NCBD Pull or No Pull: October 24, 2018

FTC Statement: Reviewers are frequently provided by the publisher/production company with a copy of the material being reviewed.The opinions published are solely those of the respective reviewers and may not reflect the opinions of CriticalBlast.com or its management.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. (This is a legal requirement, as apparently some sites advertise for Amazon for free. Yes, that's sarcasm.)

Submitted by RJ Carter on Sun, 10/21/2018 - 19:30

No matter how fastidious you are in maintaining your comic shop pull list in your never-ending battle to make sure you don't miss anything good (or accidentally waste your money on something not so much), it never hurts to do a last minute check on what's coming out this week so you can make those fine-tuned adjustments.

Here are our looks at this week's upcoming comics, and our hot takes on whether they're a pick or a pan. Your mileage may vary.

Rat Queens #12 (Image) In a wicked daze, Dee finds herself in the far edges of reality, on a grand, otherworldly stage. Meanwhile, the rest of the team do their very best to either kill or befriend a pack of recently deflowered were-owls. Uhm... "deflowered were-owls?" I can't even... Sorry, that's too "WTF" for me to get into. If you like stuff from Kurtis J. Wiebe and Owen Gieni, more power to you.
Whispering Dark #1 (Dark Horse) This has the advantage of being a first issue that advertises a mixture of war story and Lovecraftian horror. With the experienced battle-story team of Christofer Emgard and Tomas Aira on board, this tale of faith and violence is tempting enough to give a look as it's coming out of the gate.
Batman Beyond #25 (DC) The Joker returning to the world of BATMAN BEYOND? "The Final Joke" by Dan Jurgens and Cully Hamner has "Shut Up and Take My Money" written all over it! Set at a dedication ceremony commemorating the 100th birthday of Thomas Wayne, the Clown Prince of Crime returns after having been gone for decades -- and no one is safe.
The Books of Magic #1 (DC/Vergito) The Sandman Universe continues to expand with this new #1 issue of The Books of Magic. I was an avid devotee of the original series until it took the time jump into Tim's future. What plans Kat Howard and Tom Fowler have for Tim Hunter now (a teenager once more) are enticing ones, as he has a host of people to kill him to prevent him from reaching what they fear is a dark destiny.
Old Lady Harley #1 (DC) Max was never this mad, and Logan was never this looney. It's the future, and all Harley Quinn wants is to live in her fortified paradise. But it looks like her idyllic lifestyle may be interrupted by a ghost from her past -- a literal ghost, since she killed him herself! With Power Girl as President, and Atlantis as a 51st state, the future of the DC Universe has never looked so weird.
Black Panther vs Deadpool #1 (Marvel) Marvel already knows that anything with Deadpool in it is going to sell. And Black Panther has been super popular since the movie. So mixing the two together in an all-out brawl sounds like...well, it sounds like a cash grab is what it sounds like. And it will probably work. Daniel Kibblesmith (THE LATE SHOW) teams up with Ricardo Lopez Ortiz to tell this story.
Infinity Warps ArachKnight #1 (of 2) (MARVEL) The Spider-Totem has chosen Peter Parker to be its avatar, and it's driven him nuts. Now he has multiple personalities! Is he a tech genius? A newspaper photographer? A high school teacher? Actually, this could make the whole past 20 years of Spider-Man continuity suddenly make sense. Damn you, Max Bemis and Ale Garza! I'm going to have to check this one out.
X-Men Red #9 (Marvel) Jean Grey vs. Cassandra Nova. But who cares about that? I can't get past that gorgeous Max Lim cover of Patsy Walker: Hellcat! I'm here just for that alone! Tom Taylor and Roge Antonia better have one heckuva story past that cover to live up to the packaging!
Vampirella Halloween Special One-Shot 2018 (Dynamite) It wouldn't be Halloween without a special tale from your hostess with the mostest... No, wait, that's someone else. Right, this is the Darling from Drakulon and she dresses better. Vampirella appears in two short specials here, playing superhero in one against the hordes of Hell who use the holiday to escape the confines of the afterlife to wreak havoc on Earth. Even Dracula himself is among the returning dead! Also, Vampi tries something new for the Trick-or-Treaters this year, and ends up having her home violated! Some traditions shouldn't be effed with! Scott Lobdell and Blake Northcott guide these stories as we get closer to the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween!
Cyko Ko! 2 (Alterna) Cyko KO! His evil twin! A buck and a half! An impossible mission! Did you hear the "buck and a half" part? This is Rob Feldman's Alterna comic that everyone is talking about. You can't afford not to see what the buzz is about.