Each and every week, I, “Run to the hills” Henchman21, and “Run for your life” Empress Eve read a lot of comics. Seriously you guys, a lot of comics. Maybe too many comics. I mean, it is possible”¦ theoretically. Naturally, we look forward to some more than others. I mean, who doesn’t? So, let’s take a look into the depths of our pull lists, grab some comics, and we’ll let YOU know what the top books to look forward to are for the week of April 17, 2013. Single issues and trades, they’re all here.

Let’s see, what do we have for you this week? We’ve got robots and teen heroes and vampires and so much more. And I ran out of time, but you had better plan on buying He-Man and the Masters of the Universe from DC Comics, because it’s going to be awesome and also because Battle Cat. So don’t forget to buy it and all the other great comics on this week’s GoD List!

Henchman 21

Issues

Atomic Robo Real Science Adventure #7 (Red 5 Comics – $2.75) We’re back with the second set of Atomic Robo real Science Adventure, the spin-off series of the popular Atomic Robo that features short stories in the same universe. The first six issues were basically an anthology, with a couple of stories that were told over several issues as well as a couple stand alone stories in each issue. With this second set, they have dropped the anthology angle and decided to use each issue to tell a full done in one story, and then each issue ties together to tell a larger story about Tesla’s Seven. I think this is a better format for the series, even though I didn’t really mind the earlier format. With 4-5 stories in each issue, none of the stories had the space to get any momentum. Now each issue as a bit more space to tell a full story and I still get more of the Robo action that I desire. This is a good filler while the main series is between arcs, and I can never get enough of the series. This is a must for fans of Atomic Robo and can hopefully act as a good introduction to new readers.

Danger Club #5 (Image Comics – $2.99) Danger Club is back after a sizable break, and I’m glad to see it return. Danger Club falls into the Irredeemable/The Mighty/The Boys school of comics about heroes going bad. This one features a Teen Titans analog dealing with all the adult heroes being sent off into space. The first batch of issues dealt with the young heroes taking down one of their own before unraveling the big mystery of who got the older heroes out of the way. I know the premise of the series has been done before, but there’s enough different here to keep me entertained and the big draw (pun intended) is the art of Eric Jones. Jones has a dynamic art style that both captures the youthful energy of the characters as well as the darkness of the story. Jones is going to be snapped up by Marvel or DC before too long, so check out his work now.

Trades

I’m going to bullet point a bunch of interesting trades out tomorrow, all of which are worth your time.

Smallville Season 11, Vol. 1: Guardian (DC Comics – $14.99) This is the trade collection of the print version of the digital comics featuring the continuing adventures of the TV version of Superman. Wow, that’s a mouthful. As someone who didn’t watch Smallville that much and isn’t even that big a Superman fan in general, I’ve found the issues collected here to be pretty enjoyable. Writer Bryan Q. Miller has a good grasp on the characters (as well he should since he worked on the show) and he’s got a nice long term story going. Definitely a must for any fan of the show.

Dial H for Hero, Vol. 1: Into You (DC Comics – $14.99) I read the first issue of the series, but wasn’t super impressed, but people I trust tell me that I should keep going, so I’m giving it another shot with the first collection. Dial H brings back the old DC concept of a magical device that turns a normal guy into a variety of heroes. The first issue was pretty trippy, but just didn’t grab me. We’ll see if I can get into it this time.

Avengers Vol. 1 Hardcover: Avengers World (Marvel Comics – $24.99) There seem to be a lot of people who don’t care for this series, but I enjoy it. Jonathan Hickman is doing what he normally does, which is plot for the long haul. There’s a big story going on here, and reading Avengers in trade may be the best way to do it.

The Manhattan Projects, Vol. 2 (Image Comics – $14.99) If you forced me to make a list of what I think the best comics being published today are, this would come in at a strong #2. Jonathan Hickman’s alternate history of the greatest minds of the 20th Century run amok cannot be missed.

Empress Eve

Issues

Danger Girl: Trinity #1 (of 4) (Image – $3.99) – The Danger Girls are back in action! All I need to see are the words “Danger Girl” on the title and I’m in. I am IN! This action-adventure-spy series featuring some kick-ass and gorgeous (and buxom!) ladies has been one of my favorites for years now. It’s like Indiana Jones meets James Bond, except it’s the Bond girls with all the skills, smarts, and karate chops. Oh, and there’s plenty of camp, too! Series co-created Andy Hartnell pens this 4-issue miniseries – with cover art by co-creator J. Scott Campbell (one of my favorite comic artists) – that promises to reveal the origins of the Danger Girl team, so be sure to hop on now with Danger Girl: Trinity #1. If you want to go all the way back to the beginning, then grab the first collection, Danger Girl: The Deluxe Edition trade paperback (also available for Kindle).

Dark Shadows Year One #1 (Dynamite Entertainment – $3.99) – If you’re a fan of the Dark Shadows classic television series (NOT Tim Burton’s campy and terrible big-screen adaptation), then you’ll definitely want to check out this new on-going series from Dynamite, Dark Shadows Year One. The series will reveal the origins of Barnabas Collins’ vampire life and the various tragedies that have struck the Collins family through the years.

Witchblade Day of the Outlaw (Image Comics – $3.99) I’m a fan of Witchblade, but when it comes to one-shots, I’m always on the fence. In the end, I typically give it a try – I figure, it can’t hurt, it’s only one issue. The reason I’m on the fence is because I feel that since one-shots are one-and-done stories, the creative teams use the opportunity to veer off in other directions, ones in which fans aren’t used to or might not really dig if it was part of the regular series’ continuity. But, like I said, I usually check them out regardless, and if you’re unfamiliar with a series or character, one-shots can be a safe and easy way to test the waters. Witchblade Day of the Outlaw is written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, and since I instantly fell for him after reading his original graphic novel Tumor, anything with his name on it gets my attention. This one-shot is set in in the Wild West in the winter of 1878 and tells the tale of Sheriff Enola, a Witchblade bearer who finds herself at the center of a witch-hunt, all while having to protect her accusers from demon outlaws.

Trades

Mars Attacks IDW TPB (IDW Publishing – $19.99) – The last few months saw massive “Mars Attacks” event where the aliens invaded their way into various IDW titles like KISS, Real Ghostbusters, Transformers, and more. This trade paperback collects all those various one-shots. These issues were super-fun and the art was too, so if you didn’t get a chance to check them out the first time around, then this collection is perfect for you. The trade is available now at online comic book retailers (and comic shops), but will be released on Amazon by April 30th.

Honorable Mentions

– Fables #128
– The New Ghostbusters #3
– Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray #2