IT'S HERE! THE SIEGE BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY IN SIEGE #1, ACCOMPANIED BY SIEGE: THE EMBEDDED #1!
The biggest Marvel event since the Civil War begins this Wednesday here at Third Eye in the pages of SIEGE #1! The Marvel Universe is going to be making a shift into a whole new era for this decade, and SIEGE is the beginning of that era. The reason why this event is so special is because it serves as many things: the ending of the Dark Reign storylines and subplots, an accessible entry-point for readers looking to jump into the Marvel Universe, and the launching point of what Marvel has dubbed "The Heroic Age."
The general story of SIEGE, and the ramifications it's sure to be having on Marvel, is something that was conceived years ago by Bendis, and the other top creators at Marvel. The plot lines to Siege have been being built since the launch of CIVIL WAR, and this kind of serves as both the end of an era, and the beginning of a new era.
Now, the question that I'm sure a lot of you are thinking is: Can I jump into Siege without an extensive prior knowledge of the Marvel Universe and it's events from the last few years? And, the answer is YES, you can. I do recommend snagging a copy of the SIEGE CABAL one-shot that kicked everything off a month ago (still in stock here at Third Eye), but other than that, it's relatively easy to jump right in.
Of course, if you find yourself hooked on what's going on, we can definitely point you in the right direction on what to get caught up on for the series.
Of course, if you find yourself hooked on what's going on, we can definitely point you in the right direction on what to get caught up on for the series.
As for the actual meat and potatoes of what SIEGE is about? Well, here's the lowdown.. it's the fall of Norman Osborn, it's the reuniting of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, and it's the turning point for the Marvel Universe. The actual story? Basically, Loki is subtly manipulating Norman Osborn into invading Asgard. Loki justifies it by saying it's not good for the Asgardians, OR Humans to be in such a close proximity to one another. Of course, Osborn needs a reasoning for taking the Dark Avengers, the combined forces of the U.S Military and SHIELD, and more and waging war on a City of Gods. And, so it begins. An Asgardian is set up as the public fall guy, causing the deaths of thousands of innocent bystandards, and Osborn is ready to siege Asgard.
Meanwhile, Loki is pulling the strings, and making the manipulations to get things to this point. You can bet that he has lofty ambitions of taking the throne of Asgard from his brother Thor.
This story is going to be a HUGE event that will bring the deaths of some characters, the resurrections of others, and will set the stage for the next decade of Marvel Comics. If AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED and CIVIL WAR were the books that set up things for the first decade of the 21st Century, then SIEGE is the book that sets things up for the era of 2010 and beyond.
From what I've read and heard, one of the strongpoints of SIEGE #1 is that it doesn't waste time and gets right into the action. If you felt that Dark Reign had gotten a little stale, and there wasn't much happening at some points, then SIEGE makes you forget about that right away. Several of the Dark Avengers gett key moments that're gonna leave your jaws dropped. And, for those of you like myself who're big Thor fans, from what I've seen, he has some truly EPIC defining moments.
With a killer creative team of BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and former Thor artist, Olivier Coipel, I think that you'll all really enjoy SIEGE. It looks to be accessible, action-packed, well-paced, and is beautifully illustrated. And, with the fact that SIEGE ends a week before IRON MAN 2 debuts in theaters, and Marvel's Free Comic Day book being an Iron Man/Thor one-shot by John Romita JR and Matt Fraction, well I think it's safe to say that the events happening in SIEGE could be very, very important on a very, very broad scale.
SIEGE THE EMBEDDED #1 EXPLORES THE WHOS, THE WHATS, AND THE WHYS OF THE SIEGE!
Alongside the release of SIEGE this week, we get to see the launch of a 4 issue mini-series that will be explaining a lot of the in-between pieces in SIEGE that may not get fleshed out as well. This four issue series provides not only a man on the street view at what's happening in the pages of SIEGE, but also the whos, the whats, and the whys of Osborn, Loki, and the rest of the major player's actions.
Normally when Marvel runs their events, there's a nice solid sister book to the main book, and it looks like the Embedded will be filling that role this go around.
Click here for a preview of SIEGE: THE EMBEDDED #1
WALKING DEAD VOLUME 11: FEAR THE HUNTERS ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY! WANT TO HOP ONTO THE MONTHLY SERIES? PICK UP ISSUES #67, AND #68 ALONGSIDE VOLUME 11 TO GET CAUGHT UP! Not reading Walking Dead? Try Volume 1 this week at Third Eye for only $9.99, and get your $ back if you don't like it!
Here it is, everybody! The series that EVERYONE is foaming at the mouth for the next trade paperback of arrives this Wednesday with it's latest installment. And, I know that I write about how great the series every time a new installment comes out, but I can't help it.. Walking Dead remains one of the most consistently entertaining, and enjoyable monthly comic series on the stands. Not only does it read great in the monthlies, but it also reads fantastic in the collected editions. So, before I go any further telling those of you who're already hooked what you already know, let me preach the WD gospel to those of you who haven't yet tried the series.
First off, it doesn't matter who you are, or what your taste in comics is, you will love Walking Dead. I have not yet had someone not like this series. It's that freaking good. Now, why is Walking Dead such a big deal? Well, lets rewind back six or seven years ago when the series first launched. There were a sea of zombie comics on the racks. It was right around the Great Zombie Revival of 2002/2003, when Dawn of the Dead got re-made, and the undead became chic. And, when Walking Dead was released by some guy named Robert Kirkman that no one had really heard of... well, most people missed it. Now, as the series has gone on (now on issue #68) for the last several years, it has amassed one of the most die-hard, loyal, and rabit fan-bases I have ever seen in a comic. And, it's well deserved. Walking Dead is not just a story about zombies, in fact, the zombies are the backdrop, and the real monsters are the desperate human beings trapped in a world crumbling down around them. You almost forget about the zombie threat, until they wander into scene, and take a hunk out of somebody. But, what makes Walking Dead good is the characters, and the storytelling.
Robert Kirkman (who also writes HAUNT, INVINCIBLE, and much more) builds his characters up, makes them so human that you feel like you know them, and then sometimes.. he abruptly kills them off, just when you've gotten attached. There are so many spoiler moments that punch you in the gut in this series, it's unbelievable. And, each issue, as well as each graphic novel leaves you on such a sharp, cliffhanger that you want to scream.
A testament to Walking Dead's quality, and measure is how it is one of the very few series I've seeen where someone who is normally strictly a trade paperback only person, will break down and start getting the issues.
This week, in celebration of the release of the 11th volume of WALKING DEAD, we're running a special promotion: Buy Walking Dead Volume 1 for only $9.99, and if you don't like it, bring it back for a full refund. Hell, buy a copy for that friend of your's you're trying to get into comics, and if THEY don't like it, then bring it back for a refund. This is the kind of comic book that comes around once a decade, and if there was one book that I'd put at the very top of a Best Of The 2000s list... it'd be Walking Dead.
Click here to read the Wiki entry on Walking Dead for more info.
And, as for those of you who're already eagerly awaiting the 11th volume, don't worry, we have a big stack coming in on Wednesday. However, you know how crazy the demand for these are, so if you do want us to hold you a copy, feel free to shoot me an email and let me know, and we'll do so. Want to hop onto the monthly series? Can't handle the long, long waits between trades? We'll have plenty of both WD #67, and #68 in stock for you to do just that!
BLACKEST NIGHT "BACK FROM THE DEAD!"RESURRECTS TWO CULT CLASSIC DC FAVORITES, AND BRINGS TWO EXCITING STORYLINE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PAGES OFSUICIDE SQUAD #67 (A must for Secret Six fans) AND WEIRD WESTERN TALES #71
What is "DC Back from the Dead?"
January is going to be a skip month for Blackest Night, meaning that Blackest Night #7 will not be shipping until February 24th. Now, I know, it sucks that we're going to have to wait a little longer for the next installment, especially after the freaking rock n roll ass-kicker that was Blackest Night #6. However, DC is letting the story continue to be told throughout the month of January in the pages of 8 one-shot issues that are resurrecting fan-favorite series. And, man, the concept IS awesome.
Check it out, here's the deal... Blackest Night mastermind, Geoff Johns, has scoured the DCU, and handpicked these titles dating all the way back to the Silver Age. These are the books that were ahead of their time, or scored a personal place in many fan's hearts. And, here's where it gets even cooler... each one of the books features current age DC characters throwing down with Black Lantern-ized versions of characters tied to their history.
So, for example.. the Question #37 will feature Renee Montoya, the Question, throwing down with the Black Lantern Vic Sage Question... the original!
Not only do we get to see these great books return, but we also get to see the sick, and twisted Black Lantern spin on some of our favorite characters, and we love it. Geoff Johns was quoted as having said ""I wanted to create something tied to Blackest Night that would not only let us spotlight characters and explore ramifications from the main series, but also push the idea of raising the dead beyond comics. And have some fun doing it. I thought literally raising 'dead' titles would be different, fun and actually give me and the other writers a chance to explore the next level of Blackest Night. " And, it's pretty damn cool, seeing actual dead titles brought back from the dead for the story of Blackest Night to continue through.
Finally, the CREATIVE TEAMS! Greg Rucka writing an issue of the classic Denny O'Neil Vic Sage Question! Another issue of James Robinson Starman! Gail Simone and John Ostrander pairing up for Suicide Squad! I mean, it doesn't get cooler than this.
So, give these a shot this week, folks. These definitely look like something a little more special than the normal tie-ins, and I really think they all look like quality reads.
Suicide Squad #67 - This one's being penned by the current writer of cult favorite SECRET SIX, and then the master behind the classic Suicide Squad run of the '80s. Suicide Squad was the first real book in the '80s to define grim and gritty. While Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen kicked the doors off their hinges, it was Suicide Squad that quietly, but consistently took modern superhero comics into darker territory. A series about criminals in the DCU being recruited for special missions that they weren't intended to come back alive from STILL manages to be an intense, and gritty read. And, it should be very interesting to see which Black Lanterns are rising up to come for the current Secret Six, and what skeletons are going to come flying out of Suicide Squad's closet.
Weird Western Tales #71 - Some of DC's coolest characters are their often overlooked Weird West line-up. Jonah Hex has one of the most underrated monthly ongoings out on the stands right now, and with a movie due out this summer, he's going to be getting a bit more attention. What's really intriguing about this one though is the fact that this is one of the first DC Comics I've seen written by Editor-In-Chief Dan Didio. And, with the buzz on his new direction on Outsiders continuing to build, I'm excited to see how his chops are. As for the actual issue.. .the concept is genius.. every single dead DC Wild West character, from Jonah Hex to Bat Lash, are rising from their graves as Black Lanterns in the modern world, and wreaking havoc. How cool is it going to be to see a Black Lantern Hex throwing down with DCU Heroes?
BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #2 FOLLOWS UP THE KILLER FIRST ISSUE OF THIS LIMITED THREE-ISSUE SERIES!
This one was a real surprise for me. I mean, I have come to expect a pretty high level of quality out of most of the Blackest Night tie-ins, but the first issue of Blackest Night Wonder Woman delivered the goods.. BIG TIME! I did have reasonably high hopes for the book due to the fact that Rucka was writing it, and his run on Wonder Woman was one of the best I think that's been done in recent times. The fact is though, is that it's very rare that Wonder Woman really clicks as a character. Her shining moments always seem to be in Elseworlds series, or things like DC New Frontier. But, hold up.. this 3-issue limited series taking place in the world of BLACKEST NIGHT is a good, ass-kicking portrayal of the Amazon Princess.
I mean, the first issue kicks off with her taking Maxwell Lord's head with a battle axe. How much cooler could you want WW?
And for those of you who've been following Blackest Night, then you saw the interesting turn of events in #6... where.. well.. I can't drop spoilers. I will say that this issue looks to be taking place in between Blackest Night #5, and #6, as it looks like we see Wonder Woman prior to the events of BN #6.
Did you miss BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #1? No worries, we still have plenty in stock for you to get caught up with!
Click here to read more about BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #2
THE UNWRITTEN VOLUME 1: TOMMY TAYLOR AND THE BOGUS IDENTITY! ONE OF THE BEST NEW VERTIGO SERIES IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS! HARRY POTTER MEETS TWISTED CELEBRITY SCANDAL! A MUST-READ FOR FANS OF FABLES, SANDMAN, AND MORE!
One of the best new Vertigo series we've seen in the last few years has been the brand new UNWRITTEN from LUCIFER creative team, Mike Carey and Peter Gross. This series is GOOD. Simply put. On the surface, it's easily summed up as Harry Potter meets Twisted Celebrity Scandal, but beneath the surface, there's so much more going on. If you're not yet reading the Unwritten, now is your chance to jump aboard, and for only $10, which is a steal. This is one of the best monthly books we're reading here at Third Eye, and the story is just getting richer, and deeper.
The Unwritten is many different things, it starts out as a the simple tale of a fellow named Tom Taylor. His father was a famous writer who wrote a series of books called the Tommy Taylor books, so, think Harry Potter here. Being the child that his father based the Tommy Taylor character off, he's had a relatively easy life, touring the convention circuit and cashing in on his father's work and his likeness. A scandal erupts in the first issue that he's not really the son everyone thought he was, and Tom Taylor's life begins to crumble around him... and then he finds out he's not real at all, but is in fact, the actual fictional character his father had been writing about, and has somehow crossed over into the realm of reality.
From there, the story takes off into something so deep, yet so simple, that it's the main reason why we love the book so much. A literary conspiracy that touches everyone from Tom's father to the story of Frankenstein to Rudyard Kipling and Oscar Wilde.
The different storytelling elements meld well, and range from excerpts of the Tommy Taylor novels, to blog postings, to the actual here and now of Tom Taylor. And, holy cow, the art manages to capture everything PERFECTLY.
For those of you who're into high concepts, well-put together storytelling and a little bit of fun like you'd find in Fables, then Unwritten is for you. In fact, I almost envy you guys who're gonna pick up the trade, for getting the first five issues all at one time. Waiting 30 days for these things is TORTURE. And, for a $10 Vertigo first trade, they have packed it with a lot of great extras. You get a foreword from Fables creator Bill Willingham, an additional inclusion of prose and sketches that have yet to be used in the world of the Unwritten, and may not be.
One of the best series of 2009, we can't recommend this one enough, folks!
Clickhere to read more about THE UNWRITTEN here.
ORC STAIN #1 DELIVERS QUIRKY, FUNKY ORC-KILLING MADNESS FROM RISING INDIE STAR JAMES STOKOE! A MUST-READ FOR KING CITY, COWBOY NINJA VIKING AND SCOTT PILGRIM FANS! IMAGINE "SCOTT PILGRIM" MEETS THE VIDEO GAME BRUTAL LEGEND
Here's one I'm personally VERY excited about. Orc Stain is a brand new IMAGE series from another young, rising indie star, James Stokoe (most well-known at the moment for the killer WONTON SOUP series). Now, before I go further, let me say that I'm excited about this one for many different reasons. One of these is because the creator and his girlfriend were friends and co-workers of mine about five years ago. I've watched both of their careers progress pretty well as I ventured off into my own career of retailing, and it's been pretty cool to see them really come into their own. In fact, James and Marley actually did some killer artwork for my old band's demo CDs way back when. And, even then, I was floored by the dude's art talent. I thought WONTON SOUP was good, but I think that ORC STAIN is where he's going to really come into his own. The story sounds awesome, it sounds fresh, it sounds different, and it's accompanied by his incredible, hyper-detailed artwork (which kind of reminds you of a blend of Tank Girl & Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett, Geoff Darrow, and old school Warhammer Tyranid box art).
Plus, Image has really been on a roll with all the great new series they've kicked off, so it's going to be cool to see them venturing into the world of fantasy, albeit, in a very unique manner.
What's ORC STAIN all about? It's a fantasy story set on a war-ridden planet nearly entirely over-run by Orcs. You start the story following a spiritually bankrupt Orc who basically has the ability to find the weak spot in any object. He makes his living looting graves, but pretty soon he's wanted by the crazy large armies of the Orc Tsar who needs his gift to unlock the organ of a long-dead God. This is the story of One-Eye.
Why is it going to rule? Well, it sounds like a striaght-forward sci-fi/fantasy story, but trust me, judging from what I've seen of James Stokoe's previous work, there's going to be a humorous, yet clever twist on the world, and it's inhabitants. I'm sure we'll see lots of Orcs getting blown up in all manners, and the one thing you can almost be sure you're going to get is some seriously good artwork. Plus, it looks to continue the same trend of fresh, and hip new ideas coming out of IMAGE Comics these days (i.e CHEW, Cowboy Ninja Viking, ect).
You should definitely click here to read more about ORC STAIN #1, and totally pick it up this week, I think it's going to rock!!
HAUNT #4 ARRIVES, AS ROBERT KIRKMAN (WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE) and TODD MCFARLANE'S ULTRAVIOLENT SMASH HIT NEW SERIES CONTINUES TO SET THE RACKS ABLAZE HERE AT THIRD EYE!
HAUNT has quickly become one of the monthly series I look forward to the most every month. I mean, the pacing, and storytelling has been great, with WALKING DEAD & INVINCIBLE mastermind ROBERT KIRKMAN handling the writing duties, and of course, the artwork is amazing with Ryan Ottley/Greg Capullo/Todd McFarlane working the comics triple threat.
But, I think the thing that I enjoy the most about HAUNT is that it takes me back to what it felt like to first be getting into comics. The book has a good, solid story, which of course, keeps me coming back, but it's the visceral sense of violent fun, over-the-top bad guys, and flawed morality that's striking a nerve with me. I mean, HAUNT is everything I loved about comics when I was 13, but with the modern sensibilities and quality of 21st century comics.
In other words, HAUNT is just plain good comics. Are you reading it yet? If not, here's the rundown.. Black Ops soldier gets killed over not doing some dirty work for the company. Comes back, "haunts" his brother, trying to tell him what happened.. his brother, a priest, and he are completely estranged from one another. Agency sends folks to kill the brother, and he posesses his brother to rip their heads off... and thus, HAUNT is born. Cool powers, not afraid to shed a little blood, tons of internal conflict, a mysterious origin.. it's everything you'd want out of a new superhero, you know?
If you haven't yet hopped aboard HAUNT, we currently have issues 1, 2 and 3 still available for you to give it ago, and get caught up relatively easily.
Click here to read the Wiki entry on HAUNT
VERTIGO CRIME: THE CHILL FROM CRITICALLYACCLAIMED CRIME NOIR NOVELIST JASON STARR AVAILABLE AT THIRD EYE THIS WEDNESDAY! "THE DEPARTED" meets "SON OF SAM"
The new VERTIGO CRIME imprint has been one of the coolest successes we've seen for Vertigo in a while. Original graphic novels, running from about 150-250 pages, packed full of pulpy, crime noir storytelling that takes you from every corner of the world that you could possibly imagine. This one, THE CHILL, is probably one of the ones I am most excited for.
Jason Starr, the author, is an INCREDIBLE crime novelist, who has delivered some great noir masterpieces like LIGHTS OUT, and COLD CALLER. His style is sharp, violent, and has a machine-gun kind of rhythm that keeps you turning the pages as quick as the bodys are dropping. And, the artwork by Mick Bertilorenzi (who I actually am not that familiar with) is perfect.
one part noir cop tale, it's a murder mystery that's got it's roots in the world of Celtic mythology. Imagine this.. you meet the most drop dead gorgeous girl you've ever seen, and she takes you down to a desolate part of town, for the night of your life.... and then, before you konw it, an old Irish man wearing celtic warpaint jams a ceremonial spear through your heart, and spits out some world in Gaelic. And, that's just the set-up....
THE CHILL is a very cool, mean little graphic novel that takes two of my favorite things: hardboiled crime comics, and vicious horror comics, and fuses the two together seemlessly. I highly recommend it to fans of CRIMINAL, and HELLBLAZER.
Click here for a preview of THE CHILL.
CABLE #22 HOMECOMING PT 2 CONTINUES THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THE "MESSIAH" TRILOGY
The one thing that has really been consistently good out of the X-Family of books has been the books that factor strongly into the "Messiah" trilogy which began in MESSIAH COMPLEX, continued in MESSIAH WAR, and is now concluding in HOMECOMING. Of course, all of this paves the way for a cryptically entitled event known as SECOND COMING, but we'll get to that when we get o that, you know?
Seriously though, Cable has been a solid, consistent read for almost the entirety of it's run. There's been a couple of blah issues here, or there, but the fact that Marvel has finally found a niche for this character that we thought had lost his luster back in the late '90s, is pretty amazing.
And, the mystery of Hope is becoming clearer and clearer. I think it's no secret that the last hope for the mutant race may just be the reincarnation of the Phoenix. But, of course, all the obvious clues they're laying out might just be red herrings to lead me astray.
Either way, we're stoked for the next part of this to hit this Wednesday, so, make sure not to miss it!
Click here to read a preview of CABLE #22 *HOMECOMING PT 2
It's always a cause for rejoice when we get a brand new BPRD series, and this Wednesday, we get to see the launch of the KING OF FEAR, which looks AWESOME. First off, it's got Guy Davis handling the art, and dude.. Guy Davis is one of the most underrated guys working today. His style is very unique, and almost abrasive at first, but pretty soon, you realize how much you love it... without realizing you liked it in the first place. I know, that doesn't make any sense, but I feel that Guy Davis is one of the best artists to deliver the goods on the Hellboy/BPRD front.
What is KING OF FEAR about? Well, those crazy plague frog things, and frog people, and other frog madness are finally going to be put to rest once and for all. And, Kate Corrigan is on her way to Hunte Castle in Austria (the sight where Hellboy originally took out the Conqueror Worm), to rescue special agent Johann Kraus.
Clickhere to read the preview of BPRD: KING OF FEAR #1
PUNISHER MAX GET CASTLE ONE-SHOT - BRUTAL, HARD-HITTING TALE OF THE PUNISHER, THE S.A.S, AND AFGHANISTAN
The Punisher MAX one-shots are always solid, entertaining reads. The world that GARTH ENNIS originally set up has given many talented writers a great opportunity to write the PUNISHER how he should be written: NC-17, hard-hitting, real. A killer.
This one-shot hitting this Wednesday features characters from the infamous Barracuda storyline, where Punisher's old war buddy, Yorkie's, who is now dead due in part to the Punisher/Barracuda feud, son has come back to avenge his father's death. The question is, does he blame the Punisher? We think he does.
This one is sure to be a solid, hard-hitting read, featuring a squad of S.A.S commandos who just returned from the mountains of Afghanistan, and are set to put the PUNISHER through a living hell. Question is though, is he the Hunter, or the Hunted?
FRANK MILLER'S DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN FINALLY AVAILABLE AGAIN IN TRADE PAPERBACK!
Daredevil is one of those characters that has always had really good, strong stand-out stories that define the character. From the classic FRANK MILLER stories, to the more modern Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker stuff. But, the one Daredevil story that stands the test of time as one of the best Daredevil stories ever told has gotta be BORN AGAIN by FRANK MILLER (SIN CITY, 300, ect ect) and DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI (BATMAN YEAR ONE, ASTERIOS POLYP). This is just a plain incredible tale which takes the Man Without Fear through his lowest lows, and highest highs.
Karen Page, Matt Murdock's former lover, sells his secret identity for a drug fix. And, from that point forward, we see the Kingpin take Daredevil down to the lowest of lows, dismantling his entire life piece by piece.
This is one that I really think can't be done justice with just words. You have to read it, and with this new edition of the story now available in softcover, it's the perfect time to give it a look.
No comments:
Post a Comment