Weekly Treats! Life with Mr Dangerous & Citizen Rex!

So it's a Bank Holiday week which means the delivery arrives on the morning of general release, which means it goes on the shelf a little later (try after lunch), which means plenty of time to blog but zero time to look at the books beforehand (not there's much time to anyway). I know, I know; violins all round but baring in mind that anticipation is nine tenths of the fun, what are the highlights?

I still haven't fully recovered from the way Paul Hornschemeier left me devastated with his first graphic novel Mother Come Home (Dark Horse) way back in 2003 and then sucker-punched me with The Return of the Elephant, (Adhouse) the memory of which still makes me shudder. But then I should expect someone who studied philosophy and psychology at university to be picking at the back of my brain with his books. Life With Mr Dangerous (Villard) is Hornschemeier's fourth graphic novel and the impression he leaves this time is rather more subtle and pleasant.

But how do you know; you said you won't get a chance to look at the new releases I hear you sceptically cry. Well the book collects a serialised story published in the excellent Mome (Fantagraphics) anthology so I can tell you that the story follows the wanderings of Amy, a twenty-something woman at something of a crossroads. She questions the life she has fallen into and assesses her troubled relationships whilst addicted to the Mr Dangerous cartoon on tv. If I mention that Hornschemeier came into comics via the works of Daniel Clowes it may give you an idea of the sedate tone and emotionally complex themes within the piece.See here for his blog.

Citizen Rex (Dark Horse) is anything but sedate. Drawn by Gilbert Hernandez and written by his brother Mario Hernandez it's an energetic old school sci-fi tale with android replicants and flying cars mixed in with the trademark Hernandez restlessness. See here for an interview with Mario Hernandez (for a change, as I'm always harping on about Gilbert).

And also worth mentioning is the final collection of Buffy Season Eight (Dark Horse). Joss Whedon has announced there will be a season nine later in the year and it will be shorter and more focused then the previous one. He's also launching an Angel and Faith series so be here to put season eight to bed before it gets 'spoilered' for you.

For the Weekly Treats prepare to set faces for stunned as not only are we promised the fall of a major character in Fear Itself #3, but there's Flashpoint #2 and the beginning of the new Flashpoint realities including Flashpoint Batman #1 (how many times can I write Flashpoint in one sentence?). Brian Michael Bendis' Moon Knight #2 defines the one man Avenger and for something outside superheroes there's Criminal: Last of the Innocent #1 and a new Hellboy comic bringing together a smackdown with the Queen of Blood.

As ever Jason posts the full list way up there under the features tab as soon as it becomes available.