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

KEY:

* Watch me jumpstart

^ They're not witches

% The closer you are, the quicker it hits you

¢ Cigarette tricks

* % ACTION COMICS #1

Grant Morrison, Rags Morales and Rick Bryant relaunch the flagship superhero comic book. OK, so Morrison has now gone like 14 for 14 on his Superman comics (i.e. All-Star and the possibly-even-more-brilliant Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3-D), but... let's just say this better be good. Meanwhile, former Action writer Paul Cornell relaunches Stormwatch with artist Miguel Sepulveda. Don't laugh--at least they're not calling it The Authority again this time.

* % BATGIRL #1

Gail Simone writes, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes draw. Barbara Gordon's back in the cowl, apparently. Again, there is a certain teeth-gritting "impress me or else" feeling going around.

* ¢ CASANOVA: AVARITIA #1

The long, long-awaited return of Matt Fraction and Gabriel Bá's next-level ultraspy sci-fi outpouring of whatever's been rattling around and recombining inside Fraction's head. And when I say "sci-fi," I don't just mean high technology: if the Dangerous Visions anthologies had been comics instead of prose, this would have been the sort of thing that would have been in them.

^ GIANT SIZE LITTLE LULU VOL. 4

I have no objections to "everything John Stanley ever worked on needs to come back into print" turning into "everything John Stanley ever worked on needs to come back into print twice."

^ iZOMBIE #17

Chris Roberson and Michael Allred's charming monster-archetype/girl-detective series continues, and its second collection, "uVampire," appears.

* ^ ¢ MISSIONARY MAN: BAD MOON RISING

This has to be at least the third edition of the early episodes of Gordon Rennie and Frank Quitely's Western-style spinoff of Judge Dredd; this one's from Rebellion, so U.S. stores might or might not get it this week.

% MOON KNIGHT #5

Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev keep the multiple-personality-disorder superhero action going. If there's ever another Marvel/DC crossover project, he's going to have to meet Crazy Jane. Also this week: Bendis and Gabrielle Dell'Otto introduce the Revengers in New Avengers Annual #1.

* SPIDER-ISLAND: AVENGERS #1

Frog-Man and Squirrel Girl are involved. Creators Christopher Yost and Mike McKone are not taking this all that seriously, I'm pleased to see. Also this week: a collection of the short "I [Spider] NY" strips Marvel's been publishing through their app.

* SWAMP THING #1

Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette apparently roll back a lot of the Alan Moore stuff: turns out he was Alec Holland after all, as I understand. Way to slay the father, dudes! I still suspect I'd have rather had the China Miéville version, but I'll try to reserve judgement.

[Update: According to writer Scott Snyder nothing is being rolled back and all past ST continuity stands. Snyder has told CA in an e-mail that Swamp Thing is his favorite character and he wouldn't wipe away his history for anything.]

* % ¢ WOLVERINE: DEBT OF DEATH #1

A one-shot by David Lapham and David Aja. Lapham's really good when he's on; Aja's really good and is always on. Apparently, Japan is involved.

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