It’s the end of the publishing month and thus a huge week for new releases.  And since it’s also the week of Halloween there are plenty of horror themed titles to choose from.  Check out the full listing of new books on our new releases page.  Here are a few of the standouts that caught my eye this week.

1) Action Comics #894

In a recent spotlight I discussed how writer Paul Cornell has managed to inject new life into this series.  Thus far he’s offered us  interesting takes on Luthor, Deathstroke, and Grodd.  Appropriately timed for Halloween, Cornell brings Neil Gaiman‘s popular character Death into the picture.  While the appearance of the Sandman staple will attract plenty of readers on its own, hopefully some readers will show up for Cornell’s involvement.  If he’s done as good a job as he already has on some of DC’s more mainstream characters, just imagine how he’ll approach ones from the Vertigo stable.

2) Avengers #6

Half a year into Marvel’s ‘Heroic Age’ and its slew of Avengers books we’re finally starting to see how each book stands up on its own.  While New Avengers is worth a look on the merits of Stuart Immonen‘s art alone, the Brian Bendis and John Romita, Jr. Avengers title is developing into a worthwhile series.  In rereading the first five issues in one sitting I found them to be more enjoyable reading each issue month by month.  This is certainly becoming the big budget action movie equivalent of the Avengers line of books.

3) Superman Earth One HC

This is the first in a series of new character reimagining graphic novels helmed by J. Michael Straczynski.  Working in a format not unlike Marvel’s Ultimate line of books, here classic DC heroes have their origins updated for a modern audience.  Complete with an updated new costume courtesy of series artist Shane Davis, this line should appeal to old and new readers alike.  At 126 pages for only $19.99, it’s  an affordable chance to partake of what might be one of DC’s most reader-friendly ideas in recent years.

4) Beasts of Burden/Hellboy one shot

Beasts of Burden was probably a bigger surprise to many of us than it should have been.  Considering the creative team of  Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, none of us should have been shocked by the quality of the book.  Containing elements of fantasy, horror, and even nods to children’s literature, Beasts of Burden instantly found its place in the modern comics canon.  This week, just in time for Halloween we get what promises to be a fun one shot co-written by Dorkin and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and illustrated by Jill Thompson.  To top it all off, both Mignola and Thompson provide covers for the issue.

5) Incognito: Bad Influences #1

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips return with the second act of their acclaimed crime series.  This creative team has worked together on several good noir comics in the past decade, ranging from Vertigo’s Scene of the Crime to Marvel Icon’s Criminal.  With each new effort they manage to produce an increasingly focused and entertaining story.  Volume one seamlessly integrated the worlds of pulp, noir, and superheroes into a single unified story, so expect more of the same quality this time around.

> Bonus picks of the week:  Captain America: Patriot #3, Wonder Woman #604, Fantastic Four #584, Justice League: Generation Lost #12, Secret Avengers #6, and JLA/the 99 #1.  Remember, the full listing of this week’s New Releases is available on our site.  Enjoy your comics!