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

KEY:

* Seabound

^ Landlocked

% Airborne

* POPEYE #1

I can't think of a more appropriate writer than Roger Langridge to take on the newest (miniseries) comic book incarnation of E.C. Segar's sailor man, and Bruce Ozella's artwork for this issue is very much in the Segarian mode. (The regular cover's a cute homage to Action Comics #1; the variant is a Jules Feiffer sketch, which is a good idea too.) Langridge, in his formidable writer/artist capacity, also has Snarked! #7 out this week, continuing his wildly charming (and not entirely un-Segar-like) take on Lewis Carroll's creations.

% BLACK ORCHID DELUXE EDITION

Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's 1988 miniseries isn't quite Sandman or Violent Cases, but it's interesting as a very early take on a shared-universe/franchise project by both of them. This edition is a $25 hardcover.

^ DAREDEVIL #11

Mark Waid and Marco Checchetto conclude the "Omega Effect" cross-over with Avenging Spider-Man and Punisher. It's been a fun story so far, but it's also underscored how far the normal vibe of each character has to be altered for them to coexist in a functional plot at this point.

^ FRAZETTA FUNNY STUFF

The late Frank Frazetta was best known for his fantasy and sci-fi comics, but early in his career he tried his hand at anything that could pay the bills, including the comedy and funny-animal stories collected in this $50 hardcover (the "Li'l Abner" knockoff "Louie Lazybones" will apparently be among them).

^ JERUSALEM: CHRONICLES FROM THE HOLY CITY

The Quebecois cartoonist Guy Delisle's previous comics travelogues Pyongyang, Shenzhen and Burma Chronicles have all been fascinating and charming, and advance word on this one is promising too. It'd be great to see his fictional comics translated into English as well.

* ^ LEVIATHAN

I've got a soft spot for almost everything by the writer/artist team of Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, who've collaborated on a bunch of horror/history-inflected comics including Scarlet Traces, Stickleback and Kingdom of the Wicked. This collects their steampunk-ish 2003 serial about an enormous, cursed ship, along with three brief sequels from the following few years. Could its American release be timed to the Titanic anniversary? Could be! (On the Midtown Comics list, not the Diamond Comics Distributors list.)

^ % NEW AVENGERS #25

This week's serving of Brian Michael Bendis-written AvX tie-in, drawn by Mike Deodato. Also this week in the Bendis department: Moon Knight #12, which I believe is the final issue, drawn by Alex Maleev. As I understand, the plan was for Bendis and Maleev's Scarlet to continue to appear bimonthly while Moon Knight appeared monthly; it appears that no issues of Scarlet actually made it out during Moon Knight's run.

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