Hello, and welcome to the Honor Roll, the weekly discussion of the top five books of the week as chosen by Comicosity’s Editor-in-Chief. I read a lot of comics from a lot of publishers, and this week five books shone brighter than all the rest. Check out my top five of the January 9, 2013 releases below and feel free to call me out in the comments section!

STAR WARS #1
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Carlos D’Anda
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Cue the music and fire up A New Hope because I want to watch some Star Wars. Not EU, not prequels or even sequels: I want the original. Brian Wood had one hell of a task set before him: write about the period between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back as though nobody knows what happens next. Boy, did he ever deliver. I had high hopes for this series and Brian Wood blew them away, nailing the magic and spirit of the Star Wars trilogy brilliantly. His pacing is fantastic, his dialogue spot on, and his story is gripping. This comic had me from the first page, and really took me back to the very first time I saw Star Wars…back when Vader was enveloped in political battles and Leia kicked some serious ass and took no crap from anyone. This comic made me relive the magic I remember as a kid, but also delivered a solid story for an adult; I story I want more of as fast as I can get it. This was also my first introduction to the work of Carlos D’Anda, who ain’t too shabby in his own right, if I do say so myself.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Ryan Stegman
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I didn’t really like Amazing Spider-Man #700 (there, I said it). I was on the fence about trying Superior, but decided to give it a go for the simple reason of saying “I gave it a shot”. I am very glad I did. Slott is writing a very interesting story here, almost an alternate universe Spidey tale, and I found myself constantly bracing for what was going to happen next. Spidey Ock is completely unpredictable and there is a lot of fun that can come from that. I do still find myself creeped out severely by any interactions he has with MJ, but I do trust that Slott will be rectifying that before too long. Stegman’s art is really strong and worthy of the huge attention this issue is getting. The final page alone is worth the price of admission, and Superior has me for now.

DETECTIVE COMICS #16
Written by John Layman
Art by Jason Fabok
Publisher: DC Comics

This was a light DC week for me, but there was one gem in the batch. Detective Comics makes another appearance on the Honor Roll with issue #16, a comic worthy of the Death of the Family banner and a book that is quite creepy, really. Layman shows the seedy side of the city that the Joker’s presence brings out, and how his very nature causes Batman more grief than the one on one confrontations. Joker brings a fever to Gotham, and Layman’s writing got under my skin and in my head. Fabok’s art is suitably gruesome for the story being told, and even though this book ties into DotF, an interesting Emperor Penguin arc is shaping up. Keep this one close, folks, Layman is cooking up something big.

THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #4
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Esad Ribic
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Old Thor! Young Thor! “Now” Thor! Mayhem and madness abound in this comic, a story that is truly fit for the Gods. The God Butcher is a Thor arc like I have never read before: a gritty, suspenseful, eerie tale that manages to stay with the tradition of also being epic and grandiose like few other comics can be. Aaron is cooking up a big finale to this arc, I can feel it, and this issue is brimming with tension. This is a great tale for fans of Thor and the mythology of Gods in the universes, and anyone who is looking for some thunder in their read pile.

CABLE AND X-FORCE #3
Written by Dennis Hopeless
Art by Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I almost stopped reading this series after issue #1, as it just didn’t grab me, but lo and behold, issue #2 and #3 have both hit my Honor Roll. Hopeless is crafting a really interesting niche for this series with Cable as a bizarre shaman from the future, leading a ragtag bunch of misfits into some absolutely chaotic missions. Hopeless has a strong voice for each of the characters, clearly defining what they bring to the table and why Cable is keeping them around. As with all good team books, very little ever goes right, and the glory is in the mayhem that ensues. Larroca’s art is solid, he’s not the flashiest or most dynamic guy around, but month in and month out he gets it done well enough so I won’t complain too loudly. Check this one out if you enjoyed the old X-Force books, it has a lot of the same spirit of adventure and fun nature.