Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews for 05/16/12

It's almost comic book day, everyone! And that means it's time for your Post-Crisis Previews! It's a mighty fine week for them, too, as there are plenty of excellent titles coming your way. So hit the jump to get a feeling for some of them, including Adventure Time #4, Saga #3, Scalped #58, and much, much more!

ADVENTURE TIME #4
Written by Ryan North
Art by Shelli Paroline & Chris Houghton

Oh My Glob! The Latest Super-Cool Issue of the Hit Series! Finn, Jake, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum and even Lumpy Space Princess have banded together to stop that jerk the Lich from throwing all of Ooo into the sun! It's gonna take a lot more than a sweet punch to knock this guy out - luckily, Finn and Jake are on it! The Cartoon Network cartoon's brand-new comic book series is a huge hit! Don't miss this arc-ending issue!

Grant: Ryan North's Adventure Time has been a great pleasure. Each issue of the series proper has been a barrel of laughs, and the Free Comic Book Day issue was possibly even better. Add in the fact that Mr. North's artistic collaborators are doing a fine and dandy job, and I have to ask what's not to love? (bonus points awarded for a most excellent solicitation, as well! This series truly has it all!)

ATOMIC ROBO REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES #2
Written by Brian Clevinger
Art by John Broglia & Scott Wegner

For those who like their comics with pulp, the untold tales of Atomic Robo continue featuring Dr. Dinosaur, Sparrow, the Last Stand of the Commie-bot and Bruce Lee!

Grant: The inaugural issue of this new Atomic Robo tie-in series was somewhat hit and miss, but that's really the nature of anthologies. To be honest, I'm kind of expecting more of the (uneven) same, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Robo's such a fine character and Brian Clevinger has created such an interesting world for him and his to inhabit that I'm more than willing to take the good with the bad.

BATWOMAN #9
Written by J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman
Art by ~~Amy Reeder & Rob Hunter~~ Trevor McCarthy

• The next chapter in “TO DROWN THE WORLD!”
• An unconventional spy thriller of six interweaving lives with only one thing in common: BATWOMAN!

Grant: Did you know that I think Batwoman's pretty much the best Batbook being published right now? Hands down? No? You'd missed that over the course of my seemingly never-ending praise for the title and its many creators? Well, seeing as that's the case, I feel it necessary to reiterate that Kate Kane's ongoing series is easily among the best things being published by anyone right now. ~~This issue will sadly be Amy Reeder's last on the series, so~~ Amy Reeder was actually done last issue, so we'll have rising-star Trevor McCarthy in for the remainder of this arc. I'm calling it now: he's going to have some big shoes to fill.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #4
Written by Brian Wood
Art by James Harren

Conan’s adventures in Messantia ended with the Cimmerian nearly losing his head, but now that he has an entire pirate crew backing him up, returning to take a city’s worth of gold is just too tempting—and pirate queen Bêlit has a plan!

Grant: I've been thoroughly enjoying each and every issue of Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan's Conan, but that statement begs the obvious question: where's Cloonan at? Wood's cool and all, and I'm sure that this James Harren chap will do a fine job in relief of our absent artist, but Cloonan's beautiful work is a big part of why I want to keep coming back to this book. I do hope that she'll be back without undue delay. Otherwise I'll be somewhat put out, and I doubt that Dark Horse wants that on their conscience.

DAREDEVIL #13
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Khoi Pham

THIS IS IT: "Megacrime and Punishment." Be here as Megacrime strikes back at Daredevil, and Matt's "happy go lucky" veneer begins to peel back at last, revealing . . . darker truths that may end his career as Daredevil.

Grant: I could have sworn that this type of thing is what the Omega Effect was supposed to be about and combat, but here we are nonetheless. I swear, as nice as the art has been on this book, the writing is starting to get on my nerves. Mark Waid really seems to be drawing things out far longer than is necessary or desirable. I've been saying it for a while now, and though I wanted to give Chris Samnee and Khio Pham a chance with New York's Man Without Fear, I might be saying farewell to Daredevil sooner rather than later.

SAGA #3
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Fiona Staples

BKV’s and FIONA STAPLES’ controversial epic continues! Stranded on a mystical alien world, new parents Marko and Alana encounter their greatest fear.

Grant: Due to my travels, I didn't get a chance to talk about issue #2, but if you were somehow uncertain about it, that issue was pretty much just as good as the first. Seriously, this series is the bomb right now. While Brian K. Vaughan could certainly rest on his comic book laurels, he's instead using Saga to try something new and explore new storytelling territory. Fortunately for him (and mostly for us!), Fiona Staples is more than up to the task, providing some stunning art to accompany his wonderful tale. I'm pretty sure issue #3 will be more of the same. And that's fine by me.

SCALPED #58
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by R.M. Guera

Only three more issues of Scalped left! And no one is safe. Most especially Dash Bad Horse, as all of his sins finally CATCH up to him.

Grant: It's been a long time between issues, but they say that good things come to those who wait. When it comes to Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera's phenomenal series about Dashiell Bad Horse and the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation, they've proven this to be the case. We're getting ever closer to the finale for the whole shebang, but I know that it will be worth the wait.

WINTER SOLDIER #5
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Butch Guice

• Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice bring the Winter Soldier’s first arc to a dramatic ending!
• Can Bucky and the Black Widow prevent war with Latveria?
• Can Bucky stop the Sleepers he himself trained?
• Can this series get any cooler?

Grant: I'm really digging this series. Ed Brubaker's writing is understandably amazing, and Butch Guice's art is just as good. But I absolutely hate the covers for this book. I just can't get behind anything that Lee Bernejo has done in these five books. This is the least offensive of the bunch so for, but that is not saying much. I'd also like to take a moment to disparage the book's solicitation. It already fails for being written in point form, but that last "Can this series get any cooler?" is super lame. It's too much, too cutesy, and too self-aware.

WONDER WOMAN #9
Written by Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang
Art by Cliff Chiang

• WONDER WOMAN continues to battle through HADES in hopes of rescuing the only friend she has left.
• What is APOLLO trying to convince ARES of? Whatever it is, you can bet it’s bad news for Wonder Woman!

Grant: O. M. G. Last issue was an absolute blast! Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang are giving us some of the best Wonder Woman stories that I've ever read, and after that wicked twist in Wonder Woman #8, I'm crazy eager to see what they'll pull out next. This series is just too much fun, and under Chiang's pen, it's also far too pretty. Love it.

And that's me for the week. A metric butt-ton of good comics coming my way, and I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on them all. It will be a glorious thing, I am most certain. How's the week looking on your end? Are you equally pumped? Is there some gem that I've somehow overlooked? Hit up the comments and share your thoughts!