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Five to Pull / One to Pass: May 19, 2010 from Brad Guigar on Vimeo.  LISTEN to the podcast. Avengers #1Read the preview. Creative team: Story by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by John Romita Jr. Villain to Watch: Kang the Conqueror They say: THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! There came a day! A day unlike any other...where two of Marvel's top creators teamed up for the very first time to create a bombastic new monthly Marvel comic that not only ushers in the Heroic Age of Marvel Comics but unleashes onto the world the most blockbuster Avengers team ever! Who will answer the call? And will they assemble just in time...because Kang the Conqueror is here from the future. And wait till you find out why...! Bonus back up feature: the oral history of the Avengers, part one. A brand new illustrated look at the Avengers in a way you have never seen before by series writer Brian Michael Bendis. I say: As Marvel kicks off its next publishing arc, Heroic Age, expect to see an awful lot of Heroic Age-branded titles on the shelves this month. I don't think many of them are necessarily Pull-worthy. For example, "Age of Heroes," which hits stands on the same day, is an anthology book, and you know what you get with them: One story you enjoy surrounded by several stories that you'd have never bought. But in "Avengers" #1 we've got JR Jr. pencilling BMB. My initial impression is that this one's going to be the one to Pull.  Brightest Day #2Read the preview. Creative team: Story by Geoff Johns; Art by Peter J. Tomasi Villain to Watch: The Black Lanterns? They say: "Brightest Day" continues, but in ways you can't possibly expect! What does "Brightest Day" mean to the DC Universe? Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No, "Brightest Day" means something else entirely, something we can't tell you...yet. But we can tell you our heroes will need to rise up more than ever to combat the forces of evil, and a select few will uncover a secret that binds them all. I say: Meanwhile, as DC's new publishing arc launches, I have to give the slight edge to Geoff Johns' writing of "Brightest Day" so far. I am genuinely intrigued by the Brightest Day mystery. And I'm very happy to see Deadman playing a central role in the story. I think this arc has tons of potential, and I'm eager to see the direction this is going.  JLA #45Read the preview. Creative team: Story by James Robinson; Art by Mark Bagley Villain to Watch: TBA They say: Supergirl rejoins the JLA as incredible, ancient forces of chaos are unleashed. What could posses her and Power Girl to battle to the death? And what horrors await the rest of the Justice League and Justice Society in this prologue to 'The Ghosts of Earth and Space'?! I say: A catfight between Supergirl and Power Girl is enough to put a title onto my radar, but I also have to give the nod to James Robinson, whose writing on JLA has been kind of underappreciated in the past few months. This book has been solidly entertaining, and thematically intriguing. I don't even need the exploitive fisticuffs. Of course, they don't hurt...  Legion of Super Heroes #1Read the preview. Creative team: Story by Paul Levitz; Art by Yildiray Cinar Villain to Watch: TBA They say: Fan-favorite LEGION writer Paul Levitz returns to the 31st century super team he made supreme with an all-new intergalactic era! This exciting series picks up on threads from Geoff Johns's 'Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes' storyline and creates its own all-new ones, including a Green Lantern Corps tie-in and the destruction of a major planet! Rocket on board here as Levitz and rising star artist Yildiray Cinar revitalize one of DC's most beloved franchises starting with an oversized first issue with a variant cover by superstar artist Jim Lee! I say: What is it about that curled fist bejeweled with a Green Lantern ring and a Legion ring that makes me want to open that book first on my Pull pile? Maybe it's the dearth of GLs in Legion mythology. Maybe it's the simple, direct power being conveyed, but this is a cover that packs a lot of promise along with its punch.  Zatanna #1Creative team: Story by Paul Dini; Art by Stephanie Roux Villain to Watch: Brother Night They say: At last - the Mistress of Magic in her own ongoing series! Zatanna Zatara has long made her home in San Francisco, but right under her nose a sinister threat has developed - a crime boss who dominates the criminal underworld with the dark powers of the magical underworld! The terrifying Brother Night is making his play for San Fran, and the police force - including hunky detective Dale Colton - turn to Zee for help. But Brother Night is a whole new kind of criminal and if Zatanna thinks she can backwards-talk him down, then she's in over her top-hatted head! Superstar writer Paul Dini is paired with the gorgeous art of Stephane Roux, making his anticipated DC debut on interior art! There's only one thing to say - T'NOD SSIM TI! I say: Speaking of under-hearalded writers, Paul Dini has completely won me back with "Gotham Sirens," so I'm more than prepared to give him a spin with this Zatanna series. Y'know... Zatanna started out as this one-trick hero -- and that "hold the words up to a mirror" gimmick got old fast in the old JLA books. But you have to hand it to the DC writers... they've really added some depth to this character. I'm really interested in seeing that process so further with this series. You don't even need the fishnets. Of course, they don't hurt... Honorable mentions: Enter the Heroic Age #1, Deadpool #23, Batman: Streets of Gotham #12, Atlas #1, Galactica, Daughter of Galactus #1, Her-oes #2. ...And One To Pass Girl Comics #2Creative team: Story by Kathryn Immonen and otehrs; Art by Colleen Coover and others Villain to Watch: TBA They say: Already one of the most talked about comics of the year, Marvel is proud to present the second issue of "Girl Comics," spotlighting some of the most talented women working in comics today! With something for every comic reader, from the Fantastic Four to the X-Men to the reunion of acclaimed creators Louise Simonson and June Brigman on the Power Pack, you won't want to miss this Marvel milestone! I say: I was just responding to the father of an eight-year-old girl who was looking for superhero comics with strong female leads that would be appropriate for his pre-teen daughter. And I had to say that I didn't think that there were any that had really hit the mark. (You'll find Her-oes #2 in the Honorable Mention category above because I missed #1.) But I have to give Marvel a serious nod for trying the hardest. I've completely lost track of their girl-centric titles, and even though I've gone somewhat lukewarm on many of them, you gotta hand it to a publisher that keeps swinging away. One of these days, they're gonna hit one out of the park. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be with "Girl Comics." The first issue of this series had some bright spots -- but it was outshone by some pretty tepid storytelling -- and some art that, in my opinion, missed the mark by a wide margin. I'm not really hopeful for Issue 2, but like I said, you gotta give them credit for trying so hard. Would you like to share this post? First, click on "read/post comments" (below) then scroll down to this button 
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