There’s a bunch of big titles coming out this week, specifically Batman #100 and Amazing Spider-Man #850. But while “Joker War” and “Sins Past” hit their crescendos, there’s other great books this week that might be worth picking up over the Big Two’s mascots.

Norse Mythology #1 (Dark Horse)

(w) Neil Gaiman (w/a) P. Craig Russell (a) Mike Mignola, Jerry Ordway (c) Dave Stewart

Yes, it’s the adaptation of a novel, but look at that creative team! Gaiman is a legend. Russell is a legend. Mignola is a legend. Ordway is a legend. Stewart is a legend. Let’s see if these legends can breathe life into the Norse gods.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman and Eisner Award-winning comics legend P. Craig Russell breathe new life into the ancient Norse stories by taking readers through the creation of the Nine Worlds to the epic origin and adventures of Thor, Odin, and Loki all the way to the end of life-Ragnarök.

Having previously written about deities in American Gods and The Sandman, Gaiman teams with Russell to finally bring readers to follow the northern gods in their own setting in this comic book adaptation of the hit novel!

American Vampire 1976 #1 (DC Comics | Black Label)

(w) Scott Snyder (a) Rafael Albuquerque (c) Dave McCraig

In recent years, Scott Snyder has seemingly tried to out-crazy Grant Morrison, only failing to execute competent plots to go along with his big ideas. Simultaneously, there’s been hope among readers that he’d eventually return to the book that made readers take notice of him – American Vampire – and with that a return to form. That hope has been partially restored with American Vampire 1976 #1 finally being released. Rafael Albuquerque’s art has been consistently good since the last American Vampire issue, which means it’s up to Snyder to bring the goods.

PART ONE, “DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU!”

America is broken. Trust between the government and the American public has crumbled. Paranoia reigns supreme. It’s 1976, and this is the concluding chapter of the Eisner Award-winning American Vampire! Skinner Sweet has exhausted all efforts to regain his lost immortality. With his powers and purpose gone, he is now determined to go out with a bang. At a seedy motorcycle rally in the desert where he’s closer than ever to his death wish, Pearl Jones and a shocking partner tracks him down for one last, desperate mission: The force known as the Gray Trader and its minions are tunneling through the bowels of the world to unleash hell on Earth—just in time for America’s bicentennial. With catastrophe looming, it’s up to Skinner and Pearl to reconcile and change the course of history—or die trying. The series that launched the careers of superstars Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque returns for nine final issues and the closing chapter of the legacy of American Vampire.

American Ronin #1 (AW&A)

(w) Peter Milligan (a) Aco (c) Dean White

I’ve yet to pick up a second issue of an AW&A book, but with the quality of creators they keep bringing in, I’ll keep trying them. Both Peter Milligan and Aco have done brilliant things in the past, so hopefully that carries over into a collaborative effort. Given the current state of global politics – specifically the rise of nationalism – American Ronin looks to be an intense affair.

War is over, democracy an illusion, real power now lies not with nation states but huge corporations engaged in a silent war for global domination. Their number one weapon: highly-skilled, technologically-enhanced operatives trained since childhood to pledge their allegiance to the corporate flag. But what happens when one such operative breaks free of his mental chains and decides to bring the whole system down? Can one “Ronin” make a difference?

Getting It Together #1 (Image Comics)

(w) Omar Spah (w/a) Sina Grace (a) Jenny Fine

The premise of Getting it Together would make the series seem at home within a smaller, prestige publisher like Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, or Pantheon. The fact that a slice-of-life book is coming out of Image – typically known for its creator-owned genre fare – is an encouraging sign for as the publisher looks to broaden the types of storytelling it welcomes.

SERIES PREMIERE!

Newcomer artist JENNY D. FINE shines alongside Marvel Comics’ Iceman writer SINA GRACE and co-creator OMAR SPAHI in the all-new modern dramedy you didn’t know you needed! Sam and Jack are best friends, and Sam is dating Lauren, Jack’s indie rocker sister and roommate. When Sam and Lauren open up their long-term relationship, skyrocketing tensions send social shockwaves through their friend group and the entire Bay Area. And Jack, caught in the middle of it all, may be forced to take sides in a conflict he never wanted to be a part of. Life gets pretty messy when you’re in your 20s and your friends are your family.