By TAG
There’s a lot going on in comics this week, so prepare to add a few self-gifts to your Xmas list! Out this week is a new American Vampire and a new Locke & Key. Additionally, Hawkeye is in Ghost Rider, X-23 is joining the Avengers Academy, and it appears DC is still putting out The Shade for at least for one more issue. However, I’m not going to talk about any of those.
Instead, I’m pulling Avengers: The X-Sanction 
No. 1 of 4. Yeah, Jeph Loeb is writing it so, and that’s a con, and it’s the next “big event” comic from Marvel, so it’s most likely going to suck. Still, it’s the X-Men fighting the Avengers, and that’s what comics are about. Ed McGuinness is drawing it, so at least it’s going to look good. Just from the copy it appears Cable died recently? I don’t keep up on the X-Men stuff so I wasn’t aware of that. So I take it Cable has been reborn and he’s got a mad-on for the Avengers, and, well, that is enough for my money. Nothing else need be said! Pick up this issue for $3.99 from Marvel this week; just be sure to turn off your brain and enjoy the pretty pictures.
Be sure to also add Vertigo: First Blood No. 1 from DC to your Christmas pull list this week. It’s the first issues of some of the best comics DC has going right now (i.e., American Vampire, I, Zombie, Unwritten and Sweet Tooth). If you’re coming into the game late, this is a perfect book to get you up to speed. After that, if you like what you read, you can go straight to the trades. Pick up this book for a cool $7.99; that’s $2 an issue (not bad, though $3.99 would be better and would probably increase the sales, but hey, what do I know?)
Finally, I can’t forget to mention Hitman Vol. 5: Tommy’s Heroes from DC. It’s classic Garth Ennis and John McCrea and, to my limited knowledge, these particular issues have never been reprinted. It is $29.99 retail, but you can get you a copy off Amazon for $19.29. In case you hadn’t guessed, Hitman is really good stuff, so I highly recommend you check it out.
