After some major shake-ups in the world of superhero cinema (Edgar Wright leaving Ant-Man! Daredevil says bye Drew Goddard, hi Steven S. DeKnight!), and some major casting announcements (we have a Daredevil!), we need a break from the dull glow of cathode rays and liquid crystal displays and plasma whatevers. Fortunately, it’s Comic Book Day and this week’s pull list is packed with fantastic titles you won’t want to miss. With a 70s revival from Mark Waid and Neil Edwards, a very special must-read issue of Harbinger, and a unique take on 60s superhero culture from Kyle Higgins, you’d better hold on to your butts (and hence, your wallets) because the Pull List is here and it’s bigger than ever.

Top Picks

Doctor Spektor: Master of the Occult #1 | Dynamite Comics | Mark Waid and Neil Edwards

Review by Dan Casey

What would happen if you added equal parts of Tony Stark’s pompous swagger and fabulous wealth, reality television bluster, and supernatural creatures? You get one of the most engaging, fresh-faced, and charismatic debut issues I’ve read in a long time, Doctor Spektor: Master of the Occult #1. Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Neil Edwards, Doctor Spektor are dusting off yet another Gold Key Comics universe character and he’s…kind of an asshole. Our ostensible hero, Doctor Adam Spektor is a fabulously wealthy, annoyingly self-assured ghost hunter with his own incredibly popular reality television show, to boot. The major difference between Adam Spektor and the goons on Ghost Hunters is that Adam is going toe to toe with real life beasties like vampires, werewolves, and all manner of things that go bump in the night.

Yet in spite of Spektor’s unabashed success and millions of worldwide viewers, he is broken inside. He is haunted by the one thing that eludes him: satisfaction. Fortunately, for our damaged Doctor, he is surrounded by a support staff that cares about him deeply in the form of Lenny, his Waylon Smithers of a producer, and Abby, the rookie Pepper Potts to his Supernatural Tony Stark. Even though we don’t get to spend a lot of time with them, by the end of the issue, they feel like fully realized characters, and ones you want to get to know better, which is a feather in the book’s cap.

Once again, Mark Waid proves why he’s one of the best in the business with a handy mastery of dialogue, terrific pacing, and flawed yet captivating characters. Neil Edwards’ artwork, though, is what makes this book a must-buy. With clever layouts, a cinematic eye, and serious, heavy pencilwork, Edwards manages to capture emotional minutiae in a way that escapes some of his contemporaries. As a result, Doctor Spektor is a visual feast garnished with a hearty helping of colorist Jordan Boyd’s terrific palette. Where the series goes from here is anyone’s guess, but they’ve managed to snare this reader hook, line, and sinker.

Oh, and I’m just calling this now: if this ever gets turned into a TV series or film, Tom Hiddleston must play Adam Spektor. The resemblance is uncanny.

Harbinger #23 | Valiant Entertainment | Joshua Dysart with Clayton Henry and Khari Evans

Review by Charles Webb.

This issue, the Renegades continue the tactical rope-a-dope against evil psychic Toyo Harada begun last issue. It’s one of those crazy A-Team things where there’s not only a diversion but a diversion for that diversion, offering our heroes a chance to stay a couple of steps ahead in the larger plan to expose Harada’s information network and reveal to the world that the successful and brilliant businessman has been up to some next-level supervillainy including murder and false imprisonment.

Dysart keeps these parts zipping along, focusing more on how the mission is impacting each of the Renegades – much to the story’s benefit. The techno-speak occasionally threatens to overwhelm the script (hackers have, by this point in our pop culture, become a networked deus ex machina), but thankfully Dysart pulls back, focusing on the human elements because in case you’ve forgotten, this story is called “Death of a Renegade.”

The on-panel, very graphic death of one our Renegades happens fairly early on and actually drives the rest of the team through the rest of the mission. If the others get out of this alive, you have to wonder if they’ll ever be able to trust their leader who – by necessity – kept some details close to the vest.

More importantly, I want to know what’s going to happen with Harada. There’s no going back from what happens this issue and even if he and Peter both survive the matchup being teased for next month, we’ve got a billionaire with all of his secrets laid bare to the world.

C.O.W.L. #1 | Image Comics | Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel, Rod Reis

Review by Eric Diaz.

Everything about American culture changed during the sixties; it’s why so many years on we are all kind of still obsessed with the decade that gave us the Beatles, Motown, Adam West as Batman, and Andy Warhol. A lot changed for our culture for the better during these ten years — the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the gay rights movement, for starters. Of course, on the flip side, a lot changed for the worse, as there was Vietnam, riots, and assassinations. It’s fascinating that the year 1969 ended with the moon landing, Woodstock and the Manson murders, all things that would have been inconceivable to the average American in 1960.

Kyle Higgins’ (Nightwing) and Alec Siegel’s new book C.O.W.L. for Image Comics tackles that decade’s ups and downs through the filter of super heroes. The first issue begins with the defeat of Skylancer in 1962, believed to be the last active super villain in Chicago. Skylancer’s defeat causes the citizens of Chicago to begin questioning the need for unions like C.O.W.L to continue (which stands for Chicago Organized Worker’s League.)  All of this of course is a superheroic version of the very real labor union struggles that were going on during this period in time. Higgins and Siegel prove that the the superhero genre can be a filter through which you can tell any story, even something as unlikely as Chicago politics. Much like sixties-set  television series Mad Men, this book’s central concept is about a bunch of older white guys who are fighting their own irrelevance as the world very quickly changes around them. (Also like Mad Men, there are hot blondes in mini skirts.) It just so happens that these guys are superheroes.

As good as the story and the writing is for this book, what really stands out is the gorgeous art by Rod Reis. Reis’ art is highly evocative of legendary comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz, best known for his work on books in the eighties and nineties like Elektra: Assassin, and believe me, comparing Reis to Sienkiewicz is nothing but a compliment. Reis has till recently been known mostly as a colorist on most comics, but his pencils are simply amazing, and very evocative of the best stories seen in older issues of Heavy Metal magazine. This series has everything going for it based on this first issue, and if you like your superhero stories told with a little historical spice thrown in, then check out  C.O.W.L. 

Pull List

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR140043 CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT #11 $2.99
JAN140142 CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT TP VOL 02 BRAVE OLD WORLD $14.99
MAR140072 CONAN THE AVENGER #2 $3.50
JAN140192 EERIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 16 $49.99
MAR140035 ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST #3 $3.50
MAR140049 FURIOUS #5 $3.99
MAR140037 HALO ESCALATION #6 $3.99
MAR140074 KING CONAN CONQUEROR #4 $3.50
MAR140038 MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION #11 $3.99
MAR140057 MASSIVE #23 $3.50
MAR140058 MIND MGMT #22 $3.99
MAR140050 PARIAH #4 $3.99
JAN140154 RESIDENT ALIEN TP VOL 02 SUCIDE BLONDE $14.99
MAR140059 SERENITY LEAVES ON THE WIND #5 $3.50
JAN140131 SLEDGEHAMMER 44 TP VOL 01 $19.99
MAR140019 STAR WARS #8 LUCAS DRAFT $3.99
MAR140016 STAR WARS LEGACY II #15 $2.99
MAR140023 STAR WARS REBEL HEIST #2 HUGHES MAIN CVR $3.50
MAR140041 TOMB RAIDER #4 $3.50
MAR140052 VANDROID #4 $3.99

DC COMICS

MAR140242 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #13 $3.99
MAR140239 ALL STAR WESTERN #31 $3.99
MAR140181 AQUAMAN #31 $2.99
MAR140212 BATMAN #31 (ZERO YEAR) $3.99
MAR140214 BATMAN #31 COMBO PACK (ZERO YEAR) $4.99
MAR140211 BATMAN ETERNAL #8 $2.99
MAR140227 CATWOMAN #31 $2.99
FEB140253 CATWOMAN TP VOL 04 GOTHAM UNDERGROUND (N52) $17.99
MAR140289 DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #6 $2.99
FEB140288 FAIREST TP VOL 03 RETURN OF THE MAHARAJA (MR) $14.99
MAR140184 FLASH #31 $2.99
JAN140368 GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE HC (MR) $29.99
FEB140238 HE MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #13 $2.99
MAR140246 INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR TWO #5 $2.99
MAR140178 JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #31 $3.99
MAR140238 LARFLEEZE #11 $2.99
MAR140168 NEW 52 FUTURES END #4 (WEEKLY) $2.99
FEB140159 NIGHTWING #30 (EVIL) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
MAR140237 RED LANTERNS #31 $2.99
FEB140256 RED LANTERNS TP VOL 04 BLOOD BROTHERS (N52) $16.99
MAR140280 SANDMAN OVERTURE #2 SPECIAL EDITION (MR) $4.99
MAR140183 SECRET ORIGINS #2 $4.99
FEB140251 SHAZAM TP (N52) $16.99
FEB140161 SUICIDE SQUAD #30 (EVIL) $3.99
MAR140201 SUPERMAN #31 (DOOMED) $2.99
JAN140356 TALES OF THE BATMAN CARMINE INFANTINO HC $49.99

IDW PUBLISHING

MAR140444 24 #2 $3.99
MAR140455 CITY THE MIND IN THE MACHINE #4 $3.99
FEB140446 COMPLETE LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE HC VOL 10 $49.99
MAR140372 GHOSTBUSTERS #16 $3.99
MAR140440 GODZILLA RULERS OF THE EARTH #12 $3.99
FEB140468 LOCKE & KEY HEAD GAMES DLX HC RED LABEL ED PI
MAR148156 MONSTER & MADMAN #1 2ND PTG $3.99
MAR140393 MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #19 $3.99
MAR140381 SAMURAI JACK #8 $3.99
MAR140367 STAR TREK ONGOING #33 $3.99
DEC138377 STAR TREK ONGOING HC VOL 02 OPERATION ANNIHILATE RED LABEL PI
MAR140415 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #29 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
MAR140404 X-FILES SEASON 10 #12 $3.99

IMAGE COMICS

MAR140533 ADVENTURES OF APOCALYPSE AL TP VOL 01 $9.99
MAR140535 BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 01 HOW TO FALL FOREVER (MR) $9.99
MAR140477 C.O.W.L. #1 (MR) $3.50
MAR140497 CHEW / REVIVAL #1 (MR) $4.99
JAN140550 CRAWL SPACE OVERSIZED OMNIBUS HC $49.99
MAR140566 DEAD BODY ROAD #6 (MR) $2.99
MAR148302 DEADLY CLASS #3 3RD PTG (MR) $3.50
MAR140567 DEADLY CLASS #5 (MR) $3.50
MAR140536 DRUMHELLAR TP VOL 01 BADLANDS AND BAD TRIPS (MR) $14.99
JAN140587 ELEPHANTMEN #57 (MR) $3.99
MAR140574 FUSE #4 (MR) $3.50
MAR140594 SEX #13 (MR) $2.99
FEB140628 SHELTERED #9 $2.99
MAR140600 SKULLKICKERS #27 $3.50
MAR148275 SOUTHERN BASTARDS #1 2ND PTG (MR) $3.50
MAR140601 SOUTHERN BASTARDS #2 (MR) $3.50
MAR140602 SOVEREIGN #3 (MR) $2.99
MAR140610 THIEF OF THIEVES #21 (MR) $2.99
MAR140475 TREES #1 (MR) $2.99
MAR140551 UMBRAL TP VOL 01 OUT O/T SHADOWS (MR) $9.99

MARVEL COMICS

MAR140704 ALL NEW INVADERS #5 $3.99
MAR140633 AVENGERS #30 SIN $3.99
MAR140760 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE TP FORGERIES OF JEALOUSY $16.99
MAR148202 CAPTAIN MARVEL #2 2ND PTG LOPEZ VAR ANMN $3.99
FEB140839 CATACLYSM HC ULTIMATES LAST STAND $49.99
MAR140636 DEADPOOL #29 SIN $3.99
MAR148203 DEADPOOL VS CARNAGE #2 2ND PTG FABRY VAR $3.99
MAR140782 DEVIL DINOSAUR BY JACK KIRBY TP COMPLETE COLLECTION $24.99
MAR140684 DEXTER DOWN UNDER #4 $3.99
MAR140674 DISNEY KINGDOMS SEEKERS OF WEIRD #5 $3.99
MAR140675 DISNEY KINGDOMS SEEKERS OF WEIRD #5 CROSBY IMAGINEER $3.99
MAR140724 FANTASTIC FOUR #5 $4.99
MAR140696 GIANT SIZE SPIDER-MAN #1 $4.99
FEB140835 GOTG ALL NEW X-MEN TRIAL OF JEAN GREY PREM HC $24.99
MAR140713 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #15 $3.99
MAR140643 INHUMAN #2 ANMN $3.99
MAR148204 IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON #1 2ND PTG ANDREWS VAR ANMN $3.99
MAR140720 IRON MAN #26 $3.99
MAR140672 IRON PATRIOT #3 ANMN $3.99
MAR140777 MARVEL BOY TP NEW PTG $15.99
MAR140775 MARVEL FIRSTS TP VOL 02 1980S $44.99
MAR140784 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULT SPIDER-MAN DIGEST TP VOL 06 $9.99
MAR140726 MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #26 SYU $2.99
MAR140712 MARVELS GUARDIANS OF GALAXY PRELUDE #2 $2.99
MAR140634 MIGHTY AVENGERS #10 SIN $3.99
FEB140832 MIRACLEMAN PREM HC BOOK 01 DREAM OF FLYING DAVIS CVR $29.99
MAR140772 MMW INVINCIBLE IRON MAN TP VOL 03 $24.99
MAR140711 MS MARVEL #4 $2.99
MAR140776 OZ OZMA OF OZ TP $19.99
MAR140761 REVOLUTIONARY WAR TP $24.99
MAR148205 SHE-HULK #3 2ND PTG WADA VAR ANMN $2.99
MAR140692 THANOS ANNUAL #1 $4.99
MAR140714 THUNDERBOLTS #26 $2.99
MAR140688 UNCANNY AVENGERS #20 $3.99
MAR140705 WINTER SOLDIER BITTER MARCH #4 $3.99
MAR140743 WOLVERINE #7 $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

FEB141404 ACG CLASSICS ADV INTO UNKNOWN SGN SLIPCASE ED COLL PACK $169.99
FEB141406 ACG CLASSICS COLL PACK FORBIDDEN WORLDS $129.99
NOV131205 ACG COLL WORKS ADV INTO UNKNOWN HC VOL 07 $47.99
MAR141169 AMATEURS GN $14.99
MAR141020 AMERIKA GN $20.00
APR141263 ATTACK ON TITAN COLOSSAL ED TP VOL 01 $59.99
MAR140934 BART SIMPSON COMICS #90 $2.99
MAR141340 BRASS SUN #1 $3.99
MAR141000 BRAVEST WARRIORS #20 MAIN CVRS $3.99
MAR141464 BTOOOM GN VOL 06 (MR) $11.99
MAR141225 CAGE OF EDEN GN VOL 14 $10.99
MAR140941 CLIVE BARKERS NIGHTBREED #1 (MR) $3.99
MAR140881 CROSSED BADLANDS #54 (MR) $3.99
MAR140884 CROSSED BADLANDS #54 FATAL FANTASY CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR140883 CROSSED BADLANDS #54 TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR140882 CROSSED BADLANDS #54 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR141076 DEJAH OF MARS #1 (MR) $3.99
MAR141078 DEJAH OF MARS #1 BLANK AUTHENTIX CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR141077 DEJAH OF MARS #1 ULTRA LTD RUBI RISQUE CVR (MR) PI
APR141187 DF AMAZING SPIDER MAN #1 SLOTT SGN $29.99
OCT131159 DF DEJAH THORIS TRIPLE SHOT $29.99
OCT131157 DF GUARDIANS O/T GALAXY HOLIDAY GIFT BONUS PACK $10.00
JAN131120 DF MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #1 REMARK ED $25.00
APR131112 DF X-FILES SEASON 10 #1 EXC HARRIS SGN ED PI
MAR141111 DOC SAVAGE ANNUAL 2014 $5.99
MAR141040 DOCTOR SPEKTOR #1 $3.99
FEB141426 DRAGONAR ACADEMY GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
MAR140800 DRY SPELL #1 (MR) $3.99
APR141172 EVERYWHERE ANTENNAS GN (MR) $19.95
MAR148325 EVIL EMPIRE #2 (2ND PTG) (MR) $3.99
MAR141215 FINAL INCAL DLX ED HC (MR) $99.95
MAR141216 FINAL INCAL ULTRA DLX ED HC (MR) $590.00
MAR140935 FUTURAMA COMICS #71 $2.99
MAR141540 GFT CODE RED TP VOL 01 $15.99
MAR141511 GFT NEVERLAND AGE OF DARKNESS #3 A CVR DESJARDINS $2.99
MAR141512 GFT NEVERLAND AGE OF DARKNESS #3 B CVR KROME $2.99
MAR141513 GFT NEVERLAND AGE OF DARKNESS #3 C CVR LAISO $2.99
MAR141530 GFT WONDERLAND #23 A CVR CHEN (MR) $3.99
MAR141531 GFT WONDERLAND #23 B CVR EL TABANAS (MR) $3.99
MAR141532 GFT WONDERLAND #23 C CVR DOONEY (MR) $3.99
MAR141527 GFT WONDERLAND ASYLUM #5 A CVR NAKAYAMA $3.99
MAR141528 GFT WONDERLAND ASYLUM #5 B CVR LILLY $3.99
MAR141529 GFT WONDERLAND ASYLUM #5 C CVR EL TABANAS $3.99
MAR141523 GFT WONDERLAND CLASH OF QUEENS #4 A CVR CHEN (AOFD) $3.99
MAR141524 GFT WONDERLAND CLASH OF QUEENS #4 B CVR QUALANO (AOFD $3.99
MAR141525 GFT WONDERLAND CLASH OF QUEENS #4 C CVR LAISO (AOFD) $3.99
MAR141526 GFT WONDERLAND CLASH OF QUEENS #4 D CVR ORTIZ (AOFD) $3.99
MAR141267 GLACIAL PERIOD HC NEW PTG $22.99
MAR140905 GOD IS DEAD #13 (MR) $3.99
MAR140906 GOD IS DEAD #13 CARNAGE WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR140907 GOD IS DEAD #13 END OF DAYS CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR140908 GOD IS DEAD #13 ICONIC CVR (MR) $3.99
MAR141465 GOONG GN VOL 15 ROYAL PALACE $25.00
MAR148228 HARBINGER #22 2ND PTG $3.99
MAR141414 HARBINGER #23 CVR A SUAYAN $3.99
MAR141415 HARBINGER #23 CVR B MONTOYA $3.99
FEB141407 HARVEY HORRORS BLACK CAT MYSTERY SLIPCASE ED VOL 04 $119.99
FEB141408 HARVEY HORRORS CHAMBER OF CHILLS COLL PACK $89.99
NOV131207 HARVEY HORRORS TOMB OF TERROR SOFTIE TP VOL 02 $24.99
OCT131285 HARVEY HORRORS WITCHES TALES SOFTIE TP VOL 05 $24.99
MAR141466 HIGH SCHOOL DXD GN VOL 01 (MR) $13.00
MAR140931 IN CROWD TP HIGH TIDE $14.99
APR140796 INDIE COMICS MAGAZINE #8 (MR) $6.49
MAR140979 INTERESTING DRUG HC (MR) $24.99
MAR141467 JACK FROST TP VOL 10 $13.00
APR140951 JOAN OF ARC PROLOGUE $1.99
FEB140933 JUGHEAD & ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #2 $3.99
FEB141427 KANOKON GN COLL ED VOL 04 $20.99
MAR141223 KODT BUNDLE OF TROUBLE TP VOL 43 $15.99
MAR141274 LEGEND OF BOLD RILEY #1 $3.99
JAN140965 LEGEND OF OZ THE WICKED WEST ONGOING #18 $3.50
MAR140848 MEGA MAN #37 REG CVR $2.99
MAR141477 MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA GN VOL 18 $13.00
MAR140980 MIDAS FLESH #6 $3.99
FEB141430 MY BOYFRIEND IS A VAMPIRE GN COLL ED VOL 07 (MR) $17.99
MAR141236 MY LITTLE MONSTER GN VOL 02 $10.99
MAR140793 NATHAN HALES HAZARDOUS TALES HC VOL 04 TREATIES TRENCHES $12.95
MAR141005 PEANUTS VOL 2 #18 $3.99
APR141173 PETTY THEFT GN (MR) $19.95
MAR141266 PHANTOMS OF THE LOUVRE HC $29.99
MAR141478 PUELLA MAGI KAZUMI MAGICA GN VOL 05 INNOCENT MALICE $13.00
MAR140891 ROVER RED CHARLIE #6 (MR) $5.99
MAR140892 ROVER RED CHARLIE #6 WRAP CVR (MR) $5.99
FEB141411 ROY THOMAS PRESENTS COLL PACK PLANET COMICS $89.99
FEB141122 SCAM ULTIMATE COLLECTION HC (MR) $34.99
MAR141408 SHADOWMAN END TIMES #2 DEKAL CVR $3.99
FEB141022 SHAHRAZAD TP VOL 01 $17.99
MAR140851 SONIC SUPER SIZED DIGEST #7 $3.99
MAR141479 SOUL EATER TP VOL 20 (MR) $13.00
MAR141021 SPAIN & MOROCCO HC (MR) $25.00
APR141361 STAR TREK COMICS CLASSICS TP VOL 02 DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR $14.95
APR141363 STAR TREK COMICS CLASSICS TP VOL 04 RETURN OF THE WORTHY $14.95
FEB141054 TANPOPO COLLECTION HC VOL 02 $24.99
MAR141006 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #86 (MR) $2.95
MAR141278 THANIEL #3 (MR) $3.99
MAR141497 TRIAGE X GN VOL 06 (MR) $14.00
MAR141106 TWILIGHT ZONE #5 $3.99
MAR141498 UNTIL DEATH DO US PART GN VOL 06 $18.99
APR141268 WALLFLOWER GN VOL 32 $10.99
FEB141224 WEAPON BROWN TP (MR) $22.99

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