Print Bring Us a Dream THE ABSOLUTE SANDMAN, VOL. 1 Neil Gaiman
One major reason comic books aren't just about superheroes anymore is Sandman. Neil Gaiman began writing the groundbreaking series in 1989, reimagining a gas mask-clad avenging hero of the 1940s as the "anthropomorphic personification" of sleep and dreams. (A platoon of brave, experimental artists like Sam Kieth and Chris Bachalo tackled the graphics.) The first few issues are set in the prosaic DC Comics universe of costumes and supervillains. But the series quickly turns elegantly surreal: Images shift and slide, cats talk, and Death is a friendly teenaged goth chick. This Absolute treatment livens up the old colors and collects the first 20 issues, plus extras like Gaiman's initial pitch for the book, in a fancy (and hefty) hardcover. Cancel my appointments. 
– Adam Rogers
Print Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre Cass Browne and Gorillaz What's a rock band without a sordid tell-all? In Ogre, artist Jamie Hewlett and writer and Gorillaz drummer Cass Browne flesh out the cartoon quartet's checkered past. Rollicking "interviews" and candid "bios" pull the lid off studio sessions and spurned groupies (with embarrassing pics to prove it). 
– Sean Cooper
Print Spectacle David Rockwell with Bruce Mau "Get off the computer!" exhorts architect David Rockwell in his coffee-table-sized celebration of the globe's biggest, most visually stunning live events – Nascar races, Burning Man, the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela. In Q&As and short essays, contributors ranging from Muhammad Ali to Steve Wynn persuasively champion the inimitable thrill of real time and space. Of course, the graphic design by Bruce Mau is a spectacle in itself. 
– Andrew Blum
Games (XBox 360) Gears of War With scary creatures, bombed-out cityscapes, and chain-saw bayonets, this Halo-killer looks like a typical mindless shooter. But to survive, you'll have to duck and cover, not run and gun. And you're helpless without your teammates, whether they're the excellent in-game AI or other human players. – Chris Baker
Games (Nintendo DS) Final Fantasy III In 1990, FF III redefined role-playing games in Japan. Finally, an English-language version is here, with updated 3-D graphics and new versions of old 8-bit tunes. The story line and dungeon design are a bit creaky, but the immersive gameplay is timeless. – Chris KohlerGames (PSP) Every Extend Extra Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre Literally drop da bomb in this hybrid shooter and puzzle game. Steer your explosive avatar through a trippy maelstrom of crystals and self-destruct before they smack into you. Multiplayer mode and a groovy soundtrack guarantee hours of blissful sloth. – Daniel Dumas
Games (PC) Flight Simulator X With missions that go from the serious (air-drop relief supplies over the Congo) to the silly (race a jet-powered truck), this 10th takeoff in the pilot-approved series mixes fun with fuel-to-air ratios. The graphics are stunning – even the baggage vehicles look totally sweet. – Crispin Boyer
Screen (Theaters) Lost in Translation BABEL
Why can't humans communicate better? Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams) takes the Old Testament answer – we were doomed by God never to understand one another – as the metaphor for a searing drama that traces the divides in our globalized world. Babel follows two Moroccan boys who shoot at a tourist bus for kicks and the quarreling California couple inside (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), whose vacation goes from bad to worse. Parallel stories unfold in San Diego and Tokyo involving an illegal Mexican nanny and a deaf Japanese schoolgirl. At Cannes, Babel received an extraordinary six-minute ovation – suggesting that Iñárritu is one filmmaker who can speak to us all. – Frank Rose
Screen (Theaters) For Your Consideration After hits like Best in Show, director Christopher Guest has turned his merry band of satirists into the cast and crew of an indie film titled Home for Purim, a Southern-fried melodrama deemed Oscar-worthy by a blog. The targets are easy, but when the result is this hilarious, who cares? – Michelle Devereaux
Screen (Theaters) Piano Tuner of EarthQuakes The latest from the Brothers Quay is a surreal, Jules Verne-inspired tale of a kidnapped opera singer. It's mesmerizingly lush and fairly unintelligible, but no one looks to the Quays for plot; the dreamy visuals and fantastical setting are the real stars. 
– Alison Willmore
Music Joanna Newsom Ys Five majestic tracks comprise the singer-harpist's second album, as she melds Björk, Billie Holiday, and English folk sensibilities. Tracks like "Emily," on which legendary songwriter Van Dyke Parks conducts a full orchestra, lift Newsom to new heights. – Ken Taylor
Music Swan Lake Beast Moans What is it with indie-rock Canucks and collaboration? Featuring members of Destroyer, Wolf Parade, and Frog Eyes, Beast delivers spacey synth, folkie lyricism, and distorted guitars, conjuring an eclectic sum that's at times bolder than its parts. – Steven Leckart
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