December begins with an absolutely wild week in comic shops. But while much of the focus is on the new, this edition of The Pull — in which I share my buys, recommendations, and curiosities from the week of comics — is headlined by an old favorite.

Comic of the Week: Giant-Size Criminal #1

This one-shot comes with a novella length story focused on Ricky Lawless, a behind-the-scenes article about the Criminal show from Ed Brubaker, an illustrated guide to the world of Criminal from Sean Phillips, and a tabletop RPG module set in this universe that was created by Kieron Gillen. I know typically the reason these books take the top spot is simply “Brubaker and Phillips,” but man, this issue is out of control even for that dynamic duo. This might end up being one of the top releases from their collaborations if it lives up to its potential, and that’s really saying something.

Trade/Graphic Novel of the Week: Slices of Life: A Comic Montage TP

I backed this Kickstarter and read it already, so let me just tell you this: It’s going to be on my end of the year lists in some capacity. How exactly it will make it is uncertain, but my god, what a remarkable talent Qu is. This was my introduction to the cartoonist’s work, and while it’s an unconventional comic — it’s more a series of strips exploring singular slices of life — it’s also a great one. Plus, Bulgilhan Press does what they do and turned it into a remarkable package with an unconventional (but exceptional) binding choice. You should really pick this up. It’s wonderful.