And thus does February draw to a close with a big bang of comics for you. Usually we spotlight debuts, but that list is a little thin on the ground this week, so let's go with the stuff that MOST excites Brian here. First can only be the 30-years-in-the-making conclusion of Matt Wagner's MAGE. I'm expecting to become verklempt. Other exciting things are the second issue of Boom's relaunch of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and there's a best-seller in the form of HEROES IN CRISIS. On the book side we always love seeing more Mary Fleener, so her BILLIE THE BEE is the top pick, followed by a pair of great classic comics: Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese in THE SECRET ROSE and a nice reformat of the superbly fun beginning of Geoff John's run on GREEN LANTERN. So so much more after the cut!

Another great week of comics that I am interested in (ooh, BLACKBIRD & CRIMINAL!), plus lots of new things launching: DC has the Mark Russell written WONDER TWINS, Kevin Smith relaunches HIT GIRL SEASON TWO, and Marvel prints some Spidey-centric kids books (when did Sholly Fisch start writing for Marvel, I'd like to know?) with MSH ADVENTURES WEB OF INTRIGUE. In the book world, the *must have* is MISTER MIRACLE by Tom King and Mitch Gerads -- who we have live and in person on 3/28 -- but we also loved the satire of THE LONG CON, and in a week of many strong reissues, the strongest is Darwyn Cooke's DC THE NEW FRONTIER. Much more after the jump!

Sorry this is late! New internet installed on Monday threw my whole schedule off this week, but here we are now! On sale TODAY! The best comic of the week is like 30 years old, and only costs $1: WHAT IF CONAN WALKED THE EARTH TODAY. Oh, that Buscema art!!!! For NEW comics series, I am excited about FIGHT CLUB 3 #1, and here’s also the start of the new X-Men crossover with AGE OF X-MAN ALPHA. Book-wise, I think SWORD OF AGES is probably the best new release, and I also want to give a minor mention to the 3-D Presentation of I think my single favorite issue of UNCANNY X-MEN (#268). More after the jump!

A milder week, but still with a few great comics! I'm probably most excited by the start of the second arc of ISOLA in #6. There are also new launches like AVATAR: TSU'TEY'S PATHS #1 or another try for BLACK WIDOW #1 or, hell, why not TMNT: SHREDDER GOES TO HELL #1. The book side is a lot clearer with a terrific old reprint of old Torch & Submariner comics in DECADES: MARVEL IN THE 40s, a great middle aged book in RICK VEITCH'S THE ONE, and a splendiferous brand new book with Ales Kot and Tradd Moore's THE NEW WORLD, which is February's book club pick, with Ales Kot in person at CE on Feb 13. But more on that later.... Find the shipping list Under The Jump!

January continues with a week of great fun and joy. I think the lead book of the week has to be Brubaker & Phillips' CRIMINAL #1. There's also the debut of Bendis' YOUNG JUSTICE, Tom Taylor's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, and Kelley Thompson's CAPTAIN MARVEL. My favorite book this week is probably Mariko Tamaki's X-23 v1: FAMILY ALBUM. And there's so so much more under the cut!

Coming next year! "ha ha". No, seriously, the first week of 2019 launches with a bang with The first issue of Marvel's CONAN THE BARBARIAN as well as the "first issue" of CHAMPIONS. Geez, they have five other #1s this week, too -- this is how 2019 is going to go, I think. Other big books are the return of LOW and the continuation of HEROES IN CRISIS. On the book side I'd probably point to the new, complete edition version of P. Craig Russell's adaptation of the RING OF THE NIBELUNG. Check it all out after the cut!

Ohmigosh, the week after Christmas is HUGE! Oh, wait, I thought it was 1989 again.... Actually it is a tiny handful of comics released. Come buy some! All of the surprise is after the cut this time... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Interesting week: there are usual hits like BATMAN and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, etc., but not a real ton of outstanding looking new launches. In fact, I need to push a little hard to come up with a new installment of Grant Morrison's KLAUS AND THE CRYING SNOWMAN. Or maybe you want something more like LIVEWIRE #1? THe cover on that is nice, at least, though I'm shocked (get it?) that DC hasn't issued a cease-and-desist? Or maybe you want to see nazi-fighting in FREEDOM FIGHTERS #1? What about books? The best-thing for the week is LAZARETTO (also a Graphic Novel Club selection for January!), but plenty of people will be looking for the new AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER volume (IMBALANCE), and while I haven't read it yet, FLEM from Conundrum at least has an intriguing cover! See what else might be waiting for you below the cut....

It’s another big week for comics, so much so there are six things I want to mention above the fold: first and foremost, there’s the launch of the new MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN series — I saw a sneak of the new “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” animated film, which is a Miles story through and through and one of the best pieces about comics that I have ever watched, really celebrating the fun and the form of comics. I’ll also point you towards the “fan favorite” BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 and Ben & Alicia’s nuptials in the FANTASTIC FOUR WEDDING SPECIAL. Also worth a look: the amazingly named CTHU-LOUISE, more seasonal fun with JINGLE BELLE, and the newest vertigo launch of GODDESS MODE. Much much more after the cut!

Its one of those nice weeks where there are lots of solid midlist comics, but maybe not a lot of obvious hits. Let’s see if the comments sections proves me right? The “big book” is probably HEROES IN CRISIS #3, but when we’re looking for new launches, I’m the most curious about the published-by-IDW’s middle reader Marvel comics starting this week with MARVEL ACTION SPIDER-MAN #1 — so so weird that they licensed this out to compete with their own books. And Marvel themselves has IRONHEART #1 launching this week. On the book side, the clear winner of the recommendation derby is Mike Carey & Peter Gross’ HIGHEST HOUSE, but maybe I could also interest you in Garth Ennis’ A WALK THROUGH HELL or Brian Woods’ SWORD DAUGHTER? Much much more after that cut, yo!

Interesting week just before the holiday: I think the comic that looks best to me is the first issue of SMOOTH CRIMINALS from Boom! Studios, but I’m also fairly intrigued by AMERICAN CARNAGE #1 as all of the recent new Vertigo launches have been pretty solid. And for the absurd pick, let’s go with PICKLE RICK? In terms of books, my bookshelf is going to receive a copy of IMMORTAL HULK — it sure works as a horror comic. I also very much liked the whimsical FLAVOR TP, and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I thoroughly recommend you grab a copy of BRAT PACK, newly reissued. This and much more awaits you after the cut!

Ooh, some interesting comics this week. I think the lead story is FIREFLY #1, but I know others are surely think its going to be the return of UNCANNY X-MEN #1. There’s also something that at least looks neat from the cover in THE TERRIBLE ELIZABETH DUMN AGAINST THE DEVILS IN SUITS. On the book side of the table, the “Starman” pastiche DOCTOR STAR is damn lovely, while the world can surely always use another volume of Don Rosa’s UNCLE SCROOGE? Or what if we celebrate thirty years of SANDMAN with the new edition of the first SANDMAN collection: v2 THE DOLL’S HOUSE (which is only 29 years old, haha — and yes, v2 was released BEFORE v1). All this and SO MUCH MORE is down below the cut!

Welcome to November! We kick off the month the the eagerly anticipated (at least by me) GREEN LANTERN #1 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. We also have the second issue of Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel’s awesome BLACKBIRD, woo! And for more new launches we also have the first issue of the 13th DOCTOR WHO, among another half dozen or so. For book format comics, we strongly recommend NORROWAY v1 by Kit & Cat Seaton (It is next month’s Kid’s club pick!), and love the classic comics pick of DOCTOR OF HORROR featuring the amazing art of Graham Ingels, as well as Tom Gauld’s SNOOTY BOOKSTORE POSTCARDS. All of this, and much much more lies below the cut!!

OOOOOOOOOOH! New Comics Day is on Halloween! Spooooooky! That means a lot of Halloweeen-themed comics shipping… though that’s slightly goofy, because most of these will have very little demand starting on November 1st. That’s comics publishers for you! I know I’m excited to read Scott Snyder & Jock’s WYTCHES: BAD EGG SPECIAL, while Vertigo’s newest is HEX WIVES by Ben Blacker and Mirka Andolfo and Ahoy Comics gives us the horror/humor anthology of EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SNIFTER OF TERROR. On the book side our big thrill is Steve Skroce’s MAESTROS, followed hella closely by Ed Piskor’s second volume of retro X-Men in SECOND GENESIS. Finally, while it’s not a book, we really like the look of that MISTER MIRACLE TOUR SHIRT. Allllll of this, and much more, under the cut!

I always think its a great week when my favorite periodical is released (have I said lately? That would be KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE!), but there are some fine new releases this week, including SHURI #1, by Nnedi Okorafor & Leonardo Romero, expanding the Black Panther universe, EXORSISTERS #1, by Ian Boothby & the amazing Gisele Lagace, while some will be excited by the relaunch of THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP #1, by Jeremy Whitley & Gurihiru or by LUCIFER #1 by Dan Waters & Max and Sebastian Fiumara . Look at the full list below the cut to see if there’s something that excites YOU!

Relatively small week, with a number of mid-level books — but no real obvious stand-out hit. I guess this week’s recommendation would be either the decades-old FROM HELL, now being re-released in color for the first time, or the newest Brubaker/Phillips joint, the original graphic novel MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES. Look under the cut for all of this week’s books!

The book of the week is a big tie. On the one hand, there is Sam Humphries and Jen Bartel’s BLACKBIRD #1; on the other, you have the long-awaited return of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba to UMBRELLA ACADEMY! Most DC Universe books this week have shiny foil covers, as part of a new month-long promotion. Same insides, though. There’s also a TON of new #1s…. I had to count twice when I saw it was TWENTY-THREE titles. Harder to see who will buy those books when they stack like cordwood? Check under the cut for allll of the releases!

This week’s big book is probably HEROES IN CRISIS #1 by Tom King and Clay Mann, addressing murder and PTSD in the DC Universe. Sounds dark! But we’ve also got the new 13th Doctor Who’s “0th” comic book, the first issue of GAMMA by Erick Freitas & Ulises Farinas, a new mini-series for FAITH, Chelsea Cain’s first issue of MAN-EATERS, and the comics launch of STRANGER THINGS. That’s not even counting the newest SAGA TP, a new DC SUPERHERO GIRLS volume, and, nice, new Moebius comics for America. Sounds like there is a comic for everyone this week! Scope the list and tell us what YOU think looks good, just below the cut!