Pull List Review: December 2005 (Part I)

Here's what I'm currently buying on a regular basis, and, in some cases, why. (And here's where things stood back in June.) "+" / "-" / "*" equal the change, if any, in my opinion since then.

100 Girls *
Only a couple of issues since June but pulled off a wire-to-wire run on my Top 10 for 2005.

15 Minutes *
Haven't seen another issue since I first discovered the series back in April, but unlike, say, Secret War, I'm still looking forward to it.

Action Philosophers! *
Always fun, but I suspect it doesn't have terribly long legs. I give it another 3 issues before it exhausts the concept and is, hopefully, put to bed while it's still on top.

Adventures Of Bioboy +
A new addition to the list, silly four-color fun with lovely, pre-NYC Mech Andy MacDonald art.

All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder *
It's "the goddamn Batman!", and despite how ridiculously over-the-top it's been, I'm still hopeful that Miller has a trick or two up his sleeve.

Amelia Rules: Superheroes +
I looooove Amelia! Few comics have ever brought a sincere tear to my eye, and this all-ages wonder has done it several times. Another Top 10 for 2005 series. Someone at Image needs to take notice and publish the TPBs for this.

Astro City: The Dark Age *
Kurt Busiek's throwback world of superheroes in 70s has been an entertaining read.

The Atheist -
This series has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously slow to publish. And Image wonders why they can't escape their old, um, image.

Atomika -
Where, oh where, has Atomika gone? I realized a few weeks back that I'm still reading this only because Dabb's a pretty cool guy, but by the time the next issue ships, that might not be enough to keep my attention.

Batgirl -
It's still my second favorite Bat-book, but considering I've dropped all of the others and am desperately hoping One Year Later gives me a reason to care again, that's not saying much.

Batman And The Monster Men +
If Matt Wagner were a bigger fan favorite, this could have been the kickoff arc for All Star Batman.

Batman: Gotham County Line -
Batman in a jetpack became more and more ridiculous every time I thought about it.

Black Heart Irregulars +
For all of its amatuerish faults, this Losers-lite indie has a lot of potential.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her -
Not nearly as strong as the first mini, with more Daredevil than I'm interested in.

Captain America *
Can't believe I'm still enjoying a Captain America comic book. But I am.

Conan
Conan And The Demons Of Khitai +
I'm grouping these purely because I've become a fan of the character and will now pick up all of the spinoffs. Consistently entertaining.

Corporate Ninja *
As I recall, the first issue was silly fun. I don't recall much, though, so that's not a good sign.

Daredevil *
To be honest, I only stuck around for this arc (after checking it out for the first time with the lame-ending Decalogue arc) because I wanted to know where things stood when Brubaker/Lark take over, at which point I expect to really like it.

Defenders -
Still on the list only because it's a mini and I'm curious enough to see how it ends, but the Giffen/DeMatteis schtick is tired.

DMZ *
First issue left me unimpressed but mildly intrigued. We'll see if it's still on the list next June.

El Gato Negro City -
First issue was fun, but there's been nothing since... Not good.

Elk's Run +
Another Top 10 for 2005 series, it's been a little delayed, too. Trend or mirage?

Elsinore -
Has this found a home yet? Because while I like it, another month or two without at least hearing someone's picked it up might kill my enthusiasm for it.

Ex Machina *
Settled into an unremarkable groove that's still entertaining, but rather unremarkable.

The Expatriate +
Another late-shipping series, this one still has me wondering "WTF?" In a good way.

Fear Agent +
This caught me by surprise, but the first two issues have been great fun.

Fell +
Ellis and Templesmith are doing something special here. Fossen breaks it down nicely.

G.I. Joe: America's Elite
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes: Declassified +
If I'm killing comics, so be it. These are extremely entertaining comics. Haters!

Gotham Central -
The more I think about it, the more I'm glad they're putting this one down. It's the kind of thing that tends to go bad quickly, and the plot-hammered beginning of this final arc looks like it may have been that moment.

The Grimoire *
Who'da thunk this would still rank as one of Speakeasy's best series? 'cause it is.

Grounded -
Still reads a little choppily, but what's good about it is very good. Curious to see how it reads straight through.

Hero @ Large -
Love the art, but the story hasn't really grabbed me yet, and now it seems like it's cancelled as of #4.

Alan Moore's Hypothetical Lizard Wraparound Cover -
Going the "do-it-yourself" wait for the trade route, stockpiling the issues until the mini is complete because it's a dense read and I never remember what's happening month-to-month. Assuming it actually came out on a monthly basis, that is.

Infinite Crisis George Perez Cover -
Mainly reading this because I "have to", as it's by-the-numbers feel leaves me hot and cold.

Part II coming another time, as I'm getting antsy over how big this damn list is and am ready to get out the axe. Here's what's coming up:

Johnny Raygun Quarterly
Jonah Hex
Jova's Harvest
Local
Losers
Monkey In A Wagon Vs. Lemure On A Big Wheel
Nat Turner
New Thunderbolts
NYC Mech: Beta Love
Pact
Perhapanauts
Powers Vol 2
Revelations
Roach
Sabrina The Teenage Witch
Season Of The Witch
Secret Voice
Secret War
She-Hulk Vol 2
Shonen Jump
Silent Dragon
Sundown
Super Crazy TNT Blast
Surrogates
Vaistron
X-Factor
X-Men And Power Pack
Young Avengers