By far, one of the best DC books ever month has been Grant Morrison's incredible BATMAN AND ROBIN. In fact, Morrison's run on Batman has been a few years worth of awesomeness, beginning all the way back with his very first official story arc BATMAN AND SON, from there we were reintroduced to silver age characters with a new spin in THE BLACK GLOVE, and then shown how the Dark Knight could be taken apart piece by piece in the riveting BATMAN: RIP. But, it's on BATMAN AND ROBIN, where we feel Morrison has really hit his stride, delivering a fresh, quirky (but not too quirky) post-modern take on the concept of the Dynamic Duo.
Coming directly off of the red-hot "BLACKEST KNIGHT" story arc that took place in BATMAN AND ROBIN #7, #8, and #9, Morrison is now setting the stage for what could possibly be the biggest Batman storyline in many years, THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. In this week's BATMAN AND ROBIN #10, Morrison is joined by rising star artist Andy Clarke (trust us, folks, we didn't recognize the name a few months ago, but after seeing his work on REBELS, we feel that this guy has the potential to be one of DC's next big breakout artist, he really is a hidden gem), and according to DC, tying this issue directly into THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE (due out this Spring). It looks like this issue kicks off with something we all knew was coming: Damian turning on Dick, and due to the manipulation of Mommy Dearest (ya know, that Talia chick), it looks like Damian has it in his head to take out Grayson. But, the real big deal with this issue is...
It's the OFFICIAL start of the HUGE Return of Bruce Wayne storyline. Well, the official prologue anyways. While we haven't yet gotten to read a copy of this, from what the solicits from DC say, it looks like this issue will serve the same purpose that Green Lantern #43 did for BLACKEST NIGHT, in serving as an official prologue to the series. For months, there's been talk about Morrison's plan for Batman's return, and the more we've seen, the cooler it looks, with the Dark Knight literally fighting his way through the time-stream, and showing up in various Bat-incarnations, like a Bat-Caveman, a Bat-Pirate, a Bat-Cowboy, and more. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it looks SO FREAKING COOL! Remember how much fun you had back in the day reading all those elseworld storylines where ol' Bats would be rocking a battle-axe, or hunting Jack the Ripper? Well, Morrison is taking that raw imagination, and channeling it into modern day, mainline DCU continuity to make for one hell of an epic Batman storyline. Not to mention, there's so many questions as to what happens WHEN the Caped Crusader returns. Does he return to the cowl? Will Nightwing keep the mantle as well?
Either way, make sure you pick up Batman and Robin #10 this Wednesday, as this is a THIRD EYE MUST BUY for sure, and is setting up for what could quite possibly be one of the coolest Batman stories of all time. Heck, just take a look at this shot of the various covers for "RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE".
And, beyond all the press that Return of Bruce Wayne is getting, I have to say that personally, Batman and Robin continues to be one of my favorite books, month after month. Morrison manages to make each and every issue crackle with pure pop art comic madness, and it really does feel like something special is being built here. It's quality storytelling, and has had some of the best artists in the biz working on it. If you're curious about hopping onto Batman and Robin from the very beginning, we currently have all the issues, 1-9 (and with this Wednesday, issue #10), well-stocked here at Third Eye.
Click here to read a preview of BATMAN AND ROBIN #10 *RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE PROLOGUE!*
THE BOYS VOLUME 6: THE SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY TRADE PAPERBACK ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE! GET YOUR NEXT SLAB OF GARTH ENNIS AWESOMENESS THIS WEEK! WANT TO JUMP ONTO THE MONTHLIES? PICK UP #39 and #40 THIS WEEK AS WELL, and YOU'RE CAUGHT UP!
Now, here's one that we know you guys are going to be happy about. The sixth volume of Garth Ennis's completely insane, yet completely awesome take on a world where superheroes are horrible, horrible people arrives this week in trade paperback. The Boys is a series, much like WALKING DEAD, or SCALPED, where we know that many people eagerly await the next collected edition, so we're happy to tell you that we'll have it this Wednesday, folks!
If you're already reading THE BOYS, then no more needs to be said, but for those of you who have yet to try this series, allow us to give you the rundown on what is possibly one of the best damn comics on the stands of Third Eye!
The world of THE BOYS is one where caped superheroes are the tools of private defense contractors, and the result of superhuman experiments. The men and women who are sold to the public as heroes are actually the most wretched, power-hungry, and degenerate minds in the world, twisted by their own sense of godhood, and the corporation they work for. In other words, the superheroes are pretty awful people. The story begins with a superhero fight between good guy, and bad guy, and the good guy tosses the bad guy (at you know, superhuman speed and strength) without looking where he's throwing him, and of course, he rips a woman right from her arms. This is where the reader's eyes, Hughie, is first recruited into the BOYS.
See, the Boys, are a group of men and women, who've all had their lives damaged in some way, shape, or form by superheroes. So, they've found their calling working for the U.S Government to keep a tight leash on these privately-controlled superheroes. Led by a man known as Butcher, they blackmail, torture, and generally make the Capes' lives a living hell.
While I don't want get into too much of what happens, I will say that this is some of the most disturbing looks at superheroes that we've seen. The violence level is insane, but the actual story and writing has been compelling enough to keep us interested after 40 issues.
If you're curious about trying THE BOYS, we've got all the trade paperbacks in stock to catch up, and you can get started with THE BOYS v.1 TPB this week to find out just how awesome this series is.
For those of you following the trades, and wanting to hop onto the single issues, you're only two behind after you snag volume 6, so get caught up with issues #39 and #40, and get your Boys fix each and every month!
"THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW" BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY IN JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL SPECIAL, AND EXPLORES THE AFTERMATH OF "CRY FOR JUSTICE!"
A couple of weeks ago, I went over how much I really dig the Green Arrow as a character, and how it's been kind of a bummer to see him not getting the proper treatment he deserves in what have been kind of lackluster titles. We saw all of that change with the portrayal of the character in James Robinson's killer CRY FOR JUSTICE mini-series (which just ended last week). We saw the further development of the character in the pages of BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30, and now the big "RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW" storyline kicks off this Wednesday in the pages of the JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL one-shot.
Also, for those of you who've read JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, this one-shot not only serves as the beginning of RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW story arc, but also serves as an epilogue for the recent CRY FOR JUSTICE storyline. Now, some of you are probably wondering just what the heck this whole RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW storyline is all about? Well, we're here to give you the rundown.
What's the Scoop on RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW? As we've seen in the pages of CRY FOR JUSTICE, Green Arrow and Red Arrow, were both severely impacted due to the events that took place. From the way that things are looking with the big RISE AND FALL OF THE GREEN ARROW storyline, it appears that we'll be seeing Oliver Queen going back to his Longbow Hunter-era roots, and watching as the Green Arrow title takes on a much darker tone. In my opinion, I feel that this is the best direction, because all the really good Green Arrow storylines have been draped in gritty awesomeness, it just fits the character. We also feel that this should be a real evolution for Arsenal into finally becoming the Red Arrow. While he may have adopted the identity now, it hasn't really felt like he's made the jump from Arsenal to Red Arrow yet, and after you know, losing an arm... it should be interesting to see how it plays out. Apparently, one of the tidbits dropped about Green Arrow's place in the scheme of things is that "the hunter will become the hunted", and we'll be seeing the Justice League coming after Ollie. For those of you who read the ending of Cry for Justice, then this makes perfect sense. The issue just came out, so I don't want to ruin that great page near the end, but...
Lets just say Ollie has done something the Justice League cannot condone.
All in all, this should be a breath of fresh air for the character, and we couldn't be more stoked to see where things go with it.
Click here to read more about JUSTICE LEAGUE: RISE AND FALL one-shot
Click here for the Third Eye RISE AND FALL Checklist
WANNA MAKE COMICS? CHECK OUTBREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY #1 THIS WEDNESDAY!
One thing that's pretty cool here about Third Eye is many of you guys that come in here are very creative people, and I know that more than few of you have often talked about getting into the field of creating comics. Marvel has put together a very cool two part anthology series that features the work of many up and coming new talents in the world of comics, some of which has never been seen anywhere else before. And, the other thing that's very cool about this is the fact that it also includes the all-new submission guidelines for submitting your art, or writing samples to Marvel Comics.
Not just a showcase of new talent, this two-part special goes over Marvel talent scout C.B Cebulski's methods for picking and choosing who lands a job at Marvel. It goes over the different tips for the best way to get your work seen, and just what landed the creators in this book a spot at the offices of good ol' Marvel Comics.
Finally, you get a step by step outline of the submission process, as well as a sample Marvel script to follow when submitting your work. In other words, if you're interested in getting work with Marvel Comics, Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way is must-read material.
Click here for a preview of BREAKING INTO COMICS THE MARVEL WAY #1
SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1 *BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES PT 2* - THE ROAD TO "WAR OF THE SUPERMEN" CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY!
The road to this summer's big DCU storyline, WAR OF THE SUPERMEN, continues this Wednesday in the pages of SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1. The next chapter in the BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES storyarc that began last week in ADVENTURE COMICS #8 (still available here at Third Eye Comics), Last Stand of New Krypton is the first of a three issue limited series that looks like we're going to be seeing the meltdown of NEW KRYPTON (and hopefully the return of Superman to his own books! :) ).
Brainiac is unleashing a full assault on New Krypton, determined to recapture the city of Kandor, but it looks like Zod is waiting for him, and it may just put the fate of Earth in jeopardy. And, that's where it brings us to the combined forces of Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, and the Legion of Superheroes to stop these two great classic Superman villains from destroying everything as we know it.
I think we can all agree that it's about time that we actually saw Superman showing up in the Superman books, so it's going to be very refreshing to see the direction that this storyline takes the Man of Steel, as things lead up to the big WAR OF THE SUPERMEN that launches with WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this year.
Click here to read more about SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1
Click here to check out the THIRD EYE CHECKLIST for the BRAINIAC AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES / WAR OF SUPERMEN!
PUNISHERMAX #5 - "SCALPED" writer JASON AARON CONCLUDES HIS BRUTAL, UNRELENTING FIRST STORY ARC OF PUNISHER MAX! THIS IS THE BEST THE PUNISHER HAS BEEN SINCE THE GARTH ENNIS DAYS!
I can't tell you guys how much Garth Ennis's epic, character-defining run on PUNISHER MAX meant to me, in terms of comics that I hold near and dear to my heart. Honestly, Ennis took a character that could easily be seen as one dimensional, or outdated, and found him a place in the world of 21st century comics storytelling. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of PUNISHER MAX, here it is in a nutshell:
What is PUNISHER MAX? The world of PUNISHER MAX is a self-contained universe that exists outside of the regular Marvel Universe. There are no real superpowers, and the only Marvel characters that actually show up or exist in this world are ones that could realistically exist. With that being said, these characters are shown in a whole new light, for example, Nick Fury is a man in his 60s, a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, whisky-swilling CIA warhorse that's been jaded by life. He's tough as nails, and while his view of the world is noble, the actions that he takes to protect that world aren't always. Of course, the star of PUNISHER MAX, is, well, THE PUNISHER. And, the Punisher in the world of Punisher MAX is much closer to a character like TAXI DRIVER'S Travis Bickle, a lone madman with a righteous mission who doesn't see the madness in his actions. He's realistically portrayed as a man in his 50s, a hulking ex-soldier who quickly and quietly appears to brutally execute those who he sees as criminal. The opening sequences of the very first PUNISHER MAX trade paperback, IN THE BEGINNING, are downright chilling, as we see the narration of the PUNISHER, walking through crowded city streets, "And now, every night, I make the world sane."
So, What's Up With the Current Incarnation of PUNISHER MAX? Written by the critically acclaimed author of (one of the best) Vertigo series, SCALPED, Jason Aaron, PUNISHERMAX is a return to the feel and roots that Garth Ennis developed for the character in his original 60 issue run. The first issue of this series serves as a perfect jumping on point to PUNISHER MAX, if you've never read the series before, and it kicks you off into a dark, seedy world of despair that's so visceral you can taste it. In this first story arc, Aaron has introduced the character of the KINGPIN to the world of PUNISHER MAX, and let me tell you, folks, the MAX Kingpin is one terrifying character. He truly makes you believe he is the ultimate crime bad guy, and some of the things he does, well, you'll just have to see for yourself. The series has kept the same level of grotesque violence, combined with compelling storytelling that made Ennis's run so memorable, and we really can't recommend it enough. If you haven't yet jumped on, we currently have all the issues in stock to catch you up. For those of you who're digging the Jason Aaron MAX run, we recommend checking out Ennis's PUNISHER MAX run in the trade paperbacks, starting with PUNISHER MAX: IN THE BEGINNING.
Click here for a preview of PUNISHERMAX #5
PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #2CONTINUES THE MADNESS OF DEADPOOL CORPS THIS WEDNESDAY!
The road to DEADPOOL CORPS continues here as the DEADPOOL MADNESS comes full force again this Wednesday with PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #2! That's right, folks, Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Headpool, and the rest of the gang continue to deliver the zaniness that you've come to know and expect from the Merc With A Mouth.
Click here for a preview of PRELUDE TO DEADPOOL CORPS #2
BATGIRL #8 and RED ROBIN #10CROSSOVER THIS WEDNESDAY WITH BATGIRL #8 BEING THE FIRST CHAPTER, AND RED ROBIN #10 BEING THE SECOND CHAPTER!
This week, in the pages of RED ROBIN #10 and BATGIRL #8, we've got a very cool two-part crossover between Red Robin and Batgirl, and anyone who knows these characters and their pasts knows that this is bound to bring some really interesting storyline development.
Starting in BATGIRL #8, and then continuing in the pages of RED ROBIN #10, we see a recently returned Tim Drake unexpectedly finding Stephanie Brown in the Batcave, but they gotta work together as Ra's Al Ghul starts launching some attacks on everyone involved in the Bat-family, but where does Tim stand after his time with Ra's? It's Ra's al Ghul vs. Hush! Vicki Vale vs. Alfred, and more!
Click here to read more about BATGIRL #8 and RED ROBIN #10!
CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #5 - THE SINNERS CONCLUDES AS BRUBAKER FINISHES OUT ANOTHER KILLER STORY ARC IN THIS CONSISTENTLY TOP 5 THIRD EYE FAVORITE SERIES!
If you're not reading CRIMINAL, then you ABSOLUTELY need to be. This is probably my favorite series, or at least one of my top 5, and it's been that way for a long time. Ed Brubaker is truly in his element, and the kind of comic book chemistry that comes together between him, Sean Phillips, and the rest of the crew involved with CRIMINAL (as well as INCOGNITO, and SLEEPER) is pure magic. It's always been rare to find a comic book that so perfectly meshes the creators styles together so well that it just comes across as it's own feel, and style. I mean, it's truly unique stuff. And, if you're a fan of crime comics.. or even just plain grittier storytelling, then you gotta ritead CRIMINAL.
Why? Because this is the BEST crime comic on the stands. Hell, I'd say it's close to being one of the best crime comics of all-time. From the pure noir feel of the art and coloring, to Brubaker's well-crafted tales of despair and danger, CRIMINAL has it all. Ontop of all of this, you even get very cool extra material in the back of each issue, guest columnists are invited to write about their favorite aspects of crime storytelling. Sometimes you'll get someone talking about their favorite John Woo movies, sometimes you'll get someone talking about pulp novels, all in all, CRIMINAL delivers on every single page.
So, now that I've done my obligatory gushing over this great series, lets get into the meat and potatoes of the conclusion due out this week to CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS. Tracy Lawless is trapped, trapped between hardened criminals that want to torture and kill him, and a Military Investigator who wants to bring him back to the Army in chains. It all ends here, and is this the end of Tracy's story?
Find out this Wednesday in CRIMINAL THE SINNERS #5
Not yet read CRIMINAL? You can either jump on with the current series, CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #1, as each story is self-contained, or you can go back and start at the beginning with CRIMINAL v.1 COWARD. We currently have all the issues for both the SINNERS, and all the trade paperbacks for the previous CRIMINAL stories in stock.
THE WAKING #1 DELIVERS A RIVETING NEW HORROR SERIES FROM THE FOLKS AT ZENESCOPE and THE WRITER OF THE "WONDERLAND" TRILOGY THAT BRINGS FORTH SOME CREEPY SUPERNATURAL CRIME NOIR HORROR! A GREAT MODERN SPIN ON THE CLASSIC FEEL OF OLD SCHOOL E.C HORROR COMICS!
Raven Gregory has really made a name for himself doing solid comics with horrifying premises, the most well-known of which is the uber popular "WONDERLAND" trilogy that spans RETURN TO WONDERLAND, BEYOND WONDERLAND and ESCAPE FROM WONDERLAND. Now, he's bringing us something brand new, and folks, it's pretty damn horrifying!
The Waking is a decidedly old-fashioned horror story with a very Gothic feel where the dead are returning from their graves to exact revenge on their killers. While Gregory could've taken the easy way out, and relied on gore alone, he actually delivers some very well-thought out, intricate storytelling that manifests itself in a narrative told from the perspectives of four jaded detectives.
The detectives in question are investigating two murders, where they've discovered the victims have come back from the dead to find those responsible for taking their lives. Now, they're torn between doing their jobs, or allowing the victims to deal out their own dish of justice. All while this is happening, a father with an extraordinary ability is forced to choose between avenging his daughter's death or losing her forever. The feel of this comic is very much in tone with classic EC Horror Comics, as we see the grisly fates of those who've done wrong.
The artwork on the series from Vic Drujiniu is very cool, and really delivers a creepy, sinister feel to the story. If you're looking for a modern day spin on the classic Gothic horror stories, and morality tales, then we really recommend checking this one out. A must for horror fans!
ANOTHER FREE COMIC THIS WEEK FROM YOUR PALS AT THIRD EYE! CHECK OUT SKOTTIE YOUNG'S INCREDIBLE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ BY SNAGGING A COPY OF WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1... FREE, THIS WEDNESDAY!
Just like we did with INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 last week, we're giving away the first issue of Skottie Young's incredible take on the surreal classic, the WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, this Wednesday. This series did a fantastic job of retelling the story of Oz in the form of panels and pages, and honestly, what got us was the fresh, unique art style that Young brought to the book. I mean, it just looked so friggin' cool! This week you can score the first issue of this series to try out, and hey, if you dig it, you can pick up the WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ collected edition which has the whole eight issue series collected into one volume! Give it a peek this Wednesday, for FREE!
HELLBOY VOLUME 9: THE WILD HUNT TRADE PAPERBACK ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE TO GIVE YOU YOUR NEXT SLAB OF MIKE MIGNOLA AWESOMENESS!
You know we've gotta make a fuss anytime another edition of Mignola's creepy, occult world gets delivered to us in trade. His work reads so well collected into volumes that it'd be criminal not to highlight it. This week, the next slab of Hellboy awesomeness arrives in the form of HELLBOY v.9 THE WILD HUNT.
When ancient giants begin to reawaken in the British Isle, Hellboy is brought in to join a band of fellow monster hunters called the Wild Hunt to help bring them down, but things go awry, and Hellboy's sights are set on something much more dangerous: the Queen of Blood, originally seen in Darkness Calls.
Check it out this Wednesday!
GREEK STREET v.1 BLOOD CALLS FOR BLOOD TRADE PAPERBACK DELIVERS TWISTED MODERN DAY REIMAGININGS OF BRUTAL AND VISCERAL TRAGEDIES OF ANCIENT GREECE! AND IT'S ONLY $9.99!
The Vertigo series GREEK STREET has been a real underrated gem here at Third Eye. Writer Peter Milligan takes classic Greek tragedies, and casts them on the mean streets of modern-day London, where the tales are the same, but the players have been replaced by vengeful gangsters, seductive strippers, and disturbed clairvoyants. Greek Street delivers some pretty horrific moments, and has really been making a niche for itself as a solid Vertigo series. You can snag the first trade this week here at Third Eye, for that sweet and low price of only $9.99, cause Vertigo knows how to hook it up!
THIRD EYE NOW AN OFFICIAL VENDOR OF KID ROBOT PRODUCTS! CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE RAD VINYL TOYS NOW IN STOCK AT THIRD EYE!
Third Eye is proud to announce that we're now officially a vendor of KID ROBOT products. We've added a section of killer KID ROBOT designer vinyl toys, due to feedback from you guys, and due in part from our desire to offer some of the coolest swag you can't find anywhere else!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the KID ROBOT brand, they produce limited run figures, and toys that are designed by artists from all walks of life, ranging from skateboard artists to graffiti artists and beyond, you get some truly unique stuff with Kid Robot's stuff. But, with cool stuff like this, pictures speak louder than words, so here's a look at just a few of the items that we've got in stock now!
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