I bought these comics this week.
Conan #39 (dark horse)- in my top twenty.
DMZ #18 (vertigo/ dc)
Ex Machina #27 (wildstorm/ dc)
Hellblazer #231 (vertigo/ dc)
Invincible #40 (image)- top twenty.
Mighty Avengers #2 (marvel)
the Spirit #5 (dc)- top twenty.
recommended trades:
Batman and the Mad Monk trade paperback (dc)
The second of what will be a trilogy of murder mysteries starring a rookie Batman by Matt Wagner. I have heard that these are re-creations of some of the very early Batman stories, and they certainly take place near the beginning of his super-detective career. Wagner is of course known for his character Grendel, and Kevin Matchstick of Mage, as well as some past Batman contributions. As writer and artist, he delivers a very cohesive and smooth storytelling style that you will tear through. You can't quite put your finger on why you love it so much, you just know that it's a great read.
This volume is a complete story on it's own, but if you notice a "2" on the spine, you can start at the beginning by picking up Batman and the Monster Men. In Mad Monk, Bats refuses to believe that he is up against a real-life vampire, despite the fact that his world's greatest detective skills are giving every indication.
Short review: REALLY GOOD.
(collects 6-issue miniseries)
Civil War: the Amazing Spider-Man trade paperback (marvel)
This is the best civil war story outside of the main book. Although I still say that every single tie-in is completely optional, this one you definitely shouldn't skip; not because you need it to understand CW, but because it's really really good. Even if you're not following CW at all, this story is strong on it's own. I already read this comic independently of CW, as Straczynski has been kicking ass for over 50 consecutive monthly issues. Now teamed with regular penciller Ron Garney, one of the most solid and underrated artists working, this title is in a phenomenal run.
Short review: GREAT.
(collects Amazing #532-538)
this is not the actual cover to the trade, but the interiors DO look that good.
Daredevil: the Devil, Inside and Out vol. 2 trade paperback (marvel)
Collects the second story arc of Brubaker's excellent DD run. Picking up after the future-classic fifty-plus-issue Bendis/ Maleev run, potential for disappointment was very high with a new writer stepping in... just after Matt Murdock goes to prison (that doesn't count as a spoiler because I didn't tell you how he got there). But Bru grabbed the reigns with gusto, preserving the moody crime-noir feel of his predecessors while infusing substantially more brutal action, and driving DD through more dramatic development than he's seen since the character-defining Miller run of the 80's.
Short review: GREAT
(Brubaker/ Lark)(collects Daredevil v2 #88-93)
Hellblazer: Reasons to be Cheerful trade paperback (vertigo/ dc)
The is the latest collection from Mike Carey's almost three-and-a-half year run starting back in 2002. His run was characterized by a marked return to more magical and fantastic storylines, without losing the edge or evil. I find I have a really, really hard time reviewing Hellblazer and I'm about to give up. What I will do is try to tell you how to start.
Although there is a huge number of collections (over twenty currently in print), don't be afraid to jump in somewhere if you have every been interested in the character. If you end up loving him as much as I do, you will want to read every last issue, but if not you will get a nice complete story out of any one of the trades. I do, however, recommend starting at the first volume of any given writer's run. For Carey that would be Red Sepulchre, or you could go with his original graphic novel All His Engines, which was released in conjunction with the move Constantine, to introduce curious fans to the real hellblazer. I just typed up a complete list of the trades in order, and here it is.
Short review: REALLY GOOD.
(Carey/ Manco)(collects Hellblazer #201-206)
I'll be back in a few days to review my picks and a whole lot of others, once I've read them.