Monday, September 13, 2010

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 9/15/10

Third Eye is Fueled This Week By:
Sounds: Pere Ubu - Dub Housing
Sights: A couple of weeks ago when we did the horror con, I picked up some great finds, and my favorite: the Coffin Joe Box Set. Seriously, some of the best horror movies of all time, if you've never seen a Coffin Joe flick, go out and find At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul. It'll creep you the hell out!
Tastes: We live off coffee!!
Words:
Thor Visionaries by Walt Simonson - I know, I know, like I don't read enough comics? But, going back and re-reading this classic run of Thor... man, incredible stuff.

X-23 #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* KICKS OFF THE BRAND NEW X-23 ONGOING SERIES, AND WE ARE OFFICIALLY STOKED

I was pretty pumped when I first saw them announce they were going to do an ongoing X-23 series. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but I think that she is one of the best new characters Marvel's created in the last ten years. And, it's funny because when they first announced the whole female Wolverine thing way back when, I thought it was going to be the lamest thing ever. It turned out that the writers behind the character had a very clever, and interesting approach to making her work, and giving the character her own place in the Marvel Universe.

Who is X-23? X-23 first appeared in the comic series NYX (available now in trade paperback here at Third Eye), where we saw the kind of damage she could do, but knew nothing of her past or origins. Later, it was revealed in the X-23 mini-series (Innocence Lost and Target X, both available in trade here at Third Eye), that X-23 was the result of a top secret program tasked to replicate the original Weapon X experiment that created Wolverine. But things go in a different direction, and a doctor is brought in to create a clone of Wolverine. Now, the only genetic sample from Weapon X is damaged, and the scientist in question is unable to salvage the Y chromosome, and after 22 attempts of trying to clone the Y chromosome, the 23rd result is a female clone of Wolverine. Hence, X-23.

Now, fast forward a bit, and you'll see that X-23 is put through all sorts of horrible programming and training experiments to basically turn her into the stone cold killer that Wolverine was and is. She's given adamantium claws in her hands and feet, and is given a "trigger scent" that drives her into a murderous rage when she detects it.

She ends up in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D, and goes through some more tough times, and then finally ends up with the X-Men.

Now, after a couple of years working with X-FORCE, and the X-Men, and building a reputation for herself as a ruthless killer who can be a bit hard to control, she's getting her own book. So, what's the scoop on it? We're going to see X-23 branching out on her own, and exploring the world as a whole. The way the book comes off, kind of reminds me of a 21st century incarnation of the original early issues of WOLVERINE.

The series looks and reads great, judging from this first issue. It definitely is channeling the energy of those early Wolverine issues from way back in the Claremont/Miller days, and brings a contemporary feel to the whole Lone Wolf-style of storytelling.

The cool thing too about the first issue of this new ongoing X-23 series is that it's a perfect spot to jump on board with X-23. Even if you've never read anything before with her in it, or just seen her popping up in the X-Books recently, this serves as a very accessible entry point for readers.

While we don't think this one will be tying into the whole Wolverine goes to Hell thing as strongly as the Daken will end up, Marvel does mention that we could be seeing some crossover potential.

Give X-23 a shot this Wednesday, we think you guys'll dig it. The writing is solid, and the artwork looks fantastic.

Click here for a preview of X-23 #1 THIRD EYE MUST BUY

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS #2 *BRIGHTEST DAY* - The newest addition to the Green Lantern titles is KILLER. MORE RED LANTERN AWESOMENESS THAN YOU CAN HANDLE!

The first issue of Emerald Warriors floored us with how good it was. Writer Tomasi has really become one hell of a talented addition to the DC roster, and with the first issue of Emerald Warriors, he proved that he's definitely of the same caliber and skill as BRIGHTEST DAY/BLACKEST NIGHT and GREEN LANTERN writer GEOFF JOHNS.

The new Emerald Warriors book is an ongoing series that focuses on the Green Lanterns that we all love, and are always saying "Dude, I wish they'd focus more on them!" Guy Gardener, and Kilowog especially get some spotlight, and I think that's awesome, just 'cause these are two of the biggest fan-favorites, and two of the most interesting Lanterns in the Corps. The first issue shows us that Emerald Warriors is definitely going to be the high action book of the Lantern titles, as it tears through the first issue at a breakneck speed, and delivers a pretty damn thrilling read.

Plus, with Gardener's brief stint as a Red Lantern, it looks like we'll be seeing some serious plot-threads working their way into that area. All in all, Emerald Warriors got off to a damn good start, and I'm excited to see where the book is heading.

If you haven't yet checked it out, it's a great spot to come in for those of you looking to get into the Green Lantern books, and want a good jumping on point. With only two issues out so far, it's easy to get caught up, and issue #1 serves as a great jumping on point. We do still have copies of issue #1 available to get you caught up to this week's issue #2.

Click here to read more about GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS #2

TRUE BLOOD #3 - IDW'S HIT NEW SERIES EXPLORING THE UNTOLD STORIES OF TRUE BLOOD AND IT'S CHARACTERS CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY!
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Just 'cause the season is getting ready to end, doesn't mean you've gotta go without your TRUE BLOOD fix. Why? 'Cause IDW is dishing out a monthly ongoing TRUE BLOOD series that completely and totally kicks ass.

Written by the mastermind of the TV Series, ALAN BALL, along with other writers on the show, this series does a fantastic job of exploring and expanding upon the world and characters of TRUE BLOOD, showing us corners of everyone's favorite vampire drama that we've never seen before.

This week, issue #3 hits, and we're pumped to see where things are heading with this first story arc. Eric's memories of the Inquisition seem to be the cause of a violent reaction among the locals trapped inside Merlotte's, and it looks like Sam may have figured out a way to trick the Trickster.

For those of you who may have missed issues #1 and #2, don't worry, 'cause we still have copies in stock to get you caught up.

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #3- One of Our Biggest Favorites This Year! KILLER, SELF-CONTAINED, AND ACCESSIBLE. JASON AARON and ADAM KUBERT KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK... PLUS, EGO THE LIVING PLANET? HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG?

Astonishing Spider-man & Wolverine has been one of the surprise breakouts of the summer. We had high expectations for this limited series when we saw the creative team (Jason Aaron, writer of the Vertigo series SCALPED and the red-hot new WOLVERINE ongoing series and legendary artist Andy Kubert), but we had no idea how much we were going to enjoy this one until we got to the end of issue #1.

Astonishing Spider-man/Wolverine serves as a great self-contained Marvel book for those of you who're looking to just pick up something that's accessible, and fun without having to know a ton of back-story. The concept, from what I can gather, is to kind of bring back the high profile acclaim that big character team-ups used to have way back in the day before they got done to death. And, folks, this one does a fantastic job of that. The first two issues show us that this is a high quality read, with both Kubert and Aaron bringing their A-game. It kinda reminds you of way back when team-ups were a BIG deal, and something to get excited about.

The actual plot shows us Logan and Peter Parker having been mysteriously whisked away to the prehistoric age. On one hand, Wolverine embraces his new surroundings, and even takes on a leadership role with the cavemen there. On the other hand, Spider-man despises it, and spends most of his time sulking in a cave, and trapping giant prehistoric insects in cages and studying them. As the first two issues unfold, we start to see what brought the characters into this predicament, and well, I don't want to give away any surprises, so I'll stop myself there.

When I read ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE, I think that this book kinda stands out as the shining example for what Marvel is looking to accomplish with their new "Heroic Age" direction. It's intelligently written, with some great artwork, and cutting edge sensibilities, but at the same time, it captures the swashbuckling excitement and adventure that you remember in comics when you were a kid. A perfect synergy of awesomeness.

We've currently got both issues #1 and #2 of this still available, and if you're even remotely a Marvel fan, I'd highly recommend picking it up and checking it out. I think you'll be really happy with what you find.

Click here for a preview of ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN/WOLVERINE #3

IDES OF BLOOD #2 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - A KILLER NEW SERIES THAT READS LIKE A MASH-UP OF THE HBO SERIES ROME, TRUE BLOOD, AND SE7EN. Imagine if Caesar conquered Transylvania, and had an army composed of vampire centurions while serial murders were breaking out in the Roman Empire... that sums up IDES OF BLOOD pretty well!

Last month, a killer new series debuted that really blew up here at Third Eye, by the name of IDES OF BLOOD. And, man, I can't believe it's been a month already, but this week, the second issue hits, and I'm really intrigued to see where this series is heading.

The concept? Okay, imagine this, it's the height of Caesar's reign, and he's just conquered Transylvania.... and totally assimilated it's people into his army. And, now, a legion of vampire centurions are at his disposal. But, there's some serious bad mojo going on within the Roman empire as brutal murders are occurring, and one of Caesar's highest-ranking blood-sucking warriors must find out who's doing it. This one is fantastic, and reads like a cross between TRUE BLOOD, SE7EN and the HBO series ROME.

If you missed last month's issue #1, we've still got copies in stock, so I recommend snagging one this week, and giving this series a shot. I know there's a lot of vampire stuff out there right now, guys, but this is truly a fresh and unique approach to the genre.

Click here to read more about IDES OF BLOOD #2 THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL

BATMAN BEYOND #4 - HUSH BEYOND.. REVEALED!

Man, has the new BATMAN BEYOND stuff been fantastic or what? When they first announced they were going to be exploring more stories set in the world of Terry McGinnis, and a seriously senior citizen Bruce Wayne, I was excited but also hesitant. It's always a mixed bag when characters are incorporated from television shows, but, the way that DC has handled this has been perfect. Instead of trying to shoe-horn McGinnis into DCU, they've basically just picked up from where the cult favorite animated series left off, and are giving us darker, more adult tales set in the fascinating world of BATMAN BEYOND that Bruce Timm and Paul Dini originally launched.

This limited series has been mostly focusing on not just re-introducing new and old readers to the world of Terry McGinnis and BATMAN BEYOND, but also on a new villain that's been added to McGinnis's rogue's gallery: Hush Beyond. Yes, there's a killer, in the future, who strongly resembles the villain from Jim Lee's HUSH storyline, and is taking out Bruce Wayne's rogues gallery left and right. It's pretty awesome, because just like with the original BATMAN BEYOND series, we get to see an interesting mix of both new school rogues and descendants of old Gotham, and then of course, the retired, rehabilitated or just plain washed-up rogues of the original Batman in a very Blade Runner-esque dystopian future Gotham City.

This series has been one of DC's biggest hits of the summer, and we've really been enjoying it. If you've missed the first few issues, we do still have copies in stock, including a few remaining first printings of issue #1, so definitely get caught up this week and find out what all the buzz is about on this great book. We have a STRONG feeling that this could be leading to a BATMAN BEYOND ongoing series, which would be freakin' awesome.

SHADOWLAND CASTS IT'S SHADOW ON GHOST RIDER AND MORE THIS WEEK WITHSHADOWLAND: GHOST RIDER ONE-SHOT,THUNDERBOLTS #148 & SHADOWLAND POWER-MAN #2


Shadowland has been keeping us hooked pretty hard, and so far, the tie-ins to it have all been pretty damn good. I've especially enjoyed the Daredevil tie-in issues, and the Bullseye one-shot, but the first issue of Power Man and the Daughters of the Shadow were both pretty awesome too.

Now, this Wednesday, we're going to get another heaping helping of Shadowland awesomeness, with the SHADOWLAND: GHOST RIDER one-shot, a tie-in to one of my current favorite books THUNDERBOLTS, and the second issue of the new SHADOWLAND: POWER MAN 3-issue limited series.

Judging from Ghost Rider's role in Shadowland already, this is gonna be awesome. Now, add in the fact that artist Clayton Crain, who has already done some INCREDIBLE Ghost Rider stuff (i.e Trail of Tears), and you've got yourself one heck of a one-shot to look forward to this week.

In addition to the Ghost Rider, the second issue of the Power Man limited series arrives, which continues to reveal the whole scoop on who the new Power Man is and what his deal is. The first issue of this one was pretty intriguing, so we're looking forward to see where things are heading this week in #2.

Finally, to round things out, we've got a special tie-in to THUNDERBOLTS this week with THUNDERBOLTS #148. Ever since Jeff Parker came on with issue #144, I have been hooked on this series all over again. The whole idea of Luke Cage being put in charge of a team of super-villains to rehabilitate them has been awesome so far, and hey, what can I say.. I'm a sucker for the Juggernaut. Anyways, Cage is heading into Hell's Kitchen, and he's bringing the Thunderbolts with him as they go after Daredevil and try to bring his old friend back from the brink of madness.


MORNING GLORIES #2 hits this WEDNESDAY.. Imagine a darker version of Brian K Vaughn's RUNAWAYS meets LOST, and that sums up this new IMAGE hit series perfectly.


The next big Image hit arrived last month with the debut of MORNING GLORIES, and now, we're gonna see just where this series is heading after last month's big cliffhanger ending in this week's issue #2.

Much like CHEW, and WALKING DEAD, Morning Glories came out of nowhere, and with it's compelling characters, intriguing premise, and killer artwork, took everyone by storm. The first printing of #1 came and went fast, and while we still have some second prints left, the book has already gone to a third printing.

So, WHAT is MORNING GLORIES? Well, the story of MORNING GLORIES is about a prep school, probably the most prestigious in the country, that harbors a dark secret. See, MORNING GLORY ACADEMY, may appear to be a prep school that caters to the most prestigious and powerful families in the country, but under the surface, there's a much darker, much more sinister reality. And, like I've said before, the thing that made the first issue of this series so compelling is how the image of the school and the reality manage to co-exist, as many of the school's students graduate to Ivy League schools.

In the first issue, we met six new students, who it looks like the series will be focusing on, and who have no clue what Morning Glory Academy is really all about. Writer Nick Spencer makes each character stand out as a realistic, and believable character, and much like CHEW and WALKING DEAD, he's able to get you attached to the characters in a very short span of time. The characters themselves are all very different from one another, ranging from the highly intelligent sociopath that comes from a rich affluent family and is always looking to screw with people for his own amusement to characters like Hunter, who's leaving home has kind of an ALMOST FAMOUS allusion involving Grant Morrison comics.

What do these characters all share though? Well, the same birthday, which, is pretty freakin' weird. And is the first thing that tips them off to the weird mojo going on. Lots of mystery with this book, so I'm trying to be careful to not ruin the surprise of issue #1 for anyone who hasn't yet picked it up.

All I can say is if you're into stuff that's different, or edgy, you should give Morning Glories a shot.

As for what's going on in this week's issue #2, it's as big a mystery to me as it is to you guys.. but like I said, after that cliffhanger... I GOTTA KNOW! :)

If you haven't picked up the first issue of MORNING GLORIES yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot this week. I think you'll really dig it.

WILDSTORM PREPS FOR THE NEW "RED" MOVIE BASED OFF WARREN ELLIS'S GRAPHIC NOVEL WITH FOUR ONE-SHOTS FOCUSING ON EACH OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS!
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This flick kinda came out of nowhere, but the trailers for it look freakin' great. RED, based off the graphic novel by Warren Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, CAPTAIN SWING, IGNITION CITY, FREAKANGELS, ECT ECT), is the story of a retired CIA agent, formerly working in "foreign acquisitions." He now lives in a secluded area, and keeps his contact with most humans to a minimum. However, when the new Director of the CIA learns of Moses's existence and the full extent of his activities, he's disgusted by what he sees, and fears public outrage if any of the secrets leak, so he orders Moses's assassination. And, so, a three man hit-team gets sent to kill our friendly retired CIA agent, and well, that's when things get REALLY bloody REALLY fast.

This Wednesday, Wildstorm is releasing a series of four one-shots, each one exploring the origins and motivations of the main characters featured in the RED film, so look for the RED FRANK #1, RED JOE #1, RED MARVIN #1, and RED VICTORIA #1 one-shots this Wednesday.

To see a trailer for the upcoming RED film, click here

THOR: FOR ASGARD #2 - The follow-up issue in this incredible Marvel Knights series hits this Wednesday, as Asgard is on the brink of self-destruction! Odin is missing, Balder is dead, and the entire continent has been turned to frozen wastes... and Bianchi's artwork looks INCREDIBLE.

The first issue of this new THOR Marvel Knights limited series really blew us away. And, while the story is tight, the star of the show on this one is the artwork. Simone Bianchi's art has never looked better, and while I wasn't a fan of Bianchi's work on ASTONISHING X-MEN, I think that it looks PERFECT on Thor.

The story itself is very good, but also very straight-forward... Asgard is on the brink of self-destruction, Odin's missing, Thor cannot lift Mjolnir, and Balder's dead... all this amidst a brutal arctic winter that's frozen the entire continent into a wasteland.

But seriously, this one is worth checking out, just for the artwork alone, it looks incredible.

Since pictures speak louder than words, click here and look at a preview of THOR FOR ASGARD #2

STEPHEN KING'S SON, JOE HILL, and WRITER OF THE INCREDIBLE "LOCKE & KEY" SERIES DELIVERS A KILLER GIANT MONSTER-STYLE ONE-SHOT WITH KODIAK THIS WEDNESDAY!
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Now, I'll have you know that I'm easily amused. This is true, and judging from the DVD collection here at Third Eye Home Base, you can tell that. If it's got giant monsters, or any other fine ingredient of grindhouse shlock and sleaze, well, then you're almost guaranteed to find it on my DVD shelves.

But, before we start talking a little about KODIAK, let me preface by saying that it takes more than just a killer bear story to sucker me into a comic. But, if you attach the fantastic writing of JOE HILL to a killer bear story, then hell, I'm there.

And that's what we've got this week with the KODIAK one-shot, written by the critically acclaimed JOE HILL (the son of Stephen King, yes THAT Stephen King), author of LOCKE & KEY, and penciled by one of the most underrated horror comics artists out there right now Nat Jones. Jones is like a modern day descendant of Bernie Wrightson, and really has delivered over the last decade on all the different horror projects he's worked on.

Anyways, Kodiak, I really don't know much about other than the fact that it's a giant bear running around killing people, and one guy decides to stand up to the beast. From the way the previews read, it looks like it's a modern day successor to the '70s ecoterror movies, you know, nature gone wrong type stuff like the Prophecy (the one with the killer bear, not the Christopher Walken angel one, even tho that one rocks), and all those awesome Bigfoot movies.

Either way, it's gonna be horrific, bloody, and awesome, and it's Joe Hill.

Check it out this week, if you're just as amused by giant monstrous animals ripping people apart as I am.

THIRD EYE STAFF PICKS

Steve - X-MEN #3 - Dude, what an ending... this is probably the best X-Men stuff I've read in ages, and definitely is on par with the awesomeness of X-MEN: SECOND COMING. Great read.

Trish - AMERICAN VAMPIRE #6 - GRRRRRR. A month til #7? Dammit. This book gets better, and better. IF you're only reading ONE Vertigo book right now, it needs to be AMERICAN VAMPIRE.

Torma - BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 - I thought issue #13 was good, but this may be the best issue in the series yet. Damian has gone from being my least favorite character to my most favorite. MUST-READ!

Matt - WEIRD WAR STORIES #1 - Anything with Darwyn Cooke's art is a favorite. Throw in the guys who do the VIKING series for IMAGE and this one-shot is a perfect done-in-one read. Highly recommended.

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