SETH’S PICK :: UNCANNY X-FORCE #1: I know there’s a substantial fanbase of Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-force among our blog readers, and I happily count myself among you.  We all know and respect the work Remender, Opena and Ribic did on the title, but it’s understandable to be a little skeptical about this new version.  Since I haven’t read much of his previous work, I can’t tell you much about new writer Sam Humphries, but the team he has assembled (including Spiral, Storm, Psylocke, Fantomex-ish Cluster and Puck) seems like an interesting way to start.  It’s also interesting to me that the always reliable Ron Garney will be working on this series, and that he’s moving away from his recent pencil-driven work on books like Wolverine: Weapon X to now work with an inker.  Most of the new Marvel Now books have been enjoyable, and this one has the potential for that as well.  I should also mention that Young Avengers #1 also hits shelves this week.  Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie are a consistently entertaining collaborative team, and they should work wonders with these characters. 

MATT’S PICK :: DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS ARCHIVES BOOK 05: 9 OLD MEN FLIPBOOK:

ANDY’S PICK :: BOOKS OF MAGIC DELUXE EDITION HC : Timothy Hunter is a 12 year old boy who just maybe the most powerfully magician in the DC Universe. So the magical powers that be–namely, The Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult and Mister E take Tim on a “tutorial” through the Magical past of the DC Universe, then into the current state of magical affairs, then make a side-line trip to DC’s other dimensions (Faerie, Gem World et.al) and culminates with a glimpse into some possible futures. Will Tim accept his magical role? Neil Gaiman along artists John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess and Paul Johnson lead us lucky readers on quite a memorable journey. This is a series I re-read every few years. And it never ceases to amaze me. If you have never read it, you are in for a treat.

RICO’S PICK :: ONE TRICK RIP OFF/DEEP CUTS HC: Whoa! New/old Paul Pope comics! For the first time in color by Jamie Grant (All-Star Superman).  ONE TRICK RIP-OFF/DEEP-CUTS is 288 pages comics by Pope, of which over 150 pages are comprised of new, rare, and never before seen stories created during Pope’s time traveling the world in the ’90s. Included also, Pope’s work created for Kodansha in Japan, appearing here in print for the first time. 

JUSTIN’S PICK :: DAREDEVIL #22 : Mark Waid continues his seminal run on Marvel’s Man Without Fear, ably abetted by the inimitable art of Chris Samnee. This issue finds ol’ Hornhead face-to-face with the Marvel U’s newest contender, the Superior Spider-Man. Matt Murdock is sure to sense something amiss with his old cohort, but the reappearance of a souped-up Stilt-Man might put those suspicions on the back burner. Tightly plotted and wonderfully drawn, Daredevil remains one of Marvel’s most premium offerings.

SETH’S PICK :: BLACK BEETLE #1: It’s true that our Charlotte MiniCon will take place on Sunday, January 20, but first we’ll  be spending Tuesday and Wednesday working on new comic arrivals.  Black Beetle is my pick of the week for a few different reasons.  One, it’s a mini series written and illustrated by Eisner award winning Franceseco Francavilla.  He’s done cover work for just about every company, and I bet there are at least 3 or 4 of his covers still on our stands.  Two, it’s a simple, direct pulp/adventure comic done out of love for the genre.  You still get Francavilla’s art, but you also get a new world full of mobsters, mysteries and monsters.  How Francavilla found time to produce this series with his already full plate is baffling, but I’m happy that he did. Finally, it’s also a good palate-cleansing comic if you’ve been reading lots of mainstream super hero or indie comics lately.  Black Beetle #0 is one I’ve returned to on several occasions since it debuted a few weeks ago, and I’m sure you will too.    

JUSTIN’S PICK :: X-MEN LEGACY #4 : Si Spurrier and Jorge Molina heat things up this issue, finally bringing Legion face-to-face with some honest-to-God X-Men. Blindspot has lead Wolverine and company to Tokyo, where David Haller has made protégés of twin Yakuza mutant orphans. Classic superhero misunderstanding fight sure to ensue. But Legion’s mental state is still fractious; anything could happen. Pick it up and find out what. (ed- Also, Mike Del Mundo’s covers are bonkers! -rico)

JASON’S PICK :: GIL KANE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ARTIST’S EDITION: IDW’s Artist Edition series has been nothing short of incredible for fans who enjoy poring over the details in the art of the comics we love. Let’s be honest; this is the closest most of us will ever come to owning original art from some classic comics. Last year’s John Romita Artist Edition was a real treat for Spider-Man fans, and I’m just as excited about this second trip to the Spidey well, this time featuring the art of Gil Kane. Artwork from some seminal issues have been reprinted in all their marked-up, pasted-up, original glory here, including the introduction of Morbius, the six-armed Spider-Man, the non-Comics Code-approved drug abuse issues, and – most importantly – the death of Gwen Stacy. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

SETH’S PICK :: PROBLEMATIC: SKETCHBOOK DRAWINGS 2004-2012: I could have justifiably written about the start of artist James Harren’s new B.P.R.D. series (subtitled The Abyss of Time), or Tom Kaczynski’s Beta Testing the Apocalypse – fans of indie, political or analogy-filled comics should give this one a look.  However, I saw Fantagraphics’ preview of this new sketchbook from Frank artist Jim Woodring, and it quickly jumped to the top of my buy pile.  If you know Woodring, you know he’s a master of imaginative, bizarre, often wordless comics.  What I didn’t know, was that Woodring fills up Moleskine sketchbooks on a monthly basis.  Everything from stream of conscious excursions, life drawings, crazy new character designs and loose thumbnails find their way into Woodring’s sketchbooks.  Admittedly, this book might be best suited for the process hounds among us, but Woodring’s eclectic art is well worth seeking out for the uninitiated as well.