PULL! Mithrandiel's Comic Reads - Week of 8/11
By: Mithrandiel
Alright, another week, another wave of fresh stories to captivate and entertain! Let's take a look at the issues I picked up this week:
The Defenders #1 [Al Ewing]
The opening issue of Defenders is massive in scope, and ambitious with its intent. Gathering such heavy hitters as The Masked Rider, Dr. Strange and The Silver Surfer, Immortal Hulk writer Al Ewing and the extremely talented Javier Rodriguez have laid the foundation of an immersive and engaging narrative. Seeing Ewing borrow Betty Ross/The Red Harpy as part of this crew also made me very happy. I'm definitely invested, and would strongly suggest you add this to your weekly pull! 9/10
X-Men Legends #6 [Peter David]
The X-Factor continue sharing their version of the story after a less-than-ideal hostage situation. The art and writing were both solid, especially Quicksilver and Doom's brief banter in the latter half. Nothing earth-shaking here, but still a solid continuation of the series. 7/10
Hardware #1 [Brandon Thomas]
With the successful re-release of Static, Milestone Comics rolled out yet another revival series with Hardware #1. Child prodigy turned brilliant engineer/inventor Curtis Metcalf finds himself at the center of the "Big Bang", a clash between police and anti police brutality protestors, where the deployment of untested chemicals (made by Curtis) results in many in the crowd being given superpowers. Unlike the former iteration of Hardware, this Curtis is not keeping his identity a secret, and takes the fight to his former benefactor head-on. While the art didn't quite wow me like Static did, I still enjoyed this re-introduction to Hardware, and will be watching its development with great interest. 8/10
Avengers: Tech-On Avengers #1 [Jim Zub]
A bit bummed about this one, to be honest. I was a big fan of Mech Strike - a guilty pleasure, to be sure, but still a pleasant surprise both narratively and artistically. While Jeffrey Cruz Chamba's stylized art definitely catches the eye, and contributes well to the anime-inspired theme of this run, the writing by Zub is downright painful at times. I will likely pick up issue 2 to see if it's redeeming, but if the art alone isn't enough to sell you on this run, definitely don't look to the writing to save it. 5/10
Children of the Atom #6 [Vita Ayala]
I found myself pleasantly surprised with the conclusion of this run. While the teen angst might be laid on a bit thick at times, it was still an endearing end, and Gimmick's trip to Krakoa was a fun aside that made me excited for future integrations of these heroes in upcoming stories. Some good messages in here about acceptance and communication - overall a solid issue and good run. 8/10
Star Wars: The High Republic #8 [Cavan Scott]
Jedi and Hutt stand shoulder-to-shoulder against a common enemy, and Keeve Trennis makes her dramatic re-appearance! A good, action-filled conclusion that also opens the door to a dramatic new chapter with an ever-looming threat. 7/10
Eve #4 [Victor LaValle]
My top read of the week. A poignant and beautifully written issue that complicates the broader narrative, while also providing a wonderful deep-dive into our main character. While the trope may be familiar, the execution is superb. A top-notch series that has been a delight with each new issue, if Eve isn't already on your pull, time to catch up. 10/10
