KICK-ASS 2 #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY*ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY, ONE OF THE YEAR'S MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SERIES, FROM NEMESIS & OLD MAN LOGAN writer MARK MILLAR & JOHN ROMITA JR
*Win a Set of KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL figures when you pick up KICK-ASS 2 #1 This Wednesday*
!!!I am so excited for this series, it's un-freaking-believable.
I mean, I am loving NEMESIS, and SUPERIOR, but lets face it: who wasn't left wanting more with the way that the first series ended? I mean, I am so intrigued about the possibilities of an entire world of amateur super-heroes (and super-villains) that could be ten times bigger screw-ups than Kick-Ass and Red Mist. And, if with the very cool ending of that final issue, and the cool Jack Nicholson Joker quote... I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see where this is going next.
A few weeks ago, I couldn't resist temptation and read the full 8 page preview of the new KICK-ASS in Millar's new CLiNT magazine. And, I thought it was great. In fact, those 8 pages got me more pumped than the entire first full issue of the original KICK-ASS run (which I really didn't get caught hook, line and sinker until the end of the 3rd issue).
This new series picks up a few months after the end of the original KICK-ASS, from the looks of it. It might be a little longer after, or a little shorter, kinda hard to tell from the preview, but it starts with a very cool set-up of Hit-Girl trying to train KICK-ASS into how to actually be a real vigilante. The dialogue, and strong characterization are both present, just like in the first series, and well, from there, we get shot into the series.
Details on the plot of the series have been kinda cryptic, but what we do know is that it focuses on a world post-Kick Ass. In other words, the KICK-ASS trend blew up, caught on big-time, and now it's kinda become the norm, with countless of others being inspired to follow in his footsteps. You could look at KICK-ASS as The Stooges, and the current state of things as like the '77 punk scene that came a few years after. Kick Ass and Hit-Girl kinda being the proto-super-heroes. Of course, now Kick-Ass isn't so special or one of a kind, but Hit-Girl is keeping him focused more on actually training to become a real deal vigilante, as opposed to updating his Facebook status hourly.
Of course, just like in the world of Batman, Kick-Ass has inspired a whole new addition to Mark Millar's fascinating little world: super-villains. Or at least, wanna-be super-villains, which could potentially be even more dangerous.
Damn, this all sounds so cool. I cannot wait to read more.
Okay, so you've never read KICK-ASS, and you might've only seen the movie, so you're wondering... WHAT is KICK-ASS?
KICK-ASS, the original series, was a hyper-violent and very nihilistic spin on the age old story of a young man trying to be a super-hero. If Peter Parker existed in the real world, he'd be KICK-ASS. In the story, it focuses on Dave Lizewski, a teenager who's really into comic books and decides he wants to be a super-hero. He ends up getting completely brutalized on his first night out, but decides later, to go out again for more.. and, well, he actually manages to pull it off and get an upper hand on some no good baddies, which is then caught on cell phone video recording and uploaded to the internet where he becomes a huge viral sensation, and bam, KICK-ASS is born.
Clad in a wetsuit bought from eBay, and wielding a couple of batons and pepper spray, he ends up getting caught up in a whole mess of trouble that brings him face to face with real deal vigilantes Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. As the story goes on, we find out that Big Daddy's really no different than KICK-ASS, just better trained, and well.. I don't want to give anything else away here, 'cause it's definitely a great read and worth picking up.
If you've never read it, we've got the hardcover graphic novel in stock that collects the entire series, and we highly recommend picking it up and giving it a go.
Wanna jump straight into KICK-ASS 2 without having read the first one? While you'll be missing some back story, we don't think you'll be too lost, but at some point, you should definitely read the graphic novel to get you up to speed on Hit-Girl, her origin, and more stuff like that.
With all that having been said: KICK-ASS 2 is just as awesome looking as the first series. Romita JR is bringing that trademark stylized sense of brutal ugly reality straight to the page, and Millar is sharp as ever with his dialogue and pacing. I cannot wait to get to the end of this issue, just because I know Millar and his knack for cliffhangers will leave me going HOLY CRAP.
Click here for a preview of KICK ASS 2 #1
HERE'S A CHANCE TO WIN A SET OF KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL Action Figures When You Pick Up KICK-ASS 2 #1 This Wednesday
Come dressed as an amateur superhero ala KICK-ASS and get your copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 FREE!
To show you how stoked we are about the new KICK-ASS series, we're running a couple of special promotions for this Wednesday. First off, everyone who buys a copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 this Wednesday will receive a raffle ticket and be entered into a prize drawing for a set of the new KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL figures. We'll be announcing the winner at the end of the day on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thirdeyecomics) and twitter page (www.twitter.com/thirdeyecomics)
Secondly, we figure the launch of a new KICK-ASS warrants a special celebration. Anyone who comes in their own home-made superhero costume ala KICK-ASS will receive their copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 for free on Wednesday. Now, you need to do more than just rock a sweat band and some elbow pads, so at least fashion together some kind of cape or mask. :)
CARNAGE #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - Cletus Cassidy returns! Featuring the artwork of X-FORCE & VENOM vs. CARNAGE artist CLAYTON CRAIN! This one looks killer!
Carnage returns this Wednesday, and I gotta tell you, Third Eye Faithful. I've been excited about this one since I first saw it in the solicits a few months back. I mean, I'm a child of the '80s and the '90s, so you know that the character was a big fixture in my comic book reading. And, the fact that Clayton Crain is handling the artwork really makes this one a must-read. His work on past Venom series like the Venom vs. Carnage book, as well as his title-defining run on X-FORCE, really set the tone for a lot of stories, and I think he's a perfect fit for this new Carnage book.
Now, as to the plot, well, as we all know, Carnage is basically a symbiote offspring that bonded with a serial killer named Cletus Cassidy. And, then he pretty much fell into obscurity for like 5 or 10 years, until Bendis had the Sentry toss him into the sun in NEW AVENGERS. Ever since then, as far as I know, Carnage has been pretty much out of the picture.
Okay, so here we are, nearly a decade after New Avengers debuted, and everything must come full circle, right? Plus, I think that there's a whole generation of us who grew up reading the exploits of Carnage, Venom, and whatever else those other symbiotes were named. Heck, I remember playing the Separation Anxiety Sega game back in the day. You guys remember that? Anyways, here we are in the present day, and this is basically the RE-INTRODUCTION of Carnage to the Marvel Universe, as supposedly an even more powerful incarnation of himself than before, and of course, this spells out some serious trouble for many heroes of the Marvel Universe.
So, in this series, we're getting basically a ground zero take on Carnage, and a great chance to bring this character back into the fray of the Marvel Universe with a whole new spin. I think it's great, because he's got such a cool visual, and was always an entertaining character back in the day, it's just his whole crazy Venom thing got tired back then and they didn't know where to take him. From what I've seen of this new series, it looks like it stays true to the character, but also brings him up to speed and makes him way more interesting for the here and now.
Click here for a preview of CARNAGE #1
STAN LEE RETURNS with SOLDIER ZERO #1 THIS WEDNESDAY, ALONGSIDE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED WRITER PAUL CORNELL (ACTION COMICS, DR WHO TV Series) FROM BOOM! STUDIOS, PUBLISHERS OF IRREDEEMABLE
Stan the Man Lee returns to comics in a big way this Wednesday with the debut of his new BOOM! series SOLDIER ZERO. And, I know what you're thinking, well, Stan Lee's the grandfather of much of what we love, but you know, does he still have the chops? Well, if you have any doubt, rest assured in knowing that Third Eye favorite Paul Cornell (the current Luthor Action Comics run and DR. WHO TV series) will be handling writing chores on this one.
Boom is responsible for some of our biggest favorites right now, with series like IRREDEEMABLE and INCORRUPTIBLE, and we think Soldier Zero is going to make a proud addition to their roster.
I'm really excited about this, because the way that Paul Cornell describes the project as kind of like Johnny Cash's albums with Rick Rubin. You know, basically reminding the world of Stan Lee's timeless skills while at the same time giving the material a very modern approach. This is not just retro-ey rehash kinda stuff, folks, this is new stories and they look great.
What is Soldier Zero? It's the story of a wheelchair bound professor named Stewart, who becomes bonded with an alien fighter. Stewart always says he's limited only by his environment: not just physical spaces not designed for wheelchairs, but by the attitudes of other people, even the overprotective care of his older brother who had raised him. For short periods of time, when the alien manifests as armor, he can experience an unlimited envrionment, and escape everything that he finds holding him back, including the attitudes of others.
The alien warrior who bonds with Stewart is fleeing from hostile pursuers, and by pure accident, he bonds with Stewart out of survival. The two together make up Soldier Zero, which displays both characteristics of Stewart and the alien. The alien's a warrior, Stewart's more of a heroic type... and the two make for an interesting pair.
From there, the series turns into a very cool story where we see the intelligence community taking a major interest in the alien, as well as another symbiote hunting the alien, which provides the genesis for the foil to Soldier Zero's hero.
The book looks great, and we recommend giving it a peek this Wednesday, we really think it's going to be a good read.
Click here for a preview of SOLDIER ZERO #1
BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 - THE FINAL CHAPTER OF BATMAN MUST DIE COLLIDES WITH THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE! A MUST-READ AFTER THE EVENTS OF LAST WEEK'S CRUCIAL RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5
I've been very vocal about how great a title BATMAN AND ROBIN has been, and how it's only gotten better and better since it first began. But now, more than ever, this series delivers big time in terms of sheer quality, in both the art and the story.
Grant Morrison has weaved a complex and long story through the pages of the series, as he's managed to use mini story arcs to put together a much larger tapestry, and on the most recent arc, BATMAN MUST DIE, he and Frazer Irving, have knocked it out of the park. Damian's evolution over the course of the series has been a personal favorite for me, as he goes from being the character who EVERYBODY hated two years ago to a growing fan-favorite. Little moments here and there, like his proclamation to the Joker that he's not like the other Robins, and the crowbar he uses to send that message make for a damn good read.
Now, going into this week's issue #15, this series hits it's swan song as Morrison ties this into the events of last week's RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5.
Now, I know many of you haven't yet read RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5, but something HUGE goes down in that issue that connects in a big way to The Black Glove who's been going in and out of the pages of Batman and Robin.
So, I'll save my usual raves and rants about how great this book has been, and how it's totally worth going back and getting the entire run, and just cut to the chase: BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 is gonna blow your mind. :)
The advance pages look out of this world, and so many storyline threads that Morrison has been piecing together ever since BATMAN AND SON and THE BLACK GLOVE are given the spotlight here.
Plus, there's the fact that we're not really quite sure if Dick Grayson's even alive.... or if Damian will make a deal with the devil, and just what the heck will happen after the final confrontation with the infamous Dr. Hurt?
We love us some BATMAN AND ROBIN here at Third Eye, if you can't tell.
Wanna hop onto the title? We'd recommend starting with BATMAN AND ROBIN #13 which is the first of the current BATMAN MUST DIE arc. If you want to go back further, we've got issues #1-#14 all in stock, so you can jump on that way as well.
We've also got the BATMAN AND ROBIN hardcover which collects the first six issues available as well, which is an easy and quick way to get caught up, plus it looks nifty on the bookshelf. :)
Either way, if you're even remotely a Batman fan, and you're not reading BATMAN AND ROBIN, you must remedy that right away, cause this book is the bees knees, folks.
SKULLKICKERS #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - The second follow-up issue to the red hot new IMAGE hit series that's being described as THE HANGOVER meets WORLD OF WARCRAFT. PLUS, more of issue #1 now in stock as well!
Plus, READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH SERIES WRITER JIM ZUBKAVICH
This is the newest IMAGE series that's really taken the shop by storm in the last couple months. And, you know, it's obvious Image is doing something right, because between Skullkickers and Morning Glories, along with CHEW and COWBOY NINJA VIKING and WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE, they've really got a strong and growing stable of high profile titles that provide something fresh and new to comics fans.
The first issue of Skullkicker was a first week sellout, and considering we normally stock pretty heavy on titles we believe in, that's a big deal. First prints of the book have gone up to about $15 or so on the back market, and as we've seen with past Image hit series, there's no slowing down here. Issue #2 of any series is always traditionally ordered lower than #1, so expect this one to be in high demand.
Now, onto what's important: IT'S REALLY GOOD. Buzz book, or not, Skullkickers is a fun, fresh read, with some of the most gorgeous artwork I've seen in a new title in a long time.
What's it about? Well, take every buddy movie you can think of.. whether it's something more modern like THE HANGOVER, or some of the classics like LETHAL WEAPON, now set against a very Dungeons and Dragons / World of Warcraft-esque fantasy world backdrop, and that pretty much sums up Skullkickers.
Skullkickers is the story of two mercenaries, a feisty dwarf and his more stoic large friend. The two get themselves into mess after mess as they seek fame and fortune, as all good mercenaries should, of course, there's a larger underlying plot that we don't want to give away for those of you who haven't yet read issue #1. Writer Jim Zubkavich handles the humor and characterization well, and the book has a kind of Army of Darkness-style sense of humor to it. It's slapsticky, but not TOO slapsticky, and the dialogue from the characters is clever and believable. Right from the get go, the tone is set as the two are trying to take down a rather rotund werewolf... Who ever heard of a fat werewolf? ends up being one of my favorite lines from the book and it's right there in the beginning! No silver on hand? That's fine, stab a spoon in his neck. Problem solved.
And, we cannot forget to mention Edwin Huang's artwork... holy crap, this is pretty. It looks like a freakin' animated film come to life.
Do yourselves a favor, and snag up SKULLKICKERS #1 if you haven't already done so, and #2 while you're at it, 'cause we know you're going to love this book.
For those of you who read the first issue, we already know you're going to be itching to get your hands on the next.
Click here to read an interview we did with Skullkickers writer Jim Zubkavich.
X-23 #2 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - The Surprise Hit of the new WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL-related books & the latest addition to the upcoming MARVEL VS CAPCOM 3 game continues her new ongoing series!
X-23 really took a lot of us by surprise when it launched a few weeks ago. I mean, I was excited about the book when it first was announced, because I've been a fan of the character for a while now. But, man, the first issue of this one was really a great read. It wasn't quite as big of a surprise as the new Daken series which also impressed me a lot, but that's only because I like X-23 a lot more as a character than I do Daken.
Marjorie Liu and Will Conrad do a fantastic job of putting the pieces together to really bring you into X-23's world. See, X-23, she's basically a clone of Wolverine. She was the next attempt by the Weapon X Program to replicate what they had with Wolverine, but they couldn't quite get the X chromosome right, and hence, X-23 was born. Much like Batman Beyond, she's a character who owes as much to her appearance in X-Men Evolution as she does comic books, but writers like Chris Yost have done a lot over the last few years to really shape her into being an interesting and compelling character. See, she's got all of Wolverine's bloodlusts, but without his years upon years of experience in keeping it under control, meaning she's much more of a loose canon than old Logan.
Anyways, where does this story pick up? Well, after all the past events with SECOND COMING, Necrosha, ect, ect, Laura's in a bit of a transitionary period. Meaning she doesn't know what the hell she is going to do next. She's a trained killer, and no one is looking for her to be that anymore. Cyclops, in order to help her adjust and fit in, puts her in a halfway house set-up for de-powered mutants. Of course, there's the whole WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL element, and we see her experiencing a dream-state where a demon-possessed Wolverine is telling her to be his right hand in hell.
The first issue is very new reader friendly, and gives you a nice recap of the character, and who she is. You also get introduced to her supporting cast from the much beloved and lamented NEW X-MEN series. There's some very cool stuff going on in here, like Storm's bonding moment with X-23, and the conflicted view that she has of Wolverine.
Now, going forward to X-23 #2, it looks like the normal life X-23 is being forced into is disrupted once again, as the demonic Wolverine haunts her more, and starts to seduce her down the dark road to Hell.
Miss issue #1? We've still got copies available, so hop on board with it and check out #2 as well!
Click here for a preview of X-23 #2
GUARDIANS OF THE GLOBE #2 - Robert Kirkman's (WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE) kick-ass new team book continues this Wednesday!
If there's one thing that's scientific fact here at Third Eye it's that we love Robert Kirkman and everything that freakin' genius manages to spawn. And, with Guardians of the Globe, we get to see Kirkman's take on one of comic's longest-standing traditions: the super-team. Yup, the Avengers, the Justice League, and now the Guardians of the Globe.
Set in the same universe as INVINCIBLE, BRIT, and others, the Guardians of the Globe kicked off with a bang last month, and brought Kirkman's over-the-top bigger than life insanity front and center as a new team of world defenders formed to protect the planet during Invincible's absence (see the Viltrumite War). The series stands on it's own, and if you're not a regular Invincible reader, you can still jump onto this without much trouble, however if you are an Invincible reader, then this is a must-read. The first issue centered on Brit, and his attempting to fit into his new role as the Guardians leader.
The book sings predominantly on the strength of Kirkman's rock solid writing, and characterization, but the artwork's no slouch either. And, how can you NOT love a giant Octopusman fighting off the Guardians on the cover?
If you missed issue #1, we've still got copies in stock for you to jump onto this series.
BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CATWOMAN and BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME COMISSIONER GORDON ONE-SHOTS
Bruce Wayne The Road Home continues this Wednesday with two kick-ass looking one-shots that continue to set-up the landscape of Gotham City in the post-Return of Bruce Wayne world.
First up, we've got the BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CATWOMAN one-shot which shows us a Selina Kyle who when she last saw Bruce Wayne, she was bed-ridden in a hospital after he saved her life. Now, that he's returned, can she handle all of this after having mourned his death? And, what will he have to say about her interactions with Harley and Ivy as seen in the Gotham City Sirens title?
Next up is the BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME Commissioner Gordon one-shot, and I think this might be one of the onest I'm most excited about (excluding last week's BATMAN AND ROBIN which was pretty kick-ass). I've always dug the professional friendship that's existed as part of an uneasy tension between Gordon and Batman, and now, after several months of Jim Gordon knowing he's been working alongside a "different" Batman, how will the crime-fighting chemistry be with Wayne returned?
Click here to check out our BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CHECKLIST
LOKI #1 - The origin of the original Father of Lies is revealed in this new four issue mini-series!
Here's one that looks like a neat little short run series. This four issue miniseries gives the definitive origins of Loki, the original Father of Lies in the Marvel Universe.
The preview pages give a good hint that this one is gonna surprise a lot of peeps. It just looks plain cool, and I've always thought Loki was an interesting character, so it should be interesting to see how he got to where he is revealed.
Click here for a preview of LOKI #1
SHADOWLAND CONTINUES WITHDAREDEVIL #511 & SHADOWLAND POWER-MAN #3 THIS WEEK
Shadowland continues this Wednesday, picking up right where last week's SHADOWLAND #4 leaves off. So far, this event and storyline has been really delivering, and I've gotta say, I've liked most of the tie-in books that've come out for it.
However, the best, and in my opinion, the only ESSENTIAL tie-in for Shadowland has been the core Daredevil book. Each issue of Daredevil fills in the gaps between issues of Shadowland, and considering it's being written by the same writer as Shadowland (Andy Diggle), the continuity between both books is VERY strong and solid.
In this week's Daredevil #511, are we going to see Matt Murdock throw away his last shot at redemption as one of his oldest friends makes a final attempt at reasoning with him?
Click here for a preview of Daredevil #511
Also, dropping this week is SHADOWLAND POWER MAN #3, which shows that the HAND has discovered the new Power Man's secret identity, and the only ones who can save him now are Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - Avatar Press, the publishers of CROSSED & NEONOMICON, shows us what happened after the conclusion of the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD film
You guys know we're a buncha gorehounds here at Third Eye, and nobody does ridiculously gory and often, repulsively offensive comics like AVATAR PRESS, the fine folks behind such morally upstanding gems like CROSSED, CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES, NEONOMICON, and CAPTAIN SWING.
And, this is why we're pumped about their new NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD series, which we know, promises to be predominantly an excuse to show us some seriously horrific zombie mayhem. But, the whole concept of them setting the story on that fateful night in 1968, and showing us an unprepared Washington D.C. up against a legion of the undead has got us intrigued.
Plus, zombie hippies? How can this not be good?
BATMAN BEYOND #5 - Now that HUSH BEYOND has been revealed, where can things go from here?
One of our favorite new things this year has been the big BATMAN BEYOND revival. We were totally into the animated TV series back in the day, and while we were a little bit on the fence about how well DC could do bringing the character back, we gotta say: they've done a fantastic job.
We've gotten a very faithful view at the world of Terry McGinnis, but with the addition of a more adult edge to it. The one thing that's been awesome to me is how they managed to do what the show did best: hinting at and revealing sometimes what became of classic Batman rogues, and at the same time, developing and shaping all an all-new Rogues Gallery for Terry McGinnis.
The ending of Batman Beyond #4 was a massive cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to see it resolved in this week's BATMAN BEYOND #5. One thing I'll say that I liked about the last couple issues were the development and interaction of Dick Grayson (I really don't think he's Hush), and the role of Catwoman in the series.
If you're a fan of the original BATMAN BEYOND animated series, then this one's a must-read, no doubt.
If you've missed out on the previous issues (#1-#4), we've got 'em all in stock to get you caught up to issue #5 this Wednesday.
MORNING GLORIES #3 HITS THIS WEDNESDAY, WITH ISSUES #1 & #2 BACK IN STOCK! THIS NEW IMAGE HIT SERIES READS LIKE A DARKER VERSION OF RUNAWAYS MIXED WITH "LOST"
Just like the above mentioned SKULLKICKERS, Morning Glories has been a major success story for IMAGE COMICS. This series literally came out of nowhere, and with it's combination of incredible artwork, and compelling storytelling, knocked a serious homerun straight out of the park.
It's literally been so hot, that we've had an impossible time of keeping the issues in stock. Now, this Wednesday, with the arrival of MORNING GLORIES #3, we've got MORNING GLORIES issues #1 & #2 both coming in as well.
The story centers around MORNING GLORY ACADEMY, which is an uber prestigious prep school for the children of the rich and powerful, but it's also the school where those rich and powerful peeps send their problem children, and then have them come out a few years later ready for the Ivy League schools. Now, the ending of issue #1 is a HUGE surprise twist, and I don't want to ruin it, but lets just say things are NOT as they seem at Morning Glory Academy, and the school has some VERY dark secrets.
Nick Spencer's fantastic characterization, quick-wit and suspenseful storytelling compliment the killer artwork on this one, and the two come together to make for one hell of a good read.
If you're not reading the series yet, be sure to snag a copy of 1,2 and 3 this Wednesday. For those of you who're already digging it, we'll see you this week for issue #3 :)
DC COMICS PRESENTS CONTINUES THIS WEEK WITH TWO MORE KILLER MINI-TPBs: VERTIGO RESURRECTED (featuring banned or out of print stories from Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison & more), and DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN by Ed Brubaker
You know, this one is a big, big deal for me. I've literally been waiting almost a decade to read the Warren Ellis Hellblazer story that's in this book. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself... this week, DC COMICS PRESENTS continues putting out out of print or rare stories in their affordable $7.99 slimline trade paperback format. These little one-shots collect 100 pages of story (equivalent of about 4 comics), and either serve as anthologies collecting short one-shot stories by critically acclaimed creators, or as a collection of a 4 issue arc that deserves to be in print.
We've been loving the concept, and been seeing some really great stuff as a result of it (Jack Cross, FTW!) But, this week, this one's the one I'm the most pumped for. Vertigo Resurrected collects several stories that never saw the light of day, or are very hard to come by, stuff by the likes of GRANT MORRISON, BRIAN AZZARELLO, GARTH ENNIS, and of course, WARREN ELLIS.
And, it's Warren Ellis that has me pumped for this. See, a long time ago, Ellis started a VERY promising run on Hellblazer. I think it could've been one of the best runs the character had ever seen, and the two short arcs he did still remain among my favorite Hellblazer stories. Ellis (Writer of TRANSMETROPOLITAN, BLACK SUMMER, CAPTAIN SWING, and a billion other awesome books) wrote a one-shot, one-issue story for his run called "SHOOT." Unfortunately, this was right around when Columbine happened and due to the content of the story being similar, it meant that editorial didn't want to run the story. So, Ellis left the book, and that was that. Never to be seen again. And, now, we can finally read it. Sure, I know SHOOT's surfaced on various comics news sites as pdfs and whatnot, but I physically cannot read comics on a computer screen. It's just unnatural, and it ruins the entire experience for me. So, I've held off on reading it until I could properly enjoy it how it was intended, and this Wednesday, we finally get to read this awesome lost gem.
Not to mention all the other goodies in here by Ennis, Jim Lee, Morrison, and more.
Also dropping under the DC COMICS PRESENTS imprint this Wednesday is DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN #1. This one collects the four issue BATMAN arc that ran in BATMAN #582-#585 by ED BRUBAKER (CRIMINAL, INCOGNITO, CAPTAIN AMERICA, GOTHAM CENTRAL, SECRET AVENGERS) & SCOTT MCDANIEL (NIGHTWING). This was a great self-contained Batman vs. the Penguin story, where we really got to see something interesting as Brubaker brought his crime noir-influenced storytelling to the world of Gotham City.
And, as always, both of these DC COMICS PRESENTS one-shots are only $7.99 each.
CHAOS WAR #2 - THE BIGGEST COSMIC SAGA SINCE THE INFINITY GAUNTLET & THE SECRET WARS CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY
Straight up, CHAOS WAR brings back that big and bold style of cosmic storytelling that you remember from storylines like INFINITY GAUNTLET and SECRET WARS, but adds a very modern twist.
This one literally spans the entire Marvel Universe, and as Torma likes to say when describing it (it's his favorite book at the moment), "it's got like every Marvel character.. ever" And, folks, it really does. Whether it's Thor, or that old Dr. Strange villain, Nightmare, they're in there.
So, what's it all about? Well, basically, this baddie, the CHAOS KING, has basically gone about resurrecting many dead Marvel characters, and is pretty much trying to rend reality asunder.
In steps the GOD SQUAD, with a few extra heavy-hitters, including THOR, and now, GALACTUS, SILVER SURFER, VENUS, SERSI, and HELLSTORM. Freakin' GALACTUS on a super-team? Only in CHAOS WAR, folks, only in CHAOS WAR.
So, if you're a fan of the big, action-packed kinda storytelling that brings together big and minor characters, give this one a go. We've still got copies of issue #1 in stock to get you brought on board.
Click here for a preview of CHAOS WAR #2
Click here for the official THIRD EYE CHAOS WAR CHECKLIST
DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2010 ONE-SHIT THIS WEDNESDAY DELIVERS OUR ANNUAL GUILTY PLEASURE
You know, I'm just a sucker for the HALLOWEEN one-shots, whether it's Marvel, DC, or the Simpsons, it's one of those things that comes around every year in comics, and no matter what, I always find myself getting a lot of enjoyment out of them.
Anyways, this year's annual guilty pleasure to rot our brains instead of our teeth features a cast of assorted creators putting various DCU characters into some kick-ass Halloween-themed short stories. It's just plain fun, and sometimes that's all ya need.
TRUE BLOOD #4 - The comic exploring the world of TRUE BLOOD continues, written by TV Series creator ALAN BALL.
The third season of TRUE BLOOD may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep up on Sookie and the gang still. In fact, with Alan Ball (creator of the TV series) penning this one, it's just as good as the TV show, heck, maybe even better after seeing the ending of season 3, ya know?
Seriously though, this series is pretty rad if you're a fan of the show. It kinda takes an expanded universe approach to the world of TRUE BLOOD (ala Buffy Season 8, and the Dark Horse Star Wars stuff), and allows for more stories to be told with the various characters.
Missed issues 1-3? We've got 'em in stock to catch you up. And, here's a Third Eye pro-tip.. got a friend or significant other who's not into comics, but is all about TRUE BLOOD? Hook 'em up with the comics, we guarantee, you'll have yourself a comic convert on your hands.
BRIGHTEST DAY #12 - The BRIGHTEST DAY is once again must-read material after the events of BRIGHTEST DAY #10 and #11.. HOLY CRAP, how awesome was issue #11?
Dude, BRIGHTEST DAY #11 totally hooked me all over again on the series, and has me pumped for this week's issue #12 in a big way.
I mean, all in all, I've been really enjoying BRIGHTEST DAY, but I did feel that it began to lag a bit around issue #8 and issue #9, but the ending of issue #10 with the debut of Deathstorm, or Black Lantern Firestorm, or whatever you want to call him. Issue #11 also proves that the writing team of Johns, Tomasi and co. have really found a groove. You know, Brightest Day is a bi-weekly thing, so you're not going to get the slam-down-drag-out action fest every issue. They need to leave some room to develop the tension, the suspense, so when something like the reveal of Deathstorm happens... it's freakin' awesome. And it totally was.
Issue #11 also delivered in a big way on Aquaman and Black Manta finally throwing down, and beating the hell out of each other. There's a very intense part where Manta taunts Aquaman re-telling him how in graphic detail how he killed his son.
The real star of #11 though was Deathstorm, who comes off as a reflection of '90s bad guys, but in a kind of cool, post-modern way that makes it work. And, finally, we got left with a HUGE cliffhanger of a surprise...
and this is why I'm totally pumped to see where things go this week in BRIGHTEST DAY #12.
So if you're a few issues behind, hurry up and get caught up to #11 and #12, cause things have been really picking up, and returning this book to the top of my read pile where it belongs.
ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #4BRINGS MORE FRANK CHO AWESOMENESS THIS WEDNESDAY!
You know, there's often a rare occasion where solely the artwork on a book alone will hook us in, and hook us hard, and New Ultimates is a great example of that.
Now, don't get me wrong, the story isn't bad by any means, just don't go into this expecting a ton of depth, or character development. This one's straight up popcorn summer movie awesomeness, and Jeph Loeb has a firm grasp on that. Why's that? 'Cause he writes some of the best damn pages for the incredibly talented Frank Cho to draw.
And, what's Frank Cho draw best? Giant monsters and gorgeous women, and in New Ultimates, you get a lot of both. Seriously though, this one's a fun read that has delivered on the three previous issues, and if you're just looking for a good satisfying superhero beat-em up with some awesome art, New Ultimates brings that for sure.
Wanna jump on board? We've got issues #1-3 in stock to catch you up.
Click here for a preview of ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #4
PUNISHER MAX: TINY UGLY WORLD ONE-SHOT by CROSSED writer DAVID LAPHAM GIVES US OUR PUNISHER MAX FIX WHILE THE REGULAR SERIES IS ON HIATUS
We're pretty bummed that the Punishermax series by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon's been on a hiatus lately, but at least Marvel's keeping us held over with these sick ass one-shots they've been doing.
For those of you who're unaware of what Punisher MAX is all about, in a nutshell, it's a separate Marvel universe, where superpowers don't really exist, and everything is much more grounded in reality. It's also indicative that anything carrying the MAX Print is a mature readers title, and usually is dripping in ultra-violence and mature themes.
Perfect fit for the Punisher, right? Anyways, this Wednesday, CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES writer DAVID LAPHAM, who is no stranger to gritty hardboiled crime noir (he's the guy who gave us Stray Bullets many years ago), brings us this one shot about a troubled-man who drags the bullet-riddled body of a still-breathing mobster back to his apartment. See, Bobby's got some issues, and with all the tiny mason jars filled with ugly little things in his apartment... he's going to come head to head with Frank Castle regarding this whole mess.
Click here for a preview of PUNISHER MAX TINY UGLY WORLD
THIRD EYE STAFF PICKS
*Win a Set of KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL figures when you pick up KICK-ASS 2 #1 This Wednesday*
!!!I am so excited for this series, it's un-freaking-believable.
I mean, I am loving NEMESIS, and SUPERIOR, but lets face it: who wasn't left wanting more with the way that the first series ended? I mean, I am so intrigued about the possibilities of an entire world of amateur super-heroes (and super-villains) that could be ten times bigger screw-ups than Kick-Ass and Red Mist. And, if with the very cool ending of that final issue, and the cool Jack Nicholson Joker quote... I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see where this is going next.
A few weeks ago, I couldn't resist temptation and read the full 8 page preview of the new KICK-ASS in Millar's new CLiNT magazine. And, I thought it was great. In fact, those 8 pages got me more pumped than the entire first full issue of the original KICK-ASS run (which I really didn't get caught hook, line and sinker until the end of the 3rd issue).
This new series picks up a few months after the end of the original KICK-ASS, from the looks of it. It might be a little longer after, or a little shorter, kinda hard to tell from the preview, but it starts with a very cool set-up of Hit-Girl trying to train KICK-ASS into how to actually be a real vigilante. The dialogue, and strong characterization are both present, just like in the first series, and well, from there, we get shot into the series.
Details on the plot of the series have been kinda cryptic, but what we do know is that it focuses on a world post-Kick Ass. In other words, the KICK-ASS trend blew up, caught on big-time, and now it's kinda become the norm, with countless of others being inspired to follow in his footsteps. You could look at KICK-ASS as The Stooges, and the current state of things as like the '77 punk scene that came a few years after. Kick Ass and Hit-Girl kinda being the proto-super-heroes. Of course, now Kick-Ass isn't so special or one of a kind, but Hit-Girl is keeping him focused more on actually training to become a real deal vigilante, as opposed to updating his Facebook status hourly.
Of course, just like in the world of Batman, Kick-Ass has inspired a whole new addition to Mark Millar's fascinating little world: super-villains. Or at least, wanna-be super-villains, which could potentially be even more dangerous.
Damn, this all sounds so cool. I cannot wait to read more.
Okay, so you've never read KICK-ASS, and you might've only seen the movie, so you're wondering... WHAT is KICK-ASS?
KICK-ASS, the original series, was a hyper-violent and very nihilistic spin on the age old story of a young man trying to be a super-hero. If Peter Parker existed in the real world, he'd be KICK-ASS. In the story, it focuses on Dave Lizewski, a teenager who's really into comic books and decides he wants to be a super-hero. He ends up getting completely brutalized on his first night out, but decides later, to go out again for more.. and, well, he actually manages to pull it off and get an upper hand on some no good baddies, which is then caught on cell phone video recording and uploaded to the internet where he becomes a huge viral sensation, and bam, KICK-ASS is born.
Clad in a wetsuit bought from eBay, and wielding a couple of batons and pepper spray, he ends up getting caught up in a whole mess of trouble that brings him face to face with real deal vigilantes Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. As the story goes on, we find out that Big Daddy's really no different than KICK-ASS, just better trained, and well.. I don't want to give anything else away here, 'cause it's definitely a great read and worth picking up.
If you've never read it, we've got the hardcover graphic novel in stock that collects the entire series, and we highly recommend picking it up and giving it a go.
Wanna jump straight into KICK-ASS 2 without having read the first one? While you'll be missing some back story, we don't think you'll be too lost, but at some point, you should definitely read the graphic novel to get you up to speed on Hit-Girl, her origin, and more stuff like that.
With all that having been said: KICK-ASS 2 is just as awesome looking as the first series. Romita JR is bringing that trademark stylized sense of brutal ugly reality straight to the page, and Millar is sharp as ever with his dialogue and pacing. I cannot wait to get to the end of this issue, just because I know Millar and his knack for cliffhangers will leave me going HOLY CRAP.
Click here for a preview of KICK ASS 2 #1
HERE'S A CHANCE TO WIN A SET OF KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL Action Figures When You Pick Up KICK-ASS 2 #1 This Wednesday
Come dressed as an amateur superhero ala KICK-ASS and get your copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 FREE!
To show you how stoked we are about the new KICK-ASS series, we're running a couple of special promotions for this Wednesday. First off, everyone who buys a copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 this Wednesday will receive a raffle ticket and be entered into a prize drawing for a set of the new KICK-ASS & HIT-GIRL figures. We'll be announcing the winner at the end of the day on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thirdeyecomics) and twitter page (www.twitter.com/thirdeyecomics)
Secondly, we figure the launch of a new KICK-ASS warrants a special celebration. Anyone who comes in their own home-made superhero costume ala KICK-ASS will receive their copy of KICK-ASS 2 #1 for free on Wednesday. Now, you need to do more than just rock a sweat band and some elbow pads, so at least fashion together some kind of cape or mask. :)
CARNAGE #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - Cletus Cassidy returns! Featuring the artwork of X-FORCE & VENOM vs. CARNAGE artist CLAYTON CRAIN! This one looks killer!
Carnage returns this Wednesday, and I gotta tell you, Third Eye Faithful. I've been excited about this one since I first saw it in the solicits a few months back. I mean, I'm a child of the '80s and the '90s, so you know that the character was a big fixture in my comic book reading. And, the fact that Clayton Crain is handling the artwork really makes this one a must-read. His work on past Venom series like the Venom vs. Carnage book, as well as his title-defining run on X-FORCE, really set the tone for a lot of stories, and I think he's a perfect fit for this new Carnage book.
Now, as to the plot, well, as we all know, Carnage is basically a symbiote offspring that bonded with a serial killer named Cletus Cassidy. And, then he pretty much fell into obscurity for like 5 or 10 years, until Bendis had the Sentry toss him into the sun in NEW AVENGERS. Ever since then, as far as I know, Carnage has been pretty much out of the picture.
Okay, so here we are, nearly a decade after New Avengers debuted, and everything must come full circle, right? Plus, I think that there's a whole generation of us who grew up reading the exploits of Carnage, Venom, and whatever else those other symbiotes were named. Heck, I remember playing the Separation Anxiety Sega game back in the day. You guys remember that? Anyways, here we are in the present day, and this is basically the RE-INTRODUCTION of Carnage to the Marvel Universe, as supposedly an even more powerful incarnation of himself than before, and of course, this spells out some serious trouble for many heroes of the Marvel Universe.
So, in this series, we're getting basically a ground zero take on Carnage, and a great chance to bring this character back into the fray of the Marvel Universe with a whole new spin. I think it's great, because he's got such a cool visual, and was always an entertaining character back in the day, it's just his whole crazy Venom thing got tired back then and they didn't know where to take him. From what I've seen of this new series, it looks like it stays true to the character, but also brings him up to speed and makes him way more interesting for the here and now.
Click here for a preview of CARNAGE #1
STAN LEE RETURNS with SOLDIER ZERO #1 THIS WEDNESDAY, ALONGSIDE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED WRITER PAUL CORNELL (ACTION COMICS, DR WHO TV Series) FROM BOOM! STUDIOS, PUBLISHERS OF IRREDEEMABLE
Stan the Man Lee returns to comics in a big way this Wednesday with the debut of his new BOOM! series SOLDIER ZERO. And, I know what you're thinking, well, Stan Lee's the grandfather of much of what we love, but you know, does he still have the chops? Well, if you have any doubt, rest assured in knowing that Third Eye favorite Paul Cornell (the current Luthor Action Comics run and DR. WHO TV series) will be handling writing chores on this one.
Boom is responsible for some of our biggest favorites right now, with series like IRREDEEMABLE and INCORRUPTIBLE, and we think Soldier Zero is going to make a proud addition to their roster.
I'm really excited about this, because the way that Paul Cornell describes the project as kind of like Johnny Cash's albums with Rick Rubin. You know, basically reminding the world of Stan Lee's timeless skills while at the same time giving the material a very modern approach. This is not just retro-ey rehash kinda stuff, folks, this is new stories and they look great.
What is Soldier Zero? It's the story of a wheelchair bound professor named Stewart, who becomes bonded with an alien fighter. Stewart always says he's limited only by his environment: not just physical spaces not designed for wheelchairs, but by the attitudes of other people, even the overprotective care of his older brother who had raised him. For short periods of time, when the alien manifests as armor, he can experience an unlimited envrionment, and escape everything that he finds holding him back, including the attitudes of others.
The alien warrior who bonds with Stewart is fleeing from hostile pursuers, and by pure accident, he bonds with Stewart out of survival. The two together make up Soldier Zero, which displays both characteristics of Stewart and the alien. The alien's a warrior, Stewart's more of a heroic type... and the two make for an interesting pair.
From there, the series turns into a very cool story where we see the intelligence community taking a major interest in the alien, as well as another symbiote hunting the alien, which provides the genesis for the foil to Soldier Zero's hero.
The book looks great, and we recommend giving it a peek this Wednesday, we really think it's going to be a good read.
Click here for a preview of SOLDIER ZERO #1
BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 - THE FINAL CHAPTER OF BATMAN MUST DIE COLLIDES WITH THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE! A MUST-READ AFTER THE EVENTS OF LAST WEEK'S CRUCIAL RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5
I've been very vocal about how great a title BATMAN AND ROBIN has been, and how it's only gotten better and better since it first began. But now, more than ever, this series delivers big time in terms of sheer quality, in both the art and the story.
Grant Morrison has weaved a complex and long story through the pages of the series, as he's managed to use mini story arcs to put together a much larger tapestry, and on the most recent arc, BATMAN MUST DIE, he and Frazer Irving, have knocked it out of the park. Damian's evolution over the course of the series has been a personal favorite for me, as he goes from being the character who EVERYBODY hated two years ago to a growing fan-favorite. Little moments here and there, like his proclamation to the Joker that he's not like the other Robins, and the crowbar he uses to send that message make for a damn good read.
Now, going into this week's issue #15, this series hits it's swan song as Morrison ties this into the events of last week's RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5.
Now, I know many of you haven't yet read RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5, but something HUGE goes down in that issue that connects in a big way to The Black Glove who's been going in and out of the pages of Batman and Robin.
So, I'll save my usual raves and rants about how great this book has been, and how it's totally worth going back and getting the entire run, and just cut to the chase: BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 is gonna blow your mind. :)
The advance pages look out of this world, and so many storyline threads that Morrison has been piecing together ever since BATMAN AND SON and THE BLACK GLOVE are given the spotlight here.
Plus, there's the fact that we're not really quite sure if Dick Grayson's even alive.... or if Damian will make a deal with the devil, and just what the heck will happen after the final confrontation with the infamous Dr. Hurt?
We love us some BATMAN AND ROBIN here at Third Eye, if you can't tell.
Wanna hop onto the title? We'd recommend starting with BATMAN AND ROBIN #13 which is the first of the current BATMAN MUST DIE arc. If you want to go back further, we've got issues #1-#14 all in stock, so you can jump on that way as well.
We've also got the BATMAN AND ROBIN hardcover which collects the first six issues available as well, which is an easy and quick way to get caught up, plus it looks nifty on the bookshelf. :)
Either way, if you're even remotely a Batman fan, and you're not reading BATMAN AND ROBIN, you must remedy that right away, cause this book is the bees knees, folks.
SKULLKICKERS #2 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - The second follow-up issue to the red hot new IMAGE hit series that's being described as THE HANGOVER meets WORLD OF WARCRAFT. PLUS, more of issue #1 now in stock as well!
Plus, READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH SERIES WRITER JIM ZUBKAVICH
This is the newest IMAGE series that's really taken the shop by storm in the last couple months. And, you know, it's obvious Image is doing something right, because between Skullkickers and Morning Glories, along with CHEW and COWBOY NINJA VIKING and WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE, they've really got a strong and growing stable of high profile titles that provide something fresh and new to comics fans.
The first issue of Skullkicker was a first week sellout, and considering we normally stock pretty heavy on titles we believe in, that's a big deal. First prints of the book have gone up to about $15 or so on the back market, and as we've seen with past Image hit series, there's no slowing down here. Issue #2 of any series is always traditionally ordered lower than #1, so expect this one to be in high demand.
Now, onto what's important: IT'S REALLY GOOD. Buzz book, or not, Skullkickers is a fun, fresh read, with some of the most gorgeous artwork I've seen in a new title in a long time.
What's it about? Well, take every buddy movie you can think of.. whether it's something more modern like THE HANGOVER, or some of the classics like LETHAL WEAPON, now set against a very Dungeons and Dragons / World of Warcraft-esque fantasy world backdrop, and that pretty much sums up Skullkickers.
Skullkickers is the story of two mercenaries, a feisty dwarf and his more stoic large friend. The two get themselves into mess after mess as they seek fame and fortune, as all good mercenaries should, of course, there's a larger underlying plot that we don't want to give away for those of you who haven't yet read issue #1. Writer Jim Zubkavich handles the humor and characterization well, and the book has a kind of Army of Darkness-style sense of humor to it. It's slapsticky, but not TOO slapsticky, and the dialogue from the characters is clever and believable. Right from the get go, the tone is set as the two are trying to take down a rather rotund werewolf... Who ever heard of a fat werewolf? ends up being one of my favorite lines from the book and it's right there in the beginning! No silver on hand? That's fine, stab a spoon in his neck. Problem solved.
And, we cannot forget to mention Edwin Huang's artwork... holy crap, this is pretty. It looks like a freakin' animated film come to life.
Do yourselves a favor, and snag up SKULLKICKERS #1 if you haven't already done so, and #2 while you're at it, 'cause we know you're going to love this book.
For those of you who read the first issue, we already know you're going to be itching to get your hands on the next.
Click here to read an interview we did with Skullkickers writer Jim Zubkavich.
X-23 #2 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - The Surprise Hit of the new WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL-related books & the latest addition to the upcoming MARVEL VS CAPCOM 3 game continues her new ongoing series!
X-23 really took a lot of us by surprise when it launched a few weeks ago. I mean, I was excited about the book when it first was announced, because I've been a fan of the character for a while now. But, man, the first issue of this one was really a great read. It wasn't quite as big of a surprise as the new Daken series which also impressed me a lot, but that's only because I like X-23 a lot more as a character than I do Daken.
Marjorie Liu and Will Conrad do a fantastic job of putting the pieces together to really bring you into X-23's world. See, X-23, she's basically a clone of Wolverine. She was the next attempt by the Weapon X Program to replicate what they had with Wolverine, but they couldn't quite get the X chromosome right, and hence, X-23 was born. Much like Batman Beyond, she's a character who owes as much to her appearance in X-Men Evolution as she does comic books, but writers like Chris Yost have done a lot over the last few years to really shape her into being an interesting and compelling character. See, she's got all of Wolverine's bloodlusts, but without his years upon years of experience in keeping it under control, meaning she's much more of a loose canon than old Logan.
Anyways, where does this story pick up? Well, after all the past events with SECOND COMING, Necrosha, ect, ect, Laura's in a bit of a transitionary period. Meaning she doesn't know what the hell she is going to do next. She's a trained killer, and no one is looking for her to be that anymore. Cyclops, in order to help her adjust and fit in, puts her in a halfway house set-up for de-powered mutants. Of course, there's the whole WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL element, and we see her experiencing a dream-state where a demon-possessed Wolverine is telling her to be his right hand in hell.
The first issue is very new reader friendly, and gives you a nice recap of the character, and who she is. You also get introduced to her supporting cast from the much beloved and lamented NEW X-MEN series. There's some very cool stuff going on in here, like Storm's bonding moment with X-23, and the conflicted view that she has of Wolverine.
Now, going forward to X-23 #2, it looks like the normal life X-23 is being forced into is disrupted once again, as the demonic Wolverine haunts her more, and starts to seduce her down the dark road to Hell.
Miss issue #1? We've still got copies available, so hop on board with it and check out #2 as well!
Click here for a preview of X-23 #2
GUARDIANS OF THE GLOBE #2 - Robert Kirkman's (WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE) kick-ass new team book continues this Wednesday!
If there's one thing that's scientific fact here at Third Eye it's that we love Robert Kirkman and everything that freakin' genius manages to spawn. And, with Guardians of the Globe, we get to see Kirkman's take on one of comic's longest-standing traditions: the super-team. Yup, the Avengers, the Justice League, and now the Guardians of the Globe.
Set in the same universe as INVINCIBLE, BRIT, and others, the Guardians of the Globe kicked off with a bang last month, and brought Kirkman's over-the-top bigger than life insanity front and center as a new team of world defenders formed to protect the planet during Invincible's absence (see the Viltrumite War). The series stands on it's own, and if you're not a regular Invincible reader, you can still jump onto this without much trouble, however if you are an Invincible reader, then this is a must-read. The first issue centered on Brit, and his attempting to fit into his new role as the Guardians leader.
The book sings predominantly on the strength of Kirkman's rock solid writing, and characterization, but the artwork's no slouch either. And, how can you NOT love a giant Octopusman fighting off the Guardians on the cover?
If you missed issue #1, we've still got copies in stock for you to jump onto this series.
BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CATWOMAN and BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME COMISSIONER GORDON ONE-SHOTS
Bruce Wayne The Road Home continues this Wednesday with two kick-ass looking one-shots that continue to set-up the landscape of Gotham City in the post-Return of Bruce Wayne world.
First up, we've got the BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CATWOMAN one-shot which shows us a Selina Kyle who when she last saw Bruce Wayne, she was bed-ridden in a hospital after he saved her life. Now, that he's returned, can she handle all of this after having mourned his death? And, what will he have to say about her interactions with Harley and Ivy as seen in the Gotham City Sirens title?
Next up is the BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME Commissioner Gordon one-shot, and I think this might be one of the onest I'm most excited about (excluding last week's BATMAN AND ROBIN which was pretty kick-ass). I've always dug the professional friendship that's existed as part of an uneasy tension between Gordon and Batman, and now, after several months of Jim Gordon knowing he's been working alongside a "different" Batman, how will the crime-fighting chemistry be with Wayne returned?
Click here to check out our BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME CHECKLIST
LOKI #1 - The origin of the original Father of Lies is revealed in this new four issue mini-series!
Here's one that looks like a neat little short run series. This four issue miniseries gives the definitive origins of Loki, the original Father of Lies in the Marvel Universe.
The preview pages give a good hint that this one is gonna surprise a lot of peeps. It just looks plain cool, and I've always thought Loki was an interesting character, so it should be interesting to see how he got to where he is revealed.
Click here for a preview of LOKI #1
SHADOWLAND CONTINUES WITHDAREDEVIL #511 & SHADOWLAND POWER-MAN #3 THIS WEEK
Shadowland continues this Wednesday, picking up right where last week's SHADOWLAND #4 leaves off. So far, this event and storyline has been really delivering, and I've gotta say, I've liked most of the tie-in books that've come out for it.
However, the best, and in my opinion, the only ESSENTIAL tie-in for Shadowland has been the core Daredevil book. Each issue of Daredevil fills in the gaps between issues of Shadowland, and considering it's being written by the same writer as Shadowland (Andy Diggle), the continuity between both books is VERY strong and solid.
In this week's Daredevil #511, are we going to see Matt Murdock throw away his last shot at redemption as one of his oldest friends makes a final attempt at reasoning with him?
Click here for a preview of Daredevil #511
Also, dropping this week is SHADOWLAND POWER MAN #3, which shows that the HAND has discovered the new Power Man's secret identity, and the only ones who can save him now are Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD #1 *THIRD EYE CERTIFIED COOL* - Avatar Press, the publishers of CROSSED & NEONOMICON, shows us what happened after the conclusion of the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD film
You guys know we're a buncha gorehounds here at Third Eye, and nobody does ridiculously gory and often, repulsively offensive comics like AVATAR PRESS, the fine folks behind such morally upstanding gems like CROSSED, CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES, NEONOMICON, and CAPTAIN SWING.
And, this is why we're pumped about their new NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD series, which we know, promises to be predominantly an excuse to show us some seriously horrific zombie mayhem. But, the whole concept of them setting the story on that fateful night in 1968, and showing us an unprepared Washington D.C. up against a legion of the undead has got us intrigued.
Plus, zombie hippies? How can this not be good?
BATMAN BEYOND #5 - Now that HUSH BEYOND has been revealed, where can things go from here?
One of our favorite new things this year has been the big BATMAN BEYOND revival. We were totally into the animated TV series back in the day, and while we were a little bit on the fence about how well DC could do bringing the character back, we gotta say: they've done a fantastic job.
We've gotten a very faithful view at the world of Terry McGinnis, but with the addition of a more adult edge to it. The one thing that's been awesome to me is how they managed to do what the show did best: hinting at and revealing sometimes what became of classic Batman rogues, and at the same time, developing and shaping all an all-new Rogues Gallery for Terry McGinnis.
The ending of Batman Beyond #4 was a massive cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to see it resolved in this week's BATMAN BEYOND #5. One thing I'll say that I liked about the last couple issues were the development and interaction of Dick Grayson (I really don't think he's Hush), and the role of Catwoman in the series.
If you're a fan of the original BATMAN BEYOND animated series, then this one's a must-read, no doubt.
If you've missed out on the previous issues (#1-#4), we've got 'em all in stock to get you caught up to issue #5 this Wednesday.
MORNING GLORIES #3 HITS THIS WEDNESDAY, WITH ISSUES #1 & #2 BACK IN STOCK! THIS NEW IMAGE HIT SERIES READS LIKE A DARKER VERSION OF RUNAWAYS MIXED WITH "LOST"
Just like the above mentioned SKULLKICKERS, Morning Glories has been a major success story for IMAGE COMICS. This series literally came out of nowhere, and with it's combination of incredible artwork, and compelling storytelling, knocked a serious homerun straight out of the park.
It's literally been so hot, that we've had an impossible time of keeping the issues in stock. Now, this Wednesday, with the arrival of MORNING GLORIES #3, we've got MORNING GLORIES issues #1 & #2 both coming in as well.
The story centers around MORNING GLORY ACADEMY, which is an uber prestigious prep school for the children of the rich and powerful, but it's also the school where those rich and powerful peeps send their problem children, and then have them come out a few years later ready for the Ivy League schools. Now, the ending of issue #1 is a HUGE surprise twist, and I don't want to ruin it, but lets just say things are NOT as they seem at Morning Glory Academy, and the school has some VERY dark secrets.
Nick Spencer's fantastic characterization, quick-wit and suspenseful storytelling compliment the killer artwork on this one, and the two come together to make for one hell of a good read.
If you're not reading the series yet, be sure to snag a copy of 1,2 and 3 this Wednesday. For those of you who're already digging it, we'll see you this week for issue #3 :)
DC COMICS PRESENTS CONTINUES THIS WEEK WITH TWO MORE KILLER MINI-TPBs: VERTIGO RESURRECTED (featuring banned or out of print stories from Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison & more), and DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN by Ed Brubaker
You know, this one is a big, big deal for me. I've literally been waiting almost a decade to read the Warren Ellis Hellblazer story that's in this book. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself... this week, DC COMICS PRESENTS continues putting out out of print or rare stories in their affordable $7.99 slimline trade paperback format. These little one-shots collect 100 pages of story (equivalent of about 4 comics), and either serve as anthologies collecting short one-shot stories by critically acclaimed creators, or as a collection of a 4 issue arc that deserves to be in print.
We've been loving the concept, and been seeing some really great stuff as a result of it (Jack Cross, FTW!) But, this week, this one's the one I'm the most pumped for. Vertigo Resurrected collects several stories that never saw the light of day, or are very hard to come by, stuff by the likes of GRANT MORRISON, BRIAN AZZARELLO, GARTH ENNIS, and of course, WARREN ELLIS.
And, it's Warren Ellis that has me pumped for this. See, a long time ago, Ellis started a VERY promising run on Hellblazer. I think it could've been one of the best runs the character had ever seen, and the two short arcs he did still remain among my favorite Hellblazer stories. Ellis (Writer of TRANSMETROPOLITAN, BLACK SUMMER, CAPTAIN SWING, and a billion other awesome books) wrote a one-shot, one-issue story for his run called "SHOOT." Unfortunately, this was right around when Columbine happened and due to the content of the story being similar, it meant that editorial didn't want to run the story. So, Ellis left the book, and that was that. Never to be seen again. And, now, we can finally read it. Sure, I know SHOOT's surfaced on various comics news sites as pdfs and whatnot, but I physically cannot read comics on a computer screen. It's just unnatural, and it ruins the entire experience for me. So, I've held off on reading it until I could properly enjoy it how it was intended, and this Wednesday, we finally get to read this awesome lost gem.
Not to mention all the other goodies in here by Ennis, Jim Lee, Morrison, and more.
Also dropping under the DC COMICS PRESENTS imprint this Wednesday is DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN #1. This one collects the four issue BATMAN arc that ran in BATMAN #582-#585 by ED BRUBAKER (CRIMINAL, INCOGNITO, CAPTAIN AMERICA, GOTHAM CENTRAL, SECRET AVENGERS) & SCOTT MCDANIEL (NIGHTWING). This was a great self-contained Batman vs. the Penguin story, where we really got to see something interesting as Brubaker brought his crime noir-influenced storytelling to the world of Gotham City.
And, as always, both of these DC COMICS PRESENTS one-shots are only $7.99 each.
CHAOS WAR #2 - THE BIGGEST COSMIC SAGA SINCE THE INFINITY GAUNTLET & THE SECRET WARS CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY
Straight up, CHAOS WAR brings back that big and bold style of cosmic storytelling that you remember from storylines like INFINITY GAUNTLET and SECRET WARS, but adds a very modern twist.
This one literally spans the entire Marvel Universe, and as Torma likes to say when describing it (it's his favorite book at the moment), "it's got like every Marvel character.. ever" And, folks, it really does. Whether it's Thor, or that old Dr. Strange villain, Nightmare, they're in there.
So, what's it all about? Well, basically, this baddie, the CHAOS KING, has basically gone about resurrecting many dead Marvel characters, and is pretty much trying to rend reality asunder.
In steps the GOD SQUAD, with a few extra heavy-hitters, including THOR, and now, GALACTUS, SILVER SURFER, VENUS, SERSI, and HELLSTORM. Freakin' GALACTUS on a super-team? Only in CHAOS WAR, folks, only in CHAOS WAR.
So, if you're a fan of the big, action-packed kinda storytelling that brings together big and minor characters, give this one a go. We've still got copies of issue #1 in stock to get you brought on board.
Click here for a preview of CHAOS WAR #2
Click here for the official THIRD EYE CHAOS WAR CHECKLIST
DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2010 ONE-SHIT THIS WEDNESDAY DELIVERS OUR ANNUAL GUILTY PLEASURE
You know, I'm just a sucker for the HALLOWEEN one-shots, whether it's Marvel, DC, or the Simpsons, it's one of those things that comes around every year in comics, and no matter what, I always find myself getting a lot of enjoyment out of them.
Anyways, this year's annual guilty pleasure to rot our brains instead of our teeth features a cast of assorted creators putting various DCU characters into some kick-ass Halloween-themed short stories. It's just plain fun, and sometimes that's all ya need.
TRUE BLOOD #4 - The comic exploring the world of TRUE BLOOD continues, written by TV Series creator ALAN BALL.
The third season of TRUE BLOOD may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep up on Sookie and the gang still. In fact, with Alan Ball (creator of the TV series) penning this one, it's just as good as the TV show, heck, maybe even better after seeing the ending of season 3, ya know?
Seriously though, this series is pretty rad if you're a fan of the show. It kinda takes an expanded universe approach to the world of TRUE BLOOD (ala Buffy Season 8, and the Dark Horse Star Wars stuff), and allows for more stories to be told with the various characters.
Missed issues 1-3? We've got 'em in stock to catch you up. And, here's a Third Eye pro-tip.. got a friend or significant other who's not into comics, but is all about TRUE BLOOD? Hook 'em up with the comics, we guarantee, you'll have yourself a comic convert on your hands.
BRIGHTEST DAY #12 - The BRIGHTEST DAY is once again must-read material after the events of BRIGHTEST DAY #10 and #11.. HOLY CRAP, how awesome was issue #11?
Dude, BRIGHTEST DAY #11 totally hooked me all over again on the series, and has me pumped for this week's issue #12 in a big way.
I mean, all in all, I've been really enjoying BRIGHTEST DAY, but I did feel that it began to lag a bit around issue #8 and issue #9, but the ending of issue #10 with the debut of Deathstorm, or Black Lantern Firestorm, or whatever you want to call him. Issue #11 also proves that the writing team of Johns, Tomasi and co. have really found a groove. You know, Brightest Day is a bi-weekly thing, so you're not going to get the slam-down-drag-out action fest every issue. They need to leave some room to develop the tension, the suspense, so when something like the reveal of Deathstorm happens... it's freakin' awesome. And it totally was.
Issue #11 also delivered in a big way on Aquaman and Black Manta finally throwing down, and beating the hell out of each other. There's a very intense part where Manta taunts Aquaman re-telling him how in graphic detail how he killed his son.
The real star of #11 though was Deathstorm, who comes off as a reflection of '90s bad guys, but in a kind of cool, post-modern way that makes it work. And, finally, we got left with a HUGE cliffhanger of a surprise...
and this is why I'm totally pumped to see where things go this week in BRIGHTEST DAY #12.
So if you're a few issues behind, hurry up and get caught up to #11 and #12, cause things have been really picking up, and returning this book to the top of my read pile where it belongs.
ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #4BRINGS MORE FRANK CHO AWESOMENESS THIS WEDNESDAY!
You know, there's often a rare occasion where solely the artwork on a book alone will hook us in, and hook us hard, and New Ultimates is a great example of that.
Now, don't get me wrong, the story isn't bad by any means, just don't go into this expecting a ton of depth, or character development. This one's straight up popcorn summer movie awesomeness, and Jeph Loeb has a firm grasp on that. Why's that? 'Cause he writes some of the best damn pages for the incredibly talented Frank Cho to draw.
And, what's Frank Cho draw best? Giant monsters and gorgeous women, and in New Ultimates, you get a lot of both. Seriously though, this one's a fun read that has delivered on the three previous issues, and if you're just looking for a good satisfying superhero beat-em up with some awesome art, New Ultimates brings that for sure.
Wanna jump on board? We've got issues #1-3 in stock to catch you up.
Click here for a preview of ULTIMATE COMICS NEW ULTIMATES #4
PUNISHER MAX: TINY UGLY WORLD ONE-SHOT by CROSSED writer DAVID LAPHAM GIVES US OUR PUNISHER MAX FIX WHILE THE REGULAR SERIES IS ON HIATUS
We're pretty bummed that the Punishermax series by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon's been on a hiatus lately, but at least Marvel's keeping us held over with these sick ass one-shots they've been doing.
For those of you who're unaware of what Punisher MAX is all about, in a nutshell, it's a separate Marvel universe, where superpowers don't really exist, and everything is much more grounded in reality. It's also indicative that anything carrying the MAX Print is a mature readers title, and usually is dripping in ultra-violence and mature themes.
Perfect fit for the Punisher, right? Anyways, this Wednesday, CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES writer DAVID LAPHAM, who is no stranger to gritty hardboiled crime noir (he's the guy who gave us Stray Bullets many years ago), brings us this one shot about a troubled-man who drags the bullet-riddled body of a still-breathing mobster back to his apartment. See, Bobby's got some issues, and with all the tiny mason jars filled with ugly little things in his apartment... he's going to come head to head with Frank Castle regarding this whole mess.
Click here for a preview of PUNISHER MAX TINY UGLY WORLD
THIRD EYE STAFF PICKS
Steve - SUPERIOR #1 - I'll be the first one to admit: there's not much by Millar I don't like. However, I can understand why some people don't like some of his more extreme stuff, I mean, he can be a little nihilistc... and that's why you should read SUPERIOR. Millar delivers a single comic with more heart in it than anything I've read all year. Incredible debut.
Trish - HACK/SLASH MURDER MESSIAH ANNUAL #1- Is it just me, or has HACK/SLASH gotten even better since moving to IMAGE? This one-shot was AWESOME, and the art was top notch. Can't wait for the upcoming ongoing.
TORMA - TOMB OF TERROR #1 one-shot - The Man-Thing rips a guy in half. Like, literally, right down the middle. That's all that need be said.
Trish - HACK/SLASH MURDER MESSIAH ANNUAL #1- Is it just me, or has HACK/SLASH gotten even better since moving to IMAGE? This one-shot was AWESOME, and the art was top notch. Can't wait for the upcoming ongoing.
TORMA - TOMB OF TERROR #1 one-shot - The Man-Thing rips a guy in half. Like, literally, right down the middle. That's all that need be said.
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