Today’s #NewComicsSpotlight takes a look at six titles that stand out from the crowd. Check them out and let us know what is on your pull list!

DC COMICS

BATMAN/CATWOMAN #1
Official Description: At last, Tom King returns to the rocky, romantic saga of Batman and Catwoman with his Heroes in Crisis collaborator, superstar artist Clay Mann! Echoing plot points from King’s epic Batman run, this sweeping tale is told across three timelines: the past, when the Bat and the Cat first fell in love; the present, where their union is threatened by one of Batman’s lost loves; and the future, where the couple have a happy life and legacy-including their daughter Helena, the Batwoman. And as the story begins, after a long marriage, Bruce Wayne passes away-which frees Selina Kyle to settle an old score. At every stage of their relationship, Bruce and Selina have an unwelcome chaperone: The Joker! Oh, and that lost love of Bruce’s? It’s Andrea Beaumont-a.k.a. Phantasm. Just thought you’d want to know.
Writer: Tom King | Artist: Clay Mann

JUSTICE LEAGUE: ENDLESS WINTER #1
Official Description: “Endless Winter” chapter one! The crossover event of the season begins here! The Justice League encounters an extinction-level global storm brewing at the former site of the Fortress of Solitude. Enter the Frost King, a monster mad with power with an army at his command! What devastating mystery lies in his past? And how is he tied to Queen Hippolyta, Swamp Thing, Viking Prince, and their reluctant ally, Black Adam? Two timelines will reveal further clues and secrets throughout each chapter of this blockbuster tale!
Writers: Andy Lanning, Ron Marz | Artists: Howard Porter, Marco Santucci

MARVEL COMICS

KING IN BLACK #1
Official Description: DARKNESS REIGNS! After a campaign across the galaxy, Knull’s death march arrives to Earth and, worse yet, he hasn’t come alone! With an army of hundreds of thousands of symbiote dragons at his command, the King in Black is a force unlike any Earth’s heroes have ever faced. EDDIE BROCK, A.K.A. VENOM has seen firsthand the chaos that even one of Knull’s symbiotic monsters can wreak – will he survive an encounter with the God of the Abyss himself? From Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin and VC’s Clayton Cowles comes the definitive chapter in their two-year-long VENOM saga that changed everything you thought you knew about symbiotes!
Writer: Donny Cates | Artist: Ryan Stegman

X-FACTOR #5
Official Description: The events of X OF SWORDS have put the resurrection protocols in jeopardy! As the Five deals with the fallout, X-Factor investigates those affected by the tragedy…
Writer: Leah Williams | Artist: David Baldeon

BOOM! STUDIOS

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20
Official Description: It’s Faith, Buffy and Willow versus Xander – not everyone is making it out alive. No Buffy fan will want to miss the shocking conclusion! Meanwhile, Wesley Wyndam-Price has arrived in Sunnydale with his own secret mission.
Writer: Jordie Bellaire | Artist: Ramon Bachs

MEGA MAN FULLY CHARGED #4
Official Description: Skull Man and his army of Robot Masters have invaded Silicon City – but Mega Man and his mysterious new ally aren’t going down without a fight! But Mega Man doesn’t realize he’s playing right into the hands of an enemy he never expected!
Writer: AJ Marchisello | Artist: Stefano Simeone

What titles are you excited about? Will Batman/Catwoman live up to the buzz that has been building for it the past few years?

It is with a heavy heart that I write that X-Factor, one of Marvel’s most consistent, entertaining and best written series, has come to an end. Yesterday, X-Factor #262 hit stores and with it part 6 of “The End of X-Factor”, a very literal end as the series has come to a natural conclusion by longtime writer Peter David. The series set itself part from the X-Universe and the larger Marvel universe by somehow making mutants, time travel, demons, and even Gods somehow more grounded.

The twists and turns kept coming as characters came and left throughout the years, but the core team- all of which were secondary characters, were brought front and center by David and through his writing any one of them would be capable of leading their own series. There is a bittersweet element to the 6 part “The End of X-Factor” arch that closed out the series. Each issue we’ve gotten a look (a coda of sorts) at where each character is following “Hell on Earth”. As much as a love seeing the characters where they are post X-Factor, I’d much rather have seen them all together, at least one last time. Maybe issue 262 will do just that, but I doubt it.

X-Factor #626
Official Description: The end of X-Factor!

Peter David has left X-Factor behind before and returned in the past, maybe he’ll do the same in the future. We can only hope… Maybe Layla Miller could let us know?

I have been saying for a very long time that X-Factor is easily the best (and most consistent) series that Marvel Comics puts out. Peter David connects the reader to these characters (all of which are b-level at best) like few can. Year of his stories are coming to a head as the team is caught in the middle of the “Hell on Earth War”. Darwin finally returned recently and now it would appear that Strong Guy is following suit… to bad it would appear that like Darwin, Strong Guy is on the wrong side of this fight.

X-Factor #250
Official Description: The story years in the making continues here as X-Factor struggles to stop the Lords of Hell from tearing the Earth apart in their battle for dominance! Familiar faces will return as the battle reaches a fever pitch, the first of whom is STRONG GUY! And he has a bone to pick with his former teammates…

The issue hits stands this Wednesday, February 6th, 2013. If you were not aware, X-Factor’s writer Peter David had a stroke at the end of the year and could use his fans help. Find out more on how you can help over on his personal blog.

X-Factor is one of the few Marvel Comics series unaffected by all of the changes brought by Marvel Now! Thankfully Peter David is still writing the book and it will not be renumbered (for the time being… and hopefully not ever). The series just went through some of its own big changes in the five part “Breaking Points”, which saw Wolfsbane, Havok, Strong Guy, and Banshee leave the team for various reason. This left X-Factor Investigations with Madrox, Butterfly, Longshot, M, Pip The Troll, Polaris, Rictor, and Shatterstar.

That was until the last issue, when the team’s non-mutant “receptionist” Pip the Troll was shot point blank in the head. Will he survive? From the cover (top left) and description (below) it would appear that Monet is the key to Pip’s possible survival.

X-Factor #248
Official Descriptions: A familiar face hovers between life and death. The only one who can save them is Monet…but it will require reliving the most horrific experience of her life.

Marvel Comic’s X-Factor #248 features art by Leonard Kirk, with a cover by Dave Williams. It hits stands on Wednesday December 5th, 2012. Don’t forget, on Wednesday you can also pick up Avengers #1 and Deadpool #3.

Check out these X-Factor related trade paperbacks for sale…

It is no secret that I think that X-Factor is Marvel’s best title. Month after month Peter David, who has been on the title since its relaunch in 2005, delivers compelling storytelling with characters you can actually get behind and care about. X-Factor is a team book, but each member of the team gets the spotlight and no one is left behind. The current storyline, “Breaking Points”, reaches a climax in issue #245 and I’m not sure how much more the team can take.

Over the course of the first 4 parts of the storyline, Strong Guy, who was discovered recently to be soulless, quit the team after being rejected by Monet, Wolfsbane left the team after finding the son she abandoned, Polaris lost her mind after finding the truth about her parents dead, and Banshee became a God. When it rains it pours. Who will remain after Day 5 of “Breaking Points”? You’ll have to read to find out!

X-FACTOR #245
Official Issue Description: In the last of five issues that will change the face of X-FACTOR forever, two characters find their lives irrevocably altered.When the smoke clears, the team’s roster will be nearly halved…

The issue hit stands yesterday on October 17th from Marvel Comics.

Today, Marvel Comics brings us the third chapter of “Breaking Points” in X-Factor #243. Years of stories by Peter David are coming to a head and the story arc promises to “change the face of X-Factor forever.” Part one saw long time member Strong Guy split up from the team and join forces with a mysterious villain, while part 2 had Darwin hunting down Wolfsbane’s child. What do parts 3 and 4 hold for X-Factor?

X-Factor #243
“Breaking Points” PART III: Discovering a long-buried secret from the past, one member of X-Factor will be driven insane.

X-Factor #244
“Breaking Points” PART IV: Devastated by the recent tragedies befalling X-Factor, one member of the team makes a terrible sacrifice in hopes of making things right.

The series is written by Peter David with art by Leonard Kirk and covers by David Yardin. Issue 243 came out today, September 05, 2012, and issue 244 comes out in two weeks on September 19th, 2012.

I have to admit, I’ve really been enjoying the Avengers vs X-Men storyline that has been cursing through the Marvel Universe and threatens to “change everything.” One thing I hope that it doesn’t change is X-Factor, the most consistent Marvel Comic of the past few years. This is the book that has remained awesome through characters coming and going, dying and coming back to life, and  it features one of the most unique teams of heroes, including Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Banshee, Layla Miller, Monet, Rictor, and more recently Shatterstar, Longshot, and Pip the Troll.

July brings us two new issues of the series from writer Peter David, with art by Paul Davidson in issue 239 and art by Leonard Kirk in issue 240..

X-FACTOR #239
Banshee versus…an actual banshee?! Strong Guy asks M out on a date. (Yikes!)

X-FACTOR #240
“RUN LAYLA RUN” A one-off issue featuring Layla Miller racing the clock.

Will you be picking up the new X-Factor issues? Are you excited that we are getting two new issues in July? What Marvel Comics are you currently buying?