My Pull List Issue #97: Comic Books For The Week Of Wednesday, August 25, 2010:

All-New Wolverine Saga (Free One Shot) (Marvel)
The Goon #1 (special $1.00 reprint) (Dark Horse)
Guarding The Globe #1 (of 6) (Skybound/Image)
Science Dog #1 (of 1) (Skybound/Image)
Action Comics #892 (DC)
Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 (DC)
Invincible #74 (Skybound/Image)
Superman: Secret Origin #6 (of 6) (DC)
Terry Moore's Echo #24 (Abstract Studios)

It's been a while since I had a week as big as this one at my local comic book shop, Acme Comics in Longwood, Florida. There wasn't a bad read in the bunch. Some I liked better than others, but that's how it goes.

All-New Wolverine Saga (Free One Shot) (Marvel) *  *  *

 This was a freebie from my comic shop, so I thought, "Why not'" and picked it up just to see what was going on with Wolverine, without having to buy all of the titles Wolverine appears in. Honestly, the man never sleeps. Is that part of his mutant healing factor? This issue wasn't a traditional comic book story, but a text summary of recent plot lines in the Marvel Universe, with reprints of various comic book panels serving as illustrations. I was most interested in the early pages, when it summarized Wolverine's origins. The rest of the issue was okay, but I have to admit I'm not much of an X-Men fan. There are too many characters spread over too many titles for me to keep up with. I'll stick with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Yeah, there's a million characters there also, but at least they're limited to one or two titles. Actually, this is a great way for readers to catch up on Wolverine, if they are interested in the Mutant world. It's a great marketing tool for Marvel. And any time a comic book publisher tries to boost interest in one of its characters without trying to squeeze another buck out of the reader, that's a good thing, and worth another ( * ) just for that.

The Goon #1 (special $1.00 reprint) (Dark Horse) *  *  *  *

I'm enjoying these $1.00 reprints of first issues or other important issues. I'd seen The Goon on the shelves of comic shops, but never had the extra money to try it out. This issue shows the origin of The Goon, the main character of course, then jumps right into the action. The Goon faces off against a number of enemies. To call the Goon a hero would not be accurate, nor even an anti-hero. It might be most accurate to say he is the least evil of the people he faces in his city. Eric Powell's art is reminiscent of comic book, and comic strip, art from bygone decades, without being as crude. I enjoy his art style and it fits the story. The way Powell draws the Goon's friend Franky reminds me of the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The title has a horror slant, so it may not be for all comic book readers, especially underage ones. Horror fans should enjoy The Goon. It combines horror and humor in a unique way.

Guarding The Globe #1 (of 6) (Skybound/Image) *  *  *  *

The Guardians of the Globe is the Justice League, or the Avengers, in the Invincible comic book. Without giving away any spoilers, they have had their ups and downs in the title. In the first issue of this mini-series, writer and creator Robert Kirkman has the head of the Guardians, Cecil, beef up the membership. We are introduced to a number of potential candidates, and a future threat is revealed. The story is filled with Kirkman's strengths, strong characterizations and an ability to weave many plot threads into each issue in a way that advances the story. If I had more room in my comic book budget I would buy the remaining issues of this mini-series. I still recommend this title to anyone who is interested in any comic book written, or in this case, co-written by Robert Kirkman.

Science Dog #1 (of 1) (Skybound/Image) *  *  *  *  *

This issue collects the previous Science Dog back-up stories which appeared in every 25 issues of Invincible. Since issue #25 of Invincible will be published next month, along with a new Science Dog back-up story, this is a great opportunity to catch up on the previous installments in the action canine's story. I have the previous issues that Science Dog appeared in, but I could not pass up this opportunity to get all of them collected in one issue. They are a lot of fun. Science Dog has an interesting origin, as well as a supporting cast. He is an action hero who happens to be a dog. In the back of the issue is a short essay written by Robert Kirkman, telling the origin of Science Dog, and how he came to be published. Pick it up.

Action Comics #892 (DC) *  *  *

This issue continues Lex Luthor's quest for ultimate power in the aftermath of his involvement in the Blackest Night story. This time Luthor has hired Deatstroke to examine an anomaly in the Antarctic. I felt I was missing something that I might have learned from the Blackest Night story. The anomaly affects Luthor's team in strange ways. I really didn't know much more about the anomaly at the end of the issue than before I read it. Plus I miss Superman appearing in the title that first introduced him to the world. Hurry back, Superman!

Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 (DC) *  *  *  *

Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass follow the trail of the Ranzz children, the Legion faces another election for Legion leader, Earth Man is approached by an anti-alien group, Naltor assists the Titan refugees, the search for a new Green Lantern continues and we learn there's more to the Legion Flight Ring that Brainiac 5 gave Earth Man than we know. Paul Levitz keeps a diverse number of plots going and advancing in this issue. Is he who Robert Kirkman learned it from? The Ranzz's show why you don't want to mess with the Legion. Even a small group of Legionnaires are more than a match for most adversaries. There were one of two panels of the big fight scene that I wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but it wasn't a major problem. The main question I had after the fight was that I thought the Legion had a ban on killing. But maybe the Legion wasn't totally responsible. Still, another solid Legion story.

Invincible #74 (Skybound/Image) *  *  *  *  *

The Viltrumite War intensifies, and we see the developments of the Graysons. We get more of a peek inside Viltrumite society in the midst of the battle, which covers most of the issue. The Viltrumite mole within the Coalition of Planets is also revealed. The Tech Jacket back up story was fun, but he's just not one of my favorite Kirkman characters. Maybe I haven't seen enough of him yet. It will also have a new Science Dog story in the back of the issue, as Kirkman does every 25 issues. Invincible  is not losing any steam, after such a long run. If anything, it's building up to a spectacular ending to this story. And it also makes me wonder what Mark Grayson's world is going to be like when this war is over. That's how Robert Kirkman and crew keep me coming back every month.

Superman: Secret Origin #6 (of 6) (DC) *  *  *  *

After a few months delay, this issue is finally published. Overall it was worth the wait. This retooling of Superman's origin, a "soft" reboot, if you will, reached a satisfying conclusion. Superman faced his first major challenge as a superhero, and shows his inexperience since this is at the beginning of his crime fighting career. Not only is Superman's origin tinkered with, but Metallo's as well. This was a good Superman story, in that the Man of Steel faced a major challenge and had to think his way out of it. Sometimes that's missing in a Superman battle. Some writers don't realize that Superman's greatest super power is his brain. Too many times he overpowers his opponent with little thinking involved. I enjoyed reading as Superman overcame each struggle in this climatic fight. This origin tied in very tightly with the recently concluded New Krypton story. Too bad this issue was not published on time. It might have had more impact, but it stands up well enough on its own. This series didn't live up to the hype DC tried to drum up for it, calling it a "game changer", but then I'm too old to really get excited for the typical American comic book hype. Yes, I'm that old. Gary Frank's art was great as usual. His intense eyes on the faces he draws don't bother me as much as it does some readers. It just gives the characters more of an emotional depth. Now if only the Grounded story in Superman  could take off. Secret Origin has now finished the best Superman story I've read in recent months.

Terry Moore's Echo #24 (Abstract Studios) *  *  *  *  *

I've heard the old saying, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," but I've never seen it illustrated quite like the story in this issue. The mystery of the alloy deepens as we see more of its effects on Julie and Ivy. They, and Dillon,  race to stop impending disaster as the series is wrapping up in the next six issues. Their quest leads them to one of HeNRI's employees. Writer and artist Terry Moore is as good as Robert Kirkman at combining character development and action into an excellent comic book story. When this series is complete, I'll be sure to subscribe to his next series, as long as he creates comic books.

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