New Comic Book Day (known to civilians as Wednesday) is upon us and no matter how badly we might want to, it isn’t always possible to buy every comic in the shop. To help streamline the selection process, I’ve compiled a list of this week’s most promising new releases.

1)   Batman: Death by Design (DC) – For those of you currently experiencing an avian overdose, writer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor offer a break from DC’s Night of the Owls event with this original graphic novel. Gotham is in the midst of an architectural renaissance when all hell breaks loose (this is why you can’t have nice things, Gotham). As design-related malfunctions bring the city to its knees, Batman must race against the clock to uncover the architect behind the sabotage before it’s too late.

2)   Grim Leaper #1 (Image) – Image Comics describes Kurtis J. Wiebe’s new mini-series as “a gory romantic comedy” and if that isn’t reason enough to check it out, I don’t know what is. For reasons unknown, Lou Collins is cursed to experience multiple gruesome deaths and resurrections in new bodies. When Lou meets the similarly ill-fated Ella, this “love story to die for” gets a whole lot more complicated.

3)    Amazing Spider-Man Annual #39 (Marvel) – Writer Brian Reed takes us through the looking glass to a world where Peter Parker never existed. As if a land deprived of arachnid puns wasn’t bad enough, reality is collapsing and the only person who can save it is Spider-Man himself (with a little help from the Avengers).

4)   Ravagers #1 (DC) – The second wave of DC’s New 52 continues with the first issue of Harold Mackie’s The Ravagers, a spin-off of the multi-series event, “The Culling.” Rose Wilson and Warblade are hunting down a motley crew of unlikely allies. After escaping N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s “Colony,” Fairchild, Beast Boy, Terra, Ridge, and the sibling duo Thunder and Lightning find themselves on the run as they fight for their survival in the face of overwhelming odds.

5)   Angel and Faith #10 (Dark Horse) – The death of Giles continues to haunt our eponymous heroes when two enigmatic women from the Watcher’s past arrive seeking help. Thor artist Chris Samnee joins writer Christos Gage as Angel and Faith delve deeper into the secrets of Giles’ past as they search for a way to bring everyone’s favorite Watcher back to life.