Welcome friends, how has your week been? Good, well let’s talk comics then. This week I want to tell you about a great new book from Dark Horse that Grant Morrison calls, “An ultraviolet psychedelic sherbet bomb of wit and ideas. The superheroes of the 21^st century are here at last…” I bet you’re wondering, “Wow, is the book really that good?” Well no, it isn’t that good but it is worth checking out. Dark Horse will hit the list a few more times and of course there is the usual assortment of Marvel and DC books you outta check out.

Justice Society of America 10

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Dale Eaglesham
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Just to put an exclamation point on our man James’ review of the full issue, Justice Society of America has made the list. I won’t say that I love everything about this title, but I will say that exciting times are ahead. The appearance of the Superman from the pages of Kingdom Come is so much more monumental than people might suspect. Typically this kinda story would be a neat way to tell a story and boost sales, but DC has us too wound up in this huge event (Final Crisis) for just to be that. If your reading Countdown, or any of those tie-ins, then you know that having this version of Superman hit the scene right about now is major. Get it. Get it now.

Knights of the old Republic 21

Writer: John Jackson Miller
Pencils: Bong Dazo
Publisher: Dark Horse
Cover Price: $2.99

I was really apprehensive about getting involved with Knights of the Old Republic because I wasn’t there in the beginning and I had a feeling that the series would be extraordinarily long, but recent developments lead me to believe that the series might be done by issue 25. That means that you’ll have to pick up a relatively small amount of issues to get the whole thing. The story works as a precursor to the video game of the same name (note: when it comes to Star Wars, everything approved by Lucas is cannon unless stated otherwise, that includes video games and cartoons) and helps fill in a lot of the gaps in Star Wars history. The story leads up to our hero’s adventure coming full circle, if you do pick this issue up, you will feel compelled to go for back issues.

Ultimate Power 8 (of 9)

Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: Greg Land
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $ 2.99

What’s important about issue 8 of this nine part series is that this is the first issue to carry the March On Ultimatum banner across the top of the cover. Jeph Loeb hinted at this event a short while ago, and this marks its beginnings. Admittedly, coverage of the Ultimate line has been slim, but once Ultimatum gets under way, you can bet that we’ll be there to cover it. The Ultimate Power book features a clash between The Ultimates (the Ultimate universes version of the Avengers) and Supreme Powers (the Ultimate version of Squadron Supreme) and the original Squadron Supreme. A few other alums from the Ultimate line are also featured in the story (Ultimate spider-man, Ultimate X-men etc.) giving it a grand scale feel. All previous issue’s of Ultimate Power are still available, be sure to get this as a precursor to Ultimatum.

New X-Men 43

Writer(s): Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle
Pencils: Skottie Young
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $ 2.99

I slept on this book until recently, when Endangered Species ran through a few issues of the title. Now I’m hooked on this cool chapter in the lives of the X-Men. If you miss X-Force or New Mutants and haven’t been reading this book then your sad for nothing, because all that magic is contained within the pages of new X-Men. Covering so many mature subjects and themes in the books has made it easy to forget that the X-Men is a story about kids, New X-Men reminds us that these are kids who are out there risking their necks for the sake of honor, duty, friendship, and mutantkind. It really is a comic book fans book (fringers beware) reminiscent of the good old days when I was in junior high. Issue 43 presents a fresh start for the team after some serious hardship, if you’re looking to hit the ground running on a new title, then New X-Men is a good pick.

Dark Times 6

Writer: Mick Harrison
Pencils: Dave Ross
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

This issue features an important appearance by Jedi Master K’Kruhk (not pronounced Krunk, I’m pretty sure) who is also pulling double duty by appearing 160 years in the future in Star Wars Legacy (read it!). The series has been following the sequence of events that Ben Kenobi describes as the ‘Dark Times’ in episode 4 of the main story. For the first five issues’ we followed around Dass Jennir and the crew of the Uhumele  as they fought to rescue one of their crews family from slavery only to arrive to late. Bomo Greenbark was robbed of his revenge for the deaths of his loved ones by Jennir who thought it best to shoulder the weight of revenge himself, and spare his friend. That’s where they left us, and now we follow both Bomo and K’Kruhk who operate separately (for now.) The books is imaginative and exciting, it reminds me of all the things I love about Star Wars (high adventure, and noble hero’s), make an effort to pick it up.

The Umbrella Academy 1 (of 6)

Writer: Gerard Way
Pencils: Gabriel Ba
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Grant Morrison absolutely loves this book apparently, and considering that he’s Grant Morrison and I’m some shmuck, then he must know something I don’t. Not that I think the book isn’t good (I mean, it is on the list.) but I think it’s a wee bit early to call it the second coming of contemporary storytelling. The Umbrella Academy set’s us up with a more realistic take on super heroes (note, that statement is absurd and has been since it was coined in the 80’s, it’s literally saying that I want more realism in my fantasy) what they would be like in a more real world (?). I could go on for days about fiction and how idiotic it is to complain that fiction isn’t realistic enough, but that would be missing the point. The book is really well written visually stimulating. Buy it for the quality that it represents, not because it isn’t a story you’ve read before.

Astonishing X-Men 23

Writer: Joss Whedon
Pencils: John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Despite the fact that the events in this series don’t exactly follow what’s going on in the rest of the X-titles, it’s still one of the best Marvel books out there right now. Whedon is telling one heck of an adventure that seems to have taken place well before World Wear Hulk or any of the other major stories going on right now. Subtle tie-ins by Whedon are greatly appreciated (most especially his treatment of Nick Fury being MIA, and that fact making things extra difficult) as well as how he handles the characters in general. It’s tough to say that getting into this run will be easy, you might have to pick up a few back issue’s to really get what’s going on, but it will be worth it, especially when Whedon’s story takes the team back into regular continuity.

The New Avengers Illuminati 5 of 5

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

This issue is getting double the love* this week due to the impact it has had since it’s November 7^th release. Right now the big two are duking it out for who has the biggest series to come, with Final Crisis in one corner and Secret Invasion in the other. Illuminati #5 was where Marvel decided to drop their first big bomb on its readers. This is the kind of competition that really does spell a win win for comic fans. The Secret Invasion looks to be a massive series, and in light of the current Marvel status quo, looks to have long lasting ramifications. If you can only follow one company, then I’ll leave that choice to you, but if you can afford to pick up both, I strongly encourage you to do so. Illuminati #5 contains one of the coolest surprises around, be sure not to miss it.

Star-Lord (4 of 4)

Writer: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Timothy Green II
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

This is a bitter sweet time for me concerning Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord. While I can’t wait for the main series to get started like a lot of other readers, I will miss seeing Star-Lord and his crew in their own series. The series in and of itself was very rewarding. Peter Quill (Star-Lord) and his crew manage to give the Kree a fighting chance against the Phalanx, and provide a great set up for Annihilation: Conquest proper. I know that Marvel and DC have been slamming us with these massive stories a lot of late, but that fact that I don’t have time to catch my breath makes all this a comic fans dream. Here’s hoping both companies can keep up the paces they have set.

Silver Surfer: In Thy Name

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Pencils: Tan Eng Huat
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

While the timing of this series is a little strange (considering the afore mentioned Annihilation: Conquest getting under way) but that doesn’t change the fact that we have a new Silver Surfer story to tell you about. It’s always interesting to see what Marvel has in store for the most powerful hero in comics. This story takes Norrin Radd way out to the outer reaches of space to a location that is new even to the Sentinel of the Spaceways.  This is a four part limited series that might have cannon implications, or it could simply be a good read for the sake of a good read. Pick it up and decide for yourself.