5. ELFWORLD VOL.1
Edited by François Vigneault, compiled by Jeffrey Brown
Top Shelf
128 pgs | $12.95

This is an odd one. Sword and sorcery comics written and drawn by comic creators normally known for their introspective autobiographical and relationship-focused comics. People like Jeffrey Brown and K. Thor Jensen contribute fantasy comics to this collection of 16 short stories. I wouldn't be surprised to see an elf or two cry in this one.

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4. LOKI
Written by Robert Rodi; art by Esad Ribic
Marvel
104 pgs | $12.99

One of the nicest looking books Marvel has put out recently is now collected in trade paperback form. Featuring fully painted artwork by Esad Ribic, this book was highly acclaimed by critics not just for the art but for the interesting story that takes the perspective of the brother and sworn enemy of Norse god and Marvel hero, Thor.

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3. MADMAN VOL. 1
by Michael Allred
Image Comics
300 pgs | $24.99

To celebrate the new ongoing series (now in its 4th issue) and to anticipate the now-in-production feature film directed by Robert Rodriguez, Image Comics is releasing a new volume that reprints Michael Allred's original Madman series. Considered by many to be an indie-pop art masterpiece, Madman is a showcase for Allred's crisp retro-art and his odd sense of humor.

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2. THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2007
Edited by Chris Ware, Anne Elizabeth Moore
Houghton Mifflin
368 pgs | $22.00

Another year another beautifully packaged collection of indie comics. Chris Ware designs and edits this volume and you can expect to see some interesting stories from the usual suspects such as:

- an excerpt from Alison Bechdel's award winning Fun Home
- a story from Ivan Brunetti's book Schizo
- Kevin Huizenga's wonderfully introspective story "Glenn in Bed" from Ganges
- an excerpt from Adrian Tomine's Shortcomings graphic novel
- an excerpt from Charles Burn's highly acclaimed Black Hole

So lots of excerpts from longer works but lots of complete short stories too. These volumes are always worth picking up if you don't already own most of what's in there already.

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1. I KILLED ADOLF HITLER
by Jason
Fantagraphics
48 pgs | $12.95

To be honest, I'm not totally sure this book is being released this week. Depends on which shipping list you look at. But any new release from the singularly named Jason is worthy of a number 1 slot. Always odd, smart and incredibly under-stated, Jason is willing and able to tackle various genres with his funny-animal meets silent film style. This time he takes on time-travel in a story about a contract killer sent back in time to kill Adolf Hitler only to have it go terribly wrong leaving the killer stranded in the past and Hitler loose in the future.