The trade paperback of Paul Pope’s Heavy Liquid collects the five-issue series originally published back when most of us were fretting about the inevitable Y2K meltdown. Since then, the writer/artist has earned wide acclaim for other comics work, such as 100%, and, most recently, his Adam Strange strips in DC’s groundbreaking Wednesday Comics series.

Air, written by journalist G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by M.K. Parker, is very quotable. There are many, many cool lines. Example: “Maps speak to maps… signposts to signposts.”

I don’t want to dance around my main irritation with this book: It’s being presented as a collaboration between noted writer Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible, Astounding Wolf-Man) and artist Todd McFarlane.

Scribe Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween, Superman: For All Seasons) and artist Ed McGuinness’ (Deadpool, Vampirella) debut six-issue storyline for Superman/Batman stands above the rest of the monthly series, even four years later. This “New Edition” doesn’t change much besides the cover, a sketch book addendum and a tacked-on prologue.

The debut issue of Spider-Woman is an OK, albeit belated first step. Marvel delayed Jessica Drew’s rebooted run to give time for the motion comic adaption to be finished. Originally this comic was meant to be a direct follow-up to the maxiseries Secret Invasion. Instead, we get hazy references to the Skrull Queen inhabiting Drew’s body/mind, thus severing her ties with New Avengers. Her “woe is me” drama doesn’t come off quite as compelling as five-time Eiser recipient Brian Michael Bendis (House of M, New Avengers) probably intended.

Alan Moore has earned his place in the pantheon of all-time greatest comics creators. Tom Strong Deluxe Edition Volume 1 collects the first dozen issues of that series, penciled mostly by the more-than-capable Chris Sprouse.

I’m not sure if we really needed yet another “definitive” account of Superman’s origin. It seems like ol’ Golden Boy’s narrative is pretty much canonical by now. Sure, writer/fanboy darling Geoff Johns (Infinite Crisis) and capable Action Comics illustrator Gary Frank (Superman: New Krypton) make a good point: from Superman: Birthright, to Man of Steel and New Krypton, Clark Kent’s origin has received a multitude of retcons. Despite this, the core narrative elements are there and wholly understood.

Charlatan Ball, by Joe Casey and Andy Suriano, might be described as a wonderful mess. It follows the adventures of subpar stage magician Chuck Amok and his rabbit Caesar, who get whisked into an alternate dimension and dropped into a mystic tournament to the death. While the journey turns Caesar into the buffest anthropomorphic rabbit this side of Captain Carrot, Chuck stays precisely the same: powerless, weasel-like, cowardly, and way, way over his head. He wants no part of the action, but gets thrown into it all the same thanks to the machinations of an evil sorcerer, Demon Empty.

Kevin Smith (yes, that Kevin Smith) is at it again, writing comic books. We’ve seen his well-received takes on Daredevil and Green Arrow and the somewhat mixed reactions to the recently collected Batman: Cacophony, with Walter Flanagan on the art chores. Smith and Flanagan have reunited for Batman: The Widening Gyre, a six-issue limited series that just kicked off.