Monday, December 31, 2012

This Week's Highlights at Third Eye Comics for Wednesday 1/2/13


AVENGERS & MANHATTAN PROJECTS writer JONATHAN HICKMAN debuts NEW AVENGERS #1 showcasing the ILLUMINATI of the MARVEL UNIVERSE!
The MARVEL NOW releases have been really delivering top notch stuff across the board, and Jonathan Hickman's flagship AVENGERS title featuring THE GARDEN has been one of our favorites of the entire line. But it looks like it's going to have some pretty tight competition from Hickman's other AVENGERS title: NEW AVENGERS, and rightfully so, 'cause this book looks freakin' great!
NEW AVENGERS brings back the concept of the Marvel ILLUMINATI that was introduced a few years back. Basically, these are the guys who quietly, and secretly run the Marvel Universe, and take the drastic measures necessary to keep it safe.
The original Illuminati consisted of Doctor Strange, Mr. Fantastic, Namor, Charles Xavier, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Black Panther.
Now, the ILLUMINATI has rejoined their forces in a post-AvX Marvel Universe, with some slight changes in terms of their roster.
Thematically, this is a much different book from the flagship AVENGERS title, as that title features the "ideal AVENGERS", while the NEW AVENGERS focuses on a more apocalyptic, this is the world as it is, kind of team.
The two books will work together in tandem, but you can read each one on it's own as well. There are lots of cool easter eggs and connective tissue though that definitely delivers for those who read both AVENGERS adn NEW AVENGERS.
The full roster is Captain America, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Namor (despite his role in AvX), and the Black Panther. Loosely involved are also Mr. Fantastic, and the Beast, as well as some mysterious additions we're not yet clued into.
While the main AVENGERS title is much more of a big, bold blockbuster kinda title that captures the energy and idealism of THE AVENGERS as we know them from the films, NEW AVENGERS delves deeper into the darker side of the MARVEL UNIVERSE, carrying an almost paranoid tone.
This is a perfect fit for HICKMAN who dabbles in conspiracy theories often with series like MANHATTAN PROJECTS and SECRET.
Featuring the incredible artwork of STEVE EPTING, we predict NEW AVENGERS to be a real sleeper hit amongst the Marvel NOW's AVENGER titles, and highly recommend you snag a copy of issue #1 this Wednesday and find out why we're so pumped for the series.
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ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA & CAKE #1 JOINS BOOM! STUDIOS'S ADVENTURE TIME LINE-UP THIS WEDNESDAY
You guys know that we're pretty huge fans of ADVENTURE TIME here at Third Eye, so when we saw two of the coolest characters in the ADVENTURE TIME world were getting their own little spin-off series, we knew we had to give this one some props.
All of the ADVENTURE TIME comics have been a total blast, and this one is no exception. Join Cake the Cat and Fionna the Human in this totally algebraic new adventure, which is written and drawn by FIONNA AND CAKE creator and ADVENTURE TIME storyboard artist Natasha Allegri.
Make sure to snag the PHANTOM VARIANT of FIONNA AND CAKE #1 this Wednesday!
In addition to the regular cover of FIONNA & CAKE #1, we'll also have a very rare PHANTOM edition of the book available. The PHANTOM VARIANTS are only available in 20 comic shops worldwide, and as such, usually go very quick. Make sure to snag yourself a copy of this kick-ass cover this Wednesday at Third Eye!
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BATMAN INCORPORATED #6 -- Grant Morrison (writer of HAPPY) continues his incredible run of BATMAN INC, one of our favorite books on the stands!
Whenever a new issue of BATMAN INC comes out, we really feel the need to take a second and champion this book. We love it THAT much.
Seriously, it's criminal that this incredible piece of work often gets overlooked in comparison to the other Bat-Books, because it kind of runs on it's own continuity, but, I gotta tell ya: it's some of the best pound-for-pound BATMAN storytelling out there.
This is the kind of stuff that is so unique, so fresh, and so interesting that ten, fifteen years from now, it'll still feel as if it had just come out.
In BATMAN INC #6, the tale of Talia, Damian Wayne and Bruce continue, as Leviathan takes control of Gotham City.
Shades of Kingdom Come are seen, as Batman employees an army of Batman drone robots against legions of Man-Bat armies.
Chris Burnham's art looks better and better with each subsequent issue of the series, and we find ourselves more and more impressed, with how well Burnham's art compliments Morrison's trippy, Neal Adams-era inspired BATMAN tale.
Folks: BATMAN INC is one of the shining reasons why we love comic books, and we cannot recommend it enough.
Wanna get caught up on the series? We've got issues 1-5 in stock now to catch you up to this Wednesday's #6.
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IN THE TRADITION OF IDW'S "INFESTATION" CROSSOVERS, MARS ATTACKS TAKES ON THE IDW UNIVERSE THIS WEDNESDAY, BEGINNING WITH.. MARS ATTACKS POPEYE!
IDW has done a great job in the last couple of years of delivering the totally fun, and totally awesome INFESTATION crossovers, where first zombies, then Cthulhu, took on the likes of the GI JOEs, the TRANSFORMERS, and more.
Now, this year, they're taking things into even crazier, and of course, more fun, territory with the same concept... and MARS ATTACKS!
Starting on Wednesday, this weekly crossover event will run through 10 different IDW titles, as Martians invade five different IDW timelines and universes to wreak havoc, and spread carnage.
The very first of the line-up? MARS ATTACKS POPEYE!
Folks, these little crossovers are usually so ridiculous they're awesome, and the MARS ATTACKS ... is no exception.
We really dug this first issue, and cannot wait to see where it heads next.
Click here for the full MARS ATTACKS... Checklist.
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MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE #1 DEBUTS THE LIVING VAMPIRE INTO THE MARVEL NOW, AFTER HIS FIRST (re)-APPEARANCE IN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #699.1
It's been a long time since we've seen a MORBIUS series from Marvel, so it's pretty awesome to see them bringing the LIVING VAMPIRE back into the mix with this brand new MARVEL NOW event.
Spinning out of the pages of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #699.1, where he escaped from the superhuman prison, THE RAFT, Morbius is a fugitive. A hunted, haunted fugitive. A dead souled scientist. A living vampire.
Somewhere inside Doctor Michael Morbius, there's a good man who just needs a second chance, but his hunger for blood overrides that shot at redemption.
The line between hero and villain is blurred in this kick-ass new series that compliments the events of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN quite nicely.
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday at Third Eye.
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ARROW #2 -- THE COMIC EXPANDING UPON THE KICK-ASS NEW TELEVISION SHOW CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY
The new ARROW TV series has been a real surprise hit, delivering a very cool take on DC's own Emerald Archer, so when we saw they were doing a new comic series that would be expanding on the universe of the show, and GREEN ARROW legend MIKE GRELL would be illustrating it, we knew it was worth a look.
We loved the first issue of this one, and cannot wait to see where things are heading in this week's issue #2.
Wanna get caught up? 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.
FATALE TP VOL.2 THE DEVIL'S BUSINESS CONTINUES ONE OF OUR FAVORITE IMAGE SERIES THIS WEDNESDAY!
AN INCREDIBLE BLEND OF CRIME NOIR &
 LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR!
The world of Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips's FATALE is one that we've found ourselves totally engrossed by here at Third Eye, Third Eye Faithful.
Brubaker and Phillips have wowed us in the past with stuff like CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO, showing how they have a really perfect handle on what makes a great crime noir comic, but it's with FATALE that they've really blown our minds.
The series chronicles the connections between the seedy criminal underworlds of the world, and their ties to the REAL underworld of the occult nature.
In 1970s Los Angeles, Josephine can't hide from the forces of Hollywood, Satanic Cults and creepy 16mm films collected by wealthy deviants. And when a struggling actor and his wounded friend cross her path, all hell will break loose, leaving ripples that echo all the way to modern time, where Nicolas Lash falls deeper into Josephine's spell.
Wanna get into FATALE? We've got the first volume in stock now to catch you up to this week's volume 2.
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box.
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #2 -- IDW'S MEGA-HIT CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY
Bronies, the wait is over: MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #2 hits this Wednesday, and we know you're all totally stoked.
For those of you who're totally hooked on the cartoon, the comic does a great job of capturing the tone and humor of it perfectly.
Wanna get caught up? We've got issues 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.
ALL NEW X-MEN #5 CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST X-BOOKS WE'VE READ IN AGES!
ALL NEW X-MEN has got to be, by far, one of the best titles in the MARVEL NOW line-up, and each issue, continues to reinforce this.
Brian Bendis's writing is pure electric on here, as he brings a fresh breath of air to the world of the X-MEN, while at the same time, bringing a fresh new approach to his own style.
The story here is fantastic, as the X-Men of the past, a younger version of Cyclops, Jean Grey, the Beast, Angel and Iceman, are confronted with the horrors of the present; a world where they didn't quite turn out the way they had planned.
Now, as these X-Men come face to face with their current counterparts, we're seeing the very core of the Marvel Universe shaken to it's foundations, and we're LOVING it.
Great art by Immonen helps to firmly plant this book at the top of our reading pile, and Bendis's cliffhangers leave us wanting more after each issue.
Wanna get on board? We've got issues 1-4 in stock now to catch you up to this week's #5.
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DEATH OF THE FAMILY CONTINUES IN THIS WEDNESDAY'S TEEN TITANS #15, AS RED ROBIN AND RED HOOD TEAM UP TO FEND OFF THE JOKER!
We've been digging the heck out of the NEW 52 Teen Titans, esp. with Brett Booth's stellar artwork, so we were pretty pumped to see this title crossing into the incredible DEATH OF THE FAMILY arc that's been heating up the Bat-Books all winter long.
This special issue, featuring one of those snazzy die-cut JOKER mask covers, features RED ROBIN and RED HOOD teaming up against THE JOKER.. oh, and we hear BATGIRL shows up as well.
Another stellar chapter of DEATH OF THE FAMILY, make sure you snag yourself a copy this Wednesday.
Wanna get caught up on DEATH OF THE FAMILY? We've got all chapters in stock and available now.
Click here for the official Third Eye DEATH OF THE FAMILY CHECKLIST.
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BLACKACRE #2 CONTINUES THE KILLER NEW IMAGE SERIES THAT BRINGS A BOLD NEW TWIST TO POST-APOCALYPTIC SURVIVAL COMICS!
We loved the first issue of this exciting new IMAGE series that brings a bold new take to the genre of post-apocalypse science fiction, and cannot wait to sit down and read this week's issue #2.
In issue #2, Hull ventures deeper into the wilds of the Hinterlands to uncover a lost comrade's fate, but a savage encounter threatens to derail everything.
Meanwhile, back in the opulent and ultramodern city-state of BlackAcre, the aggressive designs of Sinclair, an ambitious young Guardian, come to light.
What is BLACKACRE? 100 years after society has fallen, a new game has begun.
A retired soldier on a secret mission is sent out from the walled city, and into the violent and unknown wilderness of the world post-fall.
Tribal cults, roaming bands of barbarians, vicious warlords.. this is a startling new take on the post-apocalypse, and one of the most exciting new IMAGE reads we've seen launch this past Winter.
Wanna get caught up? We've got issue 1 in stock and available to bring you up to speed with this week's #2.
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PUNISHER NIGHTMARE #1 DEBUTS A FIVE-PART, FIVE-WEEK ARC INTRODUCING A POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR TO THE ROLE OF PUNISHER?
Featuring art by comics legend MARK TEXEIRA!
Who doesn't love THE PUNISHER? And, if there's one character that lends itself to kick-ass miniseries, it's definitely FRANK CASTLE, so this NIGHTMARE thing is already off to a good start.
In PUNISHER NIGHTMARE, a Special Forces soldier is injured and his family killed in the midst of a mob execution in Central Park, but this time: it isn't Frank Castle. This time it's a young soldier named Jake Niman, but teh familiar story puts Frank on the path of Punishment.
As Jake Niman heals from his wounds, why is he growing strangely stronger? And who is the mysterious Johnny Nightmare?
Bullets fly, anarchy reigns, allies become neemies, and the Punisher becomes the punished, as no one is safe in PUNISHER NIGHTMARE.
Featuring comics legend MARK TEXEIRA on art, this book reads AND looks great, and stands out as a great Punisher tale.
Could this be a potential new successor to the role of Punisher following the currently running WAR ZONE series?
We'll find out!
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TALON #3 -- Scott Snyder's incredible COURT OF OWLS spin off continues to keep us hooked with this week's issue #3.We're loving the hell out of TALON, one of the best new titles to join the NEW 52 since the relaunch, and cannot wait to see where this series is heading after this week's #3.
Scott Snyder along with James T Tynion iv, writer of DEATH OF THE FAMILY and COURT OF OWLS, are doing an amazing job of crafting a solid spin-off to Snyder's super-awesome COURT OF OWLS arc.
As Talon's secret history in Manhattan is explored, Calvin Rose continues his search for an important figure from his past.
And, what mysterious organization has ties to this runaway Talon?
Guillem March brings the world of the Court of Owls to life in a fantastic way, making this one a real visual treat, and Snyder's writing is sharp as hell.
Imagine a comic about Dick Grayson if he had been taken in as a Talon, instead of a Robin, and him breaking his programming, that sums up the feel and tone of the new TALON series very well.
Wanna get caught up? We've got issues 0-2 in stock now to catch you up to this week's #3.
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box.
HELLBOY IN HELL CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY WITH HELLBOY IN HELL #2
We're so stoked to see Mike Mignola drawing HELLBOY again, words cannot describe how stoked we really are, but trust us: we're stoked.
Seriously though, HELLBOY IN HELL is THE book to get on board with, if you've never read HELLBOY before, as not only is it an incredible new story that captures everything we love about the character and his world, but it's also a great entry point for those who're new to the character.
In Pandemonium, the dead wait for Hellboy to claim his throne, but is he interested? The secrets of Hellboy, and his destiny are revealed in this new limited series that takes the cigar-chomping, monster-hunter back to the depths of HELL.
Wanna get on board? We've got issue 1 in stock now, and if you want to see the circumstances that took Hellboy from his mortal coil, and dropped him into the fiery pit, we've got the HELLBOY: THE STORM AND THE FURY graphic novel in stock to catch you up.
Third Eye Subscriber? Click here to add this title to your subscription box.
GREAT PACIFIC #3 -- THE ENVIROMENTAL SCI-FI THRILLER CONTINUES THIS WEDNESDAY!
We're totally digging the heck out of the new IMAGE series GREAT PACIFIC, with it's Y: THE LAST MAN-esque tone and it's gorgeous artwork, so we're pretty pumped to see the third issue dropping this Wednesday.
Lost and alone, surveilled from above by forces unrevealed, on the run from hostile natives out to avenge their murdered brother, and stalked from below by the monstrous Octopus, Yalafath, Chas Worthington scuttles his quest to tame and settle the Pack as merely surviving becomes the hardest task of all.
Folks: GREAT PACIFIC kicks ass. This book showcases gorgeous artwork, and delivers the kind of innovative new series we love to see here at Third Eye.
We know there's been a ton of awesome releases from IMAGE in 2012, but I gotta tell ya, with each issue of GREAT PACIFIC, this one climbs higher in my stack. If you're not reading it yet, we highly recommend snagging a copy of issue #1 and giving it a shot.
What's it about? Chas Worthington dreams of big things, solving bigger problems, and making his mark on the world. Only no one takes the twenty-one year-old heir to one of the biggest oil fortunes in history very seriously. That is, until he turns his back on his cushy life of wealth and prestige, and seeks to solve an environmental disaster twice the size of his native Texas known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
PHANTOM VARIANT ALERT: GREAT PACIFIC #3 
In addition to the release of GREAT PACIFIC #3's regular cover, we're also going to have a very special PHANTOM VARIANT of issue #3. Like other PHANTOMS, this one will only be available in 20 store worldwide, and is strictly limited. Make sure you snag your's quick while we have 'em this week at Third Eye!
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CINEBOOK BRINGS SOME OF THE BEST IN EUROPEAN COMICS TO AMERICA, BEGINNING WITH THIS WEDNESDAY'S ORBITAL, LUCKY LUKE, AND XIII SERIES!
   
You know us, Third Eye Faithful: we love comics. We love ALL comics, and we're totally pumped to see some of these LEGENDARY European graphic novels getting brought over to the states again courtesy of the fine folks at CINEBOOK.
This week, things start off with a bang, as Cinebook delivers ORBITAL, LUCKY LUKE, and XIII to us, with several volumes of each arriving at Third Eye.
These are all phenomenal series that have influenced a TON of comic creators worldwide, and I'll tell you right now: if you love PROPHET or PLANETOID, you need to grab yourself a copy of ORBITAL.
Feel free to ask us for our opinions on which CINEBOOK titles we like best, and we'll give you the full scoop on these fantastic reads!
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VAMPIRELLA RETURNS IN A BRAND NEW 6-ISSUE LIMITED SERIES, WITH VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #1!
As long-time fans of horror movies, comic books, and yes, horror comics, we've got a soft spot for Vampirella, so we're pretty pumped to see her returning in a kick-ass new 6-issue limited series that features some incredible artwork, and a pretty bad-ass story.
Fearful that her monstrous natures is taking control, Vampirella takes solace in some extreme violence, and conversation, all topped off with a nice glass of Merlot, in a Boston tavern overrun by the demonic.
Living in a world of growing supernatural threats, Vampirella never knows what she will be facing from one moment to the next, but what she finds waiting for her in her Boston brownstone when she returns rom a night of hunting is the most unexpected of all.
Angels. Sent from Heaven. And, they want Vampi to work for them!
Snag yourself a copy this Wednesday of VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #1!
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STAFF PICKS  
STEVE: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 - Lived up to the hype and more. This is a MUST-HAVE.
TRISH: MARA #1- Brian Wood does it again. Great art, great storytelling, really good!
TORMA: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 - CANNOT WAIT FOR SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN!
SHAUN: MARA #1  -  Brian Wood has this extraordinary talent for subtly tweaking our world and producing these fantastic scenarios. MARA is no different, and left me wanting more!

RYAN: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700   - Simply jaw-dropping, an awesome read.
JOHN: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700 - The end of an amazing series and the beginning of a new era for everyone's favorite web slinger!
MATTMARA #1 -  Another awesome BRIAN WOOD book!
LEXI: MARA #1  -- Great art, great story. Really great!

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