Weekly Treats! Batman, Doctor Who, Mars Attacks

Here's a curious one: Batman: The Night of the Owls (DC) is technically the next volume release in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman series but it actually only features two issues - #8 & 9 - plus the annual. However, as the story was part of an enormous cross-over, you also get the tie-in issues; that's the #9's of eight other comics, plus #8 & 9 of Nightwing. So actually that's quite a meal and a great one-stop way of reading the whole story with the whole family. Great work, as ever from Capullo in the Batman issues who, for me, has done at least as much as Snyder to define this run.

Batman: Arkham Unhinged (DC) collects the first five issues of tales inspired by the Arkham City game and includes the download code for five playable skins on the XBox 360.

Finally, two licence products from IDW next: firstly Mars Attacks vol. 1 Attack From Space for some tongue-in-cheek invasion violence by John Layman and John McCrea. Secondly, resistance is futile I'm afraid (particularly if you have the first volume); Star Trek The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation vol. 2 (IDW).

Surely the biggest comic of the week is Batman #17 (DC) which brings us the conclusion to the 'Death of the Family' epic - as ever by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. There's also Katana #1 (DC); the former assassin on a quest to restore the Outsiders whilst trying to resist being overcome by the power of her sword, the Soul Taker. Brian Michael Bendis continues his mutant revolution with Uncanny X-Men #1 (Marvel) alongside Chris Bachalo. There's the Nick Fury (the other one, Dad) led Secret Avengers #1 (Marvel) and Powers: FBI #1 (Marvel) marks the return of Bendis's creator-owned series where he sometimes tries out ideas that make it to the regular Marvel universe. If you've not read it, here's the place to jump on. And finally, in time for the return of the tv series (funny that) there's Walking Dead: The Governor Special (Image) which reprints the first issue he appeared in as well as his origin.

Full list of releases waiting just for you under the tab at the top...