• Man, everyone and their Uncle Bob is reviewing David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp these days aren't they? This week alone we've seen Brian Hibbs, Rob Clough, Douglas Wolk and the LA Times' David Ulin.

Not wanting to be left out of the fun, I'll probably have my own review of the book up this Friday.

• The Groovy Age of Horror's Curt Purcell has been spending a lot of time talking about Blackest Night, and, given that he's not a regular fan, he has some interesting things to say about the crossover event. Rather than link to all the separate posts, I'll just say start here and work your way back.

Oh, and while you're at it, read his new review of Gilbert Hernandez's Speak of the Devil.

• Johnny Bacardi likes Blackest Night quite a bit too.

• Speaking of the Hernandez brothers, are you confused about where to dive into their expansive magnum opus, Love and Rockets? The Onion's AV Club is here to help.

• Nina Stone gives the new Mouse Guard collection her highest recommendation:

Oh, and if you are still trying to get your girlfriend or your mom or your wife to read comics and having no luck, give them this one. Trust me. They’ll be hooked.

If not, you should leave/abandon her, because she sucks.

• Noah Berlatsky looks at Greg Rucka's run on Wonder Woman and doesn't care for it, to put it mildly: "Who the fuck wants to read this crap? Whose idea of a hero is a NPR commentator in a swimsuit?"

• Moving to manga, Katherine Dacey declares Osamu Tezuka's Dororo "one of Tezuka’s most accessible series, free of the historical and cultural baggage that can be an obstacle to enjoying his more ambitious, adult stories."

• Johanna Draper Carlson, meanwhile, says of Tezuka's Swallowing the Earth, "if you’re looking for an approachable way to try Tezuka, demonstrating both his strengths and weaknesses, this affordable single volume is a good choice."

• Elsewhere, David Welsh declares Kimi ni Todoke "is off to a wonderful start. It’s a great look at an offbeat kid trying to find happiness on her terms."

• Finally, Tim Holder tries to find the perfect adjective for comics.