WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 6/9/10

Posts Tagged ‘chew international flavor’

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 6/9/10

June 7th, 2010 |

BATMAN #700 *RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TIE-IN* – GRANT MORRISON PENS THIS EXTRA-SPECIAL DOUBLE-SIZED LANDMARK ISSUE WHICH PAVES THE WAY FOR BRUCE WAYNE’S RETURN! FEATURING ART BY FRANK QUITELY, TONY DANIEL, ANDY KUBERT and new DC SUPERSTAR ADDITION DAVID FINCH! THIRD EYE MUST BUY!
batman700

Okay, this one’s a biggie, and there’s no doubt that it’s going to be one of the hottest books to hit the stands this week here at Third Eye. I’m pretty stoked about this one, myself, considering how huge of a fan I’ve been of both Grant Morrison’s incredible BATMAN AND ROBIN and RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, and this special one-shot issue ties directly into everything Morrison has been doing with the Caped Crusader since day one. And, not only is this one a big deal in regards to the overall storyline of BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE and BATMAN AND ROBIN, but it’s just a plain big deal in general ’cause it’s the 700th issue of BATMAN, folks. That’s a landmark. I mean, think about it for a moment… 700 issues.. that’s about 5 long boxes of one series, dating all the way back to the 30s and 40s. It’s a historic landmark, and from the description of the solicits, Morrison plans on making this one a can’t miss, must-read.

So, what’s the scoop on the story in BATMAN #700?Well, Morrison in an interview has said that this was kind of his send-up to the grand tradition of the over-sized anniversary issue. Basically, he’s set out to pack this issue with so much content, and so much over-the-top Morrison madness, that it stands out as one of the biggest books to drop this summer. Issue #700 is a done-in-one, one-shot story that picks up on important plot threads from Morrison’s previous runs, and his current work with Return of Bruce Wayne. It also sets up more of what’s going on in regards to the Return of Bruce Wayne. It’s broken down into three parts, with three artists each doing a different Batman…. Tony Daniel doing the Batman of the past, Bruce Wayne, Frank Quitely doing Batman and Robin of the present (Dick Grayson and Damian), and Andy Kubert doing Batman of the future, which is Damian. And, then the final part, is David Finch doing the Batman of the far future. Morrison said this one is a whopper of a story, and it took him nearly two months to write this one issue, so he’s really planning on a grand celebration of the 700th issue of Batman. Not to mention, with a lot of the time-traveling stuff happening within this one, along with a coy little mention in the solicits, we know this one is going to play a part into the bigger scheme of things with the current RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE story arc.

Why This is A Must Read? Well, first off, it’s a double-sized one-shot that serves as a special treat for both those of us already following Morrison’s incredible reinvention of the Batman mythos, and for those of you who haven’t yet picked up on what’s happening with Batman. If you’ve been wanting to try Morrison’s Batman stuff, then this would be a great place to start.

Secondly, look at the roster on this one… Grant Morrison… Frank Quitely.. Tony Daniel.. Andy Kubert.. David Finch! The simple fact that these four superstar artists are together in ONE book is epic enough, but the four of them working together on a mindbender of a story like this written by the master of the craft, Morrison? It’s incredible.

Third, it’s Batman #700, and is a substantial part of comics history. A gorgeous looking issue, a great story, and this one makes a very nice addition to anyone’s collection.

So, whether you’re just jumping into the world of Grant Morrison’s surreal and dark Batman tales, or if you’ve been hooked all along, make sure you don’t miss Batman #700 this Wednesday at Third Eye!

Click here to read more about BATMAN #700!

MARK MILLAR & STEVE MCNIVEN’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEMESIS #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY CONTINUING THE CREATORS OF “OLD MAN LOGAN” and “KICK-ASS” KILLER “EVIL BATMAN” STORYLINE! THE SICKEST, MOST VIOLENT BOOK YOU’LL READ IN 2010 (that’s not CROSSED =) )

Here’s one we know you’ve all been waiting for. Heck, we’ve been as eager as you have to get our mitts on this one, and really, could you expect any less from a book touting the creative team of OLD MAN LOGAN, MARK MILLAR and STEVE MCNIVEN? I mean, these two juggernauts of comic book awesomeness delivered us probably the best Wolverine story we’ve read in 20 years last year. And, even though we had to wait between each and every issue… each and every issue was more than worth the wait.

Now, Mark Millar and Steve McNiven are delivering the goods all over again on their brand new series NEMESIS, which is on the same creator-owned ICON imprint as KICK-ASS. And, just like KICK-ASS, NEMESIS takes place in it’s own self-contained world and continuity. What’s this mean? Well, basically, Millar can do whatever the hell he wants with this one, folks!

Now, for those of you who may not already be reading NEMESIS, we feel a little introduction is in order, since it’s been a couple months since issue #1 came out.

What is NEMESIS about? At it’s core, NEMESIS is the quintessential “evil Batman” story. Basically, by that, we mean the title character, Nemesis, is a self-made man. He’s in outstanding physical shape. He’s rich as hell. He’s got a genius-level IQ. And, whereas Batman was dedicated to putting fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere… Nemesis is the reverse. He lives to terrorize society at large, in an effort to point out the vanity and flaw “in the system.” Now, we know that Nemesis’s motivations as they’re revealed in the series are going to provide some of the most compelling parts of this story, but for now, he is a pure agent of chaos. What if Batman was the Joker? He’d be NEMESIS.

In issue #1 of NEMESIS, we saw him throw the Tokyo Chief of Police under a speeding bullet train, and in full gory detail, watched as said Chief of Police was ripped to shreds under the train. We watched as Nemesis boarded Airforce One and flew it straight into the heart of Washington, D.C.

And now, in this week’s issue #2 of NEMESIS, we get to see the Chief of Police in Washington, D.C stand up to NEMESIS. But, how can he stop the brutal one-man hurricane of violence and mayhem? Well, that’s what we’re gonna find out.

I loved the first issue of this one, but like most Millar series, the first issue always feels like the 10 minutes prior to the opening credits. It’s not until you get into issue #2 and #3, that you really get the hook of what’s going to make the story cool, and that’s why I cannot wait to read NEMESIS #2 this week. I think that this series is going to rely as much on the portrayal of the D.C Chief of Police as it is the portrayal of NEMESIS, and I think what’s going to really make the book good is we’re going to see Millar building up the DC Chief of Police as a very strong character to go up against NEMESIS.

Essentially, this is Mark Millar doing BATMAN vs. Comissioner Gordon, and I think that’s pretty freakin’ cool.

Plus, it’s got McNiven doing the artwork, and dude, this guy is great. First, CIVIL WAR, then OLD MAN LOGAN, and whenever McNiven and Millar pair up, you know it’s going to be some rock solid awesomeness.

Not reading Nemesis, and wanna jump on? We’ve got plenty of NEMESIS #1 still in stock, so feel free to pick up a copy this week at Third Eye. I believe we have a very limited quantity of the first printings of the book in stock still too, and of course, ’cause it’s how we roll at Third Eye, they’re still here at cover price. :)

Click here for a preview of NEMESIS #2

JONATHAN HICKMAN’S HISTORY-ALTERINGS.H.I.E.L.D #2 SHIPS THIS WEDNESDAY SHOWING US THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE SHIELD AGENCY… LEONARDO DAVINCI=AGENT OF SHIELD, GALILEO=AGENT OF SHIELD, IMHOTEP=AGENT OF SHIELD, WHO ELSE? FIND OUT THIS WEEK! PLENTY OF ISSUE #1 IN STOCK AS WELL TO CATCH YOU UP!

Okay, this one is a biggie. Heck, one of the biggest surprise hits of 2010 so far, I’d say, and honestly, for us, folks, it was no surprise, ’cause we’ve been loving Mr. Hickman’s writing for a few years now! When we first heard rumblings of this strange and unusual idea, we knew that it would be an instant classic, and I’m happy to say it’s on it’s way to that point now. The concept is so simple, yet so damn cool, and after reading the first issue (and holy cow, dude, the artwork in it was OFF THE CHAIN), I’m so pumped to see where they take this thing next. But, before I move forward, lets talk about WHAT this awesome book is all about.

What is SHIELD all about? This series is exploring the history of the SHIELD organization in the Marvel Universe. Now you and I, we’ve always known SHIELD as the somewhat shadowy military organization that deals with the security of nearly the entire world, ESPECIALLY in the face of extra-normal threats. Now, in S.H.I.E.L.D, Jonathan Hickman (SECRET WARRIORS, NIGHTLY NEWS, PAX ROMANA) is exploring something that’s too cool.. the concept that the SHIELD agency has been around for centuries, because lets face it… Galactus, the Celestials, the Brood, all those things.. they were around two thousand years ago, and were just as big a threat then as they are now. So, who stood up to the big Purple Planet Eater when he flew into town? The world’s greatest thinkers, and leaders did… and they were the BROTHERHOOD OF THE SHIELD. Leonardo Da Vinci, Imhotep, Sir Issac Newton, Nostradamus and Galileo… plus countless others set events into motion that still affect the Marvel Universe to this day.

And, in a true feat of talent and creativity, Hickman pulls this off effortlessly. He manages to make it seem so believable that Da Vinci would strap on some crazy rocket flight suit and fly off to figure out how to get Galactus gone. And, seeing Imhotep leading an army against the Brood, with one of his lieutenants resembling the classic X-Men character, APOCALYPSE, or as he was known back then, En Sabah Nur, is pretty damn cool too.

Great writing, great artwork, SHIELD is must-read material, and this is one of those series that people will be talking about for many years to come. The first issue went to a second print quick, and we’re sure the same is going to happen again on issue #2, so make sure you snag up your copy this week, ’cause this book is super freakin’ good.

For those of you who missed issue #1, we still have some SHIELD #1 left before the 3rd printing is released, so you can catch up this week with issue #1 and issue #2 no problem.

Click here for a preview of S.H.I.E.L.D #2

BRIGHTEST DAY DOUBLE-WHAMMY THIS WEDNESDAY WITH JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #3 and TITANS #24 *BRIGHTEST DAY – VILLAINS FOR HIRE PT 2!*

So, we’ve got a nice double whammy of BRIGHTEST DAY awesomeness this week. First off, we’ve got JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #3 which has been one of the breakout hits of the new BRIGHTEST DAY books. While we’ve really dug most of the new stuff spinning out of BRIGHTEST DAY, JL: GENERATION LOST delivers something so freakin’ cool that it just pulls us in more and more with each and every issue. From Giffen and Winick’s dead on characterization, to the plot twists we’ve seen in only the first two issues, to the very grim portrayal of Maxwell Lord.. this one has been an outstanding read, and if you’re even remotely into the DCU, or what’s going on with BRIGHTEST DAY, this one is a must-read.

What is JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST? Well, one of the biggest hooks here is that it’s Keith Giffen returning to some of the most memorable Justice League characters we’ve ever seen. See, way back when, Giffen took the Justice League, and made the line-up one consisting of several B-List and C-List characters. By playing up the humor of this situation, putting them into sometimes absurd situations, and then playing them off of longtime DC stand-bys like Martian Manhunter or heavyweights like Batman, we got a pretty damn entertaining book.

Now, fast forward a few years, and a lot of Giffen’s characters from that era have been really dealt some nasty hands. Former Justice League sponsor, Maxwell Lord, completely flipped his lid, and put a bullet in Ted Kord / Blue Beetle’s brain during that whole Infinite Crisis thing. And, now, with Brightest Day, Maxwell Lord has returned from the grave, and he’s up to his dastardly old tricks.

The remaining members of the Justice League International come together, and take matters into their own hands, when they realize that heavy-weights like Superman are unable to help them the way they need help.

A very cool combination of humor, strong characterization, and a dark plot make GENERATION LOST a fantastic read so far, and we’re really pumped to see what’s going on in this week’s issue #3.

For those of you who missed out on issues #1 and #2, we’ve still got plenty in stock to catch you up.

Click here to read more about JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #2 *BRIGHTEST DAY*

And, then next up on the BRIGHTEST DAY menu we’ve got TITANS #24, which follows up that killer VILLAINS FOR HIRE one-shot from a few weeks ago. The big VILLAINS FOR HIRE arc kicks into full gear this week in TITANS #24.

In the TITANS: VILLAINS FOR HIRE one-shot, we watched as the Atom from a few years ago, Ryan Choi, was hunted down by Deathstroke and his Titans. Now, in TITANS #24, Deathstroke has set his sights and his team onto a new target… LEX LUTHOR.

Click here to read more about TITANS #24, and if you missed TITANS: VILLAINS FOR HIRE *BRIGHTEST DAY* one-shot, we still have plenty in stock to get you caught up!

AVENGERS ACADEMY #1 *HEROIC AGE* – A SURPRISINGLY AWESOME READ WITH FRESH NEW CHARACTERS, AND A KILLER PLOT TWIST.. TOMORROW’S SUPERHEROES..MAYBE NOT QUITE SO SIMPLE!

Okay, I’ve gotta admit, out of all the new Avengers books to be kicking off, this was probably the one I was the most hesitant about. I’ve gotta admit too, the reason why is kind of unfair. See, AVENGERS ACADEMY takes the place of the AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE book… and that book, well, it was pretty sucky for a good long time. In fact, it wasn’t until the last two or three issues of the series where it tied into SIEGE, and shifted focus onto Taskmaster as kind of the everyman supervillain that it was good. However, that Taskmaster story was one of the coolest, and I was pretty stoked about it.

And, even though, Christos Gage, the writer of one of the very few good AVENGERS INITIATIVE arcs, as well as the blood-drenched indie hit, ABSOLUTION, was helming this one.. I was still hesitant. But, Young Avengers proved me wrong way back when as well, and before that, Thunderbolts when it first came out surprised me as well.

And, so that leads me to this point, where I’m telling you: I read the advance of AVENGERS ACADEMY #1, and I’m not going to say that this is the most mind-blowing of the AVENGERS books, but I will say that DUDE, it was a super pleasant surprise! The plotting was great, the artwork fit perfect, and the characterization did a fantastic job of making these characters into ones I’m intrigued to read about. It’s always so tricky when doing books like this, because lets face it.. not all new characters work. In fact, some of them bomb pretty hard. And, even looking at the promo art for this series, I was kind of torn.. some of them had some very cool visuals, while others looked pretty lame… but, Gage manages to add depth and dimension to each young member of the team. Basically, the Avengers Academy consists of young superheroes who Osborn personally recruited to be the future of his Initiative… and, well, the heroes of the Marvel Universe have decided to take a special interest in these kids.

Now, while I don’t wanna give away the punch of the last couple pages… cause really, those last couple of pages deliver a nice little hook that pushes you from digging the book to loving it… I will say that it’s the perfect ending to a first issue, setting up an interesting cast of new characters with their own dilemmas, and motivations in the face of a Marvel Universe that has their futures mapped.

It’s too early to say how well Avengers Academy is going to be in the long run, but right out of the gate? I dug it. It was a good first issue, and I’m very interested to see where things head next on this one.

Click here for a preview of AVENGERS ACADEMY #1 *HEROIC AGE*

HACK/SLASH: MY FIRST MANIAC #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* DELIVERS THE SMASH CULT HIT’S IMAGE COMICS DEBUT! THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO CASSIE HACK, AND THIS AWESOME COMIC BEGINS HERE!

Hack/Slash has been one of our personal favorites here at Third Eye for quite some time. I mean, c’mon, it’s a killer high-energy series that pays tribute to one of our biggest loves here: crazy whacked out horror movies, specifically slasher flicks. But, this isn’t just a simple cash-in on the genre fare of the horror world, writer Tim Seeley is smart in how he crafts his stories, blending the right balance of gore and grue with a dark sense of humor, and more tongue-in-cheek tributes and homages than a Tarantino flick.

The reason why we’re stoked though about this new HACK/SLASH series is because we’re getting to see the book now being published by IMAGE COMICS, and we could not think of a better fit than IMAGE and HACK/SLASH. Image has been making it’s name doing really rad cutting edge series like CHEW, WALKING DEAD, and INVINCIBLE for quite some time now, and HACK/SLASH fits in perfectly. Plus, it means that we get to see a consistent release schedule for the HACK/SLASH books, and consistent artists on each series. The book is so good it deserves these things!

Now, with this week’s HACK/SLASH: MY FIRST MANIAC #1, we’ve got the perfect jumping on point for those of you who’ve never read HACK/SLASH before in your life, and folks, if you’re looking for something fun and different, with a side-order of blood, and guts, then HACK/SLASH is right up your alley.

What is HACK/SLASH: MY FIRST MANIAC? My First Maniac is a new mini-series that explores Cassie Hack’s first case. It’s essentially, HACK/SLASH: YEAR ONE, and it shows a 16-year old Cassie Hack who has just been forced to kill her mother, the undead murderer known as the Lunch Lady. See, Cassie was picked on as a kid, and her mom, not being quite stable, killed a whole buncha kids ’cause of that and turned ‘em into lunch for other kids. And, well, after that, the kids all teamed up on her, and burned her alive.. and then, she came back as a “slasher”, which in the world of HACK/SLASH, is a vengeful undead entity that is so angry it can’t be killed easily and can’t stop killing (think Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, you know the drill)… ANYWAYS, so Cassie takes out her mom, and now, dealing with the overwhelming guilt of killing her mom, she’s torn between making a normal life in her foster family, or using her new-found slasher killing skills to kill more “slashers.”

And, that’s where the story begins, and we see just how Cassie Hack became Cassie Hack, the ultimate killer of slashers.

For those of you into horror movies, especially ’80s stuff like Nightmare on Elm Street, April Fool’s Day, Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine, ect ect… you should check this one out, for sure. Seeley loads his HACK/SLASH comics with homages and send-ups to obscure gems and well-known classics, and that just enhances an already good comic.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #27 *HEROIC AGE* RESILIENT CHAPTER 3 – ONE OF THE BEST MONTHLY MARVEL COMICS CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY! NOT READING INVINCIBLE IRON MAN? CHECK OUT ISSUE #25 AND JUMP ONTO ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SERIES HERE AT THIRD EYE!

I preach about this one every month a new issue comes out, but for sheer bigger-than-life superhero madness, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN is, in my opinion, one of the top three best monthly Marvel Comics. Heck, I’d say it’s one of the best monthly superhero books in general. Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have been working together as the writer/artist team of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN for over two years now, and the book has been consistently AWESOME. It gets better, and better with each subsequent issue. More importantly, these guys have put the book out on time month after month after month, and kept the quality up all the while. That’s rare. You just don’t see good solid creative teams sticking together and cranking out a long, consistent and quality run like that. I mean, you’ll see super strong 6-12 issue arcs, but then that’s it, and a new artist comes along, or something, but when you’ve got a writer and artist who’ve been working together like Fraction/Larocca, there’s a chemistry that really makes the book an outstanding read.

And, that’s why I love INVINCIBLE IRON MAN. It embodies the big, the bold, the crazy, everything you want from a superhero comic featuring a guy flying around in a metal suit… but, at the same time, Fraction hits the character beats so well that you’re as invested in Stark and his supporting cast as you are interested in the bigger-than-life action sequences.

Anyways, the current arc that’s happening right now is called RESILIENT, and it began in issue #25. We’ve currently got all of these issues, plus the ones going back to the STARK DISASSEMBLED arc and before, so you can get caught up pretty easily. If you’re looking for any easy spot to jump on, we’d recommend hopping in with INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25 *RESILIENT PT 1*, and then catching up with #26 an this week’s #27. Trust us, folks.. this series is great.

What’s INVINCIBLE IRON MAN: RESILIENT about? The Resilient arc begins in the aftermath of SIEGE and STARK DISASSEMBLED. During STARK DISASSEMBLED, we saw Tony Stark turned into a vegetable, and then brought back by “rebooting” him from an older “back-up” of his brain… and, that older back-up, a pre-CIVIL WAR back-up, means that certain gaps of his memory are missing… and, as such, he’s confronted with all these things, and begins to move forward with himself and Stark Enterprises. Of course, it wouldn’t be Iron Man without someone trying to move in and take advantage of Stark’s misfortune.. and, that’s just what the insidious Hammer Girls, are doing with their own rip-offs of Stark Tech in the form of Detroit Steel.

Issue #25 is a perfect spot to jump in, and is chapter one of Resilient, we recommend checking this series out. If you’re into Marvel, or just plain good comics, this is a must-read.

Click here for a preview of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #27 *RESILIENT PT 3*

DEADPOOL: WADE WILSON’S WAR #1DELIVERS US THE BEST DEADPOOL COMIC WE’VE READ SINCE THE MERC WITH A MOUTH FIRST RETURNED IN HIS ONGOING SERIES A COUPLE YEARS AGO!

All right, so nowadays, it’s pretty much not a big surprise to see a new Deadpool book hit the stands. We know this. And, when you’ve got that many different books, guest-appearances, and more hitting the racks.. well.. they’re not all bound to be kick-ass, right? We know this too. However, it often causes a REALLY good one to get overlooked, and this is why we have gotta hype up the new DEADPOOL limited series, WADE WILSON’S WAR.

Folks, this mini-series captures what Deadpool should be all about, and does it perfectly. First off, it gives us actual development, and hints as to just what the heck Deadpool is all about. Why does he refuse to remove his mask? Why does he only answer to the name Deadpool? Was he really part of that crazy Weapon X special ops team that nobody has ever heard of? And, did he really at one time work alongside folks like Bullseye, Domino and the Silver Sable? Well, all we can say is that this one looks awesome.

The creative team of Duane Swierczynski and artist/inker Jason Pearson really makes this one pop as well. You can tell Swierczynski is able to hit that perfect balance of hard-boiled ultraviolence that we love about Deadpool, and then keep it right on point with the dark, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Jason Pearson’s artwork looks fantastic, and he gets better, and better, which is impressive for someone who’s been in the industry for so long (Pearson used to do one of our faves here at Third Eye, BODY BAGS).

All in all, there’s not much more to say than: this new Deadpool book kicks ass. While we’re big fans of Merc with a Mouth, and the ongoing series, and we find that Team-Up has some brief moments of awesomeness… this Wade Wilson’s War mini-series is going to definitely be a stand-out awesome Deadpool story.

Click here for a preview of DEADPOOL: WADE WILSON’S WAR #1

CHEW VOLUME 2: “INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR” HITS THE SHELVES THIS WEDNESDAY, ALONGSIDE CHEW #11 – FOLLOWING THE SERIES IN TRADE & WANNA HOP ONTO THE SINGLES? SNAG CHEW v.2 and CHEW #11, & YOU’RE CAUGHT UP! MORE CANNIBAL COP AWESOMENESS!

One of our favorite newer series here at Third Eye for the last year or so has been IMAGE COMICS’S CHEW. The pairing of art and story in this one is just so damn good, and it’s one of those rare occasions where the artist and writer click so well that you really forget you’re reading a comic. Now, a lot of you have heard me ramble on about how dang cool I think Chew is many times before, but for those of you who’re not in the loop on this one, lemme give you some rundown on what Chew’s about..

What’s the Scoop on CHEW? CHEW is the story of Detective Tony Chu, and it’s set in the near-future, where all poultry has been made illegal and put under prohibition due to avian bird flu outbreaks. This has caused a black market to develop that centers around poultry.. you know, turkey, chicken, ect. And, in this world, we’ve got Detective Tony Chu, who happens to be a cibopath. Basically, whatever he eats, he receives psychic impressions from it. So, if he eats a hamburger, he sees the cow being murdered. If he eats veggies, he can see the pest-sprays being sprayed. So, because of all this, he eats beets. Lots of beets. ‘Cause they grow in the ground, and carry no psychic residue. But, then, hang on… one night.. Detective Chu, on a case, at a speak-easy that specializes in chicken and turkey… he happens to have the soup, as to not blow his cover, and suddenly.. he sees girls being murdered. He realizes the killer is in the kitchen, and high-tails it after the guy… and realizes the only way he’s going to get the names of these girls and solve their murders is to eat the guy. And, that’s when the FDA (who is kinda like the ATF in this world) steps in, and hires Chu on to… eat the remains of murder victims and solve their deaths. Sound awesome? It is. Wanna check it out? You can snag the first graphic novel collecting issues 1-5 for only $10. We highly recommend it!

Now, this week, the second slab of Chew awesomeness ships with CHEW v.2 INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR, and this brings us everything from special ops working for the Department of Agriculture to plants that taste like chicken, smell like bloated corpses, and even vampires? Chew gets wilder, and even more awesome in this latest one.
CHEW11
For those of you who’re following the trade paperbacks, and would like to hop onto the singles, we’ve also got the third arc of Chew beginning this Wednesday with CHEW #11, and this is the first issue to follow the second trade (which collects issues 6-10). Trust us, this one’s the kind of series that leaves you hanging that getting your monthly dose of CHEW becomes a MUST! So, check it out this Wednesday!

TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - ALAN MOORE’S ORIGINAL PULP ACTION HERO RETURNS IN A NEW LIMITED SERIES THIS WEDNESDAY!

Dude.. this is awesome! Tom Strong, the character that Alan Moore created in tribute to old school pulp greats like Doc Savage, returns this Wednesday, and we’re freakin’ pumped! Giant robots, evil nazis getting their butts kicked, and more make this one a must-read.

What’s Tom Strong all about? Well, first off, if you’re curious about going back and starting at the very beginning with Tom Strong, we’ve got the entire series both in trade paperback AND deluxe hc, collecting Alan Moore’s incredible tribute to the world of science heroes. Tom Strong’s deal though, is that he’s a “science hero”, raised in a high-gravity chamber and given an intensive education by his somewhat eccentric scientist parents, on the fictional West Indian island of Attarbar Teru. His upbringing, plus ingesting a root used by the natives of the island for health and long life, have made him nearly physically and mentally perfect. So, for example, even though he was born in 1900… he only looks like he’s in his 40s when the 2000s come rolling around. He’s assisted by his wife, and daughter, as well as Pneuman, a steam powered robot, and King Solomon, a gorilla with human characteristics. The world of Tom Strong takes the character all over different timelines, and universes, which are basically a nod to different comic genres and eras.

With the new TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM storyline, it looks like we’re going to get some good old fashioned Tom Strong awesomeness, as we see the great science hero whupping much robot ass. If you’re into pulpy awesomeness, or want a good kick-ass steampunk-esque kind of superhero comic, then you should most definitely give TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM a whirl!

Click here for a preview of TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #1

UNKNOWN SOLDIER WRITER JOSHUA DYSART PAIRS UP WITH CLIFF CHIANG TO BRING NEIL YOUNG’S GREENDALE ALBUM TO LIFE IN THIS INCREDIBLE GRAPHIC NOVEL THAT NEIL YOUNG HAS OVERSEEN THE CREATION OF!

Sometimes you just see things come out and you know they’re going to be the kinds of books that really strike a chord with people, and go down as completely memorable. Greendale is one of those things. The legendary singer-songwriter, Neil Young, brings one of hist most personal albums, GREENDALE, to comics. Overseeing the work of the incredibly talented Joshua Dysart (the man behind the killer UNKNOWN SOLDIER series happening right now at Vertigo), they bring together a graphic novel that explores a whole new dimension to the album that Rolling Stone voted as one of the best of it’s year.

The story? It’s the fall of 2003, and the nation is heading into war, a politically active teenage girl named Sun lives, loves, and dreams in a small California town named Greendale. She’s always been different, and there’s been talk that the women in her family have all had a preternatural communion with nature. And, when a Stranger comes to town, a character whose presence causes Greendale to, well, go to hell… she finds herself on a mystical and mythical journey. To face the Stranger, she’ll unearth the secrets of her family in a political coming-of-age story infused with it’s own kind of magic.

I had a chance to flip through a preview copy of one of these, and it looks incredible. I haven’t had a chance to sit down with the book, and read it, but even for me, someone who’s not a HUGE Neil Young fan, I thought it was pretty awesome looking.

Click here to read more about NEIL YOUNG’S GREENDALE GNavailable this Wednesday at Third Eye!

X-MEN SECOND COMING CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY IN UNCANNY X-MEN #525 *X-MEN SECOND COMING CHAPTER 10* and X-MEN HELLBOUND #2 *X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS TIE-IN* HOW DOES SECOND COMING GET MORE AWESOME? BY OPENING A TIME PORTAL TO THE “DAYS OF FUTURE PAST” TIME PERIOD AND POURING NIMROD SENTINELS INTO THE PRESENT!

It was so weird not having an X-MEN SECOND COMING Chapter to look forward to last week… it was like an empty hole was drilled into our souls. That’s how good SECOND COMING has been. When we don’t get our fix, it feels like we’re empty. :) Seriously though, SECOND COMING has been the absolute best X-MEN storyline we’ve read in a long time… years, and years, and with this book, we’ve really gotten that old feeling we used to get when the X-MEN were on top of the world, and it was their books that delivered some of the biggest thrills each month.

Anyways, for those of you who aren’t already reading SECOND COMING, you can click here to go view our official THIRD EYE SECOND COMING EVENT CHECKLIST (of which we have all the chapters in stock currently) and also read a brief synopsis of what SECOND COMING is and why it kicks ass.

For those of you already in the know, you’re as eager as I am to get your hands on this week’s newest issue of SECOND COMING, and I can’t blame you. They left us on a cliffhanger a couple weeks back, and things are heating up way too much to be letting us go a week without a new chapter of SECOND COMING! Wanna know what’s awesome? There’s a freakin’ portal to the DAYS OF FUTURE PAST timeline, and it’s pouring Nimrod sentinels out into the present. It’s up to Cable, Cypher, and X-Force to make a suicide mission into the future and destroy the portal.. but are they gonna succeed?

Click here for a preview of UNCANNY X-MEN #525

xmenhellbound2
Also, don’t sleep on the HELLBOUND mini-series tying into the X-MEN SECOND COMING. Not only is the writing and art on this one kick-ass, but it features Magik returning to Limbo, and the X-MEN trying to prevent all Hell from breaking loose! And, look at that cover… yup, it’s the X-MEN vs. DEATH – literally! And, that’s exactly who you think it is, folks.

Click here for a preview of X-MEN SECOND COMING: HELLBOUND #2 *X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS TIE-IN*

IRREDEEMABLE VOLUME 4 TRADE PAPERBACK HITS THIS WEDNESDAY! ARE YOU READING IRREDEEMABLE? THE MOST WHACKED-OUT, INNOVATIVE NEW SUPERHERO BOOK ON THE STANDS… EVER WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SUPERMAN WENT COMPLETELY INSANE AND BEGAN KILLING THE WORLD? READ IRREDEEMABLE!

One of the best damn comics currently on the stands here at Third Eye is Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE. And, one of the other best damn comics on the stands is Mark Waid’s INCORRUPTIBLE, but for right now, we’re going to talk about IRREDEEMABLE, and why it rules.
First off, Waid is on point here, he’s writing some of the best material of his career, and is delivering a very fresh and innovative voice to the world of comics right now. The stories he’s telling in the world of IRREDEEMABLE are fresh, they crackle with raw, post-modern superhero energy, but at the same time they invoke a sense of respect and knowledge entrenched deep in the standards of comic book history. It’s part of that sense of respect for what came before that makes IRREDEEMABLE such a freakin’ great read. You get this immense sense of depth for this world, and it feels like Waid could continue to tell the stories of each and every super-powered individual in this world for years… that is if the Plutonian would stop killing ‘em off.

And, that brings us to the star of the show in IRREDEEMABLE, the Plutonian. The Plutonian is your basic superman arch-type. The visitor from another world. The man with too much power. So naive, so innocent, and so intent on saving the world that he loses himself in the process. Throughout the course of Irredeemable, we’re shown flashbacks and plot twists that reveal each slight crack and fracture that led to the eventual breakdown of the Plutonian and his ongoing murder spree. Basically, imagine this: Superman, after years of being sold out by his allies, rejected by normal people, held up on a throne of adoration but then criticized for being unable to fix EVERYTHING… he snaps.. and he starts burning cities, sinking continents, and hunting down the families of his fellow Justice League members. That’s essentially how IRREDEEMABLE begins.

But, there’s so much depth to IRREDEEMABLE that it goes way beyond the old Superman gone bad arch-type. We’re introduced to characters, we see them built up through the series, and we learn that the Plutonian may not be the most evil human being alive, and that nearly all of these powerful beings are susceptible to the corruption of absolute power.

And, this week, IRREDEEMABLE gets it’s third collected edition, and we know that a lot of you guys enjoy following this one in TPB, so we figured we’d give it a shout out. It does read very well in trade, I gotta admit. So, make sure you grab your own slab of IRREDEEMABLE awesomeness this Wednesday.

Now, for those of you not reading IRREDEEMABLE, do yourself a favor and snag a copy of IRREDEEMABLE v.1 for only $9.99 this week at Third Eye. Trust us, it’s good. It’s really good. Probably some of the most fascinating stuff being done with superheroes since The Authority and Planetary.

META 4 #1 DEBUTS A NEW IMAGE LIMITED SERIES THAT DELIVERS SOME MAD SCIENCE AWESOMENESS THIS WEDNESDAY!

Here’s one that looked pretty cool, but I’m still kind of unclear on the full premise of it, but hey, sometimes that’s most of the fun! Meta 4 is by Ted McKeever, who did a TON of stuff in the late ’80s and ’90s. His style of art and writing is very much in tune with the hey-day of ’90s Vertigo comics, and with his scratchy sometimes nightmarish visuals, McKeever’s work always had a unique place on the shelf. This Wednesday debuts the release of the first full on McKeever project in a while, with META 4. Meta 4 is a five issue “allegorical series” that involves both a crazy astronaut, and Gasolina, a muscular woman who dresses up as Santa all year around.

Folks, this one is whacked out, but it looks pretty freakin’ cool. Give it a peek this Wednesday at Third Eye!

Click here for a preview of META 4 #1

ASTONISHING X-MEN XENOGENESIS #2HITS THIS WEDNESDAY AND FOLLOWS UP ON THE KILLER FIRST ISSUE OF WARREN ELLIS & KAARE ANDREW’S NEW ASTONISHING X-MEN LIMITED SERIES!

The first issue of last month’s ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS did a great job of setting up the story, and getting me hooked. And, luckily, they didn’t keep me waiting too long, ’cause Marvel hooked us up with an advance of this week’s issue #2.. and this little mini-series is kickin’ ass, folks. I gotta tell you, the second issue smokes. Ellis has found his perfect X-Men artist in Kaare Andrews, and Kaare Andrews art is the perfect match for Ellis’s quirky science-driven superhero storytelling.

What is ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS? Well, way back when Whedon ended his EPIC ASTONISHING X-MEN run and Warren Ellis was set to take over… this is the X-Men comic that I EXPECTED to happen, and instead we got something wasn’t quite this good.

What made the fist issue of XENOGENESIS so good is the same thing that made Whedon’s run so memorable – incredible characterization and razor-sharp dialogue. Ellis GETS the characters here, and the addition of Kaare Andrews on art helps him explore his high concepts.

Anyways, XENOGENESIS’S set-up is a standard, but due to Ellis’s unique touch, very creepy new thing. Mutants are being born at a startling clip in a small African village, and it’s up to the X-Men to discover what the heck is really going on, and why the infants’ mutant powers are kicking in at such a ridiculously young age. The real hook is how Ellis brings his own mad science twist to mutant powers, showing different mutations like a boneless baby born with speech, and of course, the huge opening of the baby that blew up half a city. From there, we’re thrown into a good ol’ fashioned X-Men story where the X-Men have a problem, they gotta solve it, and some whacked out stuff is gonna happen in between all of this. These events all take place outside of what’s currently happening right now in SECOND COMING, but they are in continuity, just it hasn’t been made clear if this is pre-SECOND COMING or post-SECOND COMING.

All in all, if you dig the X-Men, pick up ASTONISHING X-MEN XENOGENESIS 1 and 2 this Wednesday. We still have plenty of the first issue in stock to get you caught up, and with Ellis’s crazy good writing and Andrews’s fantastic artwork, you’re gonna really dig it.

Click here for a preview of ASTONISHING X-MEN: XENOGENESIS #2

“THE GOON” CREATOR ERIC POWELL DEBUTS A BRAND NEW BOOK THIS WEDNESDAY WITH BUZZARD #1

We can’t let a new Eric Powell book show up, and NOT say something about it. I mean,The Goon’s one of our faves here, and Chimichanga has been a blast too. Anyhow, this new mini-series features the mysterious stranger known only as Buzzard, shows us how he is a lost soul, and wondering just what manner of creature he is after his showdown with the loathsome Zombie Priest during Goon Year.

Buzzard’s on a dark path to a village living in fear of crazy werewolf-like savages that hunt the villagers and drag them from their beds at night to a bloody death.

Plus, Eric Powell revives his Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities short stories as a back-up feature.

More Eric Powell goodness? We’re all about it. Dude’s art is some of the freshest, and most exciting stuff out there these days.

SHRAPNEL: HUBRIS #1 DELIVERS GIANT MECH-BATTLE MADNESS AND MORE SPACE MARINES THAN A WARHAMMER 40K CAMPAIGN! RADICAL COMICS DOES IT AGAIN!

The fine crew at RADICAL COMICS has proven one thing over the last few years: they always deliver the goods, and with SHRAPNEL: HUBRIS, the follow-up to their original SHRAPNEL: ARTESIA RISING story, they’re looking to knock it out of the park again with another round of killer art, killer story, and killer production values.

The concept is pretty simple.. giant mechs, intergalactic war, space marines, the colonization of Venus.. but, it’s the exectuion that makes Shrapnel stand out as a kick-ass read.

Click here for a preview of SHRAPNEL: HUBRIS #1

STAFF PICKS

Steve - BRIGHTEST DAY #3 = This series keeps getting better, and better. Just when I’m like, ok, they’re not gonna top that last one… they get me again, jeez!

Trish – I,ZOMBIE #2 = I think I might have a new favorite book. The first issue was good, but this second issue really set things up nice. A zombie chick that has to eat brains once a month to keep from going bloodthirsty? too cool

Torma – AVENGERS PRIME #1 = Bigger than life and awesome read. The writing was great and Alan Davis was the perfect choice to illustrate this one.

Matt – BULLETPROOF COFFIN #1 = Awesome artwork and bizarre surrealist tributes paid to the oddity days of Golden Age comics.

Posted in Featured Books, New Releases |

Tags: andy kubert, annapolis comic book shop, annapolis comic book store, annapolis comic shop, annapolis comic store, annapolis comics, avengers academy, avengers academy 1, batman, batman 700, blackest night heroclix, chew international flavor, chew volume 2, david finch, deadpool wade wilsons war, dustin weaver, frank quitely, grant morrison, greendale, hack/slash, hack/slash my first maniac, heroic age, invincible iron man, irredeemable 3, jonathan hickman, maryland comic book shop, maryland comic book store, maryland comic shop, maryland comic store, matt fraction, md comic book shop, md comic book store, md comic shop, md comic store, neil young's greendale, new comic day, return of bruce wayne, shield, shield 2, third eye comics, third eye comics annapolis, third eye comics maryland, tom strong and the robots of doom, tony daniel, x-men second coming |

No Comments »

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 6/9/10

June 6th, 2010 |

Author: thirdeye

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 6/9/10

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!

ACTS OF VIOLENCE ANTHOLOGY OF CRIME COMICS GN
ASHLEY WOOD FI #1
ASTONISHING X-MEN XENOGENESIS #2
ATLAS TP MARVEL BOY
AVENGERS ACADEMY #1 *HEROIC AGE*
AVENGERS ACADEMY #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT
AVENGERS IAM AN AVENGER II TPB v.2
AVENGERS VISION & SCARLET WITCH TP A YEAR IN THE LIFE
BATGIRL #11
BATMAN #700 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY – RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TIE-IN!*
BATMAN #700 75th ANNIVERSARY SKETCH COVER
BATMAN #700 75th ANNIVERSARY VARIANT
BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER TP v.13
BLACKEST NIGHT HEROCLIX
BONE HANDBOOK SC
BOOSTER GOLD #33
BUZZARD #1 *NEW TITLE BY GOON CREATOR, ERIC POWELL!*
CAPTAIN AMERICA #606 *HEROIC AGE!*
CAPTAIN AMERICA #606 HEROIC AGE VARIANT
CAPTAIN AMERICA AMERICA FIRST HC
CAPTAIN AMERICA BUST BANK
CARS #6
CHEW #11
CHEW TPB v.2 INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
CHRONICLES OF CONAN TP v.19 DEATHMARK
COWBOY NINJA VIKING #6
DAFFODIL PREMIERE HC
DAREDEVIL #507
DAYTRIPPER #7
DEADPOOL CORPS #3
DEADPOOL #1 *THIRD EYE DOLLAR MENU!*
DEADPOOL WADE WILSON’S WAR #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*
DOC SAVAGE #3
DOC SAVAGE #3 VARIANT
DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL vol 37
DOOM PATROL #11
DOOM PATROL WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE TP
DRACULA #1 *RE-INTRODUCING THE MARVEL UNIVERSE DRACULA INTO THE MARVEL U!*
DREAM LOGIC #1
EXPENDABLES #2
FAME #1 LADY GAGA
FAME #2 ROBERT PATTINSON
FARSCAPE SCORPIUS #2
FREE REALMS #10
GEARS OF WAR TPB BOOK 01
GEN13 #36
GHOST RIDER DANNY KETCH CLASSIC TP v.2
GI JOE COBRA II #5
GI JOE COBRA II #5 VARIANT
GOTHAM CENTRAL HC v.3 ON THE FREAK BEAT
GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT HC
GRAVEL #19
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY BIG GAME TPB
HACK/SLASH MY FIRST MANIAC #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*
HELLBOY TPB v.10 THE CROOKED MAN *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
HERALDS #2
HEROIC AGE PRINCE OF POWER #2
HOUSE OF MYSTERY #26
HULK SON OF HULK TP DARK SON RISING
HUMAN TARGET #5
INU YASHA TP VOL 49
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #27 *HEROIC AGE – RESILIENT PT 3* THIRD EYE MUST BUY
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #27 IRON MAN BY DESIGN 2 VARIANT
IRON MAN BUST BANK
IRON MAN NOIR #3
IRREDEEMABLE TPB v.3
JACK OF FABLES #1 *THIRD EYE DOLLAR MENU*
JAMES PATTERSONS MURDER OF KING TUT #1
JESUS HATES ZOMBIES LINCOLN HATES WEREWOLVES GN v.4
JONAH HEX #56
JONAH HEX #56 VARIANT
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #3 *BRIGHTEST DAY*
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #3 VARIANT
KEVIN SMITH’S KATO #2
THE LIGHT #3
LOGAN’S RUN #3
META 4 #1
MODERN WARFARE 2 GHOST #5
NEIL YOUNG’S GREENDALE HC
NEMESIS #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
NEMESIS #2 CASSADAY VARIANT
NEW AVENGERS HC v.5
OKIMONO KIMONO HC
OUTSIDERS #30
PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #142
PANTHEON #3
PREDATORS #1 *PRELUDE TO THE NEW FILM!*
RAWHIDE KID #1
RAWHIDE KID PREMIERE HC SLAP LEATHER
RED SONJA #50
ROBERT E HOWARD HAWKS OF OUTREMER #1
ROBERT E HOWARD PRESENTS THULSA DOOM TPB
RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #101
SAM & TWITCH WRITER #3
SECRET SIX #22
SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL 38
S.H.I.E.L.D #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY!*
S.H.I.E.L.D #2 HISTORICAL VARIANT
SHRAPNEL HUBRIS #1
SOLOMON KANE DEATHS BLACK RIDERS #4
SPAWN ORIGINS DELUXE EDITION HC v.1
SPIDER-MAN FEVER #3
SPIDER-MAN RETURN OF THE BLACK CAT TPB
STAR TREK MCCOY #3
STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION GHOSTS TP
SUPER FRIENDS #28
SUPER HERO SQUAD #6
SUPER HERO SQUAD TPB SUPER STARS DIGEST
MARVEL SUPER HEROES #3
SUPERMAN BATMAN FINEST WORLDS TPB
SWEET TOOTH #10
TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE #6
TITANS #24 *BRIGHTEST DAY*
TOM STRONG AND THE ROBOTS OF DOOM #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*
TOYFARE #156
TRANSFORMERS ONGOING #8
TRANSFORMERS ONGOING VOL 1 FOR ALL MANKIND TPB
TUMOR HC
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS 2 #3 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #11
UNCANNY X-MEN #525 *X-MEN SECOND COMING CHAPTER 10*
UNCANNY X-MEN #525 FINCH VARIANT
UNCLE SCROOGE #392
UNWRITTEN #14
WARLORD #15
WIZARD MAGAZINE #227
X-MEN FOREVER 2 #1
X-MEN HELLBOUND #2 *X-MEN SECOND COMING*
YOUNG ALLIES #1 *HEROIC AGE*

The Third Eye Subscription Service!

Can’t make it to the shop every week? Lose track of the books you’re following from time to time? Join the Third Eye Army, and Sign Up For ourFREE Subscription Service! Register on our website by going here. Or, if you’d prefer, you can email us directly @thirdeyecomics@gmail.com, and we can get you set up that way as well.

Posted in New Releases |

Tags: annapolis comic book shop, annapolis comic book store, annapolis comic shop, annapolis comic store, annapolis comics, avengers academy, batman 700, blackest night heroclix, brightest day, chew 2 tpb, chew international flavor, cowboy ninja viking, deadpool wade wilsons war, dustin weaver, heroic age, invincible iron man, jonathan hickman, justice league generation lost, mark millar, maryland comic book shop, maryland comic book store, maryland comic shop, maryland comic store, matt fraction, md comic book shop, md comic book store, md comic shop, md comic store, millar nemesis, nemesis, nemesis 2, new comic day, return of bruce wayne, shield, shield 2, steve mcniven, third eye comics, third eye comics annapolis, third eye comics maryland, x-men second coming |

No Comments »

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE COMICS FOR WEDNESDAY 1/27/10

January 25th, 2010 |

Author: thirdeye

GREEN LANTERN #50 *BLACKEST NIGHT* HAL JORDAN vs. the BLACK LANTERN SPECTRE! ATROCITUS RISES TO POWER! ALL THE COLOR SPECTRUMS UNITE! SPECIAL DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE!

The biggest issue of GREEN LANTERN yet is hitting the stands this week with the double-sized 50th issue of the series penned by Geoff Johns, and illustrated by Doug Mahnke. All I can say, folks, is that this one is going to be EPIC. The solicitations aren’t revealing much, but from where we’ve seen the story going in both Green Lantern and Blackest Night, it looks like some big stuff will be going down in this issue. Plus, it’s an issue 50, and you know with hallmark books like GL, they pull out all stops for the 50th issue. Ontop of all that, each and every issue of GREEN LANTERN has served as a very special in-between story, filling in the gaps between issues of Blackest Night. After the events of BLACKEST NIGHT #6, I think you guys are just as eager as I am to see what’s going to be going down in this one.

From what the solicits do say, it looks like Hal Jordan will be going head to head with the Black Lantern Spectre, who you know, as the friggin’ spirit of God’s wrath, is pretty unbeatable already. As a Black Lantern? He’s going to be impossible. How is Hal going to tackle this, and what does the cover of GL tease with him done up in some VERY familiar looking armor mean? Is Hal going back to the way of Parallax? There’s also some mention of Atrocitus finding new means of power that will make him the most powerful of the Lanterns. All I know is that this issue is going to be packing some big punches, and we cannot wait to see what they are.

Each, and every issue of Green Lantern has been building on the Blackest Night story in a very substantial and meaningful way, and if you’re reading the main series, then you really need to be checking out the Green Lantern issues as well. They basically serve as Blackest Night 1.5, Blackest Night 2.5, Blackest Night 3.5, ect ect… very cool way of keeping things going, and expanding on important things in the storyline and keeping key elements from being glossed over in the main book.

Click here to see some rough preview pages of GREEN LANTERN #50!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 BEGINS “IN BLACKEST KNIGHT”… Does Black Hand really have Bruce Wayne’s skull? The road to this spring’s “Return of Bruce Wayne” storyline begins here!

And, as if DC wasn’t already dishing out one huge, monumental issue wasn’t enough, we’re also getting the start of what will probably be the biggest story arc yet in Grant Morrison’s red hot Batman & Robin series. Ever since the very beginning of BLACKEST NIGHT, everyone has been wondering just what the hell is up with that skull Blackhand has been carrying around and claiming as Bruce Wayne’s. And, then after the events of BLACKEST NIGHT #5 where Batman was momentarily resurrected as a Black Lantern, and then put back to rest… we’ve all been puzzled as to just what the deal is. Well, now, these questions are beginning to be answered in this very special three-part story arc that begins in this week’s BATMAN AND ROBIN #7, and it could only be titled none other than “In Blackest Knight.”

While Morrison has said that his series would not be carrying the banner of Blackest Night, because he does enjoy keeping everything contained to the pages of just BATMAN AND ROBIN, he has said that it takes influence and plot-threads from the atmosphere of Blackest Night. The biggest one being: Where does the supposedly-deceased (or lost in time) Bruce Wayne exist in this environment? The book is also going to be featuring every prominent current Bat-character you can think of, ranging from big characters like Batwoman to obscure favorites like Knight and Squire (the English equivalents of Batman).

Why we’re stoked? Well, as if we haven’t given you reason enough already as to why we’re pumped, with all the mention above about what it’s all about.. this is simply put going to be one of the best story arcs in one of the best Batman runs we’ve ever seen. I mean, Batman and Robin already exists as one of the major top tier favorites here at Third Eye, and each issue is guaranteed, quality reading, but from the way Morrison has described this “In Blackest Knight” storyline… we feel that this could be a nice slice of Bat-history unfolding right before our eyes. AND, ontop of all that, it leads into the increasingly anticipated “Return of Bruce Wayne – Fight Through Time” storyline that will be launching this Spring. Add in the involement of Black Hand, and the atmosphere of Blackest Night, plus the teased reveal of what’s going on with Batman’s skull in Black Hand’s grasp.

Knight and Squire? Another reason why I’m stoked about this arc is the involvement of Knight and Squire, the UK equivalent of Batman and Robin. These characters originally appeared way back in the Silver Age, and Morrison first brought them back in his classic run of JLA back in the ’90s (JLA #26, collected now in JLA v.5: JUSTICE FOR ALL) and given more showtime as members of the Ultramarine Corps in Grant Morrison and Ed McGuinness’s often overlooked, but killer JLA: Ultramarine Corps (available now in trade paperback at Third Eye) story arc. Most of you might remember them from the recent BLACK GLOVE storyline (BATMAN: THE BLACK GLOVE TPB). Out of all the members of the “International League of Batmen”, Knight and Squire are my personal favorites, and their involvement in recent happenings throughout the DCU has been very cool to see.

Knight, an “English Batman” who can’t handle the death of his father, and blows his inheritance on booze, drugs, and women, and ends up being dragged out of his self-destructive spiral by a tough, working class girl, is very intriguing. It’s a really cool dynamic to see between the two, and there’s definitely an Avengers (the Emma Peel AVENGERS) and even a little bit of a Doctor Who vibe to the dynamic between Knight and Squire, and it really makes them stand out as some of my favorite supporting DCU characters now.

All in all, this is a must-read story arc, and even if you’ve yet to jump onboard with Morrison’s awesome Batman and Robin series, we highly recommend jumping in with issue #7, and checking out this arc.

If you’ve yet to check out Morrison’s incredible re-invention of the Batman and Robin dynamic with BATMAN AND ROBIN, we currently have all issues, 1-6, in stock now at Third Eye, for you to catch up with.

Click here to read more about BATMAN AND ROBIN #7
Click here to read an interview with about the “Blackest Knight” storyline that begins this week in Batman and Robin #7

THE SIEGE CONTINUES IN NEW AVENGERS #61 *SIEGE*,and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #32 *SIEGE* STEVE ROGERS RETURNS TO THE AVENGERS THIS WEEK!

I gotta say, I am super impressed so far with the SIEGE tie-ins that have hit. Each one so far has done a fantastic job of not just being relevant to the overall SIEGE storyline, but truly making the books and characters they’ve spotlighted feel important, and integral to the overall scheme of things in SIEGE. Granted, there’s only been a couple to hit the racks so far, but each one has delivered big time. Way better than past tie-ins to Marvel major events.

And, before I go forward in talking about this week’s round of SIEGE awesomeness, let me tell you… check out last week’s DARK AVENGERS #13 *SIEGE* and DARK WOLVERINE #82 *SIEGE*, both of these were very pleasant surprises. Dark Avengers #13 took a character I’ve had nearly zero interest in, the Sentry, and revealed the REAL origin of the character and how he fits into the scheme of things with SIEGE and Norman Osborn, and by doing so… they have made me dig the Sentry a hundred times more than I did before. I don’t want to spoil anything, because I know some of you have yet to read this one, but, the origin Bendis has laid out for the Sentry gives him potential to become one of the coolest flawed characters, or over-the-top supervillain. There’s just so many layers to the character, and his whiny, obnoxious demeanor now makes complete sense. As for DARK WOLVERINE #82, the character of Daken also became a thousand times more interesting for me as well. Again, a character that just never clicked with me, I found myself digging Daken a little bit more with his inclusion on the DARK AVENGERS, but, after seeing those last three pages of DARK WOLVERINE #82… he’s much cooler now in my eyes. Now, what happened in those pages, is a HUGE spoiler, and I don’t want to drop it, because it’s a good payoff. But, dude, they really knocked things up a notch with Daken, his place in the Marvel U, and his place in Norman Osborn’s world.. you will be surprised!

Now, lets talk about the books coming out this week that carry the SIEGE banner.
NEW AVENGERS #61 *SIEGE*
First off, we’ve got the next installment of NEW AVENGERS (a consistent Marvel favorite around here), with NEW AVENGERS #61. Again, Marvel reveals very little in the solicits for this issue, but just like with last week’s DARK AVENGERS, and DARK WOLVERINE, we’re expecting some pretty big surprises. What we do know is that this issue features a newly returned Steve Rogers Captain America and his reunion with the AVENGERS. Who does he trust? Who does he count amongst his closest allies in this grave new world? It’s time to see how Marvel’s greatest hero kicks some ass in the face of the God-Killer, Norman Osborn. Click here for a preview of NEW AVENGERS #61

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #32 *SIEGE*

The issue preceding this, AVENGERS INITIATIVE *SIEGE PRELUDE* surprised the hell outta me! I haven’t really followed the Initiative book that closely for a few months, because honestly, I just wasn’t digging it. However, the SIEGE tie-in, and the inclusion of one of my favorite B-listers, TASKMASTER, piqued my curiousity as well. Man, was I impressed! It was a very cool look at how the “average” supervillain views their place in the world, and portrayed Taskmaster as your everyman supervillain who just wants to make some cash, and meet beautiful women… and now he’s been roped into Osborn’s Cabal of heavy-hitters, and is getting charred to a crisp by the likes of Dr. Doom!

This SIEGE tie-in that takes place this week in AVENGERS THE INITIATIVE #32 sees Tasksmaster, and many other supervillains just like him being thrown up against the combined forces of THOR, and the immortal Gods of Asgard. This is a little more than they had bargained for when they thought serving as Osborn’s second wave of super-powered goons was a sweet gig.It should be a pretty cool issue, and if the characterization and writing in issue #31 was any indication, it’ll be a really well-written, well-shaped issue. Click here for a preview of AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #32

GEOFF JOHNS WRITES “BACK FROM THE DEAD” BLACKEST NIGHT ONE-SHOT ATOM & HAWKMAN #46 THIS WEEK, AND IT LOOKS KILLER! INDIGO LANTERN ATOM vs. BLACK LANTERN HAWKMAN AND HAWKGIRL!

The “Back from the Dead” one-shots that’ve been carrying the story forward in BLACKEST NIGHT this month have been pretty cool. There’s been a couple where I’ve questioned their involvement, but overall, there’s been some really good reads to come out of these. My favorites so far? Starman, of course, Power of Shazam, and the Suicide Squad/Sinister Six arc.

But, the big one is this week’s ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46, and it’s got us stoked for more than just one reason. First off, it’s being written by GEOFF JOHNS, the man behind BLACKEST NIGHT and GREEN LANTERN. And, then, it’s got an up and coming artist by the name of Ryan Sook rocking the art duties. If you haven’t seen Sook’s pencils, you should look him up, he’s actually pretty good, and I’m hoping that this is the book that gives him some exposure.

But, most importantly, it’s Geoff Johns exploring the fates of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who we saw killed in the pages of BLACKEST NIGHT #1. It’s no secret that Johns has a soft-spot for these characters, as one of his earliest DC works was the killer Hawkman run he and Rags Morales did. It’s going to be very cool to see where he takes things with this one-shot, and the spin that he puts on two characters who have a huge part of their backstory based around the whole death and resurrection concept.

Ontop of all that, it features the Atom, who is now part of the INDIGO TRIBE, who’s being hunted by Black Lantern Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Personally, after the big events of BLACKEST NIGHT #6, I’m anxious to see all the different characters who were given rings, and while I’m a little more jazzed on Scarecrow as a Yellow Lantern and Lex Luthor as an Orange Lantern, it’s still pretty damn cool to see the results of Atom being inducted into the Indigo Tribe explored.

Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT ATOM & HAWKMAN #46

Have you been following all the Blackest Night “Back from the Dead” one-shots? Each one is the next issue after the “final” issues of many series that were cut down in their prime, giving these books one more chance to tell their stories, and casting the Blackest Night shadow on every corner of the DCU.

In case you’ve missed any of them, we currently have all of the “Back from the Dead” Blackest Night checklists in stock, here’s a list of what’s been released:
The Power of Shazam! #48 by Eric Wallace
- The Question #37 by Greg Rucka
- Suicide Squad #67 by John Ostrander and Gail Simone
- Phantom Stranger #42 by Peter Tomasi
- Catwoman #83 by Fabian Nicieza
- The Atom and Hawkman #46 by Geoff Johns
- Weird Western Tales #71 by Dan DiDio
- Starman #81 by James Robinson

KICK-ASS #8 CONCLUDES MARK MILLAR (WRITER OF OLD MAN LOGAN) AND JOHN ROMITA JR’S ULTRAVIOLENT, YET HUMOROUS TAKE ON THE WORLD OF COSTUMED VIGILANTES!

The finale to Mark Millar and John Romita JR’s ultra-violent, yet humorous real-world take on costumed vigilantes arrives this Wednesday, after much delay. And, even though it’s been almost five months since issue #7… we couldn’t be more stoked. And, of course, there’s the little fact that the trailers have been showing up everywhere for KICK-ASS these days, and they look… AWESOME.

For those of you who’ve been following KICK-ASS, then the series needs no explanation. For those of you who haven’t, we’d recommend waiting, because the graphic novel will be hitting in a week or so, and the early issues of this series have been out of print and impossible to get a hold of since last summer.

What’s the scoop on Kick-Ass? Meet Dave Lizewski, an ordinary high school student who loves comic books. He loves ‘em so much he uses them as inspiration to become a costumed crime-fighter. After buying a wetsuit on eBay, and turning that into his superhero costume, he goes out, and ends up getting his ass kicked. Like, really bad. So bad, they put him in the hospital, and it takes him months to recover. He gets out of the hospital, swears off the idea of fighting the good fight, burns all of his comics, but…. something just won’t let him give it up. He goes out, one more time, in costume, and sees a guy getting beaten by a few guys. He tries to interfere, and they blow him off… so he pulls out his batons, and starts wailing on these guys from behind. And, every single person witnessing this begins to record it on their phones. And, an internet celebrity sensation is born, as the video is uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, and so forth. He’s dubbed KICK-ASS by the world, and uses his newfound confidence to continue his crime-fighting career. Of course, his second time out.. he ends up getting into a bigger mess, and that’s when Hit Girl comes into the picture. A 10 year old girl slicing dudes apart with Katana swords. And, that’s when we find out there’s more than just one costumed amateur crimefighter out there taking out bad guys.

The book is violent, and is fueled by a frenetic energy that makes each issue a fun, breakneck fast read. Mark Millar (OLD MAN LOGAN) demonstrates his knack for dialogue well, and the book is by far one of the most clever we saw last year. For those of you who’re already hooked, we know you’re gonna be eagerly awaiting this one, and for those of you who’ve yet to jump onboard, the graphic novel should be arriving next week.

Click here for a preview of KICK-ASS #8

CHEW #8 *INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR PT 3*CONTINUES THE BREAKOUT IMAGE SERIES OF 2009! ARE YOU READING THIS INCREDIBLE TAKE ON DETECTIVE PROCEDURALS MIXED WITH A LITTLE CANNIBALISM? IF NOT, GET CAUGHT UP THIS WEEK WITH CHEW VOLUME 1 TPB (1-5) FOR ONLY $9.99! THIRD EYE SPECIAL OFFER: TRY CHEW v.1 THIS WEEK, AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, BRING IT BACK FOR A FULL REFUND!

The second story arc of IMAGE’s best new series of 2009 continues this Wednesday, as we see Detective Chu tracking down a prize-winning fighting bird. One that’s impossible to defeat, and now that it’s missing, there’s some people who want Poyo (the feathered ass-kicker) back, and Detective Chu’s on the case. How does this tie in to the case Chu’s been working? I guess we’ll find out!

Click here for a preview of CHEW #8!

For those of you who haven’t yet tried CHEW, you have gotta check this series out. Even if you’re not normally a fan of the more off-the-wall books, you will be hooked on this one. It really is a great read, and combines killer art, and killer story to make for a compelling series.

What’s the scoop on CHEW? In a world where all poultry is illegal due to the outtbreak of Bird Flu, and an underground market has developed for the real thing, Detective Tony Chu exists. Chu, though, happens to be cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. He eats a hamburger? He sees the cow being killed. He eats an apple? He can smell the pesticides being sprayed on the trees. It makes his life very unpleasant, and because of that, he only eats beets. You can’t get a strong psychic residue from dirt. And, then, in the first chapter of CHEW, Chu is on a case with his partner, undercover, at a speak-easy that serves chicken. He has the soup, thinking it’ll be his safest bet, and he can’t blow his cover… and then he sees images of girls being killed. He can feel the killer nearby, charges into the kitchen, and well, lets just say, after that incident, the FDA (who is like the ATF in this world) hires Chu on to eat the remains of murder victims to determine how they died. Sound awesome, doesn’t it?

Try CHEW v.1: TASTER’S CHOICE TPB this week at Third Eye, and if you don’t like it, we’ll give you your money back!
Wanna hop onboard with CHEW? The first trade paperback collects issues 1-5, and we’ve got plenty of issues #6, and #7 to catch you up to where the series is currently. We have so much faith in this series, and we personally like it so much, that we’re pretty sure you’re gonna dig it. If you try the trade, and don’t like it, bring it back, and we’ll give you a full refund for it!

GEOFF JOHNS’S (BLACKEST NIGHT WRITER)SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGIN #4 CONTINUES THE BEST SUPERMAN STORY WE’VE READ IN YEARS!

Man, has this been a good mini-series or what? You know, it’s funny, a few years back, I was the least likely person you could find that’d be raving about a Superman title. The character never clicked for me, but then the combination of Grant Morrison’s incredible ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (available now in TPB here at Third Eye) and then later, Geoff Johns’s killer run on ACTION COMICS (collected in trades likeSUPERMAN: BRAINIAC, and SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES) got me hooked. I went back and rediscovered some of the great stories of yesteryear like John Bryne’s Man of Steel run, and Alan Moore’s take on the Man of Tomorrow, and I realized that Superman can be one of the coolest characters in superhero fiction when he’s written well. And, Geoff Johns gets that. He understands what makes the character appealing, he understands how to keep the iconic feel of the character while still adding a human, believable feel to the character. He realizes that what makes Superman so human is the fact that he’s not human at all, but from another planet.

The SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGIN series has been a great read, month after month, with the gorgeous pencils of GARY FRANK (who’s Superman resembles Christopher Reeves more than just a little bit), and the stellar writing of GEOFF JOHNS.

What’s the scoop? SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN is a six-issue limited series that re-introduces, and explores the origins of the Man of Steel, but with a 21st century spin. Essentially, it’s Johns showing us who Superman is, why he can be such a great character, and at the same time, developing the world around the character. Each issue seems to be focusing in on a key part of Superman’s life, we start issue #1 with him as an adolescent, first discovering his powers, and then having his origins revealed to him by Ma and Pa Kent. The second one showcases him as a teenager, and his first meeting with the Legion of Superheroes, who idolize him in the future, and the third, the best of the bunch, focuses on him as a young man in his early 20s, his first day in Metropolis and at the Planet, and a very iconic, first time revealing Superman to the world. Each issue shows the paralells that run between Superman and Lex Luthor, their upbringing, and how they’re getting to where we’ve all come to know them. We currently have all issues out so far, 1-3, well-stocked here at Third Eye, so if you haven’t yet jumped on, be sure to try the book this week, it’s REALLY good. Trust us, folks, this isn’t just a rehash of everything we already know… this is a 21st Century take on the MAN OF STEEL, and the superb characterization shows us why Geoff Johns is the man born to write this character.

This Week in Superman Secret Origin #4? We see the real turning point where Luthor decides it’s time to turn his priorities towards ridding the world of the Man of Steel. There’s hints of Parasite being introduced, as well as a look into his Kryptonian past.

Click here for a preview of SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #4

IRREDEEMABLE #10 CONTINUES TO BUILD ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING NEW SUPERHERO UNIVERSES WE’VE SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME WITH MARK WAID’S “SUPERMAN GONE EVIL” STORYLINE!

Every single issue of IRREDEEMABLE makes this series better, and better. What could’ve been a simple, one-trick pony with the concept of a powerful superhero gone evil, has turned into a compelling new world being shaped by Mark Waid in the pages of Irredeemable, and now Incorruptible. Simply put, this is superhero awesomeness at it’s finest, and it just gets better with each issue.

The world of Irredeemable is one where the equivalent of SUPERMAN, The Plutonian, snaps after years of being taken for granted, betrayed, and abused by the very world he protects. Through series of flashbacks, we see small events that led to his descent into madness, and each issue, the story gets richer. Mark Waid is on point big time with this one, and he makes the story work, by building up the entire supporting cast, and world of the Plutonian. From his former team-mates, to his arch-enemies, the Plutonian’s world becomes more interesting with each issue.

If you haven’t yet tried IRREDEEMABLE, snag up the first trade paperback for just $10 here at Third Eye. We guarantee you’ll be hooked.

If you’re already aware of what is one of the greatest superhero books hitting the stands now, then we know you’re as anxious to see where things go with Modeus in this issue.

Click here for a preview ofIRREDEEMABLE #10

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 *THE GAUNTLET PT 8* THE NEWLY RETURNED, AND EXTRA-VICIOUS MYSTERIO CONTINUES HIS TORMENT OF THE WEBCRAWLER THIS WEDNESDAY IN WHAT’S BEEN THE BEST RUN OF SPIDEY IN RECENT MEMORY!

First off… this cover is AWESOME. Secondly, if you’re a Marvel fan, or a lapsed Spidey fan who fell off during the whole Mephisto nonsense, then you need to hop onboard AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. It has been one of the best returns in quality of a character that we have seen in a long time. The Rhino issue from two weeks ago proves that, and last week’s start of the Mysterio arc continued the trend.

What’s the Gauntlet?
The Gauntlet is an over-arching storyline that’s been running through AMAZING SPIDER-MAN since issue #612. It’s basically the re-introduction of many of Spidey’s classic Rogues Gallery, as they wear him down one by one, for the eventual return of an all-new, all-brutal Sinister Six. So far, each 2-3 issue arc has done wonders with reintroducing these classic villains, and adding a new level of excitement to the world of Spider-man. And, lets be real, Spidey’s Rogues Gallery is one of the best, up there with Batman’s.. it’s only fair to see these villains being given their due.
Click hereto read the checklist of titles associated with the GAUNTLET

Mysterio!
Last week in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #618, we saw the return of MYSTERIO to things, and I have to say, I like what they’ve done reintroducing him a lot. I think Mysterio, and the new Rhino are probably my favorites so far, and it looks like we’ve got some killer storytelling to look forward to in the next couple of chapters involving Mysterio. PLUS, Marco Martin is doing the art, and he is one of the most perfect fits for Spidey I think I’ve seen in quite some time. A very cool, retro-esque style that definitely fits the overall tone of where the Gauntlet has been heading.

Clickherefor a preview of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 *MYSTERIO PT 2*

BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #2 BLACK LANTERN LOIS LANE IN PURSUIT OF SUPERMAN?

The first issue of BLACKEST NIGHT JSA was a personal favorite for me because I have always been a big fan of the Justice Society. DC handles the idea of “legacy” characters so well, and JSA has always done a fantastic job of reflecting this. If you were reading Blackest Night Superman, you’re probably wondering where Earth-2 Lois Lane, now a Black Lantern, went… well she’s in the pages of BLACKES NIGHT JSA in pursuit of Black Lantern Superman. And, this can only mean one thing: Power Girl’s days could be numbered.

PLUS, a whole slew of classic JSA members have returned from the grave, and are hungry for pain, death and misery.

Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #2

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 CONCLUDES THE EPIC SAGA OF STEVE ROGER’S RETURN THIS WEDNESDAY!

The epic saga of Steve Rogers return concludes here this week in CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6. We know, it’s a little late, considering both Cap #602, and Who Will Wield the Shield have already shipped, but while late titles suck, we’re glad Marvel decided to keep things progressing and didn’t let the delay on this one slow down everything else in the Marvel U (being that Rogers plays a big role in the currently ongoing SIEGE event).

This whole story arc though has been an incredible read from start to finsh, delivering the bigger than life pulp-fusion storytelling that makes Brubaker one of the best writers Cap’s ever had. And, in this issue, we see the events that precede CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD, and their effects on the future of the Marvel Universe. It’s the Cap and the Avengers vs. The Red Skull, and someone’s going to go down big time.

We’re excited to see where things are going now, considering that a good deal of Brubaker’s run on Cap has been spent developing the character of Bucky Barnes, and his place in the world as the replacement for Captain America. It should be interesting to see his handling of Steve Rogers, in a world that’s a few years removed from what Rogers remembers last (Civil War, ect).

If you haven’t yet checked out REBORN, we currently have the entire series in stock now at Third Eye, which includes CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #1-5 (and now #6), and the CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN: WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD one-shot.

Clickhere to read a preview of CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6!

ROBERT KIRKMAN (writer of HAUNT and WALKING DEAD) debuts next PILOT SEASON one-shot this Wednesday with DEMONIC

When you’ve got Robert Kirkman writing a book, we tend to pay attention. The man behind some of our top Third Eye favorites like HAUNT, WALKING DEAD, and INVINCIBLE tends to not disappoint. And, after the killer success of his MURDERER one-shot, and it’s quick sellout at the publisher (c’mon TOP COW, give us a second printing!), we’re stoked to see what he has in store for us next.

This week, Kirkman’s going to be rolling out the next in his PILOT SEASON one-shots. Basically, the PILOT SEASON is a series of one-shots he’s writing where he’s doing one-shot “pilots”, and then letting the fans vote to see which one becomes a regular series. This week, it’s DEMONIC.

What’s the scoop on DEMONIC? When is murder justifiable? It’s justifiable to defend yourself, right? It’s justifiable if you’re defending your family, right? But, is it justifiable if you’re killing in defense of yourself or family, AND to quench the thirst for souls of an ancient demon?

Meet Scott, a superpowered vigilante who kills bad guys. But, he’s not killing them out of his own vendetta for justice, but instead to quench the thirst of an ancient demon’s need for souls, or else he risks losing his family to that same very demon. Now, the question being asked here is: is the demon for real? Is Scott just a guy who’s mind was shattered by the weight of receiving superpowers, and uses the demon deal to explain his murders? And, a reason for his powers to exist.

Honestly, this one sounds freaking cool, and it’s Kirkman, so we know that the story is going to be way on point. Not to mention the interior art looks gorgeous by Joe Benitez.

Click here to read more about PILOT SEASON: DEMONIC

FROM THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU RETURN TO WONDERLAND, COMES A TWISTED RENDITION OF NEVERLAND IN THIS WEDNESDAY’S NEVERLAND #0! ONLY $1.99!

Here’s one that we’re pretty stoked about at Third Eye. The folks at Zenescope who’ve brought us their Grimm Fairy Tales & Wonderland sagas with a dark twist, are unveiling their next big series this Wednesday, and it’s exploring the mythology of Peter Pan, Neverland, and Captain Hook with a very dark twist. One thing we can almost guarantee sight unseen is that the artwork in this book will be stunning, because that’s one of the big things that Zenescope has become known for.

From what I’ve read of the series, it sounds like it may be an all-new take on the subject, going as far to possibly be casting Peter Pan as the actual villain in this rendition of Neverland. What we do know from Zenescope’s track record is they will apply a very different, and very dark twist to the Peter Pan mythos, and we’re pumped to see where it goes this week. Check it out this Wednesday at Third Eye for only $1.99!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41 DEBUTS THE ALL-NEW JUSTICE LEAGUE LINE-UP AND ALL-NEW DIRECTION FEATURING DICK GRAYSON AS BATMAN, HAL JORDAN, DONNA TROY, AND MORE!

Another one I’m really excited to see this week is the first issue of Jame Robinson’s JLA featuring the all-new line-up. The JLA has such a long, rich history that it’s always interesting to see a new team brought in, and I’ve been enjoying James Robinson’s JLA enough that I have high hopes for this one. The line-up is interesting, and for the most part, is one that I think is pretty solid in terms of believability, impact on the DCU, and storyline potential. It’s a good mix of classics like Batman (albeit Dick Grayson), JLA mainstays like Green Arrow, heavy-hitters like Green Lantern, legacy characters moving up the ranks like Starfire, Cyborg, and Donna Troy, and then some oddballs like Dr. Light, The Guardian, and Congorilla.

Yes, I’m excited about a book featuring Congorilla. I know, I can’t believe it either.

Seriously though, this is a great opportunity to hope aboard JLA if you haven’t already been following the book, and it’s a pretty promising start for some killer story arcs to launch out of this issue with the new team.

Click here to see some preview pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41

JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #6 ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY! READ THE SERIES THAT’S PAVED THE WAY FOR THE NEW JUSTICE LEAGUE LINE-UP!

James Robinson has been setting up the previously mentioned JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA roster change for a while now in the pages of this killer 7 issue limited series. This limited series, which began after the events of FINAL CRISIS, features a rag-tag gathering of Justice Leaguers, current, and former, who’ve had enough seeing their friends die time and time again. It’s in this series that the heroes step up their game quite a deal, and bring it to the bad guys head to head as they investigate a string of murders tied to (one of my personal favorite) an older JLA villain by the name of Prometheus (often described as the Anti-Batman).

They end up discovering a whole string of murders that tie back to Prometheus, as he has been on a quest to create the ultimate mass murder weapon: a teleporting device he plans to use to wipe out entire cities. Prometheus has been bringing it to the JLA pretty badly, and the events of this limited series are what set up for the brand new team and direction of JUSTICE LEAGUE in JLA #41.

Miss an issue? Haven’t read Cry for Justice yet? We currently have the previous 5 issues all well-stocked here at Third Eye, so if you wanna check the series out, catching up is no problem at all.

Click here to read more about JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #6 !

ROBOCOP RETURNS THIS WEDNESDAY IN DYNAMITE COMICS ‘S (Publisher of THE BOYS, COMPLETE ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and MORE) CUTTING EDGE ROBOCOP #1

Who didn’t grow up in the ’80s or ’90s that wasn’t obsessed with ROBOCOP? It’s funny, because all the things that make the original ROBOCOP movie great (lets just forget the two sequels) were completely lost on me as a kid. I just knew it was awesome seeing a cyborg cop running around blowing people up. I recently watched ROBOCOP again a few years ago, and man, Paul Verhoeven really had something cool with that flick. Great social satire, and commentary, in a neat, distinctly late ’80s cyberpunk vein, meshed with some of the craziest ultraviolence you’d catch on a movie theater screen back then.

And, this, is why I’m stoked for Dynamite’s launch of a ROBOCOP comic. The character of ROBOCOP, and his world, lend itself very nicely to the modern style of comic books. And, Dynamite, who has proven they’re not afraid to let the blood spill, or to take a sarcastic approach to a subject (see THE BOYS), means that this should be a pretty solid read for anyone who’s a fan of Verhoeven’s cult classic flick.

Click here to read a preview of ROBOCOP #1

WALKING DEAD #69… NO WORDS NEEDED TO DESCRIBE THE NEXT INSTALLMENT IN ONE OF THE ALL-TIME TOP 5 THIRD EYE FAVORITE SERIES!

Words can’t do this series justice. In fact, the less I say about this next issue, the better. As you can see, big things are about to begin to be revealed, and we can’t wait to see what’s happening next.

Are you reading WALKING DEAD in trade, and want to jump onto the singles? Can’t stand waiting months at a time to find out where the most compelling comic series on the stands is going next? We currently have both of the issues that follow after WALKING DEAD v.11 (released two weeks ago), issue #67, and #68, so all you need to hop aboard the monthly is Walking Dead v.11, #67, and #68.. trust us, it makes waiting a little bit easier.

For those of you not reading WALKING DEAD yet… all I can say is: pick up the trade paperback of Volume 1 as soon as you can. I have yet to find one person who didn’t like it. This is some of the best writing in comics. If you think it’s just a zombie story, you’re way off… this is character development, cliffhanger plots, and more. You’ll be hooked.

THOR #606 CONTINUES THE KILLER DR. DOOM vs. THOR STORYLINE THAT LEADS DIRECTLY TO SIEGE! NEED TO CATCH UP? WE HAVE PLENTY OF THOR #604, and THOR #605 (chapters 1 and 2 of the new arc) IN STOCK!

If you were digging JMS’s run on THOR, and left when he did.. then you are missing out on some of the finest THOR storytelling since JMS’s run began! Beginning in issue #604, and carrying over from the finale of JMS’s run, we see that Doom has been using the blood and organs of Asgardians to fuel his war machines, even going as far as to twist the Asgardians into hideous cyborg monsters to do his bidding. Of course, Thor is not down with this, and that leads us to some major throwdowns involving THOR, the Destroyer armor, and Dr. Doom!

Both THOR, and IRON MAN have been running parallel directly into, and alongside SIEGE, and out of many of the ongoing Marvel books, I feel that this series and INVINCIBLE IRON MAN are two of the most crucial to be reading if you’re getting amped up on what’s going down in SIEGE. Plus, Thor’s been a good book for over three years now, and just keeps on getting better. The new creative team of young gun rising star writer Kieron Gillen, and young gun rising star artist Billy Tan are delivering some of their best work on this one. Don’t believe me? Check out those preview pages… tell me the art’s not kicking.

It looks like in this issue we’re going to see what secrets Doom has up his sleeve, in addition to where Loki’s allegiances really lie. Is this going to be Doom’s play for power in taking over Asgard?

Clickhere to read a preview of THOR #606

ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #1 FROM BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS REVEALS THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE’S GREATEST EVIL!

Brian Michael Bendis, the main man responsible for some of the Ultimate line’s biggest stories delivers this new limited series featuring many ultimate fan favorites like Spidey, Iceman, the FF, and more. This limited series is supposed to explore one of the Ultimate universe’s greatest threats, but outside of that, there isn’t a whole lot of info on the series. What we do know is the preview pages look sweet, and Bendis normally delivers big time on anything set in the ULTIMATE universe.

Clickhere to read a preview of ULTIMATE COMICS ENEMY #1

PUNISHER #13 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 3* HITS THIS WEDNESDAY! FIND OUT WHY FRANKENCASTLE IS TURNING INTO ONE OF MY PERSONAL BIG CULT FAVORITES! ONE OF THE BEST “LEGION OF MONSTERS” STORYLINES EVER WITH A GREAT QUIRKY, STEAMPUNKY BAD GUY!

Folks, I am loving Frankencastle. I’ll admit, the first issue, I was kind of left with my jaw hanging page after page, thinking one thing: WTF? But, then I read the second issue, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance to win me oer, because it did big time.

First off, you have two very talented guys working on this thing. Rick Remender, and Tony Moore. This is the same creative team who did some really cool stuff on the DARK HORSE series FEAR AGENT. Tony Moore also did the artwork on the first trade of WALKING DEAD. His art in Frankencastle looks to be some of his best work yet, and the colors on it are PERFECT. Most importantly, it fits the quirky, funky tone of the story just right. Secondly, it’s a very fun, fresh idea that brings some forgotten old characters back into the spotlight, and shows us why they’re cool.

The thing is though, you cannot go into FRANKENCASTLE expecting a straight-forward PUNISHER story. In fact, Frankencastle is more of a REALLY AWESOME Legion of Monsters story than it is a PUNISHER story, and I think that’s why it works so well.

What’s the scoop? Punisher got his head cut off in the brutal DARK REIGN THE LIST: PUNISHER one-shot (still in stock here at Third Eye, if you missed it!), by Dark Wolverine (Daken). His body parts get dumped into the sewers, and retrieved by the remaining Morlocks, where they take them deeper into the Morlock tunnels to some very familiar frightful characters. Morbius the Living Vampire, Man-Thing, Werewolf By Night, the Living Mummy… they’re all here. And, they patch the Punisher back together into an undead monstrosity that can only be called Frankencastle (due to the resemblance to Frankenstein’s Monster). See, there’s a legion of cyborg Samurai’s led by a steampunk-esque madman who has one goal in life: DESTROY ALL MONSTERS! Morbius, and his monster brethern decide they need the Punisher’s war time strategy to defend their dying people, and the Punisher (who’s using a synaptic nerve medicine to keep his brain functioning, so he’s not just a rambling madman) is reluctant to help. In fact, he keeps asking “Why did you bring me back?” And, it’s not until the surreal final pages of PUNISHER #12 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 2*, where we see Frank come to the realization he has to help these people, as he cradles a young child Morlock (in a Devo shirt…) in his arms, a smoking hole in the youngster’s chest.

I know, it sounds like it shouldn’t work on any level. It sounds completely absurd, and ridiculous, but I think this is part of why I love it so much, and because of these things… it does work, and takes a completely different angle on the PUNISHER. I won’t lie either, the incredibly fitting artwork of Tony Moore is a big draw too. He manages to capture the surreal, sideshow monster feel in vivid color, and it makes the story moves so smoothly.

If you haven’t yet jumped onboard with FRANKENCASTLE, we still have PUNISHER #11, and PUNISHER #12 in stock, and those two chapters’ll catch you up to the newest installment this week. If you’re a fan of irreverent, quirky fun in books like CHEW, and COWBOY NINJA VIKING, then you should totally be reading this. It rocks.

For those of you who’re on board, it looks like we’re gonna see a giant chaingun-toting Frankencastle laying waste to the monster-hunters in glorious technicolor style.

Click here for a preview of PUNISHER #13 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 3*

TRANSFORMERS: LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERSBRINGS ON MORE CLASSIC G1-STYLE TRANSFORMER GOODNESS!

I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s, so it’s obvious that I’ve got a soft spot for everyone’s favorite giant robots. The problem I had for a while though, was IDW’s Transformer books often strayed too far from the characters I grew up with, and loved. While I really enjoyed the expanded mythos of the Transformers, I really had no interest in the inclusion of the stuff from the films. Well, it looks like with the introduction of the brand new TRANSFORMERS ongoing series, they’re getting back to basics, and I can tell you from the responses I’ve seen from many of you, I’m not alone in my renewed excitement about the Transformers books.

This Wednesday, we get a new limited series from the creative team that brought us the killer MAXIMUM DINOBOTS, and it’s featuring the Autobots, THE WRECKERS. Now, this can only mean one thing, right? Constructicons? We can hope.

Either way, I’ve been impressed so far by the new ongoing series in terms of the writing and the art, so I’m stoked to see where they go with this new limited series.

Click here for a preview ofTRANSFORMERS: THE LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #1

STAFF PICKS

Trish – JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 – It was a quick read, but hey, for a buck, you definitely get your money’s worth. Really cool set-up for what should be one of the best Vertigo books of this year.

Torma – DARK WOLVERINE #82 *SIEGE* - GREAT issue. HUGE surprise at the end involving Daken and Osborn. You thought the end of PUNISHER DARK REIGN THE LIST was a surprise? Read this! TOTAL MAYHEM

Steve – DARK AVENGERS #13 *SIEGE* – This one gets pick of the week for the simple reason that it took a character I absolutely despised, and had me totally digging him by the end of just one issue. The REAL origin of the Sentry is revealed, and it’s an ugly truth. Can’t recommend checking this one out, folks, even if you haven’t followed DARK AVENGERS in a while.

Posted in Featured Books, New Releases |

Tags: amazing spider-man 619, annapolis comic book shop, annapolis comic shop, annapolis comic store, annapolis comics, avengers initiative 32, batman and robin 7, blackest knight, blackest night, blackest night jsa, brian michael bendis, captain america reborn 6, chew 8, chew international flavor, comic book shop annapolis, comic book shop maryland, comic book shop md, comic book store annapolis, comic book store maryland, comic book store md, comic books maryland, comic shop annapolis, comic shop maryland, comic store annapolis, comic store maryland, comic store md, comics annapolis, cry for justice, ed brubaker, frankencastle, geoff johns, green lantern 50, justice league of america 41, kick-ass, kick-ass 8, kick-ass movie, new avengers 61, pilot season demonic, robert kirkman, robocop 1, robocop comic, siege, the gauntlet, third eye comics, third eye comics annapolis, third eye comics maryland, third eye comics md, ultimate comics enemy, walking dead 69 |

No Comments »