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There's no doubt in my mind that X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be the biggest thing going in movie theaters this weekend, if not this entire spring (hell, let's go for the whole summer while we're at it).

Even though your brain is steeped in six claws and mutton chops right now, try and remember back to the Watchmen movie. It's hard, right? Believe it or not, that movie only came out two months ago (though it feels more like two years).

Around the time of the film's debut, DC Comics attempted an "After Watchmen... What's Next?" program to steer potential readers to like-minded material. I've decided that's just what Wolvie needs to coincide with his silver screen solo outing. Thusly, I present to you:

AFTER WOLVERINE... WHAT'S NEXT?

Books That Reinforce Stereotypes About the Modern Superhero

When everyone thinks about superheroes nowadays, they think about The Dark Knight, Spider-Man's evil black suit, and Superman being a deadbeat dad. (And, oh yeah, what was it called? HMMM... oh right! That Watchmen thing.)

It's true: superheroes are emo right now. "Dark" is hot. "Dead" is even hotter.

So if you like your heroes dark or dead, then you'll love these current comics:

• Batman: Battle for the Cowl. Batman's dead (sorta) and a bunch of supporting characters are fighting for the right to wear his tight blue undies.
• Captain America. Cap got killed and the shit kept rolling. He's been replaced by his once-dead teen sidekick that used to be a KGB assassin. Meanwhile, an evil scientist made Cap's girlfriend miscarry his baby.
• Dark Avengers. Marvel's premier Dark Reign title wherein the Avengers have been replaced by replica supervillains... but Johnny Q. Public doesn't know it!
• X-Force. Cyclops decides to create a black ops team of mutants who wear all black as they travel around the world and act like terrorists (or is it anti-terrorists?).

More Books With Wolverine

This one sounds deceptively easy, doesn't it? Well it's a bit trickier than it may seem. See, the Wolverine you know from the movie isn't the Wolverine who's starring in the monthly Wolverine comic book right now.

To find the Wolverine you enjoyed from the movie, you've got to look for him in:

• Wolverine: Weapon X. A brand new comic book made to (sort of) coincide with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It's so new that I don't even know what to expect... except for six claws and mutton chops.
• New Avengers. From what I hear, Logan is still hanging around with Luke Cage and whining a lot. But I could be wrong about this.

Books That Push The Boundaries of Anti-Hero Fiction

He's a killer. He's a hero. No... he's a killer AND a hero.

If you enjoy the walking contradiction that is Wolverine, then you may also enjoy the exploits of these other famous anti-heroes:

• Lobo. I have no idea if Lobo has any comics coming out right now. He's like a cosmic Wolverine with a bad complexion and a twisted sense of humor.
• The Punisher. Already a movie star in his own right, Frank Castle straddles the line between hero and villain even more than Logan. He's got two ongoing comics on the racks right now.

Best-Selling Books From Best-Selling Authors

Riiiiiiiiiiight. We're just going to skip this one.

Books For Immature Readers

Surely, the idea of a man who backs up his irrational anger with knives that come out of his hands isn't the most mature-minded notion out there. While the "dark" trend sweeping comics right now tends to be overly emotional, some books out there still know how to have fun and not worry about it.

Here are a few current comics that delight in the more visceral elements of sequential storytelling:

• Street Fighter comics by UDON Entertainment. Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter IV spend most of their time on kickass tournament fight scenes with huge SFX and bright colors that slap you in the face. Shiny pages! Big fights! AWESOME!
• Skrull Kill Krew. Evil aliens never stop trying to take over the Earth, so Riot and the Skrull Kill Krew never stop trying to kill them. Get it?

As a fitting end to this post, I should note that this upcoming Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. If you don't buy comics on the regular, why not at least stop down to your local shop and get some for free? (There's even one about Wolverine!)