Tuesday, April 24, 2012

This Week's Highlights at Third Eye Comics for Wednesday 4/25/12


AVENGERS VS X-MEN: VERSUS #1 DROPS THIS WEDNESDAY, DELIVERING A PURE, NON-STOP FIGHT BOOK
MAGNETO VS. IRON MAN!
NAMOR VS. THING!
AND MORE!
I’m personally very excited about this AVENGERS VS X-MEN tie-in, and would go as far as to call this one of the most crucial tie-ins of the entire line.
I mean, it’s literally an entire limited series (6 issues total) of JUST FIGHTS! Ridiculous, over-the-top, in-your-face FIGHTS.
Every single throw down that doesn’t get fully fleshed out in the pages of AvX’s main series? This book delivers all the gory details, showing you just how Iron Man holds his own against Magneto, and Cyclops stands up to Captain America.
Featuring top tier talent, with WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN / X-MEN SCHISM  writer JASON AARON and ADAM KUBERT taking care of the art chores, this book is a CAN’T MISS win, and we’re loving every second of it.
Every fight, every second, all taken care of within these pages, and illustrated by some of the best artists in the biz.
Versus #1 begins with two huge fights: MAGNETO vs. IRON MAN and THE THING vs. NAMOR… and folks, we know it seems like MAGNETO vs. IRON MAN is an obvious no contest, but trust us: this one is worth reading to see just how it plays out.
If you’ve ever said to yourself: “Man, I wish that fight went on longer”, then AVX: VS is your book, Third Eye Faithful.
We were lucky enough to sit down with issue #1, and folks: it’s incredibly good stuff.
Each issue takes place in between issues of AVX, so this one is set between the pages of Avengers vs X-Men #2 & Avengers vs X-Men #3, beginning during AvX #2, and leading into #3.
While we’ve been totally impressed with all the AvX stuff thus far, and have totally been digging most of the tie-ins, VERSUS is definitely are favorite of the tie-ins so far.
If you only read one of the AvX tie-ins, make sure that this is the one.
Wanna get caught up on the main AvX series? We’ve got issues #0, #1, and #2 in stock now.
Click here for our official Third Eye AvX Checklist.
Click here for a preview of AVX: VERSUS #1
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
STAR WARS: BOBA FETT IS DEAD #1 – WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE GALAXY’S MOST LEGENDARY BOUNTY HUNTER DIES?
Who didn’t grow up idolizing BOBA FETT?  I mean, he is the epitome of “cult favorite”, and for my generation of Star Wars fans, this was the character we all gravitated to. A mysterious bounty hunter, who had very few lines in the actual films, but a rich back-story in the expanded universe stories…. Boba Fett is pretty much the definition of BAD-ASS.
A literal intergalactic Man with No Name, the appeal of Boba Fett is known far and wide, and when we saw that Dark Horse was going to be starting up a new STAR WARS series, putting this icon to rest (we all know he didn’t REALLY die in the Sarlacc pit, right?), well, it caught our eye.
And, I’m pretty glad it did, ’cause after reading issue #1 of this killer new read, it’s my favorite new STAR WARS comic to drop since the debut of DAWN OF THE JEDI earlier this year.
I don’t want to ruin too much of the story, by spoilering, but let me just say this: if you’re a fan of either Trilogy-era STAR WARS continuity, or Boba Fett as a character, then you will be totally into this one.
A solid story, a great mystery, and a killer artist make this a top notch new STAR WARS read, and has one of our highest recommendations.
Plus: it’s a comic all about BOBA FETT, how can you go wrong? :)
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AQUAMAN #8 – One of the DC NEW 52′s best reads arrives this Wednesday, as AQUAMAN squares off against THE OTHERS.
Aquaman has been one of the best of the DC NEW 52, and each issue has continued to leave us impressed as all get out. The current arc, which shows us a mysterious gathering known only as THE OTHERS, has us hooked big-time, and this week, in issue #8, we get to see AQUAMAN square off against these enigmatic characters.
The writing and art on AQUAMAN really come together in a perfect way, with GEOFF JOHNS (BLACKEST NIGHT, BRIGHTEST DAY, JUSTICE LEAGUE) handling the writing chores, and IVAN REIS (BLACKEST NIGHT, BRIGHTEST DAY) bringing everything to life with his stellar artwork. It definitely recaptures the same kind of freshness, and comic book magic of Johns’s other character-defining works like GREEN LANTERN.
The subtle blend of sharp wit, and humor with loads of action-packed storytelling really make the book unique, and we love how through the use of slightly self-aware humor and irony, Johns is able to not only address the fact that most of the world views AQUAMAN as kind of a loser, but, also, disproves them at the same time.
All in all, this series is still kicking ass, eight issues in, and we can’t recommend it enough.
Wanna get on board? We’ve got issues 1-7 in stock now to catch you up to this week’s #8.
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CHEW VOL.5 MAJOR LEAGUE CHEW DELIVERS THE 5TH CHEW TRADE PAPERBACK THIS WEDNESDAY. ONE OF IMAGE’S BEST SERIES (RANKING RIGHT UP THERE WITH WALKING DEAD) CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
CHEW continues to rock us each and every month, and we know that just like WALKING DEAD, there’s legions of you who are eagerly awaiting the newest volume of CHEW to arrive in trade paperback.
Well, Third Eye Faithful: wait no more! CHEW VOLUME 5 drops this Wednesday, and we’re just as stoked as you guys are to sit down with this slab of comic book awesomeness.
Each and every volume of CHEW pulls us deeper, and deeper into this fascinating saga of weird science, murder mysteries, and government conspiracies, all starring a special agent that finds himself having to eat dead bodies and other horrible things to solve crimes.
What is CHEW about? Okay, so picture this: in the near future, Avian Bird Flu has made all poultry illegal. Now, a highly coveted foodstuff, an environment surrounds chicken and turkey, much like that of Prohibition. The FDA has become the world’s most powerful law enforcement agency, and the US Department of Agriculture has special ops teams in their employ.
And, at the center of all this is Tony Chu. Tony Chu is a cibopath. He gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Whether it’s a hamburger, and he sees visions of cows on their way out at the slaughterhouse, or an apple, which he sees being treated with pesticides, it tends to make his life difficult.
But, Tony’s skill set is pretty vital in this scary new world of alien abductions, and smuggled turkey, and he’s brought into the FDA as an agent who must eat strange and terrible things to solve crimes.
The series is amazing, and folks: we cannot recommend it enough.
Wanna get started? We’ve got CHEW Volume 1 in stock and available now, for just $9.99, to get you started. Try it out this week at Third Eye!
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AVENGERS VS X-MEN: UNCANNY X-MEN #11 - COLOSSUS THE UNSTOPPABLE JUGGERNAUT VERSUS THE RED HULK – We’ve been waiting for this one!
UNCANNY X-MEN  has had us hooked already with a very solid run from Kieron Gillen and Greg Land, but this week’s UNCANNY X-MEN #11 is a very special tie-in issue to AvX, and folks: it’s awesome.
So far, all of the AvX tie-ins have been smoking, and we’ve been digging on each and every one, so we’re pretty happy to say that this week’s assortment of tie-ins keeps the magic up.
This issue features the epic clash of RED HULK and COLOSSUS… rocking the full on JUGGERNAUT rage, baby! And, it’s one hell of a throw down, from start to finish.
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday at Third Eye, and if you’ve missed any of the other AvX tie-ins, no worries, we’ve got everything that’s come out for the event in stock and available now.
Click here for the Third Eye AvX Checklist
Click here for a preview of UNCANNY X-MEN #11 
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
REBEL BLOOD #2 – A VERY “RESIDENT EVIL” KIND OF ZOMBIE COMIC FROM IMAGE THAT’S GOT US HOOKED! RILEY ROSSMO’S ART IS INCREEEEDIIBLE!
Image has been on a real roll this year, and REBEL BLOOD is no exception to that, with it’s fascinating new spin on the zombie genre. And, folks, trust me, it’s not easy to come out with all guns blazing on a new survival horror comic when you’ve got heavyweights like WALKING DEAD and CROSSED rocking the racks.
But, REBEL BLOOD brings a very interesting, very unique spin to the horror comics genre, and Riley Rossmo’s eerie, stylized art helps really make it stand out.
In REBEL BLOOD, a virus has infected most of the world, and nearly every living, breathing thing has become some sort of shambling monstrosity that you wouldn’t be surprised to see in RESIDENT EVIL. The creepiest aspect here is the new spin on zombies, as zombie animals of all sorts swarm the town, in addition to your typical zombie people.
Rossmo’s art brings the nightmarish world of REBEL BLOOD to life in a big way, and really does a great job of immersing the reader in the story.
Wanna jump on board? We’ve got REBEL BLOOD #1 in stock now to get you caught up to this week’s #2.
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
NEIL GAIMAN (Writer of SANDMAN, AMERICAN GODS) and DAVE MCKEAN’s (artist of SANDMAN) classic BLACK ORCHID now back in print in a killer new hardcover edition this Wednesday
Snag this Vertigo classic this week at Third Eye!
BLACK ORCHID is one of those VERTIGO hidden gems that we are so happy to see coming back into print. This DC COMICS project from Gaiman predates his work on THE SANDMAN, and was really the first exposure that comic fans had to this modern master’s works.
In BLACK ORCHID, Gaiman writes a dark tale that reinvents a very strange old school DC Comics super-hero in the Vertigo mold. Featuring the surreal collage-esque art of Dave McKean, BLACK ORCHID is finally available again in a gorgeous hardcover edition.
What’s it about? After being viciously murdered, Susand Linden is reborn as the Black Orchid, a hybrid of plant and human, destined to avenge her own death. Now, as this demigoddess attempts to reconcile human memory and botanical origins, she must untangle the webs of deception and secrets that led to her death. Beginning int he cold streets of a heartless metropolis, and ending in the Amazon rainforest, this story takes us through a journey of secrets, suffering, and self-rediscovery.
Folks, if you’re a fan of THE SANDMAN, or Gaiman’s other work, then we can promise you: you will love BLACK ORCHID. This book captures the essence and feel of THE SANDMAN era of VERTIGO, and delivers some of Gaiman’s work in it’s most rawest, high-energy awesomeness.
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday at Third Eye!
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MERCILESS: THE RISE OF MING #1 – SPINNING OUT OF DYNAMITE’S NEW FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST SERIES, COMES THE ORIGINS OF MING THE MERCILESS
Dynamite’s done a fantastic job with their revival of many classic pulp heroes in the last year or so, and the FLASH GORDON ZEITGEIST series is looking to be one of the best comic book incarnations of the classic pulp space hero that we’ve seen in a long time.
So, it only makes sense they’d expand on this a bit, with a limited series exploring the origins of one of pop culture’s coolest bad guys: Ming the Merciless.
In this epic prequel to FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST, Prince Ming begins his rise to dominion over the entirety of Mongo. But who (or what) was Ming before he was The Merciless? This is where we find out the origins of one of Science Fiction’s raddest bad guys.
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AVENGERS VS. X-MEN: SECRET AVENGERS #26 - THOR LEADS MARVEL’S COVERT OPS HIT TEAM INTO SPACE TO BATTLE THE PHOENIX IN THIS KILLER AVX TIE-IN WRITTEN BY “DARK ANGEL SAGA” writer RICK REMENDER
SECRET AVENGERS has been quickly climbing it’s way to the top of our read pile each time it comes out, ever since Rick Remender came on board as the series writer, and when we saw they were tying one of our favorite ongoing Marvel books into the awesomeness that is AvX, we got pretty pumped.
With the PHOENIX FORCE hitting Earth in full effect, and enveloping the galaxy, one of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful heroes, THE MIGHTY THOR, rallies the covert ops strike team of the Avengers: THE SECRET AVENGERS, to fend off the Phoenix.
Remender is ON POINT here, folks, turning this tie-in into pure comic gold, as he’s able to play to his strengths, and really delve into the history and lore of the Phoenix, as well as giving us what we really want to see: Asgardian craziness versus a literal force of cosmic nature.
As with the rest, this is another rock solid, and totally awesome tie-in to the AVENGERS VS X-MEN event, and we highly recommend picking up a copy this week, and checking it out.
Wanna get caught up on the other AvX tie-ins? We’ve got everything that’s been released so far in stock, and available now.
Click here for our Third Eye AVENGERS VS X-MEN CHECKLIST
Click here for a preview of SECRET AVENGERS #26
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
  POPEYE RETURNS TO COMICS WITH IDW’S POPEYE #1 THIS WEDNESDAY, AND IT’S A BLAST
Who doesn’t love POPEYE? I’m serious, whether it’s the old school classic newspaper comic strips, or the cartoons, POPEYE and his supporting cast are one of those icons of sequential art that have really stood the test of time.
The cover of IDW’s new POPEYE limited series caught us, with it’s very E.C. Segar look to it, and the classic tone and colors used on it, but when we actually got a chance to take a peek at this one, we were even more impressed.
The writer behind the highly underrated MUPPET SHOW books from BOOM! (before they lost the license, rats!), ROGER LANGRIDGE, delivers a great take on the one and only Popeye, that’s a total throwback to the classic comic strips, with a sense of humor that’s timeless yet contemporary.
A totally fun book, we give it high recommendation to any of you out there who dig the original POPEYE stuff, or stuff along the lines of CARL BARKS’s work.
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TEEN TITANS #8 *THE CULLING PRELUDE* – THE CULLING BEGINS, TYING TEEN TITANS, SUPERBOY, AND LEGION LOST TOGETHER, AND LEADING INTO THE NEW 52 2012 TITLE: THE RAVAGERS
Folks, I know I’ve been singing TEEN TITAN’S praises for quite some time, but, this book has been a freakin’ blast to read since the get-go. and now, with THE CULLING kicking into full gear, it’s a total must-read.
Tying into SUPERBOY and LEGION LOST, The CULLING is a DC NEW 52 story arc that is going to lead into one of the 2012 NEW 52 titles that’s launching in May, THE RAVAGERS.
THE RAVAGERS is looking to be a really intriguing team, and we’re loving the concept of how Wildstorm characters like Caitlin Fairchild and Grunge from GEN 13 are being merged further into the DC continuity with this title.
The Culling itself is a culmination of a plot that’s been running through SUPERBOY and TEEN TITANS since their debut issues, involving an organization named N.O.W.H.E.R.E and its leader, HARVEST, who has been capturing super powered teens, including those from LEGION LOST.
Many of the relaunched, and redefined characters that are being introduced during the Culling are emerging from NOWHERE’s “Colony”, which is the nickname for their prison of teenage metahumans.
Some of the team members we’re going to be seeing on THE RAVAGERS, well, are pretty darn interesting.. Warblade (of WILDSTORM past), TERRA, Beast Boy, and of course, Rose Wilson, Deathstroke’s daughter.
Wanna get caught up on THE CULLING? Not only do we have all prelude issues of the CULLING in stock and available now, but we also have SUPERBOY #1-8, TEEN TITANS #1-8, and LEGION LOST #1-8 in stock to catch you up to their most current issues.
These titles are a must for anyone who was a major Wildstorm comics fan in the ’90s.
Click here for our Third Eye DC NEW 52: THE CULLING Checklist
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
CROSSED: BADLANDS #4 – THE FINAL WORD IN SURVIVAL HORROR CONTINUES IN IT’S ONGOING SERIES THIS WEDNESDAY
IF YOU’RE A HORROR COMICS FAN, DO NOT SLEEP ON CROSSED!
Caught up on WALKING DEAD? Try CROSSED!
CROSSED continues to impress, and the new ongoing CROSSED: BADLANDS series is the perfect channel to deliver this epic, world-spanning survival horror story that is the only thing we’ve seen come close to the awesomeness that is WALKING DEAD.
Just like WALKING DEAD has a knack for building strong characters, believable plots, and getting you invested in the world around the story, so does CROSSED. The only difference between the two, is CROSSED takes it to further extremes…. and will leave you in a state of shock and awe, when it’s finished with you. Not that WALKING DEAD doesn’t do that, but.. well, you’ll see what I mean. :)
What’s the story behind CROSSED? A disease has broken out throughout the world that causes this infected to sport a maniacal permanent grin, and a rash on their face that resembles a cross. Once infected, they have only one drive: to commit acts of pure evil. They’re not zombies, they’re not undead, they’re normal every day people who are stripped of all self-control, and brought down to their most evil, and sadistic instincts. The most frightening part about CROSSED? They retain all of their ability to think, plot, and plan, like a person, and any skills they once held.. they still have. That means that everything’s on the table: CROSSED flying planes, CROSSED using guns… the whole nine yards. Terrifying stuff. And totally awesome.
Wanna get started with CROSSED? You can either kick off at the very beginning with the first CROSSED trade paperback, and catch up from there, or you can start fresh with the new  CROSSED: BADLANDS ongoing series.
We’ve got issues 1-3 of BADLANDS in stock now to catch you up to this Wednesday’s #4.
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THE OMEGA EFFECT CONCLUDES THIS WEDNESDAY IN DAREDEVIL #11 *OMEGA EFFECT CHAPTER 3* - FINISHING OFF THIS EPIC NYC CROSSOVER OF DAREDEVIL, AVENGING SPIDER-MAN, AND THE PUNISHER
We’ve been loving the OMEGA EFFECT, which has really channeled the energy, and excitement of those great late ’80s to mid-’90s style Marvel crossovers where some of the NYC-based Marvel heroes would come together for a quick, rapid-fire kinda crossover.
THE OMEGA EFFECT, which began in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6, continued into THE PUNISHER #10, will be concluding this Wednesday in DAREDEVIL #11, and folks, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from OMEGA EFFECT, it’s that CHECCHETTO is ONE HELL OF AN AWESOME artist. His work on Punisher has been great, but he’s really stepped it up for this book, and we’re totally stoked to see what he and Rucka will be bringing next on THE PUNISHER.
Wanna get caught up on the OMEGA EFFECT? We’ve got chapter 1 (AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6) and chapter 2 (THE PUNISHER #11) in stock now to catch you up to this Wednesday’s DAREDEVIL #11.
Click here for a preview of DAREDEVIL #11
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
BLOODSTRIKE #27 *CHAPTER 2* – PART OF THE SAME EXTREME STUDIOS REVIVAL AS “PROPHET” & “GLORY”, BLOODSTRIKE TOTALLY DELIVERS ZOMBIE ASSASSIN ASS-KICKERY
Big, bold, and in your face, BLOODSTRIKE is a total blast, as it continues the same kind of EXTREME Studios revival magic as PROPHET and GLORY.
We love how each of these cutting-edge new takes on comic heroes and anti-heroes have a very unique energy to each title, and each one brings something fresh to the table. If you wanted to see modern day Image comics at their best channeling the no holds barred energy and excitement of ’90s-era Image, the EXTREME revival books are where it’s at.
BLOODSTRIKE was a huge surprise, especially for myself. I thought that GLORY and PROPHET would be the best of the line, and while they are still my two biggest favorites, I did not know what to expect from BLOODSTRIKE. All I can say is that Tim Seeley’s killer take on the undead merc blew me away, and I love where this one is heading.
From the creator of HACK/SLASH, BLOODSTRIKE tells the tale of Cabbot, the only member of the undead Bloodstrike team, who is having some issues with his afterlife, and his superiors aren’t too keen on that. See, Cabbot may be unstoppable, and unkillable, but he still feels every cut, every shot, and every other horrible injury inflicted upon him. After being ripped to shreds, and patched back together for the 100th time… you start to get a bit impatient with the whole process.
The new series is loaded with a high body count, and loads of ultra-violence, as we’re shown the almost comedic, kind of ROBOCOP-esque adventures of BLOODSTRIKE.
And, I think that’s why I dug BLOODSTRIKE, it reminds me of the first ROBOCOP movie, with all of it’s satire, it’s ultra-violent action, and it’s blend of subtle humor, and action-driven plot.
A total blast, we recommend snagging chapter 1 (BLOODSTRIKE #26), and jumping on board.
Also, like all the other EXTREME revival books, the numbering on this one is weird… do not worry about the first 25 issues, they do not have anything to do with this new series.
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  SUPERCROOKS #2 – MARK MILLAR’S HIT NEW SERIES ABOUT A GANG OF SUPER-VILLAINS VENTURING TO SPAIN FOR THE HEIST OF A LIFETIME CONTINUES
FROM THE CREATOR OF “KICK-ASS”, “OLD MAN LOGAN”, “SUPERIOR” & “NEMESIS”
I’m pretty much convinced that Mark Millar has a Midas touch when it comes to good comics. The man seriously puts out hit after hit after hit, and each one is just as entertaining as the last.
Alongside THE SECRET SERVICE, SUPERCROOKS is Millar’s newest creator-owned title, and folks: it kicks ass. With Leinil Yu delivering some amazing artwork, and Millar bringing his unique blend of ultra-violent action, and sharp-witted humor, it’s a fantastic read, and we can see why it’s being optioned for a movie.
What’s the scoop on SUPERCROOKS? The United States is overrun with superheroes. If you’re a super-villain, forget about committing crime, ’cause there’s always a caped do-gooder in the waiting ready to bust you.
So, what’d they do? They pack their bags, and move to Spain, with one goal: to pull that one last heist, without any superheroes to bust them, and to retire from the life of crime they live.
Like Millar’s other works, this is a fantastic read, that doesn’t hold back.
Wanna get on board? We’ve got issue #1 in stock now to catch you up to this week’s #2.
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box
STAFF PICKS  
STEVE: BATMAN #8 - BATMAN = The best DC book on the stands. There, I said it. Seriously. Night of the Owls is going to be amazing!
TRISH:  - WALKING DEAD #96 - ONLY 4 more issues until #100… this is getting crazy!
TORMA:  AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2 - Tough call with how good BATMAN was, but I’m a Marvel guy at heart and AvX #2 was BAD-ASS.

SHAUN: RAGEMOOR #2   -  There is a subtle, minimal eeriness to this comic that really creeps into your bones when you are reading it under the covers with a flashlight at one in the morn–wait, you aren’t doing that too? WHY NOT?
RYAN: BATMAN #8  - Night of the Owls is finally beginning. The biggest DC story we have seen in the new 52. Simply Awesome.

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