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

KEY

* Surf

^ Turf

¢ Nerf

^ AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #651

"Big Time" continues to play hurry-up-and-wait. Apparently there's a "Tron variant" version of this issue (and various other comics this month). I applaud this strategy, because it means we're that much closer to getting "The Great Gatsby 3-D" cover variants.

^ CASANOVA: GULA #1

The second miniseries reprinting and "remastering" the initial run of Matt Fraction's everything-and-more sci-fi series; this was the storyline drawn by Fabio Moon. If you missed it the first time, I promise not to tell.

* CHOPPER: SURF'S UP

A British import, collecting one of the more intriguing spinoffs from "Judge Dredd": the adventures of Marlon "Chopper" Shakespeare, who wants to be free to ride his machine without being hassled by the man. (He also belongs to that slightly heartwarming, slightly not-so-heartwarming category of comics characters who have survived after it makes much more dramatic sense for them to have died.) The cover lists writers John Wagner and Garth Ennis, and artists John Higgins and Colin MacNeil; I'm guessing the storylines inside are probably "Soul On Fire" from 1988, "Song of the Surfer" from 1989, and "Earth, Wind and Fire" from 1990. Speaking of Dredd: 2000 AD Prog 2011 is also out this week in at least some stores--the annual 100-page "check out what we're up to this year" special. Henry Flint's artwork on "Shakara" is spectacular, Gerry Finley-Day writes what I suspect is his first Rogue Trooper story in many years, and there's a Dredd story called "The Chief Judge's Speech." (Both are on the Midtown list, not on the Diamond list.)

^ DODGEM LOGIC #6

So we won't count on seeing any Jason Aaron articles in here any time soon, eh?

^ SECRET SIX #29

Gail Simone and J. Califiore conclude a crossover with Lex Luthor's feature in Action. (Paul Cornell buffs: Knight & Squire #4 is also out this week.)

¢ THOR THE MIGHTY AVENGER #8

Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's youth-oriented Thor title comes to an end--really the closest thing superhero comics had to a Bill Forsyth movie these days. If you're hoping for one more hit of this particular juice, note that Langridge and Samnee are also collaborating on Marvel's Captain America/Thor special for Free Comic Book Day. In further all-ages action, this week also sees Paul Tobin and Scott Koblish's Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #10, with the Tobinverse versions of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.

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