THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 11/3/10

GENERATION HOPE #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - IN THE WAKE OF X-MEN: SECOND COMING, FIVE NEW MUTANTS HAVE APPEARED, WITH HOPE LEADING THE CHARGE! IF YOU DUG SECOND COMING, READ THIS BOOK! Here it is, folk, the series that many of you have been eagerly awaiting after the epic conclusion of X-MEN: SECOND COMING. Hope has grown into one of the most fascinating and intriguing new characters in the entire roster of X-Characters over the last 5 or 6 years, and her saga that ran through X-MEN: MESSIAH COMPLEX, X-MEN MESSIAH WAR and X-MEN SECOND COMING has really reinvigorated the storylines of the X-Books. Now, kicking off this Wednesday, Generation Hope, is a new limited series which shows us the discovery of the Five Lights, the five mutants that were discovered when Hope returned from the future and triggered the rebirth of the mutant gene. See, after the whole House of M thing, there were only 198 mutants for quite a while there, and Hope, being true to her namesake is pretty much the salvation of the mutant race in the Marvel Universe. The thing is, the activations of the five new mutants have been pretty unstable, and downright dangerous. It was only Hope's touch that kept them from self-destructing. Now, in Generation Hope, with Rogue, the four new mutants who were gathered in the Five Lights arc of Uncanny X-Men, Hope is journeying to Japan to join up with Cyclops, Wolverine, and the mysterious fifth light. Our thoughts? Well, first off, it's got Kieron Gillen writing it, so that means the story is going to be rock solid and pretty innovative. This is the guy who did the indie hit Phonogram, and has wowed us with his work many recent Marvel titles. He's a true up and coming writer who reminds us very much of Matt Fraction, in terms of style and approach. Second, the artwork by Salvador Espin looks great, and fitting of a top tier X-Book like this. Third, nearly anything involving the Hope saga has been a satisfying and compelling read, and we're pretty eager to see the journey continue. It's actually very cool to be at the ground zero rebuilding of mutants in the Marvel Universe. So, the final verdict from us after reading some preview pages, and getting a feel for the book? This one's going to be great. If you dug X-MEN SECOND COMING, you should most definitely check it out. Click here for a preview of GENERATION HOPE #1 THE BOYS: THE INNOCENTS VOLUME 7 TRADE PAPERBACK HITS THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE You know it's always a huge deal when a new BOYS graphic novel comes out, right? Well, folks, here you go. Volume 7 of Garth Ennis's fantastic, dark, disturbing, and often humorous take on a world where superheroes are complete and utter scumbags, and a group of damaged individuals who've had their lives destroyed in some shape or form due to the capes police them for the government will be hitting the shelves of Third Eye this Wednesday. IN book 7, things are getting ridiculous, as we see Butcher delving deeper into Hughie's privacy, and setting some terrible things into motion, not to mention the heroes of the future, SUPERDUPER. Not reading THE BOYS? You gotta check it out. It's a fantastic series, self-contained, where the superheroes are the bad guys, and are totally corrupt, and a shadowy group of government agents make their lives a living hell. It's probably my favorite thing Garth Ennis has written since Preacher, and that's saying a lot, because he writes A LOT of good stuff. We've got all the trade paperbacks in stock, volumes 1-6, to catch you up. Trust us, you'll love it. Want us to hold you a copy of BOYS volume 7? Hit us up in an email, and we'll get one set aside for you. We know there's always a huge rush for the next dose of BOYS awesomeness when these come out, so we'll make sure you're covered. SERENITY: SHEPHERD'S TALE GRAPHIC NOVEL HITS THIS WEDNESDAY - THE MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS AND MOTIVATIONS OF SHEPHERD BOOK REVEALED by JOSS WHEDON & ZACH WHEDON This one is one of the most eagerly anticipated books of the year, for sure. For YEARS, Joss Whedon has been buzzing about how he's going to tell Shepherd Book's story, and we've been patiently waiting for him to do it. And, while this summer's Float Out one-shot was a good dose of Serenity to hold us over, we've been more pumped for this book than anything else. Why? Well, any of you guys who happen to be a Serenity or Firefly fan knows that Shepherd Book is not only one of the coolest characters from the series, but was also one of the most enigmatic. And, now, his story is finally going to be revealed by Joss and Zach Whedon in this full length graphic novel. How's it look? Incredible. The art is fantastic, and from what we've seen, this might be the best of the Serenity comics that've been put out yet. We cannot wait to physically get our hands on a copy and sit down to read it. Now, we're planning on having plenty of these on hand, but if you wanna guarantee you have one come this Wednesday, please feel free to shoot us an email back here at thirdeyecomics@gmail.com, and let us know to hold you a copy. The demand for any new Firefly/Serenity material is always huge, and we wanna make sure you guys are covered. SUPERBOY #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - CONNOR KENT GETS HIS OWN ONGOING SERIES courtesy of SWEET TOOTH writer JEFF LEMIRE and the incredibly talented PIER GALLO! The Boy of Steel returns to Smallville, to discover the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface - This one looks fantastic! DC has been on a real streak of putting out quality new series over the course of the last couple of years, and this Wednesday, they're starting off a new Superboy ongoing series, and dude, I'm pretty stoked about it. And, I gotta be honest, folks, I wasn't a major fan back in the day of the Superboy series that is much beloved today. I know that the Karl Kesel / Tom Grummet run has a fond place in many people's hearts, but honestly, I REALLY didn't start to like this character until Geoff Johns's relaunch of Teen Titans. Now, ever since then, especially regarding everything he's been through with Infinite Crisis and what-not, he's become one of my favorite DCU characters. The real draw though on why I'm excited about this series? Dude, it's the creative team! I mean, the Superboy character has really gone through a lot of development and has been shaped into something pretty interesting in the last decade, but, when you pair that up with the writer of SWEET TOOTH Jeff Lemire, and a newcomer artist that looks incredible in Pier Gallo, well, you got yourself a good comic on the way. Jeff Lemire is one of my favorite writers working right now, mostly due in part to his fantastic Vertigo series, SWEET TOOTH. He's proven he has a knack for strong characterization, and he brings a level of sleek storytelling to his stuff that I find extremely appealing. Lemire also has always found his niche in telling stories with rural settings (i.e Essex County, ect), and with the Superboy story being set in Smallville, it looks like he's going to really bring that knack for small town weirdness to the character. From what we've heard about the story, there's a dark, dark mystery surrounding Smallville, and Superboy has returned to dig beneath the surface. It also looks like there's going to be guest-stars galore, with The Phantom Stranger, Poison Ivy, and more showing up in the run. Final Verdict? If you're a DCU fan, you should pick this one up, and give it a shot. The art looks incredible, and Lemire is one of the best young talents DC's got. Pair that with a fresh approach to a character that's more than ready for his own book, and you've got yourself a potentially great series starting here. Click here for a preview of SUPERBOY #1 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* WOLVERINE #3 *WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL CHAPTER 3* - Jason Aaron's WOLVERINE in HELL saga continues to make Wolverine a monthly must-read! The new Wolverine ongoing series has been fantastic. The first issue got off to a little bit of a slow start, but, hot damn, issue #2 really kicked things into high gear. Seeing Logan being tormented amidst the brimstone of Hell, while having to fend off hordes of every enemy he's ever killed was a real hoot. I mean, legions of Hand ninjas, Hydra agents, and then baddies like Cyber, Omega Red, and well... that brings us to this month's issue: SABRETOOTH! Ever since Logan chopped off Creed's head in that Wolverine: Evolution story arc, we've known that the two would come face to face again. However, I never assumed that it would be under these circumstances. But, with Sabretooth being the arch-demon that's tormenting Logan in Hell's personal hellhound, it looks like we're going to see something pretty interesting here. Plus, as we saw at the end of issue #2... Puck, you know, the little guy from Alpha Flight, has popped up as one of the denizens of Hell, and is looking to throw a hand to his old friend. Meanwhile, Logan's body is still running around on Earth, demonically possessed and all, hacking and slashing a path through all of his friends and loved ones. And, that's where the Son of Satan and Ghost Rider come into the picture. Trust us, folks, this run is packed with awesome, and if you haven't started it yet, we recommend jumping aboard. It's been great so far, and is everything you loved about Wolverine comics back when you were growing up but with a new school twist. We've currently got issues #1 and #2 in stock to get you caught up, so hop aboard and find out what we're raving about. Click here for a preview of WOLVERINE #3 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* BATMAN AND ROBIN #16 *RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TIE-IN* - Grant Morrison's epic finale to his RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE saga and his run on BATMAN AND ROBIN is here. The final showdown between BATMAN and the Black Glove is NOW! This is it, folks. Grant Morrison's epic character-defining run on Batman and Robin concludes here, and with it, so does many of the plotlines he's been building throughout Return of Bruce Wayne, and the rest of his Batman work. The final confrontation between Batman and the Black Glove, the fate of the Joker and Professor Pyg, the direction which Damian will take that could betray his father's legacy, and the return of Bruce Wayne... this issue is going to be a big one. And, this is only the beginning, folks, of what is going to be a major status quo for the Dark Knight. For two years, we've rallied about how Morrison's BATMAN AND ROBIN is one of the best monthly super-hero books out right now. And, while it's bittersweet to see his run ending, we do have high hopes for the team of Tomasi and Gleason who will be coming on with next month's #17. However, right now, we're going to just enjoy the final chapter of what's probably the best damn run of Batman comics that anyone has seen in decades, and keep our eyes open for the future that Morrison has planned after things finish up here. If you've missed out on any of the earlier issues of BATMAN AND ROBIN, we currently have full stock on all the back issues, so come on by, get caught up, and find out why this series is so highly regarded by all of us here at Third Eye. BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN vs. ROBIN Volume 2 Hardcover ships this Wednesday delivering the second chunk of Morrison awesomeness for those of you following the series in collected format And, speaking of BATMAN AND ROBIN, for those of you following the series in collected format, tomorrow marks the release of BATMAN AND ROBIN volume 2 in hardcover. If you're hooked, you already know that this one's on your shopping list for the week, but, for those of you not yet reading this series, pick up the first graphic novel, and find out why it's one of the best damn Batman books we've read. I can't stress enough how great this entire run has been. We've currently got a strong stock of volume 1 available to get you caught up. CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES #5 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - DISTURBING. SHOCKING. AWESOME. IT MUST BE CROSSED. Crossed continues to not disappoint in the realm of disturbing the living hell out of me month after month. I swear, David Lapham, you are truly, truly a sick individual. And, I think I can speak for all of the Third Eye faithful, when I say we love you for it! If you haven't yet been turned onto CROSSED yet, here's the skinny: the original series (available in trade paperback here at Third Eye) showed us an outbreak of a deadly disease that causes the infected to lose their moral compass and only seek to inflict acts of pure, and utter evil. But, unlike the roaming legions of undead in zombie survival horror, the Crossed still have their wits about them, meaning that they can plot, plan, and devise many unique and truly disturbing yet clever ways to inflict suffering. Now, in FAMILY VALUES, we're getting a look at the CROSSED outbreak in another corner of the country, and just like the original run of CROSSED, we're shown a cast of complex, flawed, and interesting human survivors who must look at their own darkness within while trying to survive the outbreak of CROSSED. You know, I could go on, and on, and on about CROSSED, but, let me just say this: it's the sickest, most visceral horror comic you'll ever read. No doubt. The only thing that came close recently was NEONOMICON. And, the other upside of CROSSED? Avatar always puts competent writers and artists on this book, and David Lapham has lived up to every bit of the well-crafted madness that Garth Ennis dished out before him. Not reading CROSSED? You can either jump on fresh with CROSSED: FAMILY VALUES #1, and catch up with 1-4 (we've got all in stock now at Third Eye), or you can pick up the first trade paperback, which collects the entire 10-issue first series into one volume. Either way, if you're a fan of the survival horror genre, or especially comics in the vein of NEONOMICON, THE WALKING DEAD, or heck, even the depravity sometimes gracing the pages of Ennis's superheroes gone bad book, THE BOYS, then you should try CROSSED. PUNISHER: IN THE BLOOD #1 - UNCANNY X-FORCE writer RICK REMENDER brings Frank Castle back, as well as THE JIGSAW BROTHERS I think it's pretty obvious that we've all been waiting for the return of Frank Castle to you know, being Frank Castle, and now, with this week's PUNISHER: IN THE BLOOD, it looks like we're going to get it. Now, while I personally enjoyed the hell out of Franken-Castle, and the whole resurrection of the Legion of Monsters that went down during that angle of the Punisher, I'm pretty stoked about the return of Frank Castle to being the Punisher. This 5 issue limited series shows us a newly returned Frank Castle, who, of course, is back for revenge, back in New York, and back to cleaning it's streets. He's patched up, healed and strong, and I guess we'll get more insight into that with this series. And, now his mission to cleanse the streets of New York of it's criminal element has resumed, in doing so, he's already beginning to notch up one of the highest body counts in Punisher history. And, of course, some familiar Punisher cast show up, and the Jigsaw Brothers. This one looks awesome from the previews, and the fact that Third Eye favorite Rick Remender is handling the writing chores makes it a can't miss for an awesome read. Click here for a preview of PUNISHER: IN THE BLOOD #1 BRIGHTEST DAY #13 - BRIGHTEST DAY is back in full effect, after three consecutively kick-ass issues with #10, #11, and #12. We cannot wait to see what's next in this week's #13 Is Batman the White Lantern? So, the last three issues of BRIGHTEST DAY have been some of the best of the run so far, and the book has really picked back up the momentum it had when it first debuted. We gotta say, folks, the pacing on this series has been perfect. Right when we were starting to feel like things were beginning to drag a little in issues #8 and #9, Geoff Johns and co. brought things back up to speed in a big way with the introduction of Deathstorm as a prominent villain in the run, and the reformation of the Black Lanterns. Continuing this Wednesday, BRIGHTEST DAY #13 brings more twists, turns, and ... could it be, Batman as the White Lantern? It's pretty obvious that Bruce is back, and well... this could be VERY interesting. Or, they could just be teasing us with a super cool cover? :) Either way, Brightest Day has me hooked again, and I can't wait to read this week's issue #13. For those of you not reading BRIGHTEST DAY, it's the perfect place to jump into the DCU. The series serves as a literal ground up rebuilding of the DC Universe, and Geoff Johns (writer of BLACKEST NIGHT) has taken to calling the series DCU: REBIRTH. The characters they're developing, the plotlines that're being put into motion, everything is very new reader friendly, and everything has been outstanding so far. If you wanna hop aboard, we've got issues #1-#12 available now to get you caught up. MARVEL COMICS & SKOTTIE YOUNG'S KILLER "OZ" SERIES CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH OZMA OF OZ #1 Marvel has relaly got something cool on their hands with the adaptations of Frank Baum's Oz stories they've been doing, and we think a lot of that is due in part to the fantastic artwork of Skottie Young. The dude is just plain talented, and his art is some of the most unique, and definitely most suitable for a surrealist all ages fantasy like Baum's Oz stories. It all began with WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (available in trade paperback now), continued last year in MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ (available in hardcover now), and now, the third installment, OZMA of OZ, debuts with issue #1 this Wednesday. Whether you're looking for a cool all ages book to turn your kids, or niece or nephew onto, or if you just like plain good artwork, and storytelling, give this one a look this week. Click here for a preview of OZMA OF OZ #1 BULLSEYE: PERFECT GAME #1 - WHAT DID THE WORLD'S GREATEST ASSASSIN DO DURING THE YEAR HE VANISHED? THIS VICIOUS MARVEL KNIGHTS 2-PARTER TELLS THE ULTIMATE BULLSEYE STORY Lets be honest: Bullseye is one of the coolest Marvel characters in the world. He's a homicidal badass who's power is being able to turn nearly anything into a weapon, and strike with deadly accuracy. Plus, he has one of the coolest costumes in comics. No doubt. So, when we heard that crime novelist Charlie Huston was going to be doing this kick-ass 2-parter that explored the "missing year" where the world's greatest assassin just disappeared without a trace. And, resurfaced, as an unknown, enigmatic newcomer to America's favorite past-time. See, even Bullseye needs to challenge himself, and in Perfect Game, we're going to find out why the man who could take off a batter's head with a curve ball is trying to pitch the perfect game... we're assuming this is about more than just baseball, and that it's going to be super freakin' violent. Click here for a preview of BULLSEYE: PERFECT GAME #1 DC COMICS PRESENTS CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH DC COMICS PRESENTS CHASE #1 (READ THIS!) and DC COMICS PRESENTS THE FLASH/GREEN LANTERN The DC Comics Presents one-shots have been a real treat so far. Classic, out of print DC stories reprinted in 100-page trade paperbacks for only $8? Who can complain about that, ya know? This week, marks the arrival of one I've been REALLY excited about, and that's DC COMICS PRESENTS CHASE. Chase was a short-lived, but fantastic series that was WAY ahead of it's time by BATWOMAN and PROMETHEA artist J.H Williams III. The series focused on Cameron Chase, an agent of the Department of Extranormal Affairs, and was kind of like a very cool metahuman X-Files set in the DCU with a very cool espionage/crime noir tilt to it. This first Chase one-shot reprints the first story arc where she's introduced, and folks, READ THIS. It was one of the best books of the late '90s, and if you haven't read it, you're doing yourself a serious disservice. Next up, is the two-part mini-series from 1997 that brought together two Flashes and two Green Lanterns, by Flash writer Mark Waid (also writer of IRREDEEMABLE) and the Green Lantern writer that defined Kyle Rayner, Ron Marz. This one was a kick-ass little crossover, and it's cool to see it in print here. SILENT HILL: PAST LIFE #1 - SILENT HILL MEETS THE WEIRD WEST IN THIS NEW SERIES FEATURING CHARACTERS FROM THE NEW GAME I'll be the first to admit that I'm often weary of titles that spin out of video games. Sometimes you get something rad like GEARS OF WAR, and sometimes, sometimes you get Kane and Lynch. But, I've always thought the SILENT HILL mythos lent themselves very nicely to comics, and I'm excited about this new one hitting this week. SILENT HILL PAST LIFE is the story of Jebediah "Hellride" Foster, a violent outlaw in the Dakota Territory circa 1867. He ends up falling for a beautiful widow, and following her to the family home in Silent Hill, but... well, that life of peace he's been wanting isn't exactly what's waiting. Of course, this one's going to be creepy, atmospheric, and all that, but we're also told it features some new characters from the upcoming video game. Hey, as long as there's some pyramid-headed dudes showing up, I'll be happy. SCARLET #3 *THIRD EYE MUST BUY* - BENDIS & MALEEV'S PERFECT ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN CRIME NOIR SERIES CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY! A PERFECT MIX OF "DMZ" & "CRIMINAL" Bendis and Maleev have done some of my favorite comics. Their Daredevil run made me a Daredevil fan. Their short-lived Spider-woman run was probably the best thing that could've ever been done with that character. And, now, with their creator-owned series, SCARLET, they're really delivering what I think is some of their best work. A perfect blend of crime noir and politically-charged thriller storytelling, Scarlet reads like a fourth-wall breaking mix of Brian Wood's DMZ and Ed Brubaker's CRIMINAL. It's one woman against the world, and her struggle to not succumb to the corrupt forces surrounding her, and it's freaking awesome. Maleev captures the mood and tone perfectly, and Bendis proves that the darker, more street-level stuff is definitely his element. If you've missed issues #1 and #2, we've got both in stock, give 'em a shot and find out why this series is a MUST-READ. THIRD EYE STAFF PICKS Steve - INCOGNITO BAD INFLUENCES #1 - Brubaker and Phillips still have it. One of my favorite books last year, and it looks like it'll be one of my favorites this year. Trish - HELLBOY/BEASTS OF BURDEN ONE-SHOT - I like Hellboy, but any time you bring out the Beasts of Burden, I'm all over it. Too awesome. TORMA - AVENGERS #6 - It's like everything that's awesome about Marvel comics packed into one issue. Pure action packed awesomeness with all the stuff I love to geek out over.