Below are the titles we have hand-picked
for you to watch out for in October 2008:
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From Marvel Comics:
  Ender's Game #1 (of 5)

Orson Scott Card & Christopher Yost (w), Pasqual Ferry (a) / 32 pp.

Earth stands on the brink of all-out war with a colossal alien empire, and its global military has turned to children to provide the tactical creativity that its only hope for survival, let alone victory.
Eight-year-old prodigy Ender Wiggin is the brightest of them all, but can he survive the all-too-real simulations of the Battle School and lead humanity to triumph? Award-winning writer Orson Scott Card (Ultimate Iron Man) joins Christopher Yost (X-Force, New X-Men) and artist Pasqual Ferry (Ultimate Iron Man) in adapting one of the most acclaimed science fiction novels of all time.
  Captain America: White #1 (of 6)

Jeph Loeb (w), Tim Sale (a) / 32 pp.

Super-soldier Captain America and his teen sidekick Bucky have landed on the front lines of World War II, but their covert mission that could prove decisive in turning the tide of the war will bring them into conflict with Sgt Nick Fury and his Howling Commandoes. The Eisner-winning team of Loeb and Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween, Spider-Man: Blue) are back together to continue their 'colours' series with an all-action war story.
  Ghost Rider #28

Jason Aaron (w), Tan Eng Huat (a), Marc Silvestri (covers) / 48 pp.

High in the snow-covered mountains of Tibet Johnny Blaze faces a reborn Danny Ketch for an all-out battle for the title of the one true Ghost Rider, in double-sized issue from continuing writer Jason Aaron (Scalped) and Tan Eng Huat (Silver Surfer: In Thy Name) plus two connecting covers from Marc Silvestri.
  Thor: The Truth of History

Alan Davis (w/a) / 48 pp.

Legendary writer-artist Alan Davis (Fantastic Four: The End, Uncanny X-Men) delves into history for one the mighty Thor's greatest ever adventures, as the God of Thunder leads his fellow Asgardians into the mighty empire of ancient Egypt.
 





X-Men: Original Sin #1

Mike Carey & Daniel Way (w), Mike Deodato Jr, Scot Eaton (a), Deodato Jr (cover) / 48 pp.

X-Men: Legacy #217

Carey (w), Eaton (a), Deodato Jr (cover) / 32 pp.

Wolverine: Origins #29

Way (w), Deodato Jr (a/cover) / 32 pp.

Wolverine was once a man without a past, his corrupted memories existing only as fragments, but given a home and a path in life by Professor Charles Xavier. But now the tables are turned, and as Logan reconnects with his troubled past and searches for his twisted son Daken, Xavier's search for his own mind will bring the pair together with the revelation of a dark secret behind Wolverine's true reason for joining the X-Men. Kicking off an explosive five-part crossover between X-Men: Legacy and Wolverine: Origins (with new artist Mike Deodato Jr), Original Sin will change everything you knew about Wolverine and his connection to the X-Men.
  Secret Wars Omnibus HC

Jim Shooter, Tom DeFalco et al (w), Mike Zeck, Bob Layton, Ron Frenz, Mark Bagley et al (a), Mike Zeck, Alex Ross (covers) / 384 pp.

When the heroes and villains of Earth are drawn across the stars to the deserted planet of Battleworld by the cosmic Beyonder, the stage is set for an epic battle of champions -- but can Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and more defeat an army of enemies and prevent Doctor Doom from seizing god-like power? The first true crossover and one of the biggest comics events of the 1980s, masterminded and written by then-Marvel editor in chief Jim Shooter (Legion of Super-Heroes), the entire Secret Wars saga is collected in one giant oversized hardcover compiling Secret Wars #1-12 plus Thor #383, She-Hulk #10 and What If? #4 and #114.
  Last Defenders TP

Joe Casey (w), Jim Muniz (a), Steve McNiven (cover) / 144 pp.

Tasked with a new political mission by Tony Stark's government-backed superhero Initiative, Nighthawk has enlisted mutant strongman Colossus, the sensational She-Hulk and the enigmatic Blazing Skull for one of the strangest Defenders teams ever. Collecting the six-part miniseries from cult writer Joe Casey (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, WildCATs) and artist Jim Muniz (Marvel Knights Four).
  Punisher: From First to Last TP

Garth Ennis (w), John Severin, Lewis Larosa, Richard Corben (a), Tim Bradstreet (cover) / 152 pp.

Go inside the mind of vigilante antihero the Punisher in three acclaimed one-shots from fan-favourite writer Garth Ennis. In The Tyger, illustrated by EC horror legend John Severin, a ten-year-old boy growing up rough on the streets of Brooklyn looks into his dark future when a classmate commits suicide; five crime bosses are dead wrong if they think the walls of Riker's Island will protect them from the Punisher, in the Lewis Larosa-pencilled The Cell; and in the The End, with art by veteran Richard Corben, a dying Frank Castle keeps on fighting to the bitter end in a post-apocalyptic future.
 
From DC Comics:
 





Final Crisis: Submit: Grant Morrison (w), Matthew Clark (a) / 40 pp.

Final Crisis: Resist: Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann (w), Ryan Sook (a) / 40 pp.

Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns: Geoff Johns (w), Shane Davis (a) / 40 pp.

As the DC Universe is gripped by what may be its Final Crisis, the saga continues in three one-shot specials. In Grant Morrison and Matthew Clark's Submit, Black Lightning and Tattoo Man form an unlikely alliance to save a family from the growing darkness, while in Resist from Checkmate writers Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann with artist Ryan Sook one-time JLA sidekick Snapper Carr will prove himself an unlikely hero one last time. Meanwhile, in Rage of the Red Lanterns from writer Geoff Johns (Infinite Crisis) and rising star artist Shane Davis (Superman/Batman) the prelude to the next major Green Lantern event 'The Blackest Night' begins as Atrocitus and his rage-fuelled Red Lanterns arrive on Oa seeking revenge against the imprisoned Sinestro.
 

Superman: New Krypton Special #1

Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates (w), Gary Frank, Renato Guedes, Pete Woods, Frank (cover) / 48 pp.

Kicking off a nine-part crossover event spanning Superman, Action Comics and Supergirl, as Earth prepares for the arrival of refugees from beyond the stars -- but how will it handle 100 000 superpowered Kryptonians?
  Top Ten Season Two #1 (of 4)

Zander Cannon (w), Gene Ha (a) / 32 pp.

A new day dawns on the futuristic science city of Neopolis as rookie cop Slipstream Phoenix hits his new beat while keeping a dark secret from his peers in Precinct 10, in the new season of Alan Moore's Top Ten from original series talent Zander Cannon and Gene Ha.
  Gears of War #1

Joshua Ortega (w), Liam Sharp (a) / 32 pp.

Continue the campaign with Marcus Fenix and the Delta Squad in a comics exclusive story bridging the acclaimed XBox 360 title Gears of War and its forthcoming sequel, penned by Gears of War 2 game writer Joshua Ortega (Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer) with art by Liam Sharp (Testament).
  Unknown Soldier #1  

Joshua Dysart (w), Alberto Ponticelli (a), Igor Kordey (cover) / 32 pp.

Moses Lwanga is a doctor caught in the living hell that is northern Uganda, where child soldiers wield AK-47s and brother hacks brother to death with machetes while the outside world stands by and watches. The situation seems hopeless, but why is a voice in his head telling the pacifist Moses he can single-handedly take apart those responsible for the bloodshed? Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing, BRPD 1946) writes and Alberto Ponticelli (Sam and Twitch) illustrates a bold and extensively researched mature readers reimagining of a classic DC character, in a the new ongoing series featuring covers by Igor Kordey (New X-Men).
  JLA: That Was Now, This Is Then

Roger Stern (w), John Byrne (a), Joshua Middleton (cover) / 128 pp.

The classic Captain America team of comics legends Roger Stern and John Byrne are back together for a five-part story of the original JLA, as the League faces a deadly new enemy -- or is it secretly a face from the past, out for revenge?
  Showcase Presents: Blackhawk vol 1 TP

Various (w/a), Dick Dillon, Charles Cuidera, Sheldon Moldoff (a) / 512 pp., B&W

The classic 1950s adventures of intrepid pilots of fortune the Blackhawks are collected for the first time in a bumper compilation of stories from Blackhawk #108-127, featuring art from future Justice League of America star Dick Dillon.
  Hellblazer: The Family Man TP

Jamie Delano, Dick Foreman (w), Ron Tiner, Mark Buckingham, Sean Phillips, Steve Pugh et al (a), Kent Williams (cover) / 208 pp.

Collecting issues #23-24 and 28-33, one of the creepiest stories from Jamie Delano's seminal run on Hellblazer, as John Constantine finds himself the latest target of the sadistic serial killer known as the Family Man.
 




From Image Comics:
  Spawn #185

Todd McFarlane & Brian Holguin (w), Whilce Portacio, McFarlane, Portacio, Greg Capullo (covers) / 32 pp.

Todd McFarlane returns at long last to his iconic creation to usher in a whole new era for Spawn, illustrated by fellow Image founder Whilce Portacio.
  Outlaw Territory volume 1 GN

Greg Pak, Joe Kelly, Steven Grant, Joshua Hale Fialkov et al (w), Khoi Pham, Dean Motter, Max Fiumara et al (a), Greg Ruth (cover) / 240 pp.

Go back to one of the defining periods of early American history in a giant collection of gritty Old West stories from some of the most acclaimed creators and promising newcomers in contemporary comics.
  Ted McKeever Library Book One: Transit HC

Ted McKeever (w/a) / 156 pp., B&W

Spud is a self-proclaimed urban rebel, a punk iconoclast living on the fringe of society -- but when he inadvertently becomes caught up a political power struggle for control of the city, he'll need a lot more than an old leather jacket and rollerblades to make it out alive. Kicking off a new deluxe series reprinting the works of acclaimed writer-artist Ted McKeever, the definitive collected edition of Transit includes all five original issues plus the never-before-seen final chapter.
 

From Dark Horse Comics:
  Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch

Mike Mignola (w/a) / 32 pp.

Acclaimed creator Mike Mignola returns to the drawing table for a special standalone adventure of his signature creation Hellboy, as the big red guy investigates an ancient chapel in Eastern Europe where an artist has found himself possessed by a spirit more sinister than any muse.
  Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein HC

Mary Shelley (w), Bernie Wrightson (a) / 256 pp., B&W

Bernie Wrightson's 1983 adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic horror novella Frankenstein remains one of the most acclaimed works ever produced by one of the greatest illustrators of the modern era, now available in a deluxe 25th anniversary oversized hardcover edition.
   
From the smaller publishers:
 

Steve Niles Omnibus TP

Steve Niles (w), Breehn Burns, Hector Casanova, Milx et al (a) / 416 pp.

Collecting in one giant-sized volume a select anthology of classic works from prolific horror scribe Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and a host of top artists.

 
  The Black Terror #1 (of 4)

Jim Krueger & Alex Ross (w), Mike Lilly (a), Ross, Greg Land, John Romita Sr (covers) / 32 pp.

All-action vigilante superhero the Black Terror explodes from the pages of Project Superpowers for his own solo miniseries, illustrated by the acclaimed Mike Lilly.
  Garth Ennis' Battlefields: The Night Witches #1

Garth Ennis (w), Russ Braun (a), John Cassaday, Gary Leach (covers) / 32 pp.

In the summer of 1942 at the height of World War II, the German army pushes deeper into Soviet Russia as its forces retreat in disarray -- until unexpected reinforcements arrive the form of the all-female nocturnal bombing squadron nicknamed the Night Witches. Return to the battlefield in the new series from acclaimed war writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher).
  GI Joe: A New Beginning #0

Larry Hama (w), Robert Atkins (a) / 24 pp.

Get the first look at IDW Publishing's forthcoming relaunch of the enduring GI Joe mythos in a promotionally priced prelude issues from GI Joe granddaddy writer Larry Hama with artist Robert Atkins, as the US military's new special ops unit comes under attack from a mysterious global terrorist organisation calling itself COBRA.
  Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young @#% HC

Art Spiegelman (w/a) / 72 pp.

The latest collection from acclaimed alternative cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman (Maus) compiles new vignettes and ruminations on contemporary society, growing up in the sixties and a lifetime in art, plus a facsimile edition of the ultra-rare Breakdowns featuring the cream of Spiegelman's work from the 1970s.
  Doktor Sleepless volume 1: Engines of Desire SC/HC

Warren Ellis (w), Ivan Rodriguez (a) / 216 pp.

In a city of the near future, a bored populace feels somehow cheated that the long-promised world of flying cars, teleporters and matter disintegrators has failed to appear. They need a hero, a saviour to show them the way -- and in hip young mad scientist Doktor Sleepless, they may have found their answer. Warren Ellis returns to creator-owned work in the vein of his cult Transmetropolitan in the first collected edition of the hit new series featuring art by newcomer Ivan Rodriguez.
  Rose SC

Jeff Smith (w), Charles Vess (a) / 160 pp.

The Eisner-nominated prequel to Jeff Smith's acclaimed fantasy epic Bone, featuring fully painted art by the acclaimed Charles Vess (Stardust), is at last available in a definitive collected edition.
  The Crossed #1 (of 9) / 32 pp.

Garth Ennis (w), Jacen Burrows (a) / 32 pp.

Imagine, if you will, the worst crimes against humanity, the most egregious affronts to decency and morality, the darkest of dark visions -- then forget about them all, as what fan-favourite writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys) and artist Jacen Burrows (Blackgas, Chronicles of Wormwood) have cooked up is so much worse.