The Weekly Pull: Green Arrow, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and More
This week's most exciting new comics are packed with mutants!
Dick Tracy #1
- Written by Michael Moreci
- Art by Geraldo Borges
- Colors by Mark Englert
- Letters by Jim Campbell
- Published by Mad Cave Studios
Dick Tracy's legacy in multimedia has definitely been filled with some ups and downs, but it has been absolutely fascinating to see how the character has endured for nearly a century. This week brings about a new chapter in the square-jawed detective's story, courtesy of a new comic relaunch from Mad Cave Studios. I'm definitely curious to see how this week's debut issue strikes a chord for old and new fans alike. — Jenna Anderson
Green Arrow #11
- Written by Joshua Williamson
- Art by Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, and Sean Izaakse
- Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
- Lettering by Troy Peteri
- Published by DC
I remain so thankful that Green Arrow has been upgraded to an ongoing series because there are surely plenty more ArrowFam stories down the pipeline. But I am very excited to see the response to this week's issue, which does serve as the penultimate installment of the initial 12-issue plan for the title. Finally, the latest chapter in the beef between Oliver Queen and Malcolm Merlyn begins to be written — and what it sets up from there is definitely exciting. — Jenna Anderson
Spectregraph #1
- Written by James Tynion IV
- Art by Christian Ward
- Colors by Christian Ward
- Letters by Aditya Bidikar
- Published by DSTLRY
James Tynion IV has staked a claim to being the best horror writer in the current comics scene and it's difficult to contest that claim with critically-acclaimed series like Something Is Killing The Children and The Nice House On The Lake continuing to expand their stories, even as Tynion prepares to deliver something new with artist Christian Ward from the exciting new publisher DSTLRY this week. Readers received a sneak peak of Spectregraph at the start of the year in The Devil's Cut, and in fewer than a dozen pages it was an obvious stand-out, even amidst a stellar collection of creators and concepts. That's no surprise given the talent involved. Tynion's appreciation of horror is wide-ranging with a clear appreciation for how the genre highlights and challenges modern conflicts. Spectregraph #1 prepares readers to interrogate the concept of ghosts within the framing of current technological developments and raises questions of how much we can really understand and control in such a chaotic world. Ward delivers both the flesh-and-blood characters and spectral terrors in a style unlike anything else in comics today. Watercolor-like aesthetics embrace the fluidity of undefined forms and make brief glimpses of otherworldly forms in a single panel unnerving. Whether readers are looking to think critically or simply scare their socks off, there's no doubt that Spectregraph #1 will deliver the goods this week in whatever format it's found. -- Chase Magnett
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150
- Written by Sophie Campbell
- Art by Dan Duncan, Vincenzo Federici, Fero Pe, Sophie Campbell
- Colors by Ronda Pattison, Luis Antonio Delgado
- Letters by Shawn Lee
- Published by IDW Publishing
The Road to 150 concludes as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 brings the longest-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series to its end. Sure, IDW Publishing has big things still in store for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the franchise's 40th anniversary, including launching a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series in the same continuity with Jason Aaron writing and a cadre of top-tier artistic talents. Still, it's a bittersweet transition as Sophie Campbell signs off as writer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the past 50 issues (though she's not going far). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 sees several of the series' most recent artists, including Campbell herself, teaming up to bring Donatello's time-traveling quest to prevent the time-eating mutant shark Armaggon from erasing the Turtles from the timeline to its conclusion. For 13 years, IDW Publishing's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been an uninterrupted joy to look forward to every month. Fans of the series will no doubt want to bid the book a fond farewell as they await June's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha for a taste of what comes next. -- Jamie Lovett
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #12
- Written by Erik Burnham
- Art by Sarah Myer
- Published by IDW Publishing
The multiverse is all the rage these days, and with it being the franchise's 40th anniversary, it isn't all that surprising to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles getting in on the act (and not for the first time; see also 2007's Turtles Forever movie). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures, IDW Publishing's all-ages series inspired by the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book that ran alongside it for years, is kicking off a new arc titled "Ogglympics." The arc sees the iconic '87 cartoon Turtles that are this series' heroes summoned by Mister Ogg (an impish creature in the same vein as Superman's Mr. Mxyzptlk) into competition with a dream team of Turtles from across the "Turtle-verse": Leonardo from Kevin Eastman and Peter Larid's original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, Donatello from the 2003 cartoon series, Michelangelo from the CG-animated 2012 television series, Raphael from Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Jennika from IDW's own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book continuity. Is this all fan service? Maybe! But even if that's all it amounts to, it still sounds like a good time for longtime TMNT fans. -- Jamie Lovett
Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #1
- Written by Ram V and Dan Watters
- Art by Matthew Roberts
- Colors by Dave Stewart
- Letters by Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart
- Published by Image Comics
I did not expect a revival of Golden Age Hollywood's most famous monster movies to be one of the most exciting lines of comic books in 2024, but here we are. After the simply superb Universal Monsters: Dracula reimagined the story of Bela Lugosi's debut in the iconic role (with some of Martin Simmonds' very best narrative artwork), Universal Monsters returns for its sophomore outing in Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #1 this week. The new miniseries features writers Ram V (These Savage Shores, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr) and Dan Watters (Home Sick Pilots, Lucifer) and artist Matthew Roberts (Manifest Destiny) taking a different approach to the infamous "Gillman." As the credited titles make clear, all of the creators involved are familiar with horror in comics – having individually created some of the most compelling and original horror comics of the past 10 years already. What's more is that V and Watters have already showcased what outstanding collaborators they are in the deeply disturbed pair of current Image Comics' titles: The One Hand and The Six Fingers. With a pedigree like this, it's impossible to deny the potential found in resurfacing this classic concept with such talented creators. Although it has been 70 years since the Creature first appeared on film screens, themes of colonialism and environmental predation have only grown more relevant in the intervening decades; it's bound to be a thrill witnessing how they will tackle these big ideas and the legendary creature as a new story begins this Wednesday. -- Chase Magnett
The X-Men #130
- Written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
- Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin
- Colors by Glynis Wein
- Lettering by Tom Orzecchowski
- Published by Marvel Comics
I will always champion beloved issues getting facsimile reprints — but this new printing of Uncanny X-Men #130 is undeniably special. Not only does it chronicle a pivotal chapter in the Dark Phoenix Saga, but it serves as the first appearance of mutant pop star Dazzler, which has caused the book to skyrocket in popularity amid rumors that Taylor Swift might be playing her in this summer's Deadpool & Wolverine. As a fan of facsimiles, a Dazzler fan, and a Swiftie, I'm definitely excited to score a reasonably-priced copy of this. — Jenna Anderson
X-Men Epic Collection: Fatal Attractions
- Written by Scott Lobell, Fabian Nicieza, Howard Mackie, et al.
- Art by John Romita Jr., Lee Weeks, et al.
- Published by Marvel Comics
X-Men '97 has whet my appetite for 1990s-style X-Men in a way that a single new episode each week (plus the series' prequel comic) cannot slake. To help satisfy my craving, I've decided to dig into the X-Men comics that Marvel published during the '90s. This era of X-Men has a well-earned reputation for being byzantine and confusing, with X-Men and Uncanny X-Men's overlapping stories and crossovers that bring in characters from spinoffs like X-Force and X-Factor proving hard to follow. Luckily, Marvel's Epic Collection line presents all the crucial issues in their proper story order for easy enjoyment without needing to find an online reading order. The era's reputation also includes being notorious for a style-over-substance approach to its stories that emphasizes continuity over character, which is slightly less deserved. While there are retcons and melodramatic mysteries plenty, and some weak issues, there are also plenty of quality stories, some of which have become important touchstones for the X-Men's mythology. Marvel's latest installment of the '90s X-Men Epic Collections includes one such event, "Fatal Attractions," best known for being the story where (spoiler alert) Magneto rips the adamantium from Wolverine's bones. While the volume leaves out some portions of the "Fatal Attractions" crossover (the X-Factor, X-Force, and Excalibur issues bearing the crossover's signature trade dress and holographic trading cards glued to them are missing), the essential chapters (including Wolverine #75) are here. It's a milestone X-Men tale that is the cornerstone for many major story arcs told throughout the rest of the '90s and is worthy of any X-Men fan's time. -- Jamie Lovett
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