ComicBook Countdown for the Week of September 7

There's nary a week when great comics, movies, or television shows aren't all vying for our [...]

By Chase Magnett

There's nary a week when great comics, movies, or television shows aren't all vying for our attention. It can be hard to keep up with it all, but that's why we're here. Each Monday at ComicBook.Com, we take a look at the five most exciting things coming to the world of fandom to keep you in the know.

Goodnight Mommy

5. Goodnight Mommy | Stadtkino Verleih

Children are terrifying and if you don't agree, Austrian filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala may change your mind with their new film Goodnight Mommy. It was selected as last year's Austrian submission for Best Foreign Film to the Academy Awards, and it's not hard to tell why. This tensely told story of twin brothers who suspect their mother, returned from facial surgery, is not who she claims demands viewer's rapt attention. It's a creepy blend of psychological thriller and horror story that will make you cringe and squeal. Ten year olds have rarely been as scary as they are here.

Batman 44

4. Batman #44 | DC Comics

After last month's issue of Batman revealed Mr. Bloom in a terrifying cliffhanger, the series is taking a step back from Jim Gordon's journey under the (mechanical) cowl to examine his newest enemy. Celebrated artist Jock will be stepping in as well to help tell this origin tale. Scott Snyder and Jock are still working together on the Image series Wytches, which inspires fear in almost every page, dripping with its dark mood and crawling with exaggerated forms. This issue promises to be another memorable entry in one of the most successful Batman runs of the past several decades.

Virgil

3. Virgil | Image Comics

Rising comics star Steve Orlando may be best known for his work on DC Comics' Midnighter, but one of his earlier projects is getting a second life at Image Comics this week. Virgil, the story of a gay Jamaican police officer struggling to save his boyfriend, was first published on Kickstarter. Now that Orlando has developed a larger following, this bloody, fast-paced tale is being republished so readers can find out what they missed out on the first time around. This should draw more attention to Orlando's collaborator JD Faith as well, another talent who deserves all the success he can find in the comics field.

Super Mario Maker

2. Super Mario Maker | Nintendo

At its heart Super Mario Bros. is a puzzle game. It slowly introduces new tools and challenges in each level, combining them in interesting ways for players to complete a very simple objective: reach the flag (and eventually princess) on the right. That mix of simple components and infinite combinations lends itself not only to a fun playing experience, but a great constructive experience as well. So longtime fans are in luck now that Nintendo is releasing Super Mario Maker, allowing them to create and share their very own ideas for level design. This ought to lead to hours of invention and entertainment, as well as some inevitable hilarious and crudely formed castles.

Star Wars: Shattered Empire 1

1. Star Wars: Shattered Empire #1 | Marvel Comics

One of the biggest questions since Disney bought the Star Wars franchise has been what happened after Return of the Jedi? Their massive dumping of expanded continuity with only select exceptions has left this massive amount of story unwritten. This week writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto will begin to answer that question at Marvel Comics. Their new mini-series Shattered Empire takes place directly after Episode VI, and will begin to build a bridge between it and December's release of The Force Awakens. Marvel is giving this series to some top talent and, based on all of the Star Wars series released so far, there's no reason to doubt this will be a great read.

What new comics, shows, and other releases are you looking forward to this week? Share in the comments below.

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