Well boils and ghouls, this is the final week of The New 52 #1s. It’s been a very exciting month and for the most part it’s been pretty easy to tell which of DC’s new titles will be sticking around. But, this is a big week for the “dark” releases! DC’s new books are selling like hot cakes (whatever that mean), so make a pull list if you don’t already have one!

Obviously there are loads of other comics coming out this week from other publishers, but in honor of such a milestone event, most of the books in this week’s COMICS TO FEAST ON are from DC’s New 52 lineup. Now I know you won’t be buying all 52 new series so let us know which books you can’t wait for!

With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the crossovers, and the new series, we’ve got to limit our list of comics for the week somehow. Rather than focus on every major comic hitting the shelves I’ll narrow it down to ten books that stand out from the rest. Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, I’m here to help you decide which books to read. Read on for the skinny…

WRITTEN BY: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Moritat
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant–and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer?”

The Feast: Jonah Hex set in old style Gotham City? Yes please! Jonah Hex has been one of the most consistent characters in the DCU (if we forget that terrible movie) and his presence in the New 52 is a godsend. One of the best western comics ever, ‘All Star Western’ will be a treat to anyone who digs gunslingin’ cowboys.

WRITTEN BY: David Finch and Paul Jenkins
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: David Finch
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “The Dark Knight struggles against a deadly–yet strangely familiar–foe! As a mysterious figure slinks through the halls of Arkham Asylum, Batman must fight his way through a gauntlet of psychos, and Bruce Wayne faces the unexpected legal ramifications of Batman Incorporated!”

The Feast: Pretty much all of the Batman books from the DCnU have been top notch, perhaps with the exception of Catwoman…Does Batman really need another title all to himself at DC? Can there ever be too many Batmen? I’ll leave that for you to decide. David Finch is a great Bat-Writer/Artist and Bat-Tales set in Arkham Asylum are worth a first glance at the very least.

WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Farel Dalrymple and Troy Nixey
PUBLISHER: BOOM!
PRICE: $14.99

The Low Down: “Before Troy Nixey directed the Guillermo Del Toro movie “DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK” he drew HELLBOY creator Mike Mignola’s script for a new tale of the macabre with acclaimed OMEGA THE UNKNOWN artist Farel Dalrymple! Singularly impressed by Nixey’s horrifying and creepy art, Mignola created a whole new character and mythology outside the HELLBOY universe with JENNY FINN. Now, catch this new, updated and redesigned edition of this lost horror classic, which Booklist calls “Good, creepy stuff!” and ComicMix says has “Mignola’s trademark spirit mediums, ghastly tentacles, and general all-around weirdness.”

The Feast: It may be hard to image but Mignola actually writes stuff outside of the Hellboy Universe, and it’s every bit as good as you’d expect it to be. Though it’s not all that different from the Hellboy canon, Jenny Finn is quite the Victorian era steampunk. Troy Nixey, director of the acclaimed ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark’ remake lent his artwork for the series making it doubly awesome and culturally relevant!

WRITTEN BY: Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Francis Manapul
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “The Fastest Man Alive returns to his own monthly series from the writer/artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato! The Flash knows he can’t be everywhere at once, but what happens when he faces an all-new villain who really can? As if that’s not bad enough, this villain is a close friend!”

The Feast: The Flash is solely responsible for the whole DC reboot in the first place (if you feel the need to blame a fictional character). I highly doubt that this book will deliver any answers to open-ended questions at the end of Flashpoint, but nonetheless it’s an important new chapter in Flash’s life. Though I wish Geoff Johns were still writing the series, it’s about time he passed down the torch to a new set of eager hands.

WRITTEN BY: Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Yildiray Cinar
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond. These two high school students are worlds apart–and now they’re drawn into a conspiracy of super-science that bonds them forever in a way they can’t explain or control. The dark secrets of the murderous Dog Team and its Firestorm Protocol force them to put aside their differences to confront a threat so terrifying that it may lead to a new Cold War!”

The Feast: Gail Simone is a gem, an excellent writer, never failing to bring a sense of modernity and innovation to her works. Her character depth is absolutely incredible and she has a knack for reviving forgotten characters, turning them into personas we not only love, but can relate to on many levels. With Gail Simone (wo)manning the Firestrorm wheel this series is bound to attract the attention of new and old readers alike.

WRITTEN BY: Joshua Hale Fialkov
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Andrea Sorrentino
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “For hundreds of years, vampire Andrew Stanton kept mankind safe from the horrors of the supernatural world, thanks to a truce he made with his ex-lover Mary, the Queen of the Damned. But now that truce has reached a bloody end and Andrew must do everything in his power to stop Mary and her dark forces from going on a killing spree!”

The Feast: Yet another vamp story coming to the front this week and as with the Bat-books it raises questions: are there too many vampire stories? How many will it take before they die? Does anyone care enough to read this? Vampire tales have been done to hell over the years yet I find myself rooting for this title. I’m not demanding any groundbreaking work into the vampire world (we already have ‘American Vampire’ for that) but a reversion to classic blood sucking tales would be delicious.

WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Tom Fowler and Tony Moore
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “ SPIDER-ISLAND TIE-IN Project Rebirth has been infested — and Venom’s going under DEEP cover to start exterminating some bugs…starting with Anti-Venom!”

The Feast: Sadly, Venom has been sucked into this excuse for an event known as Spider-Island. Thankfully, it hasn’t affected the character or the writing much and its still a great story arc. The new Venom is fun, gritty, dark and really brings out the insanity of living with the symbiote. One of the strongest new books of the past year for Marvel, the new Venom should not be passed up.

WRITTEN BY: Peter Milligan
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Mikel Janin
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “The witch known as the Enchantress has gone mad, unleashing forces that not even the combined powers of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg can stop. And if those heroes can’t handle the job, who will stand against this mystical madness? Shade the Changing Man, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Zatanna and John Constantine may be our only hope!”

The Feast: Many characters got the boot before the relaunch. However, there was absolutely no way DC was going to throw characters like Zatanna, Deadman, and Madame Xanudu to the dogs. These are characters that may not be the most popular but have a hugely loyal fan base. For the first time, DC is bringing together a team of heroes who’s sole purpose is to investigate dark matters that pop up around the new world. It will be intriguing to see how many of these characters, who generally work alone, fit together as a team. Heads will roll as Justice League Dark journey into the shady areas of DC that have been lost in recent years.

WRITTEN BY: Ron Marz
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Sami Basri
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99

The Low Down: “Who is Voodoo? Is she hero, villain–or both? Learn the truth about Priscilla Kitaen as she leaves a trail of violence across America. Discover the new DCU through her eyes, because the things she sees are not always what they seem.”

The Feast: Voodoo, another anti-hero, offbeat character, makes her way into the new DCU this week. It seems this is the week for DC to test out their dark heroes. The story follows Priscilla Kitaen, who discovers that she is not quite so human as she once thought. One thing leads to another and she is forced to confront the darkness that overshadows her life. Another title in DC’s new dark catalogue I really hope this one sticks around for a while.