(And fans of Rucka--assuming they get around to reading this at all--will still likely hold the opinion that Atticus Kodiak could take Batman in a standup fight any day.) DC shook up Gotham--literally--in its 1999 Batman plot arc: a 7.6 earthquake rocked Gotham City, wreaking enough destruction to bring the broken, crime-ridden, runt kid-brother of Metropolis and New York to its knees. In the story line's most indulgent liberty, those fat cats in Washington decide to write off Gotham, à la Escape from New York, blowing up the connecting bridges, mining the surrounding waterways, and signing into law the Federal Declaration of No Man's Land, which makes it a crime to even set foot in the city. The usual suspects from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face and the Penguin, the Riddler and Dr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Mr. Zsasz, file out to begin running the show, strong-arming and manipulating the block-by-block turf battles that envelop the now-ultraviolent city. A conflicted Batman shows up fashionably late, only to find that these lunatics are the least of his worries: Lex Luthor, Superman's archfoe, has nefarious designs on Gotham too. Could this possibly get any better? Sure, No Man's Land is derivative fiction, but the appeal of Rucka--and, of course, Batman--can make this one worth the read. --Paul HughesCollecting BATMAN: NO MAN'S LAND #1, BATMAN #563-564, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #83-84, DETECTIVE COMICS #730-731 and BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #116.

    and this may be their greatest challenge. The capital cities of every nation on Earth have mysteriously vanished, throwing the planet into anarchy. In this time of extraordinary crisis, the nations of the world turn to the only organization capable of leading them through this time of strife and restoring political, economic and social order; the Avengers. They can defeat any super-villain, but can they govern the entire world?

    But there's only one problem - they're teenagers who have to survive hormones and uncontrollable super-powers, all while fighting for their very lives. So right now's the perfect time for Magneto & the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, along with the Sentinels, Unus the Untouchable and more to make their bids for control of the world, right? The first class of X-Men are forged in the fires of combat in ways you've never seen before. You only think you know the story!

    As demand for the mutant cure escalates, the X-Men go head-to-head with the enigmatic Ord. In 'Dangerous' a tragic death reveals a powerful enemy living among them that they could never have suspected.

    Now trapped in hell, with the Spirit of Vengeance bonded to his immortal soul and weighing him down, Johnny may have finally found a way out. But at what cost? From the depths of Hell to the glittering spires of Heaven, the Ghost Rider rides again, blazing new trails and dispensing fiery vengeance in his wake. The demonic team of Daniel Way, Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares reunite to put ol' Flamehead back in the saddle where he belongs. Ready or not, here he comes!COLLECTING: GHOST RIDER 1-19

    Dark gods and monsters are seeping through the cracks, reigning horror upon those still reeling from the recent calamities. In the face of terror, who stands to defend a desperate universe? Star-Lord and his squad of butt-kickers - the modern day Guardians of the Galaxy You've heard that Annihilation: Conquest rocks - the guy at the comic shop keeps telling you to try Nova - well, now's your chance to experience the glory that writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and artist Paul Pelletier can unleash All this...plus a wise-cracking raccoon and a telepathic dog. C'mon, people, time to lock and load.Collecting: Guardians of the Galaxy 1-6

    It's Marvel's most critically acclaimed comic in recent memory! Clint Barton, breakout star of a little Marvel movie you might have seen a while back, continues his fight for justice...and good rooftop BBQs! With Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to get some downtime from being one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes...but when the apartment building he's moved into, and the neighbors he's befriended, are threatened by a tracksuit-wearing, dog-abusing gang of Eastern European mobsters who say "bro" an awful lot, Clint must stand up and defend his new adopted family...any way he can.Collecting: Hawkeye 1-22, Annual 1; Young Avengers Presents 6

    Can two grown men armed to the teeth with deadly genetic weaponry live together without driving each other crazy? Action, adventure, black humor, black-ops, face-changing viruses, gratuitous France-bashing and lots of gunfire mark the return of two of Marvel's fan-favorite anti-heroes.Collecting: Cable/Deadpool 1-6

    Stalwarts such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman continued to fight for truth and justice, but as the world hurtled toward an uncertain future, it would take a new breed of hero to define the American Way. DC: The New Frontier takes readers on an epic journey from the end of the Golden Age of heroes to the beginnings of the legendary Justice League of America. Darwyn Cooke's most ambitious project yet features the stunning color art of Dave Stewart, an introduction by DC's President and Publisher Paul Levitz, and an afterword by Cooke.

    It's the Roaring Twenties and mobster Dutch Schultz's iron-fisted reign is about to meet its greatest challenge in the form of a man sporting a familiar skull symbol and a gun in his hand. Because once the Punisher hits the scene, the mean streets are about to get a whole lot meaner.

    Now, as Silk, Cindy is on her own in New York City, searching for her past, defining her own future, and webbing up wrong-doers along the way! Robbie Thompson (writer from TV's Supernatural) fills this new story with his unique blend of antics and feels. Featuring interiors by future superstar Stacey Lee.Collecting: Silk (2015) 1-7

    It matters what we do. Someone has to save the world. You're someone. Do the math. The critically acclaimed team of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie reinvent the teen super-hero comic for the 21st century - uniting Wiccan, Hulkling and Kate "Hawkeye" Bishop with Kid Loki, Marvel Boy and Miss America. No pressure, right? When Wiccan makes a horrible mistake that comes back to bite everyone on their communal posteriors, we cue five issues of hormonal panic. Fight scenes! Fake IDs! Plentiful feels! (a.k.a. "meaningful emotional character beats" for people who aren't on tumblr.) Young Avengers is as NOW! as the air in your lungs and twice as vital.Collecting: Young Avengers 1-15, material from Marvel Now! Point One.1

    Michael Stracyznski presents a hard-edged, mature and deeply personal saga of a world about to give birth to its first generation of super heroes! This Mature Readers story follows the origins of these new heroes and anti-heroes including Dr. Spectrum, Nighthawk and the Blur from their birth through adulthood and examines how their lives and abilities change and shape the world around them.Collecting: Supreme Power 1-6

    But who are they? Where did they come from? And what right do they have to call themselves the Young Avengers? And in Family Matters, the newly reconfigured Young Avengers prepare to make their public debut - but first they have to face a threat more powerful than Kang the Conqueror, more dangerous than Mr. Hyde and more cunning than the Masters of Evil: their parents. For these brand-new super heroes, fighting super villains is child's play compared to maintaining their alter egos! Collecting Young Avengers #1-12 and Young Avengers Special.Collects Young Avengers #1-12 and Young Avengers Special.

    In the past, an army of peacekeeping Centurions delivered stability. But the Nova Corps are dead and gone - now there is only Richard Rider, the man called Nova. But can a lone human police an entire universe? He has near limitless power - now he must do all he can to bring punishment to the wicked, help to the oppressed and justice for all! Strap in as the acclaimed writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (Annihilation: Nova), superstar Sean Chen (Sensational Spider-Man) and cover artist Adi Granov (Iron Man) slam your mind into hyperdrive!Collecting: Nova 1-7