After a lengthy stretch of The Pull being the same look at my buys, recommendations, and curiosities from the week of comics, this week finds a new wrinkle being inserted into it for the first time since…launch? Maybe! Let’s get to it.

Comic of the Week: Wasp #2

It turns out Al Ewing is incapable of doing anything but churn out bangers. I shouldn’t be surprised about Wasp being just that, as it’s on the heels of Ewing, Tom Reilly, and Jordie Bellaire doing work on Ant-Man, but this title feels even fresher than that one did. Ewing, artist Kasia Nie, and colorist KJ Diaz crafted a first issue that paid tribute to Janet Van Dyne’s history – shouts to an incredible Edwin Jarvis appearance – while building up her relationship with her stepdaughter Nadia Van Dyne, and did so while just being an absolute blast. It’s just an incredibly fun book with wonderfully clean and clear art from Nie, and a title with a lot of potential going forward.

I’m enjoying this whole “Al Ewing does anniversary comics for everyone” thing. It’s a great little corner he has for himself, and it’s one that is leading to big wins for readers as well.

Trade of the Week: The Lonesome Hunters TP

I said there would be a wrinkle in this column going forward. Here it is: My plan going forward is to separate the “Book of the Week” pick into two different categories: Comic of the Week and Trade of the Week. The reason for that split is it’s becoming increasingly clear that this is a trade waiting heavy period, and I want to reflect that shift, even if it’s only for my own reading habits. While Trade of the Week might not appear 100% of the time, the plan going forward is to use this space to highlight a collection of a comic (original graphic novels will go in the “Comic of the Week” category, because this is designed specifically for collections of single issue titles) I really liked, something I’m eagerly anticipating, a title I’m curious about, or, if none of those categories are met, nothing. I will not pick something for this slot unless I’m unequivocally interested in it in some capacity, as I know some readers buy what I pick, and I don’t want to rep for something I’m 50/50 on.

The good news is, this week’s pick makes it easy on me. It’s the collection of the first The Lonesome Hunters story from writer/artist Tyler Crook, a comic I read the first three issues of this four issue miniseries. It finds an odd pairing of an elderly monster hunter and a young girl inadvertently getting mixed up with one another and a larger monster storyline that involves evil crows (that are just fantastic, to be honest). The easy comparison is it’s perfect for fans of Hellboy, which is true, but what really makes this pop is Crook’s astonishing art and the combination of its two leads, a duo that meets each other by happenstance but clearly bring the best out in another. This is fantastic comic booking, and it’s a similarly fantastic take on the fantasy genre. It’s well worth a read if you missed it in single issue form.