It’s a pretty good week for comics, with the penultimate issue of The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite at Dark Horse, the debut of ’76 and Cemetery Blues at Image and New Exiles at Marvel, and the latest volume of Mome from Fantagraphics.

Let’s see, what else? The thrice-monthly schedule for The Amazing Spider-Man chugs on with the second installment of “Brand New Day.” Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith finally return with another issue of Fell. Gemstone dusts off another edition of The E.C. Archives. And Viz Media debuts its VizBig imprint with a three-in-one volume of Rurouni Kenshin.

Not bad for a cold Wednesday in mid-January.

To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

Kevin’s picks of the week: The Umbrella Academy #5
and The Immortal Iron Fist #12

A very good week is one that sees the release of both of my favorite superhero titles. In The Immortal Iron Fist #12, the penultimate installment of engaging “The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven” arc, we learn what Hydra — Hail, Hydra! Hail, Hydra! Hail, Hydra! — has planned for the Brigadoon of the East, K’un-Lun, and, as the solicitation text tantalizingly reveals, what the connection is between the mysterious Prince of Orphans and the Rand fortune. (Until this very moment, I hadn’t realized there was a connection.) I can’t say enough good things about this series and its creators, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and David Aja, so I’ll just keep raving about it until I reach that point.

Likewise, I go on and on (and on) about The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s fast-paced The Royal Tenenbaums-meets-The X-Men miniseries. I reread the first four issues in one sitting the other day, and found that it likely will hold up better in the collected form, as there were pieces I overlooked and connections I missed the first go-around. Way probably could do with tighter editing, because there’s just too much going on in this series (a complaint you don’t hear too often with supehero comics).

Chris’ pick of the week: The Last Musketeer softcover

Jason’s latest book doesn’t have the strong emotional arc of last year’s I Killed Adolf Hitler. It is, however, one of Jason’s funniest books, a riotous mash-up between Dumas and Alex Raymond that finds Athos, somehow living in our modern world, defending the Earth from a Martian attack. Jason gets some good zingers playing off of the genre cliches of both the swashbuckling epic and the sci-fi serial, and even manages to inject a bit of pathos into the proceedings so that, by the end, you might find yourself tearing up a little for the title character.

Dark Horse Heroes Omnibus

Kevin: Although I’m somewhat familiar with characters like Ghost, X and Barb Wire, I wasn’t reading comics in the early to mid-’90s, when Dark Horse experimented with a “superhero universe” in its Comics Greatest World and Will to Power series. Now the publisher has collected those efforts in a 488-page omnibus edition that will probably make somebody nostalgic for the Boom.

Fight for Tomorrow trade paperback

Kevin: With DMZ, Northlanders and, soon, a new edition of Demo, Brian Wood is becoming A Name at Vertigo — so much so that the publisher is dipping into its back catalog to release the collected edition of Fight for Tomorrow, his first work for the imprint, published back in 2003. Denys Cowan and Kent Williams provide the art for the six-issue miniseries about a Buddhist monk who becomes a kung fu street fighter.

’76 #1 ( of 8 )

Kevin: Fans of ’70s martial arts/action movies take note: The creators of ’76 promise “two continuing tales of Bicentennial street justice.” I like the phrase “Bicentennial street justice,” and I like the idea of each of the miniseries’ eight issues being split into two similarly themed stories — one set in New York, the other in Los Angeles — by separate creative teams (B. Clay Moore and Seth Peck on “Jackie Karma,” and Ed Tadem and Tigh Walker on “Cool”). Newsarama has a six-page preview.

Fell #9

Kevin: It’s been something like nine months since the previous issue, but at last Det. Richard Fell and Snowtown are back.

The Amazing Spider-Man #547

Kevin: Wait. Wasn’t there just an issue last week? I kid, I kid. With this issue, the second installment of “Brand New Day,” Amazing Spider-Man‘s thrice-monthly schedule really kicks in.

New Exiles #1

Kevin: ‘Cause slapping “New” on the title makes everything better! From now on, I’d like to be called “New Melrose.”

BloodRayne: Automaton

Kevin: File this under “Shameless Self-Promotion.” This one-shot marks my first published full-length comic work — my previous efforts had appeared only in anthologies — and my writing debut on the BloodRayne title (based on the popular video-game franchise). It’s a fun (I hope), action-packed story that doesn’t require you to be fully immersed in all things BloodRayne. And Andre Coelho delivers some very nice art. Go on, you know you want to buy it.

Bone Color Edition, Vol. 7: Ghost Circles hardcover
Bone Color Edition, Vol. 7: Ghost Circles softcover

Chris: Nothing much to say here except to note that the latest color volume is out, for those of you who have been buying the Scholastic versions (and apparently that’s quite a lot of you).

The EC Archives: Crime SuspenStories, Vol. 1, hardcover

Chris: The EC rollout continues with this latest offering, featuring stories of ugly, nasty crooks getting their just desserts. I imagine Gemstone must be doing really well with these hardcovers, since they seem to be coming out regularly enough.

Insomnia #3

Chris: Matt Broersma’s Ignatz series concludes with this latest issue.

Lust: Kinky Online Personal Ads from Seattle’s Stranger hardcover

Chris: Ellen Forney’s follow-up to I Love Led Zepplin has her offering her unique takes on a variety of personal ads. As gimmicks go, I have to admit this is a rather clever one.

The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation

Chris: Oh I did not like this book one little bit, even by the admittedly low bar I set for these sort of spiritually enthused adaptations. Listing all the book’s bad points would take too long, but the nadir must be the faux-hip dialogue that graces almost every page (Cain: “Whassup Bro? I’ve got something I wanna show you in my farm.” Abel: “Sounds interesting. What is it?” Cain: “Your death you smug *&^%$.”), not to mention the really sloppy and choppy job they did sampling the book (Revelation, in particular, is quite laughable). So to all practicing Christians who are reading this right now: If you love your child, please don’t buy them this.

Mome, Vol. 10

Chris: With Kramers Ergot‘s annual schedule having slipped off the rails somewhat (not that it was ever set in stone mind you), it falls to Fantagraphics quarterly anthology to take on the mantle of “de facto art comix anthology.” That’s a heady burden to bear, and certainly the frequent inclusion of contributors stories in Houghton Mifflin’s “Best Of” series has earned it an odd bit of ire it seems. From where I sit though, the magazine has grown steadily better and better with each volume. This one features a bang-up story by Dash Shaw, as well as contributions by Robert Goodin, Jeremy Eaton, John Hankiewicz and the conclusion of Jim Woodring’s tale. Plus, dig that crazy cat cover by Al Columbia!

The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo, Vol. 2, softcover

Chris: More risque drawings of big-bosomed ladies from DeCarlo’s Humorama period. By today’s standards, these are rather tame jokes about showgirls and secretaries being chased around their desks. So yeah, the sexual politics are a bit old-fashioned. On the plus side, there’s no tentacle porn whatsoever. Take that, Heroes for Hire!

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 1 (VizBig Edition)

Kevin: Viz Media jumps on the omnibus — see what I did there? — with this 584-page tome that collects the first three volumes of Nobuhiro Watsuki’s samurai adventure. Although last summer Viz released Taiyo Matsumoto’s Tekkonkinkreet as an “all-in-one” volume, these brick-thick omnibus editions have largely been the territory of Tokyopop (Battle Royale, Princess Ai, Fruits Basket, et al.). Now with itz VizBig imprint, Viz is staking its claim with three-volumes-in-one reprints of older but popular titles like Rurouni Kenshin, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z (May), and Vagabond (fall 2008).

A Treasury of Victorian Murder, Vol. 2: Jack the Ripper (new printing)

Chris: Less conspiracy theory involving freemasons. More “Unsolved Mysteries”-style detective story.

Here’s the full list of comics shipping this week:

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP070030 DARK HORSE HEROES OMNIBUS TP $24.95
OCT070112 DISNEY PIRATES O/T CARIBBEAN PIN GACHA PI
JUL070074 DISNEY PRINCESS FIGURES SER 7 GACHA CAPSULE PI
SEP070031 DOCTOR GRORDBORTS CONTRAPULATRONIC DINGUS DIRECTORY HC $12.95
OCT070011 FEAR AGENT #18 HATCHET JOB (PT 2 OF 5) $2.99
NOV070044 GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL #3 ( OF 8 ) $3.50
SEP070037 GROO HELL ON EARTH #3 (OF 4) $2.99
SEP070100 KOTOBUKIYA ROYAL GUARD VINYL MODEL KIT $125.00
NOV070141 NINTENDO ANIMAL CROSSING CHARM FIGURE SER 2 GACHA CAPSULE PI
AUG070181 SIMPSONS DIORAMA #3 MOVIE GACHA CAPSULE PI
NOV070047 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #5 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP070134 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL PI
NOV070138 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL (O/A) PI
OCT070106 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL (O/A) PI

DC COMICS

NOV070285 100 BULLETS #87 (MR) $2.99
JUN070286 AME COMI BATGIRL VINYL FIGURE $39.99
JUN070287 AME COMI CATWOMAN VINYL FIGURE $39.99
OCT070244 AMERICAN VIRGIN #22 (MR) $2.99
NOV070200 BIRDS OF PREY #114 $2.99
NOV070183 BOOSTER GOLD #6 $2.99
NOV070193 CATWOMAN #75 $2.99
SEP078087 CATWOMAN #75 VAR ED $2.99
NOV070204 CHECKMATE #22 $2.99
OCT070223 CIPHER VOL 10 $9.99
NOV070203 COUNTDOWN SPECIAL THE NEW GODS $4.99
NOV070166 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 15 $2.99
NOV070288 DMZ #27 (MR) $2.99
OCT070251 DOOM PATROL TP VOL 06 PLANET LOVE $19.99
OCT070254 FIGHT FOR TOMORROW TP (MR) $14.99
NOV070205 FLASH #236 $2.99
NOV078069 FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG $2.99
SEP070219 HARLEY QUINN PRELUDES AND KNOCK KNOCK JOKES HC $24.99
OCT070224 I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE VOL 03 $9.99
NOV070208 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17 $2.99
NOV070247 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #10 $2.25
NOV070267 PROGRAMME #7 (OF 12) $2.99
NOV070189 ROBIN #170 $2.99
NOV070252 SCOOBY DOO #128 $2.25
NOV070217 SHADOWPACT #21 $2.99
NOV070264 WILDSTORM REVELATIONS #2 (OF 6) $2.99
NOV070272 WORLD OF WARCRAFT #3 $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

NOV072010 76 #1 ( OF 8 ) $2.99
AUG071997 AMORY WARS #5 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072012 CEMETERY BLUES #1 $3.50
MAY071848 FELL #9 $1.99
OCT072010 GRAVESLINGER #3 (OF 4) $3.50
OCT072011 HAWAIIAN DICK #2 $2.99
JUL071960 SPAWN #174 $2.95
OCT072021 STEVE NILES STRANGE CASES #3 $2.50
OCT072022 STRANGE EMBRACE #8 ( OF 8 ) (MR) $3.50
NOV072058 SWORD #4 (MR) $2.99
SEP072029 WITCHBLADE BASRI CVR B #113 $2.99
SEP072028 WITCHBLADE CHOI & OBACK CVR A #113 $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

NOV072132 AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #16 $2.99
OCT072078 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #547 BND $2.99
NOV072134 AVENGERS CLASSIC #8 $2.99
NOV072189 CABLE DEADPOOL #49 $2.99
NOV072234 ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $16.99
NOV072233 ESSENTIAL MARVEL SAGA TP VOL 01 $16.99
NOV072215 FANTASTIC FOUR AND POWER PACK DIGEST TP $7.99
OCT072187 HEROES FOR HIRE TP VOL 03 WORLD WAR HULK $13.99
NOV072208 HOUSE OF M HC $29.99
NOV072212 HULK PREM HC THE END $19.99
NOV072213 HULK PREM HC THE END DM ED VOL 8 $19.99
OCT072100 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #12 $2.99
OCT072102 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #113 $2.99
OCT078499 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #113 VAR (PP #796) $2.99
NOV072148 IRON MAN POWER PACK #3 (OF 4) $2.99
SEP072250 KABUKI REFLECTIONS #9 (MR) $5.99
NOV072158 MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #20 $2.99
NOV072156 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #35 $2.99
NOV072159 MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE #7 $4.99
NOV072161 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #5 $3.99
NOV072117 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #2 ( OF 8 ) $2.99
NOV072193 NEW EXILES #1 $2.99
NOV072194 NEW EXILES #1 GOLDEN VAR $2.99
NOV072168 NEW WARRIORS #8 $2.99
NOV072183 NEW X-MEN #46 MC $2.99
OCT072101 PENANCE RELENTLESS #4 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072225 THUNDERBOLTS BY ELLIS VOL 1 FAITH IN MONSTERS TP $19.99
OCT078510 ULTIMATES 3 #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG WRAPAROUND VAR (PP #796) $2.99
NOV078021 UNCANNY X-MEN #493 2ND PTG VAR $2.99
NOV072188 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #21 $2.99
NOV072152 WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH WARBOUND #2 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072214 X-FACTOR PREM HC MADROX MULTIPLE CHOICE $19.99
NOV078022 X-MEN #205 2ND PTG VAR $2.99

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT

NOV073221 WIZARD ANIME INSIDER NANA CVR #53 $4.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

NOV078042 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #1 3RD PTG (PP #797) $3.99
NOV078120 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #2 2ND PTG (PP #798) $3.99
NOV073636 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #3 $3.99
OCT073741 ARMY OF TWO GN (MR) $14.99
NOV073320 BETTY #171 $2.25
OCT073464 BLOODRAYNE AUTOMATON CVR A $3.99
OCT073465 BLOODRAYNE AUTOMATON CVR B $3.99
NOV073422 BONE COLOR ED HC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES $19.99
NOV073421 BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES $9.99
OCT073700 BONEYARD #27 $2.95
OCT078534 BTX GN VOL 14 (OF 16) (PP #796) $9.99
AUG073691 CANTARELLA VOL 9 GN (MR) $10.99
OCT073912 CASE CLOSED GN VOL 21 $9.99
NOV073272 CHUMBLE SPUZZ GN VOL 01 KILL THE DEVIL $10.95
SEP073889 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE HC VOL 01 WIND IN THE WILLOWS $17.95
SEP073888 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE SC VOL 01 WIND IN THE WILLOWS $13.95
OCT073455 CRUSHING LOVE GN $12.95
NOV073535 DF GRIMM FAIRY TALES #1 ALT CVR $10.00
JUN073584 DISNEYS DUCKTALES BY MARV WOLFMAN SCROOGES QUEST TP $15.99
OCT073354 DOMINION #4 (OF 5) (RES) $3.99
OCT073542 EC ARCHIVES CRIME SUSPENSTORIES HC VOL 1 $49.95
SEP073420 ESCAPE O/T LIVING DEAD RESURRECTED TP (MR) $29.99
NOV073639 FALLEN ANGEL IDW #23 (MR) $3.99
SEP073280 FEMFORCE #142 $6.95
AUG073352 FINAL GIRL POCKET MANGA VOL 01 (MAR078373) $15.95
SEP073903 FURRLOUGH #178 $3.99
SEP073930 GIANT SHANDA ANIMAL #12 (MR) $4.99
NOV073706 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC ALI BABA $26.60
NOV073707 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC GUAN YU $26.60
NOV073708 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC HERO TWINS $26.60
NOV073709 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC PEREUS HUNT FOR MEDUSAS HEAD $26.60
NOV073711 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC TRISTAN & ISOLDE $26.60
NOV073712 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC AMATERASU RETURN OF THE SUN $8.95
NOV073713 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC ATALANTA RACE AGAINST DESTINY $8.95
NOV073714 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC DEMETER & PERSEPHONE $8.95
NOV073715 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC JASON QUEST FOR GOLDEN FLEECE $8.95
NOV073716 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC ROBIN HOOD OUTLAW OF SHERWOOD FOREST $8.95
NOV073717 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC YU THE GREAT CONQUERING THE FLOOD $8.95
OCT073919 GYO GN VOL 02 (2ND EDITION) (MR) $9.99
NOV073516 HEROES ARE EXTINCT GN VOL 03 $12.95
AUG073692 HIKKATSU VOL 2 GN (MAR078244) $10.99
SEP073867 HONEY SENIOR DARLING JUNIOR VOL 1 GN (MR) $9.99
NOV073513 ILL BE YOUR SLAVE GN (MR) $12.95
SEP073637 INSOMNIA #3 $7.95
NOV073325 JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #26 $2.49
OCT073904 KAMIKAZE GIRLS NOVEL $9.99
AUG073693 KING OF THE LAMP GN (MR) $10.99
MAY074057 KISS COMIX #181 (A) $7.99
JUN074204 KISS COMIX #182 (A) $7.99
AUG074346 KISS COMIX #183 (A) $9.95
NOV073540 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER THE WORLD ASKEW #4 (OF 4) $2.95
NOV073698 LADY DEATH #0 SUPERNATURAL EDITION $11.99
OCT073506 LAST MUSKETEER SC $12.95
OCT073596 LIFELIKE HC $19.99
OCT073739 LOVE BYTES GN $9.95
NOV073511 LOVE SHARE GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073508 LUST KINKY ONLINE PERSONAL ADS FROM SEATTLES STRANGER HC (MR) $19.95
NOV073776 MANGA BIBLE SC FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION $12.95
NOV073601 MIKI FALLS GN VOL 04 WINTER $7.99
OCT073509 MOME GN VOL 10 $14.95
OCT073732 NANCY DREW HC VOL 12 DRESS REHEARSAL $12.95
OCT073731 NANCY DREW SC VOL 12 DRESS REHEARSAL $7.95
OCT073242 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #156 $2.99
OCT073707 OPERATION LIBERATE MEN GN VOL 02 $9.99
SEP073904 ORGASM ADDICT COLLECTED EROTICA OF JK BLACKLIN VOL 1 (A) $6.99
NOV073327 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #118 $3.69
NOV073514 PARTY GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073427 PASTEL GN VOL 09 (MR) $10.95
OCT073504 PINUP ART OF DAN DECARLO SC VOL 02 (MR) $18.95
OCT073921 REFLECTIONS THE ARTWORK OF KOSEN (MR) $14.95
OCT073718 RESURRECTION #2 (MR) $3.50
SEP078073 RUROUNI KENSHIN VIZ BIG ED GN VOL 01 (OF 9) $17.99
OCT073428 SCHOOL RUMBLE GN VOL 08 (MR) $10.95
NOV073407 SIMPSONS COMICS #138 $2.99
NOV073329 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #184 $2.25
NOV073632 ST TNG INTELLIGENCE GATHERING #1 (OF 5) $3.99
OCT073874 STRANDED #1 $2.99
NOV073743 STRANGE DETECTIVE TALES DEAD LOVE #1 (OF 3) (O/A) (MR) $3.95
SEP073929 STRAWBERRY PANIC MANGA (MR) $9.99
SEP074036 TALL TALES OF VISHNU SHARMA PANCHATANTRA #1 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
OCT073585 TRANSFORMERS DEVASTATION #4 $3.99
AUG073869 TREASURY VICTORIAN MURDER VOL 2 JACK THE RIPPER SC NEW PTG $9.95
OCT073362 TWO GUNS #5 (RES) $3.99
OCT073295 VOICES OF LOVE GN (A) $10.95
OCT073293 WALKIN BUTTERFLY GN VOL 2 (MR) $10.95
JUL073797 WEDNESDAY CONSPIRACY VOL 3 RESTLESS PEOPLE GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073294 YAKUZA IN LOVE GN VOL 1 (A) $12.95
AUG073774 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS VS AMAZONS #2 (OF 3) $3.99

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