Wednesday is New Comics Day

What I'm reading this week...

When you're a regular comics reader, your weekly routine centers around Wednesday. That's the day new comics arrive on the shelves, and there's a good chance you'll be hitting the comic shop during lunchtime or immediately after your work day ends. While some of us have gone digital (I consume most of my comics in digital format these days), there's still something special about Wednesday and the feeling you get when the next chapter of your favorite series is finally available.

In the interest of letting you inside my head (try not to break anything while you're in there) and possibly turning you on to a new book or two, here's what I'll be reading from this week's batch of new arrivals:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #695

Writer Dan Slott has had a remarkable run on this series and done a nice job of reigniting my interest in the character. While this probably isn't a good jumping-on point for new readers, Marvel has something big planned for issue #700, and there are bound to be lots of teases in this issue. I grew up loving The Amazing Spider-Man comics (and they played a big role in how I learned to read), so the series will always have a nostalgic appeal to me. If you dig Spidey, try to find some of the early, collected volumes of Dan Slott's work on the series and you'll probably enjoy the heck out of it.

ANIMAL MAN #13

Writer Jeff Lemire has done amazing things with this character, and if you're not reading this series, you're missing out on something special. This issue features a climactic battle that DC has been building to for a while now, but since there are only 13 issues so far, you shouldn't have too much trouble tracking down the early stuff. It's a nice mix of scary stories and superhero adventure, with some wild art by Steve Pugh that will haunt your nightmares.

BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH #2 This has been my favorite of the Before Watchmen comics, but that's probably because Rorschach was my favorite character in Watchmen. Writer Brian Azzarello is known for his gritty crime stories, and he's doing a nice job of infusing this series with everything he does best.

CROW #4

I'm still not sure how I feel about this series, but I like the character enough to stick with it for another issue and see where things are headed. I desperately want this series to be good and capture what I enjoy about the character.

DANGER CLUB #4

This is one of those under-the-radar series that few people I know are reading, but the people who are reading it can't stop talking about it (including myself). The story follows a group of teenage superhero (and supervillain) sidekicks who are left behind when all of their mentors head off into space to fight a big battle. After the heroes and villains fail to return, the world falls into chaos, and the sidekicks — some of them super-powered — are left to sort things out and figure out the new pecking order in their world. It's a pretty brutal comic, filled with some surprisingly graphic violence, but it's one of my favorite new series to debut this year.

DIAL H #5

Another new series to come out of DC's "New 52" is this reimagined story of a guy who discovers a mysterious phone dial that can temporarily turn him into a long list of crazy, super-powered beings. He never knows which set of powers he'll end up with when he turns the dial, and you have to check out the series for yourself to see some of the ridiculously wild characters he inhabits. It's another under-the-radar series that's well worth picking up, as there's something very fun and exciting about each and every issue.

DOCTOR WHO VOL 3 #1

I already mentioned that I'm a big fan of Doctor Who (and made a cameo in the last volume of the series), so this one should come as no surprise to you. Andy Diggle takes over as the new writer of the series, and since I'm also a big fan of his work on books like The Losers and Hellblazer, this one's definitely a must-have in my weekly batch of comics. IDW Publishing has done a fantastic job with making the Doctor Who comics as entertaining as the television series, so if you like the live-action adventures of The Doctor, do yourself a favor and check out the comics, too.

FATALE #8

The writer/artist team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are pretty much the best there is at dark, noir-fueled crime stories, and this series is more of the same — but with a cool twist. This is a great series, but if you haven't read their earlier collaborations Sleeper and Incognito, go look for them at the bookstore. You can thank me later.

GUARDING THE GLOBE #2

This series started as a spin-off from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman's superhero series Invincible (which is also very, very good), but it's grown into its own stand-alone team-up book with a colorful, unique cast of characters and that same mature tone that made this superhero universe such a hit. Also, one of the superheroes is a French Bulldog named "Le Bruiser." If that doesn't make you want to read this book, I'm not sure what will.

LOVE AND CAPES WHAT TO EXPECT #3

I can't help it. I love Thom Zahler's series about a bunch of superheroes and the ups and downs of their love lives. It's funny and sweet and clever, and is basically a romantic-comedy sitcom with superheroes.

NON-HUMANS #1

I like the premise of this one, so I'm planning to pick up the first issue. From what I can tell, it takes place after a mysterious cosmic force brings previously inanimate toys to life. The new "non-humans" are imbued with some of their owners' personality traits, and, well ... I'm just curious to see where this story goes. It seems like some good ol' science-fiction fun tome.

SWAMP THING #13

Similar to what Jeff Lemire did with Animal Man, Scott Snyder is doing magical things with Swamp Thing in DC's "New 52" universe. This one ties in heavily with Animal Man, so if you're reading one, you should be reading the other, too. And you really should be reading them. They're great in that "I might not sleep for a while after reading that" way.

UNCANNY X-FORCE #32

This is the only book I'm reading in the X-Men universe, mainly because the rest of the universe is so crazy-complicated with too many backstories to keep track of. This book manages to keep things (relatively) simple and involves a lot of super-powered brawls, so it fills that particular niche in my weekly reading list quite nicely.

VOLTRON #8

Again, I make no apologies here. I am an unabashed fan of those darn giant lions and their Space Explorer pilots. "Form Blazing Sword," indeed!

WRINKLE IN TIME

If you have a nostalgic attachment to the original Madeleine L'Engle story (like I do), you owe it to yourself to pick up Hope Larson's illustrated graphic novel based on the beloved story. Hope is a wonderfully talented artist, and her style is the perfect vehicle for bringing the story to life. This is one for the bookshelf, folks.

MAN-THING OMNIBUS (HC)

OK, so I probably won't be buying this one, but anyone who knows me well knows how much I love this character. The hardcover collection is a little too pricey for my tastes ($125!), but it does provide a nice collection of stories that show you why this monster from the muck makes for some compelling stories. If you ever get the chance, look up some of Steve Gerber's old Man-Thing stories and you're likely to find some amazing examples of poetic storytelling that somehow blends wonderfully with the weird monster-movie atmosphere of these comics.

Fun fact: One of the groomsmen at my wedding commissioned Jeff Lemire to re-create the cover to Man-Thing #1 as a wedding gift for me.

The finished, full-color piece hangs in a place of honor in my home. So, that's it for my list this week. How about you? Will you be picking up any new comics today? And if so, which ones?

You can find Rick Marshall on Twitter at @rickmarshall and on his personal blog at MindPollution.org.