Dane and I picked the wrong week to take a vacation. All last week, DC announced the creative teams behind the 52  new titles for their retooled universe. While we didn’t cover all the titles, we did want to go through and list our top ten books that we’re most excited for. Hit the jump for the breakdown and see if we picked your favorite!

Action Comics #1/Written by Grant Morrison/Art by Rags Morales

Morrison has already written what is arguably the greatest Superman story of all time, so I’ll be interested to see if he can capture lighting in a bottle for the second time. The series looks to focus on the younger adventures of Kal-El, but if there’s anyone I want handling a Supes origin story, it’d be Grant Morrison. Morales is an interesting art choice here, as I’m interested to see how he’ll hopefully handle some of the crazier things Morrison has to offer.

Aquaman #1/Written by Geoff Johns/Art by Ivan Reis & Joe Prado

I’m a firm believer in the notion that there’s no such thing as bad characters, only bad writers. Aquaman is a prime example of this and I’m hoping that Johns can turn the tide (heh) on the public’s perception of this character. The Aquman/Mera/Aqualad parts of Brightest Day were easily my favorite parts of that series and I’m eager to see if that momentum can transition over to the solo title.

All-Star Western #1/Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Grey/Art by Moritat

I’ve loved Palmiotti and Grey’s work on Jonah Hex, but I wasn’t sure if DC loved it enough to see it make the transition over with the other titles. While the title isn’t quite making the change, the character is. Jonah Hex taking a visit to the early days of Gotham City and I can’t wait to see the continuation of Hex’s adventures.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1/Written by Jeff Lemire/Art by Alberto Ponticelli

Lemire has a talent for bringing humility to strange creatures and his work on Sweet Tooth has proved that to be true. After his first issue of the Frankenstein Flashpoint mini-series, I’m fully committed to whatever he has planned for the character.

Demon Knights #1/Written by Paul Cornell/Art by Diogenes Neves & Oclair Albert

I’ve been a fan of Paul Cornell since Captain Britain and his run on Action Comics was been my favorite since Geoff Johns. Cornell’s time on Action Comics proved he has a fantastic handle on the more magical elements of characters. I can’t wait to see what he has planned for Etrigan and crew.

The Fury of Firestorm #1/Written by Ethan Van Sciver & Gail Simone/Art by Yildiray Cinar

Considering the events at the end of Brightest Day, it made sense that we’d see a Firestorm book, but I never expected it to be this. I don’t know if any of you have listened to the many and various repeat appearances that Van Sciver has made on the Word Balloon podcast, but he’s one of the craziest and most creative guys in the industry. The only other person that can match his creativity is working on the book with him. I think Simon and Van Sciver will create a great dynamic for Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch.

Sgt. Rock and the Men of War #1/Written by Ivan Brandon/Art by Tom Derenick

War books are something that can be incredibly hit or miss, but I feel that Ivan Brandon is a writer that has such a great handle on the real cost of war. I’ve been wanting a good war book within the DCU for a while and I’m glad to see that Sgt. Rock will be making the transition into a modern battlefield.

Static Shock #1/Written by John Rozum & Scott McDaniel/Art by Scott McDaniel & Jonathan Glapion

Static Shock is a character I’ve been found of since a young age. I grew up loving the character and the world that Virgil lived in. I’ve tired several times to get into the various versions that have been published over the years, but haven’t found anything of particular interest. I’ve got a lot of faith in Rozum as a writer and I feel confident that he can bring a spin to the character that will be appealing and interesting enough for me to give it a shot.

Suicide Squad #1/Written by Adam Glass/Art by Marco Rudy

I was worried that Marco Rudy might get lost in the shuffle of these new titles, but I’m glad to see his talent isn’t going to waste. The lineup that Glass has assembled for the book (Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark) has my curiosity peaked. Glass’ writing isn’t too familiar to me, but I know we’re in for some fantastic art from Rudy, which is enough to warrant a purchase from me.

Swamp Thing #1/Written by Scott Snyder/Art by Yannick Paquette

It’s been one hell of a year for Scott Snyder. After his fantastic work on American Vampire and Detective Comics, I think he’ll be a perfect fit and will up to the task of reintroduction Alec Holland to a new generation of readers that may not have prior knowledge of Alan Moore‘s run on the character. Also, Paquette has been one of the real standouts of Batman Incorporated and his visual style will be well suited for Swamp Thing. Add in Francesco Francavilla, who will be doing the fill in art for the book, and this book becomes my most anticipated in this entire relaunch.

Now that you’ve read our picks, what are you excited for? Sound off in our comments!

“Death appearing in Action Comics was my own mad idea, the extreme case of putting Luthor up against characters he’s not used to dealing with.

“I’m very pleased that, after I ran the idea by him, Neil Gaiman approved me using Death in this issue. He’s been very supportive. It’s so interesting to see her back in the DC Universe. Though Vertigo readers can rest assured that the character, and the way she’s used, will be true to the spirit of what has gone before.”

However, this quote from the Comic Book Resources interview with Cornell is quite hilarious:

My wife said when I first got the book, “Well, at least they can’t cancel ‘Action Comics.’” [Laughter]

I’m a huge Cornell fan, and if Gaiman has given his approval, then it sounds like Death is in more than capable hands. We’ll find out for sure this October.  Hit the jump for the full cover image!

What do you think of this announcement? Do you trust Cornell with one of Gaiman’s beloved characters? Sound off in our comments!

[Via Comic Book Resources and DC's The Source]