Comics this week

AAAAAAAHHHHH guys we got too comfortable! After a crazy loaded January to kick off 2014, we all settled right into a considerably slower February and March, reading and reviewing maybe 14-17 books a week, a totally manageable number. Now that number SKYROCKETS up to the mid-twenty range! We're talking 22, maybe 23 (if I count CAPTAIN AMERICA: HOMECOMING, a cinematic tie-in book, which I may or may not depending on availability and also how stressed I get) new releases this week. There are a handful I am not so excited about but, as ever, a bunch that I'm very excited about. Let's read about those some, hm?

All-New Ghost Rider 1
I'm not a big ol' Ghost Rider fan, whether we're talking Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch or whoever. WELL THIS ISN'T ANY OF THOSE. Robbie Reyes picks up the (Robbie) reins as the all-new Ghost Rider in this already well-liked (well, by Marvel editor Tom Brevoort in any case) series. In any case, the book looks interesting as Marvel continues to want to put out a variety of different looking books for different types of fans. Hoping for a good debut for this all-new character.

Avengers Assemble 25
This is the final issue of AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, a book that has been steadily one of the more fun books in the Marvel Universe, giving us a look at how the Avengers work together and how they deal with some of the more not-so-Thanos related problems that may crop up. Continuing the arc with Spider-Girl, the Avengers will all finally come back together to stop the wicked Toxic Doxie herself, Dr. June Covington. Should be a good finale from aces Kelly Sue DeConnick and Warren Ellis.

Hawkeye 18
Back over to Katie-Kate on the other side of the country for some more West Coast Adventures! Things are right on the precipice of getting pretty crazy as the deranged Madame Masque has tracked her prey down and now no one in her new life is safe (except, one would hope, Lucky the dog). I know everyone at this point has checked this book out and also loves it so I hardly have to recommend it here but lookie here, that's what I'm doing.

Silver Surfer 1
Dan Slott kicks off a brand new SILVER SURFER series with artist Michael Allred and it aims, presumably, to humanize everyone's favorite cosmic being, the ever-popular Silver Surfer. Guys, I'm a pretty big Norrin Radd fan and a big fan of both Dan Slott (who I'm eager to see on a non-Spider-Man related book) and Michael Allred. Hoping that this one is a great new beginning to a an often under-seen character (though I have some amount of worry that, based on some of the promo art and previews, that it will kick off a little too similarly to the eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who).

Uncanny Avengers 18
Guys, I struggled and struggled with this one. There's so much coming out this week that it was really hard to pick the top five. Do I pick SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN 30? What about AVENGERS 27 or NEW AVENGERS 16? And ANOTHER new launch with IRON PATRIOT 1? Man, who's to choose? So I went with UNCANNY AVENGERS because we ought to show it some respect. It's been building to this Planet X for a long time and now, fresh off the destruction of Earth, we're ready to see what it looks like after all that. Plus, talk about a sure thing. This book has been solid for 17 straight issues. Not many others out there can say that (it doesn't help my case that HAWKEYE is sitting right there, two entries up from this).