Seth’s Pick:: Head Lopper #1: I greatly enjoyed Andrew MacLean’s last book, ApocalyptiGirl, and was impressed with how he pulled together so many apparent influences into his own unique artistic voice. More than that, though, was the clear exuberance in the work for the craft of making the comic. You can tell that MacLean was making the kind of comic that he enjoys reading. The joy continues with his new quarterly Image series, Head Lopper. While this series previously existed as MacLean’s own indie comic, it’s now available with an 80 page story plus a brand new pin-up gallery. That’s 96  pages of barbarian action, monsters, witches, swords, and all things metal, for only $5.99! Fans of classic Conan, Hellboy and Harryhausen won’t want to miss this one!

Bonus Pick: Descender TP vol. 1: If you missed out on the acclaimed first six issues of Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s space opera, you can find them all in this week’s first volume Image collection for only $9.99! I found this to be among Lemire’s most poignant writing since Essex County, and Nguyen’s art is better than ever. In the endless sprawl of Image sci-fi comics being published today, this one certainly stands out, and is worth a close look.

SETH’S PICK :: BATMAN LI’L GOTHAM #1 ::  On paper, it looks like a standout week for new books.  There are sure things like Hawkeye #9, Saga #12, a new Marvel Oz hardcover, and books you should be reading if you aren’t already, like Sledgehammer 44 #2 and Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #3.  I’ll pick all of these up, but have chosen as my official staff pick, this delightful new series from Dustin Nguyen.  At first glance it might look like DC is trying to jump on the ‘baby variant’ bandwagon, but for those who don’t know, Nguyen started producing these stories as digital only releases last year.  Having read many of the stories online, I’m excited to see them enter our glorious realm of print.  These are fun all ages comics that feature diminutive versions of Batman and his extended family of heroes and foes on holiday themed adventures.  They’re perfect for young readers or any adult fans who appreciate lighthearted palate cleansers. Bonus Pick of the Week:  Most of you know that the majority of the Heroes staff is comprised of creative people.  Several of us are in various stages of developing our comic work.  Rico, of course, colors world class comics all the time, and others like Bridgit are quickly developing into creators on the rise.  Add to that list our own Justin Crouse, who contributed art to three stories in a new book on the shelves this week.  Pick up Center of Gravity from Low Key Comics and see what Justin works on outside of Heroes.  I’m particularly fond of the first story “Monkey Bars.”  There are some nice, quiet moments in it that remind you of  Justin’s skill as a visual storyteller.