THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE 3/4/09

WAR OF KINGS OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF THIS WEDNESDAY WITH WAR OF KINGS #1!  This Wednesday kicks off the highly anticipated Marvel cosmic event WAR OF KINGS. This huge event has been steadily building since the debut of the ANNIHILATION, ANNIHILATION CONQUEST, and the events of the Uncanny X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire storylines, not to mention the going ons with the Inhumans during Secret Invasion Inhumans.  Why should you read War of Kings? Well, first off, if you're a fan of epic science fiction in the vein of things like Battlestar Galactica, and the Warhammer 40K universe, then it's custom made for you. It's the Marvel universe meets Battlestar and Warhammer. Seriously.  But for real though, it's good stuff. It's Abnett and Lanning plotting, and as we've seen recently, they're doing some amazing things with books like Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova.  What's the scoop on the story of War of Kings? Well, as we know, Vulcan, the third Summers brother has been expanding the Shi'ar Empire rapidly across the galaxy, and now he's coming head to head with Black Bolt as he's rebuilding his own kingdom. In the middle of all this is every cosmic character you could think of from the Silver Surfer to Blastarr, King of the Negative Zone.  All in all, War of Kings looks to be a stand-out event this spring, and we highly advise you do not miss out on this one. Trust us, the cosmic books have been some of the most consistently good books coming out month-to-month! Click here to look at some preview pages of WAR OF KINGS #1! ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK #3 ARRIVES AFTER A TWO YEAR WAIT! GET IT THIS WEEK! Okay, okay, we know, we know, you've all been waiting for this one almost three years now. It's been a long time coming, but Lost co-creator Damon Lindeloff finally delivers his third issue of Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk this Wednesday.  Have you been reading Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk? If you haven't, then what the heck is wrong with you? This is one of the most badass comics to come down the pipe in quite a while, and we're loving it here at Third Eye! Secret Invasion artist Lenil Francis Yu, and LOST co-creator Damon Lindeloff are delivering the goods big-time with this story of Wolverine being hired on by Nick Fury to assassinate the Hulk. And just where is the Hulk? He's holed up in the Tibetan mountainside, with a harem of women! Craziness, I know!  And, for those of you who read the first two issues of this a couple years back... well, you're in store for a treat, because the eagerly anticipated third issue follow-up hits the racks this week! Click here to read a preview of ULTIMATE WOLVERINE vs. HULK #3! DAREDEVIL #116: THE KINGPIN IS BACK! RETURN OF THE KING BEGINS THIS WEEK WITH CHAPTER 1 FROM INCOGNITO WRITER ED BRUBAKER & IRON FIST ARTIST SENSATION DAVID AJA!!! PERFECT JUMPING ON POINT! Sooooo stoked! Lady Bullseye was just a warm-up, Brubaker is delivering the goods big time with this awesome new Daredevil story arc. After almost four years of absence, the Kingpin is returning. This new arc guarantees to be the biggest Daredevil story you'll want to read in a very long-time, and has built off of the events of  Lady Bullseye. However, it's an outstanding jumping on point for those of you new to the Daredevil books.  And best of all, it re-teams the original Immortal Iron Fist creative team of Ed Brubaker and David Aja on this story arc. Now, you've all read Incognito, and you know how darn good Brubaker is at writing a gritty crime noir.. so just imagine what he's going to do with this one, folks! Click here to read more about DAREDEVIL #116 RETURN OF THE KING PART 1! BATMAN CACOPHONY #3 CONCLUDES DIRECTOR KEVIN SMITH'S FRESH, FUNNY AND BONE-CRUNCHINGLY AWESOME BATMAN MINISERIES! From the director of Mallrats, Clerks, and all those other great flicks that made the '90s such a good time for comic-fiends like us, we bring you Batman: Cacophony. This is a great three issue mini-series that captures everything we love about a good Batman comic. Batman's a dark, brooding badass, the Joker's a funny yet sadistic psychopath, and we even see the return of the severely underused Green Arrow villain Onomatopoeia. And guess what? He finished it.. on schedule! We kid, we kid.. but seriously, we told you that this one wouldn't be another Daredevil: Target or Spider-man/Black Cat.  As for how the series has been? It's been a great little read. We might not be extremely wild about the art, but it does grow on you a little more with every issue. However, the story and the dialouge more than makes up for it. Click here to read more about BATMAN: CACOPHONY #3! DARK REIGN FORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF 3/4/09! DEADPOOL #8 KICKS OFF EPIC CROSSOVER WITH THUNDERBOLTS IN "MAGNUM OPUS" CHAPTER1! Okay, Deadpool is definitely a big favorite here at Third Eye, and we can see why. You take the insanely popular cult favorite Merc with A Mouth, put him in a brand new ongoing series with excellent writing and some fantastic artwork, and POW, you got yourself a winner. And this week, you've got just one more reason to pick up on Deadpool. Magnum Opus kicks off the big 4 part DEADPOOL vs. THUNDERBOLTS story arc.  The new Thunderbolts run has been red hot, and everyone has been snatching it up right and left, and for good reason, it's a GREAT READ! Now, Wade Wilson comes head to head with Norman Osborn, and who else does he dispatch to deal with him other than the new Thunderbolts? Yup, that's right, ol' Pool is unleashing a full on assault on Osborn, and we can't wait to see the sparks fly between him and the Thunderbolts in this week's newest installment of Deadpool! Do yourselves a favor, and make sure you pick up on Deadpool #8, because this story arc promises to be a great read. Here's a quick look at the checklist for MAGNUM OPUS: Part 1 - Deadpool #8 Part 2 - Thunderbolts #130 Part 3 - Deadpool #9 Part 4 - Thunderbolts #131 Click here to check out a preview of Deadpool #8! SECRET WARRIORS #2CONTINUES RISING STAR WRITER JONATHAN HICKMAN AND BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS'S HOT NEW SERIES! A MUST READ! One of the most pleasant surprises of 2009 has been the new Secret Warriors series from Brian Michael Bendis and rising star Jonathan Hickman (do yourselves a favor and pick up Transhuman, or Nightly News, both are fantastic, this guy's on the same road that Fraction, and Brubaker took to the top). This is a definite must-read for those of you following the Dark Reign series. It explores the whole mysterious going-ons of Nick Fury, and his group of operatives that just happen to be the off-spring of major and minor Marvel characters, villain and hero alike.  We can't put our fingers on what it is we enjoy about the book so much, whether it's the well-written crafting of espionage, or the great characterization, but all we know is we're loving the hell out of Secret Warriors.  And, don't worry if you missed issue #1, we've still got plenty left in stock here at Third Eye.  Do yourselves a favor this week, and make sure to grab Secret Warriors #2, you won't be disappointed. We're excited to see just who the real enemies of the Secret Warriors are and where they've been hiding. Clickhere to read a preview of SECRET WARRIORS #2! NEW AVENGERS REUNION #1FEATURING HAWK-EYE IS A MUST FOR NEW AVENGERS FANS! Third Eye loves Hawkeye. Let it be known, that we are number one Hawkeye fans here at Third Eye. He's the Avenger of choice for Third Eye, and we are completely stoked on this new miniseries featuring the Mr. and Mrs. Smith of the Marvel Universe, Hawkeye and Mockingbird. Two bad to the bone weapon-wielding soldiers who just happen to be Avengers, and have come to embody the spirit of the team in more ways than one.  This new miniseries is a must for all of you who follow the New Avengers series, and we can promise, from the looks of it, we're going to get a breakneck action mini-series that fleshes out the corners of the New Avengers title that have been left untouched. Exploring the mystery behind Mockingbirds imprisonment at the hands of the Skrulls, and her adjustment back to life on Earth, we learn she's come back with a very deadly secret.  Don't miss this one, folks, not only is it bound to be a great addition to the solid line-up of good Dark Reign reads, but it's a must for any self-respecting New Avengers fan. Click here to read a preview of NEW AVENGERS: THE RE-UNION #1.  DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #1 BY SECRET WARRIORS WRITER JONATHAN HICKMAN DEBUTS THIS WEDNESDAY! Okay, we admit it. Jonathan Hickman's turning into a store favorite here at Third Eye. His unique style of storytelling is one of the freshest approaches to comic book storytelling in a while. We kind of get the same feeling we got back when Brian Michael Bendis was making the shift from doing Torso, and Jinx to doing Ultimate Spider-man. A bright new talent with lots of promise getting his big break to show what he can deliver on Marvel's stuff.  And, while the only time we usually dig on Fantastic Four is the Mark Millar/Bryan Hitch, or Stan Lee and Jack Kirby stuff... we gotta admit.. we're pretty curious about this Hickman-penned Dark Reign: Fantastic Four limited series.  The forces of H.A.M.M.E.R are doing a little repo job on the Baxter building, and Reed Richards has some dirt in store for everyone that will change things in big ways... are you curious? We are. Clickhere to read a preview of DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #1! BLACK PANTHER #2 CLAWS ONTO THE RACKS THIS WEDNESDAY! Due in stores this Wednesday, is the follow-up to the red hot first issue of the brand new BLACK PANTHER series! The first issue of Black Panther was a huge success here at Third Eye, and we're very curious to see what the second issue has in store this week.  The mystery behind the identity of the new Black Panther is further explored, and we learn just what kind of ties link Dr. Doom to her. Click herefor a preview of BLACK PANTHER #2! AGENTS OF ATLAS #2 CONTINUES THIS CULT FAVORITE NEW SERIES! Agents of Atlas was originally an often overlooked miniseries from a few years ago that debuted to critical acclaim, but not a whole lot in the way of sales. The fact was that anyone who read it, loved it. It was just that it didn't get a lot of exposure. Well, we're pretty happy to see that it's back, and yes, it's up to the same kind of high quality that the original mini-series had going on. This quirky, fun book featuring a talking Gorilla, a robot man, and more is the underdog of all the fan-favorite Dark Reign titles, but it's a definite must-read.  Espionage, the son of Mandarin, Marvel Boy, and all sorts of quirky Marvel history moments packed into one issue. Agents of Atlas is one of those great new series that if you're not already reading, then you should really pick up and give a shot. Click here to read a preview of AGENTS OF ATLAS #2! BACK TO BROOKLYN #4 FROM PREACHER AND THE BOYS WRITER GARTH ENNIS! ULTRA VIOLENT BLOODY MAFIA MADNESS CONTINUES! If you've read THE BOYS or PREACHER, then you know that GARTH ENNIS can tell a twisted tale. You know he can crank out an ultraviolent, yet well-written yarn in no time flat. And you know that he's always consistent with good pacing, great characterization, and tying up things with a nice, but not always happy ending.  Well, if you're an Ennis fan and you're not reading Back To Brooklyn, then you are missing out, folks! This series is great! The artwork has got it's own unique feel, and Ennis is giving us one of the best damn Mafia comics we've read in some time. In fact, if you've been itching for your mob fix since the Sopranos went off the air, and haven't had anything to itch the scratch since the Departed came out a couple years ago, then by all means, pick up Back to Brooklyn. We still have 1,2, and 3 all in stock here at Third Eye for you to catch up on! Click hereto read more about the Back to Brooklyn series! SOLOMON GRUNDY #1 BY ROGUES REVENGE ARTIST SCOTT KOLINS DEBUTS THIS WEEK WITH EVERYONE'S FAVORITE BEHEMOTH! Born on a Monday! Scott Kolins picks up on plot threads laid down by GREEN LANTERN writer GEOFF JOHNS in this new mini-series featuring everyone's favorite cursed monster. Kolins art is perfect for Grundy (you might remember his work on the recent FINAL CRISIS ROGUES REVENGE series), and lets just plain face it.. Solomon Grundy rules.  Click here to take a look at Solomon Grundy #1! SUPERMAN WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #1 KICKS OFF EXCITING NEW 12-ISSUE MAXISERIES! It's pretty clear that New Krypton (due in large part to the talent of James Robinson and Geoff Johns) breathed a fresh breath of life into the Superman titles.  However, there's only so long a big crossover like that can run through the monthly titles, and with still plenty left unresolved... there needs to be some resolution.  The new SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON maxiseries is set to bring us that resolution as it explores how Superman deals with not being a Man Without A Planet anymore. Get ready for Ursa, Zod, and all that good stuff, folks! Click here to read more about SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #1!

So You Want Moore? Our Alan Moore Top 5 Reads With Watchmen hitting the theaters this weekend, and everyone in full frenzy for anything Moore.. we decided we'd give you guys the lowdown on some classics by this master storyteller.  5. FROM HELL. This extensive, and thorough re-telling of the notorious Jack the Ripper explores every corner of the Whitechapel district in a creepy, atmospheric graphic novel that will suck you in, chew you up, and spit you out, and you'll love every second of it. It basically explores the theory that the Jack the Ripper murders were part of a conspiracy to conceal the birth of an illegitimate royal baby. The story is not just strictly focused on Jack the Ripper, but also on the murders, their effect on the people of that time, and the impact of such horrible crimes in that time frame. A great read, full of conspiracies, and murder mysteries. A must-read. 4. BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE. If you haven't already read the Killing Joke, close your browser window, drive to Third Eye, and sleep out front until we open, and GET THIS BOOK. It's a classic, and stands as one of the definitive Batman stories EVER. This is the book that actor Heath Ledger carried with him everywhere when preparing for his role as the Joker in the Dark Knight. It explores the origin of the Joker, and the method to his insanity. However, the most bone-chilling aspect of this read is the torture and abuse that The Joker puts Commissioner Gordon through to try and drive him insane. We can't recommend this one enough, and we'd rather let you read it for yourself to find out why it's such a classic. 3. V FOR VENDETTA. Another classic that's been adapted to film. We didn't completely hate the movie, but it definitely did not do the book justice. This one's a classic, and tells the story of an anarchist set out to destroy the totalitarian government while inspiring those he comes into contact with. The book is a good read, and actually is one of the quicker Moore books I've read, as once you get rolling with it, you have a hard time putting it down. It'll definitely get the blood boiling in your veins.  2. Promethea. This 32 issue series took elements of superhero comics, mixed them with metaphysical elements, threw in a little bit of magic and art influences (which Moore is all about), and gave us this psychadelic adventure series all about a metafictional character known as Promethea. The identity of Promethea is one that is obtained by the writers who flesh out her adventures, and then take on her identity. It sounds weird, but it's one hell of a good read. Deep, but enjoyable. Give it a look 1. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This three volume series, with the newest series starting this spring is our number one pick for Alan Moore awesomeness. DO NOT LET THE AWFUL MOVIE SCARE YOU AWAY. The book and the movie are two completely different animals. The concept behind League is that it groups together famous and not so famous literary character into the world's first adventure group! This means you get an interesting mix of interplay between characters like a deviant Invisible Man, Mina Harker after her run in with Dracula, a bestial monsterous Mr. Hyde, and more. We cannot recommend this one enough, and if you're looking for something to try after having read WATCHMEN, then this is a good place to start.