This week, the third part of the GAUNTLET arrives, and we gotta tell you guys... two issues in, and this storyline is already shaping up to be one of the best Spidey arcs we've seen. Before I get into talking about what's to come, let me give everyone the scoop on what the Gauntlet is all about.
Everything You Need To Know About The Gauntlet: The Gauntlet is a big storyline running through the pages of Amazing Spider-man which is essentially being told to re-introduce Spider-man's most iconic villains, as the new Sinister Six. Each mini-chapter of the Gauntlet is 2-3 issues long, and focuses on not only bringing back and re-vamping the classic villains in Spidey's Rogues Gallery, but also shows him getting put through the ringer by them. And, since this is happening for the entirety of the storyline, villain after villain, hence the name... The Gauntlet.
The Gauntlet began in Amazing Spider-man #612, which serves as the perfect entry point to jump on with. In other words, if it's been years since you've read Spidey (and I know there's quite a few of you who have because of all the wackiness of One More Day), then Amazing Spider-man #612 is a great spot to come in.
This first story arc has been focusing on Electro, who we really haven't seen much of since the early days of the New Avengers. Electro, who is now older, and is seeing his powers become very erratic, has kind of given himself a new meaning in life. First off, it's been mentioned that his powers are now haywire due to his age and metabolism changing, and becauuse of that, Electro has become a downtrodden shadow of his former self. Secondly, he's broke, due to losing most of his (ill-gotten) funds in the economic meltdown of 2008. And, now, his anger is being vented at the execs and bankers that were taken care of in the bailout. So, you have this very interesting approach to Electro as a folk hero, a man of the people, being taken. But, he's still blowing people up with electricity, and of course, Spidey has to stop him. And, that's what's made this so interesting because it casts Spidey once again in the role of outsider. The people who see Electro as a sort of working class hero despise Spidey for his interference, and you once again see Spidey in that role of well-intentioned outcast hero that fits him so well.
The third chapter of the Gauntlet ships this week, and then I believe the next villain on the agenda is going to be the Rhino, or Sandman, I can't recall. Either way, this storyline has been awesome, and has tons of potential to continue to do so.
It's early enough to still catch up, so if you haven't already hopped aboard the Gauntlet, we recommend grabbing a copy of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #613 to hop aboard.
Click here for a preview of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #614
A BLACKEST NIGHT ENCORE THIS WEEK AT THIRD EYE WITH FOUR BLACKEST NIGHT TIE-IN ISSUES! ADVENTURE COMICS #5BOOSTER GOLD #27, REBELS #11, AND DOOM PATROL #5
Blackest Night has been delivering some high caliber storytelling in the form of the various tie-in issues that carry the Blackest Night banner. And, last month, we saw some killer storylines spark up from the Blackest Night in the pages of books like Booster Gold and REBELS.
Now, before I go any further, let me say that I was totally blown away by how much I enjoyed REBELS. I really wasn't expecting anything special from it, and had my sights set on Booster as being the coolest of these tie-in issues, but man, REBELS is a good book. I liked the tie-in so much I went back and read the previous issues to the series, and this is an overlooked gem. I'm not even that big of a Legion fan, and I really dig it. C'mon, Brainiac as a Sinestro Corps Member? How cool is that? The story continues this week in the pages of REBELS #11
Another favorite was the recent issue of ADVENTURE COMICS, with the return of SUPERBOY PRIME. Who doesn't love SUPERBOY PRIME? He's such an obnoxious bastard, that you can't help but enjoy seeing him involved in things. Of course, it's been satisfying seeing Prime getting his butt handed to him by the Black Lanterns, but it's going to be even more exciting to see how he lashes back at the Black Lanterns. And of course, the fact that Adventure Comics has been kick-ass since issue #1 helps us get exciteda bout this.. I'm sure the fact that Geoff Johns is writing it doesn't hurt either. Everything continues this week in ADVENTURE COMICS #5
Next up on the agenda isBOOSTER GOLD #27, which picks up the storyline of the Blackest Night tie-in I had most anticipated. The Return of Ted Kord (the original Blue Beetle) as a Black Lantern. Not only do we get to see the ol' Blue Beetle chomping hearts, but we get some decent character development for the new Blue Beetle. So, we're eager to see how things get followed up this week in the next part of the Booster Gold Blackest Night tie-in.
And, then finally, the Blackest Night's effects on Doom Patrol are explored in the pages of this week's DOOM PATROL #5. Now, to be honest, this and Outsiders were probably my least favorite of the Blackest Night "ring" tie-in books, but I will say that the Kevin Macguire Metal Men back-up story has kept me coming back each month to Doom Patrol. Should be interesting though to see where things go with this next issue of Doom Patrol.
PUNISHERMAX #2 FROM SCALPED WRITER JASON AARON & PREACHER ARTIST STEVE DILLON CONTINUES THE BEST PUNISHER WE'VE SEEN SINCE GARTH ENNIS! HAVEN'T CHECKED IT OUT YET? WE STILL HAVE ISSUE #1 IN STOCK TO HOP ABOARD!
The new PUNISHER MAX series from Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon kicked off with an incredible first issue. Flat out, just from one issue, I can tell that this is the BEST Punisher run I've seen since Garth Ennis's classic 60-issue MAX series. And, I think the fact that Jason Aaron is writing it, has a lot to do with that. Jason Aaron is the man behind what I think is the best Vertigo series hitting the shelves: SCALPED. He brings his hardboiled, gritty true crime sensibilities to the world of the Punisher, and you literally feel as if this story has picked up right where Ennis's epic Punisher run left off.
Okay, so, lets get to the meat of things, and talk about what PUNISHER MAX is, and what the new PUNISHERMAX series is about. First off...
What's the difference between PUNISHER MAX and THE PUNISHER?Punisher MAX is a self-contained world, set outside of normal Marvel continuity where the character is treated much differently. The world of Punisher MAX does not have superpowered individuals, and in fact, it's very rare that Marvel characters show up in this world. When they do show up, it's always characters that are easily grounded in reality. In other words, you'll see a Cold War warhorse like Nick Fury, smoking a cigar and drinking scotch. The world of PUNISHER MAX is very much rooted in reality, and the thing that makes it so damn unique is it's approach to the character of the PUNISHER. A lot of this is due in part to Garth Ennis's development of the character. In Punisher MAX, the Punisher is portrayed like a hybrid mix of the classic remorseless stranger (ala MAN WITH NO NAME from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, ect) and borderline sociopaths on a mission like Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. He's written as a man who served in Vietnam, and it shows that he's in his 50s. He's a bulky, scarred up, ugly man who says very little, and kills without a second thought. And, in the world of PUNISHER MAX, it's the silent killer persona that's helped bring the Punisher back from the lameness of '90s Punisher (you know, when he was running around with rocket launchers, jetpacks, and demon-killing shotguns).
In the world of Punisher MAX, there's no supervillains, just real-life bad guys. So, it means that you see Castle going up against everything from the Mafia (whether it's the classic Italian Mob, the Irish Mob, or the Russian Mob) to corrupt CIA officials to ENRON.
So, what's the story then on this new PUNISHER MAX series? Well, the first issue provides one of the best jumping on points for a new series that I've seen in a while. Whether you fell off of Punisher MAX with the end of Ennis's run, have never read a Punisher story in your life, or have been following the book between the end of Ennis's run and now, Aaron's first issue was a well-written entry point. The basic plot, other than the back to basics approach of returning to the spirit of Ennis's stuff, is the introduction of The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) to the MAX world.
In the first issue, we see the remnants of the Mafia gathering to figure out what to do as their empire slowly crumbles, and the Punisher is one of the biggest contributing factors. It turns out that a low-level enforcer, that's not a "made" guy, has come up with the plan of having a figurehead, a kingpin, put into place to give the Punisher something to gun for. You know, taking the whole old school mafia myth about a boss of bosses to an extreme. And of course, that figurehead, would be this young enforcer. I think you can see where this is going.
Stand-out moments from the first issue? The Kingpin popping a guy's eyes out of his head. Said guy shoving his eyes back into his head, and then getting his head blown off right as he says "I can almost see..". And, of course, that killer last shot of the Kingpin passing up the perfect opportunity to take out the Punisher, which clues us into his true motives.
This week, the second issue comes out, and it continues the storyline, and as you guys can tell, I'm excited about this one. If you haven't checked it out already, I'd highly recommend giving it a read.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21 *STARK DISASSEMBLED CHAPTER 2* CONTINUES THE MUST-READ IRON MAN STORY OF THE DECADE! NEED TO CATCH UP? WE STILL HAVE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20 *STARK DISASSEMBLED CHAPTER 1* IN STOCK!
It's been no secret that ever since Fraction and Larocca relaunched the Armored Avenger in Invincible Iron Man, I've been a fan. This entire run has been a solid as hell, and I'm telling you guys... if you haven't been reading Iron Man, then now is the time to start. Invincible Iron Man #20 served as the perfect jumping on point for new readers, and judging from how a lot of you who picked it up (without having read prior issues), I'd say that it was a pretty big hit with you guys. And, I'm glad, because some books are so damn good, they deserve to be read. But, the new arc that began two weeks ago in Invincible Iron Man #20 is something that anyone with even the slightest interest in ol' Shellhead should be reading.
Lets recap real quick, and get you those of you who haven't started reading the book yet up to speed... Tony Stark, a fugitive under Norman Osborn's reign, finally gives in, and pretty much turns himself into a vegetable to keep Osborn from getting what's in his brain. And, now, it's up to his friends and associates (ranging from Pepper Potts to Bucky Captain America) to bring him back.... IF they want to. See, that's where the first chapter of this was so interesting. Tony Stark, has pre-recorded a hologram message and left it inside the Iron Woman armor, and in it, he talks about the last half a decade of Marvel history, more or less. He talks about the Civil War, the Secret Invasion, and he says... this is how you can bring me back, but after everything, DO YOU WANT TO? And, then comes three of the most heartfelt funnybook pages I've read, Third Eye Faithful. Tony Stark comparing Thor and Captain America to a higher power, and then breaking into a defiant speech of how to topple the reign of Osborn... it's not often that sequences are written so well that they move you, but, man, that was a moving moment. Of course, aside from the standout moment of "the speech", there's a very interesting subplot with Madame Masque making plans to have Stark's comatose body exterminated. And, all of this, serves as a very nice prelude to the events of SIEGE (which is said to have one major goal of reuniting the Marvel Trinity of Cap, Thor, and Iron Man).
Anyways, that brings us up to speed on Stark: Disassembled, and now we can talk about what we think might be going down in this week's issue. See, Tony's closest friends, allies, and loved ones have all banded together to bring the man back... but, now the question is, does he want to come back? All of this, AND, a hit squad sent to execute the nearly-gone body of Tony Stark, means that this should be one hell of an action-packed issue.
So, folks, if you're Marvel fans, and aren't already reading the Invincible Iron Man, we really recommend giving picking up INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20, which serves as an excellent jumping on point to the series and this new story arc. Find out why month in, and month out, this is one of the most consistently high quality ongoing series Marvel has going. Same writer, same artist, for nearly two years... that's gotta tell you something!
And, for those of you that picked up Invincible Iron Man #20 a couple weeks ago and loved it, be sure to check out:
Invincible Iron Man Volume 1: The Five Nightmares Trade Paperback (in stock now at Third Eye)
Invincible Iron Man Volume 2: World's Most Wanted (in stock now at Third Eye)
And, we have all the single issues that pick up after the second trade too, for those of you who can't get enough of Fraction's incredible take on the Armored Avenger.
Clickhere for a preview of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21 *STARK DISASSEMBLED PT 2*
NATION X #1 DELIVERS EVERY FRIGGIN X-MAN YOU COULD THINK OF AND THEN SOME!
Whether it's heavy-hitters like Wolverine and Colossus or fan-favorites like Magik and Nightcrawler, it looks like everyone's crawling out of the woodwork for this four issue limited series that's going to explore the brand new mutant nation that's been created on UTOPIA.
The preview pages on this one look sharp, and while I have a love/hate relationship with the X-Books, I gotta admit the X-Fan in me is excited to check this one out. Sometimes you just want to see all your favorites from back in the day crammed into one slab of awesomeness, and judging from the cover alone, we're definitely going to get that.
NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3 - HAWKEYE GETS RESCUED FROM OSBORN BY THE LADIES OF THE NEW AVENGERS!
This one-shot Annual issue of the New Avengers is awesome for two reasons: A) it picks up where DARK REIGN THE LIST AVENGERS one-shot left off, with Hawkeye being locked down and on the list of execution by Norman Osborn, and B) it's got the rarely seen interior artwork of the incredibly talented artist Mike Mayhew.
Seriously though, I think we've all been waiting to see how ol' Clint Barton was going to end up after the events of DARK REIGN THE LIST AVENGERS, and it's nice to see some closure to that story in this issue.
The plot? Basically, since most of the Avengers are all left with their handsfull, the ladies of the Avengers have banded together to break into Osborn's fortress, and break Hawkeye (Clint Barton) free.
And of course, it's written by Bendis, so you know it's going to be up to that same level of quality that we get every month with the New Avengers.
Click here for a preview of NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3! Just take a look at how awesome the interior art looks too!
X-NECROSHA: THE GATHERING ONE-SHOT EXPLORES THE ORIGINS OF THE BLACK QUEEN'S HIT SQUAD... AND ANSWERS THE QUESTION: HOW IS BLINK ALIVE?
The stuff that Kyle and Yost have been doing with X-Force for the last few years has been incredible. They've really carved out a corner of the Marvel Universe where good stand alone X-stories are told, and still give you the doses you want out of your favorite characters.
It's kind of unfortunate that their event, Necrosha, bears some resemblances to the biggest storyline happening right now, because it really has been a good read. We know, both stories feature characters returning from the dead as vengeful messengers of death, but that's where the similarities end. Necrosha is much more of an X-Men story, which brings us mutants and characters we have not seen in over a decade.
Dropping this week, we'll be seeing the Necrosha: Gathering one-shot which delves into the origins of the Black Queen's death squad, and of course, reveals just what Blink (the fan favorite from Exiles and Age of Apocalypse) is doing a live.
If you were a fan of the X-Books in the '90s, do youreslf a favor and try Necrosha, it's the perfect storyline to come aboard the X-Force book with.
Clickherefor a preview of NECROSHA: THE GATHERING
DEADPOOL #18 *DEADPOOL JOINS THE X-MEN PT 3!* - NATION X TIE-IN
Everyone's favorite wise-cracking mass-murdering mercenary continues his trials and tribulations of finding a place where he belongs. Seriously though, the whole Deadpool joins the X-Men story arc that's been going down the last couple of issues has been one of the best arcs in the series since he threw down with Bullseye. The fact that Paco Medina has returned to the art chores on this arc is probably a big contributing factor to why it's been so good.
Of course, Deadpool's ongoing series is always strong stuff, and lets be real: it's hard to say no to more Deadpool. He's the fourth-wall breaking, schizo-madman that we've all come to know and love.
So anyways, Cyclops has let ol' Deadpool play ball, but instead of giving him the keys to the kingdom, he's had Domino monitoring him in San Francisco. Of course, Deadpool's been up to no good all along, or has he? Either way, it looks like some serious bad mojo is going down, and he'll be at the center of it.
If you missed out on Deadpool 16, or 17, worry not, cause we still have 'em in stock for you to catch up!
DARK X-MEN #2 "THE RETURN OF NATE GREY!"- A SURPRISE HIT! THE FIRST ISSUE OF THIS LIMITED SURPRISED US BIG TIME, AND NOW WE'RE STOKED TO SEE THE SECOND!
Anyone remember X-MAN? If you're like me, and grew up in the '90s devouring every X-Men comic that came your way, then the adventures of Nate Grey were a prominent fixture in your life. It seems like with a lot of us when we're young, we're brought into comics by prominent comic events. For me, it was Age of Apocalypse, and when that ended... all I had was X-Man to give me my AoA fix, but hell, I dug it. And, I'm pretty damn stoked to see the return of Nate Grey.
It doesn't hurt that the first issue of Dark X-Men really knocked it out of the park. I think this one flew under the radar for a lot of you, probably due to the overload of Dark Reign stuff, but trust me, it's actually a really good read.
Dark X-Men #1 did a good job of moving things forward in the whole idea of a team of mutants working under Osborn's employ. But, the book focuses less on the whole Dark Reign aspect of things, and Osborn, and more on the actual idea of a team composed of rogue mutants, and some very memorable faces that we haven't seen in quite some time. Don't get me wrong, the idea of a book like Dark X-Men could be easily exploited as a cheap one-trick pony, but the talented creative team of Cornell and Kirk pulled it off in a very refreshing way.
Anyways, the team is composed of Mimic, Mystique, and Weapon Omega, oh, and of course, Dark Beast (another Age of Apocalypse favorite). Cornell manages to put a fun, fresh spin on each of the characters, and gives what could be a very lame line-up (I mean, c'mon, when Mystique is your big name, that's not exactly an all-star supersquad), an awesome approach. Their's a great sense of humor at the core of the book, and it's the genuine ineptitude of the characters and their difficulty functioning as a team that makes the book such a refreshing read. Leonard Kirk's expressive artwork really does add a lot, and I think if the book had been done by anyone other than this duo, it could've been "just another Dark Reign" book.
Oh, and, of course... this issue, we get to see them going up against Nate Grey, the X-Man. As I said above, I have a soft spot for this character, and I'm really glad to see such a cool character getting tossed back into the spotlight.
Great team dynamics, bigger than life craziness. Give Dark X-Men a shot, if you're an X-Fan at all, or if you just enjoy a fun, quirky trip into the Marvel Universe. We still have plenty of #1 in stock, so try it out.
Click here for a preview of DARK X-MEN #2
GOD COMPLEX #1 DELIVERS AN INTERESTING TAKE ON THE GREEK GODS OF MYTH LIIVING AMONG US IN MODERN TIMES! FROM "POWERS" CO-CREATOR MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Here's one that sports a truly neat concept: What happens when you're the son of Zeus, and Zeus wants you dead? You go into hiding amongst the world of mortal man. This is the story of Apollo, you know, the Greek God, and how he's sought out refuge in the world of man.
Of course, Apollo's pops, Zeus, and the other Greek Gods are looking to bring some serious death down on him, so this could make things problematic.
I haven't gotten a whole lot of information on this one, other than the core concept, but the preview pages look cool, and the fact that Michael Avon Oeming is involved is a big plus (Powers is one of my personal favorites.)
It looks like this little take on the world of Greek gods, and monsters could be a fresh, new Image book worth checking out.
Click herefor a peek at a preview ofGOD COMPLEX #1
BRAND NEW VERTIGO SERIES, DAYTRIPPER, BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY FROM UMBRELLA ACADEMY ARTIST GABRIEL BA
Daytripper looks pretty damn cool. Kinda trippy, and definitely one of those Vertigo books that it's hard for me to distill into a few words. But, the fact that we're getting Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon (two up and coming creators who deliver the goods on everything from the cult favorite CASANOVA to the mega-hit UMBRELLA ACADEMY) heading up this brand new original limited series, it tells us this one could be a really good read.
This is the story of Bras De Oliva Domingos, an obituary writer with a famous father, a career he hates, and tons of questions about life. How does he reach his goal of becoming a successful writer? How does he get out of his father's shadow? But these questions are nothing to the giant surprise twist in his life that he sees at the end of the first issue. Something that us, or him, will never see coming.
Sounds pretty cool? Check out the preview ofDAYTRIPPER #1 by clickinghere.
STAFF PICKS
Trish - The Sword #20 - STILL my favorite book! They might be slow in coming out, but each issue is better than the last!
Torma - Fall of the Hulks Alpha - Total mayhem! A great look at all the different "scientist"-type characters of the Marvel Universe. From the obvious (Dr. Doom) to the obscure (Egghead). Awesome start to this mini-event.
Steve - SIEGE: THE CABAL #1 - I know its the biggest one of last week, but the set-up in this issue for SIEGE has me stoked. I am a big time Avengers fan, and every page, and every panel of this one has me stoked.
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