4.18.12 Releases

After the high that last issue ended on, I’m excited to check out Prophet #24 (Image), especially considering that Farel Dalrymple is jumping on the art. He’s easily a favorite and in that special group of artists that I wish worked more so that I could enjoy their art more regularly. Manhattan Projects #2 (Image) makes it a duo from the publisher this week. I think that Secret (the other Hickman Image book going right now) might overshadow it, but it’s still got some juice. The art in Manhattan Projects is much too over-the-top in spots, but the ideas are the sort of manic sci-fi that remind me of Warren Ellis. I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 Story: Secret Files of The Giant Man (Dark Horse), a late follow up from Matt Kindt, which I’ll probably check out. And from New York, we’ve got Batman #8 (DC) marking just about the only straight superhero book the publisher is doing right at the moment, and Avengers Vs. X-Men #2 (Marvel) which (not counting the #0 issue) has been surprisingly palatable so far. Lastly, if you’re looking for something a little meatier this week, I can wholeheartedly recommend Naoki Urasawa’s “Watchmen of Japan,” with 20th Century Boys: Volume 20 (VizMedia). It’s planned to run 24 volumes and the plot is so complex you’d better start with Volume 1! What looks good to you?