Captain America 25:

I’m sure geeks and non-geeks have heard about the death of Captain
America on CNN and such and we all know that it is just a matter of time before Marvel brings this beloved icon back to life in some contrived “event” comic but for the time being let’s focus on his passing. This issue handles the death of an icon in a great and moving way. Great writing and great art make this a must have.

Civil War: The Initiative (one-shot):

Iron Man is a douchebag! Okay, now we can move on. This one-shot gives you an idea as to where the Marvel Universe is heading post-Civil War and it looks very interesting. There is great art here and at the end there are little teasers for upcoming books related to the Civil War event. Pick this up only if you are a true Marvel fan.

Mighty Avengers 1:

AWESOME!! Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Frank Cho (firing on all cylinders here) this issue looks to be the start of a great series. This Avengers book looks like it will be a more tongue-in-cheek run than what we’ve been used to and that’s great in my opinion. The character of Ares is sure to become a fan favorite and Cho’s art is just beautiful. A must have!

Incredible Hulk 104:

We are nearing the end of the great Planet Hulk storyline on this book and gearing up for the big Marvel event–World War Hulk. This issue is a set-up for that so if you haven’t been reading this (for shame!) you might want to pick this up if you are interested in what’s coming. HULK SMASH!

52 week 44:

All DC fans should be reading this series. It has been fantastic and this issue is one of the best! Black Adam goes off on the Four Horsemen and he is super pissed. I can’t wait for next week’s issue and you won’t be able to either
if you pick this up.

Jonah Hex 16 and 17:

A Western comic that’s done the way it should be! Jonah is the star of the series but these two issues belong to the great character of Tallulah Black–one tough chick. The art is handled by Phil Noto who works wonders in this story. Tired of superheroes? Give Jonah Hex a try.

Midnighter 5:

This series has been a big surprise. I initially picked up issue 1 because I knew of the character from the Authority series and Garth Ennis was writing with Chris Sprouse handling the art. I figured it would be an entertaining read but not a great read, which it is! Most people think of the character as a Gay Batman-like character but he is not that at all. Okay, he is Gay but he’s not a Batman knockoff at all. Just pick this up starting with issue 1 and enjoy! This issue ties the story up in a great way.

My honorable mention this week:

300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley–

You’ve seen the movie now pick up the source material. This is one of the best graphic novels ever done.

Marvel: Civil War #7

Iron Man is a douchebag! Marvel’s big mini-series event has finally ended and although I thought this was a good read I was kind of disappointed or I should say saddened by the ending. I don’t want to give to much info about this because any fan of Marvel Comics should pick this series up (I believe a trade paperback is due out soon). There is great action in this issue and as has been through the series, Steve McNiven’s art ROCKS! There is still a lot of books coming out in the following months that tie into this series and this appears to have changed the world of Marvel a great deal as was promised. I’m excited to see what’s coming and hope that some favorite characters can be redeemed. And remember–IRON MAN IS A DOUCHEBAG!!

Grade: B-

DC: Superman #659

I have to confess that I am a huge Superman geek! I love the character as he has been written since the mid 80s and I also love the pop culture aspect of him. This is a great issue that shows off the symbolic nature of Supes. All of the Superman titles have been awesome this past year but this issue is true to the “Norman Rockwellian” nature of this character.

Grade: A

Honorable Mention: Dark Horse Comics monthly Conan title and Conan miniseries

If you are a Conan the Barbarian fan or a sword and sorcery fan you should be picking this stuff up. These comics are true to the creator Robert E. Howard’s vision with great writing and art. The monthly title is something you should pick up every month, the miniseries Conan and The Demons of Khitai is a must have and the new mini Conan and The Midnight God looks to be a great read (only the 1st issue is out so far but it’s awesome). Barnes and Noble carries collections of the monthly title with extras so you have no excuse not to check this out.

Grade: A+