Hey gang and welcome to our monthly comic book guide. This guide will look through the previews for you and tell you which books look promising. April is a big month for comics so let’s get right to it. First we’ll look at DC, then Marvel and we’ll wrap April’s list with Dark Horse.

DC Comics

Flash: Rebirth #1



Sure to be groundbreaking, this story will complete the lives of fanboys everywhere. Barry Allen returned from the dead during the abysmal Final Crisis, suffice to say he was the lone bright spot in that series. Now Geoff Johns takes the reins and brings Barry Allen into a new era. Be sure to pick this book up.

Battle for the Cowl #2



There is a new Batman stalking the night and his name isn’t Bruce Wayne. It’s not Dick Grayson for that matter either. Somebody’s running around in a bat suit shooting and killing criminals and our heroes have to get to the bottom of it while the city burns. This might end up being one of those defining story arcs that we’ll talk about for years to come.

Green Lantern #39



Do you have your Blackest Night checklist yet? This series is looking really good so far with Agent Orange beginning in April. Geoff Johns is here once again to pen a great DC comic’s space adventure for you the fans. DC says that Hal and the team will have to travel to the Vega system to discover an age old secret that will shake the DCU. Find out what that secret is by picking up this issue.

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #4



Mike Kunkel is an excellent writer and artist, it’s been a blast so far to check out his work with Captain Marvel and the Marvel family. If you’ve overlooked this charming little story then you are missing out my friend. In this issue Captain Marvel takes on Black Adam in a fight to the finish, plus we take a tour of the Rock of Eternity!

Dead Romeo #1


Based on the premise this story looks like it fits into the ‘bad ass’ category. If you like vampires and rock music then this might be the book for you. The main character is the lead singer of a band caslled The Dead Romeos and when he’s turned into a vampire through weird circumstances he’s also sent directly to hell. Somehow he gets out of hell but is faced with a proposition that he might have to refuse. This book sounds interesting for all you horror fans out there, check it out.

Superman: World of New Krypton #2



What the heck is up with Superman these days? He’s rubbing elbows with his favorite Kryptonians for one. The relationship he’s been building with his people is under pressure when he decides to not obey an order to punish those same people. Check out this issue where Cks allegiances are brought into question.

Azrael: Death’s Dark Knight #2



Battle for the Cowl rages on as Gotham burns. This is officially worse than No Mans Land as far a sheer chaos and destruction. Nightwing and the network can barely keep a handle on the crime that is spilling onto Gotham’s streets; now enter a stone cold killer named Azrael to the mix. This is a three part series you should not miss.

Detective Comics #853



Neil Gaiman. Andy Kubert. Those are the names attached to this two part series conclusion as they ask the question whatever happened to the caped crusader? DC.com says that this book will explore the relationships between Bruce Wayne and his friends and adversaries. The first issue was phenomenal, this second issue should be worth it as well.

Battle for the Cowl: Underground (one shot)



Are you sensing a pattern here? I’m trying to tell you that Battle for the Cowl is the awesome, is it working? This one shot will tell the tales of some of the villains of the DCU that are related to Batman and Gotham City, but what is the Riddler doing, I thought he went straight? The list of villains is a who’s who of the DC underworld to grab this book and keep up with Battle for the Cowl.

Superman #687



So Mon-El is out of the Phantom Zone and in Metropolis. He’s decided to protect the city from threats in Supermans stead while he’s off playing house with the rest of the Kryptonians. World without a Superman has been done before but this one is different considering the circumstances. It asked the question: What if Superman decided to stop protecting earth? Catch up with this great story as it unfolds.

Marvel Comics

Agents of Atlas #3



I’m going to keep talking about Agents of Atlas until someone tells me how great the book is. It’s a lot of fun seeing Marvel play with some of their old toys, plus they did a great job of putting them in a relevant position at the same time. Dark Reign is here and the Agents of Atlas are technically working with Norman Osborn. While nothing Is as it seems they still manage to run afoul of none other than Captain America!

Amazing Spider-Man #590



So Character Assassination is over, what next? A knock down drag out with the Human Torch!?!?!? But aren’t they like best friends? No, Harry is Peter’s best bud right? Well all I can tell you is that the Fantastic Four make a guest appearance and that apparently Spidey and the Torch are at each other’s throats. Marvel lets us know that there is a dark turn in this issue for the afore mentioned Harry Osborn so that should be interesting as well.

New Avengers: The Reunion #2



Marvels dynamic duo? Sort of. Ronin (Clint Barton, formerly Hawkeye) and Mockingbird are going through a tough time in their newly rekindled relationship. Long story short their having trust issues. She is still having a tough time adjusting to life outside the clutches of the Skrulls and Ronin just can’t relate. There is also a bomb that could go off at any minute unless the two can put aside their differences and work together.

Secret Warriors #3



Nick Fury and his team are after HYDRA, and the only way to get them is to send one of the warriors undercover to spy on the evil organization. This story has been a god send since issue one and Brian Michael Bendis has more than a few tricks left up his sleeve. Plus, one of the team will lose their life in this issue.

The Destroyer #1



I can’t say that I know much about this book, but the premise sounds interesting. The main charcters name is Keen Marlowe, and he’s been a hero for a long time. The bad news is that he’s dying, and could go at anytime. The worse news is that he plans on taking a many villains as he can with him to make sure that the world is a safer place. Sounds good doesn’t it? Be sure to get the first exciting issue.

War of Kings #2



The battle for the galaxy heats up as battle lines are drawn and war is officially declared. The Kree are the ones that have declared war on the Shi’ar even though Vulcan and his men did attack first, disrupting an Imperial wedding. The two empires are at full scale war by the time we get to issue two wiuth skirmishes being fought along the border of Kree Space. So what are Havok and the Starjammers going to do? Find out by picking up this exciting series.

Savage She Hulk #1



This book looks pretty interesting, Marvel says that she comes from an alternate version of earth or something like that; she looks like a cross between She-Hulk and Thundra which can’t be a bad thing. I’ve been reading She-Hulk off and on for years and this seems like an exciting way to expand her story, or at least a cool way to introduce a new character, check it out.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1



Don’t let the purple get up fool you, this isn’t your dad’s Hawkeye. Thanks to Norman Osborn, Bullseye is running around in Clint Barton’s old duds. There is sure to be tons of fallout as Dark Reign picks up steam so get this book. Hopefully it will let us in a little more on Norman Osborn’s master plan, if nothing else we get to see how Bullseye behaves wearing the mantle of a hero.

Wolverine: Weapon X #1



With a new movie just around the corner Marvel seems to be cashing in on their favorite mutants popularity. This is good news for Logan fans that can’t get enough of him. While it is called Weapon X this isn’t another retconn necessarily, this story deals with the here and now. Apparently a company is trying to restart the Weapon X program with all new candidates and Logan has to put a stop to it, sounds pretty exciting doesn’t it?

Captain America #49



Sharon Carter has had one of the worst years of her life and is trying to get it back together. Apparently she’s starting to remember bits and pieces about the day she was brainwashed into killing Steve Rogers. Of course there is more to it than that and Ed Brubaker is going to help us explore that fateful day.

Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 #24



Faith fans, this one shot issue is for you. It looks like Faith is having a moment where the violence keeps pulling back in. Longing to just live a normal life, Faith finds herself teamed up with Giles once again. This series is one of the best ongoings around. You really should check it out.

Who wants to be a Superhero: The Defuser #1



Future Imperfect is the first story arc for a charcter that came from Stan Lee’s hit show of the same name. The Defuser is the story of a detective named Jarrett Crippen who wages a one man war on crime. While this isn’t necessarily ground breaking, fans of the show should get a kick out of this.

The Amazon #2



The second part of this three part masterpiece is coming your way in April. The book is written by Steven T. Seagle and penciled by Tim Sale himself. The book has everything you need, action, adventure and plenty of excitement as you follow Malcolm Hillard into the heart of the Amazon.

BPRD: The Black Goddess #4



Miniseries is sometimes the way to go. Part of what makes BPRD and the rest of the Hellboy family so cool is that the books come out in small digestible chunks. There is no issue of Hellboy #160 or #500 for that matter. Because of that it’s not too late to get a shot at The Black Goddess. Liz is in the center of this story and if you’re a fan of hers you might want to read this book.

The Cleaners #3



While this book got off to a measured start, all hell is looking to break loose as this series progresses. Written by the guy who brought you the newest Jason movie this book is sure to scare the crap right out of you. If you’re into blood thirsty monsters and gore, then this book is for you.

Gigantic #4



Like big stories that span the universe? Well then you might want to try out Gigantic. It’s only 4 issues in which means there is still time to get caught up with back issues. Written by the talented Rick Remender (Fear Agent) this title looks very promising. Issue four is a battle between Gigantic and the United States Army. Dark Horse describes the story as a modern twist on 1950’s sci-fi.

Mister X: Condemned #4



Dean Motter and his creation Mister X are wrapping up an incredible four issue run that has been critically acclaimed since the first issue. If you’re a fan of darker books then I would suggest giving Mister X a try.

Star Wars: Dark Times #13



The wait is finally over gentlemen. Dark Times is back and Dass Jennir is along for the ride. This is one of the best Star Wars books out there; fans of the genre should be beating down comic shop doors looking for this book. The last time we saw these characters was during Vector and a lot has happened since then. Get caught up with this new chapter in Star Wars lore.

Conan the Cimmerian #10



Wizard says this is one of the best new series of 2008, and it s about time you found out why. The Black Colossus is the current arc in which Conan is still learning the way of the soldier. This book series is filled with intrigue and death as a war torn land moves closer to the final battle. What side is Conan on? Read the book to find out.

Umbrella Academy: Dallas #6



Saving the world never looked so interesting. This is it folks, the dramatic conclusion to the umbrella Academy’s second story arc. Be sure to go back and get the first five issues before it’s too late. This is one of the most critically acclaimed books in Dark Horse’s stable and with good reason, be sure to get in on the action.