A heavy week of big endings and arrivals is led by the conclusions of two slept-on favorites. We’ll cover that and my other buys, recommendations, and curiosities from the week of comics in this week’s edition of The Pull.

Comic of the Week: Pine and Merrimac #5

This brings the conclusion of Pine and Merrimac to the world, and it will be missed, as Kyle Starks and Fran Galan have crafted an incredibly likable small-town crime story featuring a little bit of everything: a lovable duo of lead characters! Humor! Action! Creepy cults! Furry orgies! You name it, you can find it in Pine and Merrimac. Most importantly, it features Starks’ trademark snappy dialogue and strong characterization while introducing me to Galan’s incredible character acting and storytelling. This series has seemed a bit slept on, which is a shame. It’s on par with all of Starks’ work from the past few years.

Trade/Graphic Novel of the Week: Newburn Vol. 2

With respect to Newburn, the correct pick here is Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book Two. It is the biggest comic release of the week, regardless of format. The reason it isn’t the pick here is because I suspect that no one needs a tip about it, because it’s going to have major press coverage out the wazoo. So, instead, let’s talk about Newburn, the Image series from writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Jacob Phillips. This crime series about a mob fixer, his ascendant assistant, and the wicked mess they find themselves was a heck of a thing, and this second volume collects the remainder of the series. It started strong but really found its footing in this second volume, as the story only got better the more we understood the titular Newburn and his assistant Emily’s story. By the time it concludes, it’s still rising, with its final three issues maybe being its finest.

So, if you didn’t read the series in single issues, you should read Newburn. It’s a rock solid book that deserves more love.