Who needs a brand new Godzilla trailer or the sci-fi insanity of Jupiter Ascending when you have another week’s worth of brand new comic books to read? It’s Comic Book Day once more, and this week’s pull list offers up a bounty of riches to readers of every stripe, but it certainly helps if you have a propensity for hard-hitting crime stories. The world is your oyster, dear readers, so get shuckin’ and find out what pearls are hidden in this week’s pull list!

Top Picks

Dead Body Road #1 | Justin Jordan, Matteo Scalera, Moreno Dinisio, and Patt Brosseau

Maybe it’s all the ads for Mob City, maybe it’s the fact that the lead character kind of looks like a blend of Punisher and Hitman, but something about Dead Body Road #1 immediately leaped out at me and kept my attention laser-focused, as its barnburner of a debut twists, turns, crashes, tortures, murders, and explodes through 26 increasingly thrilling pages. The concept isn’t anything new: A man’s family is brutally murdered, he swears revenge, and embarks on a bloody quest for redemption. The execution, however, is top notch, and Jordan wisely avoids drawing too many comparisons between series protagonist Gage and Frank Castle, instead opting to make Dead Body Road its own uniquely chaotic and immensely enjoyable beast.

When we meet our hero, he is a broken man. His wife was slain by a crew running a bank heist, and he doesn’t really have much of a plan other than to hunt down whoever did this horrific deed and make them pay with their lives. His only lead comes from a pal of his on the police force; it isn’t much, but it’s enough to send the events of Dead Body Road in motion. Suddenly, we find ourselves at a gas station where Jimmy Stowe is nervously pumping his car full of unleaded. If he looks familiar, that’s good — you don’t have short term memory loss. He’s a member of the heist crew that knocked over the bank and left Gage’s wife a crumpled, bloodied rag doll. Except he didn’t have anything to do with the murder-y part, and now his former employer sees him as a loose end that needs to be tied up. What follows is an intensely cinematic, deftly choreographed action sequence that pops off the page, thanks to stunning artwork from Matteo Scalera. Seriously, you’ll feel the wind whipping past during one high speed chase. Inventive paneling, fantastic artwork, and confident, charismatic storytelling make Dead Body Road #1 not just a pleasure to read, but a necessity for your pull list.

Justice League #25 | Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Keith Champagne, Gabe Eltaeb, Tony Avina, Rod Reis, and Nick Napolitano

I was all set to put the fabulously Superman/Wonder Woman #3 on this list and wax rhapsodic about how impressive Charles Soule has been this year, and how 2013 has really seen him come into his own creatively, and how excited I am that he’s getting so many chances to knock it out of the park, but then I read the opening pages of Justice League #25 and my jaw has been on the floor ever since. It’s no secret that I’ve been absolutely loving this “Forever Evil” arc, especially when things take a turn into the occult and the paranormal like in the pages of Justice League Dark, but issue #25 feels like a real step forward. We’ve slowly but surely been getting to know the insane, profoundly malicious members of the Crime Syndicate, and issue #25 takes us into the harrowing backstory of Owlman, better known as Thomas Wayne Jr. He’s a vicious little bastard, and even when his motives seem pure, they’re still dripping with ill intent.

It definitely seems like Johns is steering the unwieldy ship that is the “Forever Evil” crossover event towards its endgame, one which will pit the increasingly erratic Ultraman and the conniving Owlman against one another, but with so many other wildcards and unchecked pawns on the board, it’s difficult to tell just where it’s going. Instead, issue #25 wisely narrows its field of view and follows Owlman for the majority of the issue, fleshing out his backstory and giving us a sense of his motivations in all of this. It’s a weird sensation to empathize with someone while simultaneously reviling them, but it’s a credit to Johns’ writing that he can elicit such a response. Per usual, Doug Mahnke’s pencil work is delightful; there’s just something about his style that screams “superheroes” in all the right ways, and what better canvas for that talent than the hero-heavy cast of Justice League. If nothing else, Justice League #25 is a compelling Elseworlds story that just so happens to be taking place in the main DCU. That being said, it’s an absolute blast to read and I’d put good money on the fact that you’ll put the book down, shake your head slowly, and say, “Oh, Jesus…”, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Day Men #2 | Matt Gagnon, Michael Alan Nelson, Brian Stelfreeze, Darrin Moore, Ed Dukeshire

It’s rare that a comic comes along with its world so fully fleshed out from the get-go, but Day Men manages to drop a metric ton of exposition, rich family history, and backstory on us in its two issues without sacrificing its narrative momentum. A war is brewing between two of the most powerful vampire families, the Virgos and the Ramses, but even they can’t do everything themselves, what with not being able to go out during the daytime and all that. Enter the titular Day Men, human enforcers who are employed to assassinate rival vampires and their family holdings when it’s too dangerous for vampires to go outside and do it themselves.

Issue 2 finds us on the cusp of a family rivalry exploding into a full-blown Godfather-style war, and David Reid is unfortunately caught in the crossfire. Granted, it’s his job as a Day Man for the Virgo family, but as he defends their interests from interlopers, he is starting to realize there’s something sinister happening behind the scenes. And when he finds out that the Ramses’ legendary hitman, Jacob the Burner, is hot on his tail, it’s out of the frying pan and into the blazing inferno. Matt Gagnon and Michael Alan Nelson’s story is what draws you in, but it’s Brian Stelfreeze’s artwork that breathes new life into the undead awesomeness. Don’t get caught sleeping in your coffin on this one; go grab Day Men #2.

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT130062 ABE SAPIEN #8 $3.50
AUG130091 ABE SAPIEN TP VOL 03 DARK TERRIBLE NEW RACE MAN $19.99
OCT130032 BRAIN BOY #0 $2.99
OCT130072 CLOWN FATALE #2 (MR) $3.99
OCT130021 CONAN PEOPLE O/T BLACK CIRCLE #3 $3.50
OCT130067 EERIE COMICS #4 $3.99
OCT130017 HALO ESCALATION #1 $3.99
AUG130059 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES TP VOL 02 TRANSHUMAN $17.99
OCT130049 SHAOLIN COWBOY #3 $3.99
OCT130012 STAR WARS #12 2013 ONGOING $2.99
AUG130113 VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOVEL VOL 20 SCENES UNHOLY WAR (MR) $11.99
OCT130045 X #8 (MR) $2.99

DC COMICS

OCT130285 ASTRO CITY #7 $3.99
OCT130200 BATGIRL #26 $2.99
OCT130190 BATMAN #26 (ZERO YEAR) $3.99
OCT130193 BATMAN #26 COMBO PACK (ZERO YEAR) $4.99
OCT130225 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE #4 $4.99
OCT130264 BATMAN LIL GOTHAM #9 $2.99
OCT130278 COFFIN HILL #3 (MR) $2.99
OCT130138 CONSTANTINE #9 (EVIL) $2.99
OCT130254 DC COMICS ESSENTIALS ACTION COMICS #1 (N52) $1.00
AUG130289 DC NEW 52 VILLAINS OMNIBUS HC $150.00
SEP130283 DOCTOR MIDNITE TP NEW PTG $14.99
OCT130290 FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #6 (MR) $2.99
OCT130133 FOREVER EVIL ARKHAM WAR #3 $2.99
OCT130209 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #26 $2.99
AUG130309 JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE CREATING THE DC UNIVERSE HC $75.00
SEP130170 JUSTICE LEAGUE #25 (EVIL) $3.99
SEP130173 JUSTICE LEAGUE #25 COMBO PACK (EVIL) $4.99
OCT130141 JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #1 $2.99
OCT130125 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10 (EVIL) $3.99
OCT130128 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10 COMBO PACK (EVIL) $4.99
OCT130152 KATANA #10 $2.99
OCT130231 LEGENDS DARK KNIGHT 100 PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #1 $9.99
OCT130197 NIGHTWING #26 $2.99
OCT130268 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #40 $2.99
OCT130234 SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 ALIEN #1 $3.99
OCT130137 SUICIDE SQUAD #26 (EVIL) $2.99
OCT130180 SUPERBOY #26 $2.99
AUG130298 SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS HC VOL 03 END OF DAYS (N52) $24.99
SEP130275 SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS TP VOL 02 BULLETPROOF (N52) $16.99
OCT130156 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #3 $3.99
OCT130159 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #3 COMBO PACK $4.99
OCT130151 WORLDS FINEST #18 $2.99
SEP130299 YOUNG JUSTICE TP VOL 04 INVASION $12.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JUL130287 AME COMI POISON IVY HARLEY QUINN HOLIDAY 2 PACK AF $99.95
JUN130315 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY THE RIDDLER STATUE $124.95
JUN130309 BLUE LANTERN 1:1 SCALE POWER BATTERY PROP W RING $199.95

IDW PUBLISHING

OCT130432 DANGER GIRL THE CHASE #4 [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP130390 DOCTOR WHO SERIES 2 HC GIRL WHO WAITED BOY WHO LIVED $49.99
OCT130377 GHOSTBUSTERS ONGOING TP VOL 06 $17.99
OCT130394 GI JOE #11 [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP130409 GI JOE IDW COLLECTION HC VOL 03 $49.99
OCT130396 GI JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS #10 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130438 HAUNTED HORROR #8 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130440 INDESTRUCTIBLE #1 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130445 JUDGE DREDD COMPLETE CARLOS EZQUERRA HC VOL 01 RED LABEL ED PI
SEP130467 LIL ABNER HC VOL 06 $49.99
SEP130448 MAGIC THE GATHERING THEROS #2 [DIG/P+] $4.99
OCT130351 MAXX MAXXIMIZED #2 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130428 MEMORY COLLECTORS #2 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130425 OTHER DEAD #4 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130365 POWERPUFF GIRLS #4 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130368 POWERPUFF GIRLS CLASSICS TP VOL 02 POWER UP [DIG] $19.99
OCT130333 RICHARD STARKS PARKER SLAYGROUND HC $17.99
OCT130434 ROCKETEER SPIRIT PULP FRICTION #4 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130321 STAR TREK ANNUAL 2013 [DIG] $7.99
SEP130426 THUMBPRINT BY JOE HILL HC $21.99
OCT130355 THUNDER AGENTS CLASSICS TP VOL 02 $29.99
AUG130470 TMNT 25TH ANNIVERSARY HC $49.99
OCT130408 TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 2 #2 $3.99
NOV120362 TMNT ULT COLL HC VOL 05 $49.99
AUG130500 TMNT ULTIMATE COLLECTION HC VOL 02 RED LABEL ED PI
OCT130393 TRANSFORMERS MONSTROSITY TP $19.99
OCT130390 TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS #8 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130330 WRAITH WELCOME TO CHRISTMASLAND #2 [DIG/P+] $3.99
OCT130417 X-FILES CLASSICS HUNDRED PENNY PRESS ED #1 [DIG] $1.00
OCT130414 X-FILES SEASON 10 #7 [DIG/P+] $3.99

IMAGE COMICS

OCT138100 ALEX + ADA #1 2ND PTG $2.99
OCT130591 ALEX + ADA #2 [DIG] $2.99
JUL130517 ARTIFACTS #25 10 COPY SGN ED $20.00
AUG130688 CHEW #38 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
MAY130549 DARKNESS #116 (MR) [DIG] $3.99
OCT130446 DEAD BODY ROAD #1 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
OCT138002 DRUMHELLAR (PREVIOUSLY STRANGEWAYS) #1 2ND PTG (MR) $3.50
OCT130598 DRUMHELLAR (PREVIOUSLY STRANGEWAYS) #2 (MR) [DIG] $3.50
SEP130509 GODLAND FINALE $6.99
OCT130491 HAPPY DLX HC $24.99
AUG130697 INVINCIBLE #107 [DIG] $2.99
OCT130448 KRAMPUS #1 [DIG] $2.99
SEP130515 LAZARUS #5 (MR) $2.99
OCT138101 MANIFEST DESTINY #1 2ND PTG $2.99
OCT130608 MANIFEST DESTINY #2 [DIG] $2.99
SEP130543 MORNING GLORIES TP VOL 06 [DIG] $14.99
OCT130612 PROTECTORS INC #2 CVR A PURCELL & ATIYEH (MR) [DIG] $2.99
OCT130613 PROTECTORS INC #2 CVR B DE LIZ & DILLON (MR) $2.99
SEP130635 SATELLITE SAM #5 (MR) [DIG] $3.50
OCT130500 SHELTERED TP VOL 01 [DIG] $9.99
OCT130502 SNAPSHOT TP [DIG] $12.99
OCT130628 THREE #3 [DIG] $2.99
OCT130633 WALKING DEAD #118 (MR) [DIG] $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

OCT130670 A PLUS X #15 $3.99
OCT130678 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700.2 $3.99
OCT130680 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700.3 $3.99
OCT130778 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700.3 BY PIERFEDERICI POSTER $8.99
OCT130777 AVENGERS #24.NOW BY RIBIC POSTER $8.99
OCT130649 AVENGERS AI #7.INH $2.99
SEP130807 AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION TP FINAL THREAT $39.99
OCT130730 CABLE AND X-FORCE #17 $3.99
OCT130702 CAPTAIN AMERICA #14 $3.99
OCT130703 CAPTAIN AMERICA LIVING LEGEND #4 $3.99
SEP138351 CAPTAIN MARVEL #17 2ND PTG ALPHONA VAR $3.99
OCT130675 CATACLYSM ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 $3.99
OCT130673 CATACLYSM ULTIMATES #2 $3.99
SEP130793 DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID PREM HC VOL 06 $19.99
SEP130797 DEADPOOL BY DANIEL WAY COMPLETE COLL TP VOL 02 $34.99
OCT130717 EMERALD CITY OF OZ #5 $3.99
SEP130818 ESSENTIAL HULK TP VOL 07 $19.99
SEP130808 IMMORTAL IRON FIST COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 01 $39.99
OCT130648 INHUMANITY AWAKENING #1 $3.99
OCT130776 INHUMANITY BY BRADSHAW POSTER $8.99
OCT130696 MARVEL KNIGHTS HULK #1 $3.99
OCT130718 MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #3 SYU $2.99
OCT130719 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #21 SYU $2.99
OCT130775 MARVELS AGENTS OF SHIELD POSTER $8.99
OCT130706 MARVELS CA FIRST AVENGER ADAPTATION #2 $2.99
OCT130640 MIGHTY AVENGERS #4.INH $3.99
SEP130810 MINI MARVELS TP COMPLETE COLLECTION $24.99
OCT130715 NOVA #11 INF $3.99
SEP130704 SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN NOW #6 $2.99
SEP130815 THANOS TP INFINITY ABYSS NEW PTG $24.99
OCT130700 THUNDERBOLTS #19 INF $2.99
OCT130647 UNCANNY X-MEN #15.INH $3.99
OCT130728 WOLVERINE #12 $3.99
OCT130727 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #39 $3.99
OCT130737 WOLVERINE MAX #14 (MR) $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JUL130895 12 REASONS TO DIE #5 (MR) $3.50
OCT131010 3 GUNS #5 [DIG] $3.99
OCT130973 ADVENTURE TIME CANDY CAPERS #6 MAIN CVRS $3.99
OCT131369 ARATA THE LEGEND GN VOL 16 $9.99
OCT131348 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #16 REG HENRY $3.99
AUG131230 ARMY OF DARKNESS VS HACK SLASH #4 CASELLI CVR $3.99
AUG131231 ARMY OF DARKNESS VS HACK SLASH #4 SEELEY CVR $3.99
AUG131232 ARMY OF DARKNESS VS HACK SLASH #4 TEMPLESMITH CVR $3.99
OCT131074 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA STARBUCK #2 $3.99
JUL131212 BUZZ GN $19.99
AUG130953 CRAWLING SKY TP $12.99
AUG131091 CRITTER (ONGOING) #17 $3.50
OCT130911 CROSSED HC VOL 07 (MR) $27.99
OCT130910 CROSSED TP VOL 07 (MR) $19.99
JUN130895 DAY MEN #2 [DIG] $3.99
SEP138356 DEATH SENTENCE #2 2ND PTG $3.99
AUG131452 DEATH SENTENCE #3 $3.99
SEP130997 DEATHMATCH #12 [DIG] $3.99
OCT131002 DEATHMATCH TP VOL 02 $14.99
JUL131107 DF DEJAH THORIS GREEN MEN OF MARS #8 RISQUE RED CVR $19.99
JUN131088 DF INFINITY #1 EXC BROOKS CVR PI
JUN131089 DF INFINITY #1 EXC BROOKS CVR PLUS BONUS PI
AUG131287 DF PUNISHER TRIAL O/T PUNISHER #1 ROMITA SR SGN ED $149.99
JAN131124 DF WARLORD OF MARS #29 RISQUE RED EXC $19.99
AUG131289 DF WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #32 RISQUE RED CVR $19.99
OCT131034 DOC SAVAGE #1 $3.99
OCT131035 DOC SAVAGE #1 CASSADAY VIP CVR $3.99
OCT131036 DOC SAVAGE #1 SEGOVIA RETAILER SHARED EXC ED $3.99
AUG131376 DOMINO LADY SEX AS A WEAPON GN (NEW PTG) $16.95
OCT131313 FARLAINE THE GOBLIN #3 $5.00
OCT130879 FEARLESS DAWN JURASSIC ONE SHOT $3.99
SEP130827 FEMFORCE #165 $9.95
SEP130950 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #4 (MR) $3.99
SEP130952 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #4 GRISLY CVR (MR) $3.99
SEP130951 GEORGE RR MARTIN SKIN TRADE #4 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
OCT131404 GFT CODE RED #1 A CVR CALDWELL (MR) $2.99
OCT131405 GFT CODE RED #1 B CVR QUALANO (MR) $2.99
OCT131406 GFT CODE RED #1 C CVR GARZA (MR) $2.99
OCT131407 GFT CODE RED #1 D CVR MYCHAELS (MR) $2.99
SEP131434 GFT NO TOMORROW #4 A CVR PATTERSON (MR) $2.99
SEP131435 GFT NO TOMORROW #4 B CVR ERIC J (MR) $2.99
SEP131436 GFT NO TOMORROW #4 C CVR PANTALENA (MR) $2.99
AUG130923 GIRL GENIUS TP VOL 02 AGATHA & THE AIRSHIP CITY (NEW PTG) $25.00
SEP138218 GOD IS DEAD #1 ENHANCED ED (MR) $3.99
SEP130855 GOLD DIGGER CHRISTMAS SP #7 $3.99
OCT131061 GRIMM WARLOCK #1 $3.99
OCT131356 HARBINGER #19 REG EVANS $3.99
OCT131235 HONEY WEST & T.H.E. CAT #1 [DIG] $3.99
JUL130888 IN CROWD #4 $3.50
OCT131296 JUDGE DREDD MUTANTS IN MEGA CITY ONE TP $25.00
SEP130890 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #198 [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP131068 KINGS WATCH #3 $3.99
OCT131391 KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA GN VOL 06 $12.95
JUL130757 LAST ZOMBIE TP VOL 05 THE END $14.95
SEP130893 LIFE WITH ARCHIE #33 REG CVR [DIG/P+] $3.99
SEP130844 LUNITA #1 (MR) $3.99
OCT131368 MAGI GN VOL 03 $9.99
SEP130901 MEGA MAN #32 REG CVR [DIG/P+] $2.99
AUG130918 NIGHT OF THE 80S UNDEAD #3 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
AUG131246 PATHFINDER #12 $3.99
SEP130973 PENNY FOR YOUR SOUL DEATH #4 (MR) $3.50
OCT131011 POLARITY TP VOL 01 $14.99
OCT130997 PROTOCOL ORPHANS #2 [DIG] $3.99
OCT131363 REAL GN VOL 03 $12.99
OCT130977 REGULAR SHOW SKIPS #2 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99
OCT131068 SHERLOCK HOLMES MORIARTY LIVES #1 $3.99
OCT131260 SIXTH GUN #36 $3.99
AUG131389 SIXTH GUN SONS O/T GUN TP $19.99
OCT131009 SONS OF ANARCHY #4 (MR) [DIG] $3.99
OCT130961 SPONGEBOB COMICS #27 $2.99
AUG131152 STANDARD #4 $3.99
AUG130955 STEAMPUNK CINDERELLA ONE SHOT [DIG] $3.99
JUL131096 SUNDAY NIGHT MOVIES SC $19.95
OCT131373 TIGER & BUNNY COMIC ANTHOLOGY GN VOL 02 $12.99
OCT130946 UBER #8 (MR) $3.99
OCT130948 UBER #8 PROPAGANDA POSTER CVR (MR) $3.99
OCT130947 UBER #8 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
AUG131213 UNCANNY #5 $3.99
OCT131343 UNITY #2 ORDERALL FOREMAN $3.99
OCT131342 UNITY #2 REG BRAITHWAITE $3.99
SEP130977 URSA MINOR ONGOING #2 (MR) $3.50
AUG130954 VICTORIAN SECRET MASQUERADE 2013 ONE SHOT [DIG] $3.99
OCT131371 VOICE OVER SEIYU ACADEMY GN VOL 02 $9.99
SEP131120 WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #33 (MR) $3.99
OCT131249 WATSON AND HOLMES #6 $3.99
OCT131251 WATSON AND HOLMES TP VOL 01 STUDY IN BLACK $16.99
OCT131279 WWE ONGOING #1 MAIN COVERS $2.99

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