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Comic Book Day: Pull List for June 11, 2014

E3 may be dominating headlines this week, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get stoked about the cavalcade of comic book goodness coming our way today. Besides, there’s a brand new Batman game on the way and Powers was greenlighted to series on Sony’s PlayStation TV, so there’s even some comic book news sprinkled among the video game madness. More importantly, though, today is Comic Book Day and, as such, we’ve got another edition of the Pull List to help guide you through the thicket to make sure your hard-earned cash is well spent at your local comic book store.

Top Picks

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The Empty Man #1 | BOOM! Studios | Cullen Bunn, Vanesa R. Del Rey, Michael Garland, Ed Dukeshire

Review by Dan Casey

Two paths diverged in a yellow wood. One path, steeped in reality, bad religion, and alcohol abuse lead to True Detective. Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey took the one less traveled by, a police procedural steeped in the kind of creeping, macabre horror and biological monstrosity that would give John Carpenter or Shinji Mikami a run for their money. The result is their new BOOM! Studios series The Empty Man, a gripping, discomfiting tale of a joint investigation by the FBI and CDC into a series of killings linked to the mysterious Empty Man, a name given to an emergent pandemic, a form of contagious insanity that leaves its victims psychologically shattered and physically mutilated. In short, it’s the kind of maddening, abject horror that is too often described as Lovecraftian, but is oddly fitting in this instance.

Once again, Cullen Bunn crafts a tremendously enjoyable, compelling narrative, making us come to know and care about Special Agents Jansen and Langford in a relatively scant amount of pages. Jensen is a by-the-books, no nonsense type whereas Langford seemingly has a one-liner or witty riposte for every possible situation. It’s a fun, endearing dynamic that immediately lets the reader know the stakes and their relationship without getting bogged down in needless exposition. But their partnership, enjoyable though it may be, is merely our conduit into the increasingly unnerving world of the Empty Man.

Vanesa R. Del Rey’s artwork, with its rough hewn pencil strokes and tense atmosphere, provides the perfect visual aesthetic for The Empty Man. Ever since first seeing her work on Hit, Del Rey has been one of my favorite up-and-coming artists, so it’s great to see her get a chance to flex her considerable creative muscles.

What exactly the Empty Man is, well, is a mystery, and that is by design. To our heroes, it is a disease, an emergent pandemic that needs to be contained and stopped in its tracks. To others, it is a living god, an avatar of violence and cleansing that inspires the fringe element to orgiastic worship. And, in the closing pages of the issue, we get the sense that it may be something far worse than any of us could have imagined, and that’s the beauty of The Empty Man #1. So many doors are opened just a crack, allowing a shaft of uncomfortable light to seep in, and we’ll just have to wait patiently to see which door Bunn and Del Rey will open for us. Fortunately, patience is a virtue, and The Empty Man #1 is well worth the wait.

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Infinity Man & The Forever People #1 | DC Comics | Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish

Review by Eric Diaz

You gotta hand it to DC… Jack Kirby’s “Fourth World” creations from the early seventies (which consists of The New Gods, Mr. Miracle, and The Forever People) is a mythology that has never seemed to really work without Jack Kirby at the helm, and yet, God bless ’em, they keep trying. Infinity Man and the Forever People is the latest attempt , the first regular series using Kirby’s “Fourth World” characters and concepts since the New 52 reboot began. (Darkseid and some of the Apokolips characters have shown up in Justice League and Earth-2, but this is the first ongoing series.) Of all those Fourth World concepts, the Forever People is maybe the most dated: a group of young “New Gods” from the world of New Genesis, all who dress like hippies and have names like Mark Moonrider, Beautiful Dreamer, and Big Bear travel around Earth spreading free love and drugs the wisdom of “the Source” to improve humanity. From the looks of this first issue, it doesn’t look like DC wanted to update this concept at all. Might as well still be 1970, except they all now live in Venice Beach, California. Why not? That’s where half the hippies left over can still be found, makes sense to me.

The first issue is written and plotted by DC Editor-In-Chief Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen, who does the art chores. The first issue doesn’t really bother explaining the concept of the New Gods and New Genesis to newbies; despite the fact that the New 52 is supposed to be new-ready friendly, If I wasn’t already a long time DC fan I probably wouldn’t know what the heck was going on or who these people were supposed to be. The Fourth World is a pretty complicated mythology all together, and it just doesn’t even feel like they tried to give us the Reader’s Digest version of what it’s all about. As a longtime DC fan I found the issue enjoyable, but I wouldn’t recommend it to new reader who only knows Darkseid of all of Kirby’s DC creations.

Keith Giffen’s art is the highlight of the issue, although I think for a lot of modern readers it might be the low-light; Keith Giffen is purposefully evoking Jack Kirby’s seventies style, and although Kirby is considered “the King” his artistic sensibilities are probably not in line with most modern readers. But as a Kirby fan, you couldn’t find a better “cover artist” than Kiffen. I applaud DC for at least trying to publish a new ongoing book not set in Gotham, Metropolis or featuring the Justice League, but there wasn’t much to make me want to read issue #2 here, despite the best intentions of everyone involved. The real question is, just how long will DC keep trying to make “fetch happen” when it comes to the Fourth World?

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Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #23 | Valiant | Duffy Boudreau & Christos Gage, All Barrionuevo, and Brian Level

Review by Charles Webb

The impossible longevity of Wolverine has always been one of the most compelling and occasionally tension-stunting elements of the character. How do you take down someone that’s pretty much impossible to kill? When it comes to Valiant’s resident unstoppable assassin, Bloodshot, the answer is simple: you just break the problem – and your character – down into smaller pieces.

But apparently, it doesn’t last as we find out almost immediately, as Project Rising Spirit CEO Morris Kozol answers some hard questions about how things went south in the desert outside of the spooky paramilitary group’s desert facility and possible dissension in the ranks among the H.A.R.D. Corps. Outside of (spoilers) getting Bloodshot free of P.R.S., main body of this issue is light on incident – or that’s to say, it doesn’t really move any major pieces forward. Writers Duffy Boudreau and Christos Gage offer Bloodshot an out and hint at the change in direction of the H.A.R.D. Corps’ future, but other than that, a few action beats are played out and that’s about it.

What to make of the H.A.R.D. Corps? By the end of this issue, Kozol is threatening to make it something more morally flexible and potentially dangerous to the psiots of the Valiant U. How long until Palmer and his team have enough and break free? More importantly, will Bloodshot ever be motivated to come back and deactivate the bombs implanted in their brains? And even more importantly, with Harada’s secrets laid bare in Harbingers, will the H.A.R.D. Corps become a big, public thing – the equivalent of the Sentinel program for the Valiant U?

As the capper to any of the ongoing storylines involving Bloodshot, this issue doesn’t offer much. But as far as laying the groundwork for future stories involving the nanite-powered anti-hero and the team (now) tasked with killing him, I’m intrigued.

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR140013 ABE SAPIEN #13 $3.50
FEB140076 BALTIMORE HC VOL 04 CHAPEL OF BONES $24.99
MAR140045 BLACKOUT #3 $2.99
FEB140091 CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 19 $49.99
FEB140101 CRIME DOES NOT PAY CITY OF ROSES HC $19.99
APR140022 EDGAR ALLEN POE MORELLA MURDERS RUE MORGUE ONE SHOT $3.99
FEB140044 EVE TRUE STORIES HC $12.99
FEB140015 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES TP VOL 03 POSTHUMAN $17.99
FEB140103 NEW LONE WOLF AND CUB TP VOL 01 (MR) $13.99
APR140056 STAR WARS #18 2013 ONGOING $2.99
FEB140062 STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI TP VOL 03 FORCE WAR $19.99
FEB140020 TWO PAST MIDNIGHT TP $9.99
APR140045 X #14 (MR) $2.99

DC COMICS

APR140290 ASTRO CITY #13 $3.99
APR140221 BATGIRL #32 $2.99
APR140206 BATMAN ETERNAL #10 $2.99
APR140227 BIRDS OF PREY #32 $2.99
APR140294 COFFIN HILL #8 (MR) $2.99
APR140182 CONSTANTINE #15 $2.99
APR140213 DETECTIVE COMICS #32 $3.99
APR140216 DETECTIVE COMICS #32 COMBO PACK $4.99
FEB140291 DMZ DELUXE EDITION HC BOOK 02 (MR) $29.99
APR140297 FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #11 (MR) $2.99
APR140235 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #32 (UPRISING) $2.99
MAR140255 GREEN LANTERN CORPS TP VOL 03 WILLPOWER (N52) $16.99
APR140156 INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #1 $2.99
MAR140266 JLA TP VOL 05 $24.99
APR140166 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #2 $3.99
APR140169 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #2 COMBO PACK $4.99
APR140251 LEGENDS DARK KNIGHT 100 PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #3 $9.99
APR140163 NEW 52 FUTURES END #6 (WEEKLY) $2.99
MAR140256 RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS TP VOL 04 (N52) $16.99
APR140300 ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR #5 (MR) $2.99
APR140284 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #46 $2.99
APR140249 SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 LANTERN #3 $3.99
APR140199 SUPERBOY #32 $2.99
APR140194 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #9 (DOOMED) $3.99
APR140196 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #9 COMBO PACK (DOOMED) $4.99
APR140185 WORLDS FINEST #24 $2.99
MAR140261 WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 03 CONTROL ISSUES (N52) $14.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JAN140400 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY RABBIT HOLE BATMAN AF $24.95
JAN140398 SUPERMAN THE MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ED MCGUINNES $79.95

IDW PUBLISHING

APR140334 ANGRY BIRDS COMICS #1 $3.99
APR140447 CHICACABRA TP $17.99
APR140422 CROW PESTILENCE #4 $3.99
JAN148246 DANGER GIRL GI JOE LTD DLX HC PI
APR140348 DEXTERS LABORATORY #3 $3.99
MAR140442 GODZILLA IDW ERA $3.99
APR140438 HAUNTED HORROR #11 $3.99
JAN148247 MARS ATTACKS ATTACK FROM SPACE LTD DLX HC PI
FEB140402 POPEYE CLASSICS HC VOL 04 $29.99
APR140340 ROCKY & BULLWINKLE #4 $3.99
APR140386 ROGUE TROOPER CLASSICS #2 $3.99
APR140388 SINISTER DEXTER #7 $3.99
APR140440 STAR MAGE #3 $3.99
APR140343 STAR TREK ONGOING #34 $3.99
MAR148308 TMNT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 2ND PTG $7.99
APR140406 TRANSFORMERS DARK CYBERTRON TP VOL 02 $19.99
APR140396 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #30 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
MAR140361 WRAITH WELCOME TO CHRISTMASLAND #7 $3.99

IMAGE COMICS

APR140515 GHOSTED TP VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
APR140517 GODLAND TP VOL 06 GOODBYE DIVINE $19.99
APR140508 LIQUID CITY GN VOL 03 $29.99
APR140575 MANIFEST DESTINY #7 $2.99
MAR140590 REAL HEROES #3 $3.99
APR140490 RED CITY #1 $2.99
MAR140591 REVENGE #4 (MR) $2.99
APR140597 SHUTTER #3 (MR) $3.50
APR140603 STARLIGHT #4 CVR A CHAREST (MR) $2.99
APR140604 STARLIGHT #4 CVR B FERRY (MR) $2.99
APR140605 STARLIGHT #4 CVR C PARLOV (MR) $2.99
MAR140607 TALES OF HONOR #3 CVR A JEONG $2.99
MAR140608 TALES OF HONOR #3 CVR B SEJIC $2.99
APR140504 THATS BECAUSE YOURE A ROBOT ONE SHOT $3.99
APR148156 WALKING DEAD #127 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99
APR140615 WALKING DEAD #128 (MR) $2.99
APR140544 WHISPERS TP (MR) $14.99
APR140497 WILDFIRE #1 CVR A LINDA SEJIC $3.99
APR140498 WILDFIRE #1 CVR B STJEPAN SEJIC $3.99

MARVEL COMICS

APR140635 ALL NEW INVADERS #6 SIN $3.99
APR140670 ALL NEW ULTIMATES #3 $3.99
APR140725 ALL NEW X-MEN #28 $3.99
APR140681 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 ANMN $3.99
APR140793 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 BY ROSS POSTER $8.99
MAR140778 AVENGERS TP LEGACY OF THANOS $34.99
MAR140764 AVENGERS TP VOL 03 PRELUDE TO INFINITY $19.99
APR140665 AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #5 ANMN $2.99
APR140710 CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 $3.99
APR140696 DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #2 $3.99
APR140647 DEADPOOL #30 SIN $3.99
APR140657 FIGMENT #1 $3.99
APR140791 FIGMENT POSTER $8.99
MAR148372 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #14 2ND PTG BRADSHAW VAR ANMN $4.99
MAR148373 HULK #2 2ND PTG OPENA VAR ANMN $3.99
APR140712 HULK #4 $3.99
MAR140783 INVADERS CLASSIC TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01 $39.99
APR140716 MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #9 SYU $2.99
APR140646 MIGHTY AVENGERS #11 SIN $3.99
JAN140788 MMW CAPTAIN MARVEL HC VOL 05 $69.99
MAR148374 MS MARVEL #1 4TH PTG PICHELLI VAR ANMN $2.99
APR140663 NEW AVENGERS #19 ANMN $3.99
MAR140768 NIGHT OF LIVING DEADPOOL TP $16.99
MAR148375 NIGHTCRAWLER #1 2ND PTG SAMNEE VAR ANMN $3.99
APR140735 NIGHTCRAWLER #3 $3.99
APR140638 ORIGINAL SINS #1 $3.99
APR140790 OZ OMNIBUS BY YOUNG POSTER $8.99
APR140792 SAVAGE HULK BY ROSS POSTER $8.99
APR140733 SAVAGE WOLVERINE #20 $3.99
APR140667 SECRET AVENGERS #4 ANMN $3.99
APR140703 SHE-HULK #5 $2.99
MAR140763 THOR GOD OF THUNDER TP VOL 02 GODBOMB $19.99
APR140718 UNCANNY X-MEN SPECIAL #1 $4.99
APR140740 UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC #2 (MR) $3.99
APR140729 WOLVERINE #8 $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

MAR141351 A CENTAURS LIFE GN VOL 03 (MR) $12.99
MAR141350 ALICE I/T COUNTRY OF JOKER CIRCUS & LIARS GAME VOL 05 (MR) $12.99
APR141479 ARATA THE LEGEND GN VOL 18 $9.99
APR141436 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #21 CVR A CRYSTAL $3.99
APR141437 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #21 CVR B WALSH $3.99
APR141438 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG TP VOL 05 MISSION IMPROBABLE $14.99
MAR140837 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #251 $3.99
APR141414 ARMOR HUNTERS #1 BLANK CVR $3.99
APR141409 ARMOR HUNTERS #1 CVR A REG (AH) $3.99
APR141410 ARMOR HUNTERS #1 CVR B CHROM (AH) $5.99
APR141165 ASH & THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #8 $3.99
APR141166 ASH & THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #8 EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR $3.99
MAR140803 BAD VENTURES BOBO BACKSLACK GN (MR) $14.95
MAR141539 BAR MAID TP VOL 01 $15.99
APR141024 BEE AND PUPPYCAT #2 MAIN CVRS $3.99
APR141087 BLOOD QUEEN #1 BLANK AUTHENTIX CVR (MR) $3.99
APR141085 BLOOD QUEEN #1 CVR A ANACLETO (MR) $3.99
APR141086 BLOOD QUEEN #1 CVR B GARZA (MR) $3.99
APR141434 BLOODSHOT & HARD CORPS #23 CVR A BARRIONUEVO $3.99
APR141435 BLOODSHOT & HARD CORPS #23 CVR B PEREZ $3.99
MAR140799 BO PLUSHY GANGSTA #3 (MR) $3.99
APR141053 BONE COLOR ED HC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES NEW PTG $26.99
APR141022 BRAVEST WARRIORS 2014 IMPOSSIBEAR SPECIAL #1 $4.99
APR140931 CALIBAN #3 DARK MATTER CVR (MR) $9.99
APR148012 CHAOS #1 CAMPBELL B&W 2ND PTG $3.99
APR141271 CHOSIN HOLD THE LINE GN $24.99
APR140899 CROSSED BADLANDS #55 (MR) $3.99
APR140902 CROSSED BADLANDS #55 FATAL FANTASY CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140901 CROSSED BADLANDS #55 TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140900 CROSSED BADLANDS #55 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140893 CROSSED HC VOL 09 (MR) $27.99
APR140892 CROSSED TP VOL 09 (MR) $19.99
APR140968 DEAD LETTERS #3 $3.99
APR141480 DEADMAN WONDERLAND GN VOL 03 $9.99
JAN141174 DF SATELLITE SAM #1 MIDTOWN B&W CVR $15.99
FEB141254 DF TUROK #1 DYNAMIC MIDTOWN LTD CVR $10.00
APR140895 DICKS END OF TIME #1 (MR) $3.99
APR140896 DICKS END OF TIME #1 OFFENSIVE CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140958 EMPTY MAN #1 $3.99
APR141514 GFT ROBYN HOOD LEGEND #4 A CVR LAISO $2.99
APR141515 GFT ROBYN HOOD LEGEND #4 B CVR TRIANO $2.99
APR141516 GFT ROBYN HOOD LEGEND #4 C CVR EHNOT $2.99
APR141494 GFT WARLORD OF OZ #2 A CVR CHEN $2.99
APR141495 GFT WARLORD OF OZ #2 B CVR ORTIZ $2.99
APR141496 GFT WARLORD OF OZ #2 C CVR ANDOLFO $2.99
APR141497 GFT WARLORD OF OZ #2 D CVR CAFARO $2.99
MAR141353 GIRLS UND PANZER GN VOL 01 $12.99
APR140918 GOD IS DEAD #14 (MR) $3.99
APR140919 GOD IS DEAD #14 CARNAGE WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140920 GOD IS DEAD #14 END OF DAYS CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140921 GOD IS DEAD #14 ICONIC CVR (MR) $3.99
FEB140899 GOLD DIGGER #211 $3.99
FEB141175 LEGENDERRY A STEAMPUNK ADV #4 $3.99
APR141231 LEWIS & CLARK GN $17.99
APR148175 LUMBERJANES #1 (2ND PTG) $3.99
APR140998 LUMBERJANES #3 $3.99
APR141481 MAGI GN VOL 06 $9.99
APR148157 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #1 MALAGA 2ND PTG $3.99
APR148158 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #2 HARDMAN 2ND PTG $3.99
APR148159 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #3 HARDMAN 2ND PTG $3.99
MAR141286 MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS HC VOL 01 RITA REPULSA $12.99
APR141154 PATHFINDER CITY SECRETS #2 EXC SUBSCRIPTION CVR $4.99
APR141152 PATHFINDER CITY SECRETS #2 GENZOMAN CVR $4.99
APR141155 PATHFINDER CITY SECRETS #2 ULTRA LTD CUMMINGS CVR $19.99
APR141016 PEANUTS BEAGLE LANDED CHARLIE BROWN ORIGINAL GN $9.99
APR140974 RETURNING #4 $3.99
APR141326 SAN HANNIBAL #2 $2.99
MAR140961 SAVAGE BROTHERS DELUXE ED TP $9.99
APR141046 SCHOOL BITES NIGHT CLASSES PT 1 JUST DESSERTS $4.99
FEB141344 SHEENA #2 $3.99
APR141169 SHERLOCK HOLMES MORIARTY LIVES #4 $3.99
MAR141133 SHOWA HISTORY OF JAPAN TP VOL 02 1939-1944 (MR) $24.95
APR141292 SIXTH GUN #41 $3.99
MAR140853 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #261 REG CVR $2.99
APR140973 SONS OF ANARCHY #10 (MR) $3.99
APR141044 SPONGEBOB COMICS #33 $2.99
APR140935 STITCHED TP VOL 03 (MR) $19.99
APR141482 TIGER & BUNNY GN VOL 05 $9.99
APR140946 UBER #10 WAR CRIMES CVR (MR) $5.99
APR140940 UBER #14 (MR) $3.99
APR140943 UBER #14 PROPAGANDA POSTER CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140942 UBER #14 WAR CRIMES CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140941 UBER #14 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
APR140945 UBER #5 DOMINATE CVR (MR) $9.99
APR141341 US JUDGE DREDD XXX FILES TP (MR) $24.99
DEC131123 WALT BEFORE SKEEZIX HC 1919-1920 $44.95
APR141290 WASTELAND #55 (MR) $3.99
DEC131307 WONDER MOMO BATTLE IDOL HC VOL 01 $19.99
FEB141388 WWE SUPERSTARS ONGOING #5 $3.99

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

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Comments

  1. Andrew Scott says:

    I can’t wait for the next issue of Bunker!