The first ever Manchester Animation Festival (MAF for short) starts today! It takes place at HOME in Manchester and will last from today (17th Nov) and until the end of Thursday (19th Nov).

There are lots of exciting events - workshops, Q&As, screenings, and panels - on over the three days, so come and check it out! There's a full diary of all the events on the website with tickets still available to purchase for most events online or in person, ranging from £5 to £12.

Above is a picture of all the volunteers, including me front and centre, so if you're coming along keep an eye out for me running around and filming stuff. My highlights for today will be the "From Paper to Puppet: Stop Motion Animation Armature Making" workshop and the Fellowship Award presentation to Brian Cosgrove, but each and every screening and event is sure to be a real treat!

Photo credit: Steve Henderson

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Today is Wednesday and comic book fans will know what that means: New Comic Book Day! New comic books are released every Wednesday, and starting today I will be writing a new comic book article every Wednesday.

This week I headed into my local comic book shop to pick up some new comics - Travelling Man in Manchester, I highly recommend popping in if you're in the area. Check out spoiler-free reviews of my picks of the day below.

If you're thinking of getting stuck into some Marvel books, now's the time to jump in as the publisher is just coming out of a reboot which means a lot of number ones are popping up. Number ones are always the start of a new story or series, ideal for jumping in!

All-New Wolverine #1 (Marvel)

The Wolverine is dead! Long live the Wolverine! That's right - if you haven't been keeping up with the Marvel universe, the news is that Logan - the original Wolverine - is dead. That transpired in the 2014 comic 'Death of Wolverine', but there's no need to read that comic first - I certainly haven't! The new Wolverine is Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23, a.k.a. Logan's younger female clone (long story, you don't need to know it, all you need to know is that she's like a daughter to Logan).

The story dives straight into the action with Wolverine on a mission and a story that's already got me intrigued. I love the Laura Kinney character and the 2010-2012 'X-23' series remains one of my favourite comics (check it out if you have time, but it's not necessary reading for 'All-New Wolverine'), so I'm pleased to see the character get her own solo series again and be treated so right. Self-discovery, a sense of identity, and the fight against your worst instincts are common themes with Laura, and the writer Tom Taylor is keeping them going.

Finally, it would be wrong not to mention the gorgeous artwork of David Lopez and David Navarrot. The facial acting of the characters is superb and I love how distinctive and recognisable each character looks, and I love how Laura looks especially - powerful and confident, and not at all sexualised. Just look at that full body shot! Jump on this train now, true believers, you're in for one hell of a ride.

Rating: 9.2/10

Ultimates #1 (Marvel)

The ultimate team to solve the ultimate problems! Two things immediately grabbed me about this series: the art and the characters. The art is by Kenneth Rocafort with colours by Dan Brown and it is, simply put, stunning. Rocafort and Brown give a stunning sense of physicality and depth to the book - I feel like I could reach in and swirl my hands about the cosmic dust clouds or feel Blue Marvel's chiseled face. Which brings me to the characters.

The Ultimates are a team of some of Marvel's heaviest heavy-hitters. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer: Black Panther, Spectrum, Blue Marvel, Ms America, and Captain Marvel. Don't worry if you've never heard of some or any of them, this book does some of the best and quickest team-member-introductions I have ever seen. Three fifths of the team is female. Four fifths of the team is non-white. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer. This makes me very happy.

Al Ewing has proven himself a terrific writer and this series has me pumped. Brilliant and diverse characters using their brains as well as their muscles to solve problems which does not always but still sometimes involves punching things? Sign me up. Sign yourself up. I am so excited for this book.

Rating: 9.8/10

Spider-Gwen #1 and #2 (Marvel)

Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen, does whatever Gwen Stacy can! 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe so it's really easy to read and not worry about having to read other comics. 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy got bit by a radioactive spider, not Peter Parker, and became Spider-Woman. 'Spider-Gwen' features some of the best costume and character design you'll see in comics today - I'll post pictures of my Spider-Gwen hoody some day soon.

'Spider-Gwen' relaunches with a brand new #1 and Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez continue to kill it on the break out hit. The story ramps up and we're introduced to the Captain America of Spider-Gwen's universe - and she kicks ass! #2 reveals this Captain America's origins and, without giving it away, it really fits in with the spirit of Spider-Gwen's reality. I never got round to reading the first volume of 'Spider-Gwen', but I never felt alienated for it when reading these two issues. If you're unsure about whether or not to jump in, do it! The water's fine.

Rating: 7.6/10

The Wicked + The Divine #16 (Image)

"You were always best at the game." 'The Wicked + The Divine' (WicDiv for short) is probably my favourite comic book at the moment, and soon it will be yours too! If you're not familiar with the premise: "Every ninety years twelve gods return as young people. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are all dead. It's happening now. It's happening again." Think big metaphors about life and death, creators and gods. Think Game of Thrones with Kanye West, Kate Bush, and Daft Punk facsimiles.

Feel like checking out the book? I highly recommend you do. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5 and volume 2 collects issues 6-11. Volume 3 will eventually collect issues 12-17. Pick up physical issues at your local comics book shop, or grab them digitally at Comixology.

If you are familiar with the premise and you've been following the series until now: writer Kieron Gillen wrote earlier today "I suspect the issue will not be quite what people expected." This issue was not quite what I expected. There's a lot of teen angst - goth angst in particular - of which folk who know me will know I am a BIG fan. This issue was a bit more melancholic, a bit more raw and biographical than I expected. Guest artist Leila Del Duca is great fit for the flashbacks. The tone of the writing meant it took me a little longer to process it than usual. It was different. It was good. I have a lot to say about this book. Annotations are all the rage with books like this, WicDiv especially, so I expect I will start doing annotations of WicDiv soon.

Rating: 8.0/10

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Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason, and... comic book plot?

Tonight is bonfire night, and whether you want a light read before heading out to the celebrations, a heavier read as you stay in for the night, or something to try the day after before the autumnal mood leaves you, Hello, Robots! has you covered. Curl up with this selection of our favourites:

5. Pete Wisdom (Marvel)

Imagine if James Bond was: a) from Essex and b) a mutant with the power to create energy knives, and you have Pete Wisdom. I have a particular soft spot for the British super spy and reluctant bureaucrat: he enjoys blowing stuff up just like Guy Fawkes - I never said the bonfire night connections weren't going to be tenuous - and is a great in to British politics, at least in the Marvel universe.

What to read: Captain Britain and MI:13, written by Paul Cornell with art by Leonard Kirk. The definitive British Marvel comic book, there are three volumes to pick up. There's a lovely firework display (of sorts) towards the end of volume 3, too.

What else to read: Pete Wisdom turns up in a bunch of comics: the original Pryde & Wisdom miniseries featuring Kitty Pryde, and the most recent Gambit and X-Men Legacy series. Once you've read Captain Britain & MI:13, check out Pete's own miniseries Wisdom. It takes place before Captain Britain & MI:13, but it's not as strong.

4. Luci (The Wicked + The Divine)

For the uninitiated, The Wicked + The Divine is a comic about gods as pop stars and pop stars as gods. Luci - short for Lucifer - is one of the aforementioned gods and a heavily Bowie-inspired pop star, and she has a couple things in common with Guy Fawkes. Like Guy, Luci has some capital-T Thoughts about religion and a penchant for blowing stuff up, although Luci tends to opt for heads over parliament buildings. If you're not reading The Wicked + The Divine yet, now's the time to start.

What to read: The Wicked + The Divine, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5, volume 2 collects issues 6-11. Issue 15 is out right now in all good comic book shops, or pick up any issue you fancy digitally at Comixology.

What else to read: Luci hasn't appeared in any other media, unless you count a sort of cameo in Image Comics stable-mate Sex Criminals. The Wicked + The Divine is set to be adapted into a TV series, however, so keep an eye out for that. If you want more by the same team, try Phonogram.

3. Citizen Jack (Citizen Jack)

Prefer your Bonfire Night shenanigans more focused on the politics than the explosions? Check out the brand new Citizen Jack for a look at American politics. Jack's running for President, and like most candidates he has a few skeletons in his closet - like that devil he worships! The brand new ongoing series is written by Sam Humphries, a favourite writer of mine, so I know we're in safe hands. And the first issue dropped only yesterday, so there's no catching up to do!

What to read: Citizen Jack! Pop into your local comic book store or buy digitally.

What else to read: Check out more of Sam Humphries's work: the infamous Our Love Is Real made Sam's name, and Sacrifice is a comic about time travel, Aztecs and Joy Division.

2. Jubilee (Marvel)

Jubilation Lee, one of my favourite characters in the Marvel universe! You might recognise the mall rat mutant from the 90s X-Men cartoon, where she became my instant fashion icon. Jubilee's mutant power was to "release plasmoids" and "detonate matter on the sub-atomic level", which basically amounted to fireworks! Jubilee was a member of the X-Men for years, initially just stunning her opponents with her fireworks before learning to cause actual damage, until an event known as "M-Day" resulted in Jubilee losing her powers. After some more adventures, Jubilee returned home to the X-Men as a vampire and adopted a baby boy called Shogo. Heart-warming stuff.

What to read: The 2011 Wolverine & Jubilee is my favourite Jubilee text, and you don't need to know anything going in to get the most out of it. It's set post-M-Day so you get minimal fireworks, but included in the back is Jubilee's 1989 debut issue which is a really enjoyable read.

What else to read: Check out Curse of the Mutants to find out how Jubilee became a vampire, or X-23 to see Jubilee as a supporting character being a vampire and making friends with Wolverine's female clone (it's complicated). Read the 2013 X-Men series and the Battle of the Atom crossover to see vamp Jubilee as a full member of the X-Men and a new parent. Heck, go back and watch the 90s X-Men cartoon on Netflix.

1. V (V for Vendetta)

Honestly, was it ever going to be anyone other than V? He's wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and is using fireworks a-plenty to take down corruption in a dystopian British government. His mask has become synonymous with civil disobedience. If you haven't read Alan Moore's 1988 masterpiece, tonight's the night to start fixing that. It can be a bit heavy - hey, it's like serious politics and philosphy stuff, it should be heavy - but it's damn fascinating and an absolute must-read.

What to read: V for Vendetta. Written by Alan Moore. Art by David Lloyd. That's it. Just read it.

What else to read: You want more Moore? Read the similarly politically-charged Watchmen and my favourite Moore outing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Then watch the V for Vendetta film, but give the Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen films a miss.

There we have it: that's what I'm going to be reading this bonfire night. What about you? Did I leave anyone out? Let me know in the comments below what your favourite bonfire night read is.

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