Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 05/05/10

The new week is upon us and that means a new round of Ryan and my Post-Crisis Previews, in which we discuss the comics on our pull lists, our expectations and general thoughts on the issue or series in general. Feel free to let us know what you'll be picking up this week, comment on our picks or suggest books you think we're missing out on in the comments below!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #630

Written by Zeb Wells

Art by Bachalo

“Half-Man, Half-Reptile…the Lizard will take over all of Earth unless Spider-Man alone can stop him!” With these words, Dr. Curt Connors, the man who would be The Lizard, ushered a new kind of villainy into Spider-Man’s life. Now a widower with a son in foster care, and working at the bottom of the pharmaceutical industry, Connors is a broken, shell of a man…how long will it be before a Lizard breaks that shell?! How will it affect Peter Parker’s date with Carlie Cooper?! How is THE BLACK CAT involved? Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo reunite to bring you the next great Spider-Epic as The Lizard returns!

Kirk: The preview of this story at the end of the last issue sold me on yet another incarnantion of the Lizard and Bachalo's Spider-Man has been fantastic so far.

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #1

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Adam Kubert

THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! Spider-Man and Wolverine! Everyone’s favorite wise-cracking web-spinner and ferocious furball come together in their first major series ever! The super-star creative team of Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE: WEAPON X, PUNISHERMAX) and Adam Kubert (ULT. FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN) send Spidey and Wolvie to the edges of the Marvel Universe as they face such awful beings as The Czar, Big Murder and Doom the Living Planet! But who is the major Marvel villain pulling the strings? And can Spidey & Wolvie refrain from killing one another long enough to find out?

Kirk: Jason Aaron. Adam Kubert. Wolverine. Spider-Man. If you've followed the blog at all, you'll know how much of a man crush I have on this creative team from their past Wolverine work together. Add Spider-Man to the mix and there's no way I can pass up this issue.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #12

Written by Grant Morrison

Art by Andy Clarke

All is revealed in this final installment of ""Batman vs. Robin"" – the identity of the Domino Killer, the terrifying secret of the dominoes, and the shocking truth behind El Penitente! All of this, plus the surprising return of a fan favorite character!

Ryan: Batman and Robin has been a roller coaster of quality since its debut—some issues are simply spectacular, while others are painful to read. I was really impressed with this storyline’s start, but last issue wavered a bit thanks to some of the more nonsensical tidbits that Morrison threw in. If he can stay grounded in this issue’s conclusion, this could be the issue to beat this week!

Kirk: I've also had mixed feelings about Batman and Robin. I so desperately want it to be All Star Superman for Batman and Robin - and at times it is - but it's like Ryan says in that it's all over the place in regards to quality, going from brilliant to terrible. I've recently re-read the series though and have fewer reservations about everything except that Jason Todd arc. That doesn't get better regardless of how many times I read it.

BRIGHTEST DAY #1

Written by Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi

Art by Various

BRIGHTEST DAY continues, but in ways you can't possibly expect! What does BRIGHTEST DAY mean to the DC Universe? Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No, BRIGHTEST DAY means something else entirely, something we can't tell you...yet. But we can tell you our heroes will need to rise up more than ever to combat the forces of evil, and a select few will uncover a secret that binds them ALL. It all begins in the specially priced issue #1!

Ryan: I was really underwhelmed by the #0 issue for this series because of its major lack of plot and the fact that it really didn’t have much to stand on unless you were a huge fan of the characters before the issue. Hopefully this issue will have something that can appeal to folks who have a more casual acquaintance with characters like Aquaman and Deadman. Of course, I’ll also take heaping helpings of Firestorm as well, since that is the only main character I’m really invested in.

Kirk: Looks like we've got a Thor's hammer in Oklahoma situation on that cover with everyone attempting to lift the White Lantern. Not sure if it'll play out like that or if it's just a cover though.

HELLBOY IN MEXICO

Written by Mike Mignola

Art by Richard Corben

During the 1950s, Hellboy caravans across Mexico with a trio of vampire-killing luchadores, finding the undead; evil turkeys; a terrible bat god; and a little too much tequila.

Ryan: There is absolutely nothing in this solicitation that doesn’t appeal to me. Hellboy is awesome enough on his own, but when you add in luchadores, evil turkeys, and tequila, you reach a whole new level of awesomeness.

RED ROBIN #12

Written by Chris Yost

Art by Marcus To

Every single moment of the last year has led to this fight between Red Robin and Ra's al Ghul. Who has Ra's been talking to all this time in the shadows? Why was Lucius Fox so desperate to find Tim Drake? And why was Tim so certain that Bruce Wayne is alive in issue #1? All questions are answered.

Ryan: Writer Chris Yost ends his tenure on this title far too soon with this week’s issue, but looks to go out with a bang. There are a lot of plot threads hanging over his head from this title’s first year, so he does have his work cut out for him as he tries to wrap everything up in the midst of the final battle between Red Robin and Ra’s al Ghul. If previous issues are any indication, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.

SECRET SIX #12

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Jim Calafiore

This isn't just a Catman story; it's THE Catman story, as Thomas Blake continues his bloody trail of vengeance tracking the man who took away the only thing he ever cared about! Not for the faint-hearted! Also, Black Alice vs. Scandal Savage for the right to remain in the Secret Six!

Ryan: It amazes me how someone as nice and sweet as Gail Simone can write some of the most disturbing and dark comics in the industry. Last issue ended with an incredibly brutal sequence as Catman began his bloody vengeance against the men who took his son. I can only imagine that Simone will somehow find a way to dig even deeper with this issue, which should be a ton of fun. Plus we get Black Alice against Scandal Savage and potentially the debut of Jeanette and Bane’s Second Secret Six? This is going to be THE issue to read this week.

Kirk: Best monthly comic on the stands. If you aren't reading it after everything Ryan and I have said over the past year or two, there's not much else I can say that will persuade you in this two line blurb.

SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #1

Written by James Robinson and Sterling Gates

Art by Aaron Lopresti

The Battle for New Krypton! This is it! The storyline the SUPERMAN books have been building to since 2008 has arrived! Superman has never faced such a difficult challenge – how can he stop the two worlds he loves from destroying each other? General Zod has been waiting for another shot at Earth for years, and with 100,000 supermen on his side, it looks like it's his war to win! But on Earth, General Lane has an ace up his sleeve that will level the playing field quite nicely!

Ryan: I’ve been really inconsistent in how much I have followed the current Superman storyline after the Kryptonians created new Krypton (basically I’ve read a handful of Action Comics issues, plus most of the last year of Supergirl), but this week’s Free Comic Book Day prelude to War of the Supermen definitely piqued my interest in this miniseries. This one could definitely go either way, so it is going to come down to an in-shop flip-through to decide if I’ll pick it up or not.

UNCANNY X-MEN #624

Written by Matt Fraction

Art by Terry Dodson

A beloved X-Man died defending Hope, the returned mutant ""messiah."" As they lay their comrade to rest, the remaining X-Men are left to question: Is she worth it?

Ryan: My lone Marvel book this week is the next installment of the Second Coming crossover—which has been stellar thus far. This storyline stepped up in a big way with the death of Nightcrawler last issue, but how the fallout is handled could be one of the most important defining moments in this miniseries, especially if this issue reveals why Hope is so important (besides being the first post-House of M mutant birth, which can only get so far).