THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE FOR WEDNESDAY 11/18/09

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612 *THE GAUNTLET PT 1* - THE GAUNTLET BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY! THE BIGGEST SPIDER-MAN STORY IN AGES, AS HIS CLASSIC ROGUES GALLERY IS REDEFINED FOR THE 21st CENTURY! BY IRREDEEMABLE WRITER MARK WAID!

This story has been brewing since the return of Doc Ock in Amazing Spider-man #600, and I've gotta say, Marvel's got me stoked. The Spidey books really begin to make a turn towards being better with American Son last year, and then a big step towards improvement with the turning points of issue #600. Old, forgotten villains slowly began to return in the pages of ASM, and the new takes on the Chameleon and Doc Ock, were both very good.

But all of this was just a prelude to what is sure to be one of the biggest Spidey stories in history, and that's The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is a new storyline (which begins in this week's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612) which will be a year long marathon for Spidey, where old classic Spider-man villains are brought back with a vicious new edge. The first of which is Electro, who I don't think we've seen since the events on the Raft in NEW AVENGERS. And of course, we'll be seeing the Vulture, The Rhino, and more as the storyline continues.

So, what's the scoop on Electro's return? Well, here you have one of the coolest Spidey villains, when it comes to visual appearance, and his powers, but he's also one of the least-respected. This first story arc in the Gauntlet is about that, and from what we've been told Electro's powers have been considerably amped up. The thing is as Electro makes the transition into middle-age, his metabolism changes, and so do his powers. They're more erratic, and less easy to control. And, that's where the amping up comes from, because he's going to be getting a pretty surprising Marvel villain to help stabilize his powers and make him meaner, and better than before. Of course, Electro's big motivation may not center around Spidey, but a sense of outrage over the fact that the fortune he's accumulated over the years was lost in the economic meltdown. Now, he's almost somewhat of a folk hero, electrocuting corrupt corporate fat cats.... but of course, he's still a bad dude, and when Spidey gets in his way, he's going to toast him.

Now, beyond the whole Electro thing, the one thing we know that is going to be an ongoing theme in the GAUNTLET storyline is how these familiar villains returning to bring pain to Peter Parker's life are going to be coming after him one after the other after the other. We know that big changes are expected to happen, and this storyline is supposed to be a real no holds barred kind of assault on the character.

IRREDEEMABLE writer MARK WAID is going to be penning this arc that begins in Amazing Spider-man #612. And, the artist, someone who I haven't heard of is a very bold and interesting choice for Spidey. I think the art looks great, and it has a very gritty, almost Vertigo-esque vibe to it, that really adds a whole new level of darkness to what is sure to be one hell of an arc.

But I think we all know what's really cool about this: It's classic Spidey villains coming back with a bang!

TWO MORE LANTERN RINGS ARRIVE THIS WEEK AT THIRD EYE! BLUE LANTERN RING & VIOLET "STAR SAPPHIRE" RING! ALONG, WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE TIE-INS... ADVENTURE COMICS #4 *RETURN OF SUPERBOY PRIME* &OUTSIDERS #24! PLUS BLACK LANTERN SOLOMON GRUNDY FACES BIZARRO & MAN-BAT IN SUPERMAN/BATMAN #66!

The Lantern Rings that have been dropping with all the Blackest Night tie-ins have been a huge hit here at Third Eye. We've been going through rings faster than we expected. But, worry not though, we still have a very limited amount of Orange, Indigo, and Yellow Rings available, so if you haven't gotten your's yet, we have you covered. To read more about how you can get your Power Rings, clickhere

Now, onto this week, we've got two tie-ins, both of which look good, but one of which I'm personally VERY excited for. And, that's the ADVENTURE COMICS #4. Reasons why? Well, first off.. it's written by GEOFF JOHNS, you know, the guy who's been writing the main BLACKEST NIGHT series (and GREEN LANTERN) all this time, and pretty much masterminding all of this killer suff. And, then secondly, it's featuring the return of everyone's favorite mass-murdering crybaby, SUPERBOY PRIME. And, then, to top it all off, it looks like he's met his match, as the Black Lanterns know just the buttons to push to make Superboy Prime's heart all tasty for them to gobble down. This is probably going to be one of the best ring-related tie-ins, being how Adventure Comics is already a stellar read, and then the addition of a fan-favorite villain like SUPERBOY PRIME. Ontop of all that, when you purchase ADVENTURE COMICS #4, you get a FREE Blue Lantern ring!

And, then, next up, we've got OUTSIDERS #24, which spins directly out of the events of BLACKEST NIGHT TITANS. Black Lantern Terra is back with a vengeance, and she wants to gobble down the hearts of Geo-Force, and the Outsiders. When you purchase OUTSIDERS #24, you'll receive a free VIOLET *STAR SAPPHIRE* ring. To be honest on this one, I think it could go either way. I REALLY liked Blackest Night Titans, and Peter Tomasi has proven himself as a really stellar writer (handling a good chunk of tie-in stuff already for Blackest Night, in addition to the killer work he's done on Green Lantern Corps, and underrated miniseries like GOTHAM UNDERGROUND). However, I haven't been following OUTSIDERS as closely, so it really could go either way.

And, as a side note... dude, Booster Gold and Rebels were both AWESOME last week. I expected the Booster to be really good, but the REBELS, I wasn't too sure about. I actually went back and checked out most of the back issues on the series, because I enjoyed that issue so much. It's a good book, really deserves a look. The artwork, and writing are both top notch, and the whole idea of a superteam for hire is pretty damn cool. I don't know, it was awesome.... the ending of REBELS #10 is great, even if you haven't been following the series. A big twist as a perfect fit for the Sinestro Corps is chosen. And, the whole plot running with Starro the Conqueror (turns out those starfish things were just his drones, but Starro himself is an actual humanoid warlord) is pretty damn cool.

Finally, on the Blackest Night plate this week, we've got what's sure to be the most humorous of the Blackest Night tie-ins with SUPERMAN/BATMAN #66.Yes, it's Black Lantern Solomon Grundy versus Bizarro & Man-Bat in this one-shot Blackest Night tie-in.


THIRD EYE GRAPHIC NOVEL SPOTLIGHT:BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL HC, GREEN LANTERN CORPS - EMERALD ECLIPSE HC *PRELUDE TO BLACKEST NIGHT*, WAR OF KINGS HARDCOVER, ROBERT KIRKMAN'S DESTROYER, DARK AVENGERS VOLUME 1 AND NEW AVENGERS VOLUME 11 TRADE PAPERBACKS... A BIG WEEK FOR GREAT TRADES & HARDCOVERS!


Man, it is a stacked week for good trades and hardcovers. Some real blockbusters too, like the Battle for the Cowl hardcover, and the WAR OF KINGS hardcover.

Anyways, here's a quick rundown of what's arriving this week...

The biggest Batman story of last Spring, and the genesis of all the awesome stuff happening now in the Bat-universe. This is the story where Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, and many more are all racing to figure out who will be the man to wear the mantle of the Bat. A great read, with some fantastic artwork. This is definitely one of those must-read Batman graphic novels.

Green Lantern Emerald Eclipse collects the Prelude to Blackest Night issues of GREEN LANTERN CORPS. This is where Mongul enslaves the planet Daxam, and makes it the homebase for his Mongul Corps of Rogue Yellow Lanterns. A great read, and great set up for this year's BLACKEST NIGHT event!

War of Kings was one of the hippest little Marvel events of 2009. In the shadow of big events like DARK REIGN, War of Kings continued to do what stories like ANNIHILATION and ANNIHILATION CONQUEST had done before it, and that's strengthen and enrich the cosmic end of the Marvel Universe. The entire WAR OF KINGS saga is now collected here, along with WAR OF KINGS ASCENSION 1-4, WAR OF KINGS DARKHAWK 1-2, WAR OF KINGS WARRIORS, WAR OF KINGS WHO WILL RULE, WAR OF KINGS SAVAGE WORLD OF SAKAAR and WAR OF KINGS MARVEL SPOTLIGHT. This one's a massive tome of space opera awesomeoness.

A cult favorite from last year. DESTROYER from Robert Kirkman (writer of WALKING DEAD & INVINCIBLE) is one of the most violent, bloody things the writer has ever done. It's the story of the Destroyer, a masked vigilante, who is now in his senior ages, and on his way to the grave. So what's he do? Hunt down and slaughter every supervillain he's ever encountered to leave the world a safer place for his family.

DARK AVENGERS volume 1 collects the first six issues of the biggest Marvel series to launch in 2009. Imagine this, the Avengers are composed of predominantly bad guys, and their leader.. Norman Osborn! Killer story, killer art. A great read.

COWBOY NINJA VIKING #2 - MULTIPLE PERSONALITY MAYHEM! IN THIS FOLLOW-UP TO THE SMASH HIT NEW IMAGE SERIES!



Image has been really making a name for itself these last couple of years. I personally credit the success of fresh new series like WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE as a big part of their new direction. They've really cemented their place in the comics industry as a publisher that is not afraid to take chances, and put out quirky yet fresh new ideas that end up being the one thing we love here most at Third Eye: damn good comics.

Cowboy Ninja Viking is a perfect example of this. This is a story about a world where individuals with multiple personality disorder are turned into agents of destruction known as triplets. They hone in on three dominant personalities, and turn them into assassins capable of some serious mayhem. And of course, the star of this series, Cowboy Ninja Viking, has three personalities that are constantly at odds with each other. The ninja being the thinker, the Viking being the killer, and the Cowboy being the loose cannon. What you get is a humorous yet ultra-violent tale where the three personalities cause the man they reside in to do horrible, and reckless things.

And, now in this week's issue #2, we get to see COWBOY NINJA VIKING going head to head with the Triplet introduced at the beginning (and end) of issue #1. Yes, it's the fellow in the deep sea diver helmet on the cover. And, yes it will be awesome.

The title of the book makes it seem like it's going to be just a straight humor book. You know, something that would be a good meme on the web, but Cowboy Ninja Viking reminds you more of a frenetic Quentin Tarantino meets Takashi Miike movie than it does a one-trick pony joke. Also, a big addition to the awesomeoness of the series we think is the unique artwork by Riley Rossmo (who also does PROOF for Image, a book about a Bigfoot that works for the FBI, flesh-eating faeries, and monsters that wear human skin... we recommend checking it out!). The art in this series is very stylized, and carries the story well. The tones, and pacing really capture the frenetic concept of the book.

We've got #1s in stock here at Third Eye in case you missed issue #1, and if you did, then we highly miss checking out this series this week.

For those of you who got the first one, and dug it, be sure to check out this follow-up issue this week. The first one had a lot to cram in, with the setting up of the world, and introducing the characters (and that was my only complaint, too much going on), but it looks like the second one is going to take all the awesome points of the first and really carry the story forward. Plus, it looks like it's going to be one seriously bloody throwdown!

Click here for an interview with the creators of COWBOY NINJA VIKING to learn more about the series, and what they have planned for it!

JOSS WHEDON'S DR. HORRIBLE SING-A-LONG BLOG GETS THE COMIC TREATMENT THIS WEDNESDAY IN THE "DR.HORRIBLE" ONE-SHOT!



We know that a good deal of you guys are big Whedon fans, and hey, so are we! This is why we figured we'd cast the Third Eye spotlight on this very special DR.HORRIBLE one-shot comic from the fine folks at DARK HORSE. Picking right up from the DR.HORRIBLE SING-A-LONG BLOG, we get to see the very first encounter of DR. HORRIBLE and CAPTAIN HAMMER.

So, whether you're a huge FIREFLY nut, or a big BUFFY fan, you're probably also a DR. HORRIBLE fan, and you know you it's time to feed your Whedon fix!

Click here to see the preview of the DR. HORRIBLE one-shot

FRANKENCASTLE BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY INPUNISHER #11 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 1*FOLLOWING THE SHOCKING DISMEMBERMENT OF THE PUNISHER IN DARK REIGN THE LIST: PUNISHER ONE-SHOT



The conclusion of last month's DARK REIGN THE LIST PUNISHER one-shot was a HUGE shock. HUGE! It's not often that Marvel surprises us all like that without any kind of warning or hints. In case you missed it, the Punisher was brutally dismembered by Daken (Dark Wolverine), decapitated, and mutilated, his body parts were scattered about.

Now, beginning this week, Frankencastle, featuring the creative team of Rick Remender and Tony Moore (known for their cult favorite FEAR AGENT, and Tony Moore as the original artist of WALKING DEAD), shows us a bizarre take on the character of the Punisher. Everything is very hush hush on just what this storyline is going to entail, but after the huge ending of the LIST PUNISHER one-shot, combined with the stellar creative team onboard for this, we're expecting it to be pretty cool.

But seriously, this is going to go either one of two ways: Frankencastle is going to be REALLY REALLY cool, or REALLY REALLY not cool. The idea is definitely out there, and the whole concept of the Punisher being resurrected as an undead monstrosity is pretty damn out of left field. But, hey, sometimes ideas that sound ridiculous and impossible, are just so ridiculous that they end up being incredible. This was the case with Marvel Zombies and it's original inception (of course, now it's been run into the ground a bit, but man when that first series hit, it was fresh as hell).

So, I guess, FRANKENCASTLE ranks up there as the title I am most curious about this week, and expecting the most surprise from.

Clickhere to check out a preview of PUNISHER #11 *FRANKENCASTLE PT 1*

DARK AVENGERS #11 - WHO IS THE MOLECULE MAN, AND WHY IS NORMAN OSBORN TERRIFIED OF HIM?



Dark Avengers continues to keep going strong as a solid monthly read. The last page of last month's DARK AVENGERS #10 was pretty epic indeed, and now the effects of that last page are going to unravel in this week's newest issue.

Who is the obscure villain the Molecule Man? And, why is Norman Osborn sweating this one big time? And, how the hell are the Dark Avengers going to fight a being that control the very molecules that make them up?

The road to Seige continues, as Osborn's plans continue to unravel... and now it's time to see what the mysterious cabal of Molecule Man, the Beyonder, Enchantress, and Mephisto have to say about things.




BLACKEST NIGHT SCRIBE GEOFF JOHNS'SFLASH REBIRTH #5 ARRIVES AFTER MUCH ANTICIPATION!



Despite the delays, we are still extremely excitetd about getting the next issue of GEOFF JOHNS'S FLASH REBIRTH. Now, as someone who grew up reading comics in the '90s... Wally was my Flash. He's the one I grew up with as the Flash. All those great high-energy Mark Waid Flash story arcs, and then the later Mark Millar, Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns arcs. They were my bread and butter as a kid. I loved em. Barry was before my time, and I never really got to know the character. Never really had a huge attachment to him.

And, then Geoff Johns does what he does for nearly every friggin' DCU Character, and made me like Barry Allen. Flash Rebirth has been as much about making Barry Allen into an accessible, modern 21st century character as it has been about the actual in-continuity return of the character. Johns has been breathing new life into Barry, and since Barry's been dead pretty much since before the modern style of storytelling that's the mainstay in comics these days came around, he's got pretty much a blank slate to play with.

But, anyways, enough about all that.. Flash Rebirth has been awesome, the story's been great, the art's been incredible.. we love it. And, this week, we finally get issue #5!

Click here to read more about FLASH REBIRTH #5


REALM OF KINGS ONE-SHOT KICKS OFF THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE COSMIC SAGA OF MARVEL'S ANNIHILATION/WAR OF KINGS CHARACTERS!



One of the most impressive relaunches of this decade for Marvel has been their revival of their cosmic characters. What were once underused, and overlooked characters have slowly been turned into some of the most compelling series coming out. It all began in the pages of ANNIHILATION and ANNIHILATION conquest (now available in trade paperback) and then continued last year in the pages of WAR OF KINGS (arriving this week in hardcover). Now, the REALM OF KINGS begins, and continues the trend in high-action, bigger than life space opera sci-fi awesomeoness set against the backdrop of the Marvel landscape. Just take everything that is cool about stuff like WARHAMMER 40K, and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and apply it to the world of Marvel Superheroes, and you'll get the Marvel Cosmic-verse.

Realm of Kings follows up on the aftermath of WAR OF KINGS (Where Blackbolt screamed off Vulcan's skin!), and also promises the return of the original Quasar. After seeing all of the awesome things that they've done with characters like Darkhawk, Nova, the Guardians of the Galaxy and more, we're very eager to see the return of Quasar here at Third Eye.

Click here to check out a preview of REALM OF KINGS ONE-SHOT

Also, arriving alongside the REALM OF KINGS one-shot this week is the REALM OF KINGS INHUMAN limited series that's kicking off. After the huge part that Black Bolt and the Inhumans played in the WAR OF KINGS, we're really excited to see how this one turns out.
Click here to see the preview of REALM OF KINGS INHUMANS #1!

DARK REIGN THE LIST AMAZING SPIDER-MAN *THE LIST PT 8* DELIVERS AN EPIC CONFRONTATION BETWEEN NORMAN OSBORN AND SPIDER-MAN!



Out of all the Dark Reign The List one-shots, I feel that this is going to be the biggest, or at least on the level of the Punisher one-shot. The creative team lined up for this one is stellar, with Adam Kubert handling the art chores. And, it's also the final chapter of THE LIST, and plays a huge part in what is going to be the conclusion of this whole Dark Reign thing.

But, lets be real... it's Spider-man going up against his most hated enemy, Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin. While this whole DARK REIGN/DARK AVENGERS thing has gone on, we've been waiting and wondering about how Spidey would play into the mix, what with Osborn being his mortal foe, and now it looks like we're going to find out.

This is the story where Norman Osborn decides to finally execute Spider-man once and for all. Now, will he succeed? While we're not expecting a Spidey death, we do expect big universe-shaking ramifications that make this one-shot a very special DARK REIGN THE LIST chapter.

Click here to check out the preview of DARK REIGN THE LIST AMAZING SPIDER-MAN *DARK REING THE LIST PT 8*

SPIDER-WOMAN #3 - THE BEST TITLE YOU'RE NOT READING! PURE ESPIONAGE AWESOMEONESS COURTESY OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CREATIVE TEAM BENDIS & MALEEV



Dude, if you're not reading Spider-woman, you are missing out. This series has one of the best teams in comics working on it, with Bendis & Maleev (who did what's in my opinion one of the best all-time Daredevil runs), and trust us, it's GOOD. We know, we know, skrulls are played out, but the skrulls really play a VERY VERY minor role in this. It's more about Jessica Drew working as a kind of a government-sponsored bounty hunter that tracks down aliens in hiding (NOT JUST SKRULLS!).

The writing is 100% on-point, and the artwork is PERFECT for the series. Maleev's gritty pencils pull you in, and don't let you out.

Currently, Spider-woman's knee deep in trouble in the dark alleys of Madripoor, and Madame Hydra wants to bring her home to the nest.

The tone, and feel of the book kind of reminds you of a more brutal, super-power charged La Femme Nikita, and if you remember that show, then you know what we're talking about.

Either way, give Spider-woman a shot. We currently have issues 1, and 2 both in stock, so it's relatively easy to catch up.

Clickhereto read the preview of SPIDER-WOMAN #3!

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #1 - SHERLOCK HOLMES VERSUS FLESH-EATING ZOMBIES? YOU BETCHA! A GREAT STEAMPUNK-ISH NEW SERIES FROM WILDSTORM, THE FOLKS WHO BROUGHT YOU NORTH 40!



What's better than the adventures of the world's most famous detective? Well, when you pit the world's most famous detective against hordes of flesh-eating zombie freaks, that's what!

Honestly, folks, I got to read a bit of this, and it was pretty fun. I really have no idea what to expect as the premise sounds so ridiculous, and over-the-top... that really, anything can happen. But, the art is tight, the story looks pretty good, and the zombie angle, while cool, doesn't look to be the only thing this book is carrying. It has a very Steampunk Adventures of Watson and Holmes kind of thing going on, that I think is pretty damn cool.

Click here to check out a preview of VICTORIAN UNDEAD #1

TRANSFORMERS #1 - BRAND NEW ONGOING SERIES FEATURING G1-ERA TRANSFORMERS!



Finally! An ongoing Transformers series! And it's featuring all of the characters that we love and grew up with here at Third Eye. Seriously though, lets face it, if you grew up in the '80s, you've got a fondness for Transformers, or GI JOE, or both. And, while series like Maximum Dinobots and All Hail Megatron have been good, solid reads, the non-stop random mini-series, one-shots, and so forth have lacked consistency.

So it's a welcome change to see IDW rolling out an ongoing Transformers comic finally. And it's everything you'd want out of a good TF comic... good art, a writer who knows the characters well , and an overall direction for the characters.

THE AUTHORITY.. IS NOW GOOD AGAIN! CHECK OUT THE AUTHORITY: THE LOST YEAR THIS WEEK!



Man, the Authority was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager. This is back when Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch first kicked it off, and then Mark Millar and Frank Quitely took it over. I mean, after those two creative teams left, it never really was quite the same. Dan Abnett did some pretty cool work on it, and Brubaker had a nice little run, but nothing ever matched the level of those first two runs.

If you haven't already read the original Authority stuff, I recommend snagging AUTHORITY RELENTLESS (volume 1), AUTHORITY UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT (volume 2), and AUTHORITY TRANSFER OF POWER. Those are some of the best superhero comics of the late 90s, early 2000s, and they really paved the way for a lot of what we have now. In fact, I credit the Authority with helping make the big widescreen way of superhero storytelling we have now so popular. See, without the Authority, we wouldn't have had Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates, and without the Ultimates, well, lets just say I don't think the Avengers would be the mega-popular team they are now. In other words, the Authority redefined the dynamics of superteams, and their place in the world. Gritty, realistic, and sometimes violent as hell, the Authority took the perfect balance of social issues, politics, and bigger than life spaceships crashing into city spires action, and made it into one crazy awesome series.

The last real glimmer of hope I had for the Authority was when Grant Morrison and Gene Ha were going to do a run on the series. They only did two issues, and then the book kind of was left in limbo. The plot? The Authority crosses dimensions, and ends up in OUR world, our physical world, where they're just comic books. There's a very surreal moment where a couple members of the team are in a comic shop, looking at a copy of the Relentless graphic novel.

And of course, with them coming into our world, it means that bad mojo is happening on our planet. Now, of course, these ideas were explored later in more detail with books like 1985, but either way, we're excited to see the Authority back.

Wildstorm has reissued the first two issues in a collected comic called THE AUTHORITY LOST YEAR READER, that's the AUTHORITY LOST YEAR 1 and 2, for only $2.99. And, now the series is being finished with Grant Morrison's blessing by the very talented KEITH GIFFEN (he made the Justice League totally awesome way back in the day, and has since done some crazy good stuff like 52, ANNIHILATION, and more). Issue #3 ships this week, and we still have plenty of the AUTHORITY LOST YEAR READER available for you to catch up with.

Click here to read more about the AUTHORITY LOST YEAR!

VIKING #4 DELIVERS MORE OF THAT GOODFELLAS MEETS THE 9TH CENTURY MAYHEM THAT WE'VE COME TO LOVE THIS WEDNESDAY!



It's been a while since issue #3, but we're just as pumped for the new issue of VIKING, especially after how awesome the third one was. Viking is pretty simply explained.. it's the story of organized crime, in the Viking era. And, it is brutal as all hell. The real standout though about Viking is the gorgeous artwork that accompanies each issue.

Finn and Egil thought they had the perfect heist to pull, but now they're falling deep into their own personal hell without any way out.

Brutal, awesome, and totally great, this one's definitely guaranteed to be well worth the wait.

Click here to read a preview of VIKING #4

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE COMICS

BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3 CONCLUDES, AND UNVEILS THE WINNER OF THIS EPIC CONTEST FOR WHO'LL BE WEARING THE COWL!

The big one this week that's going to be the talk of the shop is the conclusion to the BATTLE FOR THE COWL event that's been running through the Batman corner of the DC Universe. It's been a great storyline so far, and we've actually been extremely impressed with a good deal of the one-shots (especially THE UNDERGROUND, THE NETWORK, and the conclusion to the AZRAEL series which we weren't too hot on at first, but thought it ended pretty well). It all comes to a head this Wednesday with the arrival of this week's BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3! This is the big one, and will show us who will be filling the role of the Caped Crusader in Bruce Wayne's absence (well, he's dead, or displaced in the timestream, or something weird.. but, we all know how those things play out!).

Is it going to be Dick Grayson (we think so!), Jason Todd (oh, we hope not!), Tim Drake (could be cool, but a little too soon..), Two-Face (hey, he's worn the cowl before...), or someone totally unexpected? We don't know, but we're on the edges of our seats to find out who's going to be taking on the role of the Gotham Guardian.

For those of you who may have missed the first couple issues of BATTLE FOR THE COWL, fear not, we've got plenty of #1 back in stock, and still have a nice amount of #2 left for you to catch up on this monumental mini-series that sets the stage for the DCU in 2009!

To check out a preview of BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3 , click here!

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #2 ARRIVES FROM RISING STAR "SCALPED" WRITER JASON AARON, AND GIVES US CHAPTER TWO OF THE KILLER NEW "ADAMANTIUM MEN" STORY ARC!

When the OLD MAN LOGAN storyline began last Summer, we were blown away. Wolverine was a character that had been over-exposed for a while, and we were looking for the perfect fresh take on the character to make him interesting. And OLD MAN LOGAN, definitely did that. So, then, it's decided, that it's time for a new Wolverine ongoing series. At first, I was skeptical, but then I saw the creative team attached.. Jason Aaron, and Ron Garney. These guys did a terrific sleeper story called GET MYSTIQUE in Wolverine a couple of years ago, and I was really impressed with how well Aaron "got" Wolverine as a character. I was sold. And, when the first issue hit, I gotta say, my expectations were met, and exceeded. It was a fantastic read! So, before we get into the hype on this week's new WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #2, let me give you guys who haven't checked it out yet the quick concept of the book.

Basically, Wolverine: Weapon X is Marvel allowing Jason Aaron (who writes the awesomely gritty and grimy SCALPED Vertigo series) to take the character in a very PUNISHER MAX-like (Garth Ennis's character-defining Punisher run) direction. This means that you get the essence of Wolverine boiled down to what everyone loves about him. The quiet loner with the shadowy past who doesn't think twice about putting his claws through the back of a man's skull. It's bloody, it's brutal, and it's brilliant. Best of all, it's self-contained into one ongoing series, and is the perfect book to follow if you just want a good old-fashioned WOLVERINE story that's not bogged down by his appearances throughout the rest of the Marvel universe. The stories are of a darker theme, and explore his past with the Weapon X program, giving us the return of fan-favorite characters like Maverick, and more. And, Aaron, who is known for the hardcore tone in his writing, is bringing in new and old villains alike to get everyone stoked on this great series. Not to mention, his portrayal of Wolverine, along with Ron Garney's fitting pencils, make the book a very fluid, fun read.

And, now, onto what we can expect this Wednesday... the first issue of WOLVERINE WEAPON X was a set-up issue, it introduces the idea of the ADAMANTIUM MEN (the primary nemesis and main plot-point of the first story arc), a group of super-soldiers being laced with Adamantium and given claws by the Roxxon Corporation. Wolverine makes his debut in the first issue in classic Wolverine fashion (hey, he's even wearing the classic bomber jacket)... and how does he do that? He cuts some crook's hand off at the wrist, leaving him to bleed out on a subway train. The conspiracy theories abound, and now as we head into issue #2, we get to learn just who and what the Adamantium Men are.

Do yourselves a favor, and do not miss the second installment of WOLVERINE: WEAPON X this Wednesday! Click here to check out a preview of WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #2!

THE BOYS HEROGASM #1 - GARTH ENNIS GIVES US THIS BOYS SPIN-OFF LIMITED SERIES THAT SHOWS US HIS TAKE ON CROSSOVER EVENTS!

Every self-respecting superhero universe has big events. It's a staple of comics. Sometimes they're amazing, and sometimes they leave a little to be desired, but it's a foundation of serial superhero fiction. And, Third Eye favorite writer, Garth Ennis, is giving us his own take on big events with the brand new BOYS: HEROGASM limited series. The series is being written by Garth Ennis (the mastermind behind the BOYS, and the man responsible for the amazing PREACHER series), and long-time Ennis collaborator John McCrea. For a lot of you who've just gotten into Ennis, you may not be too familiar with McCrea, but let me tell you, he and Ennis have done some amazing work together. They did the awesome, and often overlooked HITMAN series (which is going to finally be available in trade paperback again very soon), as well as several other great projects. We're really looking forward to them working together again.

Now, onto what Herogasm is about. This is the story of what really happens during crossover events. What do the superheroes do when no one's looking? And what insidious ties do the Vought-American corporation have to this. This one looks to be featuring more on the despicable capes of THE BOYS (the Seven, Teenage Kix, Fantastico, and more), and for those of you who are enjoying THE BOYS, you're gonna love HEROGASM. Ennis will definitely be delivering his twisted sense of humor, and unique storytelling in this great limited series. Click here to read more about THE BOYS: HEROGASM #1 (it's a COMIC BOOK RESOURCES link, so it may not work, and the art pages shown are only in black and white but the series is going to be in full color)!

FANTASTIC FOUR #566 BEGINS MARK MILLAR'S "MASTERS OF DOOM" STORYLINE!

This is the big one, folks. Millar has been leading up to this story arc with his entire FF run, and man, we're pumped. It feels like it's taken a little long to get to this point, probably because of some delays in shipping on several issues of FF (due to Bryan Hitch's amazing artwork, maybe?), but it's finally here. I read the retailer preview this past Saturday, and I have to say, it's a great kick-off. Millar has been very cagey about how it all relates, but apparently, his Fantastic Four run, his OLD MAN LOGAN run, and his epic 1985 mini-series from last year all connect together in some shape or form, and we here at Third Eye are thinking that the MASTERS OF DOOM is going to be a big part of what connects the three.

For the past few issues of FF, there's been a pair of mysterious strangers showing up and wreaking havoc, and now in this week's #566, the Master of Doom, comes forward to see how Victor Von Doom has been progressing. What'd you have to look forward to? Well, some of you may consider this spoilers, so we'll white out the text, to read, just highlight with your mouse cursor: first off, THE WATCHER is DEAD! Who would've thought those guys could even be taken out? Secondly, Doom's master isn't too pleased with his progress... and there's some conflict going on there. Plus, there's a ton of other great moments that look to set up this epic storyline. So, be sure to give the Fanastic Four #566 a look this Wednesday. Click here to check out a preview of FANTASTIC FOUR #566!

DARK REIGN FORECAST: PUNISHER #5 CONTINUES THE AWESOME NEW ONGOING PUNISHER SERIES! AGENTS OF ATLAS #5 CONTINUES TO IMPRESS! HICKMAN'S DARK REIGN FANTASTIC FOUR #3 HITS HARD AND THUNDERBOLTS #132 BEGINS NEW STORY ARC!

Dark Reign continues to keep us hooked week after week, and one of our favorite of the new ongoing series launched out of Dark Reign, the new Punisher series, will be hitting the racks this week. Rick Remender, and Jerome Opena have really taken the ball and ran with it in this amazing series. They've taken the character, and done what's been impossible to do for many years, and that's integrating him into the mainstream 616 Marvel universe. Between Opena's fresh, gritty pencils, and Remender's great approach to the character (a combination of Ennis's gritty take with the old school flavor of the classic '80s Punisher stuff), this series has had us loving it. It's The Punisher vs. the Hood, and he's going to kill him or die trying! I mean, come on, the Punisher's decked out with an old Ant-Man helmet, Hawkeye's old bow and arrow, and a variation of the Cap shield... and somehow, someway, this WORKS. Don't miss the conclusion to the first story arc this Wednesday in PUNISHER #5! And, if you want to jump aboard the series, don't worry, Third Eye's got your back. We still have plenty of the first four issues in stock!

Also, on the schedule for Dark Reign this week, we've got the sleeper hit AGENTS OF ATLAS #5 where the Agents of Atlas go head to head with the NEW AVENGERS, which gives us the quirkiest team the Marvel universe has ever known (Well, outside of NEXTWAVE), and THUNDERBOLTS #132 begins new story arc begins in the red-hot THUNDERBOLTS title that's been impressing the hell out of us ever since Andy Diggle took over with issue #126. In this new arc, it looks like the Thunderbolts are out to recruit one of Wolverine's deadly, older foes, Mr. X.

Finally, one of the biggest surprises, rising star writer Jonathan Hickman delivers the goods with the brand new DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #3 . Even with a great writer like Hickman heading up the title, we were a little skeptical at first. Because, lets face it, there's a TON of limited series that spark up during these big events, and not all of them feel like essential reading. HOWEVER, Hickman's Dark Reign Fantastic Four mini has been one of the most fun reads we've been following. Finally, SKRULL KILL KREW #2 brings us what everyone wants? Skrulls getting blown the heck up!

So, as you guys can see, it's going to be a great week for Dark Reign stuff!

PLANET SKAAR PROLOGUE: SKAAR IS COMING HOME TO EARTH, AND HE'S LOOKING FOR HIS POPS!

Skaar, the Son Of Hulk, has been a fantastic, and consistent read. It's been a Hulk meets Conan kind of read, as we get more Planet Hulk-esque goodness every month. And now, the big one's brewing, as Skaar is coming to Earth, and he's got one thing on his mind: he wants to go head to head with dear old dad, the Hulk. What's going to happen when these two green giants go head to head, and the planet Earth is stuck in the middle? How does the rest of the Marvel Universe feel about this? Will this be the final culmination of the events of PLANET HULK, and WORLD WAR HULK? Marvel's been kind of tight-lipped on the details, but we're pumped. And the creative team is looking pretty awesome, as we get Greg Pak (the man behind PLANET HULK, plus a slew of other great reads), and RON LIM (one of the most renowned Silver Surfer artists of days gone past) deliver the goods on this one-shot setting up for the new Planet Skaar storyline that's going to be a must-read for HULK fans this summer.

Click here to check out a preview PLANET SKAAR: PROLOGUE!

DYNAMITE DEBUTS COMPLETE DRACULA #1 THIS WEDNESDAY AND IT LOOKS AWESOME!

Dynamite has a great reputation for taking classic characters and breathing fresh new life into them, and the new COMPLETE DRACULA series looks like it's going to be awesome. This is the complete story of Dracula, the one that Bram Stoker intended to tell over a century ago, and this includes, "Dracula's Guest." A beautifully illustrated gothic masterpiece, this one looks like it's going to be a solid read where the blood flows freely, and the Lord of the Undead is given all the creepy, eerie kinds of treatment that you'd want. I'm personally stoked for this series, because as a kid, I loved Horror comics. Especially the ones that took all the classic characters I knew well from the old Universal flicks, and Hammer horror films, and expanded on their stories. This one looks to be a fantastic combination of that old school horror comics vibe with the high level of new school artwork, and storytelling that's become the standard in comic books these days. The tone, and mood of the series looks perfect.

Click here to check out a preview of COMPLETE DRACULA #1!

HULK #12 *OFFENDERS VS. DEFENDERS WAR PT 3* BRINGS MORE BIGGER THAN LIFE COMIC BOOK ACTION THIS WEDNESDAY!

The current HULK series falls into a strange yet lovable place for comicdom. The storytelling isn't complex, and sometimes, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, BUT, it delivers on that primal big monsters and superhumans smashing the hell out of each other kind of level. It's pure Jack Kirby-fueled fun the way that old school comics tended to be, but with a nice breath of modern air breathed into the story. The thing that makes this book really pop, and really work well, is that the artist line-up has been consistently incredible for the entire series. Right now, Ed McGuiness has been doing the current Offenders vs. Defenders arc, and we gotta admit.. it's pretty killer. I mean, Tiger Shark, Baron Mordo, Terrax and Red Hulk going head to head with Silver Surfer, Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Namor makes for some smash-em up over the top comic book awesomeness. Click here for a preview of HULK #12 OFFENDERS vs. DEFENDERS WAR PT 3!

CAPTAIN AMERICA HITS LANDMARK ISSUE THIS WEEK WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA #50!

A big landmark for Marvel will be made this Wednesday as the current run on Captain America hits #50. The awesome thing about this is that Ed Brubaker has been penning the series for the entire 50 issues of the run, and it really shows. He's developed so many supporting characters in Cap's background, as well as breathed fresh air into classic Cap villains throughout the course of the 50 issues. Not to mention, the direction the book has taken since Bucky has become the new Captain America has been so freaking good. Bucky makes a compelling Cap, because without the same super soldier serum that kept Steve Rogers out of harm's way, he's much more vulnerable and, sometimes, more easier to relate to than Steve Rogers. When he falls out of a second story window, ribs crack. When he throws the shield with his bionic arm, he can feel the tendons come close to ripping. We HIGHLY recommend going back and snagging the trade paperbacks that collect Brubaker's run, as you're missing out on what's some of the best Marvel Comics goodness coming out today if you don't. And now, after 50 issues, Brubaker gives us one heck of a warm, heartfelt story focusing on Bucky. I won't say too much, as I don't want to spoil anything (and no, Steve Rogers does not return in this issue), but it's a great stand-alone issue that would be a good spot to hop aboard the monthly Captain America series.

Click here for a preview of CAPTAIN AMERICA #50!

WATCHMEN & PHILOSOPHY ARRIVES THIS WEDNESDAY AT THIRD EYE!

Here's a very cool book that we're going to be getting in here at Third Eye this Wednesday. "WATCHMEN & PHILOSOPHY" gives us several essays and articles on the philosophy behind the story, the characters, and the world it's set in. Everything from how Rorschach justifies his brutal brand of justice to the relationship between Silk Specter and her mother. It's just an interesting sounding concept for a book, and hey, I love it when people see the depth and meat in great stories like WATCHMEN. I haven't read anything from the book yet (as there were no preview pages or anything available upon ordering), but from what I've read about the book it sounds like the author (or authors) tackles the subject very well. Here's a link to an article about the book.

WARREN ELLIS'S HOTWIRE #3 BRINGS MORE CYBERPUNK GHOSTBUSTING ACTION THIS WEDNESDAY!

Radical Publishing has been dropping our jaw with every new release they put out (and if you haven't already checked out CITY OF DUST, and CALIBER, we'd highly recommend giving them a read), and when they announced they were going to be putting out a series by a Third Eye favorite, Warren Ellis, we were pumped. Hotwire is all about a future where the existence of paranormal activities (you know, ghosts, spirits, possessions, and all that fun stuff) is accepted as scientific fact. And because of this, of course, there's a need for paranormal police officers. This is where Hotwire, Detective Exorcist, comes into play. She's the cop on the force that's shunned by many of her co-workers, but, she's the one who has what it takes to keep all these angry ghosts at bay. It's one part Ghost Busters, one part police drama, and one part cyberpunk. And, in this week's third issue, the conspiracy to infest the city with a plague of crazy, whacked out ghouls and other nasties comes into full play. Click here to check out a preview of HOTWIRE REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD #3! And, don't worry, if you missed issues one and two.. we got plenty in stock to catch you up!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS @ THIRD EYE COMICS!

THIRD EYE-DEF VIDEO BLOGCASTDEBUTS THIS WEEK!

That's right, Third Eye Faithful! We're proud to show off some of our Web-Fu with the debut of our The Semi-Irregular Third Eye Video Blogcast! We're going to be filming these in the store from time to time to give you guys the heads up on different comics, and graphic novels that we've really been digging. This is our first one, so go easy on me! In this edition, we talk about Grant Morrison's BATMAN RIP, Jason Aaron's SCALPED, Ultimate Spider-man and why it's the perfect comic for your kids or little brothers and sisters, and League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and how we cannot wait for 1910. So, click here to go check it out on Youtube!

HUGE thanks to Jon and Pete Salvia for putting this together for us, and giving me yet another avenue to run my big mouth about comics.

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #1 DEBUTS THIS WEEK FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED "SCALPED" WRITER, JASON AARON!

Wolverine is on the tip of everyone's tongues right now, with the upcoming X-MEN: ORIGINS Wolverine film. And, what better time than now for a new ongoing Wolverine series? Okay, now before you're like TWO WOLVERINE MONTHLIES? OMGWTFICANTHANDLEIT... Calm down, breathe, okay, this Wolverine book is self-contained. Meaning that you can read this in addition to what you're already reading, or you can pick it up never having read Wolverine before in your life. Pretty cool, huh? Now, here's the best part... it's being written by one of our favorite rising star writers, Jason Aaron. The man behind the AMAZING Vertigo series, SCALPED. What's got us so excited about this new series? Well, check it out:

The Approach: A self-contained ongoing series which plays heavily into the gritty, seedier side of Logan's life as a black ops super-killer. The approach being taken looks and sounds VERY similar (in fact Aaron made reference to this himself) to Garth Ennis's critically acclaimed PUNISHER MAX series. This means we're going to get an ultra-violent, hard-hitting look at Wolverine, and the characters that have come and gone in his life. Is it just me, or does this sound awesome?

The Characters: Aaron has gone on record saying that he plans to provide a mix of new characters he'll introduce, along with old stand-bys from the Weapon X days. It looks like the series will be pulling a lot of the cool aspects from Wolverine's past into the present, with characters like Maverick (and down the road, Omega Red, Kane, ect). However, the first story arc subtitled "The Adamantium Men" sounds like it's going to introduce some future new fan-favorites to the Wolverine rogue's gallery with the, well, Adamantium Men. Adamantium-laced super soldiers being built for completely devious purposes.

The Creative Team: You've probably already heard us raving on and on about Jason Aaron, and his awesome creator-owned series SCALPED. The man is turning into one of our favorite writers here at Third Eye, and we think that this new Wolverine series is going to be his breakout mainstream work. As for the artwork, Ron Garney, who has always been an extremely solid artist, looks to be delivering some of his best pencils to date. This one looks to be drenched in blood, and Garney delivers big-time.

All in all, we have to say that this new Wolverine series is one to check out. Pick up the first one this week, and see if you like it. It's probably the most excited we've been about a Wolverine book since the debut of Old Man Logan. We know that Aaron can deliver big time on bloody, brutal storytelling, and lets face it, as fans, most of us love Wolverine on some level.

Click here to check out a preview of WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #1!

BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #2CONTINUES THE QUEST FOR THE NEW DARK KNIGHT! Batman Returns? Or Is It Just A Batposter?!

The Battle for the Cowl has kicked off strong, and so far, we've been really digging the entire thing. Even the tie-ins and one-shots have been pretty solid reads. Lets face it though, it just feels good to be reading an epic, bigger than life Batman storyline again. We loved Batman RIP and it's cerebral headscrewery, but it's kind of cool to get back to straight-forward Dark Knight breaking bones kind of storytelling, even though the Dark Knight is nowhere to be found. So, what've we got to expect from issue 2? Well, Gotham is a complete and total mess, as you would expect. Arkham's been destroyed, and the Black Mask is leading an army of Bat-Rogues. You can probably guess that Nightwing and the gang are a little too preoccupied to be able to worry about just who's gonna fill the void of the Caped Crusader.

All we know is that after seeing DC's summer line up (Morrison and Quitely doing Batman and Robin, Rucka and JH Williams doing Detective Comics featuring Batwoman, ect), we are very optimistic about where Battle for The Cowl is going to take us, and what's going to spin out of it all.

Click here to read more about BATTLE FOR THE COWL #2!

WARREN ELLIS (TRANSMETROPOLITAN) BRINGS HIGH-CONCEPT SCI-FI INTO THE BLOOD AND MUD WITH IGNITION CITY #1 THIS WEEK! IT'S STEAMPUNK MEETS SPAGHETTI WESTERNS!

The writer of such critically acclaimed series like Transmetropolitan, Thunderbolts, Planetary, Nextwave, and scores more debuts an extremely exciting new book this week with the new IGNITION CITY series. Ellis has described Ignition City as "the final Flash Gordon story, told in the style of DEADWOOD." A stunning combination of jaw-dropping science-fiction adventure with the gritty, violence of a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. What is Ignition City? It's space heroes that drink, curse and kill. It's the future, and how ugly it's become.

This ISN'T a nostalgia book, but instead, a hard-hitting look at characters like a 50 year old Flash Gordon, a crippled Buck Rodgers, and the Last Days of the Great Science Heroes. It's a steampunk western filled with violence, and a bizarre mixing of fantastical fiction and straight for your throat realism. Houses made of broken down rocket-ships, people drawing aging rayguns on each other over disagreements, and more.

This sounds AWESOME.

Unfortunately, Avatar doesn't have any preview links available, but I did find some looks at the cover art on Ellis's page. Click here to check them out!

DARK REIGN: HAWKEYE #1FEATURING.. BULLSEYE! DEBUTS WEDNESDAY!

One of the single most coolest things about the Dark Avengers is the fact that it's the homicidal maniac Bullseye who's wearing the Hawkeye costume. I mean, nevermind that Hawkeye was always my personal favorite Avenger, but Bullseye is one of my favorite villains, and having him as the new... DARK HAWKEYE as it were.. is awesome. This miniseries features one of the most deadly villains to exist in the Marvel universe. It's being written by the same man who's behind the currently amazing run on the Thunderbolts... Andy Diggle... and it promises to give us a look inside Bullseye's twisted mind.

Just how does he function as a murdering psychopath who the public thinks is a dashing do-gooder? What is his role on Osborn's hand-picked unit of Avengers? How long before the leash snaps, and Bullseye is let loose? This is going to be one of the coolest miniseries to come out of Dark Reign, I can already tell! Clickhere for a preview of DARK REIGN BULLSEYE #1!

GREEN LANTERN #39 - AGENT ORANGE PT 1 *PRELUDE TO BLACKEST NIGHT* HITS THIS WEEK!

The Green Lantern books by Geoff Johns are some of the single-most important DC comics being published. Over the course of the last three to four years, Johns has turned the Green Lantern mythos and characters into some of the most exciting things to come out of DC in a very long time. In the wake of the Rage of the Red Lanterns, comes AGENT ORANGE, where we learn just what the hell is going on with the Orange Lantern, or is it Lanterns? What we do know is that the Orange power-rings represent avarice and greed, so it should be interesting to see how that plays out in relation to the rest of the Lantern Corps. Most importantly, this storyline is leading directly into the biggest DCU event since Identity Crisis, with BLACKEST NIGHT this summer. So, you DEFINITELY don't want to miss out on GL #39 this week! Click here to read more aboutGreen Lantern #39 AGENT ORANGE pt 1!

ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK #4BRINGS THE PAIN THIS WEDNESDAY!

Nearly four years in the making, LOST writer Damon Lindeloff's Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk series has been a huge hit here at Third Eye. I mean, come on, you start a series off with Wolverine getting ripped in half by a Hulk who's been living with a harem of women in a Tibetan mountainside... you know it's going to go over well. But seriously though, folks, LOST co-creator Damon Lindeloff has a real knack for writing the funnybooks, and he's proving it on this series. From the well-paced storytelling to the clever dialogue, he is knocking it out of the park with every hit. Not to mention that SECRET INVASION artist, Lenil Francis Yu has given us some of his best art yet on this series.

Here in issue #4, we get to see a little bit of the story behind Ultimate She-Hulk, and just how she plans to stand between the Hulk and Wolverine before the blood, guts and fur all fly freely. Trust me, folks, the ORIGIN of Ultimate She-Hulk is WAY different than that of the regular She-Hulk. It's a good twist. Click hereto check out a preview of ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS. HULK #4!

AFTER WATCHMEN: IDENTITY CRISIS #1 - FREE THIS WEEK!

This week, we're going to be giving out the first issue of Brad Meltzer's AMAZING Identity Crisis limited series, which is part of the big AFTER WATCHMEN promotion we've been running here at Third Eye. And, man, we are pumped to be putting this one into your hands this week! So, here's the scoop on Identity Crisis.

This, in my opinion, is probably the BEST of the DC events of this decade. And it definitely ranks up there as one of the best DCU events of all-time. It begins wih the murder of Sue Dibny, the Elongated Man's wife. I know what you're thinking... Steve, why in the hell do I care about the Elongated Man, or his wife? Trust me, by the end of this first issue, you'll be sobbing like your mom after an episode of Touched By An Angel, cause Meltzer manages to add so much depth to these characters that you feel as if you KNOW them yourselves.

The whole story of Identity Crisis, which was a 7 issue series, now available in trade paperback, is basically a way of explaining many of things in regards to comic book things. Basically, it is a dark look at the often light-hearted wonder years of the DC heroes. It explains how the supervillains that seemed so corny then, were so, due to devious means.

Trust us on this one, folks, Identity Crisis is a must-read. Pick up the first one, and if you like it, let us know, so we can point you to the trades! Click here to read the Wikipedia entry on Identity Crisis.

MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #1 DEBUTS THIS WEEK, AND BRINGS THE MIDNIGHT SONS WITH IT!

Okay, we admit it, Marvel Zombies 3 KICKED ASS. We were floored at how good the new one turned out to be, after how bad Marvel Zombies 2 SUCKED. Fred Van Lente made it awesome. He infused it with some very Nextwave-esque Machine Man, brought out characters like Morbius who we hadn't seen in years, and even threw a ZOMBIE DEADPOOL in the mix! All in all, MZ3 was good fun, and we thought it had a good ending. It's not exactly ground-breaking, but what it is, IS FUN COMICS. And, hey, that's good enough for us.

And this, my friends, is why we're excited about Marvel Zombies 4. Well, okay, we lied, that's not the only reason. It's also the return of the Midnight Sons, who a lot of you who grew up in the '90s reading comics, probably remember pretty fondly. What were the Midnight Sons? A group of supernatural-themed heroes from the '90s, that featured characters like Ghost Rider and Blade. And, Van Lente, who seems to be a pro at taking somewhat corny old concepts and breathing new life into them, is really onto something with this new incarnation of the Midnight Sons, which is composed of Jack Russel aka Werewolf by Night, Hellstrom the Son of Satan, Man-Thing, and a couple of surprise guests.

All I can say, folks, is that Van Lente is taking a new approach to the Marvel Zombies books, and I'd highly recommend checking out Marvel Zombies 4. It promises to be full of blood, fun, and Marvel madness. And, also, hitting the racks this week is MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 collected in one beautiful hardcover volume.

Click here to read an interview with Fred Van Lente about Marvel Zombies 4 #1!

DEADPOOL SUICIDE KINGS BEGINS THIS WEEK IN DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS #1!

It's official, folks, we CANNOT get enough Deadpool here at Third Eye. The Merc With A Mouth leaves us completely, and totally entertained no matter where he's showing up, and we're so stoked that he's getting the huge amount of face time he is these days. Beginning this week, we've got Deadpool: Suicide Kings, a five issue limited series, which is a story of deception, double-crosses, and dynamite as Deadpool gets totally screwed over by the very man he's working for. Throw in the fact that he's going to be crossing paths with Marvel heavy-hitters like The Punisher, Daredevil, and Spider-man, and we're pretty friggin' curious to see how Suicide Kings is going to turn out. From the looks of the preview, it's going to be more of the same high caliber writing and artwork that we've come to expect from a Deadpool title.

Click here to read a preview of DEADPOOL SUICIDE KINGS #1!

MARVEL NOIR RETURNS WITHDAREDEVIL NOIR #1 THIS WEEK!

One of this winter's biggest hits was the launch of Marvel Noir. The Spider-man and X-Men Noir series both turned a lot of heads, and we thought both were well-told twists in a darker fashion on the classic Marvel characters. This week, Marvel Noir returns with the Man Without Fear.

Daredevil is pretty much the perfect character for the Marvel Noir treatment, and judging from the amazing stylized art the series is being given... this one is gonna be a good one. We cannot wait to see what Marvel Noir has in store for one of our personal Marvel favorites. Click here for a preview of DAREDEVIL NOIR #1!

THE EXILES RETURN IN EXILES #1WITH AN ALL-NEW CREATIVE TEAM! IT LOOKS LIKE A RETURN TO THE OLD EXILES!

A series that a lot of us loved back in the early 2000s was Exiles. Judd Winick started it out as a fun reality-bending story where a motley assortment of Marvel characters from different alternate realities were brought together to prevent horrible events from occurring in different time-streams. Written by Jeff Parker, who has been turning people into fans with Agents of Atlas, and other cult favorite Marvel series, this new EXILES looks like it's going to be a whole heck of a lot better than the most recent incarnation of the team in NEW EXILES. In other words: NO CHRIS CLAREMONT! Now, now, we know, he did some epic stuff back in the '80s... he had a great X-Men run... ect ect.. but we're just not big fans of the man's current output here at Third Eye. However, we ARE Exiles fans, and we're stoked to see the book getting back to it's WHAT IF?-esque roots. Oh, and did we mention that BLINK is back?

Click here to read a preview of EXILES #1!

MARVEL 2099 RETURNS INTIMESTORM 2009 2099 #1 THIS WEEK!

Speaking of series a lot of us fondly remember from our youths, Marvel 2099 was a pretty big mainstay there for a while back in the early to mid-90s. Unique future renditions of characters like Spider-man, Punisher, and the X-Men combined with some pretty sharp storytelling made some of these underrated titles into fan-favorites. Well, Marvel is bringing the 2099-verse back, with all new re-imaginings along with some re-visitations of the 2099 characters and the world they inhabit. Click here to take a look at Timestorm 2009 2099 #1!

SALEM'S DAUGHTER #0 BEGINS FROM THE CREATORS OF GRIMM FAIRY TALES & BEYOND WONDERLAND!

If there's one thing that is a universal truth, it's that hot chicks and twisted fairy tales are a weak spot for nearly every single one of us. I mean, we cannot get enough of the blood, guts, and girls of Zenescope's amazingly well-done Grimm Fairy Tales and Beyond Wonderland series. Good stories, great artwork, these are some fine reads, and this is why we're excited to see what Salem's Daughter has in store for us this week.

The Salem Witch Trials is a neat-looking little Suspiria by way of Zenescope kind of tale, about the Salem witch trials, possessions, vampires, a Solomon Kane-esque gun-toting fellow, and well.. witches. Fans of Grimm Fairy Tales and Beyond Wonderland, should definitely give this one a look! Click here for a preview ofSalem's Daughter #0!

WAR OF KINGS ASCENSION #1FLESHES OUT DETAILS!

This year's big sleeper hit has been the WAR OF KINGS. The epic high Sci-Fi meets Marvel Universe approach Abnett and Lanning have taken with the series has kept us all coming back again and again, and this week, we finally get to see some of that back story fleshed out in the pages of the WAR OF KINGS ASCENSION limited series. How is Darkhawk connected to not only the Shi'ar, but the entire universe itself? And, what happens when this all boils over into a run in with Annihilus's forces in the negative zone? Epic, high-energy sci-fi action... War of Kings continues to keep us hooked. Click here to read a preview of WAR OF KINGS ASCENSION #1!