1) Daniel Clowes’ Death-Ray HC

Clowes originally published this story in his fabled Eightball #23.  This week Drawn and Quarterly offers up a re-release of that classic story, but newly expanded and produced in a larger hardcover format.  The Death-Ray features Clowes’ take on the superhero genre and costumed vigilantes in a way only he could.  Where else might you see a hero’s origin tied to his first puff of a cigarette?  Aside from the incredible cartooning you always get with Clowes, this book also features some of Clowes smartest writing to date.

2) The Shade #1

Last week fans might’ve noticed a few new miniseries from DC starting up.  In addition to their 52 new ongoing titles they will continue to be produced shorter series, and one of their most anticipated ones hits this week, with this first of twelve issues.  James Robinson is bringing back his popular character from the pages of Starman, and a who’s who list of artists will be on hand to illustrate this story that spreads over several centuries.  Artist Cully Hamner handles the first several issues, with artists like Darwyn Cooke, Jill Thompson, and Gene Ha working on future issues.  For those of us who enjoyed Starman, we’re hoping that The Shade will recapture some of the goodness of that series and also feature Robinson’s return to form.

3) The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists HC

If The Death-Ray wasn’t enough for indie fans, this week also sees the newest book from Canadian cartoonist genius, Seth!  The creator behind Palookaville, George Sprott, It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, and Clyde Fans examines the fictions and facts behind Canda’s comics history.  Seth’s work is so effective largely because the lines between reality and fiction are so blurred.  It’s Seth’s deft use of humor and an authentic writing voice that makes his work so beloved amongst fans of great comics.  This new book should be another great addition to his already impressive catalog.

4) X-men: Regenesis #1

Picking up from the threads of X-men: Schism, Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan deal with the ramification of the rift between Cyclops and Wolverine, and go about setting up the relaunches of the new Uncanny X-men and Wolverine and the X-men.  This one shot should also expand on Schism by delineating where other X-teams like X-factor, New Mutants, Generation Hope, and Uncanny X-force end up in this new direction.

5) Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #2

With Animal Man, writer Jeff Lemire is elevating his status as one of DC’s top writers.  While that book owes much to the horror genre, Frankenstein reads more like a love letter to classic monster movies.  Featuring new twists on the myths of Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and other monster archetypes, this book seems quite accessible among DC’s new 52 titles.  I should also mention the art of Alberto Ponticelli, whose work on Unknown Soldier might seem vastly different from his work on a monster book.  That’s one of the real draws of the book for me, though, as it seems to represent the artist’s range and ability to work in very different aspects of the horror genre.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Batgirl #2, 100 Bullets HC Book One, Batwoman #2, Drew Struzan: Oeuvre HC, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #2, Green Lantern #2, Orchid #1, Pope Hats #2, and Uncanny X-force #16.