The Pull List: 2 September 2015, Part I

This week sees the release of Daredevil #18, and the departure from the book of writer Mark Waid. Waid has had an exceptional run on the title - 49 issues in total, making him the single longest-running writer in the character's history. He's also done a wonderful job in re-centring the character. After successive writers including Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker, Daredevil's world had become so hopeless and depressing that it was pretty much the bleakest monthly title in Marvel's stable. With the support of artists Paolo Rivera and Chris Samnee Waid managed to bring a little more warmth and light to the character, and by balancing his two sides made it pretty much the best Marvel comic of the last five years.

It all ends in a satisfying fashion. Anybody expecting any last-second twists or upsets will likely walk away disappointed, since this is basically 50 per cent climax and 50 per cent epilogue. The ongoing storyline of the last 18 issues is wrapped up neatly, the toys are all put back in their respective boxes, and the book is completely clear for Charles Soule to take over in a couple of months.

Chris Samnee continues to provide beautiful, pitch-perfect artwork, and he's fabulously coloured by Matthew Wilson. This creative team - Waid, Samnee, Wilson - is one of the best working in comics today, and I'm happy to hear that they're sticking together for another Marvel book in the future. Thanks to them all - this has been a wonderfully entertaining ride. (5/5)

Marvel. Written by Mark Waid. Art by Chris Samnee. Colours by Matthew Wilson.

Under the cut: reviews of Doctor Who: Four Doctors, The Omega Men and Silver Surfer.

Doctor Who: Four Doctors #4

Titan Comics. Written by Paul Cornell. Art by Neil Edwards. Colours by Ivan Nunes.

The 10th, 11th and 12th Doctors are prisoners of a deranged future version of the 12th Doctor and his army of Voord, hidden away in a pocket universe created out of the planet Marinus to escape Time Lord reprisals at the end of the Time War - because it's that sort of a comic book. Geeky as all hell, packed with continuity riffs and references, and in this issue we even get running down corridors. It's all enjoyable fun, although after the promise of the first two issues I have to admit to slight disappointment that it's not better than it is. (3/5)

The Omega Men #4

DC Comics. Written by Tom King. Art by Toby Cypress. Colours by Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Sales of this exceptional book have kind of been in the toilet, so please check it out and maybe we can save it before DC pulls the plug. It's a great science fiction story, one that's been steadily drip-feeded its background and characters issue by issue. This issue finally nails down exactly what the various planets and cultures are in the mysterious Vega system, and how Kyle Rayner came to be the Omega Men's prisoner. Guest artist Toby Cypress has a particularly unusual style that took a few pages to get used to be, but is wonderfully effective by the end. It's a great book. It deserves to be read. (4/5)

Silver Surfer #14

Marvel. Written by Dan Slott. Art by Michael Allred. Colours by Laura Allred.

The universe has ended, and now the Surfer and his companion Dawn have the chance to remake it as they see fit. It's an unimaginable opportunity, but before long things start to go horribly wrong. This is another Marvel book shoe-horned into the Secret Wars crossover, but to Slott's credit he's at least found an interesting angle from which to approach the story. In many ways this is a simple 'be careful what you wish for' story, but the characters remain appealing, and Michael Allred's artwork is bright and lively (helped in no small part by Laura Allred's colours). It's far from the best this book has offered, but it is still pretty enjoyable stuff. (3/5)