Every week, Comics! The Blog goes through the list of new releases and we tell you which comics to plug into your mind hole. Your mileage may vary.

GHOST #0 (Dark Horse Comics)

At long last, Ghost is here! Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Noto‘s relaunch of a classic Dark Horse series hits the shelves this week with a #0 issue. The issue itself collects material presented already in issues of Dark Horse Presents, but in a much easier-to-read and tote format that doesn’t require spending over $20 to get if you just wanted some great Kelly Sue Komiks.

DeConnick and Noto‘s version of Ghost places the action in a real world place, Chicago, instead of the art deco world of Arcadia, giving it a grounded setting to contrast the supernatural element of the title character herself, a ghost looking to discover the truth behind her death. Equally interesting is her supporting cast: a disgraced journalist and his business partner on a low budget TV series with a more than passing relationship to Ghost Hunters (Dark Horse actually sent DeConnick out on a ride-along with a real life team of ghost hunters). Together, all this sets up the series as one of contradictions: Vaughn’s former life and the one he has and resents now, his lost journalistic optimism and his present jadedness, the real Chicago setting vs. the comic’s supernatural element and the perceived “hoax” of ghost hunters against the shocking events they find themselves a part of.

Phil Noto‘s art gives the comic a necessary eerieness. DeConnick‘s incredible skill with setting and dialogue makes it compelling. Ghost #0 will surprise you where it goes and it sets up the series’ upcoming “first” issue in a way that grabs attention.

GODZILLA: THE HALF CENTURY WAR #2 (IDW Publishing)

Chalk this one up as another series you didn’t know you desperately needed. Along with books like Daredevil, Moon Knight and Conan the Barbarian, Godzilla: The Half Century War is one I’d never have imagined myself buying until recently, but now that I have, I can’t imagine missing it. Ever since the first issue came out, I’ve been dying to get my hands on the second part of the story.

The story is immediately engaging: when Godzilla attacks Tokyo, a fairly ordinary soldier makes an extraordinary effort to save the lives of citizens. After the smoke clears, Tokyo is (mostly) still standing and the soldier, Lieutenant Ota Murakami, surprises himself by agreeing to continue the defense against Godzilla and these creatures, as long as the fight will last. In a franchise that is so often keyed to presenting Godzilla as a physical embodiment of a nation’s post-nuclear and post-Hiroshima fears, The Half Century War‘s outlook is surprising and adds an extra dimension to Godzilla’s rich history.

It also helps that the art is stunningly beautiful. Written and drawn by James Stokoe, the book explodes with immaculate details, jaw-droppingly terrifying action and a palpable sense of dread. His experimental lettering (note the oscilloscope effect on Godzilla’s roar!) is gorgeous. Stokoe‘s art style draws from both Western comics and manga, helping bridge the relationship between a North American reader and a Japanese story. Stokoe‘s skill with horror comics heightens this book from being what some might expect - a comic version of a cheesy monster movie - to something visceral, powerful and a great installment in a proud history.

Best of all, even if you can’t find a copy of the first issue: don’t worry about it. The first issue was beautiful setup for the rest of the series, but Issue #2 should present another good jumping-on point. Ota defends mankind from monsters. There you go. Go have fun.

REBEL BLOOD (TRADE PAPERBACK) (Image Comics)

You might have missed Rebel Blood, Riley Rossmo and Alex Link‘s 4-issue miniseries about a lonely, isolated park ranger during an apparently supernatural attack, when it first came out. I don’t blame you. But what that means is that now, with the series’ trade paperback release, you have another chance to discover a great series without having to track down missed issues. And it’s worth it.

Rebel Blood, despite its very brutal artistic representation of violence, is not a slasher comic. It’s classic psychological horror, like Hitchcock. Instead of being a straightforward “hero fights the undead” story, it becomes a meditation on loneliness and isolation, and the effects it can have on a person’s mind. In Rebel Blood, nothing is what is seems: scenes get replayed in different ways according to the protagonist’s imagination, images of his past keep bubbling up and getting confused with the present horrors, and there’s even a large twist towards the end that encourages rereading to examine the hints that were laid along the way. It’s a book that gives the more you put in; it can be just an exciting, unsettling thriller, or it can be a comic that makes you rethink how you read an entire genre.

If you missed it the first time, don’t miss it now.

SWORD OF SORCERY #0 (DC Comics)

Long ago, in a magical and confusing time known as the 1980s, DC Comics launched Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, a fantasy series designed to appeal to a younger audience. At the same time, a writer named Christy Marx worked on many iconic animated television shows of the time in addition to creating the iconic Jem and the Holograms. Now, over twenty years later, Amethyst is returning under the pen of Marx as DC again tries to expand its audience with Sword of Sorcery #0. And I am pretty danged excited about it.

This is a comic to pay attention to if you want something more than just superheroes, or if you know someone that does. This is a series to pay attention to if you’ve been wishing DC would launch more books with female leading characters. This is a series to buy as soon as you realize that there is a very good chance its writer already has a line straight into your desires because she helped shape them when you were a kid. She worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe! She created Jem, probably the best series ever about a rock star who fights evil and sometimes travels through time! Marx is renowned for her skill and imagination, which she’s bringing to bear in a fantasy series for an audience craving something just like it.

The basic shell of Sword of Sorcery will sound familiar to people who have read fantasy novels: a Seemingly Ordinary Teen in our world, Amy Winstone, discovers that in Another World, she is a Very Important Person with Very Powerful Enemies. It’s a classic setup and with Marx writing, it’s sure to be the basis for some fantastic stories.

WOMANTHOLOGY: SPACE #1 (IDW Publishing)

The original Womanthology: Heroes was a great story. An anthology hardcover initiated by Renae De Liz designed to showcase the skills of the many talented women in the comic industry and trying to break into it, Womanthology became one of the most successful comic Kickstarter projects to date. The final product, eventually released by IDW, was a gorgeous coffee table book filled with a great variety of stories around a loose theme. Womanthology: Space is what’s next.

Womanthology: Space, like Heroic before it, is an anthology showcasing the tremendous talents of women in the industry. It features stories, pin-up art and tips from creators for aspiring ones. Even better: it’s an ongoing series. Instead of waiting a long time for a new collection of comics, Space will feature three short stories each issue, from creators you know - like Blair Butler, Fiona Staples, Ming Doyle and more - and a lot you might not. Readers of the original Heroic book will be familiar with the thrill of seeing names you know and discovering new ones to talk about. Not only does Womanthology spotlight great comics and creators, but it does so in an exciting way, and this time readers don’t need to wait or back a Kickstarter or do anything but walk into a comic book shop and pick it up alongside everything else.

That’s really cool.

These are five of the many great books being released this week! You can find the full list of comics being released here. If you have any other recommendations, let us know in the comments below.