This Week's Releases: December 6, 2006

I'd like to join the bandwagon and throw all the promotional weight of the Focused Totality Most Anticipated Book Award behind the "relaunch" of the incredicool Manhunter. I'd like to reward Marc Andreyko for creating such a complex character, and Dan DiDio for giving the title a second lease on life. I really hope that this second chance is all the book needs.

I'd like to ... but I won't. The book I most want to get my hands on when I head down to 2005 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Winning Night Flight Comics is newuniversal, Warren Ellis' reimagining of the New Universe. It's not due to some deep seated love of Kickers, Inc., either. It's Warren Ellis let loose in a sci-fi universe with only minimal attention paid to servicing trademarks ... that usually works out pretty damn well.

Those that care will note that Agents of Atlas and Beyond! are both missing from my list ... having missed issues of both while I was away a few weeks due to employment shenanigans, I've decided to "wait for the trade" (as the cognoscenti term it). I find I'm skipping more miniseries lately as they tend to read better in their intended trade paperback format. Brian K. Vaughan's fantastic Doctor Strange: Oath is the exception the proves the rule.

• 52 #31
• Batman Confidential #1
• Desolation Jones #8
• Detective Comics #826
• Justice Society Of America #1
• Manhunter #26
• Midnighter #2
• Superman Confidential #2
• Tranquility #1
• Doctor Strange: Oath #3
• Incredible Hulk #101
• Marvel Holiday Special 2006
• newuniversal #1
• Uncanny X-Men #481