Hot Off The Comics Press: Picks Of The Week 26 March

Many superheroes have come and gone by the way of the ‘comic book death’ and the recent months saw – spoiler alert – Johnny Strom, aka the Human Torch’s flame extinguished and the Fantastic Four was no more. Well, for a couple of months at least, as your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has swung in to fill the fireballs shoes until he comes back from the dead like all good superheroes do. Until that day comes, a new dawn in Marvel flagship family begins with FF #1 written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Steven Epting. Time will tell if the newly named Future Force can keep up the tradition as Marvel’s first family.

Other fledgling titles on the stands include Daredevil: Reborn #3, the X-Men going very dark in Uncanny X-Force #6 and Galactus’ former herald in Silver Surfer #2 mean this week’s shelves firmly belong to new Marvel. However, if you are big on the DC your salvation comes in Grant Morrison’s Batman Inc. #4 as in the slew of continuing Bat tales – this is the one rightly getting all the attention.

If you don’t care for men in tights or any of the super-powered goons running amuck in major cities, New York Five #3 has a NYC Spidey free. Although you may want to check out Vertigo’s New York Four beforehand, there are no twisting plot developments here also no bloodshed, no violence and no costumed crime fighters. Instead Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly’s down-to-Earth tale centres on a group of friends returning for a second semester at college. This indie alternative is accessible for anyone, male or female, old(er) and young alike as Wood’s story not only brings the characters to life, but Kelly’s artwork shows us a living, breathing New York City. Sometimes, writing simpler human dramas, cape free, is the biggest challenge of all and New York Five is an example of how it should be done.

Remember, Wednesday is comic book release day.