Posts Tagged ‘nextwave’

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.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #8 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 2* – THE LEAD UP TO BRUCE WAYNE’S RETURN CONTINUES, AND THE MYSTERIES BEHIND BLACK HAND’S CONNECTION TO BATMAN CONTINUE!

A couple of weeks ago, the biggest Batman story arc in Grant Morrison’s critically acclaimed BATMAN AND ROBIN series began. A story arc that not only intends to answer some very crucial questions about Bruce Wayne, and his relation to BLACKEST NIGHT, but also, serves as a lead-in to this spring’s highly anticipated BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. And, it began with a bang!

Since the beginning of Blackest Night, we’ve all been wondering what the deal was with Black Hand, and the supposed skull of Bruce Wayne. In Blackest Night 5, we were completely mind-boggled by what appeared to be the resurrection of Batman as a Black Lantern. Of course, there were some little clues and hints that it may not be the real thing. In other words, there’s some very well done collaboration going on between Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and DC’s editorial department in making sure that everything links up how it should.

And, this leads us to Grant Morrison’s BLACKEST KNIGHT storyline which began in BATMAN AND ROBIN #7, and will be running through BATMAN AND ROBIN 8 and 9. We started out in BATMAN AND ROBIN #7, with the reintroduction of two of my personal favorite characters: Knight and Squire. Essentially, England’s answer to Batman and Robin. They’re assisting Dick Grayson in locating one of the last remaining Lazarus Pits. We get a very cool, and interesting trip into the underworld of England, and even a neat look at the Rogues Gallery of Knight and Squire. It’s kind of cool to see the paralells that run between here and Gotham City. Of course, we know why they’re looking for the Lazarus Pits, but you and I both know things aren’t going to work out quite how they should. The end of BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 showed us something very cool, involving the gloved hand of a certain Dark Knight. But we’re thinking that all is not as it seems.

This week, the storyline continues in BATMAN AND ROBIN #8 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 2*, as we see Dick Grayson, Knight, Squire, and Batwoman explore the mysteries of the Lazarus Pit,  and the terror they may have unleashed on the world. The ties between Bruce Wayne and Blackest Night baddie, Black Hand may be revealed a little more. Meanhwhile, back in Gotham City, Alfred and Damian (Robin), who’s recuperating, are at the mercy of some serious bad mojo.

Folks, I can’t stress enough how great of a book BATMAN AND ROBIN has been, and it just gets better. If you’re not reading Batman and Robin, and you’re a Batman fan at all, then you are missing out on what is possibly the best Batman monthly series in many years. Morrison has demonstrated his passion for the characters by not paying homage to great stories of the past, but also, adding a fresh, new dynamic to the characters, and their world. I mean, in just 8 issues, Morrison’s introduced several villains and supporting characters that’re already much more interesting than some characters that get full 6 issue arcs fleshing out their back stories. And that’s after just a few panels of appearances!

If you’re looking to hop onboard with the current arc, BLACKEST KNIGHT, you can do so by grabbing BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 1*, this serves as a fantastic jumping on point, and is a great area for new readers to come aboard. If you’re really intrigued by the series, and want to get the entire run so far, we currently have issues 1-7 all well-stocked here at Third Eye.

Either way, be sure to check out BATMAN AND ROBIN #8 *IN BLACKEST KNIGHT PT 2*

Click here to read an interview with Grant Morrison about BATMAN AND ROBIN: IN BLACKEST KNIGHT

HAUNT #5 – THE FIRST STORY ARC IN THE HIT ONGOING SERIES FROM ROBERT KIRKMAN (WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE) AND TODD MCFARLANE CONCLUDES THIS WEDNESDAY!

One of the best books to come out of 2009 was the new Image ongoing series HAUNT. Written by one of our favorite writers here, Robert Kirkman (the man behind WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE), and illustrated by comics legend TODD MCFARLANE, and rising star INVINCIBLE artist RYAN OTTLEY, HAUNT is a true all-star title. Each issue is better than the last, in our opinion, and we feel that Kirkman is really hitting his stride now with issue #5 due out this week. The beauty of HAUNT is it celebrates the fun you can have with comics. It brings you back to when you were 13, and you found yourself saying “THAT’S SICK!!”, but at the same time, it’s got a very well-written story that keeps you interested, and doesn’t come off as one-dimensional. It’s this combination of a visceral fun read, with a well-paced, and well-crafted storyline that makes HAUNT so damn good. Oh, and the art is crucial. :)

What’s Haunt all about? HAUNT is the story of two brothers. Kurt and Daniel Kilgore. Daniel, a catholic priest, is estranged from his brother Kurt, a government agent. When Kurt gets murdered, due to his mission, and his refusal to follow the agenda of it completely, soemthing goes wrong. He’s still on this plane, as a ghost, and as his brother Daniel, is about to be murdered in connection to Kurt, Kurt posesses him, and the two bond.. forming HAUNT. The two begin a bloody path to find out the mysteries behind Kurt’s murder, and also how to protect themselves and any of their loved ones from being hurt in the crossfire. And, this is just the first story arc.

Why we love it? On the surface, the plot sounds like it could be a little one dimensional, but that’s the beauty of HAUNT. Kirkman takes an ages old concept (two brothers who hate each other, one dies, the other takes vengeance), and adds depth, and a compelling storyline to it, which makes everything seem fresh. The art and story mesh together perfectly, and each issue is a literal breakneck joyride from cover to cover. The book is violent as hell, which adds to the hyper-kinetic visceral appeal the series has. And, the plot, and characterization are just plain great. The story behind Kurt and Daniel continues to flesh out with each issue, making for a more compelling relationship between the two brothers. The supporting cast, as well as the “bad guys” of the series also gain more depth as things go on. Another reason why we love it? Every issue is packed with those moments that evoke that teenage excitement of a stack of comics, and Slayer albums, where you just go “dude.. that’s awesome.” The way that Kirkman is exploring the character’s powers is pretty damn cool, and there’s many moments when it comes down to that.

Want to Catch Up? We currently have HAUNT issues #1-4 all well-stocked here at Third Eye, so if you’re interested in hopping on, we got you covered.

ADVENTURE COMICS #7 *WHAT WOULD BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY DO?* FEATURING BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY - A VERY SPECIAL BLACKEST NIGHT ISSUE EXPLORES BLACKEST NIGHT’S EFFECTS ON CONNOR KENT!

Blackest Night continues to deliver some of the best stuff on the stands. The conclusion to last week’s BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN was awesome, and that QUESTION one-shot rocked pretty hard too. And, now this week, we get to see a very cool one-shot issue of ADVENTURE COMICS featuring Connor Kent, Black Lantern. You might remember at the end of BLACKEST NIGHT 5, and then throughout BLACKEST NIGHT 6, many of the DCU’s characters who had previously returned from the grave (like Green Arrow, Superman, Wonder Woman, and yes, Superboy) were reclaimed by Nekron, and converted into BLACK LANTERNS.

Picking up on that plot thread, this week, in ADVENTURE COMICS #7, we get to see the very dark side of Superboy, as all the nasty stuff hiding beneath his subconcious comes to surface. And, according to the DCU Source blog, we learn a pretty nasty secret about Connor Kent that’s going to blow a lot of fans away. In addition, something big that’s supposed to significantly impact the character and his place in the DCU is supposed to happen in this issue as well.

All we know is that Adventure Comics has been one of our favorite new DCU titles since issue #1. Geoff Johns launched this series perfectly, and it’s continued to carry steam all the way through. We did think it may have jumped the shark a little with Superboy Prime, but now that they’ve gotten back to focusing on Connor Kent, it’s picking back up a lot of steam. PLUS, it’s Blackest Night this week, and it’s one of the coolest Blackest Night angles we’ve seen: what does the corrupting influence of Nekron do when it taints heroes who already escaped death once?

Click here to read more about ADVENTURE COMICS #7 FEATURING BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY

SECRET SIX #18 *BLACKEST NIGHT*CONCLUDES THE SECRET SIX / SUICIDE SQUAD BLACKEST NIGHT SAGA! FIND OUT WHY SECRET SIX IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE DC BOOKS!

Secret Six has really turned into one of my favorite DC titles over the last year and a half. Gail Simone proves that she’s one of the best “team book” writers in the biz, and especially excels at working with characters that have been out of the spotlight for a bit. Her characterization of the members of Secret Six is dead on, and has fleshed out this team as a very cool, very solid line-up. The concept of taking a line-up of assorted DC supervillains, and neutral characters, and using them as a last resort kind of team.

The current story arc that’s been going down is a crossover with the predecessors of Secret Six, the Suicide Squad. Gail Simone has teamed up with the original Suicide Squad writer, John Ostrander, to tell this tale, and set against the backdrop of BLACKEST NIGHT, it’s been great.

Suicide Squad #67 is where it begins with the original Suicide Squad, featuring characters like Bronze Tiger, Amanda Waller, and more, going head to head with the Secret Six… and the common theme? Deadshot. A prominent member of both teams, and both teams want him. Of course, there needs to be a reason for why this book carries the Blackest Night banner, and it’s in the shape of old school DC villain, The Fiddler. Yes. The Fiddler. Seriously. But, it works, we swear!

The story continues in SECRET SIX #17, and admittedly, feels much smoother than the rocky start of SUICIDE SQUAD #67. Gail Simone’s quirky characterization of the Secret Six really shines here, against the backdrop of the Black Lantern invasion. The brutality of the Black Lanterns is really taken up quite a few notches in both this and Suicide Squad 67, showing us some of the creepiest, most intense actions by the Black Lanterns yet. They’re savage as hell, and haven’t shown vicious streaks like this since Blackest Night #1. Caliafore’s art really brings the Lanterns to life.

This week, the storyline concludes in the pages of SECRET SIX #18 *BLACKEST NIGHT*, and all that needs to be said is Amanda Waller is unleashing a Manhunter on the Black Lanterns.

If you missed Suicide Squad 67, or Secret Six 17, don’t worry, we still have plenty of both in stock.

MESMO DELIVERY GRAPHIC NOVEL ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY, AND DELIVERS ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING NEW STORIES I’VE SEEN! EX-BOXERS, ELVIS IMPERSONATORS,  AND SOME INCREDIBLE ART!

One thing that I take pride in here at Third Eye is we have a pretty good eye for new talent, and finding those real gems that could be often overlooked amongst the sensory overload of the monthly PREVIEWS catalog. The most recent of these killer finds, is the graphic novel MESMO DELIVERY by Rafael Grampa. This is something that I’ve been excited about since I first heard about it last year. The artwork is INCREDIBLE looking, and reminds me of a cross between Geoff Darrow and Paul Pope. And, the story concept sounds AWESOME.

What’s MESMO DELIVERY about? Mesmo Delivery is about a don’t ask, don’t tell delivery service that employs Sangrecco, an aging Elvis impersonator, and a retired boxer named Russo. From there, we follow the pair as they descend into a gritty, grungy hell of shady deals, and shadier characters. There’s some very cool storyline twists, and turns, so we’re trying not to say too much about the plot, because it’s one of those stories that pulls you in, and takes you to some very unexpected places. It’s a very cool action/horror kind of vibe that the book carries.  It almost reminds you of something like Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, with the level of violence and consequences that apply to it.

Why we love it? Well, first off.. the artwork is INCREDIBLE. I mean, I think most of you guys can tell that I tend to pay more attention to writers than artists, but I do appreciate good art, and dude, Rafael Grampa has got it. The characters in the book are ugly, but in that noble way, where you can almost hear the sounds of Johnny Cash playing in the background as they crash through their twisted world. The characters are over-the-top, but the dialogue helps keep them grounded in believability. From the story, to the art, to the whole aesthetic of the book in general.. we can’t talk enough good about MESMO.

MESMO DELIVERY kind of feels like a weird cross between SCALPED and THE GOON. Gritty as hell, hardcore to the max, but, also, very much over-the-top. We can’t recommend this one enough folks, check it out this week!

Click here to read a preview of MESMO DELIVERY!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #620 *THE GAUNTLET PT 9* THE RETURN OF MYSTERIO CONCLUDES HERE!

The Gauntlet storyline that’s been running through Spider-man has been top notch all the way through. There’s just something that’s cool about getting Spidey back to his roots, and reintroducing all the classic Spider-man villains we all grew up with. From the very start with the new twist on Electro, up through the new Rhino… it’s been good reads all the way through.

What is the Gauntlet? The Gauntlet is an over-arching themed storyline that’s running through AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. It began in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #512, and has consisted of two and three issue mini-story arcs reintroducing many of Spide-man’s deadliest classic Rogues (Sandman, Electro, Rhino, ect). The whole thing is leading up to the return of the Sinister Six, and is kind of a way of wearing Spidey down one by one, for the devastation that The Sinister Six will deliver en masse.

Want to catch up on THE GAUNTLET? Click here for the Third Eye Gauntlet Checklist. All issues are currently in stock here at Third Eye!

Now, onto the current story arc.. Mysterio! The reintroduction of MYSTERIO has been pretty badass, and the character is as vicious as he’s ever been. This Wednesday, we see the third and final chapter of Mysterio’s “introduction arc.” Marcos Martin’s artwork in this arc has been incredible, and Dan Slott has been able to deliver a very fresh, fast storyline that has kept us interested. In fact, I think that’s part of what has made the GAUNTLET so good is the rotating arcs have featured different creative team, giving each classic Spidey villain their own distinct feel, and energy. In other words, what works for Sandman, may not work for Rhino, and so on. We haven’t seen much of Mysterio, other than him acting as a behind-the-scenes puppet master, but we’re expecting in this week’s issue to see what’s up with his motivations, and renewed interest in the wallcrawler.

Click here for a preview of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #620

HELLBLAZER: PANDEMONIUM GRAPHIC NOVEL ARRIVES WEDNESDAY! BRAND NEW STORY! ORIGINAL WRITER JAMIE DELANO RETURNS TO CONSTANTINE WITH LOSERS ARTIST JOCK!

As long-time Hellblazer fans, we’re very excited about the news of original series writer, Jamie Delano, returning to Constantine’s world again. And, even better, is he’s paired up with the incredibly talented Jock for the art duties on the book. And, even better than better, is that the plot behind this new original graphic novel featuring everyone’s favorite con artist sounds pretty damn cool.

First off, Delano takes Constatine to a place he’s never been: Iraq. The ultimate anti-authoritorian, Constantine, has been somehow convinced (or coerced) by government agents to be their interrogation expert on a P.O.W who’s been driving all the other interrogators mad with some form of magic.

Delano carefully crafts a tale where the politics don’t get in the way of the story, but are still made relevant in regards to Constantine and his world. The real cool aspect of Constantine’s new surroundings is all of the interesting occultism, and mysticism that hasn’t really been explored that deeply before in the pages of Hellblazer.

Jock’s artwork fits the story perfectly, making it so you can almost feel the oppressive sunlight beating down on you, and feel the sand stinging your face. His art, and Delano’s story makes a perfect match, and the end result is a damn good Hellblazer story. Probably one of the best ones we’ve seen in a few years.

Click here for a preview of HELLBLAZER PANDEMONIUM

WARREN ELLIS’S NEXTWAVE ULTIMATE AGENTS OF H.A.T.E
COLLECTION TRADE PAPERBACK OUT THIS WEEK! ONE OF ELLIS’S BEST! HILARIOUS, WHACKED OUT, OVER-THE-TOP SUPERHERO SCI-FI MARVEL MADNESS!



Back in 2006, one of the best damn Marvel comics of this past decade was released. A rare fusion of over-the-top superhero awesomeness, twisted humor, bigger than life sci-fi madness, and of course, a generous helping of the inimitable Warren Ellis, Nextwave quickly rose to the top as one of those books that many comic fans hadn’t read, but anyone who had.. LOVED IT. Not just loved it, but we were fanatical about it. Talking about it in reverant tones. And now, after a couple years of the first volume trade paperback of this series being out of print, Marvel has put the complete series (volumes 1 and 2 of the trade paperbacks) together in one giant slab of awesome. So, lets talk a little about what the heck NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E is all about.

WHAT IS NEXTWAVE? NEXTWAVE was a series that was written in two issue story arcs.  Each issue starting with a humorous F.A.Q in which the questions are answered in enthusiastic, over-the-top, marketing language that goes into some strange and disturbing territories. This also helps introduce the characters to readers, as well as fleshing out the world for first-time readers. The actual NEXTWAVE team, AGENTS OF H.A.T.E, is composed of several minor, third-string Marvel characters, like  Monica Rambeau, the former Captain Marvel, Tabitha Smith, formerly known as Boom Boom / Meltdown from X-FORCE, Aaron Stack, the Machine Man, Elsa Bloodstone, the Monster Hunter, and a brand new character only known as The Captain (formerly known as CAPTAIN ####, but apparently the words were so horrible that, allegedly, Captain America beat the hell out of him, and left him in a dumpster with a bar of soap in his mouth). This team are known as H.A.T.E, which stands for Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, and are tasked with fighting U.W.M.D (Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction). Once the team finds out they’re funded by S.I.L.E.N.T, a terrorist group, they pack their bags, and hightail it in the Shockwave Rider. They fly around, getting into messes, destroying U.W.M.Ds S.I.L.E.N.T has planted all around the country as H.A.T.E commander Dirk Anger (a parody of NICK FURY) pursues them.
The U.W.M.Ds include Fin Fang Foom, Broccoli Men, Ultra-Samurai, and the Mindless Ones.

Why We Love NEXTWAVE? Warren Ellis once described his process on NEXTWAVE as being the Authtority stripped of all logic, and insanity. He said it’s an absolute distillation of the superhero genre, and said that he was going for a series that was 100%, pure, unadulterated comic book mayhem and fun. People kicking people, and exploding.  And, this, this is why we love NEXTWAVE. It’s funny as hell, violent as hell, and has an insane energy that literally leaps off of each and every page. The dialogue, of course, is on point, and sharp as hell, with Ellis putting his distinct flavor on both that and the high-action storytelling. The characterization is quirky as hell, but awesome. Machine Man as an alcohol-chugging, human-hating jaded, bitter robot, Boom Boom talking in internet speak, and memes, and more make the cast really shine. And, then there’s the flashbacks, where we see characters like Captain America, Ulysses Bloodstone, and The Celestials acting comedically out of character. NEXTWAVE feels like a weird cross between bigger than life Silver Age MARVEL COMICS, post-modern superhero storytelling like THE AUTHORITY and the ULTIMATES, an internet forum where people post pictures of cats in zany messes, and a 16-bit shoot’em up video game.

In other words, NEXTWAVE is awesome.

This Wednesday, we’ll have the complete NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E ULTIMATE COLLECTION trade paperback available here at Third Eye, and if you just flat out enjoy good comics, we recommend picking it up.

CHOKER #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* – BRAND NEW HARDBOILED CRIME NOIR MINI-SERIES FROM BEN TEMPLESMITH (artist on FELL, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, ect). FANS OF FELL CHECK THIS OUT!

One of our favorite artists here at THIRD EYE is BEN TEMPLESMITH. He’s done an incredible amount of stuff, including the modern classic series FELL, the horror series that spawned a franchise 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, the DEAD SPACE comics, and much, much more. His style is unique, fresh, and very cool.. and it’s a perfect fit for crime noir series, as showcased by FELL.

This is why we’re so freakin’ stoked about his brand new series CHOKER from IMAGE COMICS. The story of CHOKER features Johnny “CHOKER” Jackson, who was once one of SHOTGUN CITY’s most promising police officers, and is now a bitter private detective. And, now he’s been offered his job back on the force, provided he can nail a twisted drug dealer that’s selling a very exclusive product. Oh, and he’s got a terrible case of something called Alien Hand Syndrome.

Judging from the preview pages we’ve seen, this one looks very promising as an exploration of a dirty, filthy city brimming with corruption and despair. The perfect setting for a good crime noir comic. And, while the premise does seem very familiar, considering we’re all very big fans of FELL, we’re sure it’s got a much different twist than Fell, not to mention the storytelling of FELL is very much dependant upon the unique format Ellis uses for it. In other words, this is a fresh new crime noir book that is going to kick seven different kinds of ass. Templesmith has proven in the past he’s got a good knack for plotting, and his artwork speaks for itself.

Check out a preview of CHOKER #1 by clicking here.

GRANT MORRISON’S ALL-STAR SUPERMAN VOLUME 2 TRADE PAPERBACK AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE!

The second half of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s (the creative team that launched the current hit series, BATMAN AND ROBIN) ALL-STAR SUPERMAN arrives this Wednesday in softcover, and it’s definitely a big deal. While it’s been almost a year since the actual hardcover of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN v.2 arrived, we do know that some of you have been waiting for the second volume to hit softcover, and we’re sure you’re gonna be stoked to finish up this epic run.

Morrison’s ALL-STAR SUPERMAN is probably one of the best takes on the Man of Tomorrow we’ve ever read. This storyline came out back before Geoff Johns had shown us why Superman can be cool, and we can proudly say that this series was the first in opening the door to us really appreciating the character of SUPERMAN. From the storytelling to the artwork, it’s top notch all the way through. Not familiar with ALLSTAR SUPERMAN? Here’s the skinny..

What’s ALL-STAR SUPERMAN all about? Grant Morrison did something that, at the time, was impossible. He showed us how cool the Silver Age was, and how cool those concepts could be. In this 12 issue limited series, Morrison stripped the Man of Steel down to his timeless, iconic appeal, and showed us why he is one of the best comic book characters of all time. The story? Superman is dying of what is essentially a super-cancer, and each issue deals with him tying up his affairs and leaving the world in the best shape possible that he can.

Basically, when a team of scientists on a mission to explore the sun ends up in danger, Superman swoops in to save the day from a genetically enhanced clone of Lex Luthor. Luthor, of course, has orchestrated all of this to overwhelm Superman’s cells with a massive amount of solar radiation, giving him the power to project his bioelectric aura, but also overloading his cells.. and leaving him with one year to live. Superman hides his impending death from the public, but embarks on a 12 issue journey to wrap up his affairs. Moments ranging from his reveal of his secret identity to Lois, and the design of a “Super” suit for her to be like him for a day, to the death of Pa Kent, all make for very heart-touching moments in Superman lore. The series more or less takes the Silver Age quirkiness of the old Superman comics, and puts a modern day spin on it, making for a really cool read. You see that some of the things that make Superman great are the bigger than life scenarios he ends up finding himself in. The story is all set within it’s own continuity, allowing Morrison to do exactly what he wishes with the story, and making the story stand alone as a solid piece of storytelling.

Simply put, this is one of the best Superman stories of all time, and even if you HATE the character.. we guarantee that by the end of the first chapter of the first trade paperback, you’ll end up in love with the whole concept of Superman and the world he exists in.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN volume 1 trade paperback is currently in stock now at Third Eye, and volume 2 will be available in softcover this Wednesday.

“WONDERLAND” PUBLISHERS ZENESCOPE UNVEIL NEW SERIES: SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED #1 THIS WEDNESDAY!

The fine folks at Zenescope who’ve brought you twisted renditions of the Alice in Wonderland sagas, and now currently, with their dark take on the world of NEVERLAND, have brought us a brand new series in addition to their library, in the shape of SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED. This new series takes classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy stories, and ideas, but adds a brand new twist to them, and of course, the killer cutting edge artwork of Zenescope’s impressive roster of artists.

It looks to be a throwback to the old pulp fiction tales of way back when, but with a modern twist, and judging from Zenescope’s track record on stuff like Wonderland, and Grimm Fairy Tales, this one should be a fun, tongue-in-cheek twist on some great sci-fi yarns.

PUNISHERMAX #4 CONTINUES JASON AARON’S (writer of SCALPED) BRUTAL, UNRELENTING RUN ON THE PUNISHER! THE BEST PUNISHER RUN SINCE GARTH ENNIS’S MAX RUN CONTINUES! ENTER: BULLSEYE!

Every issue of Jason Aaron’s new run on PUNISHERMAX takes the level of brutality up another notch. We thought he couldn’t top issue #2, but he totally did with some of the ridiculous, brutality that was in issue #3. We were definitely of the school of thought that when Garth Ennis’s character-defining 60 issue run on PUNISHER ended, there wasn’t much left to  say, but we were wrong. Aaron has taken the ball that Ennis left behid, and ran with it. The series feels like it’s picked up shortly after the end of Ennis’s run, and carries the same tone perfectly.

In addition, Aaron has added a lot of interesting new dynamics to the world of PUNISHER MAX, including the introduction of characters like Kingpin into the gritty, realistic world of PUNISHER MAX.

For those of you unfamiliar with the world of PUNISHER MAX, it’s basically a separate continuity from the regular 616 Marvel Universe. There are no superpowers in this world, and the Punisher mostly goes head to head with real criminals ranging from the Mafia to Russian slavers to war criminals and more. Existing Marvel characters are introduced at some points, but they’re chosen only by being within the bounds of believability (i.e Kingpin, or Nick Fury), and their superhuman attributes are downplayed (no Nick Fury jetpacks, no Kingpin kung fu).

And, this is the perfect setting for a character like the Punisher, who’s portrayed as more of a lone sociopath, in the vein of Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle, than a rocket-launcher toting superman.

And, in this week’s latest issue of PUNISHERMAX, it looks like we might be seeing just how the MAX version of Bullseye operates. Should be awesome.

Wanna catch up on PUNISHER MAX? We currently have plenty of issues 1, 2 and 3 in stock here at Third Eye.

Click here for a preview of PUNISHERMAX #4

DAYTRIPPER #3 CONTINUES VERTIGO’S KILLER NEW SERIES!

One of the best new Vertigo series we’ve seen in some time is DAYTRIPPER from the team of Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. This series, only three issues in, has proved to be one of the most poignant slice-of-life tales we’ve seen in quite some time… with a very cool twist on the everyday trials and tribulations of a young obituary writer who feels he’s not living up to the standards he’s set of himself.

I don’t want to give away too much for those of you who haven’t read the first issue yet, but it’s got a very shocking ending, and then from there goes into some very unexpected territory in issue #2. For those of you who did read #2, then you can see the direction the story’s taking, which while different from what I had expected.. is very cool.. showing us the past of the main character, Bras.

I think what’s kind of unique about Daytripper is also what makes it kind of hard to explain… it’s a complete mystery, but in a good way. The writing and art is so good that you almost could care less about what the story is ABOUT, and you just kind of let it pull you in, and carry you where the story’s going. Moon and Ba obviously have many surprises up their sleeves with this one, and we feel that each issue is going to continue to confirm what we thought from the start: this series is going to be something special.

If you’re not yet reading Daytripper, and enjoy stuff that captures the small moments in life well, while still weaving a compelling tale, then we highly recommend checking it out. We currently have plenty of issues #1, and issue #2 in stock, so catch up to issue #3 this week here at Third Eye.

Click here for a preview of DAYTRIPPER #3

THE ANCHOR #5 and THE ANCHOR TP v.1 (collecting issues 1-4, only $9.99) ARRIVE THIS WEEK FROM BOOM! (publishers of IRREDEEMABLE & INCORRUPTIBLE) – HELLBOY MEETS KAIJU MONSTER FIGHTING INSANITY!

One very cool, little sleeper book that started late last year was BOOM!’s ANCHOR ongoing series. This book has been a lot of fun, and takes a couple of standard comic book ideas (a holy avenger, a giant monster fighter, ect ect) and puts a fresh new spin on them. The story of the Anchor is that of a hulking beast of a man who was taken in by a monastery many years ago, and turned into what the series creators have called “God’s Leg Breaker.”

Basically, the Anchor lives a dual existence, half of him (his soul) in the Borderlands guarding Earth from Demons that try to escape to Earth, and the other half (his body) doing a very similar job for those demons that actually do escape to Earth. While at first look, you might think the series is just a Hellboy rip-off, but it’s really got it’s own thing going on. While Hellboy plays up more of a mystery, occultism angle, and exploration of folklore and myth, the Anchor is much more of a big hulking avenging monstrosity beating the snot out of giant monsters kind of thing.

The artwork makes the series pop, and the colors especially give the book a very fresh feel. It really feels like somebody took the elements of something like Hellboy, and crossed it with every Ultraman or Godzilla movie you could think of.

This week, Boom, who’s really built a solid reputation for itself on books like IRREDEEMABLE, and INCORRUPTIBLE, delivers both the first trade paperback of THE ANCHOR (collecting issues 1-4), and then the 5th issue, providing readers who may have not yet jumped onto the series the perfect time to hop aboard. All in all, it’s a really fun series, and if you’re into stuff like Hellboy, the Goon, or just a fan of seeing giant monsters getting the hell out beat out of them, then we recommend it. Great art, great story, this one’s definitely an overlooked gem.

Click here for a preview of THE ANCHOR #5

X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK FEATURES FAN-FAVORITE X-CHICKS X-23, ARMOR, AND PIXIE!

This one caught my eye, because of two things: 1) The cover is great. Stuart Immonen does some of the best covers, seriously. 2) It’s featuring three X-Characters that are what I’d consider relatively new (all three being created during the 2000s), and all three being pretty cool characters. It’s funny too, because just the other night I was having a conversation with someone here at the shop about how the X-Books always try to shoehorn in new characters, and very rarely do they stick. Well, looking at the cover of this book, it looks like I’ve proven myself wrong, because X-23, Armor, and Pixie are all “new” characters that not only have “stuck” but have really won over loyal fan-followings.

Personally, I dig X-23. I think she’s a great character, and when she was first introduced, I thought I’d hate the character, but it turned out that the writers behind her had a good idea, and it worked. And, then Armor, of course, is also a very cool character, who by the end of Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men run, had won me over. Plus, you’ve got Pixie, who a lot of fans really dig, Mercury, and Blindfold, who’re also both pretty cool.

Anyways, what the hell is this one all about you’re probably wondering? Well, it’s a 4 issue limited series where this rag-tag bunch of X-Girls face something they’re not exactly prepared for: High School. Kathryn Immonen did a great job I thought writing the Hellcat mini last year, so it should be cool to see how this one plays out.

Click here for a preview of X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK #1

Staff Picks
Steve – DEMO #1 – This was AWESOME. It was a strong tie between this and SIEGE #2, but I figured since Torma was already doing SIEGE 2, this would win out. The first issue of DEMO delivered everything I hoped, and it shows why Brian Wood is one of the greats.
Trish – Legends: Enchanted - This was awesome! Jack rides a motorcycle powered by giant blood. Red Riding Hood’s a monster hunter. A real cool steampunk horror take on fairy-tale worlds.
Torma – SIEGE #2 - TOTAL MAYHEM. This is one of the best comics Ive read this year so far. I’ve always liked the Sentry, but this issue proves why he’s such a badass.
Matt – The Boys #39- One of the best issues in this series yet. This book continues to be one of my favorites every month.