Monday, August 27, 2012

This Week's Highlights at Third Eye Comics for Wednesday 8/29/12


GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 KICKS OFF THE BIGGEST GREEN LANTERN & DCU STORY ARC SINCE BLACKEST NIGHT THIS WEDNESDAY AND ALSO FEATURES THE DEBUT OF THE NEW GREEN LANTERN OF EARTH AS "THE RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY" BEGINS!
We have been huge fans of GREEN LANTERN since GEOFF JOHNS first began his killer run of the series, and the highlights have definitely been many. Whether it was the ground-breaking SINESTRO CORPS WAR story arc, or the blockbuster event that was BLACKEST NIGHT, Geoff Johns has managed to build an entire mythology around the Lanterns in the DCU, and he's showing no signs of stopping the awesome anytime soon.
In fact, things are about to get even crazier, as the biggest story arc since BLACKEST NIGHT and SINESTRO CORPS begins this Wednesday in GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1, and folks: you will not want to miss this issue, TRUST US.
First off, this is a perfect jumping on point for anyone not already following GREEN LANTERN, as it serves as the perfect entry point to one of the best DC NEW 52s on the stands with this huge storyline that's kicking off.
Secondly, it's a landmark issue, for many reasons. The prologue to the RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY is a key issue that will be every bit as big as that original Prologue to BLACKEST NIGHT back in the day. And, there's the fact that the new GREEN LANTERN of Earth, the first one since Kyle Rayner in the '90s (or Sinestro, I guess, but he'd already been a GL elsewhere, so he doesn't count, right?) debuts in this annual.
Finally: it's Geoff Johns reuniting with the man who helped him launch the GL stuff in the first place: Ethan Van Sciver. How big of a deal is that? I mean, that's HUGE.
So, you're probably wondering: what is THE RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY?
Well, here's the scoop: ever since the Sinestro Corps War, the Guardians have been growing more and more powerful... and paranoid. And, absolute power corrupts absolutely, right? So, what's happening now is the Guardians have grown weary of the Lantern Corps as their own army.. and are replacing them now, with a Third Army.
Not Manhunters, not Green Lanterns, but something new, something deadly, and something that may tear the entire DCU apart.
The real kicker? The Lantern Corps are on the hit list now, and the Third Army has it's orders to terminate every single last one of them. Whether it's Hal Jordan, Sinestro, or Atrocitus.. they're all on the list.
Folks, does this not sound badass? Seriously! I am so stoked. This is shaping up to be some of the best DC stuff this year.
Don't forget that this issue also marks the debut of the mysterious new GREEN LANTERN of Earth, Baz, who we've seen promo images of, but know very little about. It's going to be pretty kick-ass to find out just what his story is as well.
Make sure to jump on board with this Wednesday's GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1, and next week, we'll have our official Third Eye RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY Checklist posted up for you to keep up with the event.
Click here for a preview of GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1
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GAMBIT #2 -- THE SECOND ISSUE OF THE KICK-ASS NEW GAMBIT SERIES DROPS THIS WEDNESDAY!
The first issue of the brand new GAMBIT ongoing series blew us away, as it did a fantastic job of doing what many attempts at a Gambit series couldn't: a straight-forward, kick-ass look at Gambit doing what he does best -- stealing. No angst. No broken hearts. Just Gambit showing why he's known as one of the Marvel Universe's best thieves.
Stellar artwork, and a fast-paced plot have us hooked on this one, and we cannot wait to see what's in store with this Wednesday's issue #2.
Wanna get on board? We've got issue 1 in stock now to catch you up to this week's #2.
Click here for a preview of GAMBIT #2
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DEBRIS #2 -- IMAGE COMICS'S RED HOT NEW POST-APOCALYPTIC STEAMPUNKY EPIC CONTINUES!
One of our favorite new IMAGE releases this Summer was last month's DEBRIS, which totally blew us away with it's stellar artwork courtesy of RILEY ROSSMO, and an action-packed story from PETER PANZERFAUST writer KURTIS J. WIEBE.

DEBRIS reminds me of every crazy late '90s Sega game I can remember. Panzer Dragoon, and all that kinda jazz. Over-the-top monsters made out of forgotten technology and machine refuse. Kick-ass heroines with giant rifleswords. I mean, what's not to love?

Set in a post-apocalyptic future where the Earth is covered under layers upon layers of garbage and debris, ancient spirits known as Colossals take physical form in the shape of steampunk-esque dragons and other monstrosities cobbled out of the broken down junk.

And, it's up to one huntress to take them out, and keep the very last of humanity safe as it struggles to find salvation.

This book rules! Get it! Need issue #1? We've got copies in stock now to get you caught up!

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BONGO DELIVERS MORE SIMPSONS AWESOMENESS WITH THIS KILLER ONE-SHOT OF LIL HOMER!
Bongo has been doing an awesome job with the Simpsons Comics for so long now that it's easy to take 'em for granted, but every now and again, we have to show our love of the Simpsons, and Bongo's goodness, and highlight one of their new releases... and folks, this week's LIL HOMER is a perfect example of why we love BONGO.
In the vein of their Ralph Wiggum and Milhouse one-shots, this is a stand alone comic giving you non-stop Homer Simpson as an obnoxious, and very stupid kid.
How can you not love it? :)
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JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 -- ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOMENTS IN THE NEW 52 GOES DOWN IN THIS WEDNESDAY'S JL #12
JUSTICE LEAGUE, has remained consistent, as one of our favorites of the DC NEW 52, and it's earned it's top spot as one of the best books we read each and every month. There's no doubt about that at all.
As the flagship title of the NEW 52, and the title that's responsible for much of the "world-building" of the NEW 52 Universe, JUSTICE LEAGUE is the foundation for pretty much everything else. In other words: read this book, seriously. :)
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee? You couldn't ask for a better creative team, as these two superstars deliver a monthly dose of the formative years of not just the JUSTICE LEAGUE but the NEW 52 as a whole.
And, in this week's issue, as many of you may have already seen from all the widespread media coverage it's been receiving, JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 features the monumental beginnings of Superman and Wonder Woman's relationship.
This is something that's been hinted at in pre-NEW 52 stories, but never touched upon, but in this week's JUSTICE LEAGUE, the NEW 52 makes it official.
Also, we hear AQUAMAN kicks EVERYONE'S asses in this one. :)
Wanna get caught up? We've got issues 1-11 in stock now to get you up to speed to this week's #12.
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AVX: VERSUS #5 DELIVERS TWO MORE EPIC BATTLES IN THE ULTIMATE FIGHT BOOK OF THE AVENGERS VS. X-MEN WAR! 
ARCH ANGEL VS. HAWKEYE? STORM VS. BLACK PANTHER?
GAME ON!
AVX: VERSUS has been one of the best tie-in books to an event that we've seen in quite some time. Each issue takes place in between the issues of AvX, and delivers a relevant, and connective story that, well, it's basically THE FIGHTS!
An entire series dedicated to the knockdown, drag-out throwdowns of Avengers vs. X-Men? In detail? With clear cut winners and losers? By superstar Marvel creators?
This is why we love AvX VERSUS.
It's almost like you took MARVEL VS. CAPCOM and translated it into a kick-ass comic book.
This week, we get two whoppers of match-ups: STORM VS. BLACK PANTHER, and HAWKEYE VS. ARCH-ANGEL. Both of these look fantastic, and with Matt Fraction (INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, HAWKEYE) and LEINIL YU (SUPERCROOKS, SUPERIOR) handling the creative reigns... you know it's gonna be good!
Wanna catch up on AVX VERSUS? We've got issues 1-4 in stock now to catch you up to this week's #5.
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AMULET VOL.5 PRINCE OF THE ELVES DELIVERS THE NEXT STUNNING INSTALLMENT OF THE BEST ALL AGES MODERN FANTASY SERIES SINCE JEFF SMITH'S BONE!
The Amulet has really turned out to be one of THE best all ages comics to take to the stands in quite a long time, Third Eye Faithful. I swear, we've turned tons of people onto this, both kids and adults, and everyone comes back for more. It has that kind of Princess Mononoke / Totoro-like or Pixar-like quality that appeals to both kids and adults, with a strong, well-crafted story, and stunning artwork.
The series features a young girl named Emily and her younger brother named Navin, who after moving to their 'dead' great grandfather's house, they find a small door in the basement of the house that leads to an alternate version of Earth. Emily and Navin find themselves adventuring into the new world, when a strange tentacled creature captures their mother.
From there, we're taken on the kind of epic fantasy journey that you see in stories like LORD OF THE RINGS, and Jeff Smith's BONE.
All gorgeously illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi.
I'm telling ya, folks, this series is INCREDIBLE, and with a movie adaptation in the works.. it's going to explode. Whether you, yourself, are into great all ages tales like STUFF OF LEGEND, FINDING GOSSAMYR, or BONE, or if you've got some kids in your life who you're looking to find the perfect comic for, give THE AMULET a shot.
As for the rest of you who're already hooked on the series, we know where you'll be this week. :) See ya soon!
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SCAM #1 -- THE FAST-RISING INDIE STAR GETS MAJOR DISTRIBUTION THIS WEDNESDAY, AND KICKS OFF A SERIES THAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS "OCEANS 11" meets "X-MEN"
SCAM was one of the breakout hits of 2011 with the ingenius self-distribution by Joe Mulvey and Tyler James at COMIXTRIBE. This little indie hit quickly took the comics market by storm, and now, we are totally pumped to see the book getting a worldwide shot at distribution with it's official Diamond release.
Picture OCEANS 11 meets X-MEN, as a team of con men and women, grifters of all kinds, find themselves gifted with superpowers... and the biggest con of their lives: taking down a Vegas casino and getting revenge on the former member of their crew who double-crossed them.
A stunning, and visceral take on the superhero genre, SCAM is a fantastic read, which blends traditional superhero storytelling with hardboiled crime noir, and tells one ass-kicker of a story in the process.
Make sure you snag your copy of SCAM #1 this week, and join us on Friday evening September 7th for our special BALTIMORE COMIC-CON Pre-Show signing with the entire ComixTribe crew, including SCAM creator JOE MULVEY!
You can get more information on that event, by clicking here.
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THE FLASH ANNUAL #1 -- The NEW 52 Rogues team up against THE FLASH -- a perfect jumping on point for the next big arc of this killer run!
The FLASH has been one of those DC NEW 52 titles that just quietly gets better, and better, and then all of the sudden: everyone is talking about how awesome The Flash is.
Seriously though, Francis Manapul's artwork has continued to make this book a superstar, and the stories that've been being put together within, have been fantastic.
Now, in this week's FLASH ANNUAL #1, you're being given the perfect opportunity to jump on board one of the DC NEW 52's best kept secrets, as the next arc kicks off, and the big showdown goes down.
That's right, Third Eye Faithful, this week is: FLASH VS. THE ROGUES of the NEW 52. This annual reveals their motivations, how they got their powers, and at what cost.
I love the spin on the Rogues going from being classic gun-toting low-rent bad guys to super-charged metahumans, and cannot wait to get the full scoop on these.
Jump on board with this Wednesday's FLASH ANNUAL #1.
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CAPTAIN MARVEL #3 -- The new CAPTAIN MARVEL ongoing continues to be one of the best takes on Carol Danvers yet!
CAPTAIN MARVEL has been quickly turning into one of our favorite of the new MARVEL line-up, and as a little early bird of the MARVEL NOW launch, we gotta give it credit: this book is GREAT.
The most kick-ass take on Carol Danvers that we've seen in quite some time, the new CAPTAIN MARVEL series is a fantastic example of what happens when you pair up a super-talented writer like Kelly Sue DeConnick with an equally awesome artist like Dexter Soy.
The end result? A kick-ass, action-packed superhero romp that captures the same kind of raw energy and unique innovation that books like Waid's DAREDEVIL and the recent HAWKEYE launch do.
In this week's issue #3, Captain Marvel is finding out just who the Prowlers are, and now she needs to know where she's seen them before.... and in the meantime, she's going to be serving up some serious beatings to whoever's behind them.
Wanna get on board? We've got issues 1 & 2 in stock now to catch you up to this week's #3.
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PETER PANZERFAUST VOL.1 THE GREAT ESCAPE TRADE PAPERBACK ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY DELIVERING THE FIRST ARC OF THIS KILLER NEW IMAGE SERIES! IMAGINE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS MEETS FABLES!
We are freakin' huge fans of this stellar new IMAGE COMICS series from KURTIS J. WIEBE (Writer of DEBRIS) and TYLER JENKINS, and cannot recommend it enough.
Picture this: it's the height of World War II, and the story of Peter Pan is remained, as Peter leads a band of orphans in france in their desperate attempt to escape the city of Calais as the Nazi armies advance deeper into the country.
With impossible odds against them, the Lost Boys survive a series of dangerous adventures on their road to Paris, and to freedom.
One of the coolest riffs we've seen in a while, this is a great pairing of gritty war story madness and modern fantasy. If you took INGLORIOUS BASTARDS and FABLES, and mixed the two together, you'd get PETER PANZERFAUST.
We love the portrayal of Peter as well, which is very David Tennant DOCTOR WHO-esque in his manic bravado, and determination.
Fantastic stuff, Third Eye Faithful, snag yourself a copy this Wednesday at Third Eye.
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STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION / DOCTOR WHO ASSIMILATION #4 ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY CONTINUING THE RADDEST CROSSOVER EVER
We've been totally loving this crossover between the crew of STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION and the current team of DOCTOR WHO, and hot damn, we are so totally pumped to see issue #4 dropping this Wednesday.
The CyberBorg continue to carve a swath of destruction through the galaxy, and the Federation is met with the possibility of assistance, but from an unthinkable source! Will Captain Picard and the Doctor agree to an alliance that could be worse than the enemy they face?
Too freakin' fun, folks, get into it!
Wanna get caught up? We've got issues 1-3 in stock and available now to get you up to speed.
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DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #1 -- BLACK MASK RETURNS AFTER NIGHT OF THE OWLS, FOR THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN WITH BATMAN!
After making his NEW 52 debut in the recently concluded NIGHT OF THE OWLS saga, BLACK MASK returns as the main focus of this stellar new DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL, which gives us a lot more info on the classic Batman rogue.
This one-shot bridges the current Detective Comics arc to the upcoming arc (written by Chew's own JOHN LAYMAN), and does a fantastic job of playing up the total creep factor of the NEW 52 Black Mask.
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday, get the scoop on BLACK MASK, and prepare for the next big DETECTIVE arc.
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STEED AND MRS PEEL #0 KICKS OFF THE NEW ONGOING SERIES STARRING TV'S OWN "AVENGERS", WRITTEN BY DAREDEVIL WRITER MARK WAID!
We're totally stoked about the new STEED AND MRS PEEL ongoing series that kicks off from BOOM! this Wednesday.
Why? Two reasons: #1 the Avengers kicked ass, and Emma Peel is eternally awesome. No doubt. #2 It's written by Mark Waid, the red hot superstar behind Third Eye favorites like DAREDEVIL and last week's ROCKETEER CARGO OF DOOM #1.
This new series is perfect for both fans of the old school TV show, and fans who've never watched the show. For those of you who don't know, Chris Claremont actually took inspiration from the AVENGERS episode "A Touch of Brimstone" when he created Marvel's Hellfire Club and the White Queen.
Now, Mark Waid picks up where that episode left off, as we find Steed and Peel going after the dreaded Hellfire Club in a '60s super-spy thrillfest that'll leave you wanting more.
Totally fun, snag yourself a copy of this one on Wednesday, Third Eye Faithful!
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IRREDEEMABLE CONCLUDES IN THIS WEDNESDAY'S IRREDEEMABLE VOL.10 -- NEVER READ THIS EPIC SERIES? GET INTO IT! THE ULTIMATE "WHAT IF SUPERMAN WENT BAD" TALE!
Man, we were sad to see IRREDEEMABLE go, but it ended really well. This last volume asks the question: can one man be so evil, they become truly Irredeemable? Or is there hope for the Plutonian and humanity yet?
IRREDEEMABLE, folks, is a must-read. This tale of the Plutonian (think Superman, here), and his descent into cold-blooded madness is one of the best takes we've ever seen on the whole "Superheroes Gone Bad" angle.
And, why is it so good? Because series creator and writer, Mark Waid (he keeps popping up this week!), loves the idea of Superman so much, and is such a huge fan of the character, that he really knows how to properly write the downfall of the character.
We don't want to spoiler the end, so we won't say anything about that, but what we will say is this: if you haven't given IRREDEEMABLE a shot, and you're a fan of stories like SUPERMAN RED SON, THE BOYS, and LAST OF THE GREATS, you need to check this one out.
From the first page to the very end, it's a stellar read that keeps you interested in every single plot twist, and character development.
Plus, the Plutonian is such a bastard... you can't help but love it.
We've got IRREDEEMABLE VOLUMES 1-9 in stock now to get you into the series.
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PHANTOM LADY #1 -- THE INSPIRATION FOR WATCHMEN'S SILK SPECTRE, AND ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE CLASSIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS TEAM DEBUTS IN HER OWN LIMITED SERIES!
As fans of pretty much anything writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray put out, we gotta say: we're stoked to see them back on Freedom Fighters. A cult favorite, for sure, but the wacky grindhouse insanity of the DCU's FREEDOM FIGHTERS (a team of patriotic-themed superheroes fighting Nazis in a world where Germany won the war) and their origins on Earth X had us hooked.
Now, Gray and Palmiotti are returning with this killer PHANTOM LADY limited series, and it kicks ass. Totally capturing the manic energy and awesomeness of their previous FREEDOM FIGHTERS stuff, PHANTOM LADY's a blast.
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday at Third Eye!
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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MICRO-SERIES #7 PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON APRIL O'NEIL!
We've been pretty vocal about how much we're digging IDW's new twists on the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES stuff, and their micro-series one-shots, featuring one-shot stories that delve deep into the origins and present day motivations of various Turtles characters have had us hooked!
This week, IDW is showing us just how April O'Neil's life has been turned upside down in the aftermath of meeting the TMNT. Rather than running from the chaos, April decides to meet it head-on. Determined to make a difference, April starts to investigate the circumstances at Stockgen Labs.
But, what she finds will have serious repercussions for herself.. and the Turtles!
Again, another top notch, high quality riff of Turtle goodness, snag yourself a copy this Wednesday, Third Eye Faithful.
Wanna get into the IDW TMNT stuff? We have all the back issues in stock now, as well as the graphic novels collecting the first arcs to get you up to speed.
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X-TREME X-MEN #2 CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY, BRINGING MORE DIMENSION-HOPPING AWESOMENESS... AND DAZZLER!
We really dug the first issue of this new X-Title from Marvel which brings a new twist to things, and is very reminiscent of a favorite of ours from back in the day: EXILES.
Focusing on a team of X-Men plucked from different dimension, including a version of Wolverine looks like he just stepped out of Firefly, and a totally bad-ass take on Dazzler, X-TREME X-MEN shows us a team of alternate reality versions of favorite characters that are on the run and hopping from dimension to dimension.
When the Xavier farm warns of universe-destroying trouble, Howlett and Dazzler come to blows over leadership of the team. And, when a jump goes wrong, will the whole team make it to the next dimension?
That's what we find out in this week's #2.
Wanna get on board? We've got issue 1 in stock now.
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BEFORE WATCHMEN CONTINUES IN THIS WEDNESDAY'S BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN #3
BEFORE WATCHMEN continues to keep us hooked, and one of our favorites of the line drops this Wednesday with BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #3.
Darwyn Cooke is doing some seriously cool stuff with this book, and his art has never looked better. The very Bruce Timm BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES tone that Cooke brings to the grim reality of the world of WATCHMEN is so freakin' cool, and timeless, that we just cannot get enough.
MINUTEMEN continues to provide a rare window of insight into the earliest days of the WATCHMEN-verse, as we're shown just how the Comedian made the move from crime-fighter, to government-sanctioned crime fighter.
Wanna get caught up? We've got issues 1 & 2 in stock now to get you up to speed for #3 this Wednesday.
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STAFF PICKS  
STEVE: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #692 - Spider-Man has been continuing to rise and rise as one of the best monthly Marvel books we follow, and this one was one of my favorite issues yet!
TRISH:  BEFORE WATCHMEN DR MANHATTAN #1- TWO WORDS: ADAM HUGHES. The art in this comic alone makes it worth getting, but the story ruled too!
TORMA:  AMERICA'S GOT POWERS #3 - The best issue yet. This book is so good, and Hitch's art has never looked better.
SHAUN:  SUPERCROOKS #4 - My only complaint is we don't get one more issue! This was such a great read!

RYAN:  VENOM #23 - This series has been great ever since Rick Remender began working on it. But now we have Cullen Bunn (writer of Deadpool Kills mini-series). And he keeps Venom going in a BIG way. This is a great jumping on point for anyone not currently reading Venom.

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