This is shaping up to be quite a week, comic book peeples; First off, we’ve got yet another Marvel NOW! launch with Inhuman. So far, most of these Marvel relaunches have been pretty stellar, from Ms. Marvel to Magneto to Moon Knight to other stuff that doesn’t even start with “M.” Inhuman looks to be another feather in Marvel’s cap. Then, Dark Horse is bringing back the vampire with a soul Angel and the slayer who’s not Buffy in Angel & Faith (Season 10) #1, and DC has a brand new creative team on their flagship title Detective Comics; it’s one worth checking out.  So many ways to give your money away to Comixology or your local comic shop, and these books are good enough that you won’t even regret it.

Top Picks

Inhuman #1 | Marvel | Charles Soule and Joe Madureira

The Inhumans is one of those great Stan Lee/Jack Kirby concepts from the sixties that, for some reason, never managed to successfully find traction as an ongoing series. Despite that, they have been a mainstay of the Marvel universe for decades now, and Marvel has been making a big push for them lately, with their roles in Infinity and Inhumanity.  At the end of that series, a bomb detonated, spreading the Terrigen mists all over the world, the source of the trigger for the activation of the Inhuman’s powers.  The first issue of Inhuman deals with the fallout, as we are introduced to several new characters, each ordinary humans who unknowingly carry Inhuman DNA. When they breathe in the mists, their bodies go into cocoons that encase them while they undergo “Terragenesis” transformations. The first character we are introduced to is a guy named Kristian in Norway, who has all the makings of a leading man – square jawed, blonde, smart, but still gets into bar fights with meatheads (think young James Kirk in Star Trek 2009). We are also introduced to a family in Chicago – elderly mother, adult daughter, and a son, who also have latent Inhuman DNA stands. The mists overcome both of them, the results are very different for each of these characters, and I’m kind of fascinated to see where this story goes next.

I’ve really enjoyed Charles Soule’s writing on She-Hulk and Superman/Wonder Woman, and while I don’t think this book is as good as either of those, he drops enough intriguing elements to make me want to come back for the next issue. Joe Mad’s art has always been, for me, something of an acquired taste. The guys he draws always look too bulky and top heavy, even if they’re ordinary guys and not monsters or superheroes, and that’s not really ever been my thing. Having said that, he manages to draw one of my favorite incarnations of Queen Medusa of the Inhuman Royal family I’ve ever seen, and that goes a long way with me. This one isn’t as good as some other recent Marvel Now first issues, but it’s not a dud either. Time will tell is Marvel can do for Inhumans what they did for mutants, but it’s off to a decent-enough start.

Angel & Faith (Season 10) #1 | Dark Horse | Victor Gischler, Will Conrad

Of the two Season 9 books in the Buffyverse last year from Dark Horse, Angel & Faith by Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs was easily the superior book, which is probably why Dark Horse snatched that creative team for the main Buffy title for Season 10. So where does that leave poor old Angel & Faith? Well, judging from the first issue, they are still in an interesting place, if only slightly less so than last season. Angel successfully brought back Giles to life, and incidentally transformed several blocks of London into a pocket area of mystical energy nicknamed “Magic Town.” Having sent Giles and Faith back to California to reunite with Buffy and the Scoobies, Angel has to figure out what his life is like now in this first issue.

This first issue feels a lot like the pilot episode of Angel’s own television series back in the day, with Angel all alone trying to defend innocents from supernatural beasties (in this case, tiny flying demons with thick cockney accents. Those are kind of awesome). The art by Will Conrad is excellent, and I’d go as far as to say that this is the best looking of any of the Whedon-verse books period. As for the story by Victor Gischler, well… it feels a bit been-there/done-that, with Angel the solitary figure once again, redeeming himself by saving innocents. But Angel the series didn’t get really good till his supporting cast grew, and that’s something this book will need as well, as Angel alone is never enough. Faith makes a small appearance in this issue, and considering her name is still in the title, I expect her back soon in a larger capacity. So far, this book isn’t as strong storywise as Buffy, but I’m willing to go along for the ride just because I love these characters so much.

Detective Comics #30 | DC Comics | Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato

While Scott Snyder’s work on the main Batman title has been getting the lion’s share of the attention, Batman’s adventures in Detective Comics haven’t been getting quite as much spotlight shown on them in the last couple of years. DC aims to change that with the addition of former Flash creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato in issue thirty, starting an all new storyline for the Dark Knight that is set firmly in the modern day, after recent tragic events in Batman’s life. Manupul’s artwork has never looked better than here, and this coming from someone who really enjoyed his work on the Flash’s book. The story, called Icarus, involves Bruce Wayne getting into a business arrangement with a woman named Elena who has his same enthusiasm for saving the poorest and most neglected parts of Gotham, despite the fact that it could lose him billions in potential money that gentrification could bring. Elana has a teenage daughter, and much of her interactions with her own child trigger something in Bruce, who is still deeply mourning the loss of his son Damian. I applaud the creative team for not glossing over or just not mentioning Robin’s death, and it seems like it will still be a cross Batman has to bear for a long time (or at least till he comes back to life). It seems somebody will do anything to remove Elena from the picture, leading Batman down the rabbit hole of a new case. While the story is interesting enough, it is the art that will probably have you picking up issue #31, as Manapul’s pages will blow you away.

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

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AUG130117 GRIMM PLAYING CARDS $4.99
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FEB140024 JUICE SQUEEZERS #4 $3.99
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FEB140071 VEIL #2 (MR) $3.50

DC COMICS

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FEB140166 AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #1 $2.99
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DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

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IDW PUBLISHING

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IMAGE COMICS

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MARVEL COMICS

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NOV130704 X-MEN AGE OF APOCALYPSE OMNIBUS COMPANION HC $99.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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JAN140872 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #222 $3.99
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JAN140923 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD AFTERMATH TP VOL 02 (MR) $19.99
FEB141515 NURA RISE O/T YOKAI CLAN GN VOL 20 $9.99
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JAN140821 RACHEL RISING #24 $3.99
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What’s on your pull list this week? Let us know in the comments below!