Buying off the comic book rack – June 26, 2013
Third Eye Comics’ Steve Anderson drops by with this week’s new releases and it’s packed full of greatness:
We’ve been stoked for this series since we first saw the advance pages of it. The artwork from Jae Lee alone is enough to win us over, but the actual story inside is probably the most exciting spin we’ve seen on a Batman / Superman team-up title since the launch of SUPERMAN / BATMAN in the early 2000s.
This first issue chronicles the first ever fateful meeting of Batman and Superman in the NEW 52, as Jae Lee’s dark, and moody artwork brings the otherworldly power of the Man of Steel clashing into the dark, despair of Gotham City.
Planet Hulk writer GREG PAK does a great job of making the story pop, and the level of balance he brings to the world of Superman and the world of Batman as the two collide, is downright impressive.
Following hot on the heels of the incredible SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1, BATMAN / SUPERMAN is going to be a must-read series, and trust us: you’re not going to want to miss it.
Last week, the conclusion to AGE OF ULTRON left us speechless, as Marvel brought their own concept of a multiverse crashing into clear view for everyone to see.
Now, with Galactus shaping up to be a very Anti-Monitor-esque kind of role, as he finds himself traveling from universe to universe, and eating away all the Marvel alternate realities — we’re pretty freakin’ pumped to see where this is all heading in regards to the upcoming mega-event, INFINITY.
Even the title of INFINITY conjures up memories of DC’s own Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, which eliminated many alternate DC Earths, and set up their universe in a more cohesive, streamlined manner… could Marvel be planning the same?
What we do know is this: in the aftermath of AGE OF ULTRON, founding Avenger Hank Pym, stands at a crossroads.
Now faced with a dilemma only he can solve, Pym must gamble his past and his future to save the Marvel Universe.
By the end of this crucial epilogue, one of the smartest men in the Marvel Universe will have an entirely new role, but will have he been redeemed?
An entire new Marvel Universe is about to be revealed in the aftermath of AGE OF ULTRON, and it starts here in AGE OF ULTRON #10AI.
GODZILLA: RULERS OF EARTH #1 !
You guys know we love ourselves some Godzilla here at Third Eye, and when we saw that one of the best giant monster artists in the biz, Matt Frank, was gonna be doing a new GODZILLA series at IDW we almost destroyed a few city blocks with our excitement.
This new mini-series, offers a fresh jumping on point to the world of the GODZILLA comics, as dozens of new monsters have risen from the depths and are staking out their own territory, regardless of humanity’s political borders.
And, now, a war of dominance begins… will Godzilla end up on top?
First, he’ll have to be a new upstart… Zilla.
Folks: it’s giant monster mayhem. What more could you ask for? Seriously though, just seeing Matt Frank drawing the likes of Gigan, and many other awesome classic monsters is pretty bad-ass.
ANDY DIGGLE delivers a new kind of anti-hero with UNCANNNY #1
We’ve been fans of many things Andy Diggle has done over the years and he’s always a solid bet when it comes to delivering an innovative action comic with a sense of style and cool to it.
In UNCANNNY, we meet a man with six billion skill sets, and one last chance. Born with an uncanny ability, he can steal other people’s skills — their memories, abilities, and expertise — for a limited time.
A man with a power like that could change the world; but as a professional gambler, con-man, and thief-for-hire, Weaver prefers to look out for number one.
That is, until he finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of international intrigue where the rules keep changing, the players are hidden… and the first thing he stands to lose is his life.
And maybe, just maybe, he isn’t so unique after all…
LARFLEEZE #1 KICKS OFF A NEW ONGOING SERIES !
Larfleeze was one of our favorites of the BLACKEST NIGHT saga, and we’re pretty pumped to see what the creative team of Keith Giffen and Scott Kolins (both of whom have done some really kick-ass stuff in their time) have in store for the character.
In his debut solo adventure, Larfleeze meets Laord of the Hunt, a pan-dimensional cosmic entity that believes all living things are prey — and he’s out to turn the universe into his own private hunting reserve.
Larfleeze quickly finds out that the only thing worse than Laord are the deadly beings he can summon.
What will our greedy, half-crazy Orange Lantern do?
X-MEN #2 — ONE OF THE BEST RELEASES OF 2013 !
We’re totally in love with the new X-MEN series from Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel, as it delivers some of the freshest, most kick-ass takes on the X-MEN that we’ve read in quite a while.
Brian Wood, who’s been wowing us on the ongoing STAR WARS series, as well as his other work on past hits like DMZ, NORTHLANDERS, and more, brings a ton of fresh energy and excitement to the women of the X-MEN in this series which stars the team’s greatest heroines.
Olivier Coipel’s art has never looked better, as he brings the team to life in a big way, and delivers that trademark style he’s known so well for.
The two creators come together to deliver one of the most kick-ass new Marvel titles of the year, and we gotta say: Third Eye gives it mad props.
In this week’s X-MEN #2, the school is on lockdown — but if the bad guys can’t get out, neither can the X-Men.
Have no clue about any of these characters? Don’t worry! This book is a perfect way for new readers to hop aboard, as the writing is so well done that everything is very accessible.
SCOTT SNYDER’S THE WAKE #2 THE ULTIMATE IN CUTTING EDGE HORROR COMICS!
You guys know us: we’re big fans of AMERICAN VAMPIRE and BATMAN: COURT OF OWLS writer SCOTT SNYDER, so when we saw he was doing a new horror-themed series with artist SEAN MURPHY (JOE THE BARBARIAN, PUNK ROCK JESUS); we knew we were in for a treat.
They call it the “Ghost rig.” A secret, underwater oil rig filled with roughnecks and scientists on the brink of an incredible discovery.
But, when things go horribly wrong, this scientific safe haven will turn into a house of horrors at the bottom of the ocean.
We loved the first issue of THE WAKE, and cannot wait to dive into the second one this week.
The entire story, both in terms of art and writing, conjures up a very cool, John Carpenter’s THE THING kinda vibe, and we love it.
Highly recommended.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #4 CONTINUES TO IMPRESS!
We’ve been completely hooked on the new GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY series from Marvel.
This week — Sara Pichelli, the superstar artist who’s wowed us on ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDERMAN in the past, joins the title for a new arc centered on Gamora, and a deadly secret she harbors that could bring down the entire team.
Plus: Neil Gaiman will be joining the title very soon to handle co-writing duties, and that mysterious figure in AGE OF ULTRON #10 — otherwise known as ANGELA? We hear she’s going to be making an appearance.
Why should you care about Guardians? It’s top notch comic book storytelling at it’s finest — the art, the writing, everything is at 200% here, folks.
Imagine if you took the high space action and excitement of a series like Joss Whedon’s FIREFLY, then combined that with a bit of the character and world-building of A GAME OF THRONES, and set it against the backdrop of the Marvel Universe… THAT’S Guardians!
ALL NEW X-MEN #13 — The ALL NEW X-MEN vs. THE UNCANNY AVENGERS!
ALL NEW X-MEN has really been turning into one of our favorite monthly series here at Third Eye, and we’re pumped to see the direction it’s heading as this week’s issue #13 wraps up the two-part X-Men vs. Uncanny Avengers arc.
In this week’s ALL NEW X-MEN #13, we’re going to see just how Young Cyclops deals with the adult version of the little brother he thought he may never see again.
We’ve been enjoying the heck out of this title since issue #1, and it’s by far, our favorite X-MEN book on the stands currently.
With stunning art courtesy of Stuart Immonen, and Bendis at the top of his game, delivering a fascinating take on the Marvel Universe as seen through the eyes of the original X-Men brought back from the past into the present day — ALL NEW X-MEN rules on all fronts.
Wanna get on board? We’ve got both the back issues, and graphic novels available to get you caught up to current on the series.