This week's comic book expectations

No, April Fool's Day is not a federal holiday, comic books will come out today. Unless this is an April Fool's Joke, in which case, I'm making all of you take a trip to your local comic shop for nuttin'.

It's a pretty good week to be a DC fan, and a Geoff Johns fan in particular, while Marvel has a balanced plate from all of its events. Take a look at THIS LINK.

The book I'm most excited about, if only because we'll no longer have to see those two-page ad spreads in every issue, is Flash: Rebirth #1. Now, is this going to be as important a mini as "Green Lantern: Rebirth" was? Probably not. In fact, I agree with those out there whole feel like this is just the first in a string of DC overusing the "Rebirth" title. That doesn't change the fact that I'm very eager to see Geoff Johns reset the Flash corner of the DCU in his image. And if the promise of hearing more about Barry Allen's return to the land of the living is not enough to entice you, how about the simple fact that all four scarlet speedsters will be under the same (metaphoric) roof? Yes, I hear you Wally West fans, this probably will take away a good deal of his visibility. But wasn't Wally spread a little thin already? Frankly, the only character I see getting the shaft here is Bart Allen ... unless he and Conner Kent both join the Legion of Superheroes....

The second Johns book of the week, co-written by Jerry Ordway, is Justice Society of America #25, the conclusion of the three-part storyline featuring the Marvels and the penultimate issue in Johns' run with the JSA. Expect this book to wrap up several key issues in a hurry, from Isis' evil turn to Black Adam's legal status to Mary Marvel's S&M problem to the fate of the rock of the eternity. And did I mention something needs to be done about Captain Marvel's lost powers? I agree with those who feel this title has featured way too many guest stars and not enough of the actual team, but with guest stars like these in such a short story arc, I'm not complaining.

Also of note from DC this week is Teen Titans #69 (no snickering, this one isn't just a dirty number, it resets the lineup), The Mighty #3 (I strongly urge you all to pick up this maxi-series) and Battle for the Cowl: Man Bat #1.

Now, if you're a Marvel fan, there is something for everyone this week.

First and foremost, there are of course the weekly buffet of "Dark Reign" titles. Take your pick between Agents of Atlas #3, Black Panther 2 #3, Secret Warriors #3, New Avengers: Reunion #2, Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #2, Deadpool #9 and Invincible Iron Man #12.

Personally, I am more interested in War of Kings #2. When last we visited those zany Shi'ar warmongers, Vulcan had led an assault on the Kree homeworld, breaking up the marriage of Crystal and Ronan (that's one good deed Vulcan did). Oh, and after "X-Men: Kingbreaker" wrapped up, the Starjammers, led by Alex Summers, had joined forces with the Kree/Inhumans. After a blockbuster first issue, expect this one to be scaled back a bit, allowed for the actual storyline to start developing. What you can count on, though, is more badass Inhuman plans, and who has really been disappointed with the path their story has taken? Show of hands? Yeah, I thought so.

Speaking of Summers boys, I am also highly anticipating Cable #13, part two of "Messiah War" crossing over "Cable" and "X-Force." As I said last week, I thought the first part of this event, the "Messiah War Prologue," was just a step behind the first part of the "Sinestro Corps. War" in terms of getting things started on the right foot. X-Force has found Cable and Kid only to learn they've stumbled into a time trap. Deadpool is still alive in the future and raring to go. Bishop aligned with Stryfe (who I could have sworn was dead... though "X-Force" has become known for bringing villains back from the dead with no good explanation, so I guess it's OK). I still say the payoff of this series HAS to be showing off what Hope Summers' ability is, but at this point enough good, fun story elements have been brought together where I am no longer concerned with the outcome and am just ready to enjoy the ride.

OK folks, that's it. Check back tomorrow for the Buy Pile Report and more on "X-Blades."