Where Shawn looks at the New Releases and lets you know which books she is most excited about!

1) Beasts of Burden #3

I highly recommend this book! It has the perfect mix of cute and eerie. That comment is not meant to be pejorative. The art and the storytelling are seemingly lighthearted but there is more going on beneath the surface than you initially realize. The stories are poignant and they resonate with you long after you put the book down. The writing surprised me because I am more familiar with Evan Dorkin’s work with Milk and Cheese which is stylistically very different. There is common thread of humor in both but is it far more subtle in Beasts of Burden. Jill Thompson’s art is playful yet haunting, which sums up this book. Oh, and speaking of Jill Thompson, she is going to be at Heroes Con 2010!

2) Powers #1

Powers and Brian Michael Bendis are what got me into comics, so I am excited that they are bringing Powers back. And from the few preview pages that I have seen it appears as though Bendis hasn’t cleaned up his potty mouth. Even though Icon is a Marvel imprint it does not appear that Marvel is trying to tame Bendis. Those with delicate sensibilities should probably avoid this book.

3) Fantastic Four #573

Johnathan Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four has been really, really fun. It is good superhero writing, plain and simple.

4) Invincible Iron Man #20

This issue begins a new story arc and I am super excited about what is going to happen next. The conclusion to the World’s Most Wanted arc was fantastic! And if you don’t know what I am talking about then do yourself a favor and read Invincible Iron Man #19.

5) Blackest Night #5

I would be remiss to not mention anything about DC’s blockbuster title and all the related issues that are coming out Wednesday. Along with Blackest Night #5, you can expect Green Lantern #48, Justice League of America #39 and Teen Titans #77. I am continually shocked at the interest and enthusiasm that this series has generated. The main series has been strong and so have the minis and tie-ins. Green Lantern Corps #42 was chock full of action and I am curious to see how those events will play out in the coming months (*cough* Kyle Rayner is going to be a white lantern *cough*).