After the onslaught of big releases last Wednesday — Dark Tower, Echo, The New Frontier, Honey and Clover – this week feels a little … light.

Our wallets could use a break, I guess.

But before you put your money away, note that tomorrow sees the long-awaited 19th issue of Palookaville, another collection of Adam Warren’s Empowered, the last issue (for now) of Atomic Robo, the debut of Joe Casey’s The Last Defenders, and the sure-to-be-essential-reading How to Make Webcomics.

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.

Chris’ pick of the week: Palookaville #19

God forbid those readers who get all persnickety when their favorite book is late by a few weeks or a month (aside: I do mean readers here and not retailers who have every right to be persnickety) should ever make the jump to alt-comix. Their heads might explode from having to wait for the next issue of Palookaville or Eightball. I mean, did Issue 18 even come out in 2007?

Anyway, this latest issue continues the Clyde Fans storyline, with poor Simon Matchcard becoming even more lonely and melancholy. Despite the bummer of a plot summary, it’s a winning, inventive series that I’m sure will win numerous accolades when it wraps up in 2015.

Kevin’s pick of the week: Switch, Vol. 1

The reviews for Saki Otoh and Nakamura Tomomi’s shonen mystery have been shaky, so I hesitate to make Switch my pick of the week. However, a.) nothing really wows me this week; and b.) I’m hankering for a solid police-procedural and/or violent action comic — even if it’s of the bishonen variety.

The premise seems like pretty standard buddy-cop fare: A fresh-faced rookie with a dark past is paired with a stoic veteran who doesn’t want a partner to investigate a new drug that’s hit the streets. But, hey, it’s a violent crime story, so that’s enough for me this week.

Empowered, Vol. 3

Kevin: The third volume of Adam Warren’s superhero lampoon series finds the title heroine grappling with a rival stealing her schtick and, worse, boyfriend troubles.

Harvey Comics Classics, Vol. 3: Hot Stuff

This is surely one of the finest bangs for your buck you can find in the comic shop this week — $20 for close to 500 pages of comics, all centered around a smart-alecky devil who looks a lot like Casper’s cousin (you know, the one with the derby). I can’t say I ever read or even saw a Hot Stuff comic growing up, so it’s impossible for me to say if the law of diminishing returns has hit this series yet or not. I’ll be buying this regardless, as my daughter adored the first two volumes.

Justice League International hardcover

Kevin: Here’s something that should make fans of the Bwa-ha-ha Era League: a hardcover collecting the first seven issues of Justice League/Justice League International, by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire.

How to Make Webcomics

Chris: Brad Guigar, Scott Kurtz, Dave Kellett and Kris Straub tell you how to do it with pixels. You can read an interview with the book’s authors here.

Avengers Fairy Tales #1 (of 4)

Kevin: I liked the previous two Fairy Tales miniseries — X-Men and Spider-Man — despite my reservations about having superheroes injected into perfectly fine stories. In the first issue of this new volume, C.B. Cebulski and Joao M.P. Lemos retell Peter Pan, substituting Wanda and Pietro Maximoff for the Darling children, and recasting Captain America as the boy who never grew up.

The Last Defenders #1 (of 6)

Kevin: It’s a toss-up as to which title and concept is more problematic for Marvel, Alpha Flight or The Defenders. The “non-team” approach has always been precarious, at best. And the further the cast moves from the core “non-team” — Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Hellcat and the like — the less it seems to work. With this latest incarnation, the talented Joe Casey casts Nighthawk at the head of a team consisting of She-Hulk, Colossus and the Blazing Skull, which pretty much makes them the Defenders in name only. Still, if anyone can make it work it’s Joe Casey.

The Ultimates 3 #2 (second printing)

Kevin: For all the complaining online about this miniseries, somebody is buying it.

Arab in America

Chris: From Last Gasp. A semi-autobiographical graphic novel about an Arab-American’s struggles with prejudice and discrimination from youth to adulthood. The author is one Toufic El Rassi, and it seems to be his debut work.

Atomic Robo #6 (of 6)

Kevin: I mentioned before that I missed the boat on Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’s much-talked-about miniseries. I hope we see a trade paperback soon — before the next series begins in October — so I can get caught up.

Barefoot Gen, Vol. 5
Barefoot Gen, Vol. 6

Chris: Also from Last Gasp, though this series has a bit more of established history and praise behind it than El Rassi’s book. I don’t believe these volumes have ever seen the light of day before in the U.S., as past publishers of Keiji Nakazawa’s seminal work about the bombing of Hiroshima usually stopped once all the bodies have been buried.

Gumby, Vol. 1

Chris: I missed this the first time it came around and have been kicking myself ever since. I’m hoping my shop will have a copy this on Wednesday.

J-Pop Idol, Vol. 1 (of 3)

Kevin: It’s all the drama of American Idol crammed into a shojo manga!

My Dearest Devil Princess, Vol. 2

Chris: Oh, I bet you say that to all the devil princesses.

Nightmares & Fairy Tales #22

Kevin: Serena Valentino’s strange and wonderful fantasy series reaches its penultimate issue with the second part of “Song of the Siren,” about a captured mermaid who’s displayed in a carnival. The talented Camilla d’Errico provides the art.

V for Vendetta as Cultural Pastiche

Chris: The subtitle says A Critical Study of the Graphic Novel and Film. The author is one James R. Keller. The PR copy promises allusions to AIDS, Huxley, and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Amazon lists the price as $35. You’re on your own from this point.

Michael Recycle hardcover

Chris: When I was a lad, there was this book, titled Free Stuff for Kids, that told you of places where you could send a postcard to and get odd items and other tchotchkies. One of those items was a comic book about an environmentally friendly hero named Michael Recycle. This Michael Recycle has nothing to do with the former incarnation — it’s a children’s book from IDW — but I kind of wish it did.

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

DARK HORSE COMICS

JAN080089 ABE SAPIEN THE DROWNING #2 (OF 5) $2.99
JAN080091 BPRD 1946 #3 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV070032 CONAN TP VOL 05 ROGUES IN THE HOUSE $17.95
NOV070054 EMPOWERED TP VOL 03 (MR) $14.95
JAN080086 EVIL DEAD #3 (OF 4) $2.99
JAN080087 GOON #22 $2.99
OCT070061 HANAMI INTERNATIONAL LOVE STORY TP VOL 04 $9.95
NOV070048 HARVEY COMICS CLASSICS TP VOL 03 HOT STUFF $19.95
DEC070133 JOURNAL APAK $9.99
JAN080110 JOURNAL DOMO PHOTO $9.99
NOV060042 ORION 4TH ED TP $17.95
JAN080103 PAQUETS CABINET OF CURIOSITIES BRIDE BUST $69.00
JAN080102 PAQUETS CABINET OF CURIOSITIES MONSTER BUST $69.00
DEC070075 REELART STUDIOS THE SPIDER $150.00
JAN080041 SERENITY BETTER DAYS #1 (OF 3) $2.99
DEC070072 STAR WARS LEGACY #21 $2.99
JAN080095 STAR WARS REBELLION #12 $2.99
JAN080111 STATIONERY SET DOMO SELF MAILER $8.99
JAN080066 TERMINATOR OMNIBUS VOL 02 $24.95

DC COMICS

JUN070309 AFRO SAMURAI AND NINJA NINJA STATUE $195.00
JAN080158 BAT LASH #4 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC070211 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #14 $2.99
JAN080215 BATMAN STRIKES #43 $2.25
JAN080155 BOOSTER GOLD #7 $2.99
JAN080141 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 7 $2.99
DEC070188 COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #6 ( OF 8 ) $3.99
JAN080251 DMZ #29 (MR) $2.99
DEC070294 DMZ TP VOL 04 FRIENDLY FIRE (MR) $12.99
DEC070309 EMMA VOL 07 $10.99
DEC070311 FROM EROICA WITH LOVE VOL 12 $9.99
JAN080232 GEN 13 #18 $2.99
JAN080152 GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #6 (OF 9) $2.99
JAN080157 GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #6 $2.99
JAN080183 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #22 $2.99
JAN080184 JLA CLASSIFIED #54 $2.99
NOV070237 JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL HC $24.99
JAN080218 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #12 $2.25
DEC070246 LOBO PORTRAIT OF A BASTICH TP $19.99
NOV070259 ORFINA VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
AUG070353 REACTIVATED SER 4 SUPER SQUAD BATMAN AF PI
AUG070354 REACTIVATED SER 4 SUPER SQUAD HAWKMAN AF PI
AUG070355 REACTIVATED SER 4 SUPER SQUAD SUPERMAN AF PI
AUG070352 REACTIVATED SER 4 SUPER SQUAD WONDER WOMAN AF PI
DEC070250 ROBIN THE BIG LEAGUES TP $12.99
JAN080151 SALVATION RUN #5 (OF 7) $2.99
DEC070258 SHOWCASE PRESENTS PHANTOM STRANGER TP VOL 02 $16.99
JAN080167 SIMON DARK #6 $2.99
JAN080161 SUICIDE SQUAD RAISE THE FLAG #7 ( OF 8 ) $2.99
JAN080171 SUPERMAN #674 $2.99
JAN080174 SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #13 $2.99
JAN080214 TINY TITANS #2 $2.25
JAN080257 UN-MEN #8 (MR) $2.99
JAN080229 WILDSTORM REVELATIONS #5 (OF 6) $2.99
JAN080193 WONDER WOMAN #18 $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

NOV072034 ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #5 $2.99
DEC072084 CEMETERY BLUES #2 $3.50
MAY071872 GUTSVILLE #3 (OF 6) (MR) $2.99
NOV072019 HOW TO MAKE WEBCOMICS TP $12.99
OCT072015 MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #7 $2.99
JAN082055 SCREAMLAND #1 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072059 WALKING DEAD #47 (MR) $2.99
JAN082107 WITCHBLADE TP VOL 03 $14.99

MARVEL COMICS

JAN082135 AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #18 $2.99
JAN082130 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #553 $2.99
JAN082137 ANNIHILATION CONQUEST #5 (OF 6) $2.99
JAN082136 AVENGERS FAIRY TALES #1 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC072175 AVENGERS INITIATIVE #10 $2.99
JAN082220 AVENGERS INITIATIVE TP VOL 01 BASIC TRAINING $14.99
DEC078177 CAPTAIN AMERICA #34 DIRECTORS CUT $3.99
JAN082133 CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #9 $4.99
JAN082194 DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING MAN THING #2 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99
JAN082143 FANTASTIC FOUR #555 $2.99
JAN082226 GHOST RIDER TP VOL 04 REVELATIONS $14.99
AUG072282 HEDGE KNIGHT 2 SWORN SWORD #5 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC072192 IRON MAN ENTER MANDARIN #6 (OF 6) $2.99
JAN082155 LAST DEFENDERS #1 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC072263 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE PREM HC VOL 2 $19.99
DEC072264 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE PREM HC VOL 2 DM ED $19.99
JAN082157 MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #9 $2.99
JAN082163 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #7 $3.99
DEC072251 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED LAST OF THE MOHICANS PREM HC $19.99
DEC072252 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MAN IN THE IRON MASK PREM HC $19.99
JAN082116 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MOBY DICK #2 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC072253 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED TREASURE ISLAND PREM HC $19.99
JAN082164 MIGHTY AVENGERS #10 $2.99
JAN082187 NEW EXILES #3 $2.99
JAN082172 NOVA #11 $2.99
JAN082193 PUNISHER #55 (MR) $2.99
JAN082217 SPIDER-MAN FAMILY TP UNTOLD TEAM UPS DIGEST $9.99
JAN082214 SPIDER-MAN RED SONJA PREM HC $19.99
NOV072176 THUNDERBOLTS #119 $2.99
JAN088021 ULTIMATES 3 #2 (OF 5) 2ND PTG VAR $2.99
JAN082190 WOLVERINE #63 DWS $2.99
JAN082185 X-FACTOR #29 DWS $2.99
JAN082224 X-MEN TP DIE BY THE SWORD $13.99

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT

JAN083264 TOYFARE IRON MAN MOVIE CVR #129 $4.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

DEC073740 30 DAYS OF NIGHT TP VOL 09 BEYOND BARROW (MR) $17.99
JAN083880 99 #6 $2.99
NOV073611 A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY MEGA BUNDLE #8 (A) $18.00
NOV073598 A I REVOLUTION GN VOL 02 (MR) $10.99
DEC073684 ADV OF DANIEL BOOM AKA LOUD BOY GN VOL 01 $5.99
DEC073896 ANIMA GN VOL 07 (OF 10) $9.99
NOV073700 ARAB IN AMERICA TP $14.95
JAN083370 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #117 $2.25
JAN083371 ARCHIE DIGEST #242 $2.49
JAN083857 ATOMIC ROBO #6 (OF 6) $2.95
DEC073735 BADGER SAVES THE WORLD #3 (OF 5) $3.99
DEC073795 BAREFOOT GEN VOL 5 TP $14.95
DEC073796 BAREFOOT GEN VOL 6 TP $14.95
DEC073602 CHINESE HERO SC VOL 05 TALES O/T BLOOD SWORD $18.95
JAN083721 CSI BAD RAP TP NEW PTG $11.99
NOV073596 CY BELIEVERS GN VOL 01 $10.99
NOV073533 DF CAPT AMERICA #34 ALEX ROSS PAINTED CVR $15.00
NOV073536 DF HULK #1 EXCL VAR CVR $15.00
NOV073398 DIARY OF NIGHT #1 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC073475 DIARY OF NIGHT #2 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC073928 DISCOVERED TP SCAD SEQUENTIAL ART ANTHOLOGY $9.95
DEC073722 DOCTOR WHO #2 $3.99
JAN083565 DONT BLAME ME GN VOL 01 (OF 2) (MR) $12.95
DEC074000 EXCEL SAGA TP VOL 17 $9.99
DEC073491 FOUNDATION #3 (OF 5) (RES) $3.99
JAN083954 GAMEKEEPER SERIES 2 #1 $2.99
JAN083955 GAMEKEEPER SERIES 2 #1 ORMSTON VAR CVR $2.99
DEC073747 GENE SIMMONS HOUSE OF HORRORS #3 $9.99
DEC073912 GET BACKERS GN VOL 23 (OF 37) (MR) $9.99
DEC074028 GFT RETURN TO WONDERLAND CVR GALLERY #1 (MR) $3.99
JAN083560 GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE #33 $3.50
DEC074026 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #24 (MR) $2.99
NOV073935 GUMBY TP VOL 01 (RES) $12.95
DEC073913 HANDS OFF DONT CALL US ANGELS GN VOL 02 (OF 2) $9.99
NOV073600 HER MAJESTYS DOG GN VOL 08 $10.99
MAY073589 ICHIGEKI SACCHU HOIHOI-SAN GN $10.95
JAN083967 INDIA AUTHENTIC TP VOL 02 $14.99
DEC073901 J POP IDOL GN VOL 01 (OF 3) $9.99
NOV073597 KANNA GN VOL 03 $10.99
NOV073538 KING OF DEBT (A) $15.95
JAN083690 LOCKE & KEY #2 $3.99
SEP073510 LONE RANGER AND TONTO #1 $4.99
SEP073523 LONE RANGER PX SGN HC (RES) $89.99
DEC073603 LUNAR LEGEND TSUKIHIME TP VOL 05 $9.95
NOV073748 MAINTENANCE #9 (MR) $3.50
DEC073561 MAMOTTE LOLLIPOP GN VOL 05 $10.95
DEC073906 ME & MY BROTHERS GN VOL 03 (OF 7) $9.99
DEC073604 METRO SURVIVE GN VOL 01 (MR) $9.95
NOV073307 MISADVENTURES OF CLARK & JEFFERSON #3 (OF 4) $3.50
SEP073468 MY DEAREST DEVIL PRINCESS GN VOL 02 (MR) $9.99
DEC073349 NIGHTMARES AND FAIRY TALES #22 (MR) $3.50
DEC073371 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #158 $2.99
NOV073526 PALOOKA VILLE #19 (MR) $4.95
DEC073696 PLEASE MISS YURI GN (A) $19.95
JAN083541 POGROM #1 (OF 7) $5.50
NOV073539 PRIME MINISTERS SECRET DIPLOMACY GN (A) $15.95
DEC073893 PRINCESS AI GN VOL 01 (OF 3) $9.99
DEC073921 RAVE MASTER GN VOL 27 (OF 35) $9.99
DEC073900 REBIRTH COLLECTION VOL 1-3 $12.99
DEC073908 REPLAY GN VOL 02 (OF 3) (MR) $9.99
JAN083866 SCORN #1 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
NOV073797 SHANDA THE PANDA #47 (MR) $4.99
JAN083966 SNAKEWOMAN TP VOL 03 TALE OF THE SNAKE CHARMER (MR) $14.99
DEC073922 SOMEDAYS DREAMERS SPELLBOUND GN VOL 05 (OF 5) $9.99
JAN083379 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #186 $2.25
JAN083712 SPEED RACER TP VOL 03 $19.99
JAN083556 SPOOKS #2 ARCHER CVR B $5.50
JAN083555 SPOOKS #2 DELLESANDRO CVR A $3.50
SEP073349 SULLENGREY CEMETERY THINGS SOUND SET (MR) $29.95
DEC073923 SUPPLI GN VOL 02 (OF 5) (MR) $10.99
DEC074002 SWITCH GN VOL 01 $9.99
DEC073894 THIRD GN VOL 01 (OF 2) (MR) $9.99
DEC074004 TOGARI TP VOL 05 $9.99
OCT073246 TWILIGHT X TP VOL 2 BEFORE PEACE $49.95
OCT073364 WARHAMMER 40K BLOOD & THUNDER CVR A #4 (OF 4) $3.99
OCT073365 WARHAMMER 40K BLOOD & THUNDER CVR B #4 (OF 4) $3.99
DEC073907 WELCOME TO NHK GN VOL 06 ( OF 8 ) (MR) $9.99
NOV073599 WISE MAN SLEEPS GN VOL 01 $10.99
JAN083725 WORMWOOD TP VOL 02 $19.99
DEC074003 YAKITATE JAPAN TP VOL 10 $9.99
DEC073903 YOUR AND MY SECRET GN VOL 01 (OF 4) $9.99
DEC073925 YUBISAKI MILK TEA GN VOL 07 (OF 7) (MR) $9.99

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