I’ve had a lifelong love affair with comic books, one that has waxed and waned and waxed again over the years as I invariably pick up, then lose, then pick up interest once again.  Everyone once in a while, I’ll make a concerted effort to get back into reading by picking up almost every title that looks even remotely interesting, then drop them as I lose interest. As time goes on, this becomes increasingly more difficult what with the proliferation of publishers, books, and those annoying crossovers.

So, over the past couple of days, I checked out a veritable mountain of new releases – strictly new issues of ongoing series.  THESE were my Top 5 Reads…

Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #4 (of 6)

Written by Kelly Thompson / Art by Mattia de lulis

I loved Michael Bendis’ Jessica Jones, so, to be honest, I was a little leery going in, worried that a new writer would not do justice to the character Bendis made so very compelling.  And yet, to my delight, writer Kelly Thompson doesn’t miss a beat, effortlessly capturing that original tone, those original voices, and making the character her own in this outstanding limited series.

Punisher: Soviet #4 (of 6)

Written by Garth Ennis

Art by Jacen Burrows

I’ve often found the gratuitous, comical violence in Ennis’s work will occasionally undermine the drama of his narrative, but this issue finds him at his constrained best.  There’s humor here, but it comes from the characters and the dialogue rather than the over-the-top bloodshed.  Don’t get me wrong.  There’s still plenty of graphic brutality here, but it’s in service to a top-notch, suspenseful story.

The Amazing Spider-Man #40

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Ivan Coello

I’ve been a big fan of Nick Spencer’s since Superior Foes of Spider-Man and The Fix.  He is the perfect fit for the quippy web-slinger, delivering a fun, funny, and fast-paced tale involving colorful villains, games of chance, and the perils of social media.

X-Men #7

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Leinil Francis Yu

I have clearly been out of X-loop way too long and have A LOT to catch up on. Despite that seemingly herculean task, this issue offers a surprisingly good jumping on point as we are introduced to the Crucible, a shocking ritual that seemingly seeks to undo the harm caused by Scarlet Witch’s devastating actions in House of M.  This one was a jaw-dropper.

Black Terror #5

Written by Max Bemis

Art by Ruain Coleman

Hats off to writer Max Bemis for so thoroughly sucking me into a story about a character I knew absolutely nothing about – five issues in!  Great book all around but it’s the dialogue that really makes it stand out.  Going to have to pick up the first four issues now.

In addition to the above, the following titles captured my interest and warrant further investigation: