Each week, MK2Fac3 and Henchman21 read a lot of comics. Seriously, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. They look forward to some more than others, I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of their pull list, grab some issues and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of April 28, 2011. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

MK2Fac3

ISSUES

Batman, Incorporated #5 (DC Comics – $2.99): I know I say this a lot, but every week that Batman, Incorporated comes out is a week that I will list Batman, Incorporated as my top pick of the week. It’s an addiction, truly it is. I’ve read Grant Morrison’s Batman run multiple times, and the new addition keeps me salivating for more clues on the future for The Dark Knight. Each issue, is a romp through camp, complexity, and insanity, while giving nods to all eras of The Caped Crusader by showing us the Batmen of all nations. Yannick Paquette returns to the title to show us a tale of the other British Batman, and I could not be more excited. Each issue is a blast, and each issue is my favorite issue of the series. Yes, if you’re wondering, I’m both a Morrison and Batman fanboy. And this book makes me proud to be one.

Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom #6 (of 6) (IDW – $3.99): Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez put together an amazing set of comic books made up of several mini-series, and that comic book is Locke and Key. It’s easily one of the best books of the past few years, and unfortunately it’s reaching it’s last leg of the overarching story, but MY GOD this book is getting exciting. Before this series ends, everyone that is reading this right now NEEDS to get caught up. Don’t wait for the TV show, don’t wait for anything at all, get this book. Now.

The New York Five #5 (of 5) (Vertigo/DC Comics – $2.99): Seriously, every time that Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly team up is a time that I will buy and love it no matter what it is. However, The New York Five is a perfect snapshot into the lives of, well, now six, girls living in the heart of New York City. This creative team has been able to pull of this tone perfectly in their other works including the predecessor to this series (The New York Four), as well as the outstanding LOCAL, and The New York Five has not been an exception. Not only is this book amazing, and I mean amazing, Brian Wood points out his favorite places in New York City, while Ryan Kelly draws the landscape as perfectly as you could expect it to be… but it also captures the spirit of young college age students, enough so that it makes me feel nostalgic for my first couple of years at my alma mater. This is the last issue in this mini-series, so there’s really only one thing left to say… give me the New York Six! NOW!

There are loads of other great books this week like Xombi, The Amory Wars, Detective Comics, and the ends of Brightest Day, Echoes, and Justice League: Generation Lost, but I only get 3 picks! What’s up with that!?

COLLECTION

Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four, Vol. 6 TPB (Marvel Comics – $24.99): Stan Lee. Jack Kirby. Dr. Doom. What else is there to say? Awesome.

Henchman21

ISSUES

Rasl #10 (Cartoon Books – $3.50): I don’t care if this book only comes out once in a blue moon. I don’t care that I can barely remember what happened in the last issue. All I care about is that there is a new issue of a Jeff Smith written book and I am happy. I wish that Rasl came out on a regular basis, but I have grown used to Smith’s release schedule. The art on Rasl has always been up to Smith’s standards, and the story has left me guessing at every turn. Jeff Smith is hands down my favorite creator, so of course I’m going to recommend this issue.

Action Comics #900 (DC Comics – $5.99): I was excited for this issue because I thought this was the issue that would see the start of Kenneth Rockafort on art detail, but that’s actually next month’s issue 901. This one is still pretty exciting with 100 pages of story by the likes of Paul Cornell, Richard Donner, and Damon Lindelof. At $5.99, there is a lot of content here for not too much money. This is also the return of Superman to the pages of Action Comics, and also promises a big throw down with Lex Luthor, who has been the star of the book for the last year. Cornell’s run has been great so far, and now that he’s done with Lex, I’m curious to see what he will do with Superman. Can Cornell get me to read a regular Superman series?

Venom #2 (Marvel Comics – $2.99): Writer Rick Remender is killing it on all of his Marvel work, and this is another book that I think is going to end up being a great run once it’s all said and done. Spider-Man’s former villain Venom has been captured by the U.S. Government and repurposed as a weaponized suit, operated by Flash Thompson. But he only has a limited time before the suit takes over and he becomes a monster. With art by the stellar Tony Moore, this is more than just a needless spin-off series. I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

COLLECTIONS

Captain America: Operation Rebirth Hardcover (Marvel Comics – $24.99): This hardcover collects the start of Mark Waid and Ron Garney’s classic run on Captain America, and features issues #444-448 and #450-454, which takes you through the start of the Heroes Reborn era. I never read these when they originally came up, but everything I have heard about them has me anticipating a great read. With the Captain America movie coming out this summer, you can look forward to a whole lot of classic Cap being reprinted, and this is just the start.