And, while the line-up of “Wolverine-centric” books coming out this Fall are all pretty awesome looking in their own right (Uncanny X-Force is going to be off the hook, and I’m stoked on X-23 getting her own ongoing series), I gotta tell you guys, the first issue of DAKEN is pretty freakin’ good. I read the advance earlier this weekend, and it really impressed me.

The series is loosely tied into the whole Wolverine Goes to Hell storyline that began last week in Wolverine #1, and shows us a fully realized character of Daken now. It makes him believable as the son of Wolverine that hid in the shadows for years methodically plotting how he’d one day dominate the world around him. And, now, with his father’s body possessed by demons and laying waste to the world around him, while his soul is imprisoned in Hell below, it looks like Daken’s time to shine has come.

The book is DARK, very dark, and the artwork definitely reflects that, playing up the visceral, and violent tendencies of the Daken character. There’s also a really cool focus on the head-games Daken often plays with his targets.

All in all, for a new ongoing series, this one looks like it’s gonna be a great read. It definitely fills a nice niche in the Marvel line-up of comics as a very dark, stylized anti-hero book for the 21st century. In a day and age, where the anti-heroes of days gone past can be seen as heroes by the public, Daken is the ultimate anti-hero. The character that you know is a bad person, but you can’t help but root for.

Click here for a preview of DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 *WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL TIE-IN*

BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 *Batman Must Die! Pt 2* *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*- THE BEST BATMAN AND ROBIN ISSUE YET? WE THINK THIS MAY BE IT! THE MYSTERIES OF BRUCE WAYNE’S VOYAGE THROUGH TIME REVEALED, THE JOKER’S DARK MACHINATIONS EXPLORED, AND MORE!

Grant Morrison’s BATMAN AND ROBIN series has been freakin’ fantastic, all the way through. From issue #1 to issue #13, it’s remained one of my favorite superhero books on the stands. The level of quality and craft that goes into each and every issue has continued to keep me enthralled, and the selection of artists that Morrison has worked with on it are some of the best in the biz right now. Seriously, folks, if you’re looking for that next classic Batman story in the making, you need to pick up BATMAN AND ROBIN. On a side-note, we’ve got issues 1-13 in stock to get you caught up to current, or you can grab the first hardcover that collects 1-6. Either way, if you’re even remotely interested in Batman, you should check this stuff out.

Now, lets get to talking about this week’s BATMAN AND ROBIN #14. I’ve only read a short preview of this week’s issue #14, but I am convinced that this is the best freakin’ issue of Batman and Robin we’ve seen yet. The first four pages alone are incredible, and they haven’t even been lettered yet, so I’m just going by the pictures, but damn, it looks big. The current story arc, BATMAN MUST DIE, which ties into the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, has shown us so far an evil Thomas Wayne raining on the Bat-family’s parade, the grisly and final depiction of Joker’s grin as a true surgical deformity, and even showing a tragic side to the character. In fact, this is one of my favorite portrayals of the Joker yet, as Morrison manages to make it so you don’t feel sympathy for the sociopath, but the roots of his sickness become murkier. It’s awesome, and revolting all at once to watch the Joker go from hysteria to remorse and fear without losing his smile.

But, the real star of this current BATMAN MUST DIE arc is Damian. The character many of us all hated when he first showed up, and now many of us totally dig, completely goes off the deep end, taking a crowbar and with one swing, defines himself as a character. Damian Wayne shows he truly is a Robin gone bad, and he’ll do the things that neither Bruce or Dick will do.

BATMAN MUST DIE is kind of the high point for Morrison’s BATMAN AND ROBIN series, and there’s no secret why this one is coinciding with RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. This arc feels as epic as the actual RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE arc does, and man, I really cannot wait to read issue #14 this week.

Folks, like I said before, get on with this book, it’s great. Either jump on with issue #13 and, #14, the first two parts of the BATMAN MUST DIE arc, or go all the way back to issue #1 and find out why this is one of the best series out.

Click here for an unlettered preview of BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 *BATMAN MUST DIE PT 2*

X-MEN #3 *CURSE OF THE MUTANTS* *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* – The best damn X-MEN story we’ve read in a long time continues as it’s MUTANTS VS. VAMPIRES, and Cyclops has decided to resurrect Lord Dracula!

Dude, I am so stoked on all the X-MEN stuff going on right now. I really think that they’ve got a good thing going, especially with the big flagship title, X-MEN, right now, and the whole Mutants vs. Vampires thing. In my opinion, the X-MEN comics are at their best when the pace is fast, and the action is constant. And, so far, the first two issues of X-MEN, along with associated CURSE OF THE MUTANTS tie-ins, have proven this in a big way. The fact that the focus is situated predominantly upon the characters you actually want to read about, like Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, and others, makes the book even better. And, if you’re a lapsed X-Fan who’s been wanting to jump back on, then you couldn’t ask for a better jumping on point than X-MEN #1, and then get caught up with issue #2 and #3 this week.

Anyways, after last month’s issue, we saw Blade re-introduced into the Marvel Universe in a pretty awesome way: chopping vampires into little bitty pieces with his badass sword. And, now, working alongside the X-Men, it looks like Blade might not be too cool with their next plan: finding Dracula’s body and reuniting it with his head, to resurrect the Prince of Darkness. Add in that Jubilee has fully crossed over to the dark side, and embraced her vampiric nature, and well, you’ve got yourself a mess of awesomeness.

Like I said, folks, this is probably the most fun I’ve had with X-Books in a while, and I recommend giving it a shot. You’ll really dig it. We’ve currently got all issues of X-Men in stock (issues 1 and 2), and all the Curse of the Mutants tie-ins as well.

Click here for an unlettered preview of X-MEN #3 *CURSE OF THE MUTANTS*

Click here for the official THIRD EYE X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS Checklist and for a full rundown of what CURSE OF THE MUTANTS is all about

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #6 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* – If you’re not reading American Vampire, you’re missing one of the best comics out right now. This one does for Vampires what WALKING DEAD did for Zombies. You gotta check it out! Whether you love, or hate vampire stories… you’ll love this series!

I know for the last 6 months I’ve been rallying on and on about this series, but you know what? I’m not gonna be stopping anytime soon, ’cause it’s one of the best freakin’ comics coming out right now. Writer Scott Snyder has a bright future in comics folks, the man has got the chops, and he has been completely on point with each and every issue of AMERICAN VAMPIRE. And, judging from the amount of new readers that the title picks up each and every month here at Third Eye, we think you guys are feeling the same way.

I know it sounds crazy, but this series, in my opinion, has potential to be the “next” Scalped, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, or Walking Dead. It’s so well-written, and there’s so much room for the characters to grow, I really cannot recommend it enough.

What is AMERICAN VAMPIRE? Essentially, it’s the story of the FIRST American vampire, Skinner Sweet, and how his influence on various people throughout times has affected the world around him. But, just as much, it’s also about a young actress named Pearl, who happens to find herself with a nasty new taste: human blood. In American Vampire, different regions of the world create different types of vampires. And, as we’re shown in the flashbacks exploring Skinner’s origins, sunlight’s not quite as big of a deal for he or Pearl as it is some of the original vampires who came over from Europe. Little bits of trivia like that here and there help flesh out the world of American Vampire, making it something very fully realized.

Now, I know, there’s a lotta vampire stuff going on out there nowadays. You got TRUE BLOOD tearing it up on TV, you’ve been drug to see the Twilight movies maybe, and well, you’re saying right about now: “But Steve, I just don’t dig vampire stories.” Just like I tell folks when they say they don’t dig zombies… this one’s about so much more than the vampires. It’s the characters, the plotting, and the overall feel and pace of the story that draws you in. It’s just a damn good comic.

So, if you haven’t yet checked out AMERICAN VAMPIRE, pick up issues #1-5 this week at Third Eye and get caught up to this week’s #6. We really think you’ll be glad you checked it out.

Click here to read an interview writer Scott Snyder did about the new story arc beginning in this week’s AMERICAN VAMPIRE  #6

GREEN LANTERN #57 *BRIGHTEST DAY* – The first male Star Sapphire debuts in the form of the Predator Entity – Geoff Johns’s GREEN LANTERN continues to be one of the best books out!

Well, it’s almost been about 6 months or so since the conclusion of BLACKEST NIGHT, and overall the verdict on BRIGHTEST DAY has been pretty much that it kicks ass. But, the one book that has not just remained good, but gotten even better, has been Geoff Johns’s flagship, GREEN LANTERN. Starting with issue #53 (a perfect jumping on point for new readers, and those of you who’ve been meaning to get into some of this GL stuff you keep hearing all about), the Brightest Day has taken GL in some very interesting directions.

And, now, this Wednesday, something that’s got us as excited as we were when they first kicked off the story arcs introducing Atrocitus and Larfleeze, is the debut of the first male Star Sapphire, in the form of the Predator entity.

We’re not sure what the story on this one is here, but just judging from how good each and every issue of GREEN LANTERN has been for like the last four or five years, we know that this one’s gonna rock. Definitely snag a copy and find out what all the hype about GL is about this week!

INVADERS NOW #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - ALEX ROSS & “ABSOLUTION” & “AVENGERS ACADEMY” writer CHRISTOS GAGE REUNITE THE CLASSIC TEAM OF HEROES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES IN PRESENT DAY MARVEL CONTINUITY!

Now this is a pretty freakin’ cool idea. I didn’t even realize until reading the descriptions for this new limited series that all of the original Invaders are alive now in present day Marvel U.

So what’s it all about? Well, the highly talented and often criminally underrated Christos Gage (ABSOLUTION, AVENGERS ACADEMY) is paring up with comics legend ALEX ROSS to deliver a story that shows us the first time in modern Marvel continuity that the original Invaders are all alive and in tact at the same time to reunite. But, of course, there’s a catch, you know? And that catch is that there’s some mysterious threat that’s drawn them all together… and it’s somehow linked to the darkest moment in Invaders history, an event so horrifying it threatens all life on Earth today. Sub-mariner, the original Human Torch, the Golden Age Vision, Spitfire, Union Jack, and Steve Rogers give the battelcry of INVADERS ASSEMBLE, and judging from the preview pages; it’s gonna be awesome.

Click here for a preview of INVADERS NOW #1

WALKING DEAD 2011 CALENDAR – These will be going fast, so make sure you grab your’s this week at Third Eye!

All we can say is: what’s better than waking up every day to Charlie Adlard’s horrifyingly awesome WALKING DEAD art shots? Nothing! And if judging from past Walking Dead calendar releases, these’ll be flying fast this week, so make sure you grab your’s fast!

DR. HORRIBLE TRADE PAPERBACK HITS THIS WEDNESDAY COLLECTING THE CHRONICLES OF CAPTAIN HAMMER AND DR. HORRIBLE WRITTEN BY JOSS & ZACH WHEDON! INCLUDES A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN 16 PAGE STORY ABOUT THE EVIL LEAGUE OF EVIL!

We’re pretty much mega fanboys for everything and anything that falls into the realm of Joss Whedon-related projects, and the Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog stuff is no exception. This trade paperback collects the kick-ass Dr. Horrible one-shot from last year, and also (and this is the really awesome part) includes a brand new, never-before-seen sixteen page story about the Evil League of Evil! Plus, more Dr. Horrible awesomeness dwelling within!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 *ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES CHAPTER ONE* – “IRREDEEMABLE” writer MARK WAID kicks off a new Spider-man story with ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES this week, throwing the recently reunited Sinister Six at Spidey!
The birth of Norman Osborn’s son has set off some serious bad mojo!

So, ever since the Gauntlet began a year or so ago, we’ve seen Spidey really being put through his paces. The revitalizing and return of many of his classic Rogues has been awesome. New takes on Kraven, Electro, and Doc Ock, are just some of the few highlights we’ve seen. And, now, with Origin of the Species, everything has come to a head.

See, Norman Osborn got the superpowered Goblin chick, Menace, pregnant oh, 9-10 months ago, and well, now that baby has entered the world, and every single Spidey villain you can think of wants to get their hands on the new strain of Goblin blood. It’s up to Spidey to keep it out of their hands though, and well, hell, just look at that cover… he’s gonna get himself in some serious trouble here.

Add in the fact that we’re seeing Mark Waid penning this one, and if you’re a fan of his stuff on IRREDEEMABLE, then you’re obviously clued in to how awesome Mr. Waid can be.

This one should be a lotta fun! Click here for a preview ofAMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 *ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES PT 1*

ERIC POWELL, creator of THE GOON, kicks off some weird west awesomeness this Wednesday with BILLY THE KID’S OLD TIME ODDITIES & AND THE GHASTLY FIEND OF LONDON!

You know, you can’t help but love Eric Powell’s stuff. His artwork, his storytelling, it’s all got a real allure to it that’s hard to define, but distinct as hell. I mean, the sense of humor in his work is fantastic, but it never prevents a good story from being told or comes off as corny. Plus, his artwork is AAAAWWWEEESOME. And, it’s always nice to see more of that.

Anyhow, this week Powell brings us his tale of the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid, who the world thought dead, but in reality, the Kid has remained very much alive, and working as the hired gun of Fineas Sproule’s traveling spectacle of biological curiosities — aka — freakshow, as Billy calls ‘em. And, what’s his latest assignment? Well, while in London, visiting the true Elephant Man, Billy becomes mixed up in the Whitechapel murders and Jack the Ripper.

SHADOWLAND DOUBLE-WHAMMY THIS WEEK:DAREDEVIL #510 and SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2

We are totally hooked on what Marvel’s got going on with SHADOWLAND, and each and every issue of DAREDEVIL since the event kicked off has been a fantastic way of filling in the gaps between issues of the main SHADOWLAND series. Whether you’re following all the SHADOWLAND tie-ins, or just the core book, we do recommend reading the Daredevil title alongside SHADOWLAND as it helps to really fill in what’s going down in between the issues.

New York City’s crumbling under the weight of Matt Murdock’s new order, and Foggy Nelson is about to make an alliance that no one saw coming, plus things are about to go sour between DD and the Tarantula.

Also dropping this week is SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2 which follows the unlikely alliances of Silver Sable, the Paladin, Misty Knight, and the Shroud as they try to figure out if there’s something sinister going on behind the scenes while everyone’s destracted by DD’s craziness.

Shadowland continues to rock.

Click here for a preview of both DAREDEVIL #510 and SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2

Click here for the whole scoop on SHADOWLAND and the official THIRD EYE COMICS SHADOWLAND Checklist

WEIRD WAR TALES #1 ONE-SHOT FEATURING ARTWORK BY DARWYN COOKE DELIVERS A KILLER ONE-SHOT WAR COMIC EXPERIENCE THIS WEDNESDAY!

It’s pretty awesome DC is reviving some of their key war comics of yesteryear for modern day twists on the title in this series of one-shots, but I gotta tell you, this one, WEIRD WAR TALES, is the one I’m most pumped about.

Why? It’s got DARWYN COOKE doing artwork! This is the guy who’s done amazing art for everything from his indie hit PARKER THE HUNTER to DC NEW FRONTIER. I mean, the guy is great.

And, plus, with promises of zombie soldiers, horror beneath the sea, or battles amongst dinosaurs… this one will definitely put the Weird in WEIRD WAR TALES!

Also, if you’re digging these war comic revivals, we still have copies available of the first in the series of one-shots from last week, OUR ARMY AT WAR.

PUNISHER MAX HOT RODS OF DEATH ONE-SHOT DELIVERS SOME SERIOUS PUNISHER vs. BIKER GANG AWESOMENESS! BLOODY, BRUTAL, AND UNRELENTING!

We’re a sucker for the world of PUNISHER MAX, and these one-shots they’ve been doing recently have been delivering the goods big time. Brutal, quick, and bloody one-shot tales set in the gritty, nihilistic world of Punisher MAX, that drag you down below the surface of society… these have all been pretty solid.

This week, crime novelist Charlie Huston (also responsible for that kick-ass David Finch Moon Knight stuff) delivers a slab of Punisher awesomeness as one of his old fellow soldiers in ‘Nam calls in a favor to deal with a gang of crazed bikers.

This one’s gonna be awesome. Click here for a preview ofPUNISHER MAX HOT RODS OF DEATH

NEW AVENGERS #4 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* – Bendis’s character-driven Avengers books continues to deliver, as we delve deeper into the mystical spectrum of Marvel characters!

We’ve been digging NEW AVENGERS, and I’ll tell you why: it’s got the best characterization out of all the new Avengers titles. Now, granted, my personal favorites still remain AVENGERS and SECRET AVENGERS (highly highly recommend SECRET AVENGERS), but, NEW AVENGERS delivers the best dialogue, and best character-driven storytelling of the buch. And, the reason being is that NEW AVENGERS is composed of pretty much a who’s who of series writer Brian Michael Bendis’s favorite characters. This is the group of characters he completely defined over the course of the last decade, and it only makes sense that they pop so well.

Anyhow, this first story arcs been rad, taking the New Avengers into some serious mystical territory as Hellstorm’s being a real jerk, and Dr. Strange has been possessed by some otherworldly entity.

I’m gonna call it right now, folks, just like the cosmic end of the Marvel Universe was redefined by Abnett and Lanning in ANNIHILATION, we’re seeing the groundwork laid for many potential explorations into the magic characters of the Marvel Universe with this story arc.

Missed issues 1-3? We’ve got ‘em in stock to catch you up.

Click here for a preview of NEW AVENGERS #4

THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: NEW LINSNER ART WITH DAWN: NOT TO TOUCH EARTH ONE-SHOT THIS WEEK!

We know that a lot of you are as big of fans of Joseph Michael Linsner as we are, and it’s always a blast to see his incredible artwork hit the racks here at Third Eye. This week, he’s kicking out a new one-shot that delivers a 48 page all-new one-shot story of Dawn, that shows her in a completely new light.

STAFF PICKS

Steve – WOLVERINE #1 – Dude, it’s like freakin’ CROSSED meets WOLVERINE. Probably the best Wolverine we’re gonna see since OLD MAN LOGAN. Must-read material here.

Trish – SCARLET #2 = This is my favorite new series of the year. A chick and a gun, what’s not to love? Pick up issue 1 and 2 and tell me how you like it. I give it the Trish seal of approval!

Torma – SHADOWLAND #3 = VERY cool read. The most intense book I read last week, and I’m loving the direction they’re going with this whole storyline.

Matt – MORNING GLORIES #1 = I know this one came out already, but with us getting it back in stock this week I decided to give it another read, and it’s really got potential to be the next big Image hit. A great dark conspiracy story mixed with teen drama. Great read and great art.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the fact that this book is tying into the uber-rad CURSE OF THE MUTANTS storyline does help make it even better. I’m so digging the whole Marvel Vampires on the Rampage thing that I’m eager to devour anything tied into it right now, ’cause it’s been off to such a good start. Don’t get me wrong though, this is a quality read, and really has potential to introduce a new character and corner of the Marvel Universe for readers.

Part of the appeal of the first issue is that Namor is such a blank slate that the creative team could really do a lot of new things with the character, and it made not just Namor, but the entire mythology of Atlantis in the Marvel Universe much more interesting. The book read pretty much like a ground-up rebuild of the mythos of Atlantis, while at the same time dishing out some tidbits on the whole Atlantean Vampire thing.

But, enough of my fanboy praises, lets get right to it and talk about what this book is, and where it’s headed.

What is NAMOR: THE FIRST MUTANT? Namor: The First Mutant is a brand new ongoing series that brings one of Marvel’s oldest, and often times, most conflicted, characters center stage. In a nutshell, you could say Namor was the first anti-hero. He was never a good guy, and has straddled the line of good and evil many times before.

The way that they’re approaching the character in this new series is very reminiscent of stuff like Robert E.Howards Conan and Kull stories. You know, the whole mythic, old-world nature of forgotten, fallen kingdoms.

The other cool angle, of course, is the big tie-in to the current X-Men storyline, CURSE OF THE MUTANTS, which is the storyline where the X-Men are fending off a vampiric invasion of San Francisco. While Marvel does say you don’t need to have read X-Men #1 and #2 to jump in, we feel that you will get a much bigger picture of the events that are surrounding the whole story. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Namor has been sent on a mission for the X-Men. See, Namor’s a little extra sensitive to the whole vampire vs. mutant thing considering that many of his own people have been turned into Atlantean vampires.

Why we loved it? It’s a completely fresh, completely new arena of stories for the Marvel Universe. Yes, it does tie into a killer storyline running through X-Men, but it also sets up a very compelling, and interesting sandbox for creators to play in, much like Abnett and Lanning did with the cosmic arena of characters. The way that Atlantis is written in this is so cool, and reminds you of old school arcane worlds, forgotten kingdoms, and even hints of Lovecraftian otherworldly beings.

The writing is tight, and man, the artwork is gorgeous. Ariel Olivetti brings a surreal, dream-like atmosphere to the underwater kingdoms of Atlantis, while delivering a ton of raw energy and action to the story.

All in all, there’s a very cool pulp horror and weirdness that sets the tone for this series. There’s also a modern kind of horror film sensibility that permeates the book, and keeps the suspense running high.

Gotta tell you, folks, this one could end up being the sleeper of the summer. Do NOT miss it! I was super impressed.

Click here for a preview of  NAMOR: FIRST MUTANT #1
Click here for the official Third Eye Comics X-MEN: CURSE OF THE MUTANTS Checklist

THIRD EYE MUST BUY: GUARDING THE GLOBE #1 – “WALKING DEAD”, “HAUNT” & “INVINCIBLE” writer ROBERT KIRKMAN DEBUTS THE MOST BADASS SUPERHERO TEAM BOOK.. EVER in this NEW IMAGE SERIES!

Folks, you know as well as we do: Robert Kirkman can do no wrong. He’s probably one of our favorite writers working today, and I really cannot think of any book he’s written that I didn’t enjoy.

So, it’s no surprise to many of you that we’re super pumped about the upcoming GUARDIANS OF THE GLOBE.. er.. I mean, Guarding the Globe mini-series. Yeah, I don’t know what the scoop is, but I heard (and please note, this could all be rumor :) ) that the name of the series was changed due to it’s similarities to the Marvel title, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Either way, no matter what the book is called, it’s gonna kick ass, and there’s no question about that. I’ve gotten my hands on some preview pages, and trust me, folks, if you love INVINCIBLE, HAUNT,  ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN, ect ect, then your’e gonna love GUARDING THE GLOBE. This mini-series, using characters that’ve mostly originated in the INVINCIBLE corner of the Image Universe, picks the perfect time to focus on many of the characters that we see weaving in and out of the INVINCIBLE title, you know, since Invincible is out in space fighting Viltrumites and stuff.

While INVINCIBLE fans are sure to get a lot out of this one, and totally dig it, we feel that for those of you who’ve never even read INVINCIBLE before, you’ll still get a really great read from this, as the first issue reads really well with many of the characters being freshly introduced to the readers. In other words, it’s a great way to kinda poke your head into Kirkman’s INVINCIBLE world, and see how you dig it. And trust us, folks, INVINCIBLE is pretty much the WALKING DEAD of superhero comics. Incredible character-driven storytelling, over-the-top superhero fights ending in bloody disembowlments, and shocking twist after twist, it’s a series that’ll hook you in just like WALKING DEAD.

Anyways, the plot of GUARDING THE GLOBE focuses on the efforts of Cecil Stedman, director of the Global Defense Agency and the driving force behind the Guardians, and the remaining team members to bulk up the ranks of the team and help the world feel safe and protected again. At the same time, Kirkman gets into the machinations of The Order, an international crime organization, starting to come to fruition, taking advantage of the lessened numbers in the Guardians. So, the question is whether or not the team can get it together in order to stop the plans of the mysterious leader of The Order.

The team line-up is one that’ll be both familiar to those of you who’ve followed Kirkman’s other Image and INVINCIBLE stuff, as well as new. We’ve got some returning characters like Brit, and then newer members like Yeti, Kaboomerang, and Outrun. The thing that’s going to be cool about this series is it allows Kirkman to continue to build the large superhero universe he’s been building for a bit now in books like INVINCIBLE and Wolfman. The man is a fantastic writer, and we cannot wait to see him explore the whole superhero team dynamic in greater detail.

Why You Should Check This Out? First off, it’s written by ROBERT KIRKMAN, and that’s reason enough. He rocks. He rocks big-time. Secondly, for INVINCIBLE fans, it’s your one shot to know what’s going on back on planet Earth while Mark is fighting dudes with evil mustaches in space. And, with “Brit” and “Astounding Wolf-man” concluding, this is a great book to access the Invincible universe outside of the regular book.

And, for those of you who’ve never read “INVINCIBLE”, this book is the only place you’re gonna find yetis, Martians, and invulnerable senior citizens beating up extraterrestrial cephalopods for the fate of Atlantis. I mean, how can you go wrong? Plus, it’s a great spot to jump into the super cool superhero universe Kirkman has been building with INVINCIBLE and other books.

THIRD EYE MUST BUY: BATMAN #702 *RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TIE-IN* – THE SECOND HALF OF GRANT MORRISON’S “UNTOLD TALE” THAT BRIDGES BATMAN: RIP and FINAL CRISIS, REVEALING HOW WAYNE GOT ZAPPED BACK IN TIME HITS THIS WEDNESDAY!

The second half of Grant Morrison’s “Missing Chapter” of BATMAN: RIP continues this Wednesday, and dammit, I wanna read it now, I’m so stoked! Tying into the events of RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, and kicking off in BATMAN #700, Morrison has been exploring, unveiling and expanding upon the disappearance of Bruce Wayne into the timestream. It’s no secret that we’ve been completely hooked on Morrison’s redefining of the Batman mythos, and things have really heated up this summer with the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE.

But, it’s also no secret that we, like many others, were completely puzzled about the conclusion of BATMAN: RIP, and then the sudden Darkseid zapathon in FINAL CRISIS. It SORT OF made sense, but not totally. And, that’s where this current arc in BATMAN comes from, written by the man who penned both BATMAN RIP and FINAL CRISIS, and starting in BATMAN #700, this 3-issue arc shows us just what the device was that Wayne was strapped into, and then in #701, we’re shown what happens after that helicopter blows up, and before Wayne ends up confronting Darkseid. And, this Wednesday, we’re finally going to see the missing piece of the puzzle that not just explains how Bruce Wayne got sent back into time, but also the complete chain of events surrounding BATMAN: RIP and Batman’s fate in FINAL CRISIS.

If you missed BATMAN: #700, or BATMAN #701, don’t worry, because we do still have copies in stock to get you caught up this Wednesday. If you’re even remotely into the Batman books, or if you’ve been totally devoted to the currently awesome RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE arc, then you should check this companion storyline out!

Click here for a preview of BATMAN #702 *RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TIE-IN*

THIRD EYE MUST BUY: AVENGERS #4 – Brian Michael Bendis & John Romita JR continue to WOW the hell out of us with this incredible, over-the-top slobberknocker of a superhero book! Freakin’ War of the Worlds-style Martians, and more! :)

AAAAAAAH. I just got done reading issue #4 of AVENGERS, and man, I’m having a hard time keeping my mouth shut about the spoilers in this one. IT WAS FREAKIN’ OFF THE CHAIN. But, I’m gonna keep silent, I swear!

The AVENGERS has been one of my favorite books this summer. While I still have to go with SECRET AVENGERS as my favorite over-all, AVENGERS is definitely giving it a run for it’s money. John Romita JR’s artwork has been bringing an incredible amount of energy to the page, energy so raw that it makes the characters literally jump off the page at you. I swear, no one draws a big-time superhero slugfest like Romita JR. His unique, stylized approach brings so much movement and pacing to the page. And, Bendis, Bendis is truly impressing us issue after issue, as he manages to tell a bigger-than-life, swashbuckling time-travel saga with the Avengers. The kind of Avengers story that we haven’t seen in a long time, but with a very cool, contemporary twist.

What is AVENGERS? Well, by now, you’ve probably heard me give this spiel a few times, but for those of you who may be new to the shop, or just curious about jumping into the Marvel Univese, here’s the skinny. AVENGERS is kind of the big flagship book of Marvel right now. In other words, this is the book where many of the big storylines happen that impact the rest of the universe. While AVENGERS is a completely self-contained title, it’s kind of ground zero for everything big, and epic in the Marvel U. The first story arc, which has been way too awesome for it’s own good, has shown us that all the alternate futures of the Marvel Universe, ranging from the Age of Apocalypse, Days of Future Past, Avengers Forever, and more, are in danger of crashing down upon the present and just completely destroying everything. So far, we’ve seen a crazy whacked out old man version of Hulk, who could possibly be (and totally resembles) The Maestro, we’ve seen Apocalypse and his future Four Horsemen (Wolverine as Death, Spider-man as Pestilence, Scarlet Witch as Famine, and Hulk as War), and we’ve seen the kids from Next Avengers. Plus, the team line up here is pretty awesome, with all of Marvel’s big guns and major plays on board, and then some very cool newer characters like Marvel Boy.

Anyways, it’s been 3 issues so far of gigantic smash-up tooth-and-nail, broken face fights, and this fourth one… HUGE HUGE reveals continue, and even more superhero ultraviolence.

If you’ve missed the first few issues, we’ve currently got issues #1, #2, and #3 in stock to get you caught up.

Click here for a preview of AVENGERS #4

THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: DRACULA, THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS #1 – BOOM! (publishers of IRREDEEMABLE) and Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY) debut a killer new ongoing series in the vein of the classic Gene Colan TOMB OF DRACULA! This one looks rad!

I am an incredibly huge fan of the old school Gene Colan era TOMB OF DRACULA comics. There was just something interesting, and exciting to be said about a Marvel series that spotlighted the Lord of Darkness as a strange, anti-hero protagonist. And, they’ve never really been able to kinda recapture that magic, at least not until now, I think.

Boom! Studios, the folks who’ve brought us the awesomeness of series like IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE, THE ANCHOR, and more, are kicking off a brand new ONGOING series with Kurt Busiek handling the writing (and folks, this guy is one of the true underrated greats in comics, forget about stuff like Trinity, and look back to his killer work on ASTRO CITY, ARROWSMITH, The Avengers, and much more) that takes the Tomb of Dracula concept and kinda runs with it.

Now, please take note, this is a brand new start, and a brand new series, not a continuation of the Tomb of Dracula series. However, what I’m referring to is that it kinda recaptures the FEEL of that series, in how Dracula was portrayed as this anti-hero sort of character.

Anyways, the series kicks off with a powerful, predatory corporation acquiring a very valuable asset… Dracula, himself! They think they own him, but no one can own the Son of the Dragon. There’s a monster in their midst that puts Hannibal Lecter to shame – and he plans to gain his freedom in blood. Yup, the first arc is one pitting bloodsuckers vs. bloodsucker, and Busiek is bringing a very cool, very modern spin to the Dracula mythos.

Click here for a preview of DRACULA: COMPANY OF MONSTERS #1

THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: ACTION COMICS #892 – LEX LUTHOR’S QUEST FOR THE POWER OF THE ORANGE LANTERN CONTINUES! HOLY CRAP, THIS RUN HAS BEEN GOOD SO FAR!
Lex Luthor vs. Deathstroke the Terminator!

Folks, I have gotta say, this Paul Cornell guy rocks. I mean, I’ve enjoyed his work so much on the previous two issues of ACTION COMICS that I’ve gone back and read some of his really killer Captain Britain and the MI-13 stuff, and damn, it’s criminal that series got canceled. Really, really good stuff.

Anyways, starting in ACTION COMICS #890, Paul Cornell and the uber-talented Pete Woods came aboard to basically make ACTION COMICS into Lex Luthor’s book. Now, what’s been so super rad about this? Well, the main driving plot point is Luthor’s quest for the Orange Lantern ring. The first two issues (which are both in stock to get you caught up here at Third Eye) have been outstandingly good, and what’s really awesome is that when issue #894 hits: Death, from the Endless, aka you know, Neil Gaiman’s classic SANDMAN series, is going to make an appearance. That’s a HUGE deal. Gaiman doesn’t just let anyone use his characters, so you gotta believe that Cornell must be doing something right here.

This week, we’re gonna see old Lex butting heads with Deathstroke the Terminator in his all-consuming quest for power. What’s gonna happen when the DCU’s most ingenious criminal mastermind meets it’s most lethal killer…. well, one thing we can say for sure: pure comic awesomeness!

If you’re not reading this one yet, snag issues #890 and #891 this week at Third Eye, and find out why Action Comics is slowly becoming serious must-read material!

Click here for a preview of ACTION COMICS #892

SHADOWLAND CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH SHADOWLAND: MOON KNIGHT #1

Who doesn’t love Moon Knight? I mean, c’mon, first off: he looks freakin’ awesome. Secondly, he’s some crazy dude who used to cut off the faces of bad guys and sacrifice them to some Egyptian death god, and then third, well, he’s Moon Knight. He rocks. And, of course, being based out of New York, you know that ol’ Marc Spector has to play some kind of a role in the whole Shadowland madness that’s going down.

And, here’s something that’s kind of a twist: Daredevil, now completely insane, and you know, totally evil, is looking to take Moon Knight out… for NOT killing bad guys with him. :) And, to do it, a mysterious figure has been enlisted to help: a second avatar of Khonshu. Has Khonshu finally decided to replace Moon Knight with someone that WILL cut off dudes faces again?

Click here for a preview of SHADOWLAND: MOON KNIGHT #1

Click here for the Third Eye Shadowland Checklist!


THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: SCIENCE DOG #1 ONE-SHOT by ROBERT KIRKMAN, writer of “WALKING DEAD”, “HAUNT”, “INVINCIBLE”, and MORE BRINGS US ANOTHER KICK-ASS ONE-SHOT IN THE VEIN OF SEABEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK. FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. FIGHT EVIL WITH… SCIENCE?!

Okay, so you already saw all the really nice things we’ve got to say about Robert Kirkman earlier in the newsletter when we were going on and on about Guarding the Globe #1. So, you’re aware: Robert Kirkman rocks. End of story. Whatever he writes, it tends to kickass. Okay, so, we got that out of the way.

Now, lets move right on ahead, and talk about SCIENCE DOG. Much like the ridiculous, and totally fun SEABEAR AND GRIZZLY SHARK one-shot.

Words cannot do the awesomeness of Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s Science Dog justice. So, just check out the preview, trust me on this one, folks… if ya dig Kirkman, you’re gonna love it.

Click here for a preview of SCIENCE DOG #1 One-Shot

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #75 DELIVERS A VERY SPECIAL ONE-SHOT ISSUE WITH AN INCREDIBLE ROSTER OF TALENT: DAVID FINCH WRITES AND DRAWS A STORY, ADAM HUGHES WRITES AND DRAWS A SUPERGIRL STORY, PLUS, JOE KELLY, BILLY TUCCI, FRANCIS MANAPUL and MORE!
Don’t Miss This One!

Here’s one that slipped right past me originally, and then upon further inspection, I was like HOLY CRAP, this one’s a must-read!

This week, the 75th issue of SUPERMAN/BATMAN hits, and with it, a slew of incredible creators doing some nice one-shot stories in this oversized issue.

First off, Paul Levitz unites the World’s Finest with the Legino of Superheroes to throw down with Lex Luthor. Okay, that’s pretty damn cool, but, wait…

Joe Kelly, a totally underrated writer in my opinion, joins with many artists to do some great stories. Adam Hughes, who rarely does interior art anymore is drawing a KILLER looking Supergirl and Batgirl story, Francis Manapul, the artist on Flash right now, is doing a Superboy/Red Robin team-up, and David Finch has a HUGE surprise pairing of Bats and Supes that I cannot wait to see.

This one’s a must-have, even for just the one issue, ’cause man, what a great list of creators.

Click here to read more about SUPERMAN/BATMAN #75

X-MEN: CURSE OF THE MUTANTS DOUBLE DOSE THIS WEEK: X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS BLADE ONE-SHOT & X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS STORM AND GABMBIT #1
Two Must-Reads Tying Into the Killer CURSE OF THE MUTANTS storyline!

The Curse of the Mutants has been bad-ass so far, and this week, in addition to the NAMOR: FIRST MUTANT #1, we’ve got two other CURSE OF THE MUTANTS tie-ins coming.

First on the list is the X-Men CURSE OF THE MUTANTS: Storm and Gambit limited series, which shows us how the X-Men may have discovered a means for stemming the invasion of vampires. The bad news though is that what they need is in the clutches of the vampires themselves. Luckily, the X-Men have two thieves in their employ that may just be able to pull off such a heist… Throw in Storm’s own past with Dracula, and this one should be pretty freakin’ cool.

Click here for a preview of X-MEN: CURSE OF THE MUTANTS STORM AND GAMBIT #1

Also hitting this week is the X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS BLADE #1 one-shot, where someone… something… is killing vampire slayers all over the world. Of course, this brings Blade, the biggest, and baddest slayer of them all, to investigate. He’s pulled together an emergency assault team to blitz the vampire legions and force some answers out of whoever’s left standing. But, Blade’s not gonna like what he finds out.

Click here for a preview of X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS BLADE #1 one-shot
Click here for the official Third Eye Curse of the Mutants Checklist

STAR WARS BLOOD TIES TALE: JANGO & BOBA FETT #1 – JANGO FETT & BOBA FETT FIGHTING SIDE BY SIDE – We’re a sucker for Star Wars Bounty Hunter stories!

I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for anything involving Boba Fett. I grew up with Star Wars, but you know, before the prequels. It was during the late ’80s/early ’90s, when it had kinda turned into this just below the surface thing. Everyone knew about Star Wars, but it wasn’t the legendary and iconic thing it is today. Back then, there was a TON of great stories being told in the expanded universe arena, like Heir to the Empire, Dark Empire, ect ect.. and one of those were the solo stories that focused on Boba Fett and other SW Bounty Hunters.

Anyways, long story short, that kinda past is why I’m so pumped to read this week’s SW: Blood Ties with Boba Fett and the less cool, but still not too bad Jango Fett pairing up together on a mission.

Should be pretty awesome stuff.

Click here for a preview of STAR WARS BLOOD TIES: A TALE OF JANGO AND BOBA FETT!

GREEN ARROW #3 *BRIGHTEST DAY* – The new GREEN ARROW ongoing series ROCKS!

The new GREEN ARROW ongoing has been REALLY good so far. We’ve been seriously impressed. The mystery of what’s going on in the forest has been keeping us enthralled, the new harder edge to Ollie is a lot better, and reminds us of Longbow Hunters, and the overall story has been pretty top notch all the way through.

Can’t recommend it enough, if you haven’t checked it out yet, we’ve got issues #1 and #2 in stock to get you caught up.

Click here to read more about GREEN ARROW #3 *BRIGHTEST DAY*

PUNISHER MAX: HAPPY ENDING #1 ONE-SHOT – JUAN JOSE RYP, artist of BLACK SUMMER, NO HERO & NANCY IN HELL, DELIVERS THIS RIDICULOUSLY VIOLENT AND AWESOME PUNISHER ONE-SHOT!

Dude, Juan Jose Ryp’s art is so freakin’ good. If you’re a fan of stuff like GEOFF DARROW, then you really should check this guy out. He’s been one of my favorites since I first noticed him on Warren Ellis’s BLACK SUMMER.

And, hey, this Wednesday you’ve got the perfect opportunity to check out Ryp’s work with this killer PUNISHER MAX one-shot focusing on some serious misfortune that befalls the mild-mannered Joe. See, after a quarrel with his wife sends him seeking comfort at a massage parlor, the mild-mannered accountant enters a whole different world, and gets caught up with a beautiful woman on the run from a vicious mob boss… and well, of course, the Punisher is involved in this one.

It’s Punisher, it’s MAX, you know it’s gonna be bloody, awesome, and with Ryp’s artwork, REALLY freakin’ cool looking.

Click here for a preview of PUNISHER MAX: HAPPY ENDING #1 ONE-SHOT

STAFF PICKS

Steve -IDES OF BLOOD #1- A truly awesome first issue. Caesar’s taken over Transylvania, turned half of his centurions into vampires, and now there’s a serial killer on the loose. Trust me, folks, this one’s gonna be a hit. Great, great read.

Trish – TRUE BLOOD #2 = Hooked on the TV show, and the comic is just as good. I want more!

Torma -AVENGERS & THE INFINITY GAUNTLET #1= AWESOME. Brian Clevinger from ATOMIC ROBO makes this one really fun, and it’s even got SLEEPWALKER!

Matt – BRIGHTEST DAY #8 = One word: WOW. Kick-ass issue that delivers some answers to many big questions surrounding BRIGHTEST DAY. REALLY good read.