Don’t Ask! Just Buy It! – Feb. 24: Batwoman Rises, Daredevil Faces Mephisto and Beto Has a Cow

Savage Critic and "Reading Comics" author Douglas Wolk runs down the hottest comics and graphic novels coming out this week.

KEY

* Lousy parents and messed-up kids, to quote Culturcide

^ Blighty

¢ The devil incarnate

¥ Brutal youth

* ¥ BART SIMPSON COMICS #52

Fans of Gilbert Hernandez: note that he has a story in this issue. Non-fans of Gilbert Hernandez: you're dead to me. Also in this issue, apparently: Sergio Aragones and Carol Lay.

* ^ ¢ ¥ BATMAN AND ROBIN #9

The conclusion of the cracking Grant Morrison/Cameron Stewart three-parter. There's a brief preview up; do you actually have to be dead for a Lazarus Pit to work on you? I forget. Speaking of dead characters: the cover of this week's "Black Lantern Green Arrow" is a riff on "Green Lantern/Green Arrow" #76, although DC's designers missed the opportunity to parody the logo, too. And "Blackest Night" #7 is out this week, too.

¢ DAREDEVIL: LONE STRANGER TPB

I'm not sure why this random volume from the middle of Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.'s enormously entertaining "Daredevil" run (#265-273, from 1989) is suddenly appearing, but I'm not going to complain about it. For those who wonder what Nocenti is doing these days (besides her occasional comics work): she's teaching filmmaking in Haiti!

* ¢ HITMAN VOL. 2: 10,000 BULLETS

So maybe DC's going to be reprinting this entire Garth Ennis/John McCrea series after all. This one covers #4-8 and Annual #1, the latter gerrymandered in from the original Vol. 3. Also, those of you who enjoy good crime comics and missed out on "Stumptown" #1 a few months ago should snag a copy of the second printing, out this week.

¥ MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #60

The Paul Tobin-written Peter-Parker-in-high-school series has a neat format that's not too common right now: done-in-one stories, but with ongoing subplots. This issue's drawn by Christian Nauck, and involves Bullseye. Preview.

^ WEIRD WORLD OF JACK STAFF #1

A relaunch for Paul Grist's odd, low-key, very charming tribute to classic British comics. Also out, for those who want to catch up: the fourth collection of the previous "Jack Staff" series, "Rocky Realities."