okay. That might not be the most resounding recommendation, but this book perhaps suffers from a bit too much set-up. Not exposition necessarily, but it's a bit of a lean issue. There's not a ton of real Green Lantern-ing in this issue. The real weakness here is that this issue spends a lot of time setting up stuff that was already set-up in the Rebirth issue. Yes, we know Jess and Simon don't get along. We get Simon Baz is dealing with accusations of terrorism because he's of Middle Eastern descent. We get that the Red Lanterns are up to no good. I'd like to get on with it. And fortunately, it does get on with it a little bit, and from the last page, it does look like this is just a weird circumstance of Sam Humphries feeling like his #1 has to re-explain what was in the Rebirth issue, so one hopes that this book really starts picking up. As is, it's worth picking up, in my opinion (despite the score attached here), but it's not gonna do anything for you if the Rebirth didn't get you interested.
Tony's Score: 6.5/10
Vote Loki #1
Written by Christopher Hastings
Art by Langdon Foss
Probably the weirdest book that came out this week, Vote Loki is Marvel's attempt at political sattire from the same writer who currently is doing Gwenpool. So, it's fair to assume that it's going to be a bit sardonic. So far, this issue seems to get more out of the fun characters than it does out of the political satire, but, for what it is, yeah it's fun. This issue has Loki being pegged for presidency after being responsible for saving hostages at a political rally from a group of HYDRA agents. Loki at first doesn't really have a desire to run for president, but thanks to social media, he eventually comes around to the idea (and kinda out of nowhere too, which is maybe a problem). It actually kinda resembles some of the commentary in the series, Prez. After this, Loki then seeks the help of a journalist he saved in the attack in order to help establish his campaign, but as always with the God of Mischief, nothing is quite as it seems. Much of the fun of the series is really just seeing Loki trying to make a serious run for president. The satire is a bit muted so far, with the only real satire being a joke about Loki needing his birth certificate, but really, the best laughs come from Loki or from Angela, who is providing security for Loki's campaign. She doesn't get a ton of screentime, but I was still happy to see her again so soon after Queen of Hel got cancelled. The art is perhaps a bit questionable, but it works since it's done in the style of a political cartoon. It just so happens that my least favorite part of political cartoons is usually their art. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend checking out.
Tony's Score: 8/10
And that does it for me this week. Let me know what you're reading. What did you think of Titans Rebirth? What about Tom King's Batman? Will YOU be voting for Loki? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you next time.
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