INFINITE CRISIS #5

If you thought things got explosive when the two Superboys met, wait till you see what happens when Superman of Earth 2 finally confronts "our" Superman. As one team of heroes faces a deadly menace at the center of the universe, the heroes left behind on Earth must face their own problems. The JSA and a handful of heroes have disappeared from the face of the planet just as an all-new mystery appears before the remaining champions. The Crisis explodes on all fronts, and this issue marks the turning point that will set all of DC’s books "One Year Later".

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #5

At last, writer Peter David gets to show his stuff in his first post-"Other" Spidey tale! Get past your inhibitions, continuity buffs, as this swingin’ story sets the wallcrawler’s high school adventures squarely in the age of the internet, pitting our friendly neighborhood hero against...an internet stalker? This standalone issue works well as a great fresh breath of air after the chaos of "The Other", proving just why Peter David and Mike Wieringo make the perfect pair for this all-new Spider-Man series.

EX MACHINA #18

Mayor Mitchell Hundred finds himself in even deeper trouble after tragedy strikes a peaceful protest in downtown Manhattan. In part two of "March To War", Hundred finds himself faced with yet another menace that can’t be fought with his powers as the Great Machine, and it’s one of the many finer points that makes this series work. As the Great Machine, Hundred once protected the city of Manhattan from every threat conceivable, even thwarting the plans of the 9/11 terrorists. But as the mayor of the city, he combats ever greater challenges where his wits and not his powers are the key to his success.

NEXTWAVE #2

It’s the comic where "things explode"! And explode they do in this thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Stuart Immonen. Possibly the most irreverent super hero book you’ll ever read (at least this month, anyway), Ellis constructs a story full of adrenaline and packing a mean punch (and explosions!), pitting the members of Nextwave against Fin Fang Foom. Things get nasty this issue, as the team realizes they’ll have to take some very drastic measures in order to defeat the purple pants-wearing monstrosity. Monica Rambeau---former Avenger known as Photon! Tabitha Smith---she makes things ’splode! Aaron Stack---don’t call him Machine Man! Elsa Bloodstone---super strong monster hunter with a magical stone and a dirty mouth! And some guy named Captain! And did we mention explosions?

BATMAN: SECRETS #1

If it’s written and drawn by Sam Kieth, you know it’s not your average Batman mini-series. In the middle of yet another brawl with his archenemy the Joker, Batman is inadvertently caught on film with a gun pointed at the criminal’s face and...smiling? Of course, things aren’t as they seem, but try telling that to the scandal-hungry press, in this dark tale of a hero pushed to his breaking point and the lengths the media will go to for ratings.

MS. MARVEL #1

As one of the few heroes who remembers House of M (that again?), ex-Avenger Carol Danvers has decided that it’s time to fly solo and live up to the name "Ms. Marvel". It’s going to take more than a chance run-in with Stilt-Man to earn her name, and Ms. Marvel’s busy first day back on the beat takes a turn for the worse when she encounters the deadliest aliens in the Marvel Universe, the uncompromisingly vicious Brood!Written by Brian Reed, with art by Roberto de la Torre and Jimmy Palmiotti.