What a week for Batman. DC comes out swinging, showing off how versatile the character can be in almost any genre of the medium with three releases starring the Caped Crusader. But it’s not all Batman this week; we also get another great installment in Bendis’ saga about the Man of Steel and his family.

Marvel keep dipping back into the Star Wars well with two great stories from the days of The Age of Rebellion, and podcasting comedy giants, The McElroy Brothers get weird with it in a fun and hilarious War of the Realms tie-in series.

7 Batman #68

By Tom King, Amanda Conner, Dan Panosian, John Timms, Mikel Janin, Paul Mounts, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles

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It’s ladies’ night at the Fortress of Solitude! While the boys are busy being surprisingly dull, Selina and Lois party it up with exotic drink and hunky Supermen. Tom King is a writer who is wonderful at giving us a different, and often relatable, dimension of characters we all thought we knew so well.

With Batman #68 the larger story doesn’t really progress much further, which is to be expected for another installment on the “Knightmares” story arc, but it is quite a lot of fun and is a glimpse into the personality of Bruce Wayne, which, frankly, is rather dry. With great art by Amanda Conner and a stable of other artists, this issue may not be earth-shattering, but it’s funny, sweet, and it a much needed break from how dour this series can be at times.

6 The Batman Who Laughs #4

By Scott Snyder, Jock, David Baron, and Sal Cipriano

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Just when you think this miniseries can’t get any weirder, The Batman Who Laughs #4 someone elevates the lunacy of the entire premise. The titular villain and Bruce Wayne have developed an outlandish way of communicating that threatened Batman’s sanity and moral standing (he gets into a first fight with Alfred over it).

With Jock providing amazing artwork, The Batman Who Laughs #4 continues to blend horror, mystery, crime, and science fiction (specifically the works of Philip K Dick and William Gibson) into a surprisingly cohesive narrative that keeps readers on their toes.

5 Detective Comics #1001

By Peter J. Tomasi, Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Nathan Fairbairn, and Rob Leigh

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A new threat comes bearing down on Batman and his beloved city of Gotham as the Arkham Knight Rises! This version of the character is a bit different from the one many fans first met in the video game Arkham Knight, but his veracity remains intact.

The first attack in Detective Comics #1001 by Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker is malicious enough to pique the Dark Knight’s interest, but little does he know it’s really the opening volley of something much larger on the horizon.

4 Superman #10 

By Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Oclair Albert, Joe Prado, Alex Sinclair, and Josh Reed

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Jon Kent’s story of his absence continues to hold big revelations and takes a turn into the realm of Space Opera when he is rescued by his grandfather, Jor-El. All of the present day scenes in which Lois and Clark grapple with the tribulations their son had to endure are solid, but the real fun is in the action in outer space.

Bendis’ storytelling continues to be smart, heartfelt and deliberately paced in Superman #10, and with gorgeous art by Ivan Reis and Brandon Peterson, it’s a pleasure to look at. From emotional family moments to stellar space vistas, everything is deftly handled.

3 Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Grand Moff Tarkin #1

By Greg Pak, Marc Laming, Jordan Boyd, Neeraj Menon, VC's Travis Lanham, Terry Dodson, and Rachel Dodson

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Star Wars is a film franchise which features plenty of minor characters fans obsess with. From mostly silent bounty hunters like Boba Fett to mostly silent Sith Lords like Darth Maul, fascination can bloom if a character is simply aesthetically pleasing. One character, who isn’t by any means minor and it’s always a joy to see get some exploration is Grand Moff Tarkin.

Thanks to Peter Cushing’s iconic portrayal in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope back in 1977, filmmakers, novelists, and comic scribes keep returning to the steely Dearth Star general for reasons beyond mere aesthetics. In Star Wars: Age of Rebellion – Grand Moff Tarkin #1 Greg Pak and Marc Laming explore the violent tendencies of the titular villain that were always bubbling at the surface (he did obliterate Alderaan, after all… just sayin’).

2 Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Princess Leia #1

By Greg Pak, Chis Sprouse, Karl Story, Will Sliney, Marc Deering, Tamra Bonvillain, VC's Travis Lanham, Terry Dodson, and Rachel Dodson

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Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk) and Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong) give us a tale we may not necessarily have needed to enjoy the original Star War Trilogy, but it’s still a blast riding along with Leia in the driver’s seat.

Set during the events of The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi (or the Han-less period as some fans refer to it), Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Princess Leia #1 focuses on Leia’s plan to rescue her beloved rouge. There’s plenty of bounty hunter scheming and action, especially from cinema’s greatest spacesuit-wearing lizard man, Bossk.

1 War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1

By Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Griffin McElroy, André Lima Araújo, Chris O'Halloran, and Clayton Cowles

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The McElroy Brothers (Justin, Travis, and Griffin) have found great success with their hilarious and long-running advice show podcast, My Brother, My Brother, and Me, which spawned a television series based on the show as well as other spin-off podcasts, comics, and live events. Now the McElroys get the chance to play with some of Marvel Comics’ best toys and they’re bringing the talented artist André Lima Araújo along with them.

Balder is back from Hel, and the world of heroes isn’t quite what he’s used to. The Asgardian assembles a team of the best heroes he can find ti help him deliver a very special package, with hilarious results.

NEXT: The Most Incredible Hulk Gift Guide

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