Posts Tagged ‘fall of hulks’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT FLASH #3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for a preview of DARK AVENGERS #14

Click here for the official Third Eye SIEGE Checklist

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read a preview of DEVIL #1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for a preview of INCORRUPTIBLE #3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check it out this Wednesday here at Third Eye!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STAFF PICKS

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

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

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

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

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 2/17/10

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!

• ADVENTURES OF SIMONE & AJAX GN
• AIR #18
• ALMOST SILENT HC
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #621 *GAUNTLET PT 10*
• ANGEL #30
• ANGEL #30 VIRGIN ART COVER
• ANGEL ONLY HUMAN TP
• ARCHIE & FRIENDS TP v.v3 CARTOON LIFE
• ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #206
• ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN TP v.3
• ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #21
• ATOMIC ROBO REVENGE OF THE VAMPIRE DIMENSION #1
• AUTHORITY THE LOST YEAR #6
• AVENGERS VS. AGENTS OF ATLAS #2
• AZRAEL #5
• BATMAN #696
• BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE MARSHALL ROGERS
• BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #9
• BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #14
• BLACK PANTHER POWER TP
• BLACK WIDOW AND THE MARVEL GIRLS #4
• BLACK WIDOW DEADLY ORIGIN #4
• BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 3 BLACK LANTERN AQUAMAN ACTION FIGURE
• BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 3 ARISIA ACTION FIGURE
• BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 3 STAR SAPPHIRE ACTION FIGURE
• BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 3 LARFLEEZE, ORANGE LANTERN ACTION FIGURE
• BLACKEST NIGHT THE FLASH #3 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• BLACKEST NIGHT THE FLASH #3 VARIANT *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL LEGEND OF THE SWORD DEMON SC
• BROKEN TRINITY TP
• BUCKAROO BANZAI HARDEST O/T HARD #2
• CAPTAIN AMERICA #603
• CAPTAIN AMERICA #603 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• CARS #1
• CHASE VARIAN ONE-SHOT IS ALL I NEED *BY BLEEDINGCOOL / LYING IN THE GUTTERS COLUMNIST RICH JOHNSTON*
• CHASE VARIANT ONE SHOT IS ALL I NEED LIEFELD VARIANT
• DANTES INFERNO #3
• DAREDEVIL #505
• DAREDEVIL #505 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• DARK AVENGERS #14  *SIEGE*
• DARK AVENGERS #14 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• DARK AVENGERS PREMIERE HC v.2 MOLECULE MAN
• DC UNIVERSE ORIGINS TP
• DEADPOOL #19 *WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN PT 1 – FEATURING SPIDER-MAN!*
• DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #8
• DEATHLOK #4
• DEVIL #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*
• DIE HARD YEAR ONE #6
• DOCTOR VOODOO AVENGER OF SUPERNATURAL #5
• DOOMWAR #1
• DOOMWAR #1 MARVEL WOMEN VARIANT
• DRONE #3
• ENDERS SHADOW COMMAND SCHOOL #5
• FANTASTIC FOUR IN SEARCH OF GALACTUS HC
• FARSCAPE ONGOING #4
• FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH DANCE TP
• FREE REALMS #6
• GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS HAPPY VALLEY #3
• GHOSTBUSTERS HOLIDAY SPECIAL TAINTED LOVE ONE-SHOT
• GI JOE COBRA II #2
• GI JOE TP v.2
• GREEN LANTERN #51 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• GREEN LANTERN #51 VARIANT
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45 VARIANT
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #23 *REALM OF KINGS*
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #23 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• HALO HELLJUMPER PREMIERE HC
• HEAVY METAL SPRING 2010
• HELLBLAZER #264
• HULK #20 *FALL OF HULKS PT 6*
• HULK #20 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
• HULK PREMIERE HC v.4 HULK VS X-FORCE
• HUNTERS FORTUNE #3
• IGNITION CITY TP v.1
• INCORRUPTIBLE #3
• INCORRUPTIBLE #3 VARIANT COVER
• INCREDIBLE HERCULES #141
• INCREDIBLE HERCULES #141 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• INCREDIBLE HULK #607 *FALL OF HULKS PT 7*
• INCREDIBLE HULK #607 MCGUINNESS VARIANT
• INCREDIBLES #5
• INVINCIBLE #70
• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21 2ND PRINT
• INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #22 2ND PRINT
• JENNIFER LOVE HEWITTS MUSIC BOX #3
• JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #42 VARIANT
• KICK-ASS PREMIERE HC *THIRD EYE MUST BUY!!!!*
• KOBRA RESURRECTION TP
• LADY DEADPOOL by ROB LIEFELD POSTER
• LOCKE & KEY CROWN OF SHADOWS #3
• LOCKE & KEY CROWN OF SHADOWS #3 VARIANT
• LOGANS RUN #1
• MAGOG #6
• MARVELS EYE OF CAMERA #6
• MICE TEMPLAR DESTINY #7
• MODERN WARFARE 2 GHOST #3
• NEW DEAD ZOMBIE ANTHOLOGY TPB
• OUTSIDERS #27
• PERHAPANAUTS MOLLYS STORY ONE-SHOT
• POWER GIRL #9
• PSYLOCKE #4
• PUNISHER #14 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 4*
• RESURRECTION v.2 #8
• SAVAGE DRAGON BACK IN BLUE TP
• SIMPSONS COMICS #163
• SONIC UNIVERSE #13
• SPIDER-MAN #1602 #5
• SPIDER-MAN THE GAUNTLET PREMIERE HC ELECTRO & SANDMAN
• SPIDER-WOMAN #6
• STAND SOUL SURVIVORS #4
• STAR TREK DS9 FOOLS GOLD #3
• STAR TREK ROMULANS PAWNS OF WAR TP
• STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #50
• STARMAN OMNIBUS HC v.4
• SUPERGIRL #50
• SUPERGIRL #50 TURNER VARIANT
• SUPERMAN/BATMAN #69
• SUPERNATURAL BEGINNINGS END #2
• TALISMAN ROAD OF TRIALS #4
• THOR BY DAN JURGENS & JOHN ROMITA JR TP v.2
• THE TICK #2 (Ongoing Series)
• TINY TITANS #25
• TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE #3
• TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE #3 VARIANT
• TRANSFORMERS LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2
• TRANSFORMERS LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS #2 VARIANT
• UNCANNY X-MEN #521 *NATION X*
• UNCANNY X-MEN #521 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• UNCLE SCROOGE #388
• VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS #15
• WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #5 *THE GAUNTLET*
• WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #5 DEADPOOL VARIANT
• WEEKLY WORLD NEWS #2
• WOLVERINE DARK WOLVERINE PRINCE TP
• WOMEN O THE DCU SERIES 3 HIPPOLYTA BUST
• ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS AVENTURE #1

The Third Eye Subscription Service

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

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

FALL OF THE HULKS CHECKLIST

THE OFFICIAL CHECKLIST TO KEEP YOU CURRENT WITH YOUR FAVORITE GAMMA-IRRADIATED MONSTERS!

THE NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA REVEALED INCAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN: WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD ONE-SHOT THIS WEDNESDAY!

This is it, folks… is it going to be Steve Rogers rocking the Captain America duds again, or is it going to be Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier? The question to this, and many other things surrounding the epic, sweeping story that Brubaker has laid out with REBORN are answered this Wednesday.

Now, you’re probably wondering “How come this is coming out before CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #6?” Well, there’s two answers to that. The first is that Marvel has pegged this as a pre-emptive epilogue to REBORN. The other answer is that the incredible art of Bryan Hitch tends to make the man run slow, and REBORN #6 should’ve been out by now. From what Marvel has told us though, reading this issue before Cap Reborn #6 doesn’t mess with the sequence too much.

Anyways, I am very excited about this one, because not only have I been enjoying Brubaker’s REBORN storyline, but his entire run on Captain America in general has been some of the best comic reading on the shelves. So, needless to say, I’m pretty stoked to see how this one follows up, and nears it’s conclusion.

And, ontop of all that… this could possibly be (like it’s no secret) the Return of Steve Rogers as Captain America! If you would’ve told me I’d be pumped about that in 1999, I would’ve been hard-pressed to believe you. While I respect the iconic nature of Cap, and some of the great stories of the past that’ve been told with the character (my personal pre-Civil War Cap story being Mark Waid and Ron Garney’s incredible run on the series), I just never really saw that many stories that stood out with the character. In my opinion, it took the influence of Millar’s characterization of Cap in THE ULTIMATES, and then, his 616-characterization in CIVIL WAR, to really get me into the character. Luckily, right around the same time that CIVIL WAR was happening, a (at the time) unknown writer by the name of Ed Brubaker was spinning some very gritty, hard-nosed espionage-fused stories with Cap. And, I’ve been a fan of the character ever since.

Who Will Wield The Shield is kind of a summing up of the last decade of Captain America stories. And, I hate to admit, that this is probably where the road to the end of Brubaker’s run begins. Although, I could be wrong. Anyways, it looks like we’ll be seeing the big decision made between who will be wearing the mantle of Captain America… Steve Rogers, or Bucky Barnes. The thing that makes this so exciting is that the development of Bucky as a character over the course of the last 50-some issues of Brubaker’s run has been some of the best character development of a comic character I have ever seen. And, to be honest, while I’m excited to see how things play out with Rogers, I really would be sad to see Bucky not be Cap.

And, then of course, there’s those spoiler pages in the back of DARK AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS ANNUALS from the last couple of weeks… but, are we convinced that’s who it appears to be? And, that all is what it seems? I guess we’ll find out all the answers this week in WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD.

Click here for a preview of CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD one-shot

And, for those of you who haven’t been following Brubaker’s run on Cap, I want to give you the skinny on where it begins, and why it’s been so damn good. He manages to combine elements of old school pulp fiction with a 21st century spin with the feel of old ’70s and ’80s exploitation movies. Brubaker’s Cap run has been a high-quality superhero book with a definite espionage by way of grindhouse kind of feel to it.

Where to start? CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER VOLUME 1 TRADE PAPERBACK – This trade collects the first six issues of Brubaker’s run, and begins the series with a bang by re-introducing the long-thought dead Cap sidekick, Bucky Barnes. Of course, as we learn through the course of the story, Bucky’s history is  not what we thought, and his re-appearance has him as a conflicted, hardened soldier with a mission to kill Steve Rogers. From, there the story follows in CAPTAIN AMERICA WINTER SOLDIER VOLUME 2, CAPTAIN AMERICA RED MENACE 1 & 2, and so on, and so forth.

Why It’s So Good? Brubaker has managed to take the history of the Captain America series, including all of it’s somewhat B Movie-esque supervillains, and fuse it with a modernistic, 21st century espionage-fueled approach that’s had us on the edge of our seats ever since. Brubaker re-introduced Cap’s wholesome teen sidekick, and revealed his history as a cold-blooded black ops killer, then he killed Captain America himself, and put the reformed Bucky in the costume. All the while, he’s effortlessly blended old with new, and managed to tell one of the most compelling Marvel stories we’ve seen. The grindhouse feel he gives to Cap’s bigger than life supervillains (like Arnim Zola… a robot with a giant face in it’s chest) has given Cap a solid rogue’s gallery to go to bat against.

THREE BIG BLACKEST NIGHT TITLES THIS WEEK! GREEN LANTERN #49 DELIVERS ANOTHER CRUCIAL CHAPTER OF BLACKEST NIGHT!

It’s a good week for Blackest Night, folks, with three killer titles hitting the shelves of Third Eye carrying the Blackest Night banner. And, as we’ve already seen nearly everything tying into DC’s Blackest Night has been high quality reading material.

The biggest of the three, of course, is the newest issue of GREEN LANTERN with GREEN LANTERN #49. The Green Lantern monthly title has been almost as essential as the Blackest Night mini-series itself, written by Blackest Night writer Geoff Johns, and filling in the gaps between issues of the core mini-series, each issue of this title has done a great job of moving the story along and explaining all the stuff that can’t be fit into the core Blackest Night book. This week, we get to see John Stewart’s role in the Blackest Night, and it’s impact on him. John Stewart has always been one of my favorite Lanterns, and the whole GL spin on his past as US Marine is pretty freaking cool. Plus, we haven’t seen a lot on him yet in Blackest Night, and it will be cool to see some more attention put on the character.

Next up, we have the first issue of one of those killer 3-issue limited Blackest Night miniseries that have been so good, and that’s BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #1. I’m really excited about this one, for a couple of reasons. First off, I really love the Justice Society, and secondly, I really dig Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman. Also, the fact that a killer creative team consisting of James Robinson (Starman, Justice League Cry for Justice), and one of DC’s rising star artists Eddy Barrows, along with the addition of classic Kyle Rayner-era Green Lantern writer Ron Marz, makes this one an exciting book to look out for.
From the looks of the preview, and the solicits, it looks like we’ll be seeing a ton of dead JSA and JSA-related characters. Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman, of course is pretty awesome (for those of you who haven’t read it before, I highly recommend the entire run of SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATER), and I’m hoping we’ll see Ted Knight, Al Pratt, and more. Anyways, we’ll be seeing the ultimate in the heroes of today fighting the heroes of yesteryear, with Dr. Midnite vs. Dr. Midnite, Mr. Terrific vs. Mr.Terrific, Sand vs. Wesley Dodds, and more. Plus, you know Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott, will be playing a big role in this, and it’ll be interesting to see where he fits into things (since his backstory and character is a tad different than most of your Green Lanterns).
Click here for the preview of BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #1

Finally, to round things off, we’ve got the Teen Titans #78, which admittedly, isn’t as quite as highly anticipated as the other two, it still looks like it should follow-up on Teen Titans #77 *Blackest Night* (which was very solid, and still in stock here at Third Eye) pretty well. The thing that’s exciting to me the most about this issue is that it’s featuring a pretty sweet team-up between Deathstroke (one of my favorite DC characters), and his daughter Ravager, and of course, we know that means only one thing: they’re gonna be hacking and slashing through a mountain of Black Lanterns. And, we all know that Ravager and Deathstroke have their fair share of fallen foes, and family that’ll be rising up as Black Lanterns to dish out some ass-whippings.

AVENGERS INITIATIVE #31 *SIEGE*FEATURES SPECIAL SIEGE TIE-IN! ANOTHER DOSE OF SIEGE TO PREPARE YOU FOR THE BIGGEST MARVEL EVENT SINCE “CIVIL WAR”

The Road to Siege began with a bang a few weeks ago in the pages of SIEGE: THE CABAL, and now you can fill in another piece of the puzzle with this week’s AVENGERS INITIATIVE #31, tying into SIEGE: THE CABAL. This is where it’s explained why Taskmaster is now seated upon the Cabal, and shows Osborn’s offer, and proposals to this often overlooked (but still, badass) Marvel villain.

And, meanwhile, on the Initiative end of things.. the Initiative gets called upon to assault an enemy that’s carrying some heavy duty power. Could that enemy be Asgardian?

Clickhere to read a preview of AVENGERS INITIATIVE #31

LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME #1ARRIVES FROM RADICAL (PUBLISHERS OF FVZA, CITY OF DUST, ect) from THE WRITER OF FEAR AGENT & PUNISHER – ONE WEEK TO COMMIT THE LAST CRIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY!

Here’s a cool one I got an advance copy of last month, and really dug. Rick Remender (writer of cult favorite FEAR AGENT, and the current Punisher run featuring Frankencastle) has made this one his new pet project, and it reads AWESOME. A great, gritty noir-influenced style of artwork matched with some fast-paced, tense storytelling make this one a very fun read.

What’s the plot? In the not too distant future, the government basically plans to transmit a secret signal that will make it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit a crime. After the complexity of crimes like identity theft, and the rates of terrorism, this is their answer to preventing things from getting worse.

And, that’s where our hero comes in to play, Graham Brick, a low-life career criminal who’s never gotten a break. And, now, he finally comes on a killer way to make the heist that’ll set him up for life. Of course, it’s announced by the media that in just one week they’ll be transmitting that whole Anti-Crime signal, and this leaves Graham with a problem: he has only one week to commit the last crime in American history.

It’s as fun as it sounds, folks, and I’m already itching to see the next one. You can click here to read a preview of LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME #1

FALL OF HULKS GAMMA ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY FEATURING ARTWORK BY JOHN ROMITA JR!

Fall of Hulks ALPHA kicked things off with an awesome, old-school feeling origin story of the Intellectia, a gathering of assorted Marvel mad scientists, ranging from obscure characters like Egghead and the Mad Thinker to big baddies like the Leader, and Dr. Doom. And, now, this week, the other half of that arrives in the pages of FALL OF HULKS GAMMA! Before, I go any further…

IT’S JOHN ROMITA JR… DRAWING THE HULK. NOT JUST THE HULK. BUT LOTS OF HULKS! What more could you want?

Seriously though, it’s not often that I get excited by the artist alone that’s attached to a book, but Romita JR was born to draw BIG. His run on Thor with Dan Jurgens in the ’90s was great, and trust me, it wasn’t because of Dan Jurgens. And, his later work on Hulk was also awesome. But enough of my fanboy freakout over Romita JR, lets get onto just what you can expect this week out of FALL OF HULKS GAMMA.

This finishes up the set-up for the biggest Hulk storyline since World War Hulk, and leaves the stage set for the Fall of the Hulks. We don’t know much, but what we do know is that a certain Hulk’s death sets the entire Hulk family of characters into an unstoppable rage, and could really dish out some serious havoc for the rest of the Marvel Universe.

For those of you keeping track, here’s a quick run down of what’s out in the line of FALL OF THE HULKS so far:
FALL OF THE HULKS ALPHA – still in stock at Third Eye
HULK #18 - still in stock at Third Eye
and now..
FALL OF HULKS GAMMA – in stock at Third Eye this Wednesday 12/23/09

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #3 HITS THE SHELVES THIS WEDNESDAY! THE BEST COMIC YOU’RE NOT READING! FIND OUT WHY CRIMINAL IS A MUST-READ! ISSUES #1 & #2 STILL IN STOCK!

CRIMINAL is flat out the best crime comic I think I’ve ever read. And, that’s a tall order, because crime noir has been pretty well-represented in the world of comics over the past couple of decades. I mean, I loved me some Sin City, and 100 Bullets, but nothing tops CRIMINAL. Criminal is more than just a comic book, it’s an experience. When a new issue comes out, I can spend a good thirty minutes sunk deep within it. Every page, every panel, is packed with so much atmosphere, and storytelling that it really accomplishes that rare feat of sucking you into another world and not letting go.

The alchemy of art and story from Brubaker and Phillips pulls you in, and doesn’t let go.. and just when the story ends, leaving you on the edge of your seat… you’re still left with a good four to six pages of awesome back-matter to read about crime noir. A lot of times, Brubaker has guest-writers come in, and talk about their favorite aspects of genre fiction. Guys like Patton Oswalt rapping about their favorite crime movies from the ’60s just makes the entire package better.

And, folks, this is a book you do NOT want to wait for trade on. The back-matter does not get reprinted into the trades, so you are really missing out on the whole experience.

Seriously, there are very few books that I will proclaim universally as something everybody should be reading, but CRIMINAL is most definitely one of those books.

Now, I’ve sung it’s praises more than enough, you’re probably wondering just what the hell CRIMINAL is all about?

Each story arc of CRIMINAL is self-contained to 4-6 issues. While the characters all exist within the same world, you can read CRIMINAL in any order you please. This means that the current arc, THE SINNERS, is a perfect entry point for those of you who haven’t yet read CRIMINAL. The shared world thing is just a part of what makes CRIMINAL so cool, as it’s neat to see a background character you barely notice in an earlier story become a prominent figure in a later story (as was the case with “Bad Night”). The current arc, the SINNERS, is all about someone who is killing off “made men”.. criminal power-players, if you will, who should otherwise be untouchable. And, since the underworld can’t exactly go to the police, they bring in enforcer Tracy Lawless to investigate things. A conflicted man who doesn’t even want to be working in this world in the first place.

The characterization in this book is so sharp, that by the time you finish the first issue, you’ll feel like you’ve known Lawless all your life. And, with the developments of CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #2, I personally can’t wait to see where things are going in issue #3 this week.

If you haven’t yet read CRIMINAL, we’ll the previous two issues, in addition to issue #3, well-stocked this week, to make it easy on you to catch up. Don’t miss out on one of the best series of this decade.

Click here to read a preview of CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #3

“THE BOYS”, “PREACHER”, & “CROSSED” WRITER GARTH ENNIS’S BATTLEFIELDS: HAPPY VALLEY #1 BRINGS US MORE OF ENNIS’S GRUELLING, BLOODY WAR STORIES! IF TARANTINO’S “INGLORIOUS BASTARDS” WAS A COMIC, THIS WOULD BE IT!

He’s taken superheroes to their darkest extremes in THE BOYS. He’s given a whole, twisted new meaning to survival horror in CROSSED, and he’s written countless other epics (including the legendary PREACHER series)… Garth Ennis is a man who knows how to do comics right. But, there’s one thing, that’s a personal labor of love for him, and it really shows. Some of his best material happens to fall under the genre of war stories, and Ennis manages to tell some of the most brutal, well-paced, yet accessible war stories you could think of.

This go around, he’s back with a brand new series called BATTLEFIELDS: HAPPY VALLEY, and the first issue debuts this Wednesday. The year is 1942. And a young Australian Ken Harding arrives in London, anxious to play his part in the aerial bombing of all those Nazi bastards. Losses are high, and morale is low, but our hero remains unphased until he meets his crew: a foul-mouthed, battle-hardened gang of guys who take no prisoners. And, now they’re headed to the heavily guarded industrial heartland of Ruhr, known to the fighter pilots as Happy Valley.

We’ve seen Ennis’s previous war stuff, and it’s always dripping with blood, and realism, while at the same time keeping in habit with his knack for strong characterization, and sense of dark humor.

If you’re a fan of the Boys, Crossed, or any of Ennis’s other work, we HIGHLY recommend giving his war stuff a shot this week with Happy Valley.

Click here for a preview of GARTH ENNIS’S BATTLEFIELDS: HAPPY VALLEY #1

THOR #605 – DR. DOOM VS. THOR! ASGARDIANS TURNED INTO HORRIBLE CYBORG MONSTROSITIES! THE NEW DIRECTION OF THOR IS AWESOME!

First off, if you missed issue #604 of THOR, you need to pick it up, and hop aboard the current arc of Thor, cause it’s SMOKIN’! We were pretty skeptical about how well the new creative team would do following up a major act like JMS, but they picked up the ball and ran with it, kicking off a brand new story arc that’s bringing all the cool Dr. Doom/Asgard connections to full culmination. If you did miss THOR #604, don’t worry, because we still have it in stock here at the shop, in limited quantities, so you can still hop aboard the monthly series with only two issues to catch up.

As for what’s to expect this week in the newest installment of THOR.. simply put.. it’s DR. DOOM versus THOR in a throwdown that’s sure to be epic. #604 ended with Doom’s Asgardian cyborg hybrid monstrosities coming into plain sight, and then.. a certain God of Thunder appearing on the horizon to deal out some righteous justice.

Click here for a preview of THOR #605

IMAGE UNITED #2 ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY, AND CONTINUES THE HIT NEW SERIES THAT KEEPS SELLING OUT! FIND OUT WHY THIS LIMITED SERIES PENNED BY ROBERT KIRKMAN (WALKING DEAD, HAUNT) & ILLUSTRATED BY ALL THE IMAGE FOUNDERS IS A HIT! #1 STILL IN STOCK AT THIRD EYE!

The first issue of IMAGE UNITED went to a second print almost immediately, and it looks like the second issue will be going to as well. But, worry not, folks, we’ve got PLENTY of copies of IMAGE UNITED #2 coming in this Wednesday, and trust us, you’re gonna wanna give it a look. It’s actually pretty damn cool what they’ve accomplished with IMAGE UNITED, combining the talents of all the classic IMAGE founders on one book written by Robert Kirkman.

So, here’s how it works: Spawn appears in the book.. McFarlane draws him. Witchblade appears. Silvestri draws her. Get the idea? The book itself was a fun read, and is an action-packed nostalgic joyride for anyone who grew up reading comics during the IMAGE era in the ’90s. Bigger than life, with a well-paced story from Robert Kirkman, and tons of killer arrt, IMAGE UNITED is a blast.

Of course, the big reveal at the end of issue #1 was pretty cool… the villain of the series? Al Simmons, you know, the original Spawn, the guy we all remember from back in the day. And, yes, that’s him above with the horns. See, it looks like ol’ Al has found that destiny they always eluded to in those issues of Spawn way back in the day, and now he’s out to wreak havoc on the entire Image universe.

All in all, it’s not a plot-heavy book, but IMAGE UNITED is a blast, and provides a fun read, and a fun trip down memory lane for a lot of us who grew up reading comics in the ’90s. If you need us to put a copy in your box, just shoot us an email!

Oh, and if you missed out on issue #1, don’t worry.. we had a feeling it’d be a hit, and still have a decent amount of issue #1 hanging out here at the store for you to catch up with.

THIRD EYE ASKS “ARE YOU READING?” ABSOLUTION FROM AVATAR PRESS.. THINK ROBOCOP MEETS DEXTER

Here’s one that I wanted to spotlight because I feel that it’s an AWESOME series that’s continuing to fly under the radar here at Third Eye. While issue #5 ships this Wednesday, and I’m stoked about that, I wanted to take a moment to give an overview on the whole series and why I’m digging it so much.

First off, the story of Absolution is set in a world where “vigilante police forces” have been established. Basically, special police departments equipped with superhuman abilities to handle crime in the most extreme ways possible, HOWEVER, they are still required to uphold the same code of ethics as any other law enforcement official… in other words.. they can’t go around making dude’s heads explode.

And that’s where our (anti)hero comes in. John Dusk is one of these special police officers who has crossed the line from law officer to serial killer, albeit, of criminals. In the first issue, we’re led to believe that Dusk has seen many horrors before making this decision, and it culminates in him letting a rapist murderer die of blood loss.

From there, after getting his first taste of justice, he begins leading a double life, compulsively executing criminals, and evil men.

This series has all the makings of a modern day take on the age-old tale that stories like Robocop (but without the trademark satire), Judge Dredd, and more have explored. It kind of reminds you a little of DEXTER, mixed with a world of superhumans.

Plus, the art just gets better and better with every issue! We currently have all issues of ABSOLUTION instock here at Third Eye for you to catch up, otherwise, I’m sure those of you already reading the series are pumped for issue #5 this Wednesday!

HELLBOY: BRIDE OF HELL ONE-SHOT GIVES US A STRONG DOSE OF HELLBOY AND MIKE MIGNOLA TO END THE YEAR!

Nobody does creepy, mythology-rich horror comics like Mike Mignola. Nobody! I’ve been a Hellboy fan since I was just a snot-nosed kid in a Cramps t-shirt, and I gotta tell you, it’s only gotten better since then. This week, we get a nice little Christmas gift in the form of a Mignola-written one-shot with Richard Corben art. If you just want a good Hellboy story, done in one, then this one’s a gotta-read. Or, if you’ve never read a lot of Hellboy before, then now’s your chance to give it a try!

In BRIDE OF HELL, a young girl has been kidnapped and Hellboy’s tracked her down to rural France, where she’s about to be sacrificed to Asmodeus. This one’s definitely a pulpy, weird tale filled with love gone wrong, demonic revenge, ghosts, and the tombs of King Solomon.

Click here for a preview of HELLBOY: BRIDE OF HELL

IRREDEEMABLE #9 & IRREDEEMABLE VOLUME 2 TRADE PAPERBACK ARRIVE THIS WEDNESDAY TO FILL YOUR “SUPERMAN GONE EVIL” FIX!

Are you reading IRREDEEMABLE yet? If you’re not, you really should be. It’s one of our big favorites here month in and month out, and is one of the most well-written superhero books coming out right now.

We’ve got a double dose of IRREDEEMABLE this week for you, with both the 9th issue hitting (which continues from the epic reveals of issue #8), and the second volume of the IRREDEEMABLE trade paperback, which collects issues #5-8.

Why should you be reading IRREDEEMABLE? First off, the book practically pulsates with an insane post-modern 21st century comic book energy. It’s the story of the Plutonian, your standard Superman arch-type, who has gone mad, and started slaughtering the world around him. Basically, it’s SUPERMAN gone EVIL, and it’s great.

Why is it so good? The reason why it reads so well is because the series writer, Mark Waid (the man who did KINGDOM COME), is quite possibly the biggest SUPERMAN fan… in the world. He loves SUPERMAN, he loves the world of SUPERMAN, and he gets the character almost better than anyone else. And, this, this is what it takes to write a well-done take on what would happen if the Man of Steel went wrong? And, what did it take to get him to that point? Because Waid is such a fan of Superman, and his history, he is able to make all those little details that most writers would miss, count.

I don’t know, there’s a certain kind of electric excitement I get when I pick up a new issue of IRREDEEMABLE (and now the companion series, INCORRUPTIBLE), where I know I’m going to be thrust into a world of superheroes that SHOULD be cookie-cutter, but aren’t. They’re more fleshed-out, and three-dimensional than most characters that’ve been around for years.

Simply, put IRREDEEMABLE rules, and you need to check it out! The first trade paperback is only $9.99, and we can either catch you up in the single issues, or you can just follow up with Volume 2!

STAFF PICKS

Trish – Green Lantern Corps #43 – I made this my pick just because of the fact that it was such a fun read, and it was so easy to get into, even though I’m not as familiar with the Green Lantern Corps as Steve or Torma. I do like Guy Gardner, and seeing him running around ripping off arms, and kicking ass was AWESOME.

Torma – Dark Avengers #12- TOTAL MAYHEM! The best issue of DARK AVENGERS yet. They finally do something awesome with the Sentry, and it is bigger than life. There’s a great final page splash that gives a nice reference to what’s coming in SIEGE!

Steve – INCORRUPTIBLE #1 – Man, am I easy to read or what? I was hyped for this one like hell, and it totally lived up to the hype. Incorruptible takes everything you always THOUGHT a sketchy, shady supervillain would do… and makes it happen.. and then shows how tricky his road to redemption is. A great read for Irredeemable fans, and non-fans alike.

WHAT’S NEW @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 12/23/09

• ABSOLUTION #5
• AGENTS OF ATLAS TP DARK REIGN
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #611 2ND PRINT
• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #616 *THE GAUNTLET PT 5*
• ANGEL ANNUAL #1
• ANGEL ONLY HUMANS #5
• ANGELUS #1
• ANITA BLAKE PREMIERE HC BOOK 02 LAUGHING CORPSE
• ARCHIE #604
• ARKHAM REBORN #3
• AVENGERS INITIATIVE #31 *SIEGE TIE-IN*
• AZRAEL #3
• BART SIMPSON COMICS #51
• BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #12
• BATMAN THE WRATH TP
• BEASTS OF BURDEN #4
• BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #200
• BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC #11
• BLACK TERROR #6
• BLACK WIDOW AND MARVEL GIRLS #2
• BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #1
• BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #1 VARIANT
• BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS 10 YEARS AT MARVEL TP
• BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER WILLOW ONE-SHOT
• CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD ONE-SHOT *CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN*
• CHEW #7
• CLASSIC TRANSFORMERS TP v.5
• COMICS BUYERS GUIDE #1662
• COMPLETE DRACULA #5
• CRIMINAL MACABRE CELL BLOCK 666 TP
• CRIMINAL SINNERS #3
• CROSSED #8
• DANNY KETCH GHOST RIDER MINI-BUST
• DAREDEVIL OMNIBUS HC v.2 BY BENDIS
• DARK AVENGERS ARES #3
• DARK REIGN THE HOOD TP
• DARK REIGN SINISTER SPIDER-MAN TP
• DARK REIGN SKRULL KILL KREW TP
• DARK REIGN YOUNG AVENGERS TP
• DARK TOWER BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL #2
• DETECTIVE COMICS #860
• DETECTIVE COMICS #860 VARIANT
• DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP #7
• DOCTOR VOODOO ORIGIN OF JERICHO DRUMM
• ENDERS GAME COMMAND SCHOOL #4
• ENDERS SHADOW COMMAND SCHOOL #4
• FALL OF HULKS GAMMA *FALL OF THE HULKS – FEATURING ART BY JOHN ROMITA JR!*
• FANTASTIC FOUR #574
• FANTASTIC FOUR MASTERS OF DOOM TP
• FANTASTIC WORLDS OF FRANK FRAZETTA HC
• FRANK FRAZETTAS DARK KINGDOM #3
• FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH NIGHTMARE WARRIORS #6
• GANTZ TP v.8
• GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS HAPPY VALLEY #1
• GI JOE ORIGINS #10
• GI JOE ORIGINS #10 VIRGIN COPY
• GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #7
• GREEN LANTERN #49 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• GREEN LANTERN #49 VARIANT
• GREEN LANTERN CHRONICLES TP v.2
• GRIMM FAIRY TALES #43
• GRIMM FAIRY TALES #43 VARIANT
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #21
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HC PREMIERE v.3 WAR OF KINGS
• HALO BLOOD LINE #1
• HELLBOY BRIDE OF HELL ONE-SHOT
• IMAGE UNITED #2
• INCREDIBLE HERCULES #139
• INCREDIBLE HERCULES PREMIERE HC MIGHTY THORCULES
• INCREDIBLE HERCULES DARK REIGN TP
• INVINCIBLE #69
• IRON MAN VS WHIPLASH #2
• IRREDEEMABLE #9
• IRREDEEMABLE #9 VARIANT
• IRREDEEMABLE TP v.2
• JACK OF FABLES #41
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #34
• LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME #1 THIRD EYE MUST BUY
• MADAME XANADU #18
• MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #58
• MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN HC
• MEGAMAN OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS SC
• MIGHTY TP v.1
• MINI MARVELS TP ULTIMATE COLLECTION
• MARVEL MASTERWORKS UNCANNY X-MEN TP v.2
• MONSTERS INC LAUGH FACTORY #4
• MORE THAN COMPLETE ACTION PHILOSOPHERS
• NEW AVENGERS #60
• NEW MUTANTS #8 *NECROSHA*
• NEON GENESIS EVANGELION SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT TP
• NORTHLANDERS #23
• ONE MODEL NATION GN
• POWERS #2
• PSYLOCKE #1 2ND PRINT
• PUNISHER #12 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 2*
• SECRET WARRIORS #11
• SONIC UNIVERSE #11
• SPARTACUS BLOOD AND SAND #3
• SPIDER-WOMAN #4
• STAND SOUL SURVIVORS #3
• STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION GHOSTS #2
• STAR WARS CLONE WARS TP v.4
• STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #48
• STAR WARS LEGACY #43
• SUB-MARINER TP DEPTHS
• SUPERGIRL COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE EIGHT GRADE TP
• SUPERMAN #695
• TEEN TITANS #78 *BLACKEST NIGHT*
• THOR #605
• TINY TITANS #23
• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 FULL COLOR ONE-SHOT
• TRACKER #2
• TRANSFORMERS ONGOING #2 *BACK IN STOCK*
• TRANSFORMERS TALES O/T FALLEN #5
• UNCANNY X-MEN #519 *NATION X*
• UNKNOWN SOLDIER #15
• USAGI YOJIMBO #125
• VICTORIAN UNDEAD #2 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*
• WALL-E #1
• THE WEB #4
• WHAT IF ASTONISHING X-MEN
• WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN HOUSE OF M
• WILDCATS #18
• WITCHBLADE #133
• WOLVERINE ORIGINS #43
• WOLVERINE WEAPON X #8
• WONDER WOMAN #39
• WORLD OF WARCRAFT SERIES 5 ACTION FIGURES
• WORLDS FINEST #3
• X-FORCE CABLE MESSIAH WAR TP
• X-FORCE PREMIERE HC v.3
• X-MEN FOREVER #14
• X-MEN LEGACY #231 *NECROSHA*
• ZORRO #18