The TALKING COMICS Review Round-Up

Every week, the Talking Comics collective posts a mega-list of the comics they’re most excited to pull off the shelves that week. Check back here to see if the comics on the Pull List met the team’s expectations with reviews and quippy quotables!!! Click the links to go to full reviews and reflections!!!

Also, check out our weekly Favorite Comic Book Covers of the Week column for more coverage of last week’s new books!

This week’s contributors:

• Jesse Bowden (@JesseBowden)
• Huw Parry (@h_paz)
• Deanna Chapman (@deeechap)
• John Dubrawa (@thisjohnd)
• Bob Reyer (bobreyer@talkingcomicbooks.com)
• Steve Seigh (@dead_anchoress)
• Max Mallet (@globetrottermax)
• Nathan Ryan (@Clown_Prince52)
• Kelsey Hlavaty (@kelssamus)
• Vivek Kembaiyan (@just_Vivek)
• Hernan Guarderas (@hguarderas93)
• Lorna Maltman (maltmanlorna@gmail.com)
• Nate Mondschein (@33andMoonshine)
• Greg Brothers (@popculturegeek3)
• Matthew Iung (@iceo1000)
• Miguel Canales-Holler (@Beefsandwich28)

And lovingly edited by Joey Braccino (@joeybraccino)

New Comic Book Day – November 23, 2016

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BOOM! STUDIOS

Warlords of Appalachia #2 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson & Jonas Scharf

• Buy.  Johnson’s Twitter bio includes, “Enemy of fascists, and of fascism.”  This rings true throughout the book, as Kade Mercer is growing into a reluctant Mockingjay in a brutal landscape.  The art compliments the story’s mood and scope, with tremendous use of shadows and wooded landscape.  Warlords of Appalachia #2 is an answer to some of the turbulence and concerns of our time.  If dystopia is your jam, then give it a shot! – Max

[Editor’s Note: For Max’s full review, click here!!!]

DC COMICS

Batgirl #5 (Arc Conclusion) – Hope Larson & Rafael Albuquerque

• Buy!  I’ll have to say up-front that I wasn’t thrilled by the beginning chapter of this arc, but as it went on, the story’s forward momentum mirrored Barbara’s determination to get to the solution of the mystery, and now I’m hooked by the new creative team, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do with Ms. Gordon once she returns to burnside!–Bob

• Buy. This book took a few issues to really get into, but it paid off with the conclusion of the arc. I’m looking forward to what comes next in the series. – Deanna

Harley Quinn #8 – Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin

• Buy – Harley and Ivy go on vacation to a nudist colony. It’s a fun and charming issue and even though it is made pretty clear that we won’t get Ivy full time here, she’s a great recurring character that does help lift the book up. Nathan

Super Powers #1 – Art Baltazar & Franco

• Buy. – This comic is just a fun time. With Superman and Wonder Woman trying to find and save Batman from Brainiac, I felt like I was watching a saturday morning cartoon.- Lorna.

Wonder Woman #11 (Arc Conclusion) – Greg Rucka & Liam Sharp

• Buy – How many different ways are there to say that Rucka/Scott/Sharp Wonder Woman should be mandatory reading? Closing things out just as powerfully as we should all expect by now, Rucka and Sharp wrap the first chapter with a  hearwrenching cliffhanger and leave us desperately wanting more. Here is all the money I have. It’s yours now. You’ve earned it. —Nate M

IMAGE COMICS

AD: After Death Book 1 – Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire

• Buy! It’s a three-part book with a lot to offer if you’re willing to do a little work. It’s a philosophical book that examines how a society functions when death is no longer a concern, equipped with a mystery that will keep readers engaged. It isn’t a long investment and it’s succeeding with its utilization of the two mediums. It’s a good gateway for people looking to explore books that blend prose and visual storytelling to create a more engaging and thought provoking book. – Hernan

[Editor’s Note: For Hernan’s full review, click here!!!]

MARVEL COMICS

Civil War II #7 – Brian Michael Bendis & David Marquez

• Buy. By this point you know what you’re getting with Civil War II and even though it might not be what people wanted it is enjoyable and beautiful. We’re already seeing the ramifications as Marvel has yet again blown their deadline but it’s a fun read and if you have made it to issue #7 then you might as well finish the event. – John B.

[Editor’s Note: For John’s full review, click here!!!]

Death of X #4 (of 4) – Charles Soule & Jeff Lemire and Aaron Kuder

• Pass. Get out now if you can. This mini series went from promising to a disappointing very quickly. With the talent involved here this book should have been incredible but it is a dud of an event and not at all the lead in I wanted to IVX or as a final chapter to Cyclops. – John B.

[Editor’s Note: For John’s full review, click here!!!]

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #13 – Amy Reeder & Brandon Montclare and Natacha Bustos

• Buy!  “The Smartest There Is!” arc begins here, and it promises to be another charming and empowering tale as Lunella grapples with her new-found status (and her parents!) as the MU’s “brightest bulb”! —Bob

The Ultimates 2 #1 – Al Ewing & Travel Foreman  

• Verdict: Buy. With America Chavez now at the team’s helm (though disappointingly absent from the issue at large), it’s impossible not to at least get on board for the first arc. But hopefully as the story progresses, a unified and more sure-footed visual narrative will emerge. — Nate M. 
•  Buy—kinda?  Here’s the thing; this wasn’t a bad issue by any means, but as does the new Captain Marvel issue, it seems a bit un-grounded without the CW II finale. That said, Al Ewing writes some fine cosmic stuff, and this could prove the equal to Volume #1, so I’m willing to try..at least until there’s another “event” that gets in the way!–Bob

Venom #1 – Mike Costa & Gerardo Sandoval

• Buy. This series looks to be pretty promising. I’ve been trying new series from Marvel since I am so enthralled in DC lately. Hopefully this is another title I can add to my list. It’s never a bad thing to give something a shot once, and this is a good jumping on point if you are unfamiliar with Venom. – Deanna

[Editor’s Note: For Deanna’s full review, click here!!!]

TITAN COMICS

Masked #1 – Serge Lehman and Stephane Crety & Julien Hugonnard-Bert

• Wait for the trade. Masked #1 is the start of a full-throttle sci-fi tale of government conspiracies, socio-political unrest, robots, post-traumatic stress disorder, a superhero, and references to French culture that you won’t understand. The story has an incredible amount of potential for social commentary and the author should be commended for how many ideas are introduced in this first issue. However, the story will likely be incredibly complex and will be best appreciated in a trade format. While the art proves to be disappointing, it will be very interesting to see where this story goes and I’d recommend that you follow along with me. – Jay

[Editor’s Note: For Jay’s full review, click here!!!]

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And that’s our Pull List for this week!!! If you happen to pick up any of these books, please join the conversation here or on twitter and let us know what you think! As we update the site with reviews and verdicts on these comics, we’d love to include your input!

#READCOMICS