THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 5/26/10

THE HEROIC AGE CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY, AS THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS EXPLORED INSECRET AVENGERS #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* by ED BRUBAKER (CRIMINAL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, INCOGNITO), and MIKE DEODATO (DARK AVENGERS) Secret Avengers has some big shoes to fill after the shocking conclusion of last week's brand new AVENGERS #1, but after reading the advance copy on this one... folks, it stands head and shoulders with last week's AVENGERS. This was a really freakin' good read. There's a real chemistry going on between Ed Brubaker's writing, and Mike Deodato's artwork here, and it makes the book into a pure page-turner. The other thing that really pulled me in was the whole concept of the Secret Avengers is very compelling, and to watch such a diverse group of unlikely Avengers candidates working alongside each other... it's pretty darn cool. So, just what the hell are the Secret Avengers? As part of the new direction Marvel is taking with it's "Heroic Age" banner, the Secret Avengers is a new ongoing series that replaces the hole left with the ending of Dark Avengers, and it follows a team of eclectic Marvel Universe characters that have all been hand-picked by Steve Rogers (you know, Captain America.. :) ) due to the special skills each holds, and the special niches they can fill. In other words, it's Captain America leading a shadow-ops Avengers team that handles a lot of shady things that the big, bright, and bold Avengers cannot deal with. And, judging from the first issue, Ed Brubaker has really captured lightning in a bottle here. You know Ed Brubaker, right? He's the guy who has us ridiculously hooked on his fantastic creator-owned crime noir books like CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO, not to mention his ultra-cool pulp serial gone 21st century takes on Captain America in the current ongoing Cap book. Brubaker is totally in his element with this new series, and you can totally detect hints of the storytelling styles he used in his dark and dirty superhero espionage sagas like SLEEPER and INCOGNITO. Now, alongside Mike Deodato, who you already know from kicking out some really killer artwork on DARK AVENGERS, Brubaker is building a new kind of Marvel team book. It really feels unique, compared to almost everything else out there right now. In fact, I haven't seen as unique an approach to superhero team dynamics like this since Ellis's original Authority run. See, the way that SECRET AVENGERS operates is it relies heavily on characters who NEED something. Characters that require validation, or redemption, or just plain a second chance. And, with Steve Rogers as the team leader, it's kind of cool, because not only are you seeing how his military tactical genius works (alongside Sharon Carter, the former SHIELD spy), and being reminded that hey, Captain America DID run special ops missions like a mofo during WW2, but you also see that eternal optimism that Captain America as a character is supposed to bring to the Marvel Universe. He's surrounding himself with many Marvel characters who honestly are flawed individuals, and while each one serves their purpose, when reading Secret Avengers, you can't help but sense this underlying desire of Rogers to give these people their shot at being an Avenger. Okay, I'm rambling. I know. I tend to do that when I really like a book. Anyways, the first issue of SECRET AVENGERS sets things up really nice with a high-action operation that also serves to introduce the different team-members, and of course, there's a few surprises in here that I can't talk about, but they're pretty good reveals. The entire issue has this great, dark, and gritty '70s war movie exploitation feel to it. You know, kind of like an Inglorious Bastards vibe going on, but a little more low-key. There's also some really cool nods to past Marvel storylines, especially some very classic Avengers tales a lot of you might remember from the '80s and even early '90s. Of course, these are done in a very cool, and very accessible way, where even someone who's never read an Avengers book isn't put off by them. All in all, it was a damn good first issue, and I recommend it, but first.. Can I jump on fresh with this without having read any of the recent Avengers stuff? Yes, you totally can. The story starts fast and furious, and it's not bogged down with any backstory, or anything of that sort. The origin of the team, and the reason for it's line-up is all explained within the first couple pages of the issue. And, who's on the team? The line-up of Secret Avengers, I think, adds to it's appeal in a big way. It's a very diverse mix of Avengers classics (like the Beast), and newcomers (Nova). The line-up as of issue #1 is: Steve Rogers (Captain America) Sharon Carter Moon Knight The Beast Nova War Machine The Irredeemable Ant-Man (you know, the jerky one.) Valkryie Black Widow The Final Verdict? A must-read, folks. If you're a Marvel fan, or just a fan of well-written, well put together comics, then you need to scope out Secret Avengers. It delivers a really unique read that manages to balance out the gritty tone of books like INCOGNITO with the big, over-the-top Marvel madness of the Avengers. Jump on fresh with SECRET AVENGERS #1 this Wednesday! Click here for a preview of SECRET AVENGERS #1 *HEROIC AGE* BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY, AND CONTINUES THE BIGGEST BATMAN STORY IN DECADES! PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR BATMAN, THE WITCHHUNTER! Are you reading BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE? If you're not, then you're missing out on one of the biggest stories of the Summer. Morrison has brought us to this exciting high point in the saga of his Batman run, and is channeling all sorts of killer over-the-top Silver Age energy into a modern day package with The Return of Bruce Wayne. First off, I gotta say, the first issue of Return of Bruce Wayne surpassed the extremely high expectations I had for it. I was surprised by quite a few things in it, including the very early arrival of DC heavyweights on the hunt for Batman as he's lost in the time-stream. What is BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE? As the title hints, this limited series is the highly anticipated Return of Bruce Wayne. See, when Bruce Wayne went missing at the end of Final Crisis and Batman: RIP, we were given hints that he would be back. In fact, we were shown a pretty obvious hint of him in a cave, scrawling a Bat on a wall. Now, after a solid year of stories building Dick Grayson up as Batman, developing a very unique dynamic between him and Damian as the new Batman and Robin, Morrison has begun the Return of Bruce Wayne. In the Return of Bruce Wayne, we witness Bruce Wayne moving through different periods of time, and we get to see different incarnations of Batman, Gotham City, and other DC characters that fit into those eras with each issue (i.e the first issue showed a VERY Joker-esque Caveman, Vandal Savage, ect). See, Wayne is lost in the time-stream. In the recent issues of BATMAN AND ROBIN, we've seen clues appearing in the present that've tipped the current Dynamic Duo off to Wayne's fate. We've also seen some HUGE reveals, like the return of the Joker at the end of BATMAN AND ROBIN #12. And, just like a good Batman story should, we've been sucked into the mystery right along-side the characters who're exploring this weird, and unusual situation for the World's Greatest Detective. After reading RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1, it looks like that as a result of being zapped back in time, Wayne has mild amnesia. The first issue opened in a big way with the time-travelling space-ship from Final Crisis. It starts things in the prehistoric age, and even includes two characters some of you may be familiar with: Anthro and Vandal Savage. There's a lot of easter eggs in the first issue of Return of Bruce Wayne, some references back to the beginning of Final Crisis, and more, but what makes the book so great is that this is a self-contained story, and you can dive in without having to know any of the previous back-story. It's just a bonus for some to see references to the first issue of Final Crisis, and things like that. Anyways, back to the point.. What we've learned is that Bruce Wayne is traveling forward in time, and with the arrival of Superman, Green Lantern, and others, his very existence is endangering the universe itself. If he returns to the present, bad mojo is going to go down. This week, the second issue of RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE hurtles the Dark Knight into the era of pilgrims, inquisitions, and witchcraft. We can only imagine what Grant Morrison is going to show us next, as that killer cover featuring a Solomon Kane-esque Batman indicates some big things. And, hey, speaking of side-notes, is it just me, or does each cover of this series have an incarnation of the Joker in the background? If you look closely at #1, you can see one of the cavemen has bleached skin and green hair, and then with this week's issue #2 there's a very Joker-esque Witch cackling away. Hmmmm.. Man, I can't wait to read this one this week. I have a feeling this series is going to end up becoming one of my favorites of the Summer. Anyhow, if you haven't yet jumped aboard the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, we still have plenty of issue #1 in stock. You're probably wondering though, "Do I Need To Read A Ton of Back-story To Get Into This?" No. I mean, don't get me wrong, going back and reading Morrison's run is recommended because the entire run has been so good, but RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE stands on it's own. The only thing I'd recommend is the three issue prologue that took place in BATMAN AND ROBIN (issues #10, #11, and #12) which we have currently in stock to get you caught up. Otherwise though, jump onto this great book, and find out what all the fuss is about. I mean, who doesn't love a kick-ass Batman story? Click here to read more about BATMAN: RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 BRIGHTEST DAY BRINGS A DOUBLE WHAMMY OF BIG THINGS THIS WEDNESDAY IN GREEN LANTERN #54*THIRD EYE MUST BUY*& GREEN LANTERN CORPS #48 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* Man, after last month's Green Lantern #53, I have been on the edge of my seat waiting to see where this whole thing is going to go next. I had faith that in the aftermath of BLACKEST NIGHT, Geoff Johns would keep making Green Lantern a must-read, and judging from the first two BRIGHTEST DAY banner-carrying GL books (GL Corps #47 and GL #53), it looks like my faith was well put, 'cause both GL and GL Corps are still kicking ass. For those of you who read Green Lantern #53 last month, then you know exactly what I mean when I say cliffhanger ending. The conspiracy forming between Guy Gardner, Atrocitus, and Ganthet is intriguing as hell, and I'm really eager to find out where they take things this Wednesday in the new GREEN LANTERN #54. If by some chance you jumped off GL with the end of BLACKEST NIGHT, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of GREEN LANTERN #53 along with GREEN LANTERN #54 this week, 'cause you're missing out on pretty much the entire continuation of the whole New Guardians saga which is following the post-Blackest Night development of Sinestro, Star Sapphire, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, and the rest of the gang as the New Guardians. Plus, there's some pretty interesting tidbits following up on the "deputy Lanterns" from Blackest Night, like Lex Luthor and the Orange Lantern stuff. But, most importantly, Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke are keeping the quality level SUPER high on this, and each issue continues to keep that epic, sprawling feel that GL and Blackest Night have had for the last couple of years. Click here to read more about GREEN LANTERN #54 *BRIGHTEST DAY* Meanwhile in Green Lantern Corps #48, show us that the Green Lantern Honor Guard has expanded to include Ganthet, and John Stewart, and the two of them are going to be helping Kyle Rayner find out just what the deadly enemy is that is inside the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps. Following up on last month's GREEN LANTERN CORPS #47, I'm also pretty excited about this one as well. Last month, we saw the Laws of Oa being questioned, and put into doubt by certain Lantern Corps members. It was an excellent post-Blackest Night issue, and really set up the Corps as a compelling, and interesting part of what is going on on in regards to Brightest Day. Click here to read more about GREEN LANTERN CORPS #48 *BRIGHTEST DAY* IT'S "INGLORIOUS BASTERDS" MEETS "INCOGNITO" THIS WEDNESDAY IN THE NEW BOOM! (publishers of IRREDEEMABLE) SERIES, "7 PSYCHOPATHS!" *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL*, FROM "CRIMINAL" and "INCOGNITO" CO-CREATOR SEAN PHILLIPS! A TRUE GRINDHOUSE WARTIME THRILLRIDE! Here's one that I saw the Previews for a couple months ago, and thought was just too cool. BOOM! Studios have really been impressing me in the last year with lots of fresh, and exciting new series, like THE ANCHOR, IRREDEEMABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE, and the superb handling of their licensed books like 28 DAYS LATER. They've really been doing what a good growing publisher in today's comic market should be: putting out quality, innovative stories with top notch writing, artwork, and production values. In other words, they've been bringing their A-Game. And, this Wednesday, it looks like they've got another hit on their hands with this exciting new limited series that's being billed as the comic book equivalent of "Inglorious Basterds", 7 PSYCHOPATHS. It's the thick of World War II, and there's only one way to bring the war to a quick end: kill Hitler. But, for such a mission, special talents are required. That's where Joshua Goldschmidt comes in, with his 7 Psychopaths. A gathering of madmen and women that possess the skills, the courage, and the sheer fearlessness to take out one of the most evil men on the planet. This one's going to be dripping in blood, folks, and we couldn't be more stoked about it. Now, ontop of the killer concept of the story, it's also got the artwork of one of our big Third Eye favorites, CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO artist and co-creator, SEAN PHILLIPS. And, folks, his art has never looked better. The stylized, dark, and noir feel of Phillips art never fails to pull us into a story, and with 7 Psychopaths, he captures the pure, unadulterated grindhouse madness of this story perfectly. Check it out this Wednesday at Third Eye! And, in the meantime, click here for a preview of 7 PSYCHOPATHS #1 KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #4 FOLLOWS UP LAST MONTH'S FANATASTIC ISSUE #3 THIS WEDNESDAY! FIND OUT WHY THIS SERIES HAS QUICKLY REACHED MUST-READ STATUS! ISSUES #1-3 STILL IN STOCK, GET CAUGHT UP ON ONE OF THIS YEAR'S COOLEST NEW SERIES! I gotta admit, I was not completely blown away by the first couple issues of KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET. However, I did have some faith that things would get interesting, and damn, issue #3 was the make or break point, and it totally got me hooked. The first two issues of the series spend a lot of time setting up the character, and his world. Getting everything in place for us as readers, as well as introducing the vast world of the Green Hornet to new readers, so that the events of #3 had more of an impact, and after reading issue #3, I can definitely appreciate the set-up of #1 and #2. So, you're probably wondering what it was that really got me hooked? It wasn't the death of the original Green Hornet that hooked me, but the whole bar scene with the original Kato. In that whole part of the book, Smith manages to capture a real sense of magic as you watch the relationship between Britt Reid Jr, and the elder Kato, begin. I'm a sucker for kung fu movies, and the whole reluctant student and wise-ass mentor dynamic always gets me. But, anyhow, all I can say is now I'm hooked. And, this Wednesday, things kick into full gear with the latest installment of Kevin Smith's GREEN HORNET. It looks like we'll be seeing Britt Reid Jr taking on the mantle of the Green Hornet, and the development of the new Kato. I love the universe that Dynamite is building with their Green Hornet revival, and as someone who has never been super familiar with the Green Hornet, but has always appreciated the character, it's pretty accessible and easy to get into. Plus, Jonathan Lau's artwork is fantastic, and Smith's plotting and dialogue is dead on point. Like I said, issue #3 is the point where I really went from being on the fence about the book to being totally into it, and I'm really digging the series now. If you haven't checked out the Green Hornet stuff yet, we currently have all three issues in stock, and can get you caught up pretty easily, so check it out this week at the shop! Click here for a preview of KEVIN SMITH'S GREEN HORNET #4 BRIGHTEST DAY: JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #2 CONTINUES AFTER A FREAKIN' AWESOME DEBUT ISSUE! MAXWELL LORD, YOU RASCAL, YOU! The first issue of the new JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST series blew me away. Seriously, I was expecting something good, but I was really impressed with this one. First off, the big news... as part of the BRIGHTEST DAY resurrection festival, Maxwell Lord is back. You know, the guy who put a bullet in Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), and got his neck snapped by Wonder Woman after nearly destroying the world. And, with Lord's return, so is the fan-favorite team of goofs, The Justice League International. And, with the JLI, we're also seeing the return of the man who gave them their magic, Keith Giffen. And, Giffen's still got it folks. He's able to balance out humor with some pretty serious stuff perfectly, and it makes for a fantastic read. The first issue sets the stage, as we see how the A-List Justice Leaguers have been tasked with locating and neutralizing the returned Maxwell Lord, who's up to no good, as usual. Of course, this leaves the B-Listers delegated to doing menial tasks. Growing tired of his role, and feeling a heavy responsibility of finding Lord himself after the murder of Blue Beetle, Booster Gold rounds up his team-mates from JLI, and decides to go find Lord himself. Giffen does a fantastic job of making this ragtag group of B-Lists the last hope for things while the heavy-hitters are otherwise out of commission. And, dude, do they make Maxwell Lord despicable in this, or what? His nastiness as a villain just continues to rise. All in all, the first issue of JL: Generation Lost was one of the better new Brightest Day books I've read, and even though I'm an old fan of the Giffen/Maguire Justice League days, I think this one does a great job of making itself accessible and entertaining to people who aren't as familiar with those characters. This Wednesday, the second issue arrives and we can only imagine where things are going to go as Fire, Ice, Captain Atom, Booster Gold, and the rest of the crew run the risk of being eliminated by the sadistic Maxwell Lord. Miss #1? Catch up with #1 this week, as we've still got plenty in stock! Click here to read more about JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #2 INVINCIBLE v.12 STILL STANDING TRADE PAPERBACK *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* HITS THIS WEDNESDAY! ARE YOU READING ROBERT KIRKMAN'S (WALKING DEAD) INCREDIBLE SPIN ON THE SUPERHERO GENRE? YOU NEED TO! Annnnd it's finally here, another slab of INVINCIBLE awesomeness with the 12th trade paperback of Robert Kirkman's killer take on the superhero genre, INVINCIBLE. Invincible is another one of those series that we find a lot of people tend to follow in trade, so we know that when a new volume hits, you guys are pumped to hear about it. And, you should be, 'cause INVINCIBLE is one of the best damn series on the shelves these days. I mean, INVINCIBLE and WALKING DEAD have been Robert Kirkman's big two books for the better part of a decade now, and they just continue to get better. Imagine the gutpunches, cliffhangers, and just crazy twists you see in WALKING DEAD, and then apply them to the world of superheroes, and that brings you INVINCIBLE. Seriously though, the real hook of INVINCIBLE is that it's probably the most realistic superhero book I've ever read. Now, when I say realistic, I don't mean realistic in the sense of the grim, and the gritty. I love that kinda stuff too, and while INVINCIBLE can be pretty grim, it's not fueled by that. No, I mean, it really reads and plays out like what would happen if Superman had a son who's powers manifested around the age of 17, and then from there, it follows the character as he ages with the series. In other words, Invincible goes to college, has relationships, deals with the ups and downs of his personal life, and balances with his own superhero life. This is truly the 21st Century Spider-man story, folks. And, the way things are handled is so perfect. Even the dynamic between Invincible and villains of his is handled realistically, and sometimes built up over the course of many issues. And, if you're hooked on the twists and turns of WALKING DEAD, then INVINCIBLE delivers those as well. Imagine a character being built up over the course of 50 or 60 issues, and then in three panels, they're torn to pieces. It's vicious, lemme tell you. On top of all that, and going back to the whole realism thing, the series has this wildly vivid and realistic portrayal of violence, but on that superhero scale. In other words, when superpowered people are slugging it out, buildings get broken, costumes get torn, and bones can sometimes be literally torn in two. The blood, and the guts in INVINCIBLE is often surprising, and it's the stark contrast between Ottley's colorful artwork with the sometimes gory demise of certain characters that just adds to Invincible's appeal. But, enough of my ramblings, if you're not reading INVINCIBLE, check out volume 1 this week at Third Eye. If you are already on board, then we know we'll see you this week for INVINCIBLE v.12! And trust us, the stuff that goes down on in this volume is over-the-top huge. ROB ZOMBIE'S WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BARON VON SHOCK? DELIVERS "DR. PHIBES" HORROR MEETS MODERN DAY CELEBRITY MADNESS! Rob Zombie brings his multimedia horror circus to the world of comics this Wednesday with the new WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BARON VON SHOCK? mini-series from IMAGE COMICS. It's no secret that just like with horror flicks, Rob Zombie's a big fan of comic books, and it should be interesting to see him bring his pen to the panel and page. The story behind Baron Von Shock is about Leon Stokes, and follows a man who played Baron Von Shock. Of course, he ends up screwing it all up, and is a bit of a loser without the Von Shock identity. This story is his last attempt to regain the life he feels he should have. This one is a little more grounded in reality than what you may expect from Rob Zombie, as it's a drama following a washed up TV star trying to regain control of his life. The book though is full of those psychotronic B-movie kind of characters that Rob Zombie has a knack for writing. It takes the world of horror and mixes it with the true life horror of celebrity decadence, and VH1 Where Are They Now specials. THANOS HAS RETURNED! THE THANOS IMPERATIVE BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY INTHANOS IMPERATIVE IGNITION #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* The cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe has slowly grown over the last decade into one of the freshest, and most interesting places for Marvel stories to be told. Almost entirely under the talented pens of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Marvel revived their once forgotten cosmic characters, and revamped them for the 21st century. It all began with the ANNIHILATION series a few years back, and ever since then, we've seen a lot of amazing stuff surface, including the cult favorite GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY series. Abnett and Lanning have managed to take an underused area of the Marvel Universe, and infuse it with the kind of epic, sci-fi storytelling you'd see in something like Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars, and then cram it full of all sorts of crazy, over-the-top sci-fi ideas, ranging from the influence of post-apocalyptic space battle awesomeness like in Warhammer 40k to the downright surreal and creepy Cthulhu gone Space Age madnesss we saw in Realm of Kings. Now, they're getting ready to tell their biggest cosmic odyssey yet, with the return of everyone's favorite Mad Titan, THANOS. This Wednesday, the THANOS IMPERATIVE begins in the THANOS IMPERATIVE: IGNITION one-shot, and we couldn't be more stoked. Ever since Thanos was taken down by Drax the Destroyer in ANNIHILATION, we knew that one day the death-obsessed space Titan would return. And, now, he's back. On one side, you've got the Marvel Universe's #1 threat, thanos, and on the other, a dark new force determined to obliterate the entire galaxy. In the middle of all of this, the outnumbered and battle-hardened heroes ranging from Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy are all that stand between us and complete decimation. The biggest cosmic war yet has erupted which will gather the galaxy's greatest warriors with a collection of forgotten greats, and unlikely candidates that you'd never see coming. And, of course, we know that Abnett and Lanning will deliver the goods, BIG TIME, 'cause lets face it, they haven't let us down yet. We were lucky enough to read an advance of this one, and folks, it delivers big-time. From the opening pages to the cliffhanger end, this one is full of surprises. It also serves as the perfect entry point for those of you who have been meaning to jump into some of the cosmic storylines Marvel has been perfecting for the last few years. Find out why this stuff is one of the best kept secrets in comics with the THANOS IMPERATIVE. Big, crazy, and fantastically well-written and illustrated, THANOS IMPERATIVE is gonna kick ass this summer. There's even a nice recap at the very beginning explaining just what the hell Thanos has been up to, and why he has returned at the beginning. Click here for a preview of THE THANOS IMPERATIVE: IGNITION #1 WARREN ELLIS'S WOLFSKIN: HUNDREDTH DREAM #2 CONTINUES ELLIS'S GORY, VISCERAL BARBARIAN SAGA! PLENTY OF ISSUE #1 IN STOCK TO GET YOU CAUGHT UP! Warren Ellis is probably one of the most prolific writers working in comics today. He really conjures up the spirit of the old-time pulp writers who cranked out insanely awesome idea after insanely awesome idea. The man is always working on new projects, and he never disappoints us. With the new WOLFSKIN saga, HUNDREDTH DREAM, Ellis is giving us a heavy dose of Robert E. Howard and throwing it in a blender with some of his trademark ultra-violence. The storytelling and artwork go pretty well-together, and I was pretty impressed with the first issue, but it's the second one where things REALLY kick up a few notches. In the first issue, the story opened with some back-story filling us in on the Dark Ages of earth, a time period where technology has been slowly pushing out magic and mysticism from the world. We quickly find out that Wolfskin is going to be leading a raiding party from what is now Britain to Scandinavia, and the set-up plays out like a super-rad, ultra-violent dream team of D&D characters. The priest, the archer, the fireball wielding magician, the engineer, and then of course, Wolfskin, the Barbarian. The reason for their quest? Not treasures, or glory, but to be free from a world of technology, and just for the plain ol' adventure of it all. And of course, there's a monster... there's always a monster in stories like these. And, it's freakin' horrifying! All in all, the set-up for this was great, and seeing Ellis doing a badass sword-and-sorcery kind of book that does justice to all those old school D&D-style arch-types is pretty rad. If you missed issue #1, pick it up this Wednesday and hop on the series, and find out why we're digging it so much! THUNDERBOLTS #144 *HEROIC AGE* KICKS OFF A KILLER NEW DIRECTION WITH A NEW TEAM CONSISTING OF JUGGERNAUT, CROSSBONES, GHOST, MOONSTONE, LUKE CAGE... AND THE MAN-THING? THE MOST KICK-ASS INCARNATION OF THUNDERBOLTS YET BEGINS HERE! A NEW DIRECTION, A NEW TEAM, A PERFECT JUMPING ON POINT! Man, I have to admit, this is one of my favorites so far amongst all the new HEROIC AGE relaunches happening this month. The first issue of this new direction, new jumping on point for Thunderbolts was a fantastic read. The artwork is seriously on point, and the writing is sharp as hell. The real appeal for me though was the excitement I used to get when I was younger, and you'd see a team of just plain cool characters being put together, and the first issue of this new Thunderbolts definitely captures that feeling. The whole hook behind Thunderbolts has always been bad guys posing as good guys. Way back when, it started with Baron Zemo tricking the world, and passing off lame-os like The Beetle, and the Fixer as good guys. And, then Warren Ellis re-invented the book once again with Mike Deodato, and pretty much laid the groundworks for the Dark Avengers, as he put Osborn in charge of the team, and used it as a team of bad guys hunting heroes but looking like heroes to the public eye. And, now, with the new direction, it looks like the book is once again getting reinvented as something pretty freakin' cool. Basically, Steve Rogers does not want to see the Thunderbolts used like they were under Osborn's reign. In other words, the book is almost doing a 180 as it's taking a team of vile supervillains and honestly, legitimately, trying to use them as a strike force for good. Under the leadership of Luke Cage, the motley crew of Juggernaut, Crossbones, Ghost, Moonstone, and Man-Thing are meant to serve as the Marvel equivalent to the Suicide Squad. The team of bad guys who take on the missions no one else will, and are being forced to ultimately serve the greater good, against their evil nature. The book reads VERY well, and the artwork captures the grittiness of it perfectly. I'm already intrigued by the line-up, and the dynamic of seeing these characters who're given the option of either rotting in prison forever, or handling these impossible missions, and how they stick to walking the straight and narrow. And, I have to admit, the line-up is pretty intense: Luke Cage as the team-leader. Juggernaut Crossbones Ghost Moonstone Man-Thing It's a weird mix, but somehow it works perfectly, and having Luke Cage as kind of the reader's perspective on things, watching as how he reacts to dealing with this unlikely grouping, is very interesting. All in all, the first issue of this was a fantastic read, and left me wanting more. If you're looking for another good Heroic Age title to try, give THUNDERBOLTS #144 a shot this Wednesday, as it's a fresh jumping on point, and you require no real prior knowledge of the Thunderbolts books to hop aboard. Click here for a preview of THUNDERBOLTS #144 *HEROIC AGE* CHOKER #3 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - PURE HORRIFIC CYBERPUNK MADNESS FROM FELL & 30 DAYS OF NIGHT CO-CREATOR, BEN TEMPLESMITH! IMAGINE "BLADE RUNNER" MEETS "FROM DUSK TIL DAWN", AND YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK! CATCH UP WITH ISSUES #1 AND #2 STILL IN STOCK! Ben Templesmith's six-issue limited series CHOKER has quickly become a favorite here at Third Eye. It's the perfect blend of hardcore splatterpunk horror, dystopian Blade Runner / William Gibson-esque sci-fi, and straight to the jugular crime noir, and we love it. We can't get enough. And, it doesn't hurt that Templesmith's artwork on this one is some of his best looking stuff to date. What is CHOKER? Choker takes place in Shotgun City, an ugly, scary, and ungodly future landscape where the cops are genetically enhanced and the criminals differentiate themselves from the normal citizens only by being crazier and more grotesque. The artwork of Templesmith manages to capture all the hideous glory of Shotgun City, and make it believable and unbelievable at the same time. It's like if 30 DAYS OF NIGHT and Ed Brubaker's CRIMINAL had babies. The story follows a down on his luck private detective who's given one more chance to get it right, and reclaim his job at the police department... and maybe even rid himself of the disease that's turning his hand into a living, alien entity. But, anyways, he's on the case of a drug that's turning people into shark-teethed predator things, which resemble vampires, but goes beyond that. The joy of CHOKER is completely nihilistic, and awesome. You're being taken deeper and deeper down a spiral into a future gone completely wrong. Only a few steps removed from our own, this is where we could be in about 50 years if things like corpse vacuums and alien hand disease became the norm. The third issue hits this Wednesday, and I can't wait. If you missed the first two, we've got plenty of issue #1 and issue #2 to catch you up. Find out why we're digging this series so much, and hop on this Wednesday. One thing I will say is the first issue is total set-up, and it's on the second issue where the book really gathers momentum, so if you haven't given the second issue a shot, do so this week. THOR #610 *SIEGE EPILOGUE* HITS THIS WEDNESDAY! THOR VS. RAGNAROK, AND ONLY ONE WILL BE LEFT STANDING! It's no secret that Thor has been continuing to grow as one of Marvel's best monthly series. Following along the same path that books like INVINCIBLE IRON MAN and CAPTAIN AMERICA have, Thor went from the killer creative team of Straczynski and Coipel to the comparably killer creative team of Gillen and Tan, and soon, it'll be moving into the more than capable hands of Matt Fraction. Anyways, long story short: Thor has been a kick-ass book for quite a while now, and it just gets better and better. This Wednesday, we see the culmination of much of what's been going on in Gillen's run with THOR during SIEGE. This one is listed as SIEGE epilogue, and promises to deliver the fight we've all been waiting for: Thor vs. the crazed clone introduced during CIVIL WAR, Ragnarok. Ragnarok, the insane clone of Thor that wreaked havoc all throughout Civil War has come to Asgard with one mission: to kill Thor, and as many other Asgardians as he can. And, with Asgard decimated by the aftermath of SIEGE, we can only wonder just how they'll fare against a fresh and ready clone of the Thunder God! Click here for a preview of THOR #610 *SIEGE EPILOGUE* STEVE NILES and NORTH 40 ARTIST FIONA STAPLES KICK OFF "THE MYSTERY SOCIETY" THIS WEDNESDAY WITH MYSTERY SOCIETY #1 Here's one that looks pretty freakin' cool, and with a creative team like Niles and Staples heading it up, it better be! Steve Niles is pretty much a modern day master of horror comics storytelling. He's the guy who created the uber-successful 30 DAYS OF NIGHT line of comics. He's the guy who brought back Bernie Wrightson to do awesome stuff on THE GHOUL, and DEAD SHE SAID. He's the guy who has knocked us off our feet with more horror comics than we can think, and it's pretty awesome to see him coming out swinging with a brand new series featuring the art of the incredibly talented Fiona Staples. So, what is The Mystery Society? Mysteries and conspiracy theories, whether grounded in fact or composed purely of fantasy, have long fascinated us. In the Mystery Society, a pair of esoteric adventurers look to shed light on government cover-ups and occult conspiracies. Mystery Society is less of a gorefest splatterbook, and more of an action-adventure fueled conspiracy book that eplores everything from the theft of Edgar Allen Poe's skull to Area 51. Imagine X-FILES meets the Addams Family, and that seems to be a pretty good way of putting it. Each issue focuses on a different mystery, but there's a bigger wide-ranging storyarc that runs through the series. All in all, this one looks like it's going to be a kick-ass little limited series, and we can't wait to read it this Wednesday. "WORLD WAR Z" WRITER MAX BROOKS DOES GI JOE THIS WEDNESDAY WITH GI JOE: HEARTS AND MINDS #1 Here's another cool one that crept up out of nowhere from one of our favorite authors, Max Brooks. Yes, the guy behind WORLD WAR Z is kicking off a five issue limited series that takes the world of GI JOE into a dark and gritty new direction. Essentially, each issue spotlights one Joe, and one Cobra, and serves as vignettes that act as glimpses into their lives on and off the battlefield. Sort of like graphic representations of the action-figure filecards you used to clip out of the back of GI JOE figures packaging. The first issue looks at Major Bludd, and the three generations of life on the homefront, and also spotlights Spirit, who we see has sensory overload that can be both a positive and a negative. Personally, I'm pretty excited about this. I've loved the stuff that Brooks has done with World War Z, and to see him branching out into new territory is very cool. Plus, the way that he's describing how he's adding more life and depth to these characters that many of us have grown up with, is pretty damn cool. Click here to read an article USA TODAY ran on GI JOE HEARTS AND MINDS X-MEN SECOND COMING CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY IN X-FORCE #27 *X-MEN SECOND COMING CHAPTER 9* WITH IT'S 9TH CHAPTER! AS WELL AS THE X-MEN SECOND COMING REVELATIONS: BLIND SCIENCE ONE-SHOT! I swear to God, SECOND COMING just gets better, and better every week. I never thought I'd be this wrapped up in the X-Books again, but Marvel has got me big-time. Last week's X-MEN LEGACY served as a nice mid-way point for the series, as we've gone from the great chase to the base under siege approach. This week, X-MEN SECOND COMING continues with it's 9th chapter in X-FORCE #27, and it looks like the real horror of what the X-Men face is going to be fully revealed here, and the reality of every mutant on the planet dying nears... this is it, as the X-Men go on the offensive. For those of you who haven't yet started reading SECOND COMING yet, you really should check it out. We've currently got all the chapters in stock, and folks, it's fantastic. One of the best X-MEN storylines we've seen in YEARS. The artwork, the storytelling, everything is so urgent, and so big, it's fantastic. Click here for a preview of X-FORCE #27 *X-MEN SECOND COMING CHAPTER 9* Click here for our X-MEN SECOND COMING CHECKLIST RADICAL PUBLISHING RE-IMAGINES WYATT EARP WITH THE NEW EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS SERIES! TRY THE #0 ISSUE FOR ONLY $1.00 THIS WEDNESDAY! RADICAL Publishing has really made a name for itself with innovative new series, high production values, and just plain cool comics. This Wednesday, they're unleashing the $1.00 #0 of their latest and greatest, EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS. This one looks to be reimagining the story of Wyatt Earp as the only honest man in Las Vegas. It details the life of a futuristic family of Lawmen as they struggle to maintain control in a United States increasingly spiraling towards complete chaos. Kind of a real dystopian look at the classic tale of Wyatt Earp. People getting gunned down in the street over groceries instead of Rolexes. And, in one desperate hope to control random acts of violence, dueling to protect yourself and property, as well as settling petty differences, becomes perfectly legal, and America has social conditions very similar to the Old West. People are armed all the time, and are quick to draw their weapons to protect their property. As people become more deprived, criminals who stick it to the authority figures, by robbing banks and doing what they feel needs to be done to live become nationwide celebrities, and you've got wanted felons and murderers sharing the spotlight on TMZ with movie stars and musicians. And, that's where the Lawmen come in, like Wyatt and his brothers. It looks pretty damn cool, and whether it's set in 2020, or the Old West, I'm a sucker for a good and gritty western. STAFF PICKS Steve - AVENGERS #1 = This one really got me. It's bigger than life, and filled to the brims with raw smashmouth superhero energy. It kind of channels old school '80s Marvel, BUT, also manages to tell a fresh, and modern story that's as cutting edge as anything Bendis has ever done. The ending is the big hook though, and I cannot wait to find out more about that! Highly recommended. Trish - WALKING DEAD #72=Every issue of WALKING DEAD is a good read, but you know how some issues are just OMGHOLYCRAP? This was one of those. Torma - BRIGHTEST DAY #2 = Every issue of this book has left me on a cliffhanger, and the surprise reveal in this one was the biggest yet. Brightest Day is keeping me almost more hooked than Blackest Night did! Matt - AMERICAN VAMPIRE #3 = What started as a book that grabbed me simply based on Stephen King's name alone has become one of the most addictive new Vertigo series I've read. The Walking Dead of VAMPIRES.