On The Pull 01/05/2013

New comics are due to hit the shelves on Wednesday so here’s a look ahead at some of the books we’ll be picking up this week. To see what’s available at Paradox this week, click here.

Matt C: J Michael Straczynski’s output can be hit and miss but I do believe when he's on form he can tap into the human condition in a way that really strikes a chord with the reader, and that's a skill that can't be overstated. He gets a lot of flak for his 'lesser' works, sometimes deservedly so, but that shouldn't overshadow the fact that when he gets it right, he really gets it right. Before he got drawn into the slipstream of the Big Two it was his creator-owned stuff that really made an impact, primarily Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. I've not revisited them since they were released, so I've no idea how well they hold up, but I do recall being really impressed at the time, enough so that I'm excited to see him tackle original stories again via his Joe’s Comics imprint, the first on the slate being Ten Grand. It features the proverbial one last job where things go awry when demons entering the fray, which is the perfect stomping ground for artist Ben Templesmith. Fingers crossed for this one. The other new book that I've got high hopes for this Wednesday is Suicide Risk from Mike Carey and BOOM! Studios. Carey's one of the smartest writers in the business and this new ongoing, featuring a world where emerging superpowered beings are generally turning to evil sounds great, and it's one of those ideas where you wonder how come no one's ever done it before. Oh, and while we might not mention it often, this week's 2000 AD features the debut of a three-part tale from friends of the PGC Tom Eglington and Boo Cook entitled 'Gunheadz'. It goes without saying that this should included on your pull-list this week!

Stewart R: Ahhh, the wallet sighs its blissful sigh of slight relief at the reduced pull-list, seemingly unaware of that fact that this respite in comic book numbers is merely down to the fact that May 2013 contains five Wednesdays within it and pretty soon it'll be clenching its puckered folds as the Queen's notes fly out of it quicker than a winged monkey from a Wonderland castle window! Ahem, anyway, moving the focus to the anticipated reads from this week I'll first lift X-Men Legacy #10 up into the light as this marks the reunion of the X-Club team of Simon Spurrier and Paul Davidson and I think Mr Davidson's style will certainly be a good fit for this book. Spurrier has been leading David (Legion) down some darker paths these past few issues and I'm looking forward to seeing where his journey takes him this month. Staying with Marvel, I'll be indulging in the second chapter of Jason Aaron's Thanos Rising having enjoyed the first issue and being eager to read more of the Mad Titan's childhood. Superior Spider-Man #9 should make for essential reading this Wednesday as Peter's last chance at regaining control of his body and life may possibly be at hand now that Octavius has apparently spotted him lurking in his subconscious. Dan Slott has been putting the readership through the wringer so I don't see that changing when it comes to this showdown issue! Darting through the other publishers it's a very good week for BOOM! Studios with the next chapter of Hypernaturals hitting shelves AND Suicide Risk from Mike Carey and Elena Casagrande being launched. The idea of a world where the super-villains critically outnumber the heroes and it's left to the fearful human police force to try and mount some kind of resistance is an exciting prospect indeed. Carey has been a writer who I've admired for a good few years now and Casagrande's artistic turn on Marvel's Hulk a few years back still lingers in my mind to this day. All of those elements coming together should hopefully result in a splendid read indeed!