ComicBook Countdown: New Releases for the Week of May 18th

It's a big week for both TV and movies. There's a slue of appealing movies landing this weekend and, while I doubt any will top the masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road (really, what could?), every offering looks good. It's also the end of this seaon's superhero television with the finale of one of our favorite series. So strap in and get ready for an exciting week on screens both large and small.

5. Tomorrowland | Walt Disney Pictures

Director Brad Bird is easily one of my favorite filmmakers in Hollywood today. This is the man who brought us two of the greatest superhero films of all time, The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, as well as the most underrated Pixar movie ever, Ratatouille. He then took his epic visions and excellent grasp of character to the big screen with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. The man knows how to make a movie. Tomorrowland has been very vague on its details, plot, and ideas (the trailers contain a weird Objectivist tone, but that's about it), but with Bird at the helm, I'm definitely intrigued to find out what this is all about.

4. B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs, Vol. 4 | Dark Horse Comics

No American comics publisher does horror as well as Dark Horse. Hellboy may be the thing that they're best known for, but it's first spinoff series B.P.R.D. is every bit as good. Providing a team-based, paramilitary spin on the same awfulness confronted by Hellboy, it found a niche and perfected it during the epic "Plague of Frogs" storyline. The series has also collected a tremendous talent of writers and artists, elevating creators like John Arcudi and James Harren. This is the last of four giant paperbacks collecting the various mini-series and one-shots that make up the series. If you've never read it before, be sure to pick up all four. You won't regret it.

3. When Marnie Was There | Studio Ghibli

I adore Studio Ghibli and everything they produce. The worst animated film to come from Ghibli is still light years ahead of almost everything else released in a given year. Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of When Marnie Was There, is a product of the studio as well. He began work there as a clean up animator on Princess Mononoke, moving into key animation roles on classics like Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. He's now directing his second feature based upon Joan G. Robinson's novel. It looks to be another beautifully animated film from Yonebayashi, telling the story of two children spending the summer together with an air of supernatural mystery. Like every Ghibli film, it's a must-see.

2. A-Force #1 | Marvel Comics

Secret Wars kicks in to high gear this week with the first round of tie-ins and mini-series. There's a lot of cool ideas being kicked around, but I don't think any of them have received the same attention as A-Force. This is a good, old fashioned, mighty Marvel team-up between the greatest leading ladies of Battleworld. Not only is the cast ready to kick butt, but the creative team is as well. Writers Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson have been killing it on Angela and Ms. Marvel, respectively, and artist Jorge Molina always knocks it out of the park. Big, bold, badass: A-Force #1 is where it is at this Wednesday.

1. The Flash "Fast Enough" | CW

When I saw the pilot of The Flash last year I expected the season to be good. I never expected it to be this good. How incredible is it that in only 23 episodes we've seen the birth of both The Flash and Firestorm, the Rogues grow together, Gorilla Grodd, an epic Reverse Flash storyline, and 23 hours of Joe West? That last one may be the best part, but this has been a tremendous season of superhero television, flaws and all. I have no idea what to expect after the incredible team up that concluded last week, but I expect it to be a thrilling hour of television. CW started on a high note with Arrow a couple of years back, but they've perfected the formula for superhero television here.

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

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