Pull-O-Rama: May ’09

[Stephanie]

It’s time for another comic book Pull-O-Rama, where we present an assortment of recent comics and let you know how much they rock, whether they’re not quite up to par ... or if you should skip them altogether.

This time around we’ll flip through the conclusion of DC’s Battle for the Cowl mini-series, the second issue of The Supremacy, Marvel’s Kick-Ass #6, and Top Cow’s brand new Witchblade Annual.

Battle for the Cowl #3

With all the changes going on over at DC Comics, it’s tricky figuring out which of their many mini-series and new titles of late to buy. Rest assured, Tony Daniel’s self-written and drawn (with inks by Sandu Florea) BATTLE FOR THE COWL three-part tale pulled through with a bang.

Nightwing and the Network assume the task of cleaning up Gotham after Two-Face and the Penguin’s alleged rampage, which tore up the city enough for officials to call in the big guns of the U.S. military. Of course, previous issues revealed that neither one of the crime lords are behind the recent catastrophe—instead, none other than supposedly dead Black Mask has been orchestrating the pandemonium, pinning the blame on the criminal underground’s more prominent contenders. Two-Face, however, refuses to stand for such disrespect, and vows to find out whoever lurks behind the mayhem.

Meanwhile, Nightwing tracks Robin and the faux-Batman (whose identity we now know to be Jason Todd) to a cave, where the second issue cliffhanger showed Tim in quite an unpleasant and grim bind. Nightwing and Jason fight in a surprisingly intense and exhilarating showdown, but the fate of our disturbed ex-Robin ends in uncertainty.

With the help of Squire and Damian, Tim scrapes by death yet again, and the end of the issue appoints the new Caped Crusader. Since Nightwing narrated the issue, obvious bets are that Dick Grayson earned the cape and cowl; curiously, Daniel made the final panels strangely inconclusive in both art and narration. The plot might be over-stuffed, but overall Daniel's art and dialogue are wonderful and interesting.

The Supremacy #2

The second issue of the limited series The Supremacy doesn’t hit comic stands until August of this year, but Hard Way Studios was kind enough to send an advanced copy our way. The good news? The comic by Peter. G. and artist Dwayne Biddix is shaping up to be a fantastic read.

A lot happens in The Supremacy #2, which truly says a lot about what the writer has planned for the following three issues. Don’t worry—we’re not going to spill any of the details, but we will give you the scoop on a few of the exciting things that play out in the issue. Not only will readers be officially introduced to the members of the notorious anti-superhero group, the Supremacy, but the mysterious, purple-and-black Obsidian will mark his territory. The leader of the Supremacy, Creutzfeldt, has something special in mind for him, but Obsidian will send an entirely different message.

You’ll definitely want to pick this one up in August for a refreshing break from the usual. In the meantime, you can catch up with the premiere issue, available now.

Kick-Ass #6

After the slow plot progression of late in Marvel’s even more slowly-released but popular Kick-Ass series, things start to heat up again with the latest issue. The sixth installment starts off with a startling but misleading scene between Hit-Girl and Big Daddy. We finally get to take a look behind-the-scenes with the two low-key superheroes, while they forcefully recruit Kick-Ass and his contact, Red Mist, to their team.

Kick-Ass #6 reminds us why the title took flight in the first place, and the comic features not one, but two surprise twists.

Witchblade Annual #1

This month Top Cow unveiled their first, all-new Witchblade Annual, which features two stories under one cover. "If Looks Could Kill"—written by Jay Faerber with pencils by Eric Basaldua—focuses on New York City police detective Sara Pezinni. The comic begins with the striking image of a half-naked woman covered in blood and wielding a meat cleaver as Sara tries to prevent her from jumping a rooftop. When the murderous woman snaps out of what seems to be a trance and claims no memory, just like several other women over the past weeks, Sara investigates a larger connection.

While the plot falls into a bit of a cliché detective story, the mystical elements of the Witchblade and a medallion-wearing, psychopathic plastic surgeon amp up the volume. Plus, the art and colors are gorgeous.

On the other hand, while “Ned” (writers Joshua Cozine and Joe Henderson and artist Sheldon Mitchell) builds up to an intriguing storyline with a twist, the story completely drops and leaves you disappointed. Because the annual doesn’t contain anything essential to the Witchblade world and falls flat with its second inclusion, we’re giving this one a “so-so” recommendation.

Good or bad, you can check out all of these comics in the Impulse Creations shop. Want to pick next month’s Pull-O-Rama comics? Email your suggestions and why to wita.gen@gmail.com.