My reading list for the week of Oct. 1

I've seen many a' comic book blogger do this with their weekly pick-ups. So here's what I picked up off the racks this week (and you'll quickly notice that I'm a big Marvel fan):

My pick-ups

Marvel Apes #3
Review: 3 out of four stars
Marvel Apes can be summed up in three words: Super-powered monkey vampires. You heard me. Writer Karl Kassel's whimsical story about the Gibbon traveling to an alternate dimension where Earth is inhabited by monkeys has become one of my favorite pick-ups over the course of the past month. It's a light, silly read with twists that are absurd and unexpected, but amusing. It's a guilty pleasure, no doubt.

Four Eyes
Review: 2 out of four stars
I picked up this issue having high expectations. Writer Joe Kelly's "I Kill Giants" has been among my favorite monthly pick-ups. So when I heard about his new book following a boy who takes care of a dragon after his dad dies, stealing it from its mother, it instantly went to my must-have list. The problem with the story, however, is that it moves at a methodic pace. I understand Kelly's trying to show the rough world of 1930s U.S. during the depression, but it just prods along — unlike Greg Pak's story about Magneto during World War II in "X-Men: Magneto Testament." But the end scene sets the tone for the rest of the series, and it's intriguing enough to pick up another issue.

My impulse buy

Daredevil #111 — 1:25 Aja variant

Yet another pick-up because it's a cool cover.

What I'm planning on picking up next week

Deadpool #3
He's hilarious, certifiably insane and can kill you with anything he finds. This is one of my favorite "Secret Invasion" tie-ins. Can't wait to see what happens in this final showdown with the Skrulls.
I Kill Giants #4 (of 7)
Kelly's story about a socially awkward fifth grader is slowly showing the full story.
Marvel Zombies #1 (of 4)
Super-powered zombies? That rocks.
X-Men: Magneto Testament #2 (of 5)
Writer Greg Pak tells the chilling tale of how Magneto begins to gain his powers amid the political tension of Nazi Germany. It's one of the best books on the market right now.

What I may pick up, but can't decide

Presidential Material Flip-book — $7.99

IDW Publishing is releasing the "origins" of Barack Obama and John McCain. I already have a bunch of collectible presidential race '08 junk on my desk (just ask my co-workers), but I don't know if I want to add this to it.