Hot Off The Comics Press: Picks Of The Week 18 May

Blog by Thom Atkinson | 18 May 2011

They say familiarity breeds contempt, but this old mantra just doesn't work when talking about the most reliable and consistently superb titles. With each and every new issue being as good as the last, these ongoing series will always get a hardy recommendation to their excellence. As such, Marvel has a bumper week with its excellent ensemble of team titles. Heroes for Hire #7 by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Thunderbolts #157 by Jeff Parker, Uncanny X-Force #10 by Rick Remender and X-Factor #219 by Peter David are all taught and entertaining titles out courtesy of Marvel this week.

So why not try one more team in the returning Alpha Flight #0.1? This title, part of Marvel's stand-alone Point One series, is written by none other than Hulk saviour Greg Pak and sees Canada's original super-team reborn out of the Fear Itself storyline. This is a chance to get in on the ground floor and know that you were there at the rebirth.

Over at DC it's hard not to be cynical with the sheer volume of Batman titles crowding the shelves, but one particular title this week comes attached with Scott Snyder as writer. Batman: Gates of Gotham #1 (of 5) is the first in a miniseries by the American Vampire scribe and tackles a mystery as old as Gotham. For such a task Batman assembles a crack team of super sleuths including Owlman, Red Robin and more!

Alternatively you could go left field this week with Super Dinosaur: Original Special #1 created by the man behind the Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman. This stand-alone origin special will introduce you to Derek Dynamo and his best friend, Super Dinosaur. Could the man who breathed life back into zombies do the same for the previously extinct?