This is a pretty dang solid week of comics, highlighted by possible new faves and collections of existing ones. Let’s get into all that and more in The Pull, as we look at my buys, recommendations, and curiosities from the week of comics.

Comic of the Week: The Boy Wonder #1

If a quote from another creator was ever a statement of intent for a comic, it’s the one that appears in the credits page of Juni Ba and Chris O’Halloran’s The Boy Wonder #1. It comes from none other than cartoonist Darwyn Cooke, as it says, “They are, in the best sense of the word, childlike. It is the very essence of the word superhero.” It’s something Ba specifically wanted, as this quote was a staple of his art board, and they were given permission to use it. That alone sells me on the book. Ba digging into his fan heart and telling a Robin story as inspired by Cooke and that feeling is a recipe for glorious comic book treasures. Pair that with a story that finds Damian Wayne solving problems in a Batman-less Gotham with the help of the other Robins in a way that explores the impact and importance of that character, and you have something that could be even more.

Ba is truly one of the rising stars of comics, someone that has shown a lot already and likely has more in store for us. This is far and away his biggest project yet, and I think people are going to be blown away by what he brings to the table here. I can’t wait.

Trade/Graphic Novel of the Week: Transformers Vol. 1

Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s Transformers Vol. 1 is without a doubt the most fun those characters and that idea have been in years, and it finds DWJ taking the things he does so well – explosive art, surprising heart, and endless energy – and bringing it to these robots in disguise. This first volume rocks, and I suspect most of you are reading it already. If you’re not, though, here’s your chance to catch up. It’s a rollicking ride of a blockbuster comic, and one that wears its emotions on its sleeve even as it’s making you punch your first in the air involuntarily out of the sheer power of its vibes.