As that dude from Staind once said, “It’s been awhile.” You know what? It has been a minute, but the Pull List is back and we’re going to be helping guide you through the smorgasbord of graphic delights coming to your local comic book store this week. With reviews of Justice League #36, the brand new Sinergy #1, and Lumberjanes #8, we’ve got three ways to ensure you’ll head home with a king’s bounty this Comic Book Day. Plus, we’ve got the full list of everything hitting store shelves today. Excelsior!

Justice League #36 | DC Comics | Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson, Carlos M. Mangual

Can anyone truly escape their past? That seem the be the central question underpinning the latest Justice League arc, “The Amazo Virus”. Issue #36 opens on shots of dozens of hundred dollar bills fluttering through the air in the streets of Metropolis. What is eerie though is that there’s no one there to grab the cash. The city is a wasteland, riddled with abandoned and overturned cars, quarantine signs, and broken glass. When three looters do appear to grab the cash, they are in rough shape — cold, clammy, phlegmatic; they look as though they are on their last legs. When Batman and Superman intervene to try and help them, we realize that they are infected with the virus and it is manifesting itself in the form of unstable, uncontrollable superpowers. Truly, things have taken a turn for the worse.

Last issue, we saw a mysterious, deadly virus unleashed from the depths of Lex Luthor’s laboratory, and now we see the extent of its destruction. The Amazo Virus unleashes powerful metahuman abilities in those it infects before ravaging their insides and ultimately killing them in short order.  With most of the Justice League infected, it’s up to Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Captain Cold to save the day. Except that most of the League blames Luthor for this grisly situation. After all, it was his lab that contained the deadly disease. For a man who is trying to turn over a new leaf, accidentally unleashing one of the deadliest pathogens of all time doesn’t exactly do wonders for your street cred. It’s a fascinating arc for Luthor and one that makes you question whether or not one of the most notorious, obsessive villains in the DC Universe can become one of the good guys. Stranger things have happened, but even a supergenius like Lex should have known that our pasts have a way of catching up with us.

All in all, “The Amazo Virus” is off to fantastic start and feels evocative of writer Geoff Johns terrific Avengers story “Red Zone”. Granted, that was more about a biological terrorist attack, but the similarities are there and the story manages to tap into some of our current fears about widespread, fast-acting illnesses like ebola without feeling exploitative. Also laudable is new artist Jason Fabok, whose cinematic eye and crisp pencils lend a starkness to both the action and the destruction, ably aided and abetted by colorist Brad Anderson’s Contagion-worthy palette. Justice League‘s new dynamic duo is off to a great start and you should definitely make sure to catch this stellar issue.

Sinergy #1 | Image Comics | Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma

Whenever you see a new comic book from Michael Avon Oeming, you can guarantee that it’s going to be a little bit dark, a little bit twisted, and wholly unexpected. His new Image Comics series Sinergy, which he co-created with Taki Soma, does not disappoint. When Portland teenager Jess loses her virginity, she gains the unexpected ability to see monsters hiding in our midst. Unbeknownst to Jess, her father is a Seer, someone who is also able to see these monsters, and wants to bring Jess into the secret family business of monster hunting. So, you know, your typical American family.

As the name might suggest, these monsters in our midst are predatory creatures that feed off of the energy generated by sin. Naturally, hanging around mankind is a surefire way to ensure access to an all-you-can-eat buffet of sin. While the way in which the narrative unfolds is a little bit convoluted, the way Oeming and Soma write the characters is top notch. The shifting between teenaged angst and embarrassment over one’s father catching them in the act and dealing with the realization that the world is full of demonic entities feels raw and honest in all the right ways. This contrast with the gritty, violent nature of the monsters and some of the fight sequences lends Sinergy a charisma that makes an imperfect debut a very worthwhile addition to your pull list this week.

Lumberjanes #8 | BOOM! Studios | Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, Maarta Laiho, Aubrey Aiese

If you’re having a bad day, just read an issue of BOOM! Studios’ Lumberjanes and there’s a 99% chance it will put a smile on your face. (That 1% exception applies to people born without mouths who are physically incapable of smiling.) In the latest issue, the Lumberjanes are caught smack dab in the middle of a rapidly escalating war between crazed siblings Apollo and Artemis. Last issue, Jo sacrificed herself to save her friends and was turned to stone as a result. Now, the rest of the gang is desperately trying to figure out a way to save her and stop the twins from gaining incredible cosmic power that would threaten not only the camp, but the world as they know it.

Even in the face of impossible odds, the sheer exuberance and raw imagination of the Lumberjanes scouts is unstoppable as they continue to rattle off jokes and one-liners while trying to solve the puzzle of the astrological map. Yet, Lumberjanes is not a one-trick pony; it’s consistently funny, but this issue is filled with feel-good moments about the power of friendship, believing in yourself, and trusting in your friends. Were it by its lonesome, Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis’ script could border on overly sentimental at points, but the vibrant, animated quality to Brooke Allen’s artwork and Maarta Laiho’s explosive color palette prevents it from feeling maudlin or histrionic; it just feels honest.

Lumberjanes moves at a breakneck pace through various plot points, emotional beats, and action sequences, but it never feels like we’re missing out on anything; rather, it gives the comic a kinetic sensibility, a momentum that serves it well. If for nothing else, Lumberjanes is worth your hardearned cash for its endlessly inventive exclamations (“What the Annie Smith Peck just happened?) that namedrop important women through history. Come for the frenetic storytelling, but stay for the intellectual namedropping. Now only one question left — how long until we can read issue #9?

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The Complete List (via Previews)

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What comics are you most excited to read this week? Let us know in the comments below.