The Pull List Part 1
Whether you have a subscription pull list at your local store, keep a mental note of the books you are reading, or just buy randomly every Wednesday depending on what strikes your fancy, you have a list of comic books you don't want to miss. The books that you frantically worry about selling out before you get a chance to make a stop at the store. These are the keepers. Here's what I currently enthusiastically read:
Blackest Night
The Boys
Criminal
Fables
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
House of Mystery
Incognito
Powers
Scalped
Walking Dead
Wednesday Comics
Wolverine (at least until Old Man Logan ends)
X-Factor
Now, a few of these series are obviously on hiatus (Criminal and Powers, oddly both are my Noir fixes) but I will patiently await their returns. Both of these series are rumored to be relaunching as early as this fall. And The Boys I still have to read the last trade to catch up, but I can't wait for the chance to buy this series book to book, as it is fantastically raunchy.
Every time I update my pull list, I will write a quick review of one these series. Give you guys a few reasons why you should go out there and pick up the latest issue! For this first entry I'll start with a new series that really doesn't seem to garner the attention it deserves: House of Mystery.
House of Mystery
Writer(s): Matthew Strurges and Bill Willingham
Artist(s): Luca Rossi with contributing artists for each issue, including Neal Adams, Ross Campbell, Sean Murphy, Zachary Baldus, Steve Rolston, Jill Thompson, and many more...
Publisher: Vertigo (DC)
If you like: Fables (DC), Sandman (DC), Six Feet Under (HBO), you may enjoy this series.
In the House of Mystery, there is only one currency, and it is entertainment. Spin a yarn for your fellow housemates, earn their respect and a drink. Spending an indefinite amount of time in a house that offers such amenities as multiple dungeons, demons, and rooms that appear and reappear tends to force its inhabitants to...improvise. What better way to get your mind off of your woes than to hear captivating stories from your housemates? Guest artists draw these unique tales from different worlds and dimensions, and all the while each issue also reveals a little bit more about why and how everyone is in the House of Mystery in the first place.
Because of the format, I think it's easy to sometimes lose anticipation between issues. Sure, there is an overarching plot being revealed, but the use of one-shot stories in each issue can slow down the pace. But after each issue, you'll never find yourself complaining. If anything, this could contribute to the possible longevity of this series, as the writers have yet to reveal too much too quickly. There is no doubt that the first 16 issues have been nothing short of completely distinct and fulfilling. Reading House of Mystery is a slow burn. 17 issues in, and not one of them has felt inconsequential.
With two trades out now, and a third one on it's way, it's not to late to start enjoying this series. Vertigo has done a wonderful job of making it easy for new readers to try out a series; here is a link to download the first issue:
House of Mystery Volume 1
Blackest Night
The Boys
Criminal
Fables
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
House of Mystery
Incognito
Powers
Scalped
Walking Dead
Wednesday Comics
Wolverine (at least until Old Man Logan ends)
X-Factor
Now, a few of these series are obviously on hiatus (Criminal and Powers, oddly both are my Noir fixes) but I will patiently await their returns. Both of these series are rumored to be relaunching as early as this fall. And The Boys I still have to read the last trade to catch up, but I can't wait for the chance to buy this series book to book, as it is fantastically raunchy.
Every time I update my pull list, I will write a quick review of one these series. Give you guys a few reasons why you should go out there and pick up the latest issue! For this first entry I'll start with a new series that really doesn't seem to garner the attention it deserves: House of Mystery.
House of Mystery
Writer(s): Matthew Strurges and Bill Willingham
Artist(s): Luca Rossi with contributing artists for each issue, including Neal Adams, Ross Campbell, Sean Murphy, Zachary Baldus, Steve Rolston, Jill Thompson, and many more...
Publisher: Vertigo (DC)
If you like: Fables (DC), Sandman (DC), Six Feet Under (HBO), you may enjoy this series.
In the House of Mystery, there is only one currency, and it is entertainment. Spin a yarn for your fellow housemates, earn their respect and a drink. Spending an indefinite amount of time in a house that offers such amenities as multiple dungeons, demons, and rooms that appear and reappear tends to force its inhabitants to...improvise. What better way to get your mind off of your woes than to hear captivating stories from your housemates? Guest artists draw these unique tales from different worlds and dimensions, and all the while each issue also reveals a little bit more about why and how everyone is in the House of Mystery in the first place.
Because of the format, I think it's easy to sometimes lose anticipation between issues. Sure, there is an overarching plot being revealed, but the use of one-shot stories in each issue can slow down the pace. But after each issue, you'll never find yourself complaining. If anything, this could contribute to the possible longevity of this series, as the writers have yet to reveal too much too quickly. There is no doubt that the first 16 issues have been nothing short of completely distinct and fulfilling. Reading House of Mystery is a slow burn. 17 issues in, and not one of them has felt inconsequential.
With two trades out now, and a third one on it's way, it's not to late to start enjoying this series. Vertigo has done a wonderful job of making it easy for new readers to try out a series; here is a link to download the first issue:
House of Mystery Volume 1