It’s not often that I feel bad for a comic book, but I do kinda feel for Kid Colt #1. It’s written by Tom DeFalco, who writes that Spider-Girl comic no one wants to read (or, more accurately, that a few thousand people really, really want to read very badly, but no one else does), it’s drawn by the incredibly talented Rick Burchett and it even has a pretty nice cover by Luke Ross, but it’s still a random Kid Colt one-shot thrown out into the market the same week Marvel is releasing almost 40 other comics and trades.

I say I feel bad for it, but not so bad that I’d want to part with $4 for it. Kid Colt’s probably too proud to accept my pity dollars anyway.

A closer look at some of those 40 Marvel comics, and some stuff from their archenemy DC comics and some other publishers as well, after the jump.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold #7: This issue, in which Batman teams up with The Doom Patrol, is significant for the fact that it’s being drawn by J. Bone, the very talented artist whose covers are often the best part of this book’s fellow Johnny DC title Super Friends. Bone is also providing the cover for this week’s Billy Batson and The Magic of Shazam #6, which is being illustrated by the equally awesome Stephen DeStefano. Together that adds up to an exceptionally good week for DC’s kids comics.

Citizen Rex #1: Dark Horse launches a four-issue miniseries by Mario and Gilbert Hernandez about a gossip columnist in the future. Robots, robot celebrities, robot scandals and the mob are involved. Preview here.

Dark Reign: Goblin Legacy #1: Huh. This is kind of a weird one. It’s a remastered, recolored collection of the Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. storyline from 1966′s Amazing Spider-Man #39 and #40, with a new, modern-looking (i.e. not very good) cover. It apparently also features a new framing sequence and a complete history of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin to help put the story in the context of the “Dark Reign” mega-storyline/branding exercise. If that doesn’t quite meet your Dark Reign requirements for the week, for God’s sake, don’t worry. Between Dark Reign: Hawkeye #4, Dark Reign: The Hood #3, Dark Reign: The Lethal Legion #2, Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man #2, Dark Reign: Young Avengers #3 and Dark X-Men: The Beginning #2, there should be more than enough $3.99, Dark Reign-branded comics for even the biggest “Dark Reign” fan.

Detective Comics #855: This is the second issue of Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams’ Batwoman story arc. Don’t worry if you missed the TEC #854, the first issue of their run, as that will also be showing up this week, in a second-printing.

Fantastic Four #569: It’s the double-sized conclusion of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s run on Marvel’s one-time flagship title, which, oddly enough, is only plotted by Millar, and is completely Hitch-free. Fantastic Force writer Joe Ahearne handles the actual scripting, while Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger draw.

Jersey Gods Vol. 1: I’d Live and I’d Die For You: The first five issues of Glen Brunswick and Dan McCaid’s well-regarded series about Kirby-esque gods and a Jersey girl are collected in this 145-page, $15 trade, which also includes all the covers by the likes of Darwyn Cooke, Paul Pope, Mike Allred and Erik Larsen.

Justice Society of America #29: The new creative team of Bill Willingham, Matt Sturges and Jesus Merino start the post-Geoff Johns era of the JSA with this issue, in which two more recruits are added to the team. In other Justice-themed team releases for the week, Justice League of America #35 features old-school JLA writer Len Wein beginning a short, between writers fill-in arc, the first issue of which is being drawn by Eddy Barrows and Ruy Jose.

Kaboom Vol. 1: Jeph Loeb and Jeff Matsuda’s old series about a kid named Geof Sunrise, now in trade form. Three guys with a first name that’s pronounced the same, but with three entirely different spellings! Also included in this 130-page, $15 trade are the contents of Kaboom Prelude and Kaboom Christmas Special, and covers from Keron Grant, Adam Pollina and regular Loeb collaborators Ed McGuinness, Tim Sale and Rob Liefeld. It does not seem to be an adaptation of the old Atari game of the same name.

Kimi ni Todoke Vol. 1: I know I probably don’t say this enough, Entire Nation of Japan, but I love you. This is a pretty good example of why. Check out the solicitation for this shojo comic from Viz: “Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine…for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she’s often mistaken for Sadako, the haunting character from Ringu. Unbeknownst to but a few, behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager.” Then the most popular boy in her class becomes her friend…and maybe something more? It’s by Karuho Shiina, the manga-ka responsible for Crazy For You, and will cost you $9 for 215 pages.

Leo Pulp: This is an IDW published translation of an Italian comic set in 1940s Hollywood and starring a character with a large nose and large chin. It’s by Claudo Nizzi and Massimo Bonfatti, it’s 300-pages long, it costs $28 and that’s about all I know. (IDW’s website isn’t exactly forthcoming on the subject).

Marvel Zombies 4  #4: On Diamond’s shipping list, this is listed as “MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #4 (OF 4).” Does the aligning of these fours signify something of cosmic importance?

The Muppet Show: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson #1: Well that didn’t take long. Roger Langridge’s four-issue Muppet Show miniseries just ended, and this week another four-issue Muppet Show miniseries by Roger Langridge begins.

New Avengers #55: What’s this on the cover of New Avengers this week?

The team members lying unconscious in a heap on the cover? Hey, they’re stealing the Justice League’s bit! Stuart Immonen draws much better piles of unconscious superheroes than Ed Benes though. Immonen joins his former Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator Brian Michael Bendis on Marvel’s best-selling comic this issue. I’d be surprised if the book didn’t look much better than it has at any point during that last 54 issues as a result.

Ultimatum #5: It’s the ultimate issue of Ultimatum, the imprint-ending miniseries by Jeph Loeb, David Finch and Danny Miki. Sorry, I can’t think of anything snarky to say about it at this point. To double your Ultimate line-ending pleasure this week, you can also pick up Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #2, the second issue of a two-issue miniseries that bridges the gap between the end of Ultimate Spider-Man and the beginning of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. Both books are $3.99.

Wonder Woman #34: Long-time Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone gets to write Black Canary again, as the girl gladiator teams up Wonder Woman for a two-part story arc entitled “Birds of Paradise.” Is that okay that I used the term “girl gladiator,” or is it demeaning to women? Is “blonde bombshell” better? Man, Black Canary needs some better nicknames…

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