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.
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
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.
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
