Here we are Geeklings, at the end of all things or Happy New Comic Book Day to you all! Either one will suffice honestly. This is the last New Comic Book Day before Christmas which means all major publishers apparently wanted to release ALL the books. At once.  It wasn’t my alarm clock that woke me up this morning but the screaming of my wallet. Ouch. 

What was I going to do though, not buy comics? On a Wednesday? I might as well run-up to a mall Santa and shout he’s an imposter while families look at me in horror. That’s how sacrilegious not buying comics on a Wednesday sounds to me. It just so happened to be a perfect storm of a week where everything was being released and the majority of the books are big deals which mean big price tags. Endings, am I right?

This week’s Pull List brings about a number of major endings to some incredible runs, books, and stories. But with these endings, we also get some new beginnings. Can’t have one without the other. Needless to say, this week’s Pull List packs all the emotions. What do you say we kick this thing off? Starting with…

Doomsday Clock #12- What a time to be a fan of the Watchmen series. HBO’s Watchmen wrapped up a nearly perfect season on Sunday night that still has me reeling and now at long last Geoff John’s and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock conclusion has hit the shelves. It is impossible to talk about this series without mentioning the delays, something that I truly believed killed the momentum of this book, but it doesn’t negate the content. Both Johns and Frank are on another level when it comes to Doomsday Clock and I feel that this will be a story we will appreciate much more in the collected trades. What about the ending though? We’re finally getting our showdown between Superman and Doctor Manhattan and the DC Universe hangs in the balance. I have a feeling that this conclusion will feed into the next big thing over at DC and could explain why some titles seem like they’ve been spinning their wheels. How will it compare to the ending of HBO’s Watchmen? Well, stick with I Am Geek because I’ve got a feeling this might be something that gets covered.

Batman #85- Here we are at the end of Tom King’s incredible run and I have emotions. I have been dreading this day since DC made the announcement. Tom King’s run has been Hall of Fame worthy and might be one of my personal favorites of all time. All. Time. To tell one overall story for eighty-five issues is quite the achievement and the results have been spectacular. This narrative has been complexly layered, emotional, and highly personal not only for Batman but for King as well. While he’ll be shifting over to the Batman/Catwoman title at some point next year to finish his planned one hundred issue arc, I believe this achievement should be celebrated. Year after year after year, Batman has been one of the best books on the shelf and King never swayed from his vision. This book is a wonder. It’s powerful. It’s layered and complex. It’s everything you want from great storytelling and I will greatly miss it. 

King Thor #4- Speaking of epic runs coming to a close, may I introduce you to Jason Aaron’s King Thor conclusion. If we could just take a second to applaud what Aaron has accomplished here over the course of six tremendous years. Thor has consistently been one of Marvel’s best books month after month, and I can’t think of a writer who transformed a character more. Aaron has used King Thor as a way to bring his story full circle and to end things close to where they began. I will miss Aaron’s take on all things Asgard, Loki, and the God of Thunder himself. This goes right up there with what King did with Batman as taking a character, making it your own while providing something new, unique, and exciting. No easy feat but if you’ve been here since issue one then it has been one hell of a ride!

Guardians of the Galaxy #12- Yup, another ending. Donny Cates is wrapping up his underrated/awesome Guardians run and I’m bummed. As soon as Cates jumped on this title the entire nature of the series changed. Cates made way for the continuity before, connected this to his pocket universe in Marvel, and made the Guardians shine in ways that were different than the films while also acknowledging them in a way that’s not distracting. We know that Al Ewing will be taking over the book but before that can happen we need to know if Rocket is going to live. Will the group escape this crazy cult? And what’s the deal with Drax? Cates’s 2019 was fantastic and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for both us and the Marvel Universe in 2020.

Suicide Squad #1- Not every comic issued today is an ending despite how it may feel. Kicking off a brand new start for the Suicide Squad is Tom Taylor and this book is sure to be bonkers. If you follow Taylor on Twitter then you know he’s been hyping a new cast of characters to join everyone’s beloved team of flunkies, junkies, and villains. Which is pretty cool considering he’s promising that not all of these characters are going to make it through the end of this issue. If you’ve ever read anything by Tom Taylor then you know he has zero problem killing characters you’ve grown attached to. It makes him a monster as well as a hell of a storyteller. Issue one looks to kick the Squad into a new era heading into 2020 and I for one can’t wait.

Honorable Mentions- Star Wars The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 & Marauders #4

There you have it Geeklings, all the best books to get your mitts on this week. This is most likely the last Pull List of the year with Christmas falling on Wednesday next week, but what a Pull List it has been. As always, if you feel like I’ve left anything off be sure to let me know in the comments. If you’d like to talk more comics with yours truly you can find me on Twitter @iamgeek32. I’m ready and raring to talk comics at any given moment. With no Pull List next week, I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday. I’ll see you again before the year ends, I promise. Happy reading and many huzzahs!

 

Images from Marvel and DC Comics