THIRD EYE CHECKLIST: “FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW” CHECKLIST

thirdeye — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:49:32 +0000

THIRD EYE CHECKLIST

FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW

The Green Arrow gets cool again! Harkening back to his LONGBOW HUNTERS roots, in the aftermath of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, Oliver Queen has done what no Justice Leaguer should do, and now he must pay the price!

BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 *PROLOGUE*
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL ONE-SHOT
GREEN ARROW #31
GREEN ARROW #32
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE OF ARSENAL #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE OF ARSENAL #2
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE OF ARSENAL #3
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE OF ARSENAL #4
GREEN ARROW #33
GREEN ARROW #34

What’s New @ Third Eye For Wednesday 3/10/10

thirdeye — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:39:03 +0000

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 3/10/10

Hey gang! Here’s a full listing of new releases arriving at Third Eye this Wednesday! See something you just absolutely gotta have? Shoot us an email at thirdeyecomics@gmail.com, and we’ll be happy to set it aside for you!

ARMY OF DARKNESS #26
A-TEAM SHOTGUN WEDDING #1
ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER HC
ACTION COMICS #887
ALTER EGO #92
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #624 *THE GAUNTLET PT 12*
THE ANCHOR #6
ANGEL HOLE IN THE WORLD #4
ARCHIE AND FRIENDS #141
ARCHIE DIGEST #262
ARMY OF DARKNESS #26
AVENGERS XMEN UTOPIA TP
BATGIRL #8 *RED ROBIN / BATGIRL CROSSOVER PT 1*
BATMAN AND ROBIN #10 *PRELUDE TO RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE* THIRD EYE MUST BUY
BATMAN AND ROBIN #10 VARIANT
BATMAN HEART OF HUSH TP
BATMAN WIDENING GYRE #5
BATMAN WIDENING GYRE #5 VARIANT
THE BOYS v.6 THE SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY TP
BPRD KING OF FEAR #3
BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY #1
CABLE #24 *HOMECOMING CONCLUSION*
CARS #2
COMPLETE ALICE IN WONDERLAND #3
CONAN LEGACY FRAZETTA COVERS #4
CRIMINAL THE SINNERS #5
CYBERFORCE/HUNTER KILLER #5
DANTES INFERNO #4
DARK X-MEN #5
DAYTRIPPER #4
DISNEYS HERO SQUAD SC v.1
DMZ #51
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS TP v.5
DOCTOR WHO ONGOING TP v.1 FUGITIVE
DOOM PATROL #8
ENDERS GAME COMMAND SCHOOL HC
ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND #5
ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND #5 VARIANT
ELEPHANTMEN #24
EX MACHINA #48
FATHOM #10
FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH ESCAPE TP
GANTZ TP v.9
GHOST PROJEKT #1
GHOST RIDERS TP HEAVENS ON FIRE
THE GHOUL #3
GI JOE ORIGINS #13
GI JOE ORIGINS #13 VARIANT
GI JOE ORIGINS TP v.2
GREEK STREET TP v.1
GRIMJACK OMNIBUS TP v.1
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #45
HELLBOY TP v.9 THE WILD HUNT THIRD EYE MUST BUY
HOUSE OF MYSTERY #23
HULK LET THE BATTLE BEGIN #1
HUMAN TARGET #2
IRON MAN 2 SPOTLIGHT #1
JERICHO SEASON 3 #1
JERSEY GODS #11
JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1 *RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW PT 1*
KILL AUDIO #6
KING OF THE FLIES HALLORAVE HC
LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS UNLEASHED #1
MAGOG #7
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #21
MARVEL SELECT IRON MAN ACTION FIGURE
MIGHTY AVENGERS HC SECRET INVASION
MODERN WARFARE 2 GHOST #4
POWERS #3
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #2
PROTOTYPE TP
PUNISHERMAX #5
REBELS #14
RED ROBIN #10 *BATGIRL/RED ROBIN CROSSOVER PT 2*
RED SONJA WRATH OF THE GODS #2
RESURRECTION TP v.1 DELUXE EDITION
RESURRECTION VOL 2 #9
RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #98
RUNAWAYS PARENTAL GUIDANCE HC
SAVAGE DRAGON #158
SCREAM QUEEN SAND AND FURY TP
SECRET SIX #19
SOLOMON KANE DEATH’S BLACK RIDERS #3
SPECTACULAR SPIDERGIRL WHO KILLED GWEN REILLY TP
SPIDER-GIRL TP v.12 DIGEST GAMES VILLAINS PLAY
STAR TREK ALIEN SPOTLIGHT TP v.2
STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS IBUKI #1
SUPER FRIENDS #25
SUPER HERO SQUAD #3
SUPER HERO SQUAD TP GET YOUR HERO ON
SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1 *BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES PT 1*
SUPERMAN NEW KRYPTON HC v.3
S.W.O.R.D #5
TANK GIRL SKIDMARKS #4
THE MYSTIC HANDS OF DR. STRANGE ONE-SHOT
TICK COLOR SERIES COMPLETE WORKS TP v.2
TOY STORY #2
TOYFARE #153
TRANSFORMERS BEST O/T UK PREY TP
TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE #4
THE TWELVE SPEARHEAD #1
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #8
UNWRITTEN #11
VENGEANCE OF MOON KNIGHT MUST-HAVE (collecting issues 1-3)
THE WAKING #1
WALT DISNEYS COMICS AND STORIES #704
WARLORD THE SAGA TP
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #6 *THE GAUNTLET*
WEEKLY WORLD NEWS #3
WOLVERINE MR. X #1 ONE-SHOT
WOLVERINE DARK WOLVERINE v.2 MY HERO HC
WOLVERINE WEAPON X PREMIERE HC v.2 INSANE IN THE BRAIN
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 *FREE THIS WEEK AT THIRD EYE!*
WWE HEROES #1
X-MEN FOREVER #19
X-MEN PIXIE STRIKES BACK #2
ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS AVENTURE #2
ZORRO MATANZAS #2

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 3/3/10

thirdeye — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:57:21 +0000

FIRST WAVE #1 - BRIAN AZZARELLO (”100 BULLETS”, “JOKER”) & RAGS MORALES (”IDENTITY CRISIS”) FORGE A NEW DC UNIVERSE FEATURING HARDBOILED PULP HEROES LIKE DOC SAVAGE, THE BLACKHAWKS, and MORE!

I’ve been excited for this one since I first heard rumblings of critically acclaimed writer Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Joker) breathing new life into Doc Savage. And that was almost a year ago! We got a small taste of what to expect with last year’s killer BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE one-shot, but the full deal hits this Wednesday with the first issue of FIRST WAVE. In my opinion, the creative team chosen to bring these classic characters back, and build this exciting new world couldn’t have been a better pairing. Azzarello has a real knack for hardboiled, gritty crime-fueled storytelling that will work perfectly with the dynamic of characters like Doc Savage, Batman and the world they exist in. Meanwhile, Rags Morales, someone who I feel is one of the most underrated artists working right now, has proven in a big way that he can tell a strong, mystery-driven story with his work on IDENTITY CRISIS. Now, some of you are probably wondering just what the heck this whole FIRST WAVE thing is, so let’s get into all that, shall we ?

WHAT IS FIRST WAVE? First Wave is an alternate DC Universe that’s very much grounded in reality. There are no super-powered characters, and the closest thing you have to Superman, is Doc Savage. The world that First Wave is set in is a very noir-influenced, grim world where the motivations of masked crime-fighters are much darker than what we normally see. There are some BIG differences about the world of FIRST WAVE compared to what we know, and one of those facts is that Batman uses guns here. Now, this has been a fundamental aspect of his character, to reject the use of firearms, he absolutely despises them, but FIRST WAVE is exploring the ideas of the very, very early Batman comics, where the character did in fact use guns.

The world of FIRST WAVE, while lacking characters like Superman, or The Flash, will cast the spotlight on characters who, technically, could exist in reality (with the exception of maybe Doc Savage). Batman, of course, plays a role here, and we even see some of Batman’s classic Rogue’s Gallery popping up, but not in the same way we know and remember them. Other characters that are supposed to appear are the Blackhawks, The Avenger, Rima the Jungle Girl, Wildcat, and Black Canary, among many others.

WHY ARE WE STOKED? Well, it’s the start of what could be a very exciting sandbox for writers to really play with some of these great classic characters, like Doc Savage, or The Shadow. I mean, everything we’ve read from Brian Azzarello about the beginnings of FIRST WAVE, have got us excited. Not only is it reintroducing characters that are timeless, and still have tons of cool appeal today, but it’s also adding a brand new dynamic to the world of DCU Heroes, and that, is pretty cool.

And, personally… his take on Gotham City sounds too damn cool to not check this one out.

This one’s got a big Third Eye Stamp of Approval all over it. For those of you who would like to get the prelude to FIRST WAVE, we still have plenty of theBATMAN/DOC SAVAGE one-shot in stock as well.

Click here to read a preview of FIRST WAVE #1

“CLERKS” DIRECTOR KEVIN SMITH RESURRECTS THE GREEN HORNET IN A BIG WAY THIS WEDNESDAY IN GREEN HORNET #1

Dude, there’s something about the Green Hornet that’s just cool. I don’t know what it is, I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just this vibe the character gives off that screams cool. No matter how far into the future we get, no matter how many new concepts are introduced to the art of serial fiction, the Green Hornet is timeless cool at it’s best.

Now, for the last few years, there’s been a lot of back and forth talk about a Green Hornet movie, and one of the big pushes for the writer/director of the flick was Kevin Smith. Now, as far as we know, for whatever reason, Smith decided he wouldn’t be able to do the Hornet the way he wanted to on the silver screen, BUT, being a life-long comic fan who’s no stranger to this industry, Smith has decided to bring his vision of Green Hornet and Kato to the page.

And, folks, as both Green Hornet fans, and just plain big fans of bigger than life storytelling… we are pretty damn stoked for this series.

WHAT IS KEVIN SMITH’S GREEN HORNET? Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet is a 10 issue maxiseries where Smith has taken the ideas and plots from his unused Green Hornet screenplay and applied them to an all new story being published by DYNAMITE (publisher of THE BOYS). The purpose of the story is not to just reintroduce a classic character to modern audiences, but also serves as a way to remind us of just how cool the Green Hornet is. Smith, of course, is updating the character for the 21st Century, and judging from what we read, he’s got the right idea.

WHY WE’RE STOKED? I was lucky enough to read through the first issue, and I have to say, it’s a really fun, action-packed read with some sharp characterization and witty dialogue. The first issue does a great job of introducing the Green Hornet and his world to those of us who have never read anything on the character before. It also takes and keeps the classic foundations of the pulp-noir origins of the character while applying a very cool, high-action modern day twist to the character. I’m trying to hold back from revealing too much in the way of what actualy goes down, because I don’t want to drop any spoilers, but the book is a solid read from start to finish. Fun, bigger than life superhero awesomeness with Smith’s snappy dialogue, and some very nice art courtesy of Jonathan Lau and Phil Hester (on layouts). Plus, IT’S THE GREEN HORNET! He rocks, and we’re so stoked to see him back!

If you’re fans of the darker vigilante-type characters like Batman, or a fan of old school pulp revival with a modern twist, we think you’d really like this one. It’s got a nice, fresh take on the character, and is very easy for anyone who’s not really familiar with the character to kind of jump in, and get the feel for what’s going on.

CROSSED #9 CONCLUDES GARTH ENNIS’S INCREDIBLY TWISTED, AND DISTURBING SURVIVAL HORROR EPIC THIS WEDNESDAY!

Here’s a big one that a lot of you have been on the edge of your seat waiting for, and trust me, I’ve been right there with you, as this series has kept me in suspense like no other! This Wednesday, the bloody, horrifying conclusion to Garth Ennis’s (writer of THE BOYS, and PREACHER, amongst others) CROSSED saga arrives, and we couldn’t be more excited.

It’s been a long, violent journey through this 9 issue (10, if you count the #0 issue) survival horror epic that’s set in a world where a horrible disease infects people, and turns them into what Ennis describes as “pure evil.” The Crossed (the term for the afflicted), have a rash that forms on their face in the shape of a cross. Now, don’t go and think this is your run of the mill zombie bash, because the Crossed are far more scarier than any rotting corpse shambling after you. See, what happens when infected, the Crossed succumb to their deepest, most primal, and most evil desires. In other words, they exist to simply inflict pain, and suffering by any means possible. Now, the scary part? The Crossed still have that human capability in their brains to plot, plan, and form strategies to carry out their devious intentions. So, imagine a zombie outbreak where the zombies not only could drive cars into gas stations, or wield machine guns, but they also knew how to do it to cause the most damage possible.

As you can probably already tell, I’m in love with this series. It’s so damn nasty, and horrifying, and lets face it, I can’t deny the 13-year old in me rocking a Misfits skate deck, and reading horror comics while skipping class. Now, the thing that really helps to make CROSSED a good read, and not just a one-trick gross-out pony, is that Garth Ennis is one of the finest comic book writers working today. Most of you are already familiar with his work on stuff like THE BOYS, or his epic PREACHER, so you know that he’s the perfect guy to take the most horrifying absolutes, and then balance them out with a well-paced, well-written story that gives you characters you actually care about.

And, really, that’s what makes any “survival horror” story good, is the strength of the characters who are trying to, well.. survive! I mean, it’s why WALKING DEAD is so good, and it’s also why CROSSED is so good. If you didn’t care about whether or not these people lived or died, then it wouldn’t be survival horror, it’d just be the equivalent of slowing down at a car wreck.

However, don’t get me wrong, a big part of the satisfaction I think a lot of us get out of reading CROSSED is the “OH MY GOD… ” factor, and trust me, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Anyways, enough of my rambling on, CROSSED #9 ships this Wednesday in one nice solid, double-sized issue!

For those of you waiting on trade, the CROSSED trade ships in in less than one month (early April)!

ADVENTURE COMICS #8 *BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES PT 1* - BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES STORYLINE SETS THE STAGE FOR THIS SUMMER’S BIG “WAR OF THE SUPERMEN” STORYLINE!

The road to the big Superman storyline happening this Summer, WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, begins in this week’s ADVENTURE COMICS #8, which is the first chapter of the BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES storyline. The storyline will be running through the different Superman titles like Superman, and Supergirl, and is supposed to set things up for WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, which we’re still not too clear on all the details about.

What we do know is that this new story arc is being written by James Robinson, of STARMAN fame, and more recently, CRY FOR JUSTICE, and he always tends to deliver the goods when he writes. In addition to that, it features story elements that’re picking up from Brad Meltzer’s killer “Lightning Saga” storyline that appeared in Justice League way back when, where it was revealed that a group of Legionnaires were undercover in the 21st Century. This storyline is supposed to explore who they are, and why they’re here.

This one should be a pretty badass story, and this is coming from a guy who was never able to get into the Legion UNTIL they came back in THE LIGHTNING SAGA. Combine that with the way that Geoff Johns breathed much fresh air into them during his Action Comics: Superman and the Legion of Superheroes arc, and you’ve got a recipe for some pretty interesting characters. I think this is probably the first time since the beginnings of Johns’s NEW KRYPTON arc, that I’ve been really excited about a new Superman story.

Click here to read more about ADVENTURE COMICS #8 *BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES PT 1*

Click here to for the BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES checklist!

DEMO #2 HITS THIS WEDNESDAY, AND CONTINUES THIS THIRD EYE FAVORITE SERIES BY FAN-FAVORITE WRITER BRIAN WOOD (Northlanders, DMZ)

Man, a lot of my favorites are coming out this week! The second issue of BRIAN WOOD’S killer series of one-shots, DEMO, will be hitting the Third Eye racks this Wednesday, and after the thoroughly enjoyable first issue, I cannot wait to see more! DEMO is one of those fantastic pairings of perfect story and perfect art that fit each other so well that it makes for pure comic magic. Originally, a 12 issue series of one-shots that came out a few years ago, DEMO has returned with a new six issue round of one-shots that follow the same theme of ordinary people put into extraordinary situations. Here’s the lowdown on what DEMO is all about..

WHAT IS DEMO? DEMO is a series of themed one-shots that explore normal people who develop superhuman abilities, in some shape or form. Sometimes it’s the ability to see the future, sometimes it’s pyrokinetics, but what makes DEMO so damn interesting, and so entertaining, is that it treats these situations as real as real could be. It’s basically like if you or I suddenly could see the future, and how that would REALLY affect us? We’d lose our minds, probably, and watch our lives crumble as we try to deal with the weight of this newfound ability that we’re not sure is even real or not. And, that is DEMO’s real strength, is that it focuses on the characters, and their lives, and kind of focuses on these extraordinary abilities as an afterthought. In other words, the compelling thing about each issue of DEMO is the way that Wood writes these different kinds of characters, and develops their place in the world. It’s done with so much heart, and so much talent for storytelling, that it feels like you’re right there with them, watching as they try to deal with their gift (or curse, as you might see it).

Each issue of DEMO is a self-contained one-shot, meaning that you don’t really need to have read any of the prior issues (although, we recommend it because they’re ALL really good), and can jump in on whichever story interests you. The thing that unites DEMO as a series, is the recurring theme of ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

Brian Wood is one hell of a solid writer, and his work on Northlanders and DMZ proves that month after month, but it’s DEMO that I always look forward to the most now that it’s returned. Why? ‘Cause there’s a real magic to what Wood and Cloonan are able to put on the page, and you can tell that both of them are so into what they’re doing, that it makes the stories really pop off the page at you.

WHAT’S DEMO #2 HOLD IN STORE? Meet Frank. Frank’s rail thin, barely eats, and lives alone. He pukes when he smells breakfast, hates his job, hates chicken, hates seafood, and isn’t a big fan of socializing. He’s nothing like the woman at work that he’s obsessed with, and it’s pretty frightening to see how far Frank intends to go to win her heart.

If you’re into the Vertigo stuff, or just appreciate good storytelling, I can’t recommend DEMO enough. We still have plenty of issue #1 in stock, if you’d like to check out the first one, and we also have the original DEMO trade paperback available, in case you’re really digging these and want to go back and check out some of the older stuff.

Click here to read an article USA TODAY did on DEMO and BRIAN WOOD!

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24 *STARK DISASSEMBLED PT 5* CONCLUDES STARK DISASSEMBLED AND PAVES THE WAY FOR THE BIG THINGS HAPPENING FOR IRON MAN IN THE HEROIC AGE! NOT READING STARK DISASSEMBLED? WE HAVE ALL THE ISSUES IN STOCK, CATCH UP THIS WEDNESDAY!

This is my favorite monthly Marvel comic. That’s it, I’m saying it, bar none, this is the Marvel book I look forward to the most now, every month. It’s been becoming my top favorite for a while now, I mean, ever since Fraction launched INVINCIBLE IRON MAN in 2008, it has been one of the most consistent, well-written, and gorgeousy illustrated Marvel comics on the stands. But, when he kicked off his STARK DISASSEMBLED story-arc, that’s when I knew this was it, this was my favorite.

This Wednesday, the conclusion to the epic high point of Fraction’s Iron Man run arrives, and we couldn’t be more excited. In fact, we’re almost just as excited about what this is building up to with the arrival of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25 and the Heroic Age, as we are about this finale. What’s left of a man once you’ve taken him apart? And, what will Tony Stark be like when he returns in full force at the end of this issue? We’re gonna find out this Wednesday.

WHAT IS INVINCIBLE IRON MAN: STARK DISASSEMBLED? For those of you not already reading STARK DISASSEMBLED, here’s a run down on what this is all about, and why it’s been so damn good, not to mention it’s importance in the grand scale of things in regards to SIEGE and the Heroic Age.

During the events of Dark Reign, Stark was a fugitive, on the run from Osborn, and his goons. When it came down to it, he realized that to prevent Osborn from reaching the secrets buried beneath the software and grey matter of his brain, he had to turn himself off. Essentially, Stark lobotomized himself, and turned himself into a vegetable. Stark Disassembled Chapter One (Invincible Iron Man #20) shows us a pre-recorded message where Tony offers to show a way to reboot his brain, and bring him back, but then he asks the question: Do You Want To? And, in one of the best comic book moments I’ve read, you watch as Tony Stark goes onto talk about how maybe the world would be a better place without him, after his many downfalls through the course of the last few years. He even goes into talking about how he never believed in a higher power, but if he did, the closest thing would be Thor and Captain America, two of the characters he’d been at odds with since CIVIL WAR. He goes on to talk about how it’s going to take everyone, especially Cap, Thor, and himself, to stop Osborn once he goes crazy, because he knows Osborn will go crazy eventually. And, that’s where Stark Disassembled begins! It’s been five issues of non-stop action, mixed with very cool moments of character development, and it really feels like one of those storylines that’s going to be talked about for years to come.

This Wednesday in STARK DISASSEMBLED, we’re anticipating the return of Stark, and with INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25 being already advertised as one of the hallmark starts of the Heroic Age, we are eager to see how things end out here.

Click here to read a preview of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24 *STARK DISASSEMBLED PT 5*

Click here to check out our blog spotlight on Matt Fraction’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN run, and get caught up on one of the best Marvel comics on the stands.

MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 – GET THE FIRST ISSUE OF MATT FRACTION’S EPIC RUN ON IRON MAN FREE THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE!

Okay, so you just got done reading our spotlight on Fraction’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, and you’re like DUDE, I HAVE TO READ THIS, well check this out!
This week here at Third Eye, we’ll be giving out the very first issue of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1, completely free. So, be sure to pop in this week and grab your copy to try out the best damn monthly Marvel comic on the stands.

MASS EFFECT: REDEMPTION #3CONTINUES THE HIT LIMITED SERIES THAT BRIDGES MASS EFFECT AND MASS EFFECT 2! MISSED THE FIRST TWO ISSUES? WE’VE GOT BOTH IN STOCK TO CATCH YOU UP!

While I personally haven’t yet had the time to sit down and play MASS EFFECT 2, I’m a huge fan of the first game, and was pretty stoked to see that Dark Horse got the license to this series. The comic bridges the storyline that takes place in between MASS EFFECT and MASS EFFECT 2, and if you’re a fan of the series, then you already know how solid of a storyline these games already have. Now, to see the head writer of the game fleshing out all the details of what went down in between, you know you’re going to get some good stuff.

For those of you who missed the first issue, we’ve got plenty in stock of both issue #1 and issue #2 for you to catch up on.

Otherwise, you can click here to check out a preview of MASS EFFECT REDEMPTION #3

ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1 - IN THE WAKE OF ULTIMATUM, A NEW TEAM OF AVENGERS IS FORMED! IF YOU DUG ULTIMATE X, CHECK THIS ONE OUT! PLUS, IT FEATURES THE KILLER ARTWORK OF FRANK CHO!

Judging by the big success of ULTIMATE X #1 last month, I wasn’t the only one who was surprised by Loeb’s return to the Ultimate Universe. He’s back on his game, and is dishing out some pretty good writing, again, judging from Ultimate X, and after reading the full preview of NEW ULTIMATES #1 which ships this week, he’s doing it again with the arrival of this killer new take on the Avengers.

This one picks up in the aftermath of ULTIMATUM, where nearly all of the Ultimate Universe’s superheroes were killed, and no super-team to prevent Earth-shattering catastrophes is now in place to prevent them. And, that’s when Loki strikes, and unleashes the entirety of Asgard on Earth. Iron Man has to go into panic mode, and puts together a ragtag group of Avengers, picking up on the plot-threads of Mark Millar’s first ULTIMATE AVENGERS run which ends with next month’s issue #6

Ontop of the fact that the story in this reads pretty damn good, the artwork is TOP NOTCH. Frank Cho does not do the interiors on comics often, but, man, when he does, he really delivers the goods. Another reason why I feel there’s comparisons to Ultimate X, is because the art really compliments the story here. Cho captures the grit of the Ultimates, but also helps to emphasize Loeb’s bigger than life comic madness, with his unique artstyle. If there’s one thing that Cho does right, it’s pretty girls and giant monsters, and in the first issue of NEW ULTIMATES, he’s given plenty of both.

Plus, NEW ULTIMATE CHARACTERS GALORE! It’s pretty damn cool to get to see Ultimate takes on characters that have either barely been acknowledged before (maybe in passing in one issue here or there), or are brand new to the Ultimate Universe. In the first issue, you see everyone from Hellcat and the Son of Satan to Luke Cage, and of course, a big return of a certain Norse God. Most of these characters we only saw in passing in Mark Millar’s original ULTIMATES runs, where the Defenders were a team of wanna-be amateur superheroes, and now it looks like that may have changed a bit.

All in all, ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1 was a super fun read, with some great artwork, and a lot of promise to be a very good read. If you’re into the Ultimate stuff, or just plain awesome-looking comics, we definitely recommend it.

Click here for a preview of ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #5CONTINUES MARK MILLAR’S (writer of OLD MAN LOGAN & KICK-ASS) and CARLOS PACHECO’S KILLER FIRST SEASON OF THE ULTIMATES!

And, while we couldn’t be more stoked about NEW ULTIMATES #1 this week, we’re just as stoked about the conclusion of Mark Millar’s killer first season of ULTIMATE AVENGERS. Mark Millar is responsible, for what is in my opinion, one of the most influential superhero comics of the 21st Century, with his original first runs of ULTIMATES and ULTIMATES 2. Millar took ideas, and concepts that Ellis and Bryan Hitch had developed in a book like THE AUTHORITY, and applied them to the Marvel Universe and the AVENGERS. And, by doing so, he completely redefined how we look at superheroes in both the regular Marvel Universe, and the Ultimate Marvel Universe. If it wasn’t for THE ULTIMATES, I really don’t think that the Avengers would be as cool as they are now, in any universe. And, I really don’t think we’d be seeing some of the great developments with all these Marvel Studios flicks coming out.

Anyways, I’m rambling, lets get back to the point here, this Wednesday, the long-awaited 5th issue of Mark Millar’s red hot ULTIMATE AVENGERS series arrives, and this one is bringing his first season of ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS to it’s end. This first story arc has introduced the concept of the Ultimate Red Skull, and man, the twist on him is killer… imagine if Captain America had an illegitimate son before heading off for the fateful mission he never returned from. Well, the U.S Government couldn’t let that leak to the public, so what do they do? They hide the kid’s existence, and raise him in government institutions, well-aware of the fact that his father’s super-serum enhanced blood is running through his veins. And, then, at the age of 17, that kid snaps, and massacres an entire facility of soldiers and workers, one by one, and to top it off.. he carves off the face his father left him with, and replaces it with the horribly scarred visage that has him known as the Red Skull.

Not only has this series done a terrific job of reintroducing us to why the Ultimates are so damn cool, but it’s told a very cool story developing the character of Ultimate Captain America, quite a good deal.

Click here for a preview of ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #5

PLANETARY VOLUME 4 - THE CONCLUSION TO WARREN ELLIS’S INCREDIBLE, MIND-BENDING EPIC SERIES!

Simply put, Planetary is one of the best comic books of the last twenty years. Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Ignition City, Supergod, ect ect) grabbed us as readers, and took us on one of the most compelling stories I think I’ve ever read. The perfect blend of art and story between Ellis and Cassaday made Planetary into the kind of book that really pulls you into it’s world, and does not let go until you’re on the very last page. And, then you’re back in reality, and left wanting for more.

The fourth and final installment of Ellis’s masterpiece arrives this Wednesday here at Third Eye, and shows the final battles waged by Jakita, Drummer and Elijah against The Four. The wrap up of this series was so damn good, that we know many of you who’ve been eagerly awaiting it’s conclusion will enjoy this one.

WHAT IS PLANETARY? The story of Planetary is about an organization billing themselves as “Archeologists of the Impossible.” Funded by a mysterious Fourth Man, who’s rumored to be anyone from Bill Gates to many other world leaders, dictators, and of course, multimillionare CEOs, the team consists of three superhumans: Jakita Wagner, the Drummer, and Elijah Snow.
The concept of Planetary is that all pop culture is the secret history of the world. So, all science fiction, comic books, horror movies, whatever, it’s all a reality that lies right beneath the surface of our world.
Throughout the course of the series, you watch as the pulp heroes, like Doc Savage, The Shadow, and more die off to the New Wave of Heroes, which resemble the Justice League. You visit Monster Island, where the bloated corpse of Mothra rots on the beach, and Godzilla’s corpse is picked away at by scavengers. You’re thrown into Hong Kong, where a supernatural spin is thrown on the classic John Woo action film, and hell, you even run into characters like John Constantine (Hellblazer), and Sherlock Holmes.
As the series goes on, we learn that there’s an evil version of The Four, and when you find out their secrets, it’s a real surprise!
All in all, Planetary is must-read material, we’ve currently got all three of the graphic novels well-stocked here at the shop, and we’ll have plenty of Planetary v.4 when it hits this Wednesday.

CHEW #9 *INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR PART 4* – THE BEST NEW IMAGE BOOK SINCE WALKING DEAD CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY, AS… VAMPIRES ENTER THE MIX? WTF, VAMPIRES? OH CHEW, YOU’RE SO CRAZY!

I can’t get enough of this series, and it gets better with each issue. The current story arc, INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR, continues as our troubled Detective Chu explores some mysterious deaths that lead him to only one possible conclusion: VAMPIRES! Just when you thought CHEW couldn’t get any weirder, or more awesome, Layman and Guillory up the awesome/weird level another ten notches!

Not reading CHEW? You gotta check this one out, if you’re not already on board. One of the best series we’re reading, it’s set in a near future where all poultry has been made illegal due to bird flu. The FDA is the equivalent of the ATF, the US Department of Agriculture employs ninja black-ops assassins, and the star of the show is a cibopath named Detective Tony Chu! Oh, what’s a cibopath? It means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. He eats a hamburger, he sees the cow getting killed, he eats an apple, he can smell the pesticides. And, now, after the FDA has discovered this talent, he’s employed to eat the bodily remains of murder victims to solve their deaths.

Okay, I’m sold.. how do I catch up? You can grab the first trade paperback for only $9.95, and it’s got issues #1-5 in it, and currently, we’ve got issues #6,7, and 8 well-stocked to hop on after that, OR, you can just wait for the second trade due out this spring.

And, for those of you already in the know about the awesomeness of CHEW, we’ll see you this week for your CHEW fix when #9 comes out!

FALL OF THE HULKS SAVAGE SHE-HULK #1- SEE HOW SOME OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE’S MOST POWERFUL WOMEN TIP THE BALANCE OF POWER IN FALL OF THE HULKS!

The FALL OF THE HULKS continues this Wednesday with FALL OF HULKS SAVAGE SHE-HULK #1, where we get to see some of Marvel’s Ms. Hulks and how they play a big part in tipping the balance of power in regards to the events of FALL OF THE HULK. Featuring Lyra, the Savage She-Hulk, we get to see why she’s decided to throw in with the Wizard’s Frightful Four, and what major role she’ll play in regards to the events of FALL OF THE HULKS.

The full preview I read of this one shows it as a fun, action-packed read, that if you’re digging the direction of FALL OF THE HULKS, then you’re gonna love this one. Total smashmouth duke ‘em out madness, and it’s got every female Hulk and Hulk-related character you could think of… Red She-Hulk, Lyra, Lyra’s mother, and hey, we might even see Jennifer Walters.

Plus, it’s got MODOK! And, MODOK always makes everything better.

Click here for a preview of FALL OF HULKS SAVAGE SHE-HULK #1

PUNISHER MAX BUTTERFLY #1 - A VICIOUS MODERN NOIR ONE-SHOT FEATURING A COLD-BLOODED HITWOMAN AND HOW SHE EXISTS IN THE PUNISHERS WORLD! A MUST-READ!

It’s not just the breath of fresh air that Jason Aaron has blown into the regular ongoing PUNISHERMAX series that has me stoked on Punisher, but lately, the PUNISHER MAX one-shots they’ve been doing have been REALLY freaking good. I mean, REALLY good. If you’re a fan of the Ennis stuff, both Get Castle, and now, the new this week BUTTERFLY are great, vicious reads that capture the bleak tone of Ennis’s run in an excellent way.

I just finished reading the advance copy of the PUNISHER BUTTERFLY one-shot, and I’m very happy with it. A good one-shot story featuring a Hitwoman with a very screwed-up past, who ends up writing a tell-all book about her time as a hitwoman, in an attempt at committing suicide, sort of. You watch as she begins to fight back against the mob, and it’s VERY interesting how everything gets tied back into the very first issue of Garth Ennis’s damn near classic PUNISHER MAX run.

Violent as hell, bleak as can be, PUNISHER MAX: BUTTERFLY is a must for any fans of the Garth Ennis/Jason Aaron-style Punisher tales.

Click here for a preview of PUNISHER MAX BUTTERFLY

THE DEADPOOL CORPS ARRIVE THIS WEDNESDAY IN PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 FEATURING THE ART OF DEADPOOL CREATOR, ROB LIEFELD!

That’s right, folks, more Deadpool awesomeness is set to begin, and Marvel has enlisted the artistic chores of the Merc with a Mouth’s original creator, Rob Liefeld.

Prelude to Deadpool Corps kicks off the most ridiculous, over-the-top superhero team that the Marvel Universe has ever known. Yes, an entire team of Deadpools. Lady Deadpool. Dogpool. Headpool. Kidpool. They’re all here, and God only knows what kind of zany madness we’re going to be seeing in the pages of this one.

Just look at that cover… it’s got a zombie head with a propeller-hat carrying it around, how can you not love that? Seriously though, if you’re looking for something else to feed your Deadpool fix, the Deadpool Corps are gonna be IT. Plus, it’s got Lady Deadpool, and she’s pure awesomeness.

Click here for a preview of PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1

SPARTA USA #1 - DAVID LAPHAM OF STRAY BULLETS AND YOUNG LIARS FAME RETURNS WITH A NEW SERIES THAT’S GOT ONE HELL OF A MEAN STREAK!

I read the first issue of this one as an advance copy, and dude, I’m pretty stoked on this series. David Lapham, the writer, happens to be one of my favorite writers of all-time. I just don’t get the chance to talk about him much, with the bulk of his incredible crime comic STRAY BULLETS being out of print, and his most recent VERTIGO series, YOUNG LIARS, reaching it’s end.

This one really has a meanstreak to it, and it looks like Lapham is pushing some serious buttons with it. I mean, it’s vicious, with Lapham totally going for the throat. And, this, my friends, is a very good thing, cause that means it’s interesting as hell.

The first off welcomes us to Sparta USA. A small town where everything centers around football. I’m serious, kids are drafted as soon as they’re born. The town is led by a man who calls himself the Maestro, who claims to have learned everything he knows from the President of the U.S.A. Basically, there’s no governmental rules or laws, just the football, and guns.

Now, no one has left Sparta in the time since it’s inception, except for one guy, Godfrey McLaine, who threw years ago, disappeared into the mountains, and he’s got some serious truth to share with his fellow Spartans.

This one is a very cool looking series that’s got a definite edge to it, and kind of gives you a Running Man meets Any Given Sunday vibe, but with a bit of political commentary. However, Lapham doesn’t bash you over the head with it, so that’s pretty cool.

All in all, I think this one might end up stirring up a little controversy, just due to the mean streak running through it. I’m trying to hold back from spoiling some of the cooler moments in the book, so just give it a look this week and see for yourself.

Click here to read more about SPARTA USA #1

MARVEL GIVES PROPS TO THE LADIES INGIRL COMICS #1, CELEBRATING ALL THE DIFFERENT WOMEN CREATORS WORKING IN COMICS TODAY!

Marvel is kicking off this three issue anthology as a way of celebrating all the different women working in comics today, and focusing on some of the Marvel Universe’s raddest super-powered ladies. Some of the names that’re contributing are Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), Laura Martin (colorist on Astonishing X-Men, Secret Invasion and countless other incredible tales) Devin Grayson (Nightwing), G. Willow Wilson (Air), and many more.

Packed full of stories with characters ranging from She-Hulk to Mary Jane to.. the Punisher? Yes, the Punisher. This one’s sure to be a series of fun reads.

Click here for a preview of GIRL COMICS #1

STAFF PICKS

Steve – CAPTAIN SWING and the PIRATES OF CINDERY ISLAND #1 = I so wanted to pick Blackest Night, but I figured that’d be an obvious one this week, so I went with my other favorite: Captain Swing. Ellis knocks out some of his best work in a while in this killer steampunk twist on the world of Jack the Ripper. Very good!

Trish – WALKING DEAD #70 = Things just keep getting weirder, and weirder, and I keep getting left hanging for the next issue!

Torma – THOR #607 *SIEGE*= TOTAL MAYHEM!!!! This was a kick-ass issue all the way through! And the ending was AWESOME! If you want to see some major Asgardian butt-stomping…. pick this one up

Matt – BLACKEST NIGHT #7 = There’s so many pages in this one that would make killer posters. The huge spread in the middle! YES! Plus, the ending rocked!

THIRD EYE CHECKLIST: BLACKEST NIGHT

thirdeye — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:36:10 +0000

THIRD EYE CHECKLIST

BLACKEST NIGHT

THIRD EYE CHECKLIST: BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES

thirdeye — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:42:04 +0000

PREPARE FOR “WAR OF THE SUPERMEN”

BEGINNING WITH “BRAINIAC AND THE

LEGION OF SUPERHEROES!

Hey gang, your pals at Third Eye here again with another handy checklist to keep you in the know about what’s going on where in the world of comics. This time around we’re focusing on some exciting stuff that’s going down in the Superman titles, which has it’s roots all the way back in Brad Meltzer’s JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE LIGHTNING SAGA storyline (available in trade paperback here at Third Eye). Remember those clues about Legionnaires being hidden throughout the 21st Century? Well, here’s where it all comes to a head, and paves the path to the WAR OF THE SUPERMEN!

BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES

OFFICIAL CHECKLIST

MARCH

ADVENTURE COMICS #8 *CHAPTER 1*
SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1 *CHAPTER 2*
SUPERGIRL #51 *CHAPTER 3*
SUPERMAN #698 *CHAPTER 4*
ADVENTURE COMICS #9 *CHAPTER 5*

APRIL

SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #2 *CHAPTER 6*
ADVENTURE COMICS #10 *CHAPTER 7*
SUPERGIRL #52 *CHAPTER 8*
SUPERMAN #689 *CHAPTER 9*
SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #3 *CHAPTER 10*

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 3/3/10

thirdeye — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:47:48 +0000

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 3/3/10

ADVENTURE COMICS #8 *BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES PROLOGUE!*
ADVENTURE COMICS #511 VARIANT
AGE OF REPTILES JOURNEY #3
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623 *THE GAUNTLET PT 11*
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623 JUSKO VARIANT
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #623 QUINONES VARIANT
ARMY OF TWO #2
ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #2
AUTHORITY #20
AUTHORITY RULE BRITTANIA TP
AVENGER DOUBLE NOVEL v.3
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #42
BELLADONNA ONE-SHOT
BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #202
BLACK WIDOW PREMIERE HC DEADLY ORIGIN
BLEACH TP v.30
THE BOYS #40
THE BOYS #40 VIRGIN VARIANT
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8 TP v.6
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #33
CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #47
CEREAL GEEK MAGAZINE #2
CEREAL GEEK MAGAZINE #3
CHEW #9 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL!*
CHURCH OF HELL #3
CINDERELLA FROM FABLETOWN #5
COMICS BUYERS GUIDE #1664
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #19
CROSSED #9 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
DAFFODIL #3
DEAD AHEAD #3
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #895
DELLEC #2
DEMO #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
DETECTIVE COMICS #862
DINGO #4
DISNEYS HERO SQUAD #2
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP #9
DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL 34
FALL OF THE HULKS SAVAGE SHE-HULK #1 *FALL OF THE HULKS*
FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH INK TPB
FIRST WAVE #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY – “JOKER” & “100 BULLETS” WRITER TEAMS WITH “IDENTITY CRISIS” ARTIST RAGS MORALES TO UNITE DCU CHARACTERS WITH CLASSIC PULP CHARACTERS!*
FIRST WAVE #1 VARIANT
FORGETLESS #3
GI JOE #15
GI JOE #15 VARIANT
GIRL COMICS #1
GOD COMPLEX #4
GREAT TEN #5
GREEK STREET #9
GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL HC
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #44
GRIMM FAIRY TALES TPB v.7
HORRORHOUND #22
INCREDIBLES #6
INCREDIBLES TP v.2
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #24 *STARK DISASSEMBLED PT 5 – THE FINALE!*
IRON MAN ARMOR WARS TP *NEW PRINTING*
IRON MAN DEMON IN A BOTTLE TP *NEW PRINTING*
MARVEL’S GREATEST COMICS: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 *FREE THIS WEEK AT THIRD EYE! TRY ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SERIES… FREE!*
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN OVERSIZED HC v.1
JACK OF FABLES #43
JONAH HEX #53
JSA ALL-STARS #4
JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #158
JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #7
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL TP v.4
KEVIN SMITH’S GREEN HORNET #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN TP
LOONEY TUNES #184
MARVEL SELECT SPIDER-MAN ACTION FIGURE
MASS EFFECT REDEMPTION #3
MASS EFFECT REDEMPTION #1 2ND PRINT
MIGHTY AVENGERS #34
MIGHTY AVENGERS #34 DEADPOOL VARIANT
MILESTONE FOREVER #2
MODERN MASTERS v.14 FRANK CHO
MONSTERS INC LAUGH FACTORY TP v.1
NEMESIS THE IMPOSTORS #1
NEW AVENGERS THE REUNION TP
NOLA #4
OUR SENTENCE IS UP SEEING GRANT MORRISON’S INVISIBLES
PIXU HC v.1
PLANETARY HC v.4 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #1 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
PUNISHER MAX BUTTERFLY #1
REALM OF KINGS SON OF HULK #2
SAM KIETH SKETCHBOOKS v.1
SAM NOIR TP v.1 SAMURAI DETECTIVE
THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL v.35
SHONEN JUMP APRIL 2010
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #210
SPARTA USA #1
SPAWN #196
SPIDER-MAN AMERICAN SON TP
SPIDER-MAN NOIR EYES WITHOUT A FACE #4
STARR THE SLAYER TP A STARR IS BORN
STARSTRUCK #7
STEPHEN KING’S N #1
STRANGE TALES HC
SUPERMAN BRAINIAC TP
SWEET TOOTH #7
THE SWORD #22
TEZUKAS MW SC
TRANSFORMERS ONGOING SERIES #4
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP v.6 NEW EDITION
TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #12
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #5
ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1 FRANK CHO FOILOGRAM VARIANT
ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #1 VILLAIN VARIANT
UNDERGROUND #5
VIDEO WATCHDOG #155
WARLORD #12
WITCHBLADE #135
WIZARDS OF MICKEY #2
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #11
X-MEN FOREVER #18
X-MEN FOREVER TP v.2
X-MEN HOPE #1
X-MEN NOIR MARK OF CAIN #4
ZORRO #20

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 2/24/10

thirdeye — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:55:49 +0000

BLACKEST NIGHT #7 – THE BIGGEST EVENT OF 2009/2010
RAGES ON AS WE NEAR IT’S END!

This is it, folks. Only one more to go after this one,
and that’s the finale! Blackest Night has proven to be one of the best
events we’ve seen in years from either of the big 2 publishers. Geoff
Johns’s masterpiece has had years of subtle organic growth and build-up
in the pages of Green Lantern, and when it burst out onto the racks of
Third Eye last July, we knew that he’d delivered us some true comic
magic. It’s not often that one storyline can cross so many different
audiences, but Blackest Night has everyone enthralled, folks who
normally don’t read DC, folks who religiously read DC, and everyone in
between.. we’re all hooked on this great story.This Wednesday,
after what’s felt like an eternity (and really it’s only been a little
over a month and a half), we get the second to last installment of
Blackest Night. Much has happened in the pages of both Green Lantern #50
and Green Lantern #51 since those last two epic pages of Blackest Night
#6 back in December. And, now, we’re pumped to see where this whole
thing is going.

For those of you who may not have been keeping
up on what’s been happening since issue #6, we’ve seen the new “Deputy
Lanterns”, Yellow Lantern Scarecrow, Orange Lantern Lex Luthor, Star
Sapphire Wonder Woman, Red Lantern Mera, Blue Lantern Flash, and Indigo
Lantern Atom, going head to head with the Black Lanterns. We’ve seen Hal
Jordan re-unite with the Parallax entity. And, now, in Blackest Night
#7, it looks like we’re going to learn the true motivations behind
Nekron’s return, and when it’s revealed… everything is going to be
changed, from the sounds of it!

If you haven’t yet started
reading Blackest Night, we could not recommend this series enough.
Whether you’ve been following the DCU for years, or if you’re just
getting back into things, we think you’d really enjoy this event.

What’s the scoop on Blackest Night?
Ever since Geoff Johns brought Hal Jordan back, and made Green Lantern a
must-read, he’s been building this storyline. It really began to show
itself in the pages of the Sinestro Corps War (now available at Third
Eye in trade paperbacks: Sinestro Corps War v.1 & Sinestro Corps War v.2), and then from there.. the
path was set.

Basically, the Blackest Night is the return of an
obscure, age-old villain named Nekron, the freakin’ Lord of the Dead!
And, Nekron’s has unleashed his Black Rings, and begun the resurrections
of EVERY dead DCU character you can think of. Of course, when they come
back.. they’re a vengeful, undead, heart-eating monster. So, imagine
Dick Grayson’s dead parents trying to rip out his heart, or heck,
imagine DC icons like The Martian Manhunter or Aquaman smelling the fear
on someone and wanting to devour it by eating their heart! This is what
Blackest Night is, and if you’re not yet reading it.. you really need
to!

So, where do I start? We currently have everything you need
to get caught up on Blackest Night here at Third Eye. If you’re
interested in just getting the core story, we recommend this reading
order for what’s out so far:
GREEN
LANTERN #43 *BLACKEST NIGHT PROLOGUE*
BLACKEST NIGHT #1
GREEN LANTERN #44 (takes place in between BN 1
& 2)
BLACKEST NIGHT #2
GREEN LANTERN #45 (takes place in between BN
2 & 3)
BLACKEST NIGHT #3

GREEN LANTERN #46 (takes
place in between BN 3 & 4)
GREEN LANTERN #47 (takes place in between BN 3 & 4)
BLACKEST NIGHT #4
GREEN LANTERN #48 (takes place in between BN
#4 & 5)
BLACKEST NIGHT #5

GREEN LANTERN #49 (takes
place in between BN #5 & 6)
BLACKEST NIGHT #6
GREEN
LANTERN #50 (takes place directly after Blackest Night #6)
GREEN LANTERN #51 (right after GL #50, right
before BN #7)
BLACKEST NIGHT
#7

For those of you who’re already onboard, we know
you’re as excited as we are about this week’s BLACKEST NIGHT #7! If you’d like to read more on BLACKEST NIGHT #7, click here

BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 – IS THIS THE LEAD-UP TO THIS YEAR’S HIGHLY
ANTICIPATED “FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW” STORYLINE?

It has been quite a while since I’ve been
excited about Green Arrow. And, it’s funny, because he’s always been a
favorite DCU character for me. It might be because I was introduced to
him with two of the best runs on the character: Mike Grell’s Longbow
Hunters (a classic that still stands up today as a great piece of work)
and Kevin Smith & Brad Meltzer’s runs on the character when he
returned in the late ’90s/early 2000s. The quality on these stories, and
the characterization of Oliver Queen was so on point, that I’ve had a
soft spot for him ever since.

But, for the last few years, Green
Arrow has not had the best of luck. His series kind of petered out when
Meltzer left. Winick had a halfway decent run, but towards the end of
his run, it kinda got weak. And, I just haven’t really been able to
follow the character much since then.

And then, DC announces
their proposed FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW storyline for 2010… and I’m
excited. I think this is going to be the kind of GA storyline that shows
everyone why Oliver Queen is a badass character. I know that some of
this is going to play out with the JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL
one-shot, and ties directly into the whole Arsenal getting his arm taken
off in Cry for Justice, but I can’t help but wonder.. is this Black
Lantern Green Arrow issue going to have some prelude stuff for the big
FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW storyline due this year?

Either way, I’m
excited about reading a Green Arrow comic for the first time in a while.
I mean, so far, almost everything that’s carried the Blackest Night
banner has been a solid read. But, this one, from the preview pages
we’ve read, and from the killer covers it’s got… this one looks GREAT.

Obviously, they’re playing in on the fact that many DC
characters that were once dead and had previously returned are now
reclaimed by Nekron as Black Lanterns. And, the one thing that has been
most interesting about this development, as seen in ADVENTURE COMICS #7
BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY, is how these characters say what they really,
truly believe through their Black Lantern selves. In other words, those
things they’d never let be known.. they’re put out for all to see.

The
artwork on this one looks VERY sharp, and from the preview pages, it
looks like it’ll be a pretty action-packed issue. Green Arrow has always
been a very conflicted character, and had a bit of an edge to him, so
it’ll be kind of cool to see the Black Lantern aspect emphasizing it.
Most of all though, I’m excited to see if this is a sign of things to
come for the character, and the FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW storyline that
keeps getting talked about.

Click here to read a preview of BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30

BLACKEST NIGHT JSA
CONCLUDES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #3!

One of the more underrated Blackest Night
3-part limited series tie-ins has been the Blackest Night JSA. Now,
maybe it’s just because I’m a big JSA fan, but I have really been
enjoying this one. The entire concept of the JSA in DC nowadays is the
idea of legacy heroes. Heroes from days gone past passing their mantles
onto the next generation, and watching the legacy of characters like Mr.
Terrific or the Sandman being carried on. I think I just came into the
JSA at the right time, when Geoff Johns, David Goyer and James Robinson
originally relaunched the series back in the late ’90s. But, anyways,
back to my point… you’ve got these characters who’s entire being is
built around the carrying on of a legacy being put face to face with
their predecessors.

Of course, their predecessors happen to be
Black Lanterns, and want to rip their hearts out and eat them, but you
know.. still a pretty heavy thing to face. It looks like this week as
the series wraps up, we’re going to see the JSA going toe to toe with
Black Lantern Earth-2 Superman. If you’re still looking for more
Blackest Night goodness, and haven’t tried BLACKEST NIGHT JSA, we’ve
still got plenty of #1 and #2 in stock, so check ‘em out this Wednesday!

For those of you who’ve already been following BLACKEST NIGHT
JSA, you’ll have a real treat waiting with the conclusion of the series
this Wednesday.

Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #3

MARVEL’S SIEGE EVENT CONTINUES TO TAKE THE COMIC WORLD BY
STORM THIS WEDNESDAY! CHECK OUT THIS GREAT BATCH OF SIEGE TIE-INS
HITTING THIS WEEK, INCLUDING THE UBER-IMPORTANT THOR #607 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*!

Okay, folks, first off, we’re gonna start with the
biggest of the bunch. Thor #607 is a HUGE issue in regards to SIEGE, and
if you’re reading SIEGE, we definitely recommend picking this one up.
Even if you’ve been trying to avoid doing all the tie-ins, give this one
a go at least, because we guarantee you’re gonna be in for a treat.
While I can’t go into detail without dropping major spoilers, I will say
that you’re going to see some Asgardians getting dealt some fatal
injuries… and, well, there’s a very big return of a character that was
prominent a few years ago in a big way. A character that we’re finally
going to get to see Thor go head to head with, and folks, it is going to
be EPIC!

Aside from all that, Kieron Gillen and Billy Tan’s run
on Thor has been a damn good read. They kicked off their run with issue
#604, told a very cool Thor/Dr. Doom storyline that ran a nice little
parallel to all the build-up to SIEGE, and now they’re kicking things
into major high gear with this special SIEGE tie-in. Kieron Gillen’s
writing is top notch, and it’s obvious that he’s going to be a name to
start paying attention to, in the same way that writers like Matt
Fraction and Ed Brubaker slowly rose to prominence, we’re going to see
Gillen do the same, I feel. The guy is THAT good. In addition to
Gillen’s killer storytelling, Billy Tan is knocking out some of the best
art in his career here. He’s definitely gone back to the style that
made us really notice him when he was working on Rise and Fall of the
Shi’ar Empire with Brubaker.

So, folks, whatever you do, DON’T
MISS THOR this week. You’re in for a real treat, as this one is an
action-packed, punch-in-the-gut kinda issue that definitely adds to the
dynamic of SIEGE in a big way. And, how do we know this? Well, Marvel
was kind enough to provide us here at Third Eye with an advance copy to
read to show us they weren’t full of it this time.

Click here for a preview of THOR #607 *SIEGE*

Next up on the agenda is NEW AVENGERS #62, following hot
on the heels of the big splash that NEW AVENGERS #61 made with Cap
rallying the troops, we get to see what happens next as the NEW AVENGERS
have to deal with a surprise attack from a super-charged HOOD and his
crew as they’re dealing with the madness that is the Siege on Asgard!
Obviously, the NEW AVENGERS are in a weakened state here, because
they’re scrambling to come to Thor and Asgard’s aide, but, as we saw
last month in NEW AVENGERS #61… there’s a whole army of crazy
fourth-string villains out for their blood, with the Hood leading the
charge.

Click here for a preview of NEW AVENGERS #62 *SIEGE*

The first chapter of SIEGE that hit DARK
WOLVERINE, with last month’s DARK WOLVERINE #82 (still available here at
Third Eye) made a HUGE splash on the last couple of pages. The issue
was actually very well-written, and surprisingly, me not being a Daken
fan, I actually kinda of dug the character here. I think the
characterization was perfect, and to watch as he mentally deconstructs
his team-mates was very cool. Those last few pages, while now, may not
be suggestive to the reality of things, still provide a HUGE holy crap
moment… and we can only expect things to be explained this week in
DARK WOLVERINE #83.

Click here for a preview of DARK WOLVERINE #83 *SIEGE*

Another one of the tie-ins for SIEGE that
really drove home the message that each book that ties into SIEGE is
providing a relevant, meaningful push to the overall direction of the
story was AVENGERS: INITIATIVE beginning with AVENGERS: INITIATIVE #31
*SIEGE PRELUDE*, where we got to see just how Taskmaster felt about
being catapulted into Norman Osborn’s elite Cabal of power-players.

So
far, the first two SIEGE tie-ins of AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE have been
very good, and provided us with a very cool look at the lower-level
supervillains that’ve used the Initiative as their way to an easy
payday. Well, now, their luxury cruise is up, and it’s time for some
serious chaos. The fact that the characters are pretty much freaking out
themselves about being sent off to fight in Asgard is very cool, and
somewhat humorous. But, it’s the characterization and the focus put on
Taskmaster that is really making the Initiative an enjoyable tie-in to
read. In the previous issue, we saw how the Taskmaster saw the group
beatdown of Thor as his chance to get out there, and prove his worth.
And, with the focus being directly on him as one of the people who
overpowered Thor… he’s now more than a little worried about what comes
next.

Click here for a preview of AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #33 *SIEGE*

And, the first of Thunderbolts carrying the SIEGE banner
arrives this week as well. Thunderbolts had really hit it’s stride with
Andy Diggle kicking off his run, and then Jeff Parker taking over the
reigns. The characterization of guys like Paladin and Scourge has been
top notch, and we’ve felt that Thunderbolts is one of those
under-the-radar Marvel books that is a great read.

In this
tie-in, judging from the preview pages, Osborn is sending everybody’s
favorite covert ops team of bad guys into the heart of the kingdom of
Asgard to retrieve the mythical Spear of Odin. An item that Osborn calls
a genuine “game-changer” in the Siege on Asgard.

I liked the
first few pages of this one a lot, so I’m pretty eager to see where it
goes.

Click here for a preview of THUNDERBOLTS #141 *SIEGE*

WARREN ELLIS (writer of SUPERGOD, IGNITION CITY,
TRANSMETROPOLITAN, and much more!) DEBUTS HIS NEXT TWISTED AVATAR
MEGA-HIT: CAPTAIN SWING and HIS ELECTRICAL PIRATES of CINDERY ISLAND!
CHECK OUT THIS STEAMPUNK MASTERPIECE THIS WEDNESDAY IN CAPTAIN SWING #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*

Here’s one that I’ve been really looking forward to for
the last few months, since I started seeing all the ads for it pop up in
the back of Gravel, and other Avatar titles. This feels like a book
that Ellis was born to write, and we cannot wait to get our hands on a
copy this week.

Warren Ellis is known for writing some very
kick-ass science fiction comics. He’s really carved out a niche for
himself in this area, in particular, and from what we’ve seen of him
venturing into steampunk on things like Freakangels, his genuine passion
for the medium causes the pages of his work to practically crackle with
raw energy. He practically redefined comics in the ’90s with his work
on series like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, PLANETARY, and the AUTHORITY, and he’s
been cranking out one of the most diverse, yet consistently good
assortments of work since then with everything ranging from NEXTWAVE to
IGNITION CITY to NO HERO, SUPERGOD and FELL.

In other words,
we’re pretty big fans of Mr. Ellis here at Third Eye.

So, when a
new series of his kicks off, it’s a big deal, and just judging from the
cover of CAPTAIN SWING, we feel this is going to be one of Ellis’s best
yet.

What is CAPTAIN SWING all about? Set in the year 1830, a
rookie beat cop keeps seeing things that he’s not supposed to be seeing.
He’s on the trail of the notorious serial killer, Spring-Heeled Jack,
otherwise known as Jack the Ripper. But what he finds are things he
can’t comprehend: A crooked Bow Street Runner with a flintlock
revolver, flying things that are not supposed to fly, and a violent
science-charged spectral pirate ship known as Spring-Heeled Jack,
commanded by a raving madman, and cold-blooded murderer known as CAPTAIN
SWING, and his crew of Electrical Pirates.

Generally, what it
looks to be is a badass mixing of the swashbuckling pirate genre with
the setting and feel of the steampunk genre. Of course, the scattered
references to Jack the Ripper lead us to believe there’s going to be
some vicious ties to the notorious serial killer, but that could be pure
speculation on our part. The preview pages do look pretty violent
though. All we know is that the art on this one pops, the story looks
great, and we couldn’t be more excited to check it out this Wednesday.

Click here to see what Blair Butler from Attack of the
Show’s FRESH INK has to say about CAPTAIN SWING and the ELECTRICAL
PIRATES OF CINDERY ISLAND!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 3* - THE
COUNTDOWN TO BRUCE WAYNE’S RETURN CONTINUES, AND BATMAN’S TIES TO
BLACK-HAND ARE EXPLORED!

One of the best books DC’s been putting out
since last spring, and has not only remained one of the best, but
actually gotten better with each and every issue, has been Grant
Morrison’s BATMAN AND ROBIN. Morrison took the concept of Dick Grayson
putting on the cowl, and pairing up with the long-lost son of Bruce
Wayne, Damian, as Robin, and he ran with it, injecting a fresh new
dynamic and approach to the world of BATMAN and his supporting cast.

Of
course, part of the appeal to has been how Morrison has been rotating
his artists for each 3-issue story arc, hand-picking artists that he
feels best fit the mood and tone of the arc at the time. And, the end
result is fantastic, you get a very cool fusing of story and art that
practically leaps off the page at you, grabs you by the throat, and
pulls you head first into the spires of Gotham City.

The most
recent story arc, IN BLACKEST KNIGHT, has been the high point of the
series thus far, in my opinion. Now, I may be a little biased being that
the fact that this one has some loose ties to the Blackest Night event
I’m totally loving, but I really feel that Morrison has hit his stride
here. I was a little apprehensive about Cameron Stewart (only being
really familiar with his stuff from Seaguy) doing the art, but, he’s
proved me wrong, as his style suits the settings and characters being
used in this perfectly. Plus, he’s showing that he has the same kind of
raw energy to his work that made Quitely’s first three issues pop so
well.

What is Batman and Robin:
In Blackest Knight? From what we’ve seen, and from what Morrison
has said, the Blackest Knight story arc in Batman and Robin is the
unexplored link between Bruce Wayne’s supposed death, the mystery of the
skull Black Hand has been carrying around, and the much-rumored Return
of Bruce Wayne that will be taking place this fall in the BATMAN: RETURN
OF BRUCE WAYNE storyline.

Basically, there’s a bunch of
unanswered questions about Bruce Wayne, his fate at the end of Final
Crisis, and just what the heck he was doing in a cave at the very end of
FINAL CRISIS scrawling on the wall. Now, Morrison is planning to do a
limited series this spring that’s either going to be called BATMAN: THE
RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, and apparently we’re going to see Bruce Wayne
literally fighting his way through the time-stream. So far, the sketches
and storyline concepts sound incredible, and we’re VERY pumped to see
this event. But, what we’re even more pumped to see is how we’re getting
there, and that’s what’s unfolding right now in the pages of BATMAN AND
ROBIN: IN BLACKEST KNIGHT.

So far, we’ve seen some secrets
revealed in a big way about Batman’s death, the connection between
Darkseid and Bruce Wayne’s body, and some other tidbits. Now, in this
week’s concluding issue, we’re expecting to see some BIG BIG things come
to light.

Click here to read an article on BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE
WAYNE due out this Spring

Click here to read a preview of BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 3*

COWBOY NINJA VIKING CONCLUDES
IT’S FIRST OVER-THE-TOP, KILLER STORY ARC IN COWBOY NINJA VIKING #4

Image
Comics has really been making a name for itself by putting out a
consistent line of fresh, original, and quality comics. It really feels
like they’ve carved out a very unique niche for themselves as the place
where new ideas for comics can really flourish, and grow.

One of
these fresh, new series is COWBOY NINJA VIKING, and dude, this book is
GREAT. It’s ridiculously violent, has some very sharp dialogue and
characterization, and underneath all of the over-the-top madness, it’s
got a rock-solid storyline with some of the sickest art I’ve seen. If
you took a Quentin Tarantino movie on speed, and poured it onto the
pages of a comic book, then you’d get COWBOY NINJA VIKING.

What
is COWBOY NINJA VIKING? Okay, picture this… not too far off in the
future, to fight terrorism, a government program has been experimenting
on people with Multiple Personality Disorder. Basically, keying in on
the three dominant personalities running around in their heads, and
turning them into agents of destruction known as Triplets. One of these
Triplets has gone rogue though, and that’s where the story of COWBOY
NINJA VIKING begins.

The comic is fresh, the storytelling is
sharp, and the artwork makes each and every page pop. Little
storytelling ideas like changing the word balloons of Triplets to
identify who’s talking when just add to what makes this series so fresh,
and neat. The constant conflict between the Cowboy, the Ninja, and the
Viking in our title character’s head is pretty humorous, as you see the
Viking’s answer to everything is “Kill it and eat it”, while the Cowboy
is all about gambling and brothels, and the Ninja is the only one who
has a cool, strategic head on his shoulders.

All in all, this is
a great series, and has carried the Third Eye Must Buy tag proudly for
quite some time, we recommend giving it a try if you haven’t already.
For those of you who’re already on board, then we know you’re gonna be
pumped to get your hands on this issue!

Click here to read an interview with the creators of
COWBOY NINJA VIKING

FLASH REBIRTH CONCLUDES THIS WEEK IN FLASH REBIRTH #6 AND SETS THE STAGE FOR GEOFF
JOHNS’S NEW ONGOING FLASH SERIES! FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR FLASH RING
THIS APRIL BELOW!

Okay, first
off, Geoff Johns’s epic re-introduction of Barry Allen to the world of
comic books will be hitting it’s long-awaited conclusion this Wednesday.
Now, we know you guys wanna hear all about the Flash rings, and the
upcoming FLASH ongoing series, but we will get to that after we talk
about the awesomeness that has been FLASH: REBIRTH!

It’s been a
long-time coming, but this week, we finally get to see the huge
conclusion to Geoff Johns’s incredible FLASH: REBIRTH! If anyone was the
right writer to bring Barry Allen back, and make him cool, it’s Johns.
Johns GETS the DCU in a way that we rarely we see creators do. I mean,
he took the Green Lantern, brought the title AND Hal Jordan back out of a
relatively solid stint in obscurity land, and turned it into DC’s
biggest book. We cannot wait to see what he’s got in store with the
Flash, but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

If you’re looking to
hop onboard with the Flash, then FLASH: REBIRTH couldn’t be a better
place. Just like he did with GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH, Johns and Ethan Van
Sciver (the series artist) have added new life to the world of the
Flash, his supporting cast, and his villains. In just five issues, we’ve
seen Johns develop a very cool world for the Flash to grow in, and for
bigger stories to be told. For those of you who’re already reading Flash
Rebirth, I’m preaching to the choir, and you’re already stoked just
about the fact that FLASH REBIRTH is due out this week. But, for those
of you who haven’t yet given Johns’s unique post-modern take on the
Fastest Man Alive a try, then we recommend checking out FLASH REBIRTH.
We currently have all of the issues (1-5) well-stocked here, so it’s
easy enough to catch up.
ADD FLASH #1 (new ongoing series) BY GEOFF JOHNS TO YOUR
SUBSCRIPTION BOX TO RESERVE YOUR FREE FLASH RING!

Now, about those Flash rings… we brought you guys the
entire color spectrum of Lantern rings back in November, and now, Third
Eye is delivering some more comic awesomeness with free Flash rings! For
those of you who may not already be familiar with the character, one of
the classic traditions of the Flash has been keeping a compact,
shrunken down costume in a tiny little ring emblazoned with the Flash
symbol. Now, you can sport your own Flash ring!

To celebrate the
release of Geoff Johns’s all new, ongoing FLASH series debuting April
14th, we’ll be giving away a FREE Flash ring with each copy of FLASH #1.
While you know Third Eye tends to stock deep, and doesn’t run out of
things, we do recommend adding THE FLASH #1 to your subscription box so
you can GUARANTEE that you get your FLASH ring! Just shoot us an email @
thirdeyecomics@gmail.com, and we’ll add it to your subscription list
for you.

In addition to the cool ring, the book is going to
totally kick-ass. Johns has already proved that he can do Flash right
with both his early Flash work during the Wally West-era, and most
recently, with FLASH: REBIRTH. We feel that this Flash ongoing series is
going to be the “next Green Lantern”, as in a top tier monthly book
that never fails to deliver. Email us @ thirdeyecomics@gmail.com to add
THE FLASH to your subscription list!

Click here to read about Geoff Johns’s new Flash ongoing
series beginning with FLASH #1 on APRIL 14th!

THE CRAZIES – READ THE COMICS,
BEFORE YOU SEE THE TERRIFYING NEW FILM!

If there’s one thing that holds true for us here at Third
Eye is we love horror movies, and if you love horror movies, then
horror comics are a match made in corn syrup red heaven.

Some of
you may already be aware of the remake of George Romero’s classic, THE
CRAZIES, that’s going to be hitting theaters this week. But, what you
may not know, is that this Wednesday we’ll see the release of a 4-issue
prelude limited series that leads right into THE CRAZIES film.

All
four issues will be released simultaneously this Wednesday, with the
entire storyline leading into the new flick due out this weekend. So,
for all you gorehounds out there, give it a look this week here at Third
Eye!

ALAN MOORE DEBUTS HIS NEW
SELF-PUBLISHED DODGEM LOGIC ‘ZINE THIS WEDNESDAY! THE MASTER STORYTELLER
DISHES OUT QUALITY READING ON COMICS, MUSIC, AND MORE! IMPORTED
STRAIGHT FROM THE U.K TO THIRD EYE’S SHELVES!

Anytime Alan Moore delivers ANYTHING, we’re pretty
excited to see what the comic world’s mad wizard has in store for us.
But, with the release of DODGEM LOGIC this week, we’re very excited to
see what he has in store for us now. It might be because we’re big fans
of the fine art of magazines, and it’s refreshing to see a really cool
‘zine hitting the stands in this day and age of content and information
being disposable due to the digital nature of the internet. I mean, who
doesn’t have a magazine that they religiously followed, and kept every
issue? I know that I still enjoy going back through all my old horror
movie magazines and punk ‘zines, as it’s kind of like a print time
capsule of days gone past. But, enough of my rambling, lets get onto
talking about just what the heck DODGEM LOGIC is all about.

What
is DODGEM LOGIC? Dodgem Logic is a self-published ‘zine from ALAN MOORE
(you know, the guy who created everything from WATCHMEN to LEAGUE OF
EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN), where you get pages upon pages of articles,
comic strips, and features, many written by ALAN MOORE himself. Some of
the highlights include an article on the history of Underground Comix,
and their past, comic strips like Great Hipsters of History, and more.
It really is a celebration of not jut comics, and the artform, but
everything that is weird and wonderful about pop culture, all filtered
through the very talented mind of ALAN MOORE.

Make sure you pick
up this piece of awesomeness this week, and take part in supporting the
grand tradition of ‘zines.

WE WILL BURY YOU #1 DELIVERS US A
KILLER ZOMBIE TALE OF TWO STRONG WOMEN CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A 1920s
ZOMBIE INFESTATION!

Here’s
a cool one that I didn’t really see coming until the title caught my
eye, and I did a little research, and damn, I’m excited to see what we
got coming down the pike on this one.

Set in the 1920s, Mirah, a
woman in a loveless marriage, and Fanya, a Ukranian thief, find comfort
in each other’s arms, but when a combination of strange riots breaking
out and complications with Mirah’s husband cause things to reach a
boiling point, the two women are forced to venture out on their own into
a strange, new world where the dead are rising from their graves, and
eating the flesh of the living.

Aside from the fact that we’re
going to see zombies in sick ass top hats, this one just looks like a
cool little zombie comic from the pages we’ve seen. The writing looks
sharp, and the twist on the zombies is something a little out of the
norm. The fact that a zombie outbreak is occurring during the economic
meltdown of the ’20s should add an interesting element to things,
especially.

And of course, the artwork on this one looks
fantastic, so that just adds to the potential for awesomeness that we
think this one’s gonna have.

GARTH ENNIS’S CHRONICLES
OF WORMWOOD CONTINUES TO KEEP US HOOKED.. AND DISGUSTED (in a GOOD way)
THIS WEDNESDAY IN CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD: THE LAST BATTLE #3

You come to expect something out of a guy
like Garth Ennis. He’s written some great, yet often disturbing stories
like PREACHER, THE BOYS, PUNISHER MAX, and currently, CROSSED. But, man,
when Ennis gets let loose in the realm of AVATAR, he really knocks it
out of the park, especially in the pages of his CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD:
THE LAST BATTLE epic. Only two issues in, and we’ve seen some of the
most depraved (yet humorous) panels you could expect, and now this week,
he continues to shock and awe in CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD: THE LAST
BATTLE #3.

What is CHRONICLES
OF WORMWOOD all about? Essentially, it’s the story of the
Anti-Christ, and how he’s reluctant to bring out the apocalypse he was
born to bring. The first storyline of CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD took place
in the CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD trade paperback (available now here at
Third Eye), and showed how Danny Wormwood, would rather rebel against
his father’s plans to bring about the end of the world, and leave the
human race to it’s own devices. Of course, things go crazy, and it leads
us to where we are now, with a crazy depraved Pope being in charge of
Hell now, and trying to bring Hell on Earth.

It’s a very good,
well-written horror story with that trademark Garth Ennis dark humor,
and disturbing horrific scenes. While we think that it’s not too hard to
jump aboard Wormwood with CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST BATTLE #1, we do
have the previous series in trade now, so if you want to catch up you
can either jump on this week with CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST BATTLE #1,
or go back and check out the trade.

VIKING
#5 DELIVERS ANOTHER SLAB OF GORGEOUSLY ILLUSTRATED VIKING MADNESS, AS
THIS “GOODFELLAS WITH VIKINGS” SAGA ABOUT ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE 9th
CENTURY CONTINUES!

Another big breakout hit from last year was the IMAGE
series, VIKING, which not only delivered some of the best looking
artwork we’ve seen in a book, in a very longtime, but also a very
compelling story, and fresh take on the whole “Viking” genre that’s kind
of exploded since Brian Wood’s incredible NORTHLANDERS series began.

The
hook on VIKING is that it’s the story of organized crime in the Viking
era, and takes the concepts and ideas of classic mafia flicks, and crime
noir stories and applies them to the world of Vikings. It focuses on
two main characters, Egil and Finn, two of the most despicable, depraved
Vikings of their time, who kill purely for profit. The story begins
with them killing a group of Vikings led by a man named Knut, and
stealing their cache of weapons for their own purposes, leaving one man
alive to re-tell the story (think Natural Born Killers). From there the
story takes us into extremely violent territory, with a very surreal art
style by Nic Klein that pulls you into the story, and gives it a very
crime noir kind of vibe.

You want the ultimate blood and guts,
death and destruction, looting and pillaging Viking comic? This is it,
folks. We still have issues 1,2,3,4 all in stock, so if you haven’t yet
tried it, it’s easy enough to hop aboard.

Otherwise, I’m sure
many of you have been getting antsy for the next issue of this great
series, which admittedly, has taken a while to hit the stands. Here’s
hoping it’s worth the wait!

CAPCOM’S CLASSIC FIGHTING GAME DARKSTALKERS GETS THE COMIC
BOOK TREATMENT THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE COURTESY OF UDON IN DARKSTALKERS: THE NIGHT WARRIORS #1!

One of my all-time favorite fighting games
is getting the comic book treatment this week, and I couldn’t be more
stoked. Darkstalkers was a 2D fighting game in the vein of Street
Fighter II, that Capcom put out back in the ’90s. It was essentially
Street Fighter with a crazy cast of horror-and-monster-movie themed
characters. What made the game so freakin’ cool was the colorful
characters, the creative way their special moves were used, and even the
backstories that weaved them all together.

Now, UDON has made a
name for themselves in the last few years for putting out a very high
quality series of STREET FIGHTER comics, tribute books (including a
pretty rad Darkstalkers tribute book), and more. They also have done
work for many Capcom games, including Street Fighter IV and Tatsunoko
vs. Capcom. So, they definitely have the cred to make a Darkstalkers
comic work.

And, when it comes to comics based off the Capcom
properties, we’re not looking for the deepest storyline, but what is
important is the action and the art, and from what we’ve seen of this
new Darkstalkers series… it’s colorful, it’s big, and it’s got tons of
your favorite Darkstalkers characters beating the snot out of each
other in that UDON artstyle you know and love.

Click here to check out a preview of DARKSTALKERS: NIGHT WARRIORS #1

FANTASTIC FOUR #576 CONTINUES THE PRIME ELEMENTS
STORY ARC THAT BEGAN IN FANTASTIC FOUR #575! PLUS, FANTASTIC FOUR #575
*PRIME ELEMENTS PT 1* BACK IN STOCK! – IS THIS THE FUTURE OF GALACTUS?

Dude, Jonathan Hickman’s run on FANTASTIC FOUR has been
fantastic since the very first issue of his run (issue #570). He’s
bringing a bigger than life cosmic feel to Marvel’s classic superhero
family, while infusing a fresh, and exciting take on the characters.
Hickman has really hit his stride though with the first part of his
PRIME ELEMENTS story arc which gives us that iconic image above of
GALACTUS’S corpse.

What is the deal with the PRIME ELEMENTS
story arc? In preparation for Marvel’s new HEROIC AGE direction, Hickman
is reminding us of what the FANTASTIC FOUR are really about: They’re
the True Explorers of the Marvel Universe, and Hickman is taking them to
all sorts of new, and exciting locales throughout the Marvel Universe.
He’s also using this as a way to re-introduce many of the FF’s classic
villains. In the first part of the PRIME ELEMENTS arc, Hickman took the
FF face to face with their classic foe the Moleman, who brings news of
an ancient city once ruled by the High Evolutionary. Now, the city’s
abandoned, and some of the Moleman’s Moloids have holed up there.. and
what happens when you devolve a moloid? You get a regular ol’ human
being!

You can definitely feel the sense of Stan Lee and Jack
Kirby sci-fi weirdness, and sense of wonder that surrounds this
storyline that Hickman and Eaglesham have been laying out. And, is it
action-packed? Oh, you can definitely bet it is.

This week, in
FANTASTIC FOUR #576, it looks like the FF is going down to the bottom of
the world to Atlantis, in PRIME ELEMENTS PT 2: THE OLD KINGS OF
ATLANTIS!

Click here for a preview of FANTASTIC FOUR #576 *PRIME ELEMENTS PT 2*

X-MEN SECOND COMING FREEBIE AVAILABLE
THIS WEEK AT THIRD EYE! GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT MARVEL’S FINAL CHAPTER IN
WHAT MESSIAH COMPLEX BEGAN!

We want to like the X-MEN, this is a fact. It’s just
something that resides in nearly every comic fans DNA. Whether we know
it or not, nearly all of us have felt the constant presence of Marvel’s
famous mutants in our lives. Growing up in the late ’80s, and early
’90s, it was impossible to escape the X-MEN. I remember getting up every
Saturday, sitting through the torture of crappy cartoons, and waiting
for the FOX KIDS! X-Men cartoon to come on. I remember snagging up
figures of characters I’d never heard of.. because they were X-MEN
characters. I mean, what 9 year old knows the difference between Gideon
and that Marauder with the tank body. Well, aside from the obvious lack
of tank-body that Gideon had. The fact though is when something is as
incredibly popular as X-MEN is, there’s going to be a virtual onslaught
of stories coming out that spring from the X-Lore. And, the rule of
averages says that not all of them are going to be good.

Well,
one of the most recent that really stands out as quality stuff was
MESSIAH COMPLEX, and the subsequent MESSIAH WAR, following the discovery
of the first mutant born since HOUSE OF M, and now venturing into the
territory of her being brought to our time.

This spring and
summer, the finale to what began in MESSIAH COMPLEX begins in the pages
of X-MEN: SECOND COMING, and honestly, it has to be the Return of Jean
Grey.. I mean, the clues are obvious. But, what’s the hook? That’s where
I’m curious to.

Anyways, this Wednesday, you can snag up a FREE
copy of the X-MEN SECOND COMING preview book one-shot that has some
pages of story, sketches, and more to give you an idea of what SECOND
COMING is all about. So, make sure to pop in this week, and grab your’s
while supplies last!

Click here to check out our X-MEN: SECOND COMING Checklist!
Get the freebie
this week at Third Eye!

STAFF PICKS

Steve – JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 = Grant
Morrison’s incredible venture into the realm of fantasy mixed with pure
’80s nostalgia really shines in the second issue here. It’s got a very
epic “Lord of the Rings” kind of feel to it, and really kicked in the
action that was lacking in the first issue. Highly recommended!

Trish – PUNISHER #14 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 4*
= I am loving this storyline! This new issue has Dan Brereton (the
Noctrunals artist) which is totally wicked! You finally find out what
the floating head guy in the crazy armor’s beef with the monsters is….
which is so mean.

Torma – DARK
AVENGERS #14 *SIEGE*= The true nature of THE SENTRY gets
explored some more in this issue, and it continues the kick-ass feel
that last month’s issue delivered. A SIEGE must-read.

Matt – INCORRUPTIBLE #3 = Mark Waid’s
building a really cool universe with Incorruptible and Irredeemable, and
this third issue in the series steps things up big time.

THIRD EYE CHECKLIST: X-MEN SECOND COMING – BEGINNING IN MARCH 2010

thirdeye — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:16:55 +0000

THIRD EYE OFFICIAL CHECKLIST

X-MEN: SECOND COMING

BEGINNING MARCH 2010!

We want to like the X-MEN, this is a fact. It’s just something that resides in nearly every comic fans DNA. Whether we know it or not, nearly all of us have felt the constant presence of Marvel’s famous mutants in our lives. Growing up in the late ’80s, and early ’90s, it was impossible to escape the X-MEN. I remember getting up every Saturday, sitting through the torture of crappy cartoons, and waiting for the FOX KIDS! X-Men cartoon to come on. I remember snagging up figures of characters I’d never heard of.. because they were X-MEN characters. I mean, what 9 year old knows the difference between Gideon and that Marauder with the tank body. Well, aside from the obvious lack of tank-body that Gideon had. The fact though is when something is as incredibly popular as X-MEN is, there’s going to be a virtual onslaught of stories coming out that spring from the X-Lore. And, the rule of averages says that not all of them are going to be good.

Well, one of the most recent that really stands out as quality stuff was MESSIAH COMPLEX, and the subsequent MESSIAH WAR, following the discovery of the first mutant born since HOUSE OF M, and now venturing into the territory of her being brought to our time.

This spring and summer, the finale to what began in MESSIAH COMPLEX begins in the pages of X-MEN: SECOND COMING, and honestly, it has to be the Return of Jean Grey.. I mean, the clues are obvious. But, what’s the hook? That’s where I’m curious to.

Without further adieu, here’s the official THIRD EYE CHECKLIST for X-MEN: SECOND COMING!

MARCH

CHAPTER 1

X-MEN SECOND COMING #1

APRIL

CHAPTER 2

UNCANNY X-MEN #523

CHAPTER 3

NEW MUTANTS #12

CHAPTER 4

X-MEN LEGACY #235

CHAPTER 5

X-FORCE #26

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: X-FACTOR #204

MAY

CHAPTER 6

UNCANNY X-MEN #524

CHAPTER 7

NEW MUTANTS #13

CHAPTER 8

X-MEN LEGACY #236

CHAPTER 9

X-FORE #27

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: X-FACTOR #205

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: HELLBOUND #1

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: CLASSIFIED

JUNE

CHAPTER 10

UNCANNY X-MEN #525

CHAPTER 11

NEW MUTANTS #14

CHAPTER 12

X-MEN LEGACY #237

CHAPTER 13

X-FORCE #28

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: X-FACTOR #206

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: HELLBOUND #2

JULY

CHAPTER 14

X-MEN SECOND COMING FINALE

X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: HELLBOUND #3

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 2/24/10

thirdeye — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:31:50 +0000

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 2/24/10

28 DAYS LATER #7
28 DAYS LATER #7 VARIANT COVER
45 (FORTY FIVE) GN
AIRFIGHTERS #1
ALMOST SILENT HC
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #622 *THE GAUNTLET PT 10*
ARCHIE #606
ART OF HACK/SLASH SC v.1
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #31 *SIEGE* 2ND PRINT
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #33 *SIEGE*
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #33 DEADPOOL VARIANT
AVENGERS KORVAC SAGA PREMIERE HC
ALIENS VS PREDATOR WORLD WAR THREE #2
BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 *BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 3* THIRD EYE MUST BUY
BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 VARIANT
BATMAN CHRONICLES TP v.9
BATMAN KING TUTS TOMB TP
BEN TEN ALIEN FORCE DOOM DIMENSION GN v.1
BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #13
BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 VARIANT
BLACK TERROR #8
BLACKEST NIGHT #7 *BLACKEST NIGHT – THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
BLACKEST NIGHT #7 VARIANT
BLACKEST NIGHT #7 SKETCH VARIANT
BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #3 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #3 VARIANT
BROKEN RINITY PANDORAS BOX #1
BUCK ROGERS #9
CAPTAIN AMERICA THEATER OF WAR HC
CAPTAIN SWING #1 *NEW ELLIS SERIES!* THIRD EYE MUST BUY
CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST BATTLE #3
CLASSIC GI JOE TP v.7
COMIC BUYERS GUIDE #1664
COWBOY NINJA VIKING #4
CRAZIES PART 1 HOPMAN BOG
CRAZIES PART 2 DWYER CREEK
CRAZIES PART 3 BLACK POND
CRAZIES PART 4 OGDEN MARSH
DAREDEVIL LONE STRANGER TP
DARK AVENGERS #13 SIEGE *2ND PRINT*
DARK TOWER BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL #4
DARK WOLVERINE #82 *SIEGE* 2ND PRINT
DARK WOLVERINE #83 *SIEGE*
DARK WOLVERINE #83 DEADPOOL VARIANT
DARKSTALKERS NIGHT WARRIORS #1
DEADPOOL #20 *WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN PT 2*
DEADPOOL & CABLE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP BOOK 01
DEATHLOK #4
DODGEM LOGIC MAGAZINE #1 *ALAN MOORE’S NEW MAGAZINE! COMICS, MUSIC, OCCULTISM, AND MORE!*
DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #351
DR WHO MAGAZINE #418
ENDERS GAME MAZER IN PRISON SPECIAL
FALL OF THE HULKS RED HULK #2 *FALL OF THE HULKS*
FANTASTIC FOUR #576
FANTASTIC FOUR #576 DEADPOOL VARIANT
FANTASTIC FOUR BY JONATHAN HICKMAN PREMIERE HC V.1
FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH RUN TP
FLASH REBIRTH #6
FLASH REBIRTH #6 VARIANT
GI JOE OPERATION HISS #1
GI JOE OPERATION HISS #1 VARIANT
GOLD DIGGER #115
GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #9
GRAVEL #17
HALO BLOODLINE #3
HITMAN TP v.2 10000 BULLETS
IMAGE UNITED #0 *IMAGE UNITED INTERLUDE!*
IMMORTAL WEAPONS TP
INCREDIBLE HERCULES HC SACRED INVASION
INCREDIBLE HULK PREMIERE HC v.1 SON OF BANNER
INDIANA JONES FURTHER ADVENTURES OMNIBUS TP v.3
IRON MAN I AM IRON MAN #2
IRON MAN vs WHIPLASH #4
IRREDEEMABLE #11
IRREDEEMABLE #11 VARIANT
JET SCOTT HC
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #36
JUXTAPOZ v.17 #3 MARCH 2010
KING CITY #5
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #159
KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE TP v.10
LEAST I COULD DO BEGINNINGS HC v.1 LOOK AT ME
LUKE CAGE NOIR PREMIERE HC
MADAME XANADU #20
MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN SPIDER-MAN TP DIGEST
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #60
MARVEL PREVIEWS #79
MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #4
MARVELS PROJECT #6
MARVELS PROJECT #6 MCNIVEN VARIANT
MARVELS PROJECT #6 PAREL VARIANT
MEGAMAN MEGAMIX GN v.1
MARVEL MASTERWORKS CAPTAIN AMERICA TP v.1
MODELS INC TP
MS MARVEL #50
MS MARVEL #50 RENAUD VARIANT
MUPPET KING ARTHUR #2
NATION X #3
NEW AVENGERS #62 *SIEGE*
NORTHLANDERS #25
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF MARVEL UNIVERSE A-Z UPDATE #1
OFFICIAL INDEX TO MARVEL UNIVERSE #14
PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #139
POPGUN v.4
PREVIEWS #258 MARCH 2010
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS CHAPTER TWO #7
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS CHAPTER TWO TP v.1
PVP #44
REALM OF KINGS INHUMANS #4
ROBOCOP #2
SCALPED #35
SECRET WARRIORS #13
SECRET WARRIORS #13 DEADPOOL VARIANT
SONG OF SAYA #1
SOULFIRE NEW WORLD ORDER #5
SOULFIRE VOLUME TWO #2
SPIDER-MAN ANTI-VENOM TP
SPIDER-MAN CLONE SAGA #6
SPLENDID MAGIC OF PENNY ARCADE 11.5 ANNIVERSARY EDITION HC
STAR TREK MOVIE ADAPTATION #1
STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION GHOSTS #4
STAR WARS LEGACY #45
SUPERMAN #697
TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #37
TALES OF THE DRAGON GUARD #1
TALES OF TMNT #67
TARZAN THE JESSE MARSH YEARS HC v.5
TEEN TITANS #80
THOR #607 *SIEGE – BIG ISSUE!* THIRD EYE MUST BUY
THOR #607 DEADPOOL VARIANT
THUNDERBOLTS #141 *SIEGE*
TRANSFORMERS ONGOING SERIES #4
TRANSFORMERS ONGOING #4 VARIANT
ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #2
ULTIMATE COMICS IRON MAN ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP
UNKNOWN SOLDIER #17
USAGI YOJIMBO #126
VICTORIAN UNDEAD #4
VIKING #5
WALKING DEAD #70
WALL-E #3
WALT DISNEYS VALENTINES CLASSICS HC v.1
WE WILL BURY YOU #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL!*
WE WILL BURY YOU #1 TEMPLESMITH VARIANT
THE WEB #6
WEIRD WORLD OF JACK STAFF #1
WEREWOLVES ON THE MOON VERUS VAMPIRES TP v.1
WILDCATS #20
WIZARD MAGAZINE #223
WONDER WOMAN #41
X-FACTOR #202
X-FORCE #24 *NECROSHA*
X-MEN FOREVER #18
X-MEN LEGACY #233 *NECROSHA*
X-MEN LEGACY 233 DEADPOOL VARIANT
X-MEN PREPARE FOR SECOND COMING ONE-SHOT *FREE THIS EEK AT THIRD EYE!!!*

The Third Eye Subscription Service

Can’t make it to the store every week, or always losing track of what series you’re following? Join our Third Eye Subscription Service, and have all your favorite titles reserved for you each and every week! It’s free to join, and the only requirement is that you come in at least once a month to pick up your books! You can even manage your subscriptions right from the comfort of your own home via our website!

Interested? Shoot us an email at thirdeyecomics@gmail.com, and we’ll tell you how to get started!

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 2/17/10

thirdeye — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:37:02 +0000

KICK-ASS HARDCOVER by MARK MILLAR (OLD MAN LOGAN) & JOHN ROMITA JR ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY! THE MUST-READ SERIES OF THE LAST TWO YEARS! READ IT BEFORE YOU SEE THE MOVIE!

YOU. MUST. READ. KICK. ASS!!! One of the most widely anticipated releases hitting the Third Eye racks this Wednesday is the KICK-ASS hardcover. Why? Cause this whole series friggin’ smoked from start to finish. It took a while to finish, but heck, that ending was worth it. Millar was in true form here, delivering some vile yet humorous dialogue, some horribly gory action, and some of the most clever comics storywriting we’ve seen. And, who can forget John Romita JR’s part in all this? His skill as a storyteller shined through here so well, that you got lost in every issue of KICK-ASS you read. Every broken bone, every knife in the gut, every bullet in the face… he makes the violence hammer you over the head, in a quick, machine-gun fire burst.

And, soon, in just a matter of months, you will be able to see KICK-ASS on the big screen, as this film went straight from the pages of the comic to the movie theater. So, now, before we just keep rambling on and on about why we think this series is so damn good, lets tell you WHAT it’s about, and WHY it’s good.

WHAT IS KICK-ASS? KICK-ASS is a story about a teenage comic book fan named Dave Lizewski. Disenfranchised with his everyday ordinary life, Dave decides to take his love of comic books to the next level, and embark on becoming a vigilante. And, from there, everything goes horribly wrong. Right from the start, he purchases a wetsuit from eBay, to fashion into his costume. His first night out, he tries to stop some teenagers from spraypainting a wall, and ends up getting brutally beat and hospitalized. Broken ribs, broken collar bone, he’s a mess.

Six months to a year later, and Dave is out of the hospital. He swears he’s done with the superhero game, and burns all of his comics, tossing out all of his “secret plans”, and more. And, then, weeks later, he feels that itch.. to go out, and try again. And, this time, things work out where he ends up an internet viral sensation known as KICK-ASS.

And from there, the story begins, carrying us into a world where REAL people disenfranchised with the way things are, have decided to put on costumes, and try to change it. The thing that makes this interesting though is most of the people acting as superheroes are psychologically damaged in some way. Whether it be the relationship between Hit-Girl and Big Daddy (which you learn more about in the later issues of the series), or the motivation of the Red Mist… it’s a world of people desperately trying to escape their day-to-day through the guise of “fighting the good fight.” Of course, a real, flesh and blood gangster gets involved in the picture, and that’s when the world of superhero role-play quickly turns into a bloody war across the city streets.

WHY WE LOVE KICK-ASS? The series is sharp as hell. The characterization of everyone from the main character, Dave Lizewski, to the psychotic Hit-Girl, is dead on. Each character’s dialogue is so believable for them, and their background, that it really helps to pull you into the story. And, the pacing, the pacing is perfect. The story never feels like it’s dragging, but at the same time, you’re given brief moments where the backgrounds of these characters you may have just met are explored and fleshed out.

And, of course, the pop culture references and the insane amount of violence. What can we say, folks? We love our ultraviolence here at Third Eye, and KICK-ASS has it every which way. Plus, being the big pop culturally obsessed kinda folks we are, Millar’s use of comic book and T.V references in the dialogue, and even some of the storytelling of the book is most appreciated.

At it’s heart, KICK-ASS is a modern-day everyman superhero story, that serves as a nice 21st Century spiritual successor to the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-man stuff. I know, I know, you’re like “Steve, how the hell do you connect those two?” Well, to me, both are stories about guys who do find themselves wielding a responsibility, even though it gets them their asses handed to them. And, both also tend to put on that suit just as much for the self-gratifying escapist need, as they do the need to “do the right thing.” Both are characters that could be anybody, and are written that way too.

I HEARD THERE’S A KICK-ASS MOVIE? Ontop of all of the above mentioned factoids, there is a KICK-ASS movie hitting this Spring, and it looks… well, KICK-ASS. The trailers for it look INSANE. And, Nick Cage actually looks like he’s got a good role for him, for once! At first we were skeptical about how the book would translate to film, but, after seeing the red-band trailer… we’re convinced it’s going to rock.

OKAY, OKAY.. I WANT IT! We’ll have plenty of the hardcover in stock this Wednesday, packs the eight issue series into one giant slab of awesomeness for only $24.99. This one is going to be a popular one this week, so if you’re really set on getting one, make sure you get in here this week, or drop us a line about holding you a copy.

Click here to read more about KICK-ASS on the KICK-ASS wiki page.

Click here to see a trailer for the KICK-ASS movie.

BLACKEST NIGHT: GREEN LANTERN #51 & GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45 DELIVER A DOUBLE-DOSE OF BLACKEST NIGHT AWESOMENESS THIS WEDNESDAY!

It’s funny, but the quality and importance of the GREEN LANTERN title in the big scheme of BLACKEST NIGHT has become so important that I look forward to it almost as much as I do the core BLACKEST NIGHT series. Each issue of GREEN LANTERN fills in the gaps between BLACKEST NIGHT issues very nicely, and nothing proved that more than GREEN LANTERN #50 from a few weeks ago. If you’re only reading the core BLACKEST NIGHT title, and skipping GREEN LANTERN, you’re seriously missing out on a lot of cool stuff that Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke have been expanding on in the core series.

Anyways, last month’s issue of GL, issue #50 (still in stock here at Third Eye, in case you missed it!) picked up directly after the last page of BLACKEST NIGHT #6, with the deputized Lanterns throwing a beat-down on the Black Lantern. And, not only did we get to see Orange Lantern Luthor, Yellow Lantern Scarecrow, Star Sapphire Wonder Woman, and more, go to town, but we also got to witness the likes of Sinestro, Atrocitus, St. Walker, and more prepare to go to battle with the Black Lantern Spectre.

Of course, the Spectre being the embodiment of God’s wrath, and all that made things a little tough… and that’s where things really got interesting, with Hal Jordan re-inventing the Parallax entity back into his being, to reunite to take down the Spectre.

And, now, here we are GREEN LANTERN #51, and the question everyone has on the top of their mind is: How will they take down the Spectre, but more importantly, what’s going to happen to Hal and this Parallax thing when all is said and done? I guess this is what we’ll find out this week in GREEN LANTERN #51.

Meanwhile in the pages of GREEN LANTERN CORPS, we’ve been seeing Guy Gardner as a RED LANTERN. And, what former Green Lantern would be more fitting to represent the Rage than the infamous hothead, Guy Gardner. Ever since the finale of GREEN LANTERN CORPS #42, Guy has officially flipped his lid. And, c’mon… the Red Lanterns are just plain cool. From the looks of the cover for this week’s GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45, it looks like Guy is going to be going head to head with his former comrades in the Green Lantern Corp as they try to bring him back from the dark side of the Red Lanterns.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH #3WRAPS UP GEOFF JOHN’S AWESOME INCLUSION OF THE FLASH AND HIS ROGUES INTO BLACKEST NIGHT!

If there’s one character besides Green Lantern that you can tell Geoff Johns (Blackest Night mastermind) was born to write it’s The Flash. In fact, before Johns relaunched the world of Green Lantern and brought it back to the top of everyone’s mind, he was belting out some killer Flash yarns on the regular ongoing series. It’s actually kind of funny, because in the late ’90s, The Flash had kind of registered on my radar as being a book that always tended to have a very strong creative team onboard, from Mark Waid’s run (which got me into the Flash) to those killer Morrison/Millar issues, but it was Geoff Johns who really helped me appreciate, understand, and feel a connection to the Flash, his supporting cast, and his villains.

And, this is why I feel that the Blackest Night Flash has shined as one of the better Blackest Night-related limited series. Johns has a real love for the character, and you can really feel how he manages to connect both FLASH: REBIRTH and BLACKEST NIGHT to the world of Flash. Johns is doing a fantastic job of tying the events of BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH with FLASH REBIRTH, in regards to Reverse Flash, and of course, his Black Lantern counterpart.

But, the best thing about the Blackest Night Flash so far has been the return of Johns’s focus on the Flash Rogues. These characters have always been some of my favorite in his Flash works, and they are really shining in this limited series. It’s pretty awesome to see Captain Cold and crew taking down the Black Lantern Rogues, not only because the Black Lantern Rogues are out to get them, but because they feel a responsibility to put them to rest.

Scott Kolins, who has worked with Johns before on some of his earlier Flash stuff, in addition to last year’s FINAL CRISIS ROGUES REVENGE, brings his trademark, hyper-kinetic artstyle to the book, and that just compliments the high energy tone of this mini.

Folks, if you’re a Flash fan, or just plain ol’ digging Blackest Night, and you’ve yet to try BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH, I can’t recommend it enough. We currently have plenty of issues 1, and 2 in stock, and issue #3 will be in this week.

From the looks of BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH #3, we’re going to possibly see some Nekron action going on here. And, I wonder if this will maybe touch on Barry’s transformation into a deputy BLUE LANTERN.

Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH #3

BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 3 ACTION FIGURES THIS WEDNESDAY! YOU KNOW YOU WANT YOUR LARFLEEZE! MINEMINEMINE

This Wednesday, the next fearsome foursome of Blackest Night action figures arrive from DC DIRECT! So far, we’ve been so impressed with the quality of the sculpts on the Blackest Night stuff, and this next wave looks just as killer as the previous two. This week, we’ve got LARFLEEZE, THE ORANGE LANTERN! BLACK LANTERN AQUAMAN! STAR SAPPHIRE! and ARISIA!

If you’re stoked on these, and want us to reserve you any of them, then feel free to drop us a line!

DARK AVENGERS #14 – THE SIEGE CONTINUES AS NORMAN OSBORN NEGOTIATES WITH THE SENTRY’S DARK SIDE!

Okay, Marvel has really knocked things up quite a few notches with their SIEGE event. So far, this has probably been the best event that they have done since CIVIL WAR, and is definitely living up to the hype they’ve given it. Surprisingly, the tie-in issues have all been very solid so far, but the best of the bunch thus far, was DARK AVENGERS #13 which revealed the origins and true nature of the Sentry.

Now, the Sentry has always been a character I’ve really disliked. I just couldn’t get into him, or the concept of his backstory. The REAL origin that they revealed in DARK AVENGERS #13 completely changed my opinion of the Sentry, and I feel that he has truly found his place now in the Marvel Universe as a top tier heavy-hitting bad guy.

Continuing the story of the Dark Avengers in regards to SIEGE, DARK AVENGERS #14 arrives this week and picks up right where DARK AVENGERS #14 left off. The way that it reads, it looks like it takes place directly before SIEGE #2, and it really is a good follow-up issue to the strong origin issue of the Sentry. I don’t want to give too much away, but this issue explores the Sentry’s new embracing of his dark side, and his complete submission to the Void side of his personality. And, of course, how Osborn deals with it. We also see how Osborn is slowly losing his own grip on his sanity, and is put into check by Victoria Hand.

Without giving away too much, this sets up what you already saw in regards to the Sentry’s actions in SIEGE #2, perfectly. It’s a very action-packed issue, that has some very cool character growth for Osborn, as well as an interesting look at what The Sentry’s goal is now that he has embraced his dark side.

Click here for a preview of DARK AVENGERS #14

Click here for the official Third Eye SIEGE Checklist

THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: DEVIL #1 – LEGENDARY ANIME/MANGA STUDIO MADHOUSE (TRIGUN, NINJA SCROLL, ect) DELIVER THEIR FIRST AMERICAN-STYLE COMIC WORK! SCI-FI VAMPIRE CRAZINESS!

Here’s one that caught my eye while doing the Previews orders last month. DEVIL is a brand new Dark Horse limited series where the powerhouse anime/manga studio behind NINJA SCROLL, and TRIGUN, are bringing their incredible and unique artwork to the world of American comics. Please note, this is not a manga, but a Western-style comic being illustrated by some of the most talented animators and artists from Japan. Of course, the killer artwork is what got my eye, but, then I read about the concept of the story, and this one sounds pretty damn killer. Let me tell you some more about it.

A virus has been unleashed on the planet, and is spreading quickly. It turns ordinary people into superhumans with a thirst for blood called “Devils”, while most of them “burn out” and die within days, or weeks, there’s a new strain that allows the “Devils” to survive. And, this poses as a threat to mankind, with them being replaced on the food chain by this new predatory breed of human.

The only ones left to stand in the way of humanity going the way of the dinosaur are a couple of detectives from the Tokyo Police department.

From what I’ve seen in preview pages, this one has some gorgeous art, and looks like a very cool cyber-punk-esque horror tale.

Click here to read a preview of DEVIL #1

INCORRUPTIBLE #3 - BOOMS! RED HOT IRREDEEMABLE SPIN OFF CONTINUES TO ASK THE QUESTION: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BAD GUY GOES GOOD?

One of the best new ones to come out here in 2010 has been Mark Waid’s companion book to IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE. What’s awesome about this is that whether you’re reading IRREDEEMABLE or not, the book is still accessible, and easy to follow, so you really need no prior knowledge of the world of the Plutonian (Irredeemable) to enjoy it.

However, if you are reading Irredeemable, then you’re like me, and REALLY digging INCORRUPTIBLE. The world that Waid is building here is so compelling, and is turning into one of the best superhero universes I’ve seen. This story runs parallel to the events of IRREDEEMABLE, where one of The Plutonian’s arch-enemies, in the wake of the Plutonian’s turk to the dark side, has had a revelation that he needs to step up, and change his path of criminal behavior. Basically, it’s the flip side of IRREDEEMABLE.. what happens when the bad guy goes good?

And, so far, two issues in, it’s been great. Just as interesting, and compelling as Irredeemable, if not moreso. The characterization of the main character, Max Danger (formerly Max Damage) is dead on, and the somewhat creepy former relationship to his sidekick is slightly disturbing. The motivation of Max is very cool, and the way Waid is writing him so that he’s applying the same kind of thinking he’s lived with his entire life, but applying it to the flip side of what he’s always done.

It’s really an interesting take on the world of superheroes, and one that hasn’t been explored fully before. We’ve seen the hero fall, but it’s rare that we see the path to redemption being traveled by the bad guy. And, Max Danger was a very, very bad man, as we find out through glimpses at his past in Incorruptible.

Both IRREDEEMABLE, and INCORRUPTIBLE practically hum with fresh, post-modern superhero energy that manages to take the standard foundations of classic superhero storytelling and infuse it with a fresh breath of air.

We currently have both INCORRUPTIBLE #1, and #2 well-stocked here at Third Eye, in case you haven’t hopped onto the series yet, so if you need to catch up, we got you covered.

Click here for a preview of INCORRUPTIBLE #3

WHAT IS IRREDEEMABLE? You’re probably wondering after seeing the references to IRREDEEMABLE above just what the heck IRREDEEMABLE is. Well, for those of you who haven’t yet stepped foot into the exciting new superhero universe Waid’s been building, here’s the rundown.

Irredeemable is the story of the Plutonian, who is basically the equivalent of Superman in this world. Essentially, it’s WHAT IF SUPERMAN WENT EVIL? The series kicks off with the Plutonian hunting down and murdering his former team-mates (Imagine Superman systematically exterminating members of the Justice League, and their family one-by-one, and that’s pretty much the feel here), and the first story arc culminates in the Plutonian sinking Singapore just to prove a point! Much like INCORRUPTIBLE, the characterization of the Plutonian and his supporting cast is fascinating, and we learn more and more about the why of him snapping and turning to the dark side through well-placed flashbacks to past events. We see a man who has saved the world time and time again, and we see the times where he’s been taken for granted, betrayed, and otherwise crapped on by a world that he’s made vows to protect. All of these things culminate in one major event that finally sends him over the edge, and when you get to that point, it’s one of the best reveals in comics, in recent memory.

Want to check out IRREDEEMABLE? For only $9.99, you can grab the first trade paperback collecting issues 1-4, and then either hop on with issue #5 (which is only $.99 cents), or go straight to the second trade that collects issues 5-8. The series itself is currently at issue #10.

DOOMWAR #1 – DR. DOOM IS MORE POWERFUL THAN HE’S EVER BEEN BEFORE, AND OUT FOR BLOOD! AND HE’S GOING HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE BLACK PANTHER, THE UNCANNY X-MEN, and THE FANTASTIC FOUR.. PLUS… DEADPOOL’S THERE TOO?

Who doesn’t love Dr. Doom? One of the best Marvel villains of all-time, and over the course of the last couple of years, they’ve really re-established Doom as a major force in the Marvel Universe, as he should be. And, now, in DOOMWAR, a limited series beginning this week, we see the good Doctor getting the title billing he deserves.

See, for the last few years, Doom has been slowly plotting and manipulating events and people in the Marvel Universe. In the pages of books like Black Panther, we’ve seen Doom launch vicious sneak attacks against T’Challa, and manipulate key events so that the support of Wakanda would lean towards Doom. With Storm being held prisoner, T’Challa has decided the time is right to strike back at Doom, and get his revenge. Now, T’Challa has called in the aide of the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four to wage war against Doom and his forces. T’Challa has also paid for the services of one of the most unpredictable and dangerous men in the Marvel Universe: DEADPOOL.

Why Are We Stoked About It? It’s going to be a five-issue over-the-top brawl from start to finish, featuring one of our favorite Marvel baddies, Dr. Doom. It’s also got a roster of characters involved that is pretty impressive, with Black Panther, the X-Men, the FF, and Deadpool all being thrown into the mix. Also, from the preview pages we’ve seen, Scott Eaton’s art is seriously on point, and this one looks like a fantastic event where one of our favorite villains gets to shine.

Click here to read an interview with the creative team on DOOMWAR about the series

WARREN ELLIS’S IGNITION CITY ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY IN TRADE PAPERBACK! GRITTY STEAMPUNK AWESOMENESS! DEADWOOD MEETS BUCK ROGERS MAYHEM!

Available in trade paperback this Wednesday, we’ve got one of Ellis’s coolest stories in ages. Ignition City was one of the best things we read last year, and we know that a lot of you guys have been waiting to scoop this one up when it hit trade, and now it’s finally here!

Ignition City delivered a great, pulpy steampunk/retropunk tale that Ellis has gone on record as describing as “Deadwood meets Buck Rogers”. Essentially, it’s a story set in a steampunk alternate history where World War II was interrupted by a Martian invasion. As a result, space travel became the norm, and the age of space heroes was born. Of course, in the wake of World War II’s ending, things have changed drastically. The world is now one where spaceships belch smoke, and it’s not uncommon to see a quickdraw raygun shoot-out in some dusty tavern.

The story itself focuses on a former space pilot, Mary Raven, as she ventures to Ignition City to recover her dead father’s possessions. Once she’s there, she discovers the true nature of Ignition City, a dead island on the equator, where lawlessness runs rampant, and space heroes go to die. She finds that her father was murdered, and begins her quest to find out who did the deed in this World of Tomorrow rotting out from the inside. On Ignition City, broken down men who were once swashbuckling science heroes pass out drunk in the shells of their former ships. On Ignition City, rayguns burn holes in the torsos of card cheats. On Ignition City, the ugly face of the World of Science is revealed.

This, my friends, was a fantastic read, and we can’t recommend it enough.

Check it out this Wednesday here at Third Eye!

FALL OF THE HULKS CONTINUES THIS WEEK INHULK #20 and INCREDIBLE HULK #607! RED HULK vs. THE X-MEN! RED SHE-HULK vs. THE AVENGERS!

The monster epic FALL OF THE HULKS has been a big hit here at Third Eye, as it barrels forward to a conclusion that should reveal many things, including the identity of The Red Hulk and Red She-Hulk! So far, I’ve been really enjoying the FALL OF THE HULKS storyline. It’s got everything that I’ve loved about the current direction of the HULK title: big, over-the-top, beat’em up fun. larger than life Marvel characters making guest-appearances, and incredible artwork.

The concept is pretty simple: The Intelligencia, a gathering composed of Marvel’s mad scientists, old and new, ranging from obscurities like Egghead to heavyhitters like Dr. Doom, all working under the banner of The Leader, have combined their scientific know-how and demised a final solution to rid the world of all the different Hulks running around.

The storytelling has a nice edge to it, but definitely fills a niche in Marvel as having an old school late ’70s/early ’80s vibe fused with some modern day Marvel madness to keep it from feeling dated (I mean, c’mon… Red She-Hulk broke Green She-Hulk’s neck, for God’s sake!)

Coming down the pike this week, we’ve got two big FALL OF THE HULKS chapters in the pages of HULK #20, and INCREDIBLE HULK #607. In the pages of HULK #20, we get to see the Red Hulk going toe-to-toe with the X-Men, and, ontop of that, the Red Ghost and the Super Apes are up to some bad mojo regarding The Beast and Black Panther. Of course, this issue is being illustrated by the insanely talented ED MCGUINNESS. This guy is pretty much THE Hulk artist, and whenever he’s cranking out the book, you know you’re going to get BIG, because McGuinness does BIG very well.

Next up, is INCREDIBLE HULK #607, the next chapter in FALL OF THE HULKS, where it looks like we’re going to be seeing the Red She-Hulk going toe-to-toe with the Avengers (anyone noticing a theme here?). And, that’s when Banner and Son step in to save the day. Apparently, in this one, we get to see just where Banner stands, and what his true motives are now in the grand scheme of things. And, to be honest, I’m as excited about that as I am about finding out who Red Hulk is going to be. Ever since World War Hulk, I’ve been wondering just what Banner’s overall plan about things was.

Anyhow, folks, if you want some killer Marvel fun with bigger than life characters, lots of extremely brutal comic book brawls, and every Marvel character you could think of… all in gorgeous artwork by folks like Ed McGuinness and Paul Pelletier, then do yourselves a favor and check out FALL OF THE HULKS. One of the most fun mini-events we’ve been following here at Third Eye!

Click here to check out the official Third Eye FALL OF THE HULKS Checklist

JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*FOLLOWS UP THE FIRST ISSUE OF GRANT MORRISON’S KILLER NEW VERTIGO SERIES! A MUST-READ FOR FANS OF STUFF OF LEGEND! IMAGINE FIGHTING ALONGSIDE YOUR OPTIMUS PRIME AND SNAKE-EYES ACTION FIGURES! MISSED #1? STILL PLENTY IN STOCK!

Oh man, here’s one I’m so excited for it’s not even funny! Joe the Barbarian, I could tell from the first issue, is already going to become one of my favorite books. I mean, nevermind the fact that Grant Morrison is writing it, and he’s one of my favorite writers, or that Sean Murphy is showing us just how incredible his artwork can be, but dude.. it was a GOOD read. That’s what got me hooked!

This Wednesday, the second issue of Morrison’s Joe the Barbarian arrives, and picks up from the cliffhanger issue #1 left us on. If you’ve already read Joe #1, then you probably felt like I did after the first issue: AWESOME set-up, but c’mon.. lets get to it, I want more! And, this is why I can’t wait to read issue #2 this week. The first issue did a solid job of establishing the main character, and the world around him, but it wasn’t until those last three or four pages, that I was caught hook, line and sinker. For those of you who haven’t yet read JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 (and you should, it’s only a buck!), here’s a brief rundown on what the heck this book is all about!

WHAT IS JOE THE BARBARIAN? Joe the Barbarian is a 8 issue miniseries about a kid named Joe. Joe’s kind of a typical geeky kid, who hasn’t really gotten a fair shake in life. He lost his father in the Iraq War, and he’s got diabetes, not to mention the kids at school tend to give him a pretty hard time. Joe retreats to his world of drawing, and action figures, avoiding the harsh realities of his mother fighting to keep their house. He spends a lot of his time finding ways to escape the somewhat sour real world around him. The first issue, which admittedly, is a quick read that doesn’t really give you much to go on with the series other than that it’s going to be a wild, crazy trip, ends with Joe heading up to his bedroom, and waking up in a strange world surrounded by his action figures in the flesh. Characters ranging from Optimus Prime (okay, an Optimus Prime stand-in, licensing, I know, I know) to Batman to Darth Vader crowd around him, and from that point forward… we have no clue what’s going to happen next, but we know it’s going to be a wild ride.

Morrison injects his unique blend of well-paced, high concept storytelling with his knack for capturing a human feel in his dialogue and characterization. His story pops perfectly with the INCREDIBLE art of Sean Murphy, who is a real rising star newcomer, that I think is going to break out big on this book.

The story looks like it might have a feel similar to STUFF OF LEGEND (another fantastic book that we can’t recommend enough), but we feel that Morrison may have a different take on this one as he moves things forward.

All in all, JOE THE BARBARIAN is a definite Third Eye Must Buy series, and if you missed #1, pick it up for a buck here at Third Eye this week.

Click here to read what POP MATTERS has to say about JOE THE BARBARIAN

PUNISHER #14 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 4* – ONE OF THE FRESHEST, QUIRKIEST MARVEL COMICS ON THE STANDS! A PERSONAL FAVORITE, AND A MUST-READ FOR FANS OF BIZARRE, FUN COMICS!

All right, what started out as a guilty pleasure has become a full-fledged obsession here for me with FRANKENCASTLE. Dude, this is the illest, craziest comic I have read in quite some time. It’s definitely the freshest thing they’ve done with the Punisher in the 616 Marvel Universe, and while I’m trying not to get hung up on “What happens after this story ends? What’s gonna go down with the Punisher?”, I think it’s probably one of the best things I’m reading. Seriously.

First off, the artwork is fantastic. Tony Moore is the man, and he’s got such a unique, stylized technique to his art, that he just takes whatever book he’s on, and makes it into his own world. The coloring especially on this one really pops for me, and I’m pretty excited to hear we’re going to see some guest-art by a favorite legend of mine, Dan Brereton, in this week’s issue.

Secondly, Rick Remender has managed to take an idea that could’ve totally flopped, and been complete crap, and make it into something that is fresh, fun, and definitely on the trail-blazing fore-front of 21st Century Comic Awesomeness. His characterization of not just The Punisher, but the Legion of Monsters, is dead on, and has given these under-used characters more life than they’ve seen in years.

So, now you’re probably wondering why I’m so amped up on a storyline that sounds.. well, kind of goofy? Well, let me tell you about FRANKENCASTLE, and maybe you’ll get where I’m coming from on this one.

WHAT IS FRANKENCASTLE? The FRANKENCASTLE story arc takes place directly after the DARK REIGN LIST PUNISHER one-shot where Daken chopped the Punisher into pieces and dumped his remains in the sewers. His remains are then gathered by Man-Thing and the Morlocks that live below, and taken deep into the Morlock Tunnels where all of the Marvel Monsters have gone into hiding.

Why are the Marvel Monsters hiding? Well, they’re being hunted by a steampunk monster of a man in a giant clockwork suit, and an army of Cyber-Samurais. Folks. I can’t make this up. It’s too good. And, what do they want with The Punisher’s remains, you’re probably asking?

Well, they patch him together into this Frankenstein-looking monstrosity, and are hoping to receive his military strategy as an aide in saving their skins. Now, Castle, of course, is ticked they didn’t leave him dead. He’s an abomination now, and he knows it. He has to constantly keep taking these brain-glue pills to keep his synapses firing right, or else he finds himself reduced to a mindless, growling beast. As the story goes on, we see a Morlock.. in a Devo shirt.. bringing Castle his pills, and just helping him adjust to life amongst the Monsters. Castle, of course, is still not sold on his newfound existence or in helping these folks… and then the Cyborg Samurais raid the tunnels, and we see Castle cradling the body of said Morlock in his arms.. a smoking hole in his Devo shirt. And, then, from there, Castle decides it’s time to throw down.

I know it sounds weird, but this is the good kind of weird, folks. It’s got great art, great story, and probably the best take on the Legion of Monsters characters in a long time. And, they’re all here too… Morbius the Living Vampire, Werewolf by Night, the Living Mummy.. some baby Fin-Fang-Fooms.

If you want to try FRANKENCASTLE, we still have all of the chapters in stock, and you can get started by picking up PUNISHER #11 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 1*.

Click here for a preview of PUNISHER #14 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 4*

A DOUBLE-DOSE OF DEADPOOL THIS WEDNESDAY WITH DEADPOOL #19 *WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN PT 1* & DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #8..PLUS, A LADY DEADPOOL POSTER!

What’s better than ONE Deadpool book? How about TWO Deadpool books? Yup, this week we get a double-dose of the Merc With A Mouth, and hell, they even threw in a smoking cool poster of Lady Deadpool too.

First on the agenda, we’ve got DEADPOOL #19 which begins the new story arc pairing ol’ Wade Wilson with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man. Now, you know as well as I do that a dream team couldn’t be better made than these two. You’ve got two of the biggest smart-asses in the Marvel Universe coming head to head, and you know… it’s only going to end in a very horrible, horrible… yet hilarious way. We can only assume that Deadpool’s taken his whole “finding himself” thing to the streets of New York, where he figures maybe.. just maybe, he could be a good stand-in for the wallcrawler..

Click here for a preview of DEADPOOL #19 *WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN PT 1*

Next up, we’ve got the zaniest of the Deadpool titles with DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #8. Deadpool, Headpool, Betty, and Agent Bill head into the Marvel Zombieverse to get to the bottom of this whole flesh-eating superhero thing, once and for all.

Click here for a preview of DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #8

And, then, last but not least… A LADY DEADPOOL poster!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42 – JAMES ROBINSON’S KILLER NEW DIRECTION ON THE JLA CONTINUES AS DICK GRAYSON JOINS THE TEAM!

I don’t know about you guys, but I really enjoyed last month’s JLA #41, where the new direction of the JLA began, and the new team was revealed. I thought that the storytelling was sharp, and there was enough of a balance between the characters we all know and love, and then the lesser known characters that you need in the mix, to keep things interesting. I also really dug Bagely’s pencils on the book, and feel that he really shines as a team-book artist.

This week, Robinson continues his new direction for the League (which is essentially the Titans grown up, with a mix of some heavy-hitters like Green Arrow, and Green Lantern), as we find out whether or not Dick Grayson will accept the invitation to join the team (aw c’mon, we all know he’s going to). Plus, it looks like Dr. Impossible (remember the guy that Brad Meltzer made cool on his relaunch of JLA a few years back?)

All in all, the new JLA looks to be a solid team book, and we’re excited to see what the second issue of the official new direction holds.

Click here to read more about JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42

ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS: AVENTURE #1 DELIVERS… ZOMBIES ROBOT SMACKDOWN MADNESS!

What more can be said then.. Zombies vs. Robots. I mean, c’mon.. what more could you want? Seriously though, I’m intrigued by this one. I mean, imagine this… the world is now over-run by zombies, the human race is pretty much extinct, and there’s a handful of robots left fighting off the zombie hordes, and trying to restore the human race.

And, you know.. zombies do need brains, so what the heck are they going to do when they try to sink those teethers into a metal robot skull? Well, it’s not going to be pretty.

Each issue is made up of three stories that continue in each issue. The first story is Kampf, which is the big war story, set in the early days of the Zombie/Robot War, where you’ve got humans and robots fighting alongside each other to squash the zombie menace. The second story is Masques, which focuses on how scientists have tried to build this giant metal suit to go through some sort of time-travel gateway.. and of course, it fails miserably, and then some maintenance guy finds the suit and uses it to kind of half-assedly fight zombies. And, then the third of the stories in each issue is Zuvembies, which is follows a small group of survivors in Haiti, as they try to use voodoo and magic to form their own resistance against the zombies.

All in all, this one sounds like a lotta fun, and I’m pretty interested to read the first one this Wednesday and see how it is.

STAFF PICKS

Steve – Mesmo Delivery = Dude, awesome art, awesome story, violent as hell, and it’s caused me to coin a new term: Truckstop Noir. Seriously, if you took Johnny Cash’s darkest ballads, a couple of Pogues bar-room romps, Steve Ditko, Paul Pope, and Geoff Darrow and mixed them all together in a tumbler of Jack Daniels.. you’d get MESMO DELIVERY. Pick this one up, for sure!

Trish – Choker #1 = I LOOOOOOVE Ben Templesmith’s art, and this book is a perfect fit. Kind of reminds me of Ed Brubaker’s CRIMINAL meets Men in Black. Weird crime noir mixed with mutants and aliens.

Torma – NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E ULTIMATE COLLECTION= one of my favorite all-time comics. it’s like you took every obscure Marvel character and ran them through a blender with ’80s Arcade games, and Warren Ellis’s twisted brain.

Matt – Haunt #5 = Robert Kirkman continues to make this one of the best comics coming out monthly. Super bloody, but well-written all the way through.