1) Fairest #1

Fans of the popular Vertigo series Fables will want to remember this new series starting this week.  The rotating arcs of Fairest feature some of the most popular female characters from Fables, as well as new creative teams for each story arc.  The first six issues focus on the character Briar Rose, and are written by Fables scribe Bill Willingham, with art by Phil Jimenez and covers by the great Adam Hughes!

2) Age of Apocalypse #1

This new series spins out of the popular storyline in Uncanny X-force.  David Lapham and Roberto de la Torre helm this new series that deals with a ragged group of human survivors called the X-terminated as they naviagate the violent world of Apocalypse.  While the series has some of the mutants you know from the Age of Apocalypse story, it mainly focuses on characters like William Stryker, Bolivar Trask, and Donald Pierce.  Some of you will recognize those names from previous X-men stories.

3) Hellboy TP vol. 12: The Storm and The Fury

This trade paperback makes the list this week because it exemplifies how creator Mike Mignola allows his characters to evolve and develop over time.  The two stories in the volume change Hellboy in fundamental ways, and in the Mignola-verse, when characters undergo big changes they stay changed without going back to recycled stories or situations.  This volume also features some beautiful art from Duncan Fegredo.

4) Manhattan Projects #1

Jonathan Hickman has a knack for producing interesting ideas in both his mainstream and creator owned work.  This new series (featuring art from Red Wing artist Nick Pitarra) considers the possibility that the researchers of the Manhattan Project may have been involved in creating things darker and stranger than even the atomic bomb.

5) King City TP

If you only know of writer/artist Brandon Graham from his recent work on Prophet, you really owe it to yourself to check out his incredible work on King City.  Part manga, part science fiction, and full of monsters, spies, and a cat that can turn into any tool or weapon, King City is a detailed and multifaceted look at the city itself and its inhabitants.  It’s a unique book that stands out among other books with its intricate attention to detail and unique uses of visual storytelling.

> Bonus Picks of the Week: Animal Man #7, Winter Soldier #3, Swamp Thing #7, Avengers: Children’s Crusade #9, Fatale #3, Flashpoint TP, and Compleat Terminal City TP.