Else? Some nice characterization and action in The Rift; the Keyser Soze story is atmospheric, even if the notion of following the exploits of an infallible, always-12-steps-of-his-opponents villain seems ... less than compelling. Verdict? Maybe. Secret Empire/Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Title: Secret Empire/Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man Genre: Superhero Anything I Need to Know Going In? Maybe you've heard about the ? In which it's revealed that Captain America, Scion of All That Is Good And You Know American I Mean Come On It's Right There In The Dude's Name, is secretly the head of HYDRA, Marvel's resident fascist-army-Big-Bad? This preview is all set-up, but it's your chance to see what's getting so many noses out of joint for yourself. The Spider-Man preview is a return to Spidey in quippy, classic, full-bore Friendly-Neighborhood mode. Anything Else? Secret Empire artist Andrea Sorrentino serves up some striking page layouts, and Paulo Siqueira's Spidey art is big and bold. Verdict? Depends on your personal tolerance for turning heroes into Nazis for fun and profit. X-O Manowar/Bloodshot: Salvation Title: X-O Manowar/Blood Shot: Salvation Genre: Superhero/Science Fiction Anything I Need to Know Going In? This is how you do FCBD. Three tiny(!) but packed vignettes that give a clear sense of the titles in question, introducing a central tension without resolving it. Anything Else? In X-O Manowar, a time-displaced warrior fights for right. In Secret Weapons, we glimpse a world of enhanced humans — and the agency that seeks to control them. In Bloodshot: Salvation, another time-displaced warrior goes searching for secrets from his past. Granted, there's not much that's particularly novel in those premises. But what matters — in genre comics, as in anything else — is the execution, and these three mini-stories have each got a distinct style, reminding you that genre doesn't have to be generic. Verdict? Definitely. Attack on Titan Title: Attack on Titan Genre: Fantasy Anything I Need to Know Going In? The hugely successful manga series (and concomitant anime series) from Hajime Isayama — about a city of many walls, constantly attacked by grotesque giants — is an international phenomenon. This new story by Jody Houser and Emi Lenox, set in Isayama's Firm alarm cable world, looks at day-to-day life inside the city, far from the front lines. Anything Else? A quieter, sweeter, and sadder tale than the original series, which leans more in an action/suspense/horror direction, generally serves up. Verdict? Yes. The Ballad of Franklin Bonisteel Title: The Ballad of Franklin Bonisteel Genre: Crime Anything I Need to Know Going In? Fun, atmospheric, Elmore-Leonard-esque tale set in and around an LA motor court/lounge in the 70s. Nice character beats, and the black-and-white art captures the story's mood so well you can almost feel the deep-pile shag carpeting. Anything Else? Technically, this one's a sampler, as it includes a (very) brief excerpt from Murder Ballads, though it's not mentioned in the cover, and is so short it doesn't give you much to go on. There's a website listed on the back where you can hear that book's soundtrack, if that's a thing that interests you. Verdict? Yes. Betty & Veronica