Best From The Past Week: Alex + Ada #6 – It was a very light week for me and there were no standout issues.  But, it’s really hard to deny the quality of the Alex + Ada story.  There just aren’t many comics out there willing to indulge really deep questions about humanity and how things like outward appearances affect our perception of things like sexuality and slavery.  When a robot is an attractive but demure-appearing female (like Ada), we feel sympathy for her.  When the robot looks like a flying toaster, we could give a damn about it.  Interesting.  I wonder if women perceive this comic the same way I do?

Most Anticipated This week:

1. The United States of Murder, Inc. #1 – This looks pretty cool.  It’s a new crime series from Brian Bendis and Michael Oeming and while I have trouble believing that it’ll ship with regularity (ahem, Powers) or that the creators won’t get distracted (ahem, Takio)…..I’m still pretty excited for a series from two creators I love in a genre I enjoy.

2). Starlight #3 – This has been a great new series from Mark Millar.  If you dismiss Millar as being just the guy who does transgressive comics like Wanted and Kick Ass, you’re missing out.  Hint: A writer can be two things!

3). Royals: Masters at War #4 – I’ve quite enjoyed this alt-WWII series.  This is much more a “What if WWII had superheroes?” than in Uber which appears below.  The writing is crisp, the alternate concept of royal families is interesting and the art is pretty solid.

4). Uber #13 – Uber is a great story….better than Royals: MaW.  If you’re interested in war comics, this is one you shouldn’t be missing.  The recent arc has seen one of the German battleship-class ubers fired into London and wrecking havoc.  Ripped the head off of Churchill last issue….

5. The Walking Dead #127 – I was quite displeased with the anticlimax of All Out War and I think some of the problem is that TWD just isn’t an event comic series.  It’s really just a run-on story that happens to be marketed as having “events” because of the commercial realities of a successful TV show.  I probably expected too much in terms of conclusion.  Still…..I want to see Robert Kirkman demonstrate that he can tell a story more sophisticated than a man (Rick), his son (Carl) and their constant friends (Andrea/Michonne) trying to build a city in the zombie wasteland.  There are so many things to explore that I’m unsure why we should be stuck in a small area for 3-4 years.

-Dean Stell

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Best From The Past Week:  Lazarus #8 – I love the way everything sticked together in this issue.  The first phase of the Lazarus story featured two tales that didn’t seem to immediately connect.  They were both interesting stories, but you had to basically trust that the creators know what they’re doing and hope it works out.  If these were new creators, I might not have given them the chance. But with Greg Rucka and Michael Lark….no problem.  They’re pros and they’re taking us to very good places in this series.

Most Anticipated This Week:

1. Vertigo Quarterly #1 – It’s hard not to be excited about a new quarterly anthology publication from Vertigo.  Some pretty nice creators on this title.  Check it out.

2. Black Science #6 – Pretty amazing that this series is already all the way to #6…..  Individual issues have oscillated between electric and “pretty good”.  It probably won’t be the greatest series of all time, but it has such a nifty concept and such glorious art that it always has the potential for greatness.  And that is a pretty special thing.  Last issue introduced some interesting ideas and I’m curious to see what Rick Remender does with them.

3. Rachel Rising #25 – This series is really chugging toward a climax.  It felt like it spent a really long time in Act 2 of the story (perhaps a little too long), but it really has a head of steam now.  I feel like we’ve got the answers to who and what Rachel and Lillith are….now we just need to watch them fight and get a little more clarity about how little Zoe and Malus fit into the story.

4. Avengers #28 – I don’t love this story as much as Jonathan Hickman’s first cycle with the Avengers, but it is still pretty hot and the art is lovely.

5. All New X-Men #26 – This series has been constantly enjoyable since it launched.  Remember 4-5 years ago when all the X-Men titles were terrible and fans worried that they would always be ignored because Marvel didn’t control the film rights?

-Dean Stell

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Best From The Past Week: American Vampire #2 – This was a great issue.  I loved how Snyder and Albuquerque aren’t screwing around with an entire story cycle of recap for new readers.  They’ve just flung us right into the deep end of this story about The Grey Trader.  This guy is creepy looking!  And there is still a bundle of mystery about who he is and what he’s up to.  It’ll be a great ride.

Most Anticipated This Week: 

1. The Walking Dead #126 – I am so curious to see how this issue turns out.  It isn’t just that I’m curious to see what becomes of this Rick/Negan battle, but I’m very curious to see whether Robert Kirkman will take this opportunity to do something bold.  TWD is not a fresh, new comic anymore; its about the same age the X-Men were when the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past came out.  This story is a chance to turn things on it’s ear and go off in a very new direction,or he can continue with the status quo and watch TWD turn into the Big 2 superhero comics where nothing ever changes because the underlying characters are too valuable to kill.  Kirkman has talked a good game for 10 years about the majesty of independent comics giving better opportunities to creators to tell their stories.  He’s talked the talk…..let’s see if he can walk the walk.  The easiest way to mix it up would be to kill Rick, but Kirkman is a creative guy.  He can probably come up with something else.  It just can’t be another stanza of Rick & Co. looking for shelter.

2. Lazarus #8 – This will almost certainly be a better comic than TWD #126 and it probably deserves top billing, but TWD just has that must-watch factor that isn’t necessarily associated with expected quality.  Now that Lazarus is 8 issues in, it’s probably safe to say that it is my favorite new series of the last few years.  What I love about Lazarus is how meticulous Greg Rucka is about EVERYTHING.  There is never a moment in Lazarus where I’m distracted by the mechanics of how something works the way I occasionally wonder how zombies can be so decayed, but still strong.  I never have that feeling with Lazarus because Rucka has done his homework and anticipated my questions before I could even conceive them.

3. Sheltered #8 – I like how quickly this story is boiling.  On one hand, I really love the premise for Sheltered and enjoy reading it.  But it probably doesn’t need to be a 100-issue epic and it’s nice to see the creators getting on with things.  They’ll tell this story in 15-25 issues and it’ll be a nice, tight tale.

4. Uber #11 – I wish I had a little more time to write reviews, because this series is sneaky good and deserves more attention.  I’m not a huge fan of the art, but the story is really hot stuff if you’re a military history fan.  The last issue ended with one of the German supersoldiers getting crashed into London on a supposed suicide mission.  We’ve actually come to care about this supersolider and don’t like how she’s been used by the Nazi’s.  Kinda grim if she get’s killed in bloody fashion.

– Dean Stell

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Best from the past week: Manifest Destiny #6 – This issue capped off the first story cycle of Manifest Destiny in fine fashion.  The action was snappy, the art is wonderful and the ideas are pretty cool.  If you’re remotely interested in the idea of Lewis and Clark exploring an odd version of the Louisiana Purchase complete with minotaurs and alien plant zombies, this is well worth checking out.

Most anticipated this week: A LOT of quality at the top of the list

1. American Vampire: Second Cycle #2 – The first issue back for this series did a LOT of work.  It effectively recapped the series to date as well as laid out this compelling mystery of Who is the Gray Trader?  I’m intensely curious to know more about this Gray Trader.  Who is he?  Why does he prey on vampires?  Will it continue to fit into Scott Snyder’s use of AV as an allegory for the maturation of the United States?  You won’t find a comic with smoother writing and better art.

2. Batman #30 – The Zero Year story is getting very close to its finale.  It hiccuped a little bit at the beginning, but has since become a powerhouse.  Imagine that: A Scott Snyder written Batman being a powerhouse.  It only happens every time he begins a new Batman story.  Greg Capullo’s art isn’t too shabby either.

3. The Unwritten: Apocalypse #4 – It’s amazing that this 12-issue “finale series” is already on issue #4.  Last issue introduced Pullman, who was really the last relevant character from the first Unwritten series.  Now I hope that we can plunge headlong into the resolution of this outstanding story.  If you haven’t been reading along, this would be a poor place to jump in, but I can’t recommend the series highly enough.

4. Amazing X-Men #6 – Yay!  The fuzzy elf is BACK!  And not that silly Age of Apocalypse travesty either.  Jason Aaron seems more interested in the 80’s X-Men dynamic between Wolverine and Nightcrawler and that suits me fine.

5. Uncanny X-Men #20 – Because this has been a strong series.  I really enjoy most of what Bendis does with his X-books.

-Dean Stell

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Best of the past week: The Wake #7 – I loved this.  Seeing the weird, post-Waterworld version of America is amazing.  Seeing the huge merman thing destroy this cruise ship like a kraken was pretty incredible too.  But the thing I like the most is just having complete confidence in the storytellers.  Sean Murphy never has a poor panel.  I’ve never failed to enjoy a Scott Snyder story.  I’ve loved the two of them together on American Vampire.  In world where most stories disappoint a little, it’s nice to just not sweat it.

Most anticipated this week: 

1. Black Science #5 – This series has varied between awesome and pretty good, but I’m always excited about any series that has the potential for greatness in any single issue.  The writer/genre/artist/colorist are all in place, so any issue of Black Science can knock your socks off.  Last issue they found themselves in a sort of Star Wars-esque collection of aliens and I’m curious to see what happens.

2. Starlight #2 – I really loved the first issue of this series.  Mark Millar makes his own reputation, so it’s not fair to say that he “gets a bad rap.”  He made his rap.  But, just because he does loud and transgressive comics like Nemesis and Wanted, that doesn’t mean that he can’t do something clean and straight-forward.  I don’t detect anything off-putting about Starlight at all.  I’d be surprised if he even snuck in a really bad word just to see if we were still paying attention.  This is just good wholesome fun that will probably get turned into a movie at some point.

3. Trillium #8 – I think I’d enjoy this series a LOT more if I didn’t have to keep flipping the comic around in my hands.  But, the basic story is classic Lemire and we are close to the end….which means that gut punch is coming.  Lemire is better than any in the business at that stuff.

4. Field #1 – New series from Image by Ed Brisson and Simon Roy that is supposedly about a guy who wakes up naked in a field with ominous messages on his phone about people trying to kill him.  Supposedly it features Bible salesmen, Christian rock, dirty sex, meth and murder.  Probably worth a look.

-Dean Stell

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Best of the past week: American Vampire – Second Cycle #1 – It was just so lovely to have this series back after its hiatus.  One of the best series of recent years returns with some of the same characters that we grew to love last time, but a mostly new story concept.  It’ll still be nifty allegory for the growth and history of the United States too, so if you want to look at the comic in a deeper way, there is that too.  Very intrigued by who this creepy new Gray Trader villain is.

Most anticipated this week: 

1. The Wake #7 – The first issue of the second chapter of The Wake was aces.  The whole series has been aces.  This series has two of my very favorite creators and I have 100% confidence that I’ll love every second of the story.  Waterworld, vicious mermen, trained dolphins, floating cities, apocalypse, hot heroine, etc…..

2. The Walking Dead #124 – This should be an interesting issue, because there is a chance that _____ will start down a bad path to a slow, inevitable death.  That death would really shake up the series and I’m generally curious about whether Robert Kirkman is brave enough to actually do it.

3. Uber Special #1 – This series is really sneaky good.  The only thing I haven’t loved about Uber is the art.  It’s just way, way, way over-inked.  But, the story itself if pretty hot stuff if you’re a military history fan and I think this Special has a different artist.  This wouldn’t be a bad issue to check out if you’re curious about the series.

4. Alex + Ada #5 – This issue should be interesting.  Last time, we saw that Alex had paid money to have Ada “uplifted”.  She won’t be a dumb, subservient robot anymore in this issue…..she’ll have self-determination.  Very curious to see where it goes as the story has been very thought-provoking.

5. Avengers #27 – Because Hickman’s Avengers has been consistently wonderful.

-Dean Stell

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Best From The Past Week: Batman #29 – It’s amazing how much I love this story now given that I didn’t really love the beginning (mostly because it just contrasted poorly with Year One).  But, I’ll be darned if Scott Snyder & Co. aren’t crafting another all-time classic Batman story.  Everything Snyder has done with Batman since the Old 52 has been of the quality that you could give it to a friend who says, “I want to read a Batman story.  What’s a good one?”  You could had them any of Snyder’s work and Zero Year is going to be no exception.  Well written, interesting story, complex-yet-accessible, glorious art…..

Most Anticipated:

 The top of the list is really stacked.  I feel like a dog that is trying to get three tennis balls in my mouth at once.

1. American Vampire: Second Cycle #1 – I am beyond tickled that AV is back.  It has been way too long since this title went on hiatus.  As I get older and the number of comics I’ve consumed starts getting embarrassingly high, I find I only get really excited about comics that have potential to be sublime.  AV is one of those.  I love Scott Snyder’s writing style.  I love how AV is an allegory for the history of the United States.  I love the horror.  I LOVE Rafael Albuquerque.  Seriously one of my prize possessions is a framed splash page of Albuquerque’s that stares at me all day in the office. This should be tremendous.  Can’t wait to learn about the Gray Trader and what-not.

2. The Unwritten: Apocalypse #3 – Speaking of great titles that took a little hiatus, The Unwritten has been seriously strong in the first two issues of it’s final run.  This is a title where I judge people who say they don’t like it.  It’s like a litmus test of whether you are smart and a deep thinker.  The questions/story that Mike Carey and Peter Gross are presenting is deeply philosophical and gets to the root of how we are all a separate reality based on a story and how we control our perception of that narrative.  Don’t miss this.

3. Lazarus #7 – I’m amazed that Lazarus checks in at #3 on the list because this is probably my favorite new series of the last couple years.  I like it even better than Saga.  I love visions of the near-future and what plausibly could happen.  Our protagonist, Forever, has been growing suspicious of her family’s actions and I get the feeling that the other shoe will drop before too long.

4. Sovereign #1 – Supposedly this is a Game of Thrones-type story.  New #1 from Image.  Probably worth a look if that’s your sort of thing.

Hugo’s Pick

Best From The Past Week: Stray Bullets: Killers #1 – I love a comic that tries to do something different with its narrative. With this opening issue to this newest volume of David Lapham’s magnum opus, I was really pleased by the visceral and uncompromising tale delivered here. Violence, flawed characters and a certain mix between innocence and ugliness made this a memorable book that made me crave for more.

Most anticipated this week:

1. Zero #6 – I loved the first five issues of this series. They were experimental in all the ways that count and delivered a high amount of quality, making the adventures of Edward Zero and the exploration of who he is a genuinely fascinating tale. With Ales Kot now collaborating with Tom Mullet this time around as well as with Jordie Bellaire, I know this tale will most probably deliver more weird, yet interesting art.

2. Superior Foes of Spider-Man #10 – I don’t know what kind of deity or supernatural being I must be thankful to for seeing another issue so quickly, but I am rather pumped to see more villainous absurdity, especially considering how the previous issue ended. Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber have something special here, making me anxious to read each new issues and this one should be no different.

3. Lazarus #7 – I really like this series. While it may be a bit more conservative and obvious at times with its symbolism, there is no doubt that the characters and the world they interact with is a fascinating one. With Greg Rucka and Michael Lark being very comfortable with this series, it’s hard not to find something enjoyable in each issues of this series.

4. Sex Criminals #5 – I like the humor and the way this series represents a starting relationship between two people. While it may go overboard at times, there is something inherently funny and charming about the recklessness and abandon that drive the two characters and their misadventures with their powers. This little gem of a series by Fraction and Zdarsky is simply fun, which is sometimes all I ask for in a comic.

5. Thor: God of Thunder #20 – I’m eager to read this because of two things: Old King Thor versus Galactus and more superb art by Esad Ribic. While I’m not entirely sure Jason Aaron can recapture the genius of his first arc on this title, I’m quite sure he can bring some great moments despite it all. With a good thematic approach and a decidedly solid artistic team backing him up, it’s easy to get excited for any issues of this series when the trio of Aaron, Ribic and Svorcina is on the cover page.

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Best From The Past Week: Velvet #4 – I appreciated this comic more and more as the week passed.  When a comic is so good that you’re noticing the minute things that make it outstanding (as I did in my review), it means you really have something special.  Unless you just can’t abide spy fiction, I can’t imagine this comic series disappointing you.  And since it is by two established professionals (Brubaker and Epting), you just know it won’t get to issue #10 and suddenly run out of story or have the art go wonky.  Must read….

Most Anticipated:

1. The Walking Dead #123 – There are only a few issue left in this All Out War story and still a LOT of resolution left to be completed.  We still don’t have any clear indications of which main characters will die – and someone will surely die – or where the story will move to next.  We don’t know if these are the last several issue featuring Negan – one of the more electric characters to hit comic pages in the last few years.  Last issue was somewhat quiet, but ended on a cliffhanger.  Let’s see what we get today.  I know some people claim to be bored with TWD, but it is always the first comic I download on Wednesdays.

2. Batman #29 – After a brief hiatus last month, we’re plunging back into the heart of the Zero Year story.  The story has probably been a little over long and it feels a little slow when compared to Marvel and The Walking Dead releasing bi-weekly, but the story has been excellent.  I’m very eager to see the final resolution of this Batman vs. Riddler story and can’t wait for the return of Road Warrior Batman on his dirt bike.

3. Manifest Destiny #5 – Judging by pageviews on our site, not enough of you are reading Manifest Destiny.  It’s great.  It’s an alternate story of the Lewis and Clark expedition and features things like minotaur/centaur/bison crosses and plant zombies.  The gang was in a tight spot last time.  Let’s see how they get out of this mess.

4. The Mercenary Sea #2 – I was pretty fond of the first issue.  It was quickly paced, pulpy and featured a setting that hasn’t already been beaten to death: pre-WWII Pacific.  How can you not like a story of various misfits finding adventure in a stolen German U-boat?

5. East of West #10 – Candidly, I’m losing the plot on this story.  I still enjoy the series, but I’m not sure I remember where it is trying to go or what the stakes are.  But, the creators (Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta) are exemplary.  I just need to rediscover a handhold in the story.

Hugo’s Pick

Best From The Past Week: Moon Knight #1 – To be fair, there were plenty of great stuff this week. Velvet, She-Hulk and Magneto were pretty nice, just to name a few, but the new volume of Marc Spector’s crazy adventures took the cake for me. I liked everything in this, be it the art, colorization, writing and the whole new take on Moon Knight, with everyone being simply brilliant to give a very convincing first issue. I am already eager for issue 2, which is what any good opening should aim for.

Most anticipated this week:

1. East of West #10 – The latest issue wasn’t as great as the others, but that won’t diminish my enthusiasm for more greatness from Hickman, Dragotta and Martin. I want to see where this is going and what will eventually happen to all those characters introduced.

2. Secret Avengers #1 – The new renumbering aside, I am pumped for this new volume. Ales Kot. Michael Walsh. M.O.D.O.K. and more insanity from the man who brought us the amazing Zero. I don’t know if I am simply hyping myself too much, but in Kot I trust at this point.

3. Superior Foes of Spider-Man #9 – More adventures starring those lovable losers? Yes please! I simply cannot have enough of the Sinister Six and their misadventures, with a certainly interesting angle on super-villains as well as plenty of humor, both Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber convinced me a while ago that this title was worth it and so far they haven’t been wrong. Here’s hoping this will be just as good.

4. Manifest Destiny #5 – I like a comic that does try its very best to be original and exciting. With this series succeeding so far on both front, I want to see the craziness ahead of Lewis and Clark’s expedition as they encounter more monster, more mayhem and more surprises. With art that is certainly quite good to look at, it is simply a good series.

5. Stray Bullets Killers #1 – I have never read this series. I know it has a high reputation and that this should be simply amazing, but I have no idea what to expect. Still, with plenty of people recommending that I read it and with this new volume starting, it’s hard not to be a little eager at something new.

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Best From The Past Week: TIE – Black Science #4 & The Wake #6 – Ordinarily, I’d just pick one of these comics.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a tie for Pick of the Week, but there’s a first time for everything.  I tried to apply the “If the building were on fire and you could only save ONE of the two comics, which would you grab?” but then realized that comics are very light and I could carry both.  They’re both delightful comics and fully deserving of Pick of the Week.  I couldn’t stand either of them not winning.  Black Science #3 got right back to the magical splendor of the first issue.  The Wake #6 was the return for a great series and took the story forward into a new century.  Both have a tremendous sense of world building and discovery.  Both have tremendous (and similar) art.

Most Anticipated:

1. Velvet #4 – This is one of those series that makes me so optimistic about the future of comics.  I love the 70’s espionage feel of Velvet.  It’s interesting how Ed Brubaker is commercial enough that he doesn’t do truly weird and offbeat stories with limited appeal, but he always does give the story a spin to keep it from being totally familiar.  This is just, “What if James Bond were a woman and she went rogue against a corrupt MI-6”

2. Starlight #1 – Sounds cool.  I’m always down for a new Mark Millar series.  I honestly don’t remember the last time I hated something he did.  It’s usually pretty good and he always has an excellent artist to work with.  This is the first title in his “Millarverse” and is supposedly about a space explorer who returns to Earth, finds life too mundane and returns to the stars in search of adventure.  Sounds cool…Goran Parlov is drawing it.

3. Jupiter’s Legacy #4 – Speaking of Mark Millar….. this series took a turn for the serious last time out.  There’s a slight delay with the shipping, but the quality has been really high.  This series seems to be Millar being a little more serious and I actually like Millar a LOT when he stops trying to impresses us with how extreme he can be.  The guy actually has a point sometimes when you push through the marketing hype.

4. Moon Knight #1 – I have just about zero interest in Moon Knight, but I really, really like Warren Ellis.  He doesn’t do a lot of comics anymore, but when he does, it is almost always top notch stuff.  Remember a couple of years ago when Secret Avengers was just flopping around: Brubaker wasn’t doing anything useful with the story, Nick Spencer did a few issue that were “fine”…..then Ellis came in and did a 6-issue run that was beyond incredible?  I expect the same thing from Moon Knight…..and then I’ll buy Moon Knight comics for a year after Ellis leaves hoping that they’ll be 50% of the quality.

5. She-Hulk #2 – I really loved the first issue.  It’s off-beat and if you work with attorneys – as I do – it was very accurate in the lampooning of attorney life.  Javier Pulido is totally under-rated as an artist.  There’s just not much to go wrong here.

Hugo’s Pick

Best From The Past Week: The Manhattan Projects #18 – This series had been stuck in some sort of funk lately, with good but not great issues being the norm for a while, but this specific issue was just superb. When Jonathan Hickman decides to be crazy and go ahead with plenty of action and absurd ideas, he’s simply too much fun. A big macho general fighting an ultimate life-form that speaks like a stoner dude. Explosions, funny lines, betrayals and plenty of awesome things happened here, with Nick Pitarra illustrating them with gusto. This was simply great and I can’t wait for what happens next.

Most anticipated this week:

1. Moon Knight #1 – Warren Ellis? Check. Declan Shalvey? Check. Jordie Bellaire? Check. A character I personally believe could be great if handled correctly? Double check. All the elements for me to love this book are here, so my expectations are quite high. Please make it so no one on this book screws up in any way.

2. Velvet #4 – The potential for Brubaker, Philips and Breitweiser to screw up on this title, however, is below zero. With a setting that each of them is familiar with and some decidedly great issues being released prior to this one, they’d simply have to try hard if they actually wanted this not to work.

3. She-Hulk #2 – The first issue was definitely a pleasant surprise. With the legal angle of Jennifer’s world covered very well as well with a lot of humor, I do believe Charles Soule could make this series something memorable in the long run. With Javier Pulido working with him, I know that, at the very least, it will look nice. Let’s hope for a second issue as good as the first one.

4. Action Comics #29 – Greg Pak has succeeded in writing the Superman comic I always wanted to read. With a compassionate and lively aspect to the Man of Steel along with a good supporting cast, there’s a definite charm to this version that makes me want to read the ongoing adventures of Clark Kent. With Aaron Kuder delivering the goods with his art, there’s simply no reason for me not to be eager to read this issue.

5. Rogue Trooper #1 – Little known fact: I’m a huge fan of 2000AD. With a new version of this very good tale of warfare and what comes with it, this series could be really nice if handled correctly. With Alberto Ponticelli being responsible for the visual aspect of the issue, it all comes down to Brian Ruckley to deliver with the script. Here’s hoping this series turn out to be good.

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Best From The Past Week: The Unwritten: Apocalypse #2 – I couldn’t be happier with how The Unwritten has returned in this second volume.  It has dived right back into very deep well of stories about stories themselves.  The more you think about The Unwritten, the more things in the comic make sense.  You know how we all have comics where we form judgements about other people based on their reactions to the material.  “That guy doesn’t like Chew??!?!?  He must be an incredible bore to not enjoy such a fun comic.” or “That guy doesn’t like Scalped??!!??  He must be a sissy who can’t stand violence.”  Well, now I think, “That guy doesn’t like Unwritten??!???!  He must not be intelligent.”  Even if you don’t get it, you should keep a copy on your coffee table because it’ll make you look good.

Most Anticipated:

1. The Walking Dead #122 – I’m not sure if this All Out War storyline is almost over, but it feels like closure is upon us.  As an aside, comics are so much more fun if you don’t read comic news sites that tell you when stories are coming up and when they are ending.  Anyway…..TWD has some real forward momentum now.  I always like these periods in TWD where we transition from one status-quo to the next.  The Alexandria Phase of the story is just about over and I’m excited to see where the characters end up (and which characters get to continue in the story).

2. The Wake #6 – Geez…..this should be a really hot issue.  For those that don’t remember, The Wake #5 ended with a supreme plot twist and I can’t wait to see Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s interpretation of a futuristic, watery post-apocalypse with humanity battling mermen for supremacy.  Snyder writing + Murphy drawing is about as good of an artistic combination as I can imagine.

3. Fantastic Four #1 – I’ve always liked the Fantastic Four, but the Matt Fraction run was a really “blah” experience.  It’s funny how Fraction is incredible on off-beat titles like Hawkeye or Iron Fist or FF, but stumbles a bit with “normal” superheroes.  Let’s hope that James Robinson can get us back to the magic that Jonathan Hickman brought to the title.  Art is by Leonard Kirk (not an exciting choice, but it doesn’t repel me either).

4. Sheltered #7 – This is a great story of the “pre-apocalypse”.  Last issue the rebellious little prepper kids who had killed their parents had to interact with the outside world for the first time.  Curious to see if the jig is up or not.

5. Black Science #4 – Dropping like a stone on the “most anticipated” list is Black Science.  Rick Remender needs to demonstrate that he has a story to match with the kick-ass art.  This series has gone from an exhilarating first issue to a third issue that was very concerning.  As much momentum as a feather.

Hugo’s Pick

Best From The Past Week: Avengers World #3 – It wasn’t the most impressive of week, but there were still some fun to be had, especially in this kung-fu tale with plenty of action delivered by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer, Stefano Caselli and the multiple colorists in this month’s issue. For what it tried to do, it succeeded wonderfully, making me wonder if those upcoming Iron Fist and Shang-Chi titles will even come close to the martial art enjoyment of this particular book.

Most anticipated this week:

However, this week is simply packed with greatness. There are way too many titles that I’m eager to read. It could be a top ten this time and I don’t even know if I’d be able to cover everything that I’m anticipating. Still, let’s get on with the top 5.

1. Uncanny Avengers #17 – There have been some duller moments in the buildup to where this title is presently, but the current arc with Steve McNiven has been simply wonderful. With colossal problems for our heroes to face, the stakes being impossibly high and the action delivering on all front, this is truly an exciting time for this title as the conclusion promise to be big. Here’s hoping Rick Remender, Steve McNiven and the rest of the team delivers on this one.

2. The Wake #6 – I have a strange approach when it comes to Scott Snyder. I don’t really like his superhero work, yet I absolutely love his more independent work. Batman doesn’t do much for me, yet American Vampire is pure genius. His Swamp Thing left me cold, but The Wake has been excellent. It’s with that mindset that I am looking forward to the next issue of this monstrous tale. With an approach that seems expansive and the beast of an artist that is Sean Murphy, this should be a really good issue.

3. Rat Queens #5 – This title was one of my discoveries on our best and worst list of 2013, which makes any issue that comes out a happy anticipation from my part. I like the humor, I love the style, I am interested in the characters and I want to know more about the crazy and irresponsible shenanigans of the Rat Queens. Prove that I was right in putting my faith in you two, Wiebe and Upchurch!

4. TMNT #31 – It’s a testament to the strength of this book that I can wholeheartedly say that this book is awesome. With a mix of nostalgia, originality and a wonderful sense of storytelling, this title keeps on getting better with each month. It has reached a point where I’m genuinely invested in what will happen next. Will Leonardo truly get out of his funk? What will happen to Alopex? What happens to the city now that Shredder and the Foot clan have actually began to consolidate their effort and their hold on everything? I want to find out, which makes this title a clear winner in terms of quality for me.

5. Black Science #4 – I want this title to succeed. While none of the two previous issues have been as amazing as the very first one, I believe Remender can turn everything around and surprise the readers. I hope the crazy inventiveness and the mix of action and discovery will return to this title, with Matteo Scalera and Dean White on the title to provide the expansive craziness for a long time. Make me right and I’ll be definitely happy, Remender.

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