5. NEIL GAIMAN AND CHARLES VESS' STARDUST
Written by Neil Gaiman; Art and Cover by Charles Vess
DC Vertigo
232 pgs | $39.99

In anticipation of the upcoming film, Vertigo is releasing a new oversized hardcover of this fantasy/romance written by Neil Gaiman. Technically, this isn't a comic, it's more of an illustrated novel but Gaiman and artist Charles Vess have very well-established comics pedigrees and - well it's published by a comics company so it makes the comics list. The story is set in Victorian times and tells the tale of a young man who goes on an incredible journey to obtain a fallen star for the girl that he loves.

____________________________________________________________________________

4. GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS
Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Ethan Van Sciver and Dave Gibbons; Cover by Van Sciver
DC
64 pgs | $4.99

Sinestro was once the greatest of the Green Lanterns but no one with a moustache like that can stay a good guy for long. Always the greatest foe of Hal Jordan and the other Lanterns, Sinestro now has his own Corps and is armed with the power of fear. Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver - the team that brought Hal Jordan back from the dead in Green Lantern: Rebirth - this one shot special promises some rough times for Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Kyle Raynor, Guy Gardner and any other Green Lanterns Sinestro can get his purple hands on.

____________________________________________________________________________

3. THE ULTIMATES 2 VOL2: GRAND THEFT AMERICA
Written by Mark Millar; art by Bryan Hitch
Marvel
232 pgs | $19.99

If you only read The Ultimates in trade paperback then you've been waiting probably a couple of years for this book. Marvel's re-imagined, modernized, and government sanctioned Avengers was their hottest book (and my personal fave) for a good period of time until artwork delays turned the publishing schedule into an industry joke and took a lot of steam out of this top-selling comic. But once you've finally got this book in your hands you're not going to spend much time thinking about that. Superstar creative team Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's great run on the book ends here with just about the biggest battle the Ultimate Universe has ever seen.

____________________________________________________________________________

2. The Art of Bone
By Jeff Smith
Dark Horse
200 pgs | $39.95

Again, for the second time on this week's list, this book isn't really a comic so much as it is an art book but obviously it's subject matter pertains to one of the greatest comics of the past 10 years. Fans of Jeff Smith's Bone will be anxious to browse through this hardcover collection of sketches, promotional art and behind-the-scenes goodies.

____________________________________________________________________________

1. Apollo's Song
By Osamu Tezuka
Vertical
544 pgs | 544 pgs

Originally published in Japan in 1970, Osamu Tezuka graphic novel is being published in the U.S. for the first time. Tezuka was one of the pioneers of manga and is known for such renowned works as Astro Boy and Buddha. Here he tells the story of a young man who, during electroshock therapy, is visited in his mind by the Goddess of Love and taken through the ages to experience love - and then have it taken away from him - over and over again.

See a full preview here