Comics:

BREACH #4

As if the great story and engagingly simple art isn't enough to lure you to this book, the JLA shows up this issue to investigate the mystery known as Breach. The usual misunderstanding occurs, which leads to even greater dangers, not just for Breach but for the Earth as well. Mysteries deepen and heroes become villains in this tale brought to you by Bob Harras and Marcos Martin

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Toys & Statues:

DISTRICT X #12

Yet another instance of "best book you're not reading", District X is easily head and shoulders above the so-called core X-Titles in terms of mature storytelling and sharp characterizations. Sure, the main player is Bishop, but don't let that stop you. After years of mishandling as the X-Man From The Dark And Distant Future, Bishop has finally found a fitting home amongst the denizens of New York City's Mutant Town, the titular District X. It stays away from the usual mistakes that X-Spinoffs make, namely gratuitous, pointless cameos (Wolverine has yet to make an appearance, cross fingers) and overcharged superhero battles. Two parts crime drama to one part X-Book is what should keep this book at the top of your reading list every month---it has evolved from the superhero rabble while retaining the heart of what makes any X-Men related book worthwhile. Written by David Hine, with art by Lan Medina and Alejandro Sicat.

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GOTHAM CENTRAL #30/p>

Somehow, this book is consistently one of the best Batman-related books, and it rarely even features the Dark Knight Detective. Starring the detectives of the Gotham Police Department, this book, written by Greg Rucka (with rotating assists by Ed Brubaker before he became a Marvel exclusive), focuses on the cases where Batman isn't necessarily involved, which is possibly its strongest selling point. The mysterious Caped Crusader is best left as an enigma, which is exactly what he remains in this book: a sometimes unwanted but often necessary tool for solving some of the more difficult cases the GPD detectives find themselves facing. This issue is just such a case, as Dr. Alchemy's latest "experiment" begins to mutate out of control, and it may be up to a lone Batman to put it down. With art by Stefano Guadiano and Kano.

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MAJESTIC #4

The original Mr. Majestic series was always about stories so grand, so daring, that sometimes you weren't even sure the creators were able to keep up. From that series initial outing, with Majestic spending twenty years moving the Solar System around bit by bit in order to stave off a cosmic menace, readers knew they were in for a wild ride. While this series doesn't quite reflect that kind of over-eager cosmic scale, this issue comes very close (and it's a great superheroic tale besides). At the core of a mysterious planet-sized ship, Majestros discovers its true purpose and must set about saving its denizens before a full meltdown ensues. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, with art by Neil Googe and Trevor Scott.

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MARY JANE #2

Sean McKeever's take on the high school era Spidey gang (sans Spidey himself most of the time) continues to smartly engage its audience with teen drama Marvel-style---too bad this is just a 4-issue encore to a previous series. Perhaps if enough fans made their voices heard a la the long-running (but still often under threat of cancellation) Spider-Girl, another series might be commissioned. Beyond those hopes, though, this series still stands as one of the finer slice-of-life tales featuring a teenaged Mary Jane Watson, long before she was the self-assured model/actress/wife of Spider-Man, and the everlovin', ever-lovable cast of Flash Thompson, Liz Allen, and Harry Osborn. And Sidekicks co-creator Takeshi Miyazawa's manga-style art isn't just the icing on the cake, it's as integral to the book as the story itself, faithfully rendering its adolescent cast in a very hip, up-to-date style.

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EXILES #62

For long-standing Exiles fans, this book marks the beginning of a story setting out to answer every little question you've ever had about the Timebroker and the purpose for the Exiles' existence. Things start out with a rush and a push as the team comes quickly face-to-face with the homebase of the enigmatic Timebroker. As they investigate further, the knife goes deeper, and the team find themselves (as always) way in over their heads. Over-the-top action coupled with the smartest splashes of comic relief comparable to almost nothing else on the stands, this book is always a must-read, especially for readers who would rather not keep up with the more befuddling trappings of the X-Books. Always engaging, always accessible, thanks in no small part to current series creators Tony Bedard and Mizuki Sakakibara.

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FABLES #36

Return to the world from whence the citizens of Fabletown came, in the first of the five-part "Homelands", titled "Death and Taxes". Things proceed as usual in the land taken over by the mysterious Adversary, with goblin soldiers marauding and collecting taxes, until a stranger arrives, cutting a bloody path through the hordes of goblin aggressors that populate the land. What is his purpose, and how far will he got to see his plans to fruition? If you haven't read this book in a while, this is a great jumping-on point featuring the heretofore rarely-seen homelands of the Fables. Written by series creator Bill Willingham, with more-than-usually-brilliant art by mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha.

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NEW THUNDERBOLTS #7

This book is not for everyone, and definitely not for newbies to the Marvel Universe. For longterm Marvel Zombies who know every obscure character and remember every niggling detail of every character ever created, this book is the answer to your woes! Featuring a group of ex-villains and questionably-heroic heroes searching for some small taste of redemption and often something more, Thunderbolts has always been a winding, twisting blow to the guts, featuring all-out action and enough plot twists to put an episode of Law & Order to shame. With that said, this issue is the absolutely perfect starting point for readers without a clue, as it is a round-up of all the current team members and a short history of the team's exploits, neatly packaged as a television talk show presentation. Fabian Nicieza and Tom Grummet are backed up in this issue by Bill Sienkiewicz, as the team, now faced with a small degree of notoriety in the wake of their latest adventures looks to the future even as they struggle to escape their pasts.

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