THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 9/9/10

***DUE TO THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY, NEW RELEASES ARRIVE ON THURSDAY 9/9/10 INSTEAD OF WEDNESDAY 9/8/10 THIS WEEK!***

DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* KICKS OFF A FRESH, EXCITING DIRECTION FOR THE DARK SON OF WOLVERINE! MARVEL'S MOST CUTTHROAT ANTI-HERO DEBUTS HIS OWN ONGOING SERIES THIS WEDNESDAY! What's Daken Doing While Dear Old Dad's In Hell? I'm gonna admit that when he originally appeared in Wolverine Origins, I wasn't totally sold on the whole Daken character. The way he was written back then, I don't know, it just didn't really do it for me. But, over the course of the last five years or so, writers Daniel Way and Majorie Liu have done a fantastic job of developing this character and giving him his own distinct voice and identity in the Marvel Universe. It really wasn't until his inclusion into the Dark Avengers, and his involvement in Siege, that I really found myself thinking "hey, they might have something here with this Daken character.." And, while the line-up of "Wolverine-centric" books coming out this Fall are all pretty awesome looking in their own right (Uncanny X-Force is going to be off the hook, and I'm stoked on X-23 getting her own ongoing series), I gotta tell you guys, the first issue of DAKEN is pretty freakin' good. I read the advance earlier this weekend, and it really impressed me. The series is loosely tied into the whole Wolverine Goes to Hell storyline that began last week in Wolverine #1, and shows us a fully realized character of Daken now. It makes him believable as the son of Wolverine that hid in the shadows for years methodically plotting how he'd one day dominate the world around him. And, now, with his father's body possessed by demons and laying waste to the world around him, while his soul is imprisoned in Hell below, it looks like Daken's time to shine has come. The book is DARK, very dark, and the artwork definitely reflects that, playing up the visceral, and violent tendencies of the Daken character. There's also a really cool focus on the head-games Daken often plays with his targets. All in all, for a new ongoing series, this one looks like it's gonna be a great read. It definitely fills a nice niche in the Marvel line-up of comics as a very dark, stylized anti-hero book for the 21st century. In a day and age, where the anti-heroes of days gone past can be seen as heroes by the public, Daken is the ultimate anti-hero. The character that you know is a bad person, but you can't help but root for. Click here for a preview of DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #1 *WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL TIE-IN* BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 *Batman Must Die! Pt 2* *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*- THE BEST BATMAN AND ROBIN ISSUE YET? WE THINK THIS MAY BE IT! THE MYSTERIES OF BRUCE WAYNE'S VOYAGE THROUGH TIME REVEALED, THE JOKER'S DARK MACHINATIONS EXPLORED, AND MORE! Grant Morrison's BATMAN AND ROBIN series has been freakin' fantastic, all the way through. From issue #1 to issue #13, it's remained one of my favorite superhero books on the stands. The level of quality and craft that goes into each and every issue has continued to keep me enthralled, and the selection of artists that Morrison has worked with on it are some of the best in the biz right now. Seriously, folks, if you're looking for that next classic Batman story in the making, you need to pick up BATMAN AND ROBIN. On a side-note, we've got issues 1-13 in stock to get you caught up to current, or you can grab the first hardcover that collects 1-6. Either way, if you're even remotely interested in Batman, you should check this stuff out. Now, lets get to talking about this week's BATMAN AND ROBIN #14. I've only read a short preview of this week's issue #14, but I am convinced that this is the best freakin' issue of Batman and Robin we've seen yet. The first four pages alone are incredible, and they haven't even been lettered yet, so I'm just going by the pictures, but damn, it looks big. The current story arc, BATMAN MUST DIE, which ties into the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, has shown us so far an evil Thomas Wayne raining on the Bat-family's parade, the grisly and final depiction of Joker's grin as a true surgical deformity, and even showing a tragic side to the character. In fact, this is one of my favorite portrayals of the Joker yet, as Morrison manages to make it so you don't feel sympathy for the sociopath, but the roots of his sickness become murkier. It's awesome, and revolting all at once to watch the Joker go from hysteria to remorse and fear without losing his smile. But, the real star of this current BATMAN MUST DIE arc is Damian. The character many of us all hated when he first showed up, and now many of us totally dig, completely goes off the deep end, taking a crowbar and with one swing, defines himself as a character. Damian Wayne shows he truly is a Robin gone bad, and he'll do the things that neither Bruce or Dick will do. BATMAN MUST DIE is kind of the high point for Morrison's BATMAN AND ROBIN series, and there's no secret why this one is coinciding with RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE. This arc feels as epic as the actual RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE arc does, and man, I really cannot wait to read issue #14 this week. Folks, like I said before, get on with this book, it's great. Either jump on with issue #13 and, #14, the first two parts of the BATMAN MUST DIE arc, or go all the way back to issue #1 and find out why this is one of the best series out. Click here for an unlettered preview of BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 *BATMAN MUST DIE PT 2* X-MEN #3 *CURSE OF THE MUTANTS* *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - The best damn X-MEN story we've read in a long time continues as it's MUTANTS VS. VAMPIRES, and Cyclops has decided to resurrect Lord Dracula! Dude, I am so stoked on all the X-MEN stuff going on right now. I really think that they've got a good thing going, especially with the big flagship title, X-MEN, right now, and the whole Mutants vs. Vampires thing. In my opinion, the X-MEN comics are at their best when the pace is fast, and the action is constant. And, so far, the first two issues of X-MEN, along with associated CURSE OF THE MUTANTS tie-ins, have proven this in a big way. The fact that the focus is situated predominantly upon the characters you actually want to read about, like Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, and others, makes the book even better. And, if you're a lapsed X-Fan who's been wanting to jump back on, then you couldn't ask for a better jumping on point than X-MEN #1, and then get caught up with issue #2 and #3 this week. Anyways, after last month's issue, we saw Blade re-introduced into the Marvel Universe in a pretty awesome way: chopping vampires into little bitty pieces with his badass sword. And, now, working alongside the X-Men, it looks like Blade might not be too cool with their next plan: finding Dracula's body and reuniting it with his head, to resurrect the Prince of Darkness. Add in that Jubilee has fully crossed over to the dark side, and embraced her vampiric nature, and well, you've got yourself a mess of awesomeness. Like I said, folks, this is probably the most fun I've had with X-Books in a while, and I recommend giving it a shot. You'll really dig it. We've currently got all issues of X-Men in stock (issues 1 and 2), and all the Curse of the Mutants tie-ins as well. Click here for an unlettered preview of X-MEN #3 *CURSE OF THE MUTANTS* Click here for the official THIRD EYE X-MEN CURSE OF THE MUTANTS Checklist and for a full rundown of what CURSE OF THE MUTANTS is all about AMERICAN VAMPIRE #6 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - If you're not reading American Vampire, you're missing one of the best comics out right now. This one does for Vampires what WALKING DEAD did for Zombies. You gotta check it out! Whether you love, or hate vampire stories... you'll love this series! I know for the last 6 months I've been rallying on and on about this series, but you know what? I'm not gonna be stopping anytime soon, 'cause it's one of the best freakin' comics coming out right now. Writer Scott Snyder has a bright future in comics folks, the man has got the chops, and he has been completely on point with each and every issue of AMERICAN VAMPIRE. And, judging from the amount of new readers that the title picks up each and every month here at Third Eye, we think you guys are feeling the same way. I know it sounds crazy, but this series, in my opinion, has potential to be the "next" Scalped, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, or Walking Dead. It's so well-written, and there's so much room for the characters to grow, I really cannot recommend it enough. What is AMERICAN VAMPIRE? Essentially, it's the story of the FIRST American vampire, Skinner Sweet, and how his influence on various people throughout times has affected the world around him. But, just as much, it's also about a young actress named Pearl, who happens to find herself with a nasty new taste: human blood. In American Vampire, different regions of the world create different types of vampires. And, as we're shown in the flashbacks exploring Skinner's origins, sunlight's not quite as big of a deal for he or Pearl as it is some of the original vampires who came over from Europe. Little bits of trivia like that here and there help flesh out the world of American Vampire, making it something very fully realized. Now, I know, there's a lotta vampire stuff going on out there nowadays. You got TRUE BLOOD tearing it up on TV, you've been drug to see the Twilight movies maybe, and well, you're saying right about now: "But Steve, I just don't dig vampire stories." Just like I tell folks when they say they don't dig zombies... this one's about so much more than the vampires. It's the characters, the plotting, and the overall feel and pace of the story that draws you in. It's just a damn good comic. So, if you haven't yet checked out AMERICAN VAMPIRE, pick up issues #1-5 this week at Third Eye and get caught up to this week's #6. We really think you'll be glad you checked it out. Click here to read an interview writer Scott Snyder did about the new story arc beginning in this week's AMERICAN VAMPIRE #6 GREEN LANTERN #57 *BRIGHTEST DAY* - The first male Star Sapphire debuts in the form of the Predator Entity - Geoff Johns's GREEN LANTERN continues to be one of the best books out! Well, it's almost been about 6 months or so since the conclusion of BLACKEST NIGHT, and overall the verdict on BRIGHTEST DAY has been pretty much that it kicks ass. But, the one book that has not just remained good, but gotten even better, has been Geoff Johns's flagship, GREEN LANTERN. Starting with issue #53 (a perfect jumping on point for new readers, and those of you who've been meaning to get into some of this GL stuff you keep hearing all about), the Brightest Day has taken GL in some very interesting directions. And, now, this Wednesday, something that's got us as excited as we were when they first kicked off the story arcs introducing Atrocitus and Larfleeze, is the debut of the first male Star Sapphire, in the form of the Predator entity. We're not sure what the story on this one is here, but just judging from how good each and every issue of GREEN LANTERN has been for like the last four or five years, we know that this one's gonna rock. Definitely snag a copy and find out what all the hype about GL is about this week! INVADERS NOW #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - ALEX ROSS & "ABSOLUTION" & "AVENGERS ACADEMY" writer CHRISTOS GAGE REUNITE THE CLASSIC TEAM OF HEROES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES IN PRESENT DAY MARVEL CONTINUITY! Now this is a pretty freakin' cool idea. I didn't even realize until reading the descriptions for this new limited series that all of the original Invaders are alive now in present day Marvel U. So what's it all about? Well, the highly talented and often criminally underrated Christos Gage (ABSOLUTION, AVENGERS ACADEMY) is paring up with comics legend ALEX ROSS to deliver a story that shows us the first time in modern Marvel continuity that the original Invaders are all alive and in tact at the same time to reunite. But, of course, there's a catch, you know? And that catch is that there's some mysterious threat that's drawn them all together... and it's somehow linked to the darkest moment in Invaders history, an event so horrifying it threatens all life on Earth today. Sub-mariner, the original Human Torch, the Golden Age Vision, Spitfire, Union Jack, and Steve Rogers give the battelcry of INVADERS ASSEMBLE, and judging from the preview pages; it's gonna be awesome. Click here for a preview of INVADERS NOW #1 WALKING DEAD 2011 CALENDAR - These will be going fast, so make sure you grab your's this week at Third Eye! All we can say is: what's better than waking up every day to Charlie Adlard's horrifyingly awesome WALKING DEAD art shots? Nothing! And if judging from past Walking Dead calendar releases, these'll be flying fast this week, so make sure you grab your's fast! DR. HORRIBLE TRADE PAPERBACK HITS THIS WEDNESDAY COLLECTING THE CHRONICLES OF CAPTAIN HAMMER AND DR. HORRIBLE WRITTEN BY JOSS & ZACH WHEDON! INCLUDES A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN 16 PAGE STORY ABOUT THE EVIL LEAGUE OF EVIL! We're pretty much mega fanboys for everything and anything that falls into the realm of Joss Whedon-related projects, and the Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog stuff is no exception. This trade paperback collects the kick-ass Dr. Horrible one-shot from last year, and also (and this is the really awesome part) includes a brand new, never-before-seen sixteen page story about the Evil League of Evil! Plus, more Dr. Horrible awesomeness dwelling within! AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 *ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES CHAPTER ONE* - "IRREDEEMABLE" writer MARK WAID kicks off a new Spider-man story with ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES this week, throwing the recently reunited Sinister Six at Spidey! The birth of Norman Osborn's son has set off some serious bad mojo! So, ever since the Gauntlet began a year or so ago, we've seen Spidey really being put through his paces. The revitalizing and return of many of his classic Rogues has been awesome. New takes on Kraven, Electro, and Doc Ock, are just some of the few highlights we've seen. And, now, with Origin of the Species, everything has come to a head. See, Norman Osborn got the superpowered Goblin chick, Menace, pregnant oh, 9-10 months ago, and well, now that baby has entered the world, and every single Spidey villain you can think of wants to get their hands on the new strain of Goblin blood. It's up to Spidey to keep it out of their hands though, and well, hell, just look at that cover... he's gonna get himself in some serious trouble here. Add in the fact that we're seeing Mark Waid penning this one, and if you're a fan of his stuff on IRREDEEMABLE, then you're obviously clued in to how awesome Mr. Waid can be. This one should be a lotta fun! Click here for a preview ofAMAZING SPIDER-MAN #642 *ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES PT 1* ERIC POWELL, creator of THE GOON, kicks off some weird west awesomeness this Wednesday with BILLY THE KID'S OLD TIME ODDITIES & AND THE GHASTLY FIEND OF LONDON! You know, you can't help but love Eric Powell's stuff. His artwork, his storytelling, it's all got a real allure to it that's hard to define, but distinct as hell. I mean, the sense of humor in his work is fantastic, but it never prevents a good story from being told or comes off as corny. Plus, his artwork is AAAAWWWEEESOME. And, it's always nice to see more of that. Anyhow, this week Powell brings us his tale of the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid, who the world thought dead, but in reality, the Kid has remained very much alive, and working as the hired gun of Fineas Sproule's traveling spectacle of biological curiosities -- aka -- freakshow, as Billy calls 'em. And, what's his latest assignment? Well, while in London, visiting the true Elephant Man, Billy becomes mixed up in the Whitechapel murders and Jack the Ripper. SHADOWLAND DOUBLE-WHAMMY THIS WEEK:DAREDEVIL #510 and SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2 We are totally hooked on what Marvel's got going on with SHADOWLAND, and each and every issue of DAREDEVIL since the event kicked off has been a fantastic way of filling in the gaps between issues of the main SHADOWLAND series. Whether you're following all the SHADOWLAND tie-ins, or just the core book, we do recommend reading the Daredevil title alongside SHADOWLAND as it helps to really fill in what's going down in between the issues. New York City's crumbling under the weight of Matt Murdock's new order, and Foggy Nelson is about to make an alliance that no one saw coming, plus things are about to go sour between DD and the Tarantula. Also dropping this week is SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2 which follows the unlikely alliances of Silver Sable, the Paladin, Misty Knight, and the Shroud as they try to figure out if there's something sinister going on behind the scenes while everyone's destracted by DD's craziness. Shadowland continues to rock. Click here for a preview of both DAREDEVIL #510 and SHADOWLAND BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2 Click here for the whole scoop on SHADOWLAND and the official THIRD EYE COMICS SHADOWLAND Checklist WEIRD WAR TALES #1 ONE-SHOT FEATURING ARTWORK BY DARWYN COOKE DELIVERS A KILLER ONE-SHOT WAR COMIC EXPERIENCE THIS WEDNESDAY! It's pretty awesome DC is reviving some of their key war comics of yesteryear for modern day twists on the title in this series of one-shots, but I gotta tell you, this one, WEIRD WAR TALES, is the one I'm most pumped about. Why? It's got DARWYN COOKE doing artwork! This is the guy who's done amazing art for everything from his indie hit PARKER THE HUNTER to DC NEW FRONTIER. I mean, the guy is great. And, plus, with promises of zombie soldiers, horror beneath the sea, or battles amongst dinosaurs... this one will definitely put the Weird in WEIRD WAR TALES! Also, if you're digging these war comic revivals, we still have copies available of the first in the series of one-shots from last week, OUR ARMY AT WAR. PUNISHER MAX HOT RODS OF DEATH ONE-SHOT DELIVERS SOME SERIOUS PUNISHER vs. BIKER GANG AWESOMENESS! BLOODY, BRUTAL, AND UNRELENTING! We're a sucker for the world of PUNISHER MAX, and these one-shots they've been doing recently have been delivering the goods big time. Brutal, quick, and bloody one-shot tales set in the gritty, nihilistic world of Punisher MAX, that drag you down below the surface of society... these have all been pretty solid. This week, crime novelist Charlie Huston (also responsible for that kick-ass David Finch Moon Knight stuff) delivers a slab of Punisher awesomeness as one of his old fellow soldiers in 'Nam calls in a favor to deal with a gang of crazed bikers. This one's gonna be awesome. Click here for a preview ofPUNISHER MAX HOT RODS OF DEATH NEW AVENGERS #4 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - Bendis's character-driven Avengers books continues to deliver, as we delve deeper into the mystical spectrum of Marvel characters! We've been digging NEW AVENGERS, and I'll tell you why: it's got the best characterization out of all the new Avengers titles. Now, granted, my personal favorites still remain AVENGERS and SECRET AVENGERS (highly highly recommend SECRET AVENGERS), but, NEW AVENGERS delivers the best dialogue, and best character-driven storytelling of the buch. And, the reason being is that NEW AVENGERS is composed of pretty much a who's who of series writer Brian Michael Bendis's favorite characters. This is the group of characters he completely defined over the course of the last decade, and it only makes sense that they pop so well. Anyhow, this first story arcs been rad, taking the New Avengers into some serious mystical territory as Hellstorm's being a real jerk, and Dr. Strange has been possessed by some otherworldly entity. I'm gonna call it right now, folks, just like the cosmic end of the Marvel Universe was redefined by Abnett and Lanning in ANNIHILATION, we're seeing the groundwork laid for many potential explorations into the magic characters of the Marvel Universe with this story arc. Missed issues 1-3? We've got 'em in stock to catch you up. Click here for a preview of NEW AVENGERS #4 THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL: NEW LINSNER ART WITH DAWN: NOT TO TOUCH EARTH ONE-SHOT THIS WEEK! We know that a lot of you are as big of fans of Joseph Michael Linsner as we are, and it's always a blast to see his incredible artwork hit the racks here at Third Eye. This week, he's kicking out a new one-shot that delivers a 48 page all-new one-shot story of Dawn, that shows her in a completely new light. STAFF PICKS Steve - WOLVERINE #1 - Dude, it's like freakin' CROSSED meets WOLVERINE. Probably the best Wolverine we're gonna see since OLD MAN LOGAN. Must-read material here. Trish - SCARLET #2 = This is my favorite new series of the year. A chick and a gun, what's not to love? Pick up issue 1 and 2 and tell me how you like it. I give it the Trish seal of approval! Torma - SHADOWLAND #3 = VERY cool read. The most intense book I read last week, and I'm loving the direction they're going with this whole storyline. Matt - MORNING GLORIES #1 = I know this one came out already, but with us getting it back in stock this week I decided to give it another read, and it's really got potential to be the next big Image hit. A great dark conspiracy story mixed with teen drama. Great read and great art.