In this week’s Pull List, we’ve got sexy women with sharp pointy objects, sexy men who also wield sharp pointy objects (and also have luxurious long black hair, by the way), and Superman. Because you just can’t go wrong with Superman. Well, most of the time. A little Marvel, a little DC, and a little Dark Horse make this week’s Comic Book Day pull list — it’s a diverse buffet of graphic storytelling goodness. So read on and just listen to us, ’cause we know what we’re talkin’ about here.

Top Picks

Elektra #1 | Marvel | W. Haden Blackman, Michael Del Mundo, Marco D’Alfonso, VC’s Clayton Cowles

Review by Dan Casey

Stop whatever you’re doing and go buy Elektra #1 right now. It’s that good. One of the most underutilized characters in Marvel’s stable, Elektra is back in action in a brand new series from writer W. Haden Blackman and artist Michael Del Mundo, and they waste no time in putting us in her fractured yet focused mindset and hitting the ground running. The opening pages give us all the backstory we need, as we see watch Elektra performing a gorgeously illustrated ribbon dance while her memories play out in the background. Of course, she’s not dancing at all; That’s another raven-haired, scarlet-clad woman’s life. No, the only dance Elektra is doing is a danse macabre, separating hordes of The Hand ninja from their limbs like a hot knife through butter. This is the Elektra we know and love, and she’s never looked better.

What follows sets up an exciting, high stakes game of hide-and-seek between Elektra and a legendary assassin known only as Cape Crow. Having disappeared for years and years, Cape Crow has finally reappeared on the radar and the Assassin’s Guild has reactivated its bounty on his head. Killing a man would be an easy task for Elektra. Too easy. Instead, she must take him in alive if she wishes to claim her prize. Of course, there’s the small matter of dozens of highly trained professional assassins hot on Cape Crow’s trail, but we don’t want to make this too easy on our hero, do we?

Though the first issue is a gripping, well-paced introduction to the series, what makes the issue shine is Mike Del Mundo’s artwork, which is nothing short of breathtaking. His pages play out like a beautiful ballet of hand-painted panels that gives the book a woozy, washed-out feeling similar to Matt Kindt’s Mind MGMT. Yet, suddenly and without warning, Del Mundo’s pages will explode into a whirlwind of bloodshed and violence, awe-inspiring spreads that make you stop what you’re doing and just take it all in. It’s a tremendously enjoyable debut for Elektra, and a title that you will most definitely want to keep on your radar in the weeks to come.

Conan the Avenger #1 | Dark Horse | Fred Van Lente, Brian Ching, Michael Atiyeh, Iain McCaig

Review by Charles Webb

“Never steal from a sleeping Cimmerian” seems to be the lesson for a trio of thieves in the B-story for Conan the Avenger #1. The Fred van Lente-penned story kicks off the “Shadows Over Kush” storyline, which finds our wandering anti-hero drunk, alone, and – of all things – lovelorn following the end of his seafaring days. Now he’s wasted in a foreign land and about to get dragged into the supernatural intrigues of the locals.

Van Lente and artist Brian Ching use this issue to pull Conan up from out of his bottle (one merchant describes him as “watering his demons,” which seems aptly horrible). He’s at his lowest possible point while around him, in Kush, the capitol of Shumballa, witchcraft is being used to upset the struggle between ruling houses (and creating stillborn Lovecraft babies to boot). Conan is kept at the margins of the story, with van Lente slowly drawing him into the center, finally putting the one-time sailor face to face with Agara, the Witch Hunter.

Secret Origins #1  | DC Comics | Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, Tony Bedard, Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, Paulo Siqueira

Review by Eric Diaz

So we’re two and half years into DC Comics’ “New 52” reboot, and it’s fair to say now it’s pretty clear they didn’t have an overall plan for what this new continuity would entail when they started this whole thing. We know the characters have been around roughly six years (comic book time, that is) with certain characters having their history truncated to a kind of “greatest hits” version (specifically, Batman.) Many, many characters still don’t have proper origins in this new universe, and for fanboys and fangirls obsessed with continuity and how this fits with that, it’s been something of a large problem.

This isn’t the first time DC has been in this predicament. In 1986, after DC’s massive universe-changing mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, they were pretty much in the same place. No one knew which character’s backstories were the same anymore, and some characters (like Power Girl and Donna Troy, for example) needed entirely new origin stories to fit in to this newly rebooted universe. So DC launched a new ongoing series that would explain just who was who and how they came to be, called Secret Origins. Cut to twenty-eight years later, and DC has done it again, with the launch of the all-new Secret Origins series, the first issue which hits this week. This new ongoing series features three origins per issue, each twelve pages long, and each by a different creative team. Greg Pak and Lee Weeks on Superman, Kyle Higgins and Dough Mahnke on Robin, and Tony Bedard and Paulo Siqueira on Supergirl.

Secret Origins may not be the most hyped new series from DC, but with their continuity kind of a hot mess after the reboot, it’s a totally necessary one, I’m afraid. There are worse ways to execute it than what was done here, so I’ll definitely be back for more, if only to see how they manage to tell Batman’s origin story for the millionth time and not bore everyone to tears.

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

DEC130141 BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD TP VOL 15 $9.99
FEB140066 BTVS SEASON 10 #2 MAIN CVR $3.50
FEB140084 CONAN THE AVENGER #1 $3.50
DEC130136 EC ARCHIVES WEIRD FANTASY HC VOL 01 $49.99
FEB140088 ELTINGVILLE CLUB #1 $3.99
DEC130143 GANTZ TP VOL 31 (MR) $13.99
FEB140043 HALO ESCALATION #5 $3.99
FEB140040 MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION #10 $3.99
FEB140030 MASSIVE #22 $3.50
FEB140032 MIND MGMT #21 $3.99
DEC130134 SOMEPLACE STRANGE HC $19.99
FEB140065 STAR WARS LEGACY II #14 $2.99
DEC130084 STAR WARS OMNIBUS KNIGHTS O/T OLD REPUBLIC TP VOL 03 $24.99
FEB140042 TOMB RAIDER #3 $3.50
FEB140072 WITCHER #2 $3.99

DC COMICS

FEB140229 ALL STAR WESTERN #30 $3.99
FEB140164 AQUAMAN #30 $2.99
FEB140143 BATMAN ETERNAL #3 $2.99
JAN140270 BATMAN SUPERMAN #9 $3.99
JAN140272 BATMAN SUPERMAN #9 COMBO PACK $4.99
JAN140372 BOOKS OF MAGIC TP NEW ED (MR) $16.99
FEB140210 CATWOMAN #30 $2.99
FEB140289 DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #5 $2.99
JAN140351 DEADMAN TP VOL 05 $16.99
FEB140172 FLASH #30 $2.99
DEC130303 GREEN LANTERN HC VOL 04 DARK DAYS (N52) $24.99
JAN140338 GREEN LANTERN TP VOL 03 THE END (N52) $19.99
FEB140155 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #30 (EVIL) $3.99
FEB140145 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #0 (EVIL) $3.99
FEB140148 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #0 COMBO PACK (EVIL) $4.99
FEB140227 LARFLEEZE #10 $2.99
FEB140272 MAD MAGAZINE #527 $5.99
FEB140228 RED LANTERNS #30 $2.99
FEB140162 SECRET ORIGINS #1 $4.99
FEB140191 SUPERMAN #30 (DOOMED) $2.99
FEB140233 TEEN TITANS #30 (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
FEB140275 TEEN TITANS GO #3 $2.99

IDW PUBLISHING

FEB140371 24 #1 $3.99
FEB140462 7TH SWORD #1 $3.99
FEB140464 CITY THE MIND IN THE MACHINE #3 $3.99
FEB140411 DANGER GIRL MAYDAY #1 $3.99
FEB140460 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FORGOTTEN REALMS OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $29.99
FEB140347 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #201 $3.99
FEB140366 GODZILLA RULERS OF THE EARTH #11 $3.99
FEB140461 MAGIC THE GATHERING TP VOL 04 THEROS $19.99
FEB140401 POPEYE CLASSICS ONGOING #21 $3.99
SEP130468 PRINCESS OF MARS ILLUSTRATED PROSE HC $29.99
JAN140496 ROCKETEER SPIRIT PULP FRICTION HC $21.99
FEB140421 ROGUE TROOPER #3 $3.99
FEB140394 SAMURAI JACK CLASSICS TP VOL 02 $19.99
FEB140436 STAR TREK ONGOING #32 $3.99
FEB140385 TMNT ADVENTURES TP VOL 07 $19.99
FEB140382 TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES #10 $3.99
FEB140387 TMNT ONGOING #33 $3.99
FEB140331 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #28 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
FEB140419 X-FILES SEASON 10 HC VOL 02 $24.99

IMAGE COMICS

FEB140596 DEAD BODY ROAD #5 (MR) $2.99
FEB148225 DEADLY CLASS #2 2ND PTG (MR) $3.50
OCT130486 DISTANT SOIL TP VOL 02 THE ASCENDANT $16.99
JAN140588 FIVE GHOSTS #11 $2.99
FEB140603 FUSE #3 CVR A GREENWOOD (MR) $3.50
FEB148223 FUSE #3 CVR B MCKELVIE (MR) $3.50
FEB140604 GHOSTED #9 (MR) $2.99
DEC130578 LAZARUS #8 (MR) $2.99
DEC130579 MANHATTAN PROJECTS #20 $3.50
FEB140611 MICE TEMPLAR IV LEGEND #9 CVR A OEMING $3.99
FEB140612 MICE TEMPLAR IV LEGEND #9 CVR B SANTOS & FREE $3.99
FEB140620 PROTECTORS INC #6 (MR) $2.99
FEB140554 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S LG MEN $19.99
FEB140559 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S LG WOMEN $19.99
FEB140553 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S MED MEN $19.99
FEB140558 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S MED WOMEN $19.99
FEB140552 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S SM MEN $19.99
FEB140557 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S SM WOMEN $19.99
FEB140555 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S XL MEN $19.99
FEB140560 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S XL WOMEN $19.99
FEB140556 RAT QUEENS HANNAH T/S XXL MEN $22.99
JAN140614 SAVIORS #4 (MR) $2.99
JAN140616 SHELTERED #8 $2.99
FEB140518 SHOTGUN WEDDING #4 (MR) $3.99
FEB140629 SKULLKICKERS #26 $3.50
FEB148200 SOVEREIGN #1 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99
FEB140630 SOVEREIGN #2 (MR) $2.99
FEB140639 THIEF OF THIEVES #20 (MR) $2.99
FEB140641 UNDERTOW #3 CVR A TRAKHANOV (MR) $2.99
FEB140642 UNDERTOW #3 CVR B CHURILLA (MR) $2.99
FEB148226 WALKING DEAD #117 3RD PTG (MR) $2.99
FEB140645 WALKING DEAD #126 (MR) $2.99
FEB140646 ZERO #7 CVR A MULLER & TAYLOR (MR) $2.99
FEB140647 ZERO #7 CVR B PHILLIPS & MULLER (MR) $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

FEB140791 ALL NEW INVADERS #4 $3.99
FEB148094 ALL NEW X-MEN #23 2ND PTG KEOWN VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140714 AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #3 ANMN $2.99
DEC130754 BRILLIANT PREM HC VOL 01 (MR) $24.99
FEB148095 CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 2ND PTG LOPEZ VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140705 DAREDEVIL #2 ANMN $3.99
FEB140769 DEXTER DOWN UNDER #3 $3.99
FEB140678 ELEKTRA #1 ANMN $3.99
FEB148096 FANTASTIC FOUR #2 2ND PTG KIRK VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140733 FANTASTIC FOUR #3 ANMN $3.99
FEB140770 GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #4 $3.99
FEB148097 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #12 2ND PTG DEODATO VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140796 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #14 $4.99
FEB140707 IRON PATRIOT #2 ANMN $3.99
FEB140803 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #25 SYU $2.99
NOV130712 MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN HC VOL 16 $69.99
FEB148098 MS MARVEL #2 2ND PTG MCKELVIE VAR ANMN $2.99
FEB140657 ORIGINAL SIN #0 $4.99
SEP130773 POWERS BUREAU #9 (MR) $3.95
FEB140813 SAVAGE WOLVERINE #17 $3.99
JAN140802 SAVAGE WOLVERINE TP VOL 01 KILL ISLAND $19.99
JAN140795 SECRET AVENGERS TP VOL 03 HOW TO MAIM MOCKINGBIRD $17.99
FEB148305 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #30 2ND PTG CAMUNCOLI VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140781 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TEAM UP #12 $3.99
JAN140811 THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON TP VOL 05 $29.99
FEB140801 THUNDERBOLTS #25 $2.99
FEB140716 UNCANNY AVENGERS #19 ANMN $3.99
FEB140765 WHAT IF AGE OF ULTRON #4 $3.99
JAN140796 X-MEN LEGACY TP VOL 04 FOR WE ARE MANY $15.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

DEC130884 ALL NEW SOULFIRE #4 DIRECT MARKET CVR A $3.99
DEC130885 ALL NEW SOULFIRE #4 DIRECT MARKET CVR B $3.99
DEC130886 ALL NEW SOULFIRE #4 DIRECT MARKET CVR C $3.99
DEC130887 ALL NEW SOULFIRE #4 DIRECT MARKET CVR D $3.99
FEB141326 ANIMAL LAND GN VOL 09 $10.99
FEB141213 ASH & THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #6 $3.99
DEC130860 BETTY & VERONICA #270 REG CVR $2.99
JAN140832 BO PLUSHY GANGSTA #2 (MR) $3.99
FEB141092 BRAVEST WARRIORS #19 MAIN CVRS $3.99
FEB148128 BUNKER #2 2ND PTG (MR) $3.99
FEB141357 BUNKER #3 $3.99
FEB141534 BUNNY DROP GN VOL 10 $14.00
JAN140908 CROSSED ANNUAL 2014 (MR) $5.99
JAN140910 CROSSED ANNUAL 2014 TORTURE CVR (MR) $5.99
JAN140909 CROSSED ANNUAL 2014 WRAP CVR (MR) $5.99
JAN140901 CROSSED BADLANDS #50 DLX COLL BOX SET (MR) $99.99
FEB140972 CROSSED BADLANDS #52 (MR) $3.99
FEB140975 CROSSED BADLANDS #52 FATAL FANTASY CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB140974 CROSSED BADLANDS #52 TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB140973 CROSSED BADLANDS #52 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB148249 DAY MEN #3 (2ND PTG) $3.99
AUG131286 DF EAST OF WEST #1 JONATHAN HICKMAN SIGN ED $19.99
DEC131137 DF ORIGIN II #1 GOLD SIGNATURE STAN LEE SGN $699.99
NOV131056 DF ORIGIN II #1 STAN LEE SGN $399.99
FEB141032 DUFFMAN ADVENTURES #1 $3.99
FEB141482 ETERNAL WARRIOR #8 REG LAROSA $3.99
FEB141043 EVIL EMPIRE #2 (MR) $3.99
FEB140955 FATHOM KIANI VOL 3 #2 DIRECT MARKET CVR A $3.99
FEB140956 FATHOM KIANI VOL 3 #2 DIRECT MARKET CVR B $3.99
FEB141493 FLOWERS OF EVIL GN VOL 09 (MR) $10.95
JAN140823 FRACTURE #4 $2.99
OCT131038 FRANK THORNE RED SONJA ART ED HC $150.00
AUG131251 GAME OF THRONES #20 (MR) $3.99
FEB141220 GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS HC VOL 03 $24.99
FEB141550 GFT CODE RED #5 A CVR JOHNSON (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
FEB141551 GFT CODE RED #5 B CVR CALDWELL (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
FEB141552 GFT CODE RED #5 C CVR KROME (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
FEB141553 GFT CODE RED #5 D CVR MASSAFERA (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
FEB141568 GFT HELSING #1 A CVR MILLER $3.99
FEB141569 GFT HELSING #1 B CVR MYCHAELS $3.99
FEB141570 GFT HELSING #1 C CVR LILLY $3.99
FEB141571 GFT HELSING #1 D CVR RUFFINO $3.99
FEB141565 GFT WONDERLAND #22 A CVR GOH (MR) $3.99
FEB141566 GFT WONDERLAND #22 B CVR ERRICO (MR) $3.99
FEB141567 GFT WONDERLAND #22 C CVR PANTALENA (MR) $3.99
JAN140834 GHOST TOWN TP $11.99
FEB141007 GRAVEL COMBAT MAGICIAN #3 (MR) $3.99
FEB141009 GRAVEL COMBAT MAGICIAN #3 HORROR CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB141008 GRAVEL COMBAT MAGICIAN #3 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB141065 HACKTIVIST #4 $3.99
FEB141480 HARBINGER #22 ORDERALL MONTOYA $3.99
FEB141479 HARBINGER #22 REG WALSH $3.99
FEB141078 HEROBEAR AND KID SAVING TIME #1 $3.99
FEB141536 IM NOT POPULAR GN VOL 03 $11.99
FEB141537 INU X BOKU SS TP VOL 03 $11.99
JAN140825 JACK HAMMER #3 $2.99
JAN141303 JUDGE DREDD COMP CASE FILES TP VOL 22 $32.99
OCT131127 LADY RAWHIDE #5 $3.99
FEB141360 LETTER 44 #6 $3.99
FEB141069 MIDAS FLESH #5 $3.99
MAR141132 OVER EASY HC (MR) $24.95
FEB141097 PEANUTS VOL 2 #17 $3.99
FEB141048 PLANET OF THE APES CATACLYSM TP VOL 03 $14.99
JAN141031 REGULAR SHOW #12 MAIN CVRS $3.99
FEB141219 ROBOTECH VOLTRON #3 $3.99
FEB141202 SHADOW NOW #6 $3.99
FEB141221 SHERLOCK HOLMES MORIARTY LIVES #3 $3.99
FEB141512 SHONEN JUMP PACK 2014 #2 $19.99
JAN140831 SKYWARD TP VOL 02 STRANGE CREATURES $8.99
JAN140882 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #259 REG CVR $2.99
FEB141058 STEED & MRS PEEL TP VOL 03 $14.99
JAN141346 STREET FIGHTER CLASSIC HC VOL 03 PSYCHO CRUSHER $54.99
FEB141375 THANIEL #2 (MR) $3.99
JAN140934 UBER #11 (MR) $3.99
JAN140936 UBER #11 PROPAGANDA POSTER CVR (MR) $3.99
JAN140935 UBER #11 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR140899 UBER #9 WAR CRIMES CVR (MR) $5.99
JAN140933 UBER SPECIAL #1 THREE OBJECTIVES CVR SET (MR) $29.99
FEB141538 UMINEKO WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 06 BANQUET GOLDEN WITCH PT 2 $22.00
JAN141137 VAMPIRELLA ARCHIVES HC VOL 09 (MR) $49.99
FEB140874 VAMPLETS UNDEAD PET SOCIETY #1 MAIN CVR $3.99
FEB140875 VAMPLETS UNDEAD PET SOCIETY #1 MIDDLETON CVR $4.99
OCT131103 WARLORD OF MARS #35 (MR) $3.99
FEB148213 X-O MANOWAR #23 2ND PTG (AH) $3.99

What’s on your pull list this week? Let us know in the comments below.