Category Archives: Books

New Comic Books For 1/4/12

Welcome to the first comics Wednesday of the new year! I am very excited about what 2012 has to offer from the comic industry, from the X-Men vs Avengers over at Marvel to the bold new directions IDW is taking with Transformers and G.I. Joe. This week we get just a little taste of what they year will look like as the publishers lay out their groundwork leading up to the bigger events in the coming months!

Buzz Worthy Books!

Action Comics #5 (DC Comics)
In this issue we see the New 52 origin of Superman, well, the Krypton parts at least. I would be more excited if I didn’t just see the release of Superman: Secret Origin only a few months ago. Still worth a look though to see if Morrison craps all over what Johns had recently written.

Avengers Annual #1 (One Shot) (Marvel Comics)
This is the second part of a three part story that started forever ago with Wonder Man and his Revengers team causing damage. Despite the vague memory of what has transpired in the last issue this should still be good.

Avengers: X-Sanction #2 (Marvel Comics)
This series leads right into the upcoming X-Men vs Avengers event so be sure to pick this up! We left off with Cable on a mission to stop the Avengers from keeping Hope from saving the world and he has schooled Captain America with his sights on Iron Man next!

Batwing #5 (DC Comics)
In the last few issues Batwing has been getting his handed to him by Massacre. After almost all of the heros in Africa are killed by this guy, Batwing decides to call in the big guns: BATMAN!

Boys #62 (Dynamite Entertainment)
First off, that cover is nasty. Look at it carefully and see if you can see it. Second, this book is hitting a new round of awesomeness in my opinion and the final battle is almost here! As long as The Homelander gets his I’ll be happy.

Detective Comics #5 (DC Comics)
Someone is killing people and Batman blames The Penguin. But will his emotions get the best of him when he finds out that his girlfriend is on the list? Thats all well and fine, but I want to see more about The Joker and his missing face!

G.I. JOE #9 (IDW Publishing)
The search for the new Cobra Commander is over, now begins the epic crossover titled “Cobra Command”. IDW has quickly turned yet another franchise that I had zero interest about into a title I am 100% behind. I am going to make a bold prediction and call the entire G.I. Joe Line SERIES OF THE YEAR.

Penguin: Pain And Prejudice #4 (of 5) (DC Comics)
A series focusing on the life of the Batman villain and all of his criminal activity, this series made me look at a once laughable character in an entirely new, sinister light. I cannot recommend this series enough to both long time fans and new ones looking for something interesting to read.

Punisher #7 (Marvel Comics)
It’s a Punisher vs Daredevil brawl in the latest chapter of Rucka’s run on this book. It has been an interesting series so far and the injuries Frank has taken are, for me, the most interesting part. Just check out that eye patch! What’s that all about? Buy this and find out!

Robocop: Road Trip #1 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Rob Williams is where it is at in terms of Robocop. I fell in love with his Robocop vs Terminator series last year and because of that I am diving into this series with all of the enthusiasm that I can muster. This brand new series is not a continuation from that book so it is new reader friendly as we get to explore the main character’s world outside of the OCP dominated Detroit.

Uncanny X-Force #19.1 (Marvel Comics)
“This is the dawning of the Age of Apocalypse, the Age of Apocalyyyyypppsssseee” okay, enough with the Hair lyrics. This new Point One story was briefly touched on in the Point One One-Shot a couple of months back and sets as a launch issue for the new Age of Apocalypse series coming soon from Marvel set in the popular alternate reality.

Uncanny X-Men #4 (Marvel Comics)
I am all about team Cyclops when it comes to my X-Men, so I am looking forward to the new arc in the flagship Uncanny book. The alien race called The Phallanx are back and they automatically start a fight. Why does it always end like that for these guys?

Here is a complete list of what is due out this week.
DC COMICS
Action Comics #5 (Andy Kubert & Joe Prado Regular Cover)
Action Comics #5 (Andy Kubert Black & White Variant Cover)
Action Comics #5 (Combo Pack Edition)
Action Comics #5 (Rags Morales Variant Cover)
Animal Man #5
Batwing #5
DC Comics Presents The Dark #1 (was ‘DC Comics Presents The New 52′)
Detective Comics #5 (Tony S. Daniel Regular Cover)
Detective Comics #5 (Tony S. Daniel Variant Cover)
Green Arrow #5
Hawk And Dove #5
Huntress #4 (of 6)
Justice League #1 (Jim Lee & Scott Williams 5th Printing Variant Cover)
Justice League International #5
Men Of War #5
O.M.A.C. #5
Penguin Pain And Prejudice #4 (of 5)
Red Lanterns #5
Scooby-Doo Where Are You #17
Static Shock #5
Stormwatch #5 (Miguel Sepulveda Regular Cover)
Stormwatch #5 (Miguel Sepulveda Variant Cover)
Supernatural #4 (of 6)
Swamp Thing #5 (Yanick Paquette Regular Cover)
Swamp Thing #5 (Yanick Paquette Variant Cover)

Vertigo
I Zombie #21
Sweet Tooth #29 (Jeff Lemire Regular Cover)
Sweet Tooth #29 (Travel Foreman Variant Cover)

MARVEL COMICS
Avengers Academy #24
Avengers Annual #1 (One Shot)
Avengers X-Sanction #2 (of 4) (Ed McGuinness Regular Cover)
Avengers X-Sanction #2 (of 4) (Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover)
Avengers X-Sanction #2 (of 4) (Stephen Platt Variant Cover)
Defenders #2 (Chris Stevens Venom Variant Cover)
Defenders #2 (I Am A Defender Variant Cover)
Defenders #2 (Mark Bagley Variant Cover)
Defenders #2 (Terry Dodson Regular Cover)
Fear Itself The Fearless #6 (of 12)
Hulk #47
Punisher #7
Strikeforce Morituri We Who Are About To Die #1 (One Shot)
Thor The Deviants Saga #3 (of 5)
Thunderbolts #168
Uncanny X-Force #18 (Jerome Opena 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Uncanny X-Force #19.1
Uncanny X-Men #4
Villains For Hire #2 (of 4)
Wolverine And The X-Men Alpha And Omega #1 (of 5)
X-23 #20 (Kalman Andrasofszky Regular Cover) (Final Issue)
X-Club #2 (of 5)
X-Men #23 (Adi Granov Regular Cover)
X-Men #23 (John Tyler Christopher Venom Variant Cover)

AVATAR PRESS / BOUNDLESS COMICS
Ferals #1 (Gabriel Andrade Regular Cover)
Ferals #1 (Gabriel Andrade Gore Cover)
Ferals #1 (Gabriel Andrade Wrapround Cover)
Ferals #1 (Gabriel Andrade Slashed Variant Cover)
Lady Death #13 (Gabriel Andrade Regular Cover)
Lady Death #13 (Richard Ortiz Wrapround Cover)
Lady Death #13 (Michael Dipascale Art Deco Variant Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #3 (of 4) (Cover A Gabriel Hardman)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #3 (of 4) (Cover B Declan Shalvey)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #9 (Cover A)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #9 (Cover B)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #9 (Cover C Nick Percival)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Masterpieces #5
Elric The Balance Lost #7 (Cover A Francesco Mattina)
Elric The Balance Lost #7 (Cover B Jonboy Meyers)
Elric The Balance Lost #7 (Cover C Francesco Mattina)
Irredeemable #33 (Cover A Kalman Andrasofszky)
Irredeemable #33 (Cover B Dan Panosian)
Peanuts #1 (of 4) (Charles Schultz First Appearance Of Charlie Brown Variant Cover)
Peanuts #1 (of 4) (Charles Schultz Regular Cover)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover A Liam Sharp)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover B Ale Garza)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover C Matteo Scalera)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover D Liam Sharp Negative Cover)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover E Ale Garza Sketch Cover)
Valen The Outcast #2 (Cover H Joe Jusko CGG 9.8 Virgin Variant Cover)

DARK HORSE COMICS
Brody’s Ghost (One Shot)
Goon #37 (Eric Powell Regular Cover)
Goon #37 (Eric Powell Variant Cover)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys #62
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Paul Renaud Black & White Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #2 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #5 (of 6) (Ken Haeser & Buz Hasson Regular Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #5 (of 6) (Mark Kidwell Regular Cover)
Lone Ranger #1 (Alex Ross Blue Variant Cover)
Lone Ranger #1 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover)
Lone Ranger #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Lone Ranger #1 (Francesco Francavilla Regular Cover)
Lone Ranger #1 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)
Nowhere Man #1 (of 4) (Jeevan J. Kang Regular Cover)
Robocop Road Trip #1 (Fabiano Neves Black & White Variant Cover)
Robocop Road Trip #1 (Fabiano Neves Regular Cover)
Vampirella Vs Dracula #1 (of 6) (Joseph Michael Linsner Negative Variant Cover)
Vampirella Vs Dracula #1 (of 6) (Joseph Michael Linsner Regular Cover)
Vampirella Vs Dracula #1 (of 6) (Joseph Michael Linsner Sketch Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #9 (Ale Garza Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #9 (Ale Garza Risque Art Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #9 (Joe Jusko Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #9 (Paul Renaud Martian Red Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #9 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Zorro Rides Again #7 (of 12)

IDW PUBLISHING
Cold War #4 (John Byrne Regular Cover)
Cold War #4 (John Byrne Variant Cover)
G.I. JOE #9 (Cover A Dave Wilkins)
G.I. JOE #9 (Cover B Will Rosado)
G.I. JOE #9 (Nick Runge Variant Cover)
Godzilla Legends #3 (of 5) (Arthur Adams Black & White Variant Cover)
Godzilla Legends #3 (of 5) (Cover A Arthur Adams)
Godzilla Legends #3 (of 5) (Cover B Bob Eggleton)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #5 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Black & White Variant Cover)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #5 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Regular Cover)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 (of 6) (Cover A Chris Sprouse)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 (of 6) (Cover B Phil Jimenez)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 (of 6) (Gabriel Rodriguez Variant Cover)
True Blood The French Quarter #5 (of 6) (Cover A Joe Corroney)
True Blood The French Quarter #5 (of 6) (Cover B David Messina)
True Blood The French Quarter #5 (of 6) (Joe Corroney Sketch Variant Cover)
True Blood The French Quarter #5 (of 6) (Photo Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
Artifacts #13 (Cover A Dale Keown)
Artifacts #13 (Cover B John Tyler Christopher)
Artifacts #13 (Cover C John Tyler Christopher)
Artifacts #13 (Dale Keown Sketch Variant Cover)
Artifacts #13 (Comics Pro Variant Cover)
Blood Red Dragon #3
Fatale #1 (Cover A Sean Phillips Beauty Cover)
Fatale #1 (Cover B Sean Phillips Beast Cover)
Graveyard Of Empires #3 (of 4)
Li’l Depressed Boy #8
Mudman #2
Shinku #4
Super Dinosaur #7
Vescell #5
Witchblade #151 (Cover A John Tyler Christopher)
Witchblade #151 (Cover B Dennis Calero)
Witchblade #151 (Cover C J. Scott Campbell)
Witchblade #151 (Foil Stamped & Signed Collector’s Edition)

215 INK
Fall GN
Price (One Shot)

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #4

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gold Digger #134
Gold Digger Holidays Special #1

ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT
Cyclops #8
Black Fire HC
Billy Fog The Gift Of Trouble-Sight HC
Dare Detectives The Snow Pea Plot HC (Collected Edition)
Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Volume 1 Creation Myths HC

ARCHIE COMICS
Betty & Veronica Double Digest #197
Life With Archie #16

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Atlas Unified #1 (Cover A Grim Ghost)
Atlas Unified #1 (Cover B Phoenix)
Atlas Unified #1 (Cover C Wulf)
Atlas Unified #1 (Cover D Wraparound)

ASPEN MLT
Scourge #6 (Cover A Eric Battle)
Scourge #6 (Cover B Ale Garza)
Scourge #6 (Infected Variant Cover)
Soulfire Volume 3 #6 (Cover A Jason Fabok)
Soulfire Volume 3 #6 (Cover B Micah Gunnell)

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1281

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Wandering Son Volume 2 HC

LAST GASP
Terminally Illin #1

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Raising Amy GN
Superfun Adventures Of Jax GN

MOONSTONE
Vampire PA Pittsburgh Noir HC

NBM
Inner Sanctum GN

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Insider #9 (January 2012)
Doctor Who Magazine #442

PANTHEON BOOKS
Habibi GN (Limited Signed Bookplate Edition)
Metamaus A Look Inside A Modern Classic Maus HC

REBELLION
2000 AD #1763
2000 AD Prog 2012
Insurrection TP
Judge Dredd Megazine #318
Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files Volume 4 TP (Simon & Schuster Edition)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Star Wars Insider #130 (January 2012) (Special) (Previews Exclusive Edition)
Tank Girl Carioca #3 (of 3)

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Alter Ego #106
Modern Masters Volume 27 Ron Garney SC

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Charmed #17
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #11 (Cover A Romano Molenaar)
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #11 (Cover B Anthony Spay)
Salem’s Daughter Haunting #4 (Cover A Stjepan Sejic)
Salem’s Daughter Haunting #4 (Cover B Natali Sanders)
Theater #4 (Cover A Eric Basaldua)
Theater #4 (Cover B Angel Medina)

Avengers vs X-Men

It sounds like something out of the fan fiction realm, but it’s official. Continue reading →

Philip K Dick’s ‘Now Wait For Last Year’ going to the big screen

Will this one be any good?
Continue reading →

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 11/30/2011

Hey gang! It’s time for another round of comic releases! DC seems to be taking it a little light this week, sticking with the four wednesdays a month release schedule and saving non-New 52 items for occasions such as this. But their loss is great news for the indies releases.

Mario’s Top Ten Picks

10) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Tom Waltz & Kevin Eastman, Art by Kevin Eastman (layouts) & Dan Duncan (pencils)

This is the final issue of the team’s rebooted origin tale! With Raph separated from the team and a mutated man-cat leading a street gang after revenge things do not look so good! I hope to see a cameo for Shredder soon.

9) X-Men Legacy #259 (Marvel Comics)
Written by MIKE CAREY, Art by KHOI PHAM

Magneto, Rouge, and Gambit go on an adventure post-Schism. With Mike Carey wrapping up his very long run on this series look for these next few issues to be full of everything he has been building up for the past few years, not to mention that whole Age of X thing.

8 ) Cobra #7 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Mike Costa, Art by Antonio Fuso

The Cobra Civil War starts a new chapter but not without some crazy deaths coming! I expect a lot from this issue off of last month’s ending, and at least one death from either side as missions are completed.

7) Daredevil #6 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Mark Waid, Art by Marcos Martin

Daredevil vs a giant Luchadore named Bruiser on a boat! What more can you ask for? I really hope that new client of his is worth it. Speaking of which, what did that kid really hear that put him into this mess?

6) Red Skull #5 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Greg Pak, Art by Mirko Colak

The final issue depicting Johann Schmidt’s rise in the Nazi party is here. Will we see him don the infamous Red Skull mask? More importantly, we should what importance the name is. Pak is truly delivering something special with this series and it is not to be missed.

5) T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Volume 2 #1 (DC Comics)
Written by Nick Spencer, Art by Wes Craig

The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents are back for a six issue mini-series! With some new agents joining the team, they will face off against the Subterraneans. How does this series translate into the new DC is what I am more interested in seeing instead of what actually happens in it and since this is a small comics week it is nice to try something new.

4) Fables #111 (DC Comics/Vertigo)
Written by BILL WILLINGHAM, Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM

The new North of the Wind has been chosen, so why are there so many unsatisfied with the decision? Also, Bufkin is going H.A.M. in Oz! One of my all time favorite series continues to bring the pain. I would highly suggest you start this from the very beginning if you are interested in seeing what this title is all about.

3) Star Wars: Crimson Empire III – Empire Lost #2 (Dark Horse)
Written by Mike Richardson, Art by Paul Gulacy

The remnants of The Empire are struggling to remain relevant and they hope one of the Emperor’s former guards can be that key figure to boost them back to the top. But is he really into this? The first issue really surprised me with an art style that I have not seen used in Star Wars comics for a very long time.

2) FF #12 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Juan Bobillo, Marcelo Sosa and Chris Sotomayor

After the events of Fantastic Four #600, it seems that while that title will feature the main battle, FF will feature the adventures of the students and wherever they (and the top floors of the building) may have teleported to during the escape from Earth to the “Panic Room”. Without the main cast I hope this story arc does not disappoint.

1) Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #4 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Esad Ribic

The Children of Tomorrow have just destroyed The Asgardians, and the rest of Earth is next. Well, that is until Nick Fury decides that is not a good thing. If this arc is following the traditional story patterns, expect this to be the issue where the heroes begin to turn it all around at the end.

Full List of Releases

DC COMICS
Batman Odyssey Volume 2 #2 (of 7) (Neal Adams Regular Cover)
Batman Odyssey Volume 2 #2 (of 7) (Neal Adams Black & White Variant Cover)
Cartoon Network Action Pack #65
DC Comics Presents Batman Don’t Blink #1
DC Comics Presents Superman Secret Identity #2
DC Universe Online Legends #18
Green Lantern The Animated Series #0
Legion Secret Origin #2 (of 6)
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Volume 2 #1 (of 6)
Tiny Titans #46
Uncharted #1 (of 6) (Tony Harris Regular Cover)
Uncharted #1 (of 6) (Adam Hughes Variant Cover)

Vertigo
Fables #111
Spaceman #2 (of 9)
Vertigo Resurrected Sgt Rock Between Hell And A Hard Place #1

MARVEL COMICS
Avengers Origins Thor #1 (One Shot)
Brilliant #1 (Mark Bagley 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Daredevil #6
Disney Pixar Presents Incredibles City Of Incredibles
Dorothy And The Wizard In Oz #3 (of 8)
FF #12 (Steve Epting Regular Cover)
FF #12 (Gabrielle Dell’Otto Variant Cover)
FF #12 (Skottie Young Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Ghost Rider #6
Herc #10 (Last Issue) (Carlo Pagulayan Regular Cover)
Herc #10 (Last Issue) (Mike Oeming Variant Cover)
History Of The Marvel Universe (One Shot)
Marvel Previews #100 (December 2011 For Products On-Sale February 2012)
Red Skull #5 (of 5)
Thunderbolts #166 (Michael Del Mundo Regular Cover)
Thunderbolts #166 (Paul Renaud Marvel Comics Anniversary Variant Cover)
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #4 (Kaare Andrews Regular Cover)
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #4 (Chris Stevens Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #2 (Carlos Pacheco Regular Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #2 (Billy Tan Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #544 (Greg Land 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Wolverine #19
X-Men Legacy #259 (Clay Mann Regular Cover)
X-Men Legacy #259 (David Yardin Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
X-Men Legacy #259 (Nick Bradshaw Regenesis Gold Variant Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Decision 2012 Sarah Palin #1 (Cover A Jeffrey Spokes)
Decision 2012 Sarah Palin #1 (Cover B Jeffrey Spokes Superhero Variant)
Darkwing Duck #14 (SDCC 2011 Get A Sketch Variant Cover)
Ducktales #1 (SDCC 2011 Get A Sketch Variant Cover)

DARK HORSE
Angel And Faith #4 (Rebekah Issacs Variant Cover)
Angel And Faith #4 (Steve Morris Regular Cover)
Star Wars Crimson Empire III Empire Lost #2 (of 6)
Star Wars Dark Times Out Of The Wilderness #3 (of 5)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Dynamite Art Of Alex Ross HC
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Francesco Francavilla Retro Original Art Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Francesco Francavilla Wraparound Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Paul Renaud Black & White Variant Cover)
Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 (Wagner Reis Variant Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #3 (Mike Miller Regular Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #3 (Mike Miller Negative Art Variant Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #3 (Mike Miller Virgin Variant Cover)
Liquid’s Purgatory TP
Patricia Briggs’ Alpha And Omega Cry Wolf Volume 1 #3
Queen Sonja #25 (Chasen Grieshop Regular Cover)
Queen Sonja #25 (Lucio Parrillo Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #9 (Wagner Reis Risque Red Re-Order Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #5 (Arthur Adams Martian Green Risque Re-Order Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #6 (Ale Garza Earth Blue Risque Re-Order Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #6 (Ale Garza Martian Red Risque Re-Order Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #4 (Joe Jusko Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #4 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #4 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #4 (Joe Jusko Black & White Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
Cobra #7 (Antonio Fuso Regular Cover)
Cobra #7 (Ben Templesmith Variant Cover)
Infestation 2 Ashcan (Promotional Item)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #5 (of 5) (Chris Madden Regular Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #5 (of 5) (Chris Madden Sketch Variant Cover)
Star Trek #2 (Tim Bradstreet 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Star Trek #3 (Cover A Tim Bradstreet)
Star Trek #3 (Cover B Joe Corroney)
Star Trek #3 (Photo Variant Cover)
Star Trek #3 (Tim Bradstreet Sketch Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Cover A Kevin Eastman)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Cover B Dan Duncan)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Fred Hembeck Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Kevin Eastman Black & White Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
Avengelyne #5 (Cover A Rob Liefeld)
Avengelyne #5 (Cover B Owen Gieni)
Avengelyne #5 (Cover C John Stinsman)
Bomb Queen VII Queen’s World #1 (of 4)
Darkness #95
Doc Bizarre M.D. HC
Green Wake #7
Haunt #19
Near Death #3
Pilot Season Theory Of Everything #1
Savage Dragon #176
Shinku #3
Skullkickers #12
Super Dinosaur #6
Walking Dead Weekly #48

AARDVARK VANAHEIM
Glamourpuss #22

AAZURN PUBLISHING
Indie Comics Magazine #4

AC COMICS
Men Of Mystery #80

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Princeless #2

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gobs #3 (of 4)
Gold Digger #133
Last Zombie Inferno #5 (of 5)

ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT
Mouse Guard Black Axe #3 (of 6)

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie #627 (Dan Parent Regular Cover) (Archie Meets KISS Part 1)
Archie #627 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover) (Archie Meets KISS Part 1)
Betty #195
Betty & Veronica Double Digest #196
Best Of Sabrina The Teenage Witch
Sonic The Hedgehog #231

BLISS ON TAP
Andie And The Alien GN

BONGO COMICS
Futurama Comics #58
Simpsons Winter Wingding #6

BROADSWORD COMICS
Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose #71

CAMPFIRE
Ravana Roar Of The Demon King GN

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1276

CREATORS EDGE PRESS
Jeff GN

HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE
Heavy Metal Volume 35 #8 (January 2012)

HOUSE OF ANANSI PRESS
Blue Dragon GN

NBM
Salvatore Volume 2 An Eventful Crossing GN

ONI PRESS
Wasteland #32

REBELLION/2000 AD
2000 AD #1757
2000 AD #1758
Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks TP
Defoe Queen Of The Zombies GN

SEA LION BOOKS
Aron Warner’s Pariah #4 (of 4)
Pendulum GN

TITAN PUBLISHING
Star Trek Magazine #38 (Newsstand Edition)

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Charmed #16
Girls Of Grimm Fairy Tales 2012 Calendar

New Comic Releases for 11/23/2011

Happy Thanksgiving! Before we gather around the food with people I will dedicate my time to diving chin deep into the fictional world found in my books! This week is pretty diverse, with fewer than usual coming from the big two publishers and the amount of indies on the rise.

Mario’s Top Yen Picks of the Week!

10) INVINCIBLE #85 (IMAGE COMICS)
STORY BY Robert Kirkman, ART BY Cory Walker

Last issue saw Invincible make a huge decision against Cecil’s wishes. What does Mark have in mind for the future of the world? Also, Omni-Man and Kid Omni-Man are featured in this issue for the first time really since the end of the war. How will the world react to these heroes after what they went through? Also, Corey Walker is back on art for this issue!

9) INCORRUPTIBLE #24 (BOOM! STUDIOS)
STORY BY Mark Waid, ART BY Marcio Takara

Max Damage had the showdown we have been waiting for when The Plutonian returned to Earth, but after a few secret words The Plutonian left. What did Max say? Is he truly reformed of does he have some crazy card up his leave in the form of a long con? If you have slept on this series please be sure to go back and read what has come. You will not be disappointed.

8 ) CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY #624 (MARVEL COMICS)
Written by ED BRUBAKER & MARC ANDREYKO, Penciled by CHRIS SAMNEE

So Bucky is alive and is back to his Winter Soldier suit? In this flashback tale taking place in the 1950′s we will learn a little more about The Winter Soldier and his budding romance with The Black Widow.

7) WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #2 (MARVEL COMICS)
STORY BY Jason Aaron, ART BY Chris Bachalo

The school is under attack and it isn’t even officially open yet! I wonder if the true villain of the series are insurance agents and how they have united to have The X-Men blacklisted from receiving coverage! The last issue was a little on the light side considering Aaron was writing but it is a nice change of pace for the bearded master of dark comics.

6) KICK-ASS 2 #5 (MARVEL COMICS)
STORY BY Mark Millar, ART BY John Romita Jr.

So, last issue Red mist (I refuse to call him by his new name) and his crew committed an act of terrorism on a community, shot little kids in the face, and gang-raped a high school girl. This series isn’t as funny as it used to be but the drama just hit level ten. Also, Mark Millar should take some of these profits and hire a therapist before one gets court ordered to him.

5) BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #3 (DC COMICS)
STORY BY David Finch, ART BY David Finch, Scott Williams, Richard Friend

The White Rabbit is back with a juiced up Joker, but is she what she seems? And what’s the deal with The Joker? He must’ve really committed to The Situations workout video but got to caught up in the “Gym” that he forgot “Tan” and “Laundry” aspect of GTL. Seriously though, David Finch is bringing us a pretty good Batman tale.

4) ULTIMATE COMICS: HAWKEYE #4 (MARVEL COMICS)
STORY BY Jonathan Hickman, ART BY Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona

Hawkeye’s Asian adventure comes to an end and we have been hyped up to believe that this small four issue series holds the future for Ultimate marvel books to come. We’ll see, but at least we get to see some pretty cool usage of Jean grey and her X-Men.

3) ALL STAR WESTERN #3 (DC COMICS)
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI, Art by MORITAT and JORDI BERNET

Jonah Hex vs an evil cult! That’s all I need to say. Get it!

2) FANTASTIC FOUR #600 (MARVEL COMICS)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by STEVE EPTING, CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO,LEINIL YU & FAREL DALRYMPLE

The big event is here! Now what is it? Marvel has been hyping this up with teases and big hints in the back issues. Annihilus is returning in a big way and this time the Annihilation Wave is starting right on Earth with the Baxter building as ground zero! And is the Human Torch really alive after all? Expect big action out of this issue and the following story parts.

1) GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #3 (DC COMICS)
STORY BY Tony Bedard, ART BY Tyler Kirkham, Harvey Tolibao, Batt

Kyle has arrived at Oa with the enemy rings in tow but the guardians see him as a threat. With no one on his side what will the ultimate ring bearer do? Kirkham is killing it on the art chores for this series and the story is not that bad to boot! You’ll do yourself a great service by getting this issue and seeing what exactly is the deal with the rainbow brigade.

Here is the full list of releases!

DC COMICS
All-Star Western #3 (Rafa Garres Regular Cover)
Animal Man #1 (Travel Foreman 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Aquaman #3
Batman The Dark Knight #3
Blackhawks #3
DC Comics Presents The Life Story Of The Flash #1
Diablo #1 (of 5)
Flash #3 (Francis Manapul Regular Cover)
Flash #3 (Francis Manapul Black & White Variant Cover)
Flash #3 (Jim Lee Variant Cover)
Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #3
Green Lantern New Guardians #3
I Vampire #3
Justice League Dark #3 (Ryan Sook Regular Cover)
Savage Hawkman #3
Shade #2 (of 12) (Tony Harris Regular Cover)
Shade #2 (of 12) (Cully Hamner Variant Cover)
Superman #3
Teen Titans #3
Voodoo #3 (John Tyler Christopher Regular Cover)

Vertigo
DMZ #71
Hellblazer #285
Scalped #54
Unwritten #31.5

MARVEL COMICS
Age Of Apocalypse By Billy Tan Poster
Alpha Flight #6 (Tom Grummett Regular Cover)
Annihilators Earthfall #3 (of 4)
Astonishing X-Men #44
Avengers Origins The Scarlet Witch And Quicksilver #1 (One Shot)
Avengers Solo #2 (of 5) (John Tyler Christopher Regular Cover)
Avengers Solo #2 (of 5) (Thor Movie Variant Cover)
Captain America And Bucky #624
Daken Dark Wolverine #17
Fantastic Four #600 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Regular Cover)
Fantastic Four #600 (Arthur Adams Variant Cover)
Fantastic Four #600 (Joe Quesada Sketch Variant Cover)
Fantastic Four #600 (Joe Quesada Variant Cover)
Fantastic Four #600 (John Romita Jr. Variant Cover)
Invincible Iron Man #510 (Salvador Larroca Regular Cover)
Invincible Iron Man #510 (Mike Choi Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Iron Man 2.0 #10
KAPOW Guinness World Record Special #1 (One Shot)
Kick-Ass 2 #5 (John Romita Jr. Regular Cover)
Kick-Ass 2 #5 (Bryan Hitch Variant Cover)
Kick-Ass 2 #5 (Photo Variant Cover)
Mighty Thor #8
Secret Avengers #19 (John Cassaday Regular Cover)
Secret Avengers #19 (Larry Stroman Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Spider-Man #20 (Marvel Adventures)
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #4 (of 4)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 (Kaare Andrews 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #2 (Kaare Andrews 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Vengeance #5 (of 6)
Wolverine And The X-Men #2 (Chris Bachalo Regular Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men #2 (Ed McGuinness Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)

AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Caligula #5 (of 6) (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover)
Caligula #5 (of 6) (Jacen Burrows Golden Variant Cover)
Caligula #5 (of 6) (German Nobile Wraparound Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #4 (of 7) (Michael Dipascale Wizard World Chicago Cover)
Lady Death #8 (Gabriel Andrade Auxiliary Cover)
Lady Death #7 (Gabriel Guzman Wizard World Chicago Cover)
Lady Death Origins Annual #1 (Matt Martin Tease Cover)
War Goddess #2 (Clint Hilinski Auxiliary Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Masterpieces #2
Decision 2012 Ron Paul #1 (Cover A Jeffrey Spokes)
Decision 2012 Ron Paul #1 (Cover B Jeffrey Spokes Superhero Variant)
Incorruptible #24 (Cover A Garry Brown)
Incorruptible #24 (Cover B Matteo Scalera)

DARK HORSE
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Russia #3 (of 5)
Dark Horse Presents #6 (Fabio Moon Regular Cover)
Dark Horse Presents #6 (Robert Love Variant Cover)
Star Wars Knight Errant Deluge #4 (of 5)
Usagi Yojimbo #142

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Last Phantom #10 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Last Phantom #10 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover)
Last Phantom #10 (Fabiano Neves Variant Cover)
Last Phantom #10 (Stephen Sadowski Variant Cover)
Red Sonja #59 (Fabiano Neves Regular Cover)
Red Sonja #59 (Walter Giovani Regular Cover)
Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #17
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #8 (Ale Garza Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #8 (Joe Jusko Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #8 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #8 (Ale Garza Risque Art Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #8 (Paul Renaud Martian Red Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
Doctor Who #11 (Cover A Mark Buckingham)
Doctor Who #11 (Cover B Photo)
Doctor Who #11 (Matthew Dow Smith Variant Cover)
Dungeons And Dragons #13 (Tyler Walpole Regular Cover)
Dungeons And Dragons #13 (Steve Ellis Variant Cover)
Ghostbusters #1 (Dan Schoening 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #11 (David Messina Regular Cover)
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #11 (Matt Frank Titanosaurus Variant Cover)
In The Shadow Of Sherlock Holmes SC
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #4 (of 5) (Chris Madden Regular Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #4 (of 5) (Chris Madden Sketch Variant Cover)
Locke And Key The Guide To The Known Keys (One Shot) (Gabriel Rodriguez Regular Cover)
Locke And Key The Guide To The Known Keys (One Shot) (Gabriel Rodriguez Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
27 Second Set #3 (of 4)
Infinite #4
Infinite #4 (Deluxe Edition)
Invincible #85
Teen Wolf Bite Me #3 (of 3)
Vescell #4
Walking Dead Weekly #47

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #1 (Red 2nd Printing Variant Cover)

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Princeless #1

AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman Cover Gallery #4
Cavewoman Cover Gallery #4 (Special Edition)

APOSTLE ARTS
Billy Tucci A Child Is Born (One Shot) (Billy Tucci Regular Cover)
Billy Tucci A Child Is Born (One Shot) (Billy Tucci Variant Cover)

ARCANA STUDIOS
All Fall Down GN (resolicited)
Blade Of Kumori TP
Every Waking Moment GN (resolicited)
Rovers GN
Ultraduck GN

ARCHIE COMICS
Life With Archie #15
Sonic Universe #34
World Of Archie Double Digest #12

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Flash Gordon Invasion Of The Red Sword #6

ASPEN MLT
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 2 #5 (Cover A Eduardo Francisco)
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 2 #5 (Cover B Tony Parker)
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 2 #5 (Cover C Sketch Variant)

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #65

CAMPFIRE
Ravana Roar Of The Demon King GN

CARTOON BOOKS
Rasl #12

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1275
Comic Shop News Christmas 2011 Special

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY
Adventures Of Herge HC
Everything Comics From 1978-1981 HC

EVIL TWIN COMICS
Comic Book Comics #6 (of 6)

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Estonia A Ramble Through The Periphery HC
Oil And Water HC
Pogo The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips Volume 1 Through The Wild Blue Wonder HC
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck Volume 1 Lost In The Andes HC

HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE
Heavy Metal Volume 35 #8 (January 2012)

KICKSTART COMICS
Dead Walker GN

NBM
Salvatore Volume 2 An Eventful Crossing GN

ONI PRESS
Sixth Gun #17

SEA LION BOOKS
Richelle Mead Dark Swan Storm Born #4 (of 4) (Dave Hamann Regular Cover)
Richelle Mead Dark Swan Storm Born #4 (of 4) (Dave Hamann Variant Cover)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Tank Girl Carioca #2 (of 3)

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
World War 3 Illustrated #42

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Stan Lee Universe HC (resolicited)

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Neverland Hook #2 (Cover A Ale Garza)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Neverland Hook #2 (Cover B Marat Mychaels)

Borderlands Novel Coming Out This Tuesday

Unfortunately, it won’t be based on the complex character of Brick.
Continue reading →

New Comic Releases for 11/16/2011

This comic’s week is a killer on my wallet with a whopping fifty titles on my reading list. With so many great things to point out where can I start off?

Mario’s Top Ten Picks of the Week!

10) Fear Itself #7.3 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Matt Fraction, ART BY Salvador Larocca

Another issue from the event that never seems to end, this third closing chapter of Fear Itself focuses on Iron Man and his newly returned alcoholism. What does Fraction have in-store for us and The Invincible Iron Man series? Pick this up and find out.

9) The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #5 (Dynamite Entertainment)
STORY BY Garth Ennis, ART BY Darick Robertson

Butcher’s origin continues to roll along and after last issue’s heartbreaking ending I really want to see what kind of crazy leads him to despise The Homelander. But mainly I want to see just how the hell it all happened with his gal in his sight the whole time. A must read!

8 ) Red Hood And The Outlaws #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Scott Lobdell, ART BY Kenneth Rocafort

I am a sucker for Jason Todd stories and despite all of the negative hype that an over-sexed Starfire had wrought it is actually a decent read. So these people no one had ever heard of are being killed by another group of people that no one had ever heard of but the story’s leading trio is here to make sure some bullets are introduced to brian matter.

7) Walking Dead #91 (Image Comics)
STORY BY Robert Kirkman, ART BY Charlie Adlard

Rick has learned to turn the other cheek with the help of a gun on his side, but will the truce last? Also, when the hell are we going to see some zombies? Maybe Kirkman should shift the focus to someone else for a few issues and then come back to Rick’s camp just to let the story get fresh again?

6) Mass Effect: Invasion #2 (Dark Horse)
STORY BY Mac Walters & John Jackson Miller, ART BY Omar Francia

I had originally looked forward to this series as a way to hold me over until the new game is released in March but it is actually pretty damn good on its own. Without giving away spoilers, fans of the series should really find their way to reading this as an official tale of the ME Universe and some back story on Omega Station.

5) Ultimate Comics X-Men #3 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Nick Spencer, ART BY Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco

The gang have set up at the old Morlock Tunnels but the heat is still of for all mutants. And what’s up with Wanda? I hope Quicksilver really knows what he is doing if he isnt behind her craziness.

4) Justice League #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Geoff Johns, ART BY Jim Lee

The flashback tale telling us how this version of the Justice League came together is going on with two of the biggest names in the game at the wheel. Sounds like a winning combo right? You would think so but the first issue had me wondering it there was such a thing as TOO much hype when it came to comics. The second issue was much better with the introduction of The Flash but I am looking forward to the big villain reveal that is coming!

3) Supergirl #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Michael Green & Mike Johnson, ART BY Mahmud Asrar & Bill Reinhold

Last issue’s fight with Superman was one hell of a read and I cannot wait to see what this issue has. Supergirl is still new to this Earth and apparently the last 20+ years since Krypton exploded she has been asleep so you can imagine here surprise when she is told what Superman tells her.

2) Amazing Spider-Man #674 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Dan Slott, ART BY Giuseppe Camuncoli

Now that Spider-Island is over the Sinister Six is taking this as their opportunity to do some evil or other in the name of Doctor Octopus and one of his crazy plans. Want to see how Spidey gets his block handed to him? Tune in for an all new chapter starting here!

1) Avengers #19 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Brian Michael Bendis, ART BY Daniel Acuña

The new line-up is revealed as the countdown to the Ultron War begins! Captain America has reshuffled the deck for the prime team to better suit his vision of world security after the whole Serpent fiasco. I love new beginnings as much as the next guy and Bendis has been around the block enough times to switch it up when he sees that it is getting stale. Throw in Norman Osborn and H.A.M.M.E.R. and that in one interesting mix.

Full List of New Releases for 11/9/2011

DC COMICS
Batman #3 (Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion Regular Cover)
Batman #3 (Francis Manapul Black & White Variant Cover)
Batman #3 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Variant Cover)
Birds Of Prey #3
Blue Beetle #3
Captain Atom #3
Catwoman #3
DC Comics Presents Superman The Kents #1
DC Universe Online Legends #17
DC Universe Presents #3
End Of Nations #1 (of 4)
Green Lantern Corps #3
Justice League #3 (Combo Pack Edition)
Justice League #3 (Jim Lee & Scott Williams Regular Cover)
Justice League #3 (Greg Capullo Variant Cover)
Justice League #3 (Jim Lee Black & White Variant Cover)
Legion Of Super-Heroes #3
My Greatest Adventure #2 (of 6)
Nightwing #3
Red Hood And The Outlaws #3
Supergirl #3
Wonder Woman #3
Young Justice #10

Vertigo
I Zombie #19
Northlanders #46

__________________________________________________ _

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #674 (Giuseppe Camuncoli Regular Cover)
Amazing Spider-Man #674 (Pasqual Ferry Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Avengers #19
Avengers Academy #22
Avengers Origins Luke Cage #1 (One Shot)
Captain America #4 (Steve McNiven Regular Cover)
Captain America #4 (Marko Djurdjevic Fantastic Four 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Deadpool #46
Deadpool MAX 2 #2
Fear Itself #7.3 (Adam Kubert Regular Cover)
Fear Itself #7.3 (Ariel Olivetti Variant Cover)
Fear Itself The Fearless #3 (of 12)
Generation Hope #13 (Ibraim Roberson Regular Cover)
Generation Hope #13 (Dale Keown Regenesis Blue Variant Cover)
I Am Captain America #1 (One Shot)
Incredible Hulk #2 (Marc Silvestri Regular Cover)
Incredible Hulk #2 (Marc Silvestri Sketch Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #2 (Mike Deodata Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
John Carter A Princess Of Mars #3 (of 5)
Legion Of Monsters #2 (of 4)
New Mutants #34
Punisher #5 (Marco Checchetto Regular Cover)
Punisher #5 (Mike Perkins Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Six Guns #2 (of 5)
Stand The Night Has Come #4 (of 6)
Super Heroes #20 (Marvel Adventures)
Thunderbolts #165
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3 (Kaare Andrews 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Ultimate Comics X-Men #2 (Kaare Andrews 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Ultimate Comics X-Men #3
Venom #9 (John Tyler Christopher Regular Cover)
Venom #9 (Michael Lark Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Wolverine Punisher And Ghost Rider Official Index To The Marvel Universe #4
Wolverine The Best There Is #11
X-23 #17
X-Factor #227
X-Men #21 (Adi Granov Regular Cover)
X-Men Regenesis #1 (One Shot) (Cyclops 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Regenesis #1 (One Shot) (Wolverine 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Schism #1 (of 5) (Frank Cho X Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Schism #2 (of 5) (Frank Cho X Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Schism #3 (of 5) (Frank Cho X Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Schism #4 (of 5) (Frank Cho X Printing Variant Cover)
X-Men Schism #5 (of 5) (Frank Cho X Printing Variant Cover)

__________________________________________________ _

AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
War Goddess #3 (Matt Martin Reguar Cover)
War Goddess #3 (Matt Martin Gore Cover)
War Goddess #3 (Michael Dipascale Art Deco Variant Cover)
War Goddess #3 (Michael Dipascale Wrap Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Decision 2012 Michele Bachmann #1 (Cover A Jeffrey Spokes)
Decision 2012 Michele Bachmann #1 (Cover B Jeffrey Spokes Superhero Variant)
Key Of Z #2 (of 4)
Planet Of The Apes #8 (Cover A)
Planet Of The Apes #8 (Cover B)
Planet Of The Apes #8 (Cover C Scott Keatin)
Stan Lee’s Starborn #12 (Cover A)
Stan Lee’s Starborn #12 (Cover B Jonboy Meyers)

DARK HORSE
Conan Road Of Kings #10
Drawing Down the Moon The Art Of Charles Vess TP
Mass Effect Invasion #2 (of 4) (Massimo Carnevale Regular Cover)
Mass Effect Invasion #2 (of 4) (Paul Renaud Variant Cover)
Star Wars Knight Errant Deluge #4 (of 5)
Star Wars Invasion Revelations #5 (of 5)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker #5 (of 6)
Charlaine Harris’ Grave Sight Volume 2 GN (of 3)
Dean Koontz’s Nevermore #5 (of 6)
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #4 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #4 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover)
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #4 (Jonathan Lau Black & White Variant Cover)
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #4 (Jonathan Lau Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Alex Ross Red Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Michael Avon Oeming Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Michael Avon Oeming Virgin Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Sean Chen Negative Art Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Sean Chen Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #1 (Wagner Reis Variant Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #4 (of 6) (Ken Haeser & Buz Hasson Regular Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #4 (of 6) (Movie Cover)
Queen Sonja #24 (Adriano Batista Regular Cover)
Queen Sonja #24 (Lucio Parrillo Regular Cover)
Zorro Rides Again #5 (of 12)

IDW PUBLISHING
Angel Portraits 100-Page Spectacular
Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #4 (of 6) (Renae DeLiz Regular Cover)
Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #4 (of 6) (Jenny Frison Variant Cover)
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #172 (Cover A S.L. Gallant)
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #172 (Cover B Herb Trimpe)
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #172 (Larry Hama Variant Sketch Cover)
Ghostbusters #3 (Cover A Dan Schoening)
Ghostbusters #3 (Cover B Nick Runge)
Ghostbusters #3 (Tristan Jones Variant Cover)
Godzilla Legends #1 (of 5) (Cover A Bob Eggelton)
Godzilla Legends #1 (of 5) (Cover B Art Adams)
Godzilla Legends #1 (of 5) (Cover C Matt Frank)
Godzilla Legends #1 (of 5) (Matt Frank Sketch Variant Cover)
Hawken #1 (of 6) (Tim Truman Regular Cover)
Hawken #1 (of 6) (Tim Truman Wanted Poster Variant Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #3 (of 5) (Chris Madden Regular Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #3 (of 5) (Chris Madden Sketch Variant Cover)
Snake Eyes #7 (Cover A Robert Atkins)
Snake Eyes #7 (Cover B Agustin Padilla)
Snake Eyes #7 (Trevor Hutchison Variant Cover)
Star Trek 100-Page Spectacular
Transformers #30 (Cover A Livio Ramondelli)
Transformers #30 (Cover B Livio Ramondelli)
Transformers #30 (Livio Ramondelli Black & White Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
68 Hardship (One Shot) (Cover A Jeff Zornow & Jay Fotos)
68 Hardship (One Shot) (Cover B Nat Jones & Jay Fotos)
Blue Estate #7
Carbon Grey Origins #1 (of 2) (Khari Evans & Kinsun Loh Regular Cover)
Carbon Grey Origins #1 (of 2) (Hoang Nguyen Variant Cover)
Chew #19 (Rob Guillory SDCC 2011 Glow-In-The-Dark Variant Cover)
Elephantmen #36
Epoch #3 (of 5)
Haunt #18
Morning Glories #14
Mudman #1
Pilot Season Seraph #1
Severed #4 (of 7)
Walking Dead #91
Walking Dead Weekly #46
Xenoholics #2

__________________________________________________ _

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Terry Moore How To Draw #2 (Expressions)

ALLEGORY MEDIA
Speed Racer Circle Of Vengeance #1 (of 4)

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Dream Reavers #2 (of 4)

ARCANA STUDIOS
Blood Shells And Roses GN
Trout GN

ARCHIE COMICS
Betty & Veronica Friends Double Digest #219
Jughead #210

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Flash Gordon Invasion Of The Red Sword #6

AZURE PRESS
Ninjas Vs Zombies #4 (Jaime Martinez Regular Cover)
Ninjas Vs Zombies #4 (Photo Variant Cover)

BONGO COMICS
Sergio Aragones Funnies #5
Simpsons Comics #184

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1274

EIDOLON FINE ARTS
Fracture Of The Universal Boy GN

EVIL TRIN COMICS
Comic Book Comics #6 (of 6)

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #180

KICKSTART COMICS
Dead Walker GN

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Vessel Of Terror GN

MOONSTONE
Spider Satan’s Seven Swordsmen Volume 1 GN

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Insider #8

REBELLION/2000 AD
Cradlegrave GN

RED 5 COMICS
Atomic Robo And The Ghost Of Station X #3 (of 6)
Bonnie Lass #3 (of 4)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Figure Drawing For All It’s Worth HC (by Andrew Loomis)
Star Wars Souvenir Special

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Back Issue #52

You Can Finally Stop Starving! ‘The Hunger Games’ Official Trailer Hits

“They just want a good show…that’s all they want.” With the release of the new trailer it certainly looks like we will be receiving one. Continue reading →

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 11/9/2011

It all begins here (again) as the future direction of Marvel is finally unveiled in the much advertised Point One one-shot book. Aside from that, the rest of the week is pretty “meh” with a few gems here and there to keep it interesting.

Mario’s Top Ten Picks of the Week

10) MAGNETO: NOT A HERO #1 of 4 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Skottie Young, ART BY Clay Mann

My all-time favorite villain gets another mini-series, this time courtesy of first time writer Skottie Young. I am not really concerned on who writes the book as much as I am with the characters involved but if his writing is as good as his art then we shall be in safe hands. Plus, look at the title of the series. Not A Hero? Hopefully that is a preview of what we will see inside!

9) BATGIRL #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Gail Simone, ART BY Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes

Nightwing is such a Dick 8)

8 ) PUNISHERMAX #19 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Jason Aaron, ART BY Steve Dillon

All of the players on the field are closing around Fisk and I can’t wait to see him meet his demise in the most glorious way. Not since Gustavo Fring have I both cheered and booed a story’s villain that was so cunning, conniving, and charismatic all while keeping an air of humanity about him. Aaron, I bow down to your excellence.

7) UNCANNY X-FORCE #17 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Rick Remender, ART BY Jerome Opena

Archangel is coming close to bringing hell on Earth and the team is all but defeated. I sense that Wolverine is going to maim a bro or two in this issue to balance the scales. I am appreciating the use of Age of Apocalypse characters (although Ice Man being evil suddenly through me for a loop) to fill in for characters that have already been dispatched in the regular Marvel Universe, as well as the appearance of Holocaust in the 616. This story arc has definitely been satisfactory on the action that was promised, i only hope that the momentum continues in this issue and onto the next story.

6) BATMAN AND ROBIN #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Peter Tomasi, ART BY Pat Gleason

BATMAN AND ROBIN!!!!!! That’s all I need to sell this.

5) GREEN LANTERN #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Geoff Johns, ART BY Doug Mahnke

Sinestro shows up on Earth and schools Hal on how to use the ring to rescue people in peril? My, how the people of Earth in the DCU are forgetful. With the assault on the Yellow Lantern stronghold of Korugar (Sinestro’s old crew AND home planet) coming up I hope to see this series capture that spark that I have not been feeling lately.

4) TERMINATOR ROBOCOP KILL HUMAN #4 of 4 (Dynamite Entertainment)
STORY BY Rob Williams, ART BY P.J. Holden

I do not want to see this series end! Dynamite, you better bring Williams and Holden back for round two. The last issue showed Murphy rescuing The Connors from the dreaded T-1000 in an elaborate set-up that only experienced fans of how time travel works will understand. I am curious to see how this explosive series ends but I really hope it is more of a BANG than a fizzle.

3) ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #4 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Brian Michael Bendis, ART BY Sara Pichelli

The last issue ended with Miles getting the news that Peter Parker was just shot on the Queensboro Bridge, so I really hope we see him put on the costume (or that makeshift one we saw in Ultimate Fallout) sometime soon. Pichelli’s english may not be the tightest but she more than makes up for that with her art work, and Bendis is Bendis. Much like a comic book writing Jay Z, he has been around forever and if you don’t dig him by this point you are just a hater (just kidding).

2) PIGS #3 (Image Comics)
STORY BY NATE COSBY & BEN McCOOL, ART BY BRENO TEMURA

The next generation of terrorism is here, and apparently it has always been there waiting for the right moment to strike. This series is such a highly detailed look at a world where the Cold War rages on that I am kind of suspicious on what Cosby and McCool are really up to. Pick this issue up (and the first to for that matter), you will thank me later. Oh, and Amanda Connor’s cover is pretty slick, huh?

1) POINT ONE #1 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction , David Lapham , Fred Van Lente , and Christopher Yost, ART BY Ed McGuinness, Bryan Hitch, Terry Dodson, Roberto De La Torre , Ryan Stegman , and Javier Pulido

So what does 2012 have in store for Marvel? Check out this one book to get the scoop. One of the reason that I love these larger titles comprised of short stories is that it is kind of a sampler platter for new readers and a preview of new tales t come for long time fans. While it is NOT necessary to read this book I highly suggest that you do so when something comes back around over the next few months you will know the full story of the “Who’s” and “Why’s” involved.

Full List of New Releases for 11/9/2011

DC COMICS
All-New Batman The Brave And The Bold #13
Batgirl #3
Batman And Robin #3
Batwoman #3
DC Comics Presents Batman Bad #1
Deathstroke #3
Demon Knights #3
Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #3
Green Lantern #3 (Doug Mahnke Regular Cover)
Green Lantern #3 (Doug Mahnke Black & White Variant Cover)
Green Lantern #3 (Ethan Van Sciver Variant Cover)
Green Lantern Super-Spectacular #3
Grifter #3
Huntress #2 (of 6)
Legion Lost #3
Mister Terrific #3
Penguin Pain And Prejudice #2 (of 5)
Resurrection Man #3
Suicide Squad #3 (Dan Panosian Regular Cover)
Superboy #3 (Shane Davis Regular Cover)

Vertigo
Unwritten #31
Vertigo Resurrected My Faith In Frankie #1

______________________________________________

MARVEL COMICS
Avengers Origins Vision #1 (One Shot)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Joe Madureira Regular Cover)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Blank Variant Cover)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Humberto Ramos Variant Cover)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (J. Scott Campbell Variant Cover)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Joe Quesada Sketch Variant Cover)
Avenging Spider-Man #1 (Joe Quesada Variant Cover)
Battle Scars #1 (of 6)
Black Panther The Most Dangerous Man Alive #525
Fear Itself #7.2 (Salvador Larroca Regular Cover)
Fear Itself #7.2 (Salvador Larroca Variant Cover)
Ghost Rider #5
John Carter World Of Mars #2 (of 5)
Journey Into Mystery #631 (Stephanie Hans Regular Cover)
Journey Into Mystery #631 (Amanda Conners Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Magneto Not A Hero #1 (of 4)
New Avengers #18
Northanger Abby #1 (of 5)
Point One #1 (One Shot) (Adam Kubert Regular Cover)
Point One #1 (One Shot) (Nick Bradshaw Inked Variant Cover)
Point One #1 (One Shot) (Nick Bradshaw Variant Cover)
PunisherMAX #19
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #4
Uncanny X-Force #17
Wolverine #18 (Ron Garney Regular Cover)
Wolverine #18 (Khoi Pham Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
X-Men Legacy #258

______________________________________________

AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Caligula #4 (of 6) (Michael Dipascale Auxiliary Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #3 (of 7) (Gianluca Pagliarani San Diego Comic Con Cover)
Crossed Wish You Were Here Ashcan (Jacen Burrows Gore Cover)
Lady Death #6 (Gabriel Andrade True Queen Cover)
Lady Death #7 (Michael Dipascale Auxiliary Cover)
Lady Death Origins Annual #1 (Matt Martin Starstruck Cover)
War Goddess #1 (Clint Hilinsk Auxiliary Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #7 (Cover A Tim Bradstreet)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #7 (Cover B Nick Percival)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #7 (Cover C Tim Bradstreet)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Masterpieces #1
Darkwing Duck #18 (Cover A)
Darkwing Duck #18 (Cover B)
Decision 2012 Barack Obama #1 (Cover A)
Decision 2012 Barack Obama #1 (Cover B Superhero Variant)
Ducktales #6 (Cover A)
Ducktales #6 (Cover B)
Operation Broken Wings 1936 #1 (of 3)
Roger Langridge’s Snarked #1 (Roger Langridge 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Space Warped #5 (of 6)
WordGirl Volume 2 Incredible Shrinking Allowance GN

DARK HORSE
Baltimore The Curse Bells #4 (of 5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #3 (Georges Jeanty Variant Cover)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #3 (Steve Morris Regular Cover)
Dollhouse Epitaphs #5 (Phil Noto Regular Cover)
Dollhouse Epitaphs #5 (Frank Stockton Variant Cover)
Kull The Cat And The Skull #2 (of 4)
Occultist #1 (of 3) (Steve Morris Regular Cover)
Occultist #1 (of 3) (Jenny Frison 25th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Orchid #2
PC Cast’s House Of Night #1 (of 5) (Jenny Frison Regular Cover)
PC Cast’s House Of Night #1 (of 5) (Steve Morris Variant Cover)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Tim Bradstreet Regular Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Ale Garza Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Johnny Desjardins Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Jonathan Lau Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Tim Bradstreet Black & White Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #6 (Tim Bradstreet Virgin Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Jae Lee Regular Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Mark Buckingham Regular Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #1 (Jae Lee Black & White Variant Cover)
Last Phantom Annual #1
Red Sonja #58 (Fabiano Neves Regular Cover)
Red Sonja #58 (Walter Geovani Regular Cover)
Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #16 (Seamas Gallagher Regular Cover)
Terminator Robocop Kill Human #4 (of 4) (Jonathan Lau Regular Cover)
Terminator Robocop Kill Human #4 (of 4) (Tom Feister Regular Cover)
Terminator Robocop Kill Human #4 (of 4) (Wagner Reis Regular Cover)
Terminator Robocop Kill Human #4 (of 4) (Jonathan Lau Black & White Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
30 Days Of Night #2 (Cover A Davide Furno)
30 Days Of Night #2 (Cover B Sam Kieth)
30 Days Of Night #2 (Bernie Wrightson Variant Cover)
Baja GN
Bob Powell’s Terror HC
Crawl To Me #4 (of 4) (Cover A Alan Robert)
Crawl To Me #4 (of 4) (Cover B Menton J. Matthews III)
Crawl To Me #4 (of 4) (David Lupton Variant Cover)
Dungeons And Dragons The Legend Of Drizzt #3 (of 5) (Cover A Gonzalo Flores)
Dungeons And Dragons The Legend Of Drizzt #3 (of 5) (Cover B Tim Seeley)
Dungeons And Dragons The Legend Of Drizzt #3 (of 5) (Monster Of The Month Variant Cover)
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #1 (New Dimension Comics Exclusive Edition)
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror #2 (of 4) (Menton J. Matthews III Regular Cover)
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror #2 (of 4) (Dunwich Horror Prose Chapbook Volume 2 Of 3)
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror #2 (of 4) (Nick Percival Variant Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #2 (of 5) (Chris Madden Regular Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #2 (of 5) (Chris Madden Sketch Variant Cover)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #3 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Regular Cover)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #3 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Black & White Variant Cover)
Spike #1 (of 8) (Franco Urru SDCC 2010 Evolution Of Spike Exclusive Edition)
Star Trek Khan Ruling In Hell #1 (of 4) (SDCC 2010 Exclusive Cover)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #1 (of 6) (Keith Giffin 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #2 (of 6) (Cover A Phil Jimenez)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #2 (of 6) (Cover B Steve Lightle)
Star Trek Legion Of Super-Heroes #2 (of 6) (Gabriel Rodriguez Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (Kevin Eastman 3rd Printing Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
Artifacts #11 (Cover A Jeremy Haun)
Artifacts #11 (Cover B John Tyler Christopher)
Artifacts #11 (Foil Symbol Variant Cover)
Artifacts #11 (Jeremy Haun Sketch Variant Cover)
Pigs #3
Pilot Season Anonymous #1
Walking Dead Weekly #45
Witchblade #149

______________________________________________

12 GAUGE COMICS
Loose Ends #3 (of 4)

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #3

AC COMICS
Femforce #157

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Princeless #1
Snowed In (One Shot)

ALLEGORY MEDIA
Speed Racer Circle Of Vengeance #1 (of 4) (Lee Kohse Cover)
Speed Racer Circle Of Vengeance #1 (of 4) (Robby Musso Cover)

ALTERNA COMICS
Novo Volume 5 Cycles GN

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Puss In Boots Movie Prequel GN

ARCANA STUDIOS
Blood Shells And Roses GN
Ripperman GN

ARCHIE COMICS
Jugheads Double Digest #175
Mega Man #7

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Knightingail #1
Wulf #4

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1273

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Everything Is An Afterthought Life And Writings Of Paul Nelson HC
Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec Volume 2 HC

HUMANOIDS PUBLISHING
Dominion GN

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #180

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Unbelievable The Man Who Ate Daffodils GN
Vessel Of Terror GN

MOONSTONE
Return Of The Monsters Black Bat Vs Dracula
Return Of The Monsters Domino Lady Vs Mummy
Return Of The Monsters Spider Vs Werewolf

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Insider #8

REBELLION/2000 AD
2000 AD #1755
2000 AD #1756
Cradlegrave GN
Judge Dredd Megazine #316

TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS
Intrepid Escapegoat Curse Of The Buddhas Tooth #2 (of 3)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Charley’s War Volume 8 Hitler’s Youth HC
Simon And Kirby Library Crime HC
Supernatural Souvenir Special

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Neverland Hook #1 (Cover A Artgerm)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Neverland Hook #1 (Cover B Ale Garza)
Grimm Fairy Tales #65
Salems Daughter Haunting #3 (Cover A Keu Cha)
Salems Daughter Haunting #3 (Cover B Alfredo Reyes)

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 11/2/2011

Comic Wednesday is here and with the start of a new month comes another wave of DC Comics. Three months in is where the stories generally start to pick up so I am pretty excited to see where we are going. Marvel has a few cool offering but IDW is killing it this week with it’s Hasbro Licensed properties with two big releases. All in all it is not the best week for comics I have ever seen but it is far from the worst.

Mario’s Top Ten Picks of the Week!

10) Irredeemable #31 (BOOM! Studios)
STORY BY Mark Waid, ART BY Diego Barreto

In the last issue the leaders of China, Japan, and America came together to release something truly horrible onto the world as a last ditch effort to stop The Plutonian, and in this issue we finally get to see what it is. This series continues to be a great departure from what the traditional superhero comics bring the the table and I love it!

9) G.I. JOE #7 (IDW Publishing)
STORY BY Chuck Dixon, ART BY Will Rosado

Oh Snap! The Joes have the Baroness captured in a former Cobra hold out, but with a deadly force of Cobra terror is unleashed and is roaming the grounds who is truly the prisoner? I am really digging the Civil War, it has pumped some new blood into this GI Joe franchise. Also, check out The Baroness’ Loubitons on the cover. CLASSY.

8 ) American Vampire #20 (DC Comics/Vertigo)
STORY BY Scott Snyder, ART BY Jordi Bernet

Do you like vampires? What about mid eighteen century cowboys and indians action? No jokes though, this series is the sh*t and Snyder really knows how to deliver the goods in a way that transcends fans of all different genres.

7) Uncanny X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Kieron Gillen, ART BY Carlos Pacheco

The X-Men are back with an all-new number one issue. As Cyclops leads his team to the future Mister Sinister is up to something truly haggard. It has been a LOOOONG time since Sinister has been a major player in comics and I hope that this new jumping on point can deliver on giving him some much appreciated face time to those who were fans of his back from the prominent appearances that he had in the 90′s comics.

6) Detective Comics #3 (DC Comics)
STORY BY Tony S. Daniel, ART BY Tony S. Daniel, Ryan Winn

The Joker had his face removed in issue one and issue two put me right to sleep. Lets hope that this “Dollmaker” can bring the goods this issue or the series will be off of my top ten until something meaningful happens.

5) Transformers #29 (IDW Publishing)
STORY BY Mike Costa, ART BY Brendan Cahill

The Death of Optimus Prime is coming and the build-up is making me crave this series more and more until the day comes. I have completely slept on this series until I have heard of this upcoming plot point and that is why it is my Number 5 book of the week!

4) Invincible #84 (Image Comics)
STORY BY Robert Kirkam, ART BY Ryan Ottley

Kirkman’s OTHER comics juggernaut is still going strong despite the attention his other book is getting, which is a damn shame too since this is my favorite of the two. Just look at that almost all black cover. You just know something is about to go down!!

3) Amazing Spider-Man #673 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Dan Slott, ART BY Stefano Caselli

The Spider-Island Epilogue is here! Who the hell is the Scarlet Spider? WIll anyone in Manhattan be screwed out of their insurance coverage over the infection? Will Peter ditch Carly for the obviously better choice in MJ (Who was the break-out character of the event in my opinion)? Read and find out!

2) Shame Itself #1 (Marvel Comics)
STORY BY Various, ART BY Various

Finally! Some humor poking fun at the Marvel Universe and their most recent all encompassing event! Please check this one and done issue out if you like to laugh. Even if you have no clue what they are making fun of. It’ll be cool, even us regular comic readers have no idea what just happened, like Thor died apparently. How was I to know? USA Today did not do a spoiler filled article the day before the issue hit the store.

1) Batman Noel Deluxe Edition HC (DC Comics)
STORY AND ART BY Lee Bermejo

This massive hardcover features an original tale depicting what is basically a Batman themed cover of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. I have deeply enjoyed Berjemo’s previous take on Batman and I expect this time around to be no different, especially since he is now preforming the duties on both art and script.

Here is the full list of released for 11/2/11

DC COMICS
Action Comics #3 (Rags Morales Regular Cover)
Action Comics #3 (Gene Ha Variant Cover)
Action Comics #3 (Rags Morales Black & White Variant Cover)
Animal Man #3
Batman Noel Deluxe Edition HC
Batwing #3
Detective Comics #1 (Tony S. Daniel 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Detective Comics #3
Green Arrow #3
Green Lantern Super-Spectacular #3
Hawk And Dove #3
Justice League International #3
Men Of War #3
O.M.A.C. #3
Red Lanterns #3
Scooby Doo Where Are You #15
Static Shock #3
Stormwatch #3
Supernatural #2 (of 6)
Swamp Thing #1 (Yanick Paquette 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Swamp Thing #3

Vertigo
American Vampire #20
Sweet Tooth #27

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #673
Anita Blake Circus Of The Damned The Scoundrel #2 (of 5)
Avengers 1959 #3 (of 5)
Avengers Academy #21
Avengers Origins Ant-Man And The Wasp #1 (One Shot)
Daredevil #4 (Marcos Martin 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Defenders Avengers X-Sanction Preview Book (Promotional Item)
Fear Itself #7.1 (Butch Guice Regular Cover)
Fear Itself #7.1 (Lee Bermejo Variant Cover)
Fear Itself The Fearless #2 (of 12) (Arthur Adams Regular Cover)
Fear Itself The Fearless #2 (of 12) (Frank Cho Variant Cover)
Hulk #44
Marvel Previews #99 (November 2011 For Products On-Sale January 2012)
Moon Knight #7 (Alex Maleev Regular Cover)
Moon Knight #7 (Terry Dodson Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Mystic #4 (of 4)
New Mutants #33 (Jason Pearson Regular Cover)
New Mutants #33 (Dale Keown Regenesis Blue Variant Cover)
Shame Itself #1 (One Shot)
Six Guns #1 (of 5)
Thor The Deviants Saga #1 (of 5)
Uncanny X-Men #1 (Carlos Pacheco Regular Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #1 (Blank Variant Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #1 (Dale Keown Regenesis Blue Variant Cover)
Uncanny X-Men #1 (Frank Cho Variant Cover)
Villains For Hire #0.1 (of 5)
X-23 #16
X-Men #20 (Adi Granov Regular Cover)
X-Men #20 (Dale Keown Regenesis Blue Variant Cover)

AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7) (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7) (Raulo Caceres Torture Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7) (Raulo Caceres Wraparound Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7) (Jacen Burrows Red Crossed Variant Cover)
Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7) (Jacen Burrows Black & White Variant Cover)
Lady Death #11 (Gabriel Andrade Regular Cover)
Lady Death #11 (Gabriel Andrade Wraparound Cover)
Lady Death #11 (Michael Dipascale Art Deco Variant Cover)
Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #5 (of 5) (Mike Wolfer Wraparound Cover)
Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #5 (of 5) (Matt Martin Gore Cover)
Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #5 (of 5) (Michael Dipascale Regular Cover)
Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #5 (of 5) (Michael Dipascal Classic Black & White Variant Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
7 Warriors #1 (of 3)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 4) (Cover A Gabriel Hardman)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 4) (25 Copy Incentive Cover)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 4) (Cover B Dr. Zaius Photo Variant Cover)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 4) (Cover C Mitch Gerads Variant Cover)
Betrayal Of The Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 4) (Cover D Tonci Zonjic Variant Cover)
Elric The Balance Lost #5 (Cover A)
Elric The Balance Lost #5 (Cover B)
Elric The Balance Lost #5 (10 Copy Incentive Cover)
Irredeemable #31 (Cover A)
Irredeemable #31 (Cover B)
Peanuts #0
Rinse #3
Roger Langridge’s Snarked #2
Stan Lee’s Traveler #12
Stan Lee’s Traveler #12 (10 Copy Incentive Cover)

DARK HORSE
Fear Agent #32 (Out Of Step Part 5 Of 5)
Goon #36
Kult #4 (of 4)
Usagi Yojimbo #141

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys #60
Dark Shadows #1 (Aaron Campbell Regular Cover)
Dark Shadows #1 (Francesco Francavilla Regular Cover)
Dark Shadows #1 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)
Green Hornet #19 (Brian Denham Regular Cover)
Green Hornet #19 (Jonathan Lau Regular Cover)
Green Hornet #19 (Phil Hester Regular Cover)
Hack Slash Eva Monsters Ball #4 (of 4) (Tim Seeley Regular Cover)
Hack Slash Eva Monsters Ball #4 (of 4) (Tim Seeley Black & White Variant Cover)
Patricia Briggs’ Alpha And Omega Cry Wolf Volume 1 #2
Queen Sonja #21 (Dynamic Forces) (Igor Vitorino Blood Red Cover)
Queen Sonja #23 (Adriano Batista Regular Cover)
Queen Sonja #23 (Lucio Parrillo Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #12 (Joe Jusko Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #12 (Stephen Sadowski Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #12 (Ale Garza Risque Art Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #12 (Lucio Parrillo Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
Cold War #2 (John Byrne Regular Cover)
Cold War #2 (John Byrne Variant Cover)
Crysis #6 (of 6) (Peter Bergting Regular Cover)
Crysis #6 (of 6) (Crysis 2 Concept Art Team Variant Cover)
Duke Nukem Glorious Bastard #4 (of 4) (John K. Snyder III Regular Cover)
Duke Nukem Glorious Bastard #4 (of 4) (Xermanico Variant Cover)
G.I. JOE #7 (Cover A Tom Feister)
G.I. JOE #7 (Cover B Will Rosado)
G.I. JOE #7 (Trevor Hutchison Variant Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #1 (of 5) (Chris Madden Regular Cover)
Jack Avarice Is The Courier #1 (of 5) (Chris Madden Sketch Variant Cover)
Star Trek #1 (David Messina 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Kevin Eastman 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Transformers #29 (Cover A Brendan Cahill)
Transformers #29 (Cover B Marcelo Matere)
Transformers #29 (Brendan Cahill Black & White Variant Cover)
True Blood The French Quarter #3 (of 6) (Cover A Joe Corroney)
True Blood The French Quarter #3 (of 6) (Cover B David Messina)
True Blood The French Quarter #3 (of 6) (Joe Corroney Sketch Variant Cover)
True Blood The French Quarter #3 (of 6) (Photo Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
Artifacts #7 (Paolo Pantalena Top Cow Store Exclusive Variant Cover)
Artifacts #8 (Whilce Portacio San Diego Exclusive Variant Cover)
Blood Red Dragon #1
Giant-Size Elephantmen #1 (Cover A J. Scott Campbell & Nei Ruffino)
Giant-Size Elephantmen #1 (Cover B Axel Medellin)
Hack Slash #9 (Cover A Daniel Leister & Rachelle Rosenberg)
Hack Slash #9 (Cover B Kristin Allen)
Heart #1 (of 4)
Infinite Vacation #3 (of 5)
Invincible #84
Last Of The Greats #2 (Cover A Brent Peeples)
Last Of The Greats #2 (Cover B Stjepan Sejic)
Marksmen #4 (of 6)
Moriarty #6
Next Issue Project #3 (Crack Comics #63) (Alan Weiss Regular Cover)
Next Issue Project #3 (Crack Comics #63) (Mike Allred Variant Cover)
Our Love Is Real (One Shot)
Pilot Season Fleshdigger #1
Pilot Season Misdirection #1
Savage Dragon #175
Spawn #213
Strange Talent Of Luther Strode #1 (of 6) (2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Strange Talent Of Luther Strode #2 (of 6)
Walking Dead Weekly #44
Witch Doctor #4 (of 4)
Witchblade #144 (Stjepan Sejic Top Cow Store Exclusive Wraparound Variant Cover)

ABSTRACT STUDIOS
Rachel Rising #3

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Snowed In (One Shot)

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie & Friends Double Digest #10
Sonic Super Special Magazine #1
Sonic The Hedgehog #230 (Regular Cover)
Sonic The Hedgehog #230 (Sega Game Art Cover)

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Devil Is Due In Dreary #1
Phoenix #4
Wulf #4

ASPEN MLT
Charismagic #3 (Cover A Khary Randolph)
Charismagic #3 (Cover B Siya Oum)
Charismagic #3 (Cover C Oliver Nome ‘Sudana’)
Soulfire Volume 3 #5 (Cover A Jason Fabok)
Soulfire Volume 3 #5 (Cover B Oliver Nome)

BIG DOG INK
Critter #4 (of 4) (Fico Ossio Cover)
Critter #4 (of 4) (JB Neto Cover)
Legend Of Oz The Wicked West #1 (Alisson Borges Cover)
Legend Of Oz The Wicked West #1 (Nei Ruffino Cover)
Penny For Your Soul False Prophet #2 (of 7) (JB Neto Cover)
Penny For Your Soul False Prophet #2 (of 7) (Rob Duenas Cover)

BONGO COMICS
Simpsons Classics #30

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1272

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Everything Is An Afterthought Life And Writings Of Paul Nelson HC
Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec Volume 2 HC
Ganges #4

GG STUDIO
One #6 (of 10)
Route Des Maisons Rouges #6 (of 6)

ONI PRESS
Super Pro K.O. Volume 2 GN

REBELLION/2000 AD
Tharg’s Terror Tales Presents Necronauts And A Love Like Blood GN

TITAN PUBLISHING
Drawing The Head And Hands HC (by Andrew Loomis)
Simon And Kirby Library Crime HC
Star Wars The Clone Wars Magazine #8
Star Wars Insider #129 (Special) (Newsstand Edition)
Star Wars Insider #129 (Special) (Previews Exclusive Edition)

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Alter Ego #105

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #9 (Cover A Nei Ruffino)
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #9 (Cover B Fan Yang)
Salem’s Daughter Haunting #1 (New Dimension Exclusive Edition)
Theater #2 (Cover A Eric Basaldua)
Theater #2 (Cover B Daniel Leister)

Comikaze Preview

The first ever Comikaze Expo takes place this weekend, November 5th and 6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Billed as the largest gaming, comic, horror and multimedia pop culture convention, the event will kick off with appearances from Stan Lee and the official “spokesperson”, Elvira. This expo is expected to draw over 60,000 attendees and have more than 300 vendors on the convention floor. Tickets for the event are on pre-sale at $12 each on the Comikaze website. With each ticket, the holder will receive their choice of a celebrity lithograph photo valued between $79-$189.

Comikaze will feature several name guests and exciting panels for attendees to see and meet. There will be several cast reunions, including several members from the various police Academy films as well as a number of actors who were on the Nickelodeon (SNICK) sketch comedy show “All That.” Other guests will include a few Star Trek actors, along with Ernest Borgnine, Morgan Fairchild and Ernie Hudson.

Some of the panels of note include an “All That,” reunion taking place on Saturday afternoon, in addition to the famed comic and animation creator Jhonen Vasquez. Other panels of interest include, but are not limited to, Steampunk 101, “Team Unicorn’s Super Happy Fun Panel,” The Making SyFy’s Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Paleontology with Morgan Fairchild and many others catering to people’s various interests and hobbies.

Since this is the first ever Comikaze Expo, it is sure to be an event to remember. It will be like no other convention before or after because of the eclectic and diverse guest list and panel discussions. This is something that comic, movie, horror and pop culture fans don’t want to miss and with the scope and scale being so large, there is sure to be something for everyone. Hopefully with a large and positive turnout, the Comikaze Expo will become an annual event and a Los Angeles tradition.

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 10/26/2011

Halloween is almost at hand and what better way to prepare for lavish outfits than by reading comics? This week features a number of jumping on points and a few issues that seem to have been built up to an epic climax. Also, if you are in the Los Angeles area this weekend I suggest you check out the Long Beach Comic Con going on Saturday and Sunday!

Mario’s Top 10 Picks of the Week!

10) GLADSTONES SCHOOL FOR WORLD CONQUERORS #6 (Image Comics)
Writer: Marc Andrew Smith
Pencils: Armand Villavert

Just check out the title! This book is hilarious and exciting, giving us a fresh perspective on the next generation of villains. I want to see more people discover this book. It is filled with high concept action with a large side of fun and entertainment.

9) INCREDIBLE HULK #1 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: JASON AARON
Pencils: MARC SILVESTRI

The first of two new number one issues this week by Jason Aaron, I am a bit skeptical on the Hulk. This has been a hit or miss character for me and every time I think I start to get into it the character is handed off to a new writer who kicks off a new number 1 issue. Silvestri is great though so at least we will get pretty images in Aaron fails (which I doubt will be the case). I hope for big gritty action showing us what a monster this green bloke really is and with Aaron’s track record of crazy tales I think we might get just that.

8 ) AQUAMAN #2 (DC Comics)
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis

I will admit the last issue fell a little flat, serving as more of Johns’ personal platform to argue the merits of Aquaman in an uninspired Tarantino knock-off diner scene than an feeling like actual exciting first issue. That ONE critique aside, I am expecting this issue to bring it. As one of the few true Aquaman fans around I will look to this issue to see if I will continue to recommend the series publicly or if it will be one of my many secret comic pleasures.

7) STAR WARS: CRIMSON EMPIRE III – EMPIRE LOST #1 of 6 (Dark Horse Comics)
Writer: Mike Richardson
Pencils: Paul Gulacy

Dark Horse has been pumping out a lot from the Star Wars Universe lately, opting for continuing mini-series rather than highly numbered on-goings and this is yet another one. I hate to admit it but I am still fairly new to the extended Star Wars universe set in place by the comics but I am really eager to read them. This time the series focuses on the last of the Red Guards that were shown ever so briefly in Return of the Jedi.

6) WALKING DEAD #90 (Image Comics)
Writer: ROBERT KIRKMAN
Pencils: CHARLIE ADLARD

Rick and his crew are taking over and if you don’t like it, well, I hope you like guns in your face. Yup, I just said that. This series continues to chug along at it’s usual pace of nothing happening but with this being the sixth issue of the VERY unsurprising built-for-collected-editions six issue story arcs that we have come to expect from Kirkman I expect something to finally happen in this issue.

5) GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #2 (DC Comics)
Writer: TONY BEDARD
Pencils: TYLER KIRKHAM

The last issue was a cool retelling of how Kyle got his ring followed by ALL of the other colored rings finding their way to him. This issue looks like there is going to be a fight as representatives of the other Corps arrive to see just why the hell this guy “stole” the rings. I love Kyle and any opportunity to see the hilarious Orange Lanterns is pure win ion my book.

4) WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #1 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: JASON AARON
Pencils: CHRIS BACHALO

This issue kicks off the start of Wolverine running his own school in New York and I honestly have no idea what to expect. Aaron has done a great job working on Wolverine in the solo book but how will he fair in an entirely group ensemble? I am sure it will be good and after all of the Regenesis hype I am glad to finally see this issue hit stands.

3) TEEN TITANS #2 (DC Comics)
Writer: SCOTT LOBDELL
Pencils: BRETT BOOTH

I hope Superboy finally throws down on these kids. Seriously.

2) ALL STAR WESTERN #2 (DC Comics)
Writers: JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art: MORITAT and JORDI BERNET

Jonah Hex living in the DC Universe working on a murder case taking place in Indistrial Revolution era Gotham City is exactly what it sounds like. The first issue packed one hell of a punch and I have found myself now going back and purchasing the trades for the Palmiotti/Gray run that came before this as I kick myself for missing them the first time around. If you like your good guys to have a bad side and your bad guys to get what they deserve then this is the book for you!

1) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #672 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Humberto Ramos

The final chapter of Spider-Island is at hand! How will NYC cope with everyone being turned into spiders? Will Peter and Mary Jane get back together? When will J. Jonah Jameson give up his pathetic feud against Spidey? I bet none of these questions will be directly answered in this issue BUT I expect plenty of kicks and a splash page dedicated to the knock out punch!

Here are the rest of the releases for the week!

DC COMICS
All-New Batman The Brave And The Bold #12
All-Star Western #1 (Moritat 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
All-Star Western #2
Aquaman #1 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Aquaman #2
Batman The Dark Knight #1 (David Finch 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Batman The Dark Knight #2
Blackhawks #1 (Ken Lashley 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Blackhawks #2
DC Comics Presents Catwoman Guardian Of Gotham #1
DC Comics Presents The Jack Kirby Omnibus Sampler #1
Flash #1 (Francis Manapul 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Flash #2 (Francis Manapul Regular Cover)
Flash #2 (Francis Manapul Black & White Variant Edition)
Flash #2 (Greg Capullo Variant Cover)
Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #1 (Ethan Van Sciver 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #2
Gears Of War #20
Green Lantern New Guardians #1 (Tyler Kirkham & Batt 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Green Lantern New Guardians #2
I Vampire #1 (Jenny Frison 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
I Vampire #2
Justice League Dark #1 (Ryan Sook 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Justice League Dark #2
Legion Secret Origin #1 (of 6)
MAD Magazine #512
Savage Hawkman #1 (Philip Tan 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Savage Hawkman #2
Scalped #53
Supergirl #2
Superman #1 (George Perez 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Superman #2
Teen Titans #1 (Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Teen Titans #2
Voodoo #1 (Sami Basri 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Voodoo #2

Vertigo
DMZ #70
Green Woman TP
Spaceman #1 (of 9)

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #672
Annihilators Earthfall #2 (of 4)
Astonishing X-Men #43
Avengers Academy #20
Avengers Solo #1 (of 5) (John Tyler Christopher Regular Cover)
Avengers Solo #1 (of 5) (Captain America Movie Variant Cover)
Captain America And Bucky #623
Daken Dark Wolverine #16
Daredevil #3 (Paolo Rivera 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Daredevil #5
Deadpool #45 (Nick Bradshaw Regular Cover)
Deadpool #45 (Greg Horn Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Disney Pixar Presents Toy Story
Dorothy And The Wizard In Oz #2 (of 8)
Dream Logic #4
FF #11
Incredible Hulk #1 (Marc Silvestri Regular Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Blank Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Dale Keown Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Jose Ladronn Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Marc Silvestri Sketch Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Neal Adams Variant Cover)
Incredible Hulk #1 (Whilce Portacio Variant Cover)
Journey Into Mystery #630
Mighty Thor #7 (Pasqual Ferry Regular Cover)
Mighty Thor #7 (Alan Davis Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
New Mutants #32
Red Skull #4 (of 5)
Secret Avengers #18 (John Cassaday Regular Cover)
Secret Avengers #18 (David Aja Variant Cover)
Spider-Island Cloak And Dagger #3 (of 3)
Spider-Island The Amazing Spider-Girl #3 (of 3)
Spider-Island Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu #3 (of 3)
Spider-Man #19 (Marvel Adventures)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 (Kaare Andrews 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #3
Vampires The Marvel Undead #1
Venom #8 (Tony Moore Regular Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men #1 (Chris Bachalo Regular Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men #1 (Blank Variant Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men #1 (Frank Cho Variant Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men #1 (Nick Bradshaw Regenesis Gold Variant Cover)

AVATAR PRESS
Captain Swing #4 (of 4) (Raulo Caceres Regular Cover) (resolicited)
Captain Swing #4 (of 4) (Raulo Caceres Auxiliary Cover) (resolicited)
Captain Swing #4 (of 4) (Raulo Caceres Wraparound Cover) (resolicited)

Captain Swing #4 (of 4) (Raulo Caceres Penny Dreadful Variant Cover) (resolicited)
Courtyard GN (Jacen Burrows Signed Variant)
Stitched #1 (Mike Wolfer Regular Cover)
Stitched #1 (Mike Wolfer Gore Cover
Stitched #1 (Movie Photo Variant Cover)
Stitched #1 (Mike Wolfer Wraparound Cover)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Incorruptible #23
Planet Of The Apes #7 (Cover A)
Planet Of The Apes #7 (Cover B)
Planet Of The Apes #7 (Cover C Scott Keating)

DARK HORSE
Abe Sapien The Devil Does Not Jest #2 (of 2)
Angel And Faith #3 (Rebekah Isaacs Variant Cover)
Angel And Faith #3 (Steve Morris Cover)
Star Wars Crimson Empire III Empire Lost #1 (of 6) (Dave Dorman Regular Cover)
Star Wars Crimson Empire III Empire Lost #1 (of 6) (Paul Gulacy Variant Cover)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #2 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #2 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #2 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #2 (Mike Miller Variant Cover)
Kato #14 (Ale Garza Regular Cover)
Kato #14 (Ale Garza Black & White Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis #4 (Alex Ross Regular Cover)
Kirby Genesis #4 (Alex Ross Marvelous Acetate Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis #4 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis #4 (Ryan Sook Black & White Variant Cover)
Kirby Genesis #4 (Ryan Sook Variant Cover)
Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #15
Vampirella #11 (Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic Regular Cover)
Vampirella #11 (Johnny Desjardins Regular Cover)
Vampirella #11 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Vampirella #11 (Wagner Reis Regular Cover)
Vampirella #11 (Paul Renaud Blood Red Variant Cover)
Vampirella #11 (Wagner Reis Black & White Variant Cover)
Vampirella And The Scarlet Legion #5 (Billy Tucci Regular Cover)
Vampirella And The Scarlet Legion #5 (Johnny Desjardins Regular Cover)
Vampirella And The Scarlet Legion #5 (Billy Tucci Black & White Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #3 (of 6) (Renae DeLiz Regular Cover)
Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #3 (of 6) (Jenny Frison Variant Cover)
Cobra #6 (Cover A David Williams)
Cobra #6 (Cover B Antonio Fuso)
Cobra #6 (Danny Cruz Crisis On Infinite Earths Variant Cover)
Eternal Descent Volume 2 #1 (of 6) (Jason Metcalf Regular Cover)
Eternal Descent Volume 2 #1 (of 6) (Santi Casas Ikari Studio Variant Cover)
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #8 (Eric Powell Regular Cover)
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #8 (Matt Frank MechaGodzilla Variant Cover)
Star Trek #2 (Cover A Tim Bradstreet)
Star Trek #2 (Cover B Joe Corroney)
Star Trek #2 (Photo Variant Cover)
Star Trek #2 (Tim Bradstreet Sketch Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (Cover A Dan Duncan)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (Cover B Kevin Eastman)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (Fred Hembeck Spoof Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (Kevin Eastman Sketch Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
27 Second Set #2 (of 4)
Avengelyne #4 (Cover A Rob Liefeld)
Avengelyne #4 (Cover B Owen Gieni)
Breed III #6 (of 7)
Butcher Baker The Righteous Maker #7
Darkness #94
Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors #6
Green Wake #6
Guarding The Globe #6 (of 6) (Ransom Getty & FCO Plascencia Regular Cover)
Guarding The Globe #6 (of 6) (Variant Cover)
Infinite Horizon #5 (of 6)
Li’l Depressed Boy #7
Magdalena #7 (of 13) (Ron Marz/Keu Cha/Nelson Blake II Signed Edition)
Magdalena #9
Pilot Season The Beauty #1
Red Wing #4 (of 4)
Screamland #5
Vault #3 (of 3)
Vescell #3
Walking Dead #90
Walking Dead Weekly #43
Witchblade #144 (Signed Edition)
Witchblade #145 (Erik Jones HeroesCon Exclusive Variant Cover)

12 GAUGE COMICS

I.C.E. #3 (of 4)

AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman Snow #4
Cavewoman Snow #4 (Budd Root Special Edition)

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gold Digger Annual #17
Gold Digger Halloween Special 2011
Last Zombie Inferno #4 (of 5)
Steampunk Halloween (One Shot)

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Caspers Scare School #1 (of 4)
Dark Axis Rise Of The Overmen #1 (of 4)
Helldorado #1 (of 3) (Martin Coccolo Regular Cover)
Helldorado #1 (of 3) (Martin Coccolo Zombie Variant Cover)
Strawberry Shortcake Berry Fun #3 (of 4)

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie #626 (Dan Parent Regular Cover)
Archie #626 (Dan Parent Sketch Variant Cover)
Archie & Friends #158
Archie Double Digest #223
Betty & Veronica #256
Sonic Universe #33

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Devil Is Due In Dreary #1
Knightingail #1

ASPEN MLT
Dead Mans Run #0 (Cover A Tony Parker)
Dead Mans Run #0 (Cover B Micha Gunnell)

BIG IF COMICS
Pood #4

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #64

CAMPFIRE
Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves Reloaded GN

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1271

CREATORS EDGE PRESS
Jeff GN

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Frank Book HC (New Printing)
Frank Book SC
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Volumes 1 & 2 Collectors Box Set HC
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Volume 2 Trapped On Treasure Island HC

GG STUDIO
Extinction Seed #0 (of 6) (Cover A Livia Pastore)
Extinction Seed #0 (of 6) (Cover B Guiseppe Cafaro)
Extinction Seed #0 (of 6) (Limited Extended Cover)

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #179

ONI PRESS
Sixth Gun #16

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Special #29
Doctor Who Insider #7
Doctor Who Magazine #439

REBELLION/2000 AD
2000 AD #1754
2000 AD Pack September 2011 (issues 1750-1753)
Flesh The Dino Files GN
Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files Volume 18 TP
Thargs Terror Tales Presents Necronauts And Love GN

RED ANVIL
War Of The Independents #1

TITAN PUBLISHING
CLiNT #11
Star Wars Insider #129 Special (November/December 2011) (Newsstand Edition)
Star Wars Insider #129 Special (November/December 2011) (Previews Exclusive Edition)
Star Wars The Clone Wars Magazine #8 (November/December 2011)
Tank Girl Carioca #1 (of 3)

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Brimstone #6
Charmed #15
Fly #5 (Cover A Eric J Letter F)
Fly #5 (Cover B Eric J Letter L)
Fly #5 (Cover C Eric J Letter Y)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Ever After The Dream Eater Conclusion (Dream Eater Crossover Part 12 Conclusion) (Cover A Eric Basaldua)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Ever After The Dream Eater Conclusion (Dream Eater Crossover Part 12) (Cover B Fan Yang)
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents Ever After The Dream Eater Conclusion (Dream Eater Crossover Part 12) (Cover C Angel Medina)
Grimm Fairy Tales Halloween Special 2011 (Cover A Franchesco)
Grimm Fairy Tales Halloween Special 2011 (Cover B David Seidman)
Giant-Size Grimm Fairy Tales 2011 Sinbad (Cover A Eric Basaldua)
Giant-Size Grimm Fairy Tales 2011 Sinbad (Cover B Marat Mychaels)

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 10/12/2011

As we count down to the 2011 New York Comic Con beginning on Thursday here is a look at the whopping number of amazing books due out this week. There are a lot to chose from so my having to whittle it down to a top ten was a lot harder than usual. Speaking of NYCC, be sure to look out for our coverage of the event this weekend!

Mario’s Top Ten Comic Picks Of the Week!

10) Shade #1 (DC Comics)
Written by JAMES ROBINSON, Art by CULLY HAMNER

James Robinson is back on this character (I guess the JLA appearances don’t count?) and with this I hope to see a door opened to the return of Star Man!

9) PunisherMAX #18 (Marvel Comics)
Written by JASON AARON Art by STEVE DILLON

The fall of Wilson Fisk seems eminent, but it won’t be Frank pulling a “Gustavo” on Fisk, but rather his own ex-wife Vanessa. Aaron has been doing a stellar job on diving into The Punisher in this off-shoot universe, I only hope that all of these stories has a predetermined ending for when he leaves the title.

8 ) Dead Rising Road To Fortune #1 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Tom Waltz, Art by Kenneth Loh

As a huge fan of this game series I am happy to see this comic that promises to bridge the story between when we left Frank at the Mall during the first game, and where we first find Chuck at that gas station in the Xbox 360 exclusive Dead Rising: Case Zero.

7) X-Men Regenesis #1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Kieron Gillen, Art by Billy Tan

So the X-Men have been split into two different schools of thought, I only hope this story will be enjoyable before we head to the inevitable story where they will stand united again in two or three years. Until then I will be in full force. My decades long love for the X titles knows no bounds.

6) Green Lantern #2 (DC Comics)
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Doug Mahnke

Sinestro going up against the Sinestro Corp for one reason or another. They are just following YOUR orders, bro. The opening arc of the new DCU continues to plug along but when will Hal get his damn ring back?

5) Batgirl #2 (DC Comics)
Written by Gail Simone, Art by Ardian Syaf

Hopefully this issue has an answer as to why Batgirl is walking again. The last issue was good but if this fails to grasp me I do not think I will stay past the first arc.

4) Who Is Jake Ellis #5 (Image Comics)
Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON, Art by TONCI ZONJIC

The final chapter in what I like to call Fight Club meets James Bond, this was one of those indy books featuring a creative team I have never heard of but I am sure glad that I picked it up. If you miss out on this please be sure to check out the trade as this is a “don’t miss” series.

3) Ultimate Comics X-Men #2 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Nick Spencer, Aart by Paco Medina & Juan Vlasco

Oh no! Mutants were made by the US government and now the world gets us for yet another thing! Also, I wonder what the Human Torch feels about this since he is a human. Does he slowly walk away when the topic arises? I need to see more on this.

2) Joe Hill’s The Cape #2 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Joe Hill & Jason Ciaramella, Art by Zach Howard

It is not always the good guys that get powers, sometimes straight up dickheads get them too. In a world not too different from ours, the only super powered being just happens to be a vengeful blame-others-first sociopath and I love it.

1) Pigs #2 (Image Comics)
Written by Nate Crosby & Ben McCool, Art by Breno Temura & Chris Sotomayor

Issue one of this amazing story took me by surprise, but I will NOT sleep on this issue. For those of you who do not know, this series is about a new generation of Soviet sleepers that have been waiting since the Cold War for their orders to come, and now that they have the fall of America is at hand. Top notch pacing and amazing characteristics make this my must read book of the week.

Here is the full list of releases!

DC COMICS
Action Comics #1 (Rags Morales 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
All-New Batman The Brave And The Bold #12
Batgirl #1 (Adam Hughes 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Batgirl #2
Batman And Robin #1 (Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Batman And Robin #2
Batwoman #1 (J.H. Williams III 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Batwoman #2
DC Comics Presents Batman Blink #1
DC Comics Presents JLA The Age Of Wonder #1
Deathstroke #1 (Simon Bisley 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Deathstroke #2
Demon Knights #1 (Tony S. Daniel 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Demon Knights #2
Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #1 (J.G. Jones 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #2
Green Lantern #1 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Green Lantern #2 (Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy Regular Cover)
Green Lantern #2 (David Finch Variant Cover)
Green Lantern #2 (Doug Mahnke Black & White Variant Cover)
Grifter #1 (Cafu & Bit 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Grifter #2
Legion Lost #1 (Pete Woods 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Legion Lost #2
Mister Terrific #1 (J.G. Jones 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Mister Terrific #2
My Greatest Adventure #1 (of 6)
Resurrection Man #1 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Resurrection Man #2
Shade #1 (of 12) (Tony Harris Regular Cover)
Shade #1 (of 12) (Cully Hamner Variant Cover)
Suicide Squad #1 (Ryan Benjamin 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Suicide Squad #2
Superboy #1 (Eric Canete 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Superboy #2
Unexpected #1 (Rafael Grampa Regular Cover)
Unexpected #1 (Michael Wm. Kaluta Variant Cover)

Vertigo
American Vampire Survival Of The Fittest #5 (of 5)
Northlanders #45
Unwritten #30

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MARVEL COMICS
All-Winners Squad Band Of Heroes #5 (of 8)
Alpha Flight #5
Amazing Spider-Man #671
Avenging Spider-Man Daily Bugle (Promotional Item)
Black Panther The Most Dangerous Man Alive #524
Daken Dark Wolverine #15
Fear Itself Hulk Vs Dracula #3 (of 3)
FF #10
Generation Hope #12
Ghost Rider #4
John Carter World Of Mars #1 (of 5)
Legion Of Monsters #1 (of 4)
New Avengers #17 (Mike Deodato Regular Cover)
New Avengers #17 (John Tyler Christopher Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Punisher #4
PunisherMAX #18
S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 (Gerald Parel Regular Cover)
S.H.I.E.L.D. #3 (Dustin Weaver Historical Variant Cover)
Stand The Night Has Come #3 (of 6)
Super Heroes #19 (Marvel Adventures)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3
Ultimate Comics X-Men #2
Uncanny X-Force #16 (Esad Ribic Regular Cover)
Uncanny X-Force #16 (Mike Del Mundo Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant Cover)
Wolverine And The X-Men By Nick Bradshaw Oversized Poster
X-Men Evolutions #1 (One Shot)
X-Men Legacy #257
X-Men Regenesis #1 (One Shot) (Chris Bachalo Regular Cover)
X-Men Regenesis #1 (One Shot) (Morry Hollowell Variant Cover)

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BOOM! STUDIOS
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #6 (Cover A Tim Bradstreet)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #6 (Cover B Nick Percival)
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #6 (Cover C Tim Bradstreet)
Ducktales #5 (Cover A)
Ducktales #5 (Cover B)
Elric The Balance Lost #4 (Cover A)
Elric The Balance Lost #4 (Cover B)
Elric The Balance Lost #4 (Cover C Erik Jones)
Irredeemable #30 (Cover A)
Irredeemable #30 (Cover B)
Stan Lee’s Starborn #11 (Cover A)
Stan Lee’s Starborn #11 (Cover B Jonboy Meyers)

DARK HORSE
Baltimore The Curse Bells #3 (of 5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #2 (Georges Jeanty Variant Cover)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #2 (Steve Morris Regular Cover)
Dollhouse Epitaphs #4 (of 5) (Stephanie Hans Variant Cover)
Dollhouse Epitaphs #4 (of 5) (Phil Noto Regular Cover)
Kull The Cat And The Skull #1 (of 4) (Jo Chen Regular Cover)
Kull The Cat And The Skull #1 (of 4) (Stephanie Hans Variant Cover)
Orchid #1 (Massimo Carnevale Regular Cover)
Orchid #1 (Shephard Fairey Variant Cover)
Star Wars Invasion Revelations #4 (of 5)
Star Wars The Old Republic The Lost Suns #5 (of 5)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Tim Bradstreet Regular Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Ale Garza Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Johnny Desjardins Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Jonathan Lau Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Tim Bradstreet Negative Art Variant Cover)
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #5 (Tim Bradstreet Virgin Variant Cover)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #1 (Alex Ross 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #3 (of 6) (Andrew Magnum & Juan Fernandez Regular Cover)
Living Corpse Exhumed #3 (of 6) (Ken Haeser & Buz Hassan Regular Cover)
Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #14
Vampirella #10 (Ale Garza Regular Cover)
Vampirella #10 (Fabiano Neves Regular Cover)
Vampirella #10 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover)
Vampirella #10 (Jelena Kevic-Durdjevic Regular Cover)
Vampirella #10 (Fabiano Neves Black & White Variant Cover)
Vampirella #10 (Paul Renaud Blood Red Variant Cover)
Warehouse 13 #2 (Ben Morse Regular Cover)
Warehouse 13 #2 (Photo Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars #8 (Joe Jusko Blue Reorder Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #3 (Joe Jusko Regular Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #3 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #3 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #3 (Joe Jusko Black & White Variant Cover)

IDW PUBLISHING
Dead Rising Road To Fortune #1 (of 4) (Kenneth Loh Regular Cover)
Dead Rising Road To Fortune #1 (of 4) (Dead Rising Concept Art Team Variant Cover)
Ghostbusters #2 (Cover A Dan Schoening)
Ghostbusters #2 (Cover B Nick Runge)
Ghostbusters #2 (Dan Schoening ‘We’re Ready to Believe You’ Variant Cover)
Infestation Outbreak #4 (of 4) (Davide Furno Regular Cover)
Infestation Outbreak #4 (of 4) (David Messina ‘Character’ Variant Cover)
Joe Hill’s The Cape #2 (of 4) (Cover A Zach Howard)
Joe Hill’s The Cape #2 (of 4) (Cover B Nelson Daniel)
Joe Hill’s The Cape #2 (of 4) (Nelson Daniel Black & White Variant Cover)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #2 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Regular Cover)
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #2 (of 5) (Jeff Zornow Black & White Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Kevin Eastman 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (Kevin Eastman 2nd Printing Variant Cover)

IMAGE COMICS
Blue Estate #6
CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011(Cover A John Cassaday)
CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011(Cover B Matt Wagner)
CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011(Frank Quietly Black & White Variant Cover)
CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011(Frank Quietly Variant Cover)
Morning Glories #13
Pigs #2
Pilot Season City Of Refuge #1
Super Dinosaur #5
Walking Dead Weekly #41
Who Is Jake Ellis #5

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215 INK
Vic Boone #2

AARDVARK VANAHEIM
Glamourpuss #21

ADHOUSE BOOKS
Pope Hats #2

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Escape From The Planet Of The Dead
Gold Digger Swimsuit Special #21

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Dream Reavers #1 (of 4)

ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT
Immortals Gods And Heroes HC

ARCHIE COMICS
Mega Man #6
Veronica #209 (Veronica Presents Kevin Keller issue 3) (Dan Parent Regular Cover)
Veronica #209 (Veronica Presents Kevin Keller issue 3) (Dan Parent Variant Cover)
World Of Archie Double Digest #11

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Flash Gordon Invasion Of The Red Sword #5
Grim Ghost #5
Phoenix #5

ASPEN MLT
Haunted City #1 (Cover A Michael Ryan)
Haunted City #1 (Cover B Joe Benitez)
Haunted City #1 (Cover C Beastly Variant)

ASYLUM PRESS
Black Powder #1 (of 6)

BIG DOG INK
Critter #3 (of 4) (Eric Basaldua Cover)
Critter #3 (of 4) (Fico Ossio Cover)

CAMPFIRE
Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves Reloaded GN

CINEBOOK
Lucky Luke Adventure Volume 24 The Judge TP

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1269

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY
Death-Ray HC (by Daniel Clowes)
Great Northern Brotherhood Canadian Cartoonists HC
John Stanley Library Volume 3 Nancy HC

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Frank Book HC
Frank Book SC
Nuts HC
Cabbie Volume 1 HC

NBM
Bubbles And Gondola HC

ONI PRESS
Black Metal Volume 2 GN (of 3)

SEA LION BOOKS
Richelle Mead Dark Swan Storm Born #3 (of 4) (Dave Hamann Regular Cover)
Richelle Mead Dark Swan Storm Born #3 (of 4) (Dave Hamann Sketch Variant Cover)

SECRET ACRES
Troop 142 GN

SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT
Certain Scientific Railgun Volume 2 GN
Dracula Everlasting Volume 1 GN

STERLING PUBLISHING
Tale Of Two Cities GN

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Draw #21

UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES
Spongebob Comics #5

Power-Con & Thundercon

Both the Masters of the Universe and Thundercats franchises have lasted as toy lines, cartoon series and motion pictures for nearly 30 years. Power-Con & ThunderCon was the first such fan convention held in the United States. It took place at the Four Points Sheraton LAX on the weekend of September 24th-25th 2011. These franchises have some of the most dedicated fans of any pop culture or nostalgic properties. It’s a misnomer to think that since this convention was held in the US, that only Americans would be in attendance. Considering that this event catered to a very specialized fan base, there were people who not only flew in from other states, but from countries such as Canada, France, Italy, Bolivia and Australia This convention would not have been possible without the hard work from He-Man.org founder and convention director Val Staples.

The convention was set up with the typical vendor/dealer hall as well as a room where all of the panels took place and there was a room dedicated to displaying the various toy lines as well as showing off some well drawn pieces of art, some of which were created by fans. After most convention goers had arrived, registered, collected their badges and exclusive swag, they proceeded to stand in line for the first panel.

This was The Matty Collector Presentation, featuring Masters of the Universe Classics toy line. The panel consisted of Scott “Toy Guru” Neitlich, Terry Higuchi, Mike Guarniere and Bill Benecke who all work for Mattel. Not only were the toys from the classics that had been revealed at San Diego Comic Con shown again, there were several new and upcoming figures for next years line revealed. The previously announced but not released figures are Icarius (October), Snout Spout (November), Bubble Power She-Ra (November), Swiftwind (November), Battle Ground Evil Lyn (November), Demo-Man (December), the Windraider vehicle (December), The Sorceress (January), Fearless Photog (January, 30th anniversary), the Star Sisters three pack (January), Fisto (February), Kobra Kahn (March), Draego-Man (March), Thunder Punch He-Man (March) and the 2012 subscription exclusive figure Shadow Weaver. The figures being announced and shown off for the first time were, Stinkor (April), the Griffin beast (April), the Snake Mountain figure stands (April), Slushhead (May) and The Might Spector (May, 30th anniversary) and the traveling convention exclusive, Temple of Darkness Sorceress. They also had a slideshow detailing the process of how a Masters of the Universe Classics figures is made, from concept through finished product.

An additional panel of interest was the Masters of the Original He-Man Toy line. In this panel the guests, Mark Taylor, Ted Mayer, Martin Arriola and Paul Cleveland discussed how the character of He-Man was created and other aspects regarding the original toy line that launched the Masters of the Universe franchise. Absent from the panel was Roger Sweet, yet another person who claims to have created He-Man. He is at such odds with Mark Taylor, that he would not show his face unless he was given credit for creating the character and toy line. Mark Taylor went into a lengthy, but informative talk on how he conceived the idea of and created He-Man. He boasted how he was unable to make this possible without the help of Ted Mayer who helped with the initial designs and was working for the Intelevision electronics division of Mattel at the time. The other panelists told how they fit into the Masters toy line process and which figures and toys they were responsible for having created.

The following panel was, Filmation: Focus on He-Man. Moderating the discussion was James Etock, who wrote an unofficial episode guide for the Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series. The panelists featured were Larry DiTillio, Rowby Goren, Michael Halperin, Tom Sito and Charles Zembillas. Missing from the panel was of course the founder and executive producer of the Filmation animation studio, Lou Scheimer. Michael Halperin talked about how he was hired to create the series bible, which is to write the back-story and mythos for all the characters and locations for the series. Both Larry DiTillio and Rowby Goren were writers on the series. Rowby was brought on for his comedic writing background to put humor into the show. Larry also wrote for She-Ra. Tom Sito on the other hand, was a storyboard artist for the series. Charles Zembillas told stories of how he got his job as an animator for the series.

Next up was the long awaited panel for The Classic Thundercats. This featured Larry Kenny (Lion-O, Safari Joe and Jackalman) and Gerrianne Raphael (Pumyra and Chilla.) The two talked about how they became voice actors and what it was like for them to be a part of the classic cartoon. They both spoke on how they created the distinct sounding voices for the characters they played. Larry reminisced about fellow voice cast members Bob McFadden (Snarf) and Earl Hammond (Mumm-Ra) who passed away since the series had aired. Also, what would a Thundercats panel be with out Larry Kenny belting out “Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats HOOOOOOO!”, which he did while holding up a role-play sword from the current series, given to him by an audience member.

Between panels there was time to roam the vendor hall and mingle with fellow convention goers/fans. Johnny’s Perfect Costumes, Zolo World and Spy Monkey Creations, who sell custom figures and accessories, The Power and Honor Foundation, who are collecting and preserving rare He-Man art preserving PowerMorphicon the Power Ranger’s convention, Cereal Geeks magazine, Mattel & Matty Collector , Coast City Style t-shirts, comic book artist Tone Rodriguez. Also, there were a few vendors selling vintage Masters of the Universe toys and collectibles. In the back is where the autograph sable was. This is where fan could meet several of the convention guests and panelists.

Across from the vendor hall was the art and collectible room. This room consisted of action figures and art pieces. The figures displays consisted of pieces from all series from the vintage Thundercats, Masters of the Universe through 200X and everything in between, including playsets. Not only was there rare and design art on display, there was several pieces of fan drawn art. This room was a welcome break from the chaos of the rest of the convention.

The last panel of Saturday was for the Toy Masters documentary. The two filmmakers, Cory Landis and Roger Lay Jr. have spent many months filming interviews of influential people in the He-Man universe such as toy creators, animators, voice actors and super fans, just to name a few. Their goal is to chronicle the story of Masters of the Universe. The guests on the panel aside from the filmmakers included Mark Taylor, Ted Mayer, Mark DiCamillo and Gary Goddard. Not only was the documentary discussed, but how each of the panelists we involved with the franchise. Gary Goddard was the special surprise guest. He took the property into the live-action realm with the mall and Power Tours as well as directing the 1987 Masters of the Universe film. This panel was a highlight of the convention.

Despite the main convention having closed for the day, there were several after hours events. The most prestigious was the Roast Gooble Dinner Dinner. Where fans could pay about $350 to have dinner and mingle with the panel guests. For those without a deep pocket, there was a screening of the fan film The Wizard of Stone Mountain. This was a low budget fan project set in the He-Man universe. It was made by John F. Carroll and Mussel Minton. They were there to answer questions after the screening and sad there are two sequels in the works. Next up was the wonderful costume contest. The winner was Johnny, from Johnny’s Perfect Costumes dressed as King Randor. Then, “Pixel Dan” Eardley took the stage to premiere an episode of his video series Power & Honor. This episode focused on original figure of He-Man. These events went on past 12PM

Sunday kicked off with a rather big panel. Melendy Britt and Alan Oppenheimer voiced the characters of She-Ra and Skeletor respectfully. These two individuals have never appeared at a convention before let alone together. This was a highlight for all convention attendees. They had much to say about what it was like to get into recording cartoon voices and how much of an impact they had on the viewers of there shows. Naturally, throughout the panel they broke out into several of their character voices which drew loud cheers from the audience. They could have never expected so much positive fan response, especially over 25 years after their cartoons have been made. The fans have so much respect for these voice actors.

After that was the New Thundercats panel. This was for the series currently airing on Cartoon Network. This consisted of Larry Kenny, the voice of King Claudus and Matthew Mercer, who voice Tygra. It was fun to see how the two of them not only kept the old series alive, but brought something fresh and different to the new cartoon. Matthew started out dubbing voices for anime, so it was different for him to not have to voice match to already animated footage. Larry Kenny not only talked about how pleased he was with the new series, but how he has high hope for what it will become. One day he hopes that he and Will Friedle, the current voice of Lion-O will get the chance to meet in person. There are high hopes among convention goers that Will can be a guest at next year’s event. Matthew also, discussed about having been a fan of Thundercats when he was a kid and that this was a dream come true to get to voice Tygra for his first roll in an American animated series. These two were great to represent the original and the brand new Thundercats series’.

The final panel of interest was He-man art through the ages. The two guests for this were legendary artist Earl Norem and Emiliano Santalucia, founder of the Power and Honor Foundation. Earl got his start in art not only illustrating pin-up magazines, but drawing the wonderful covers for the early Conan comics and books. Once Masters of the Universe became popular in the 1980’s, Earl became the premiere artist for the official He-Man magazine. He drew epic paintings used as the cover for many issues of the magazine. The second panelist, Emiliano Santalucia is not only an artist in his on right; he established the Power and Honor foundation. This is a group with the goal of collecting and preserving rare artwork and prototype drawing from all facets of the He-Man property. As of now, there is a nice hardcover book that has been made which features rare prototype and unused designs for the Masters of the Universe and New Adventures of He-Man toy lines. The book was not only available for a donation of $55 at the convention, but it can be ordered through the foundations website. With donations from the fan community, Emiliano says that there are enough pieces that can be collected and preserved for the foundation to publish about 6 or 7 more volumes of their wonderful catalogue.

Overall Power-Con and ThunderCon was a resounding success. Considering its size and dedicated fan base, who traveled from all over the world to attend, it look like this convention will only be getting bigger in years to come. While not ever panel and fine detail was covered, hopefully there is enough information to give anyone who was unable to attend a good picture of what went on. This is encouragement not only for getting more people out to the con for next year, but being able to make it bigger and better. Despite there being many foreign fans who flew in from out of the state and even the country, it was a great place to meet fellow He-Man and Thundercats aficionados. If you missed the convention this year, it will be back in LA next year, larger and more expansive and in 2013 the con will move to New York City. Thanks to people such as Val Staples, James Etock and Emiliano Santalucia and many countless other super fans that are dedicated to preserving and continuing Masters of the Universe and Thundercats properties alive.

Power-Con and ThunderCon
By StuffWeLike.com | View on Facebook

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 10/5/11

A smaller week than we have seen lately to kick off new releases in the month of October, here are the new releases for 10/5/11

My Top Ten Picks Of The Week

10) The Boys #59 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art by RUSS BRAUN
Cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
32 pages, $3.99
The Boys and The Seven rush towards what seems like the bloody conclusion to their long-standing conflict, while Hughie does his best to stick up for himself without giving too many secrets away. It might have been the greatest near-miss of all time… but then someone does something very, very stupid. “The first bad day,” says Frenchie of what follows. “Just the first.”

9) Moon Knight #6 (Marvel Comics)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by ALEX MALEEV
32 pages, $3.99
Moon Knight gets one step closer to the kingpin of Los Angeles and uses Ultron as bait. But in doing so he may have unleashed a hell the West Coast cannot survive. Another blistering chapter from the Eisner award-winning team that brought you DAREDEVIL and HALO!

8 ) Invincible #83 (Image Comics)
Story by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & Cover by CORY WALKER
32 pages, $2.99
RYAN OTTLEY RETURNS TO INVINCIBLE!
It came from outer space–and Invincible was completely unprepared. Get ready for another classic beat down in the grand Invincible fashion–but what does this have to do with The Viltrumites?

7) Hulk #42 (Marvel Comics)
Written by JEFF PARKER
Pencils & Covers by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Marvel Comics 50th Anniversary Variant by ARIEL OLIVETTI
32 pages, $2.99
HULK OF ARABIA!
A ghost from General Ross’s past has resurfaced, embroiled in a dangerous war in the Middle East. Red Hulk goes off the grid on an unsanctioned mission that puts him at direct odds with the Secret Avengers and Steve Rogers, his super hero sponsor. Teaming up with Machine Man, Rulk sets out on a covert mission that may be the most dangerous of his life! Jeff Parker continues his lauded run, with stunning art by the incomparable Patrick Zircher. Don’t miss the beginning of the biggest Red Hulk story yet!

6) Red Lanterns #2 (DC Comics)
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art and cover by ED BENES and ROB HUNTER
32 pages, $2.99
On a war-torn world where invading forces fight insurgent forces, the innocent always suffer the most. When a child screams with red-hot rage at the madness around her, she is answered by her weapon of retribution: Atrocitus.

5) The Walking Dead #89 (Image Comics)
Story ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & Cover by CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99
Glenn will soon regret his decision.

4) X-Men Schism #5 (of 5) (Marvel Comics)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by ADAM KUBERT
Variant Cover by FRANK CHO
32 pages, $3.99
It all comes down to this! After years of fighting side-by-side the X-Men are torn irrevocably in half. On one side, X-Men team leader, Cyclops. On the other, X-Men mainstay, Wolverine. Between them lies the fate of mutantkind, and surrounding them, the foes who want to end them forever! Be there for the conclusion of the story that will set the stage for the X-Men universe for years to come, from Marvel Architect writer Jason Aaron and art legend Adam Kubert!

3) G.I. JOE #6 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Wil Rosado
Covers by Tom Feister & Wil Rosado.
32 pages, $3.99
The Cobra Civil War takes no prisoners! The recently captured submarine cruiser, The Tuna is under a cyber-attack that could send it to the bottom of the sea with a full crew of Joes aboard! And Flint and Team Alpha are on the run with the Baroness their captive. And their only sanctuary may just be the deadliest place on Earth for the Joes: Springfield.

2) Detective Comics #2 (DC Comics)
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
32 pages, $2.99
Batman sets his sights on the Gotham Ripper, who in turn has his sights on Batman. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne explores a budding romance with television journalist Charlotte Rivers, who’s visiting Gotham City to cover the gruesome slayings – while also trying to uncover Bruce’s own mystery. But time is running out as both Commissioner Gordon and Batman work to uncover the true identity of this new serial killer.

1) Action Comics #2 (DC Comics)
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT
Cover by RAGS MORALES
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:200 B&W variant cover by RAGS MORALES
40 pages, $3.99
In his weakest moment, Superman is taken down – but by whom? And if the world wasn’t ready for a man with super powers, they’re utterly unprepared for the rage of a Superman cornered! The cornerstone character of the new DCU continues his debut adventure!

Here is a look at everything else that will be available this week!

DC COMICS
Action Comics #2
Animal Man #1 (Travel Foreman 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Animal Man #2
Batwing #1 (Ben Oliver 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Batwing #2
DC Comics Presents Batman The Demon Laughs #1
DC Universe Online Legends #15
Detective Comics #1 (Tony S. Daniel 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Detective Comics #2
Green Arrow #1 (Brett Booth & Rob Hunter 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Green Arrow #2
Hawk And Dove #1 (Rob Liefeld 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Hawk And Dove #2
Huntress #1 (of 6)
Justice League International #1 (Aaron Lopresti 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Justice League International #2
Looney Tunes #203
Men Of War #1 (Viktor Kalvachev 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Men Of War #2
O.M.A.C. #1 (Keith Giffen & Scott Koblish 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
O.M.A.C. #2
Penguin Pain And Prejudice #1 (of 5)
Red Lanterns #1 (Ed Benes & Rob Hunter 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Red Lanterns #2
Scooby-Doo Where Are You #14
Static Shock #1 (Scott McDaniel & Jonathan Glapion 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Static Shock #2
Stormwatch #1 (Miguel Sepulveda 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Stormwatch #2
Supernatural #1 (of 6)
Swamp Thing #1 (Yanick Paquette 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Swamp Thing #2

Vertigo
House Of Mystery #42 (Final Issue)
I Zombie #18
Sweet Tooth #26

__________________________________________________ _________

MARVEL COMICS
Avengers 1959 #1 (of 5)
Casanova Avaritia #2 (of 4)
Dark Tower Gunslinger Battle Of Tull #5 (of 5)
Deadpool #44
Hulk #42
Marvel Previews #98 (October 2011 For Products On-Sale December 2011)
Marvel Super Stars Magazine #8 (Marvel Adventures)
Moon Knight #6
Mystic #3 (of 4)
Season One Guide (Promotional Item)
Shattered Heroes Postcard (Promotional Item)
Spider-Island Heroes For Hire #1
Spider-Man With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility #7 (of 7)
Superior #5 (of 6)
Thunderbolts #164
Uncanny X-Men An Origin Story HC (Marvel Press)
X-23 #15
X-Men #19
X-Men Schism #5 (of 5)

__________________________________________________ _________

AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Caligula #4 (of 6)
Lady Death #10
War Goddess #2

BOOM! STUDIOS
Grandpa Won’t Wake Up HC
Rinse #2
Roger Langridge’s Snarked #1
Roger Langridge’s Snarked #1
Stan Lee’s Starborn #11
Stan Lee’s Starborn #11

DARK HORSE
Fear Agent #31 (Out Of Step Part 4 of 5)
Kult #3 (of 4)
Mighty Samson #4
Turok Son Of Stone #4

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys #59
Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files Fool Moon #4 (of 8)
Queen Sonja #21
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #7

IDW PUBLISHING
All-Ghouls School GN
Crysis #5 (of 6)
G.I. JOE #6
Transformers #27

IMAGE COMICS
68 Encore Edition
Blood Red Dragon #0
Chew #21
Infinite #3
Infinite #3 (Deluxe Edition)
Invincible #83
Last Of The Greats #1
Marksmen #3 (of 6)
Moriarty #5
Pilot Season Test #1
Red Spike #5 (of 5)
Reed Gunther #5
Severed #3 (of 7)
Skullkickers #11
Spawn #212
Strange Talent Of Luther Strode #1 (of 6)
Vescell #2
Walking Dead #89
Walking Dead Weekly #40

__________________________________________________ _________

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Fracture #3

ARCHIE COMICS
Betty & Veronica Friends Double Digest #218
Jugheads Double Digest #174
Sonic The Hedgehog #229

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Flash Gordon Invasion Of The Red Sword #5
Grim Ghost #5
Phoenix #4

ASPEN MLT
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 2 #4

ASYLUM PRESS
Chopper #1 (of 5)

CAMPFIRE
400 BC The Story Of The 10 Thousand GN

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1268

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY
Hark A Vagrant HC
John Stanley Library Nancy Volume 3 HC

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Cabbie Volume 1 HC
Nuts HC
Prince Valiant Volume 4 1943-1944 HC

KENZER AND COMPANY
Knights Of The Dinner Table #178

MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT
Monsters From The Vault #29

MOONSTONE
Phases Of The Moon #2 (Honey West / Kolchak)

NBM
Stargazing Dog GN

SEA LION BOOKS
Aron Warner’s Pariah #3 (of 4)

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Underwire GN

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #8
Grimm Fairy Tales The Library #2
Salem’s Daughter Haunting #2
Theater #1

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 9/21/11

10) Star Wars Jedi The Dark Side #5 of 5 (Dark Horse Entertainment)
Writer: Scott Allie, Artist: Mahmud Asrar

The Final issue in this mini series, I have come to actually enjoy the adventures of Qui-Gon Jin beyond what little I have come to know of the character from the dreadful Episode One flick. Sad to see this series go but I have high hopes for big action and a nice send-off that hopefully leaves the door open for Scott Allie to come back and tell us some more!

9) Avengers #17 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: John Romita Jr.

Hawkeye gets it in! Well, the cover sure does imply that. Fear Itself is still going strong and the end cannot come soon enough despite some solid stories in tie-ins such this current series arc. If the internets are to be believed then I am one of the very few Hawkeye fans out there and seeing a new turn in this character’s fictional life has been long overdue since what we have seen since his return has just been reactions to other events (with one big exception during Dark Reign).

8 ) Green Lantern Corps #1 (DC Comics)
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi, Artist: Fernando Pasarin

I want to see Tomasi take more of a leading roll in this series rather than seemingly following along with Johns’ grand vision and there is nothing better than a new #1 to give this idea a chance. I have no idea what to expect with this series like many of the other new DC #1′s but I will always give The Corps a chance.

7) George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #1 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Writers: George R.R. Martin & Daniel Abraham, Artist: Tommy Patterson

I know nothing of this franchise beyond what I have seen on HBO but that is reason alone for me to give my money to Dynamite just to hold me over until the new season begins. Dynamite has proven track record of delivering amazing adaptions and I expect this to be no different. Look for what worked in the show to be found here as well as hopefully a little something different to give it a unique voice.

6) Star Trek #1 (IDW Publishing)
Writer: Mike Johnson, Artist: Stephen Molnar

Building off of the Abrams reboot universe, this series is something that I hope gives both longtime and new fans something to enjoy as we explore the fresh universe in advance of the second film. Hopefully we will see a synchronization between the two mediums rather than an adaption or something that does not officially count in the film’s mythos.

5) Batman #1 (DC Comics)
Writer: Scott Snyder, Artist: Greg Capullo

Rich kid’s parents die leaving him billions and he DOESN’T blow it all on cocaine and strippers? Welcome to Gotham! Just kidding. But seriously, Scott Snyder, I hope that you can deliver the beat-down of the week in this series. I know this book is #5 on my list but that is a precaution. My expectations for this are high!

4) X-Men Schism #4 of 5 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Alan Davis

Cyclops and Wolverine throwdown as evil little kids make the humans throw all the robots they have at the mutant race. I know that this all ends with the upcoming X-Men event that has all of the teams choose one side or another but I really want to know what causes this. Here is to hopefully seeing that cause in this issue.

3) Marvel Universe Vs Wolverine #4 of 4 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Jonathan Maberry, Artist: Laurence Campbell

What can I say? Maberry has delivered a hit that deserves more praise that it is currently receiving. This is the final issue of the prequel series to his previous Marvel Universe vs The Punisher (in store now!!!) so we should see a little something of how that world came to be. I really hope this is not the end but the second series in at least a trilogy. Sad to see this go :”(

2) Red Hood And The Outlaws #1 (DC Comics)
Writer: Scott Lobdell, Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

Jason Todd is leading a band of outlaws! I LOVE JT. Not kidding. I got into DC right when he returned and was instantly hooked. Scott Lobdell is the writer on this so I am a little worried since almost every writer with the exception of Winnick has not given this character a proper portrayal but this is one of those characters where I read it for that and not the creative team behind it.

1) Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
Writer: Nick Spencer, Artist: Paco Medina

After a long absence, the Ultimate version of the X-Men are back! Now that the world is aware that mutants are in fact a byproduct of American scientific engineering and not natural evolution expect the feces to hit the bladed rotational device. This is my pick of the week over so many amazing titles because of the creative team behind it. Spencer is an alright bloke I guess but his comics game is tight. I trust this guy as a creative mind to deliver something entertaining.

Full Release List

DC COMICS
Batman #1
Birds Of Prey #1
Blue Beetle #1
Captain Atom #1
Catwoman #1
DC Universe Presents #1
Green Lantern Corps #1
Justice League #1 (Jim Lee 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Justice League #1 (Jim Lee 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Legion Of Super-Heroes #1
Nightwing #1
Red Hood And The Outlaws #1
Supergirl #1
Tiny Titans #44
Wonder Woman #1
Young Justice #8

Vertigo
DMZ #69
Fables #109
Hellblazer #283
Northlanders #44

_____________________________________________

MARVEL COMICS
Anita Blake Circus Of The Damned The Scoundrel #1 (of 5)
Avengers #17
Avengers The Children’s Crusade #7 (of 9)
Captain America #3
Captain America Corps #4 (of 5)
Daredevil #4
Fear Itself #4 (2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Fear Itself Fearsome Four #4 (of 4)
Fear Itself The Home Front #6 (of 7)
Fear Itself Uncanny X-Force #3 (of 3)
Fear Itself Youth In Revolt #5 (of 6)
Generation Hope #11
Heroes For Hire #12
Hulk #41
Invincible Iron Man #508
Ka-Zar The Burning Season #4 (of 5)
Marvel Universe Vs Wolverine #4 (of 4)
Moon Knight #1 (Alex Maleev 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Moon Knight #2 (Alex Maleev 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Moon Knight #3 (Alex Maleev 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Spider-Island Cloak And Dagger #1 (of 3) (Mike Choi 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Spider-Island Cloak And Dagger #2 (of 3)
Spider-Island Deadly Foes #1 (One Shot) (Stefano Caselli 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Spider-Island Spider-Woman #1 (One Shot)
Thor Goes Hollywood #1 (One Shot)
Thunderbolts #163.1
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #2 (of 4)
Ultimate Comics X-Men #1
Uncanny X-Men #543
Vengeance #3 (of 6)
Wolverine And Black Cat Claws 2 #3 (of 3)
Wolverine Punisher And Ghost Rider Official Index To The Marvel Universe #2
X-Factor #225
X-Men #18
X-Men Schism #4 (of 5)

_____________________________________________

BOOM! STUDIOS
Darkwing Duck #16
Planet Of The Apes #6
Snarked Halloween Mini Comic 2011
Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero #12

DARK HORSE
B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth Russia #1 (of 5)
Conan Road Of Kings #8
Dark Horse Presents #4
Guild Clara (One Shot)
Scary Godmother Halloween Mini Comic 2011
Star Wars Jedi The Dark Side #5 (of 5)
Star Wars Knight Errant Deluge #2 (of 5)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker #3 (of 6)
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #1
Green Hornet #18
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #1 (Dynamic Forces) (Alex Ross Exclusive Virgin Variant Cover)
Kevin Smith’s The Bionic Man #2
Vampirella And The Scarlet Legion #4
Zorro Rides Again #3 (of 12)

IDW PUBLISHING
Cobra #5
Done To Death GN
G.I. JOE Cobra Civil War 100-Page Spectacular
Pound GN
Star Trek #1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2
Transformers #26

IMAGE COMICS
All Nighter #4 (of 5)
Artifacts #6 (of 13) (Michael Broussard C2E2 Exclusive Variant Cover)
Darkness #90 (Tony Shasteen ECCC Variant Cover)
Darkness #93
Mysterious Ways #3 (of 6)
Near Death #1
Red Wing #3 (of 4)
Samurais Blood #4 (of 6)
Teen Wolf Bite Me #1 (of 3)
Walking Dead Weekly #38
Witch Doctor #3 (of 4)

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AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman All Natural Special Edition (One Shot)

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gobs #2 (of 4)
Gold Digger #132

APE ENTERTAINMENT
Casper’s Scare School/Strawberry Shortcake Halloween Mini Comic 2011
Richie Rich #4

ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT
Fraggle Rock Halloween Mini Comic 2011

ARCHIE COMICS
Archie Double Digest #222
Laugh Comics Mini Comic 2011
Sonic Universe #32

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Wulf #3

ASPEN MLT
Broken Pieces #1
Executive Assistant Lotus #3 (of 3)
Fathom Volume 4 #2
Mindfield #6
Soulfire Volume 3 #4

AT PRODUCTIONS
Unforgiving #1

BONGO COMICS
Bart Simpson Comics #63
Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror #17

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1266
Comic Shop News Fall 2011 Preview

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Armed Garden And Other Stories HC
Art Of Joe Kubert HC
Donald Duck Halloween Mini Comic 2011
Love And Rockets New Stories Volume 4 TP
Man Who Grew His Beard GN
Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010 HC
Prison Pit Volume 3 GN

FIRST SECOND
Zahra’s Paradise GN

ONI PRESS
Spontaneous #4 (of 5)

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Insider #6

RADICAL PUBLISHING
Damaged #2 (of 6)

REBELLION/2000 AD
Judge Dredd Megazine #314

RIVERHEAD
Kite Runner GN

TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS
Stuff Of Legend Jesters Tale #2 (of 4)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Star Wars The Clone Wars Magazine #7
Star Wars Insider #128 (Special)

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Back Issue #51

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Brimstone #5
Grimm Fairy Tales Inferno (One Shot)

New Comics On Sale 9/14/11

The second comic day in September has arrived and here is a complete list of everything schedule to arrive in stores on Wednesday, September 14th. Click HERE for last week’s releases and HERE for a review of select titles from 9/7/11.

Mario’s Top 10!

10) Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #4 of 5 (Avatar Press)
Writer: Mike Wolfer Art: Dheeraj Verma

What happens when a group of young adults travel the desert? Zombies of course! Avatar’s several Night of the Living Dead series have been my guilty comics pleasure for a while now. There is something about seeing C-Level horror staples of absurd gore and nudity wrapped around a not-even-semi-plausible plot printed out on paper that reminds me of the horror movie marathons I enjoyed with my friends several years ago.

9) Amazing Spider-Man #669 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Dan Slott, Art by Humberto Ramos

Who is it in Horizon labs that is an expert on Parker DNA? Will Peter come straight with Carly? Why is The Jackal such an ass? I hope all of these questions find answers as Spidey’s largest solo arc in years rolls on.

8 ) Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
Written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Art by Georges Jeanty, Dexter Vines

I was never into this show at all. I know a lot of the isms as well as the inside jokes from the other people in my life as well as my trips to conventions all over the world but I can say that I was not a fan. Not for any particular reason, it just wasn’t for me. I will try this book though. Why not? A new “season” so I’ll come into the story fresh and I think I was more interested after hearing about who the identity really was for last “season’s” Twilight Killer.

7) Moon Girl #4 of 5 (Red 5 Comics)
Written by Tony Trov & Johnny Zito, Art by The Rahzzah

Old school adventure meets modern pizazz in this fun but wrongfully overlooked series as it comes to its close with one issue to go. This book is PERFECT for the non-traditional comic fans who are interested in the big time fun and the retro novelty found in the books of yesteryear where the cheese came in daily.

6) Fear Itself #6 of 7 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Stuart Immonen

I was really excited for this series but the build up of the bad guy has gone on too long. Other series with tie-ins to this series have already moved on! I think this issue we finally get a payoff for out patience and that is why it is my #6 choice of the week. My rating for the next (and final) issue of this series all depends on what I see from this chapter.

5) Mystery Men #5 of 5 (Marvel Comics)
Story by David Liss, Art by Patrick Zircher

Marvel’s back-in-the-day epic comes to a conclusion as this hidden chapter in the 616′s history plays itself out. I have enjoyed this series but they are not fooling anyone if they don’t think we know at least one sequel is coming. I really like the use of retro technology and the use of what they thought technology of the future would be like during the 50′s.

4) Green Lantern #1 (DC Comics)
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Doug Mahnke

Wait, so Hal Jordan isn’t even the Green Lantern in this issue? And Sinestro is? An interesting, yet predictably temporary turn of events as this series tries to recapture the magic found in the high octane run that was The Sinestro Corp War. I wonder what changes, if any, will be made to the series in this new DC Universe.

3) Red Lanterns #1 (DC Comics)
Written by Peter Milligan, Art by Ed Benes

I have been a long time of the Red Lantern Corp since their debut a few years ago and I have big hope for where their solo adventures will take them. I wonder what Peter Milligan will do to help move these characters out from under the shadow of Green Lantern to give his run a truly unique voice and not just another title unable to be all it can be because it is under Johns’ oppresive direction.

2) Daredevil #3 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Mark Waid, Art by Paulo Rivera

The last issue ended with what I can assume were trace echos of sound based baddie Klaw trapping our hero in a Klaw shaped machine that they are building. That was one hell pf an interesting ending in my book and I am excited to see how it progresses as the opening arc of Waid’s adventurous take on Daredevil rolls on.

1) Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Brian M. Bendis, Art by Sara Pichelli

After the death of Spider-Man and all of the media hype from Ultimate: Fallout I have been excited for a long time on the series’ new direction. While I will miss the old supporting cast as much as Peter Parker himself though I predict we will soon see Mary Jane make herself known to new Spider-Man Miles Morales in her new role as a journalist.

The Full List of Releases for 9/14/2011

DC COMICS
All-New Batman The Brave And The Bold #11
Batman And Robin #1
Batwoman #1
Deathstroke #1
Demon Knights #1
Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #1
Green Lantern #1
Grifter #1
Legion Lost #1
Mister Terrific #1
Red Lanterns #1
Resurrection Man #1
Suicide Squad #1
Superboy #1

Vertigo
American Vampire Survival Of The Fittest #4 (of 5)
Scalped #52
Unwritten #29

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MARVEL COMICS
All-Winners Squad Band Of Heroes #4 (of 8)
Alpha Flight #4 (of 8)
Amazing Spider-Man #669 (Humberto Ramos Regular Cover)
Amazing Spider-Man #669
Black Panther The Man Without Fear #523
Captain America #1 (Steve McNiven 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Captain America And Bucky #620 (Mark Bagley 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Criminal The Last Of The Innocent #4 (of 4)
Daken Dark Wolverine #14
Daredevil #1 (Paolo Rivera 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Daredevil #3
Deadpool #43
Fear Itself #2 (of 7) (Stuart Immonen 4th Printing Variant Cover)
Fear Itself #3 (of 7) (Steve NcNiven 3rd Printing Variant Cover)
Fear Itself #6 (of 7)
Fear Itself #7 Poster (Promotional Item)
Fear Itself Hulk Vs Dracula #1 (of 3)
Fear Itself The Monkey King #1 (One Shot)
Ghost Rider #3
Herc #7
John Carter A Princess Of Mars #1 (of 5)
Journey Into Mystery #627
Mighty Thor #4 (Olivier Coipel 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Mystery Men #5 (of 5)
New Avengers #16
Punisher #1 (Bryan Hitch 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
PunisherMAX #17
Spider-Island The Amazing Spider-Girl #2 (of 3)
Stand The Night Has Come #2 (of 6)
Super Heroes #18 (Marvel Adventures)
Supreme Power #4 (of 4)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1
Uncanny X-Force #15
X-Men Legacy #255

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AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Lady Death Origins Annual #1
Night Of The Living Dead Death Valley #4 (of 5)

BOOM! STUDIOS
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #5
Ducktales #4
Farscape #23
Space Warped #3 (of 6)
Stan Lee’s Starborn #10

DARK HORSE
Baltimore The Curse Bells #2 (of 5)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #1
Criminal Macabre No Peace For Dead Men (One Shot)
Doctor Solar Man Of The Atom #8
Dollhouse Epitaphs #3 (of 5)
Star Wars Invasion Revelations #3 (of 5)
Star Wars The Old Republic The Lost Suns #4 (of 5)
Turok Son Of Stone #3

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Green Hornet Year One #12
Living Corpse Exhumed #2 (of 6)
Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #12
Sherlock Holmes Year One #6 (of 6)
Warlord Of Mars #9

IDW PUBLISHING
Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #2 (of 6)
Dungeons And Dragons The Legend Of Drizzt #2 (of 5)
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #170
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games #1 (of 5)
True Blood Tainted Love #6 (of 6) (J. Scott Campbell Exclusive Cover) (Dynamic Forces)

IMAGE COMICS
27 Second Set #1 (of 4)
Artifacts #2 (of 13) (Michael Broussard NYCC Variant Cover Signed Edition)
Artifacts #5 (of 13) (Whilce Portacio Top Cow Store Black & White Variant Cover)
Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors #5
Infinite #2
Infinite #2 (Deluxe Edition)
Li’l Depressed Boy #6
Magdalena #1 (Nelson Blake II C2E2 2010 Signed Variant Cover)
Mice Templar Volume 3 #5
Pigs #1
Severed #1 (Attila Futaki 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Severed #2
Super Dinosaur #4
Walking Dead 2012 Calendar
Walking Dead Weekly #37
Witchblade #139 (Michael Gaydos Signed Variant Cover B)

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AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman All Natural Pinup (One Shot)
Cavewoman Snow #3 (Budd Root Special Edition)

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Battle For The Planet Of The Living Dead

ARCANA STUDIO
Awakenings GN

ARCHIE COMICS
Betty & Veronica Double Digest #194
Jughead #209
Life With Archie #13

ASPEN MLT
Dellec #6 (of 6)
Executive Assistant Orchid #3

ATHENEUM BOOKS
Tell-Tale Heart And Other Stories GN

BONGO COMICS
Sergio Aragones Funnies #3
Simpsons Comics #182

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1265

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY
Optic Nerve #12

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Armed Garden And Other Stories HC
Art Of Joe Kubert HC
Man Who Grew His Beard GN
Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010 HC
Prison Pit Volume 3 GN

HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE
Heavy Metal Volume 35 #7 (November 2011)

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Discord GN

RED 5 COMICS
Bonnie Lass #1 (of 4)
Moon Girl #4 (of 5)

SCHOLASTIC
Amulet Volume 4 Last Council SC
Drawing From Memory HC
Star Wars The Complete Saga SC
Wonderstruck HC

TITAN PUBLISHING
CLiNT #10
Hardware The Definitive SF Works Of Chris Foss HC
Star Wars Insider #128 (October 2011) (Special) (Newsstand Edition)
Star Wars The Clone Wars Magazine #7 (October 2011)
Wizard Of Id Dailies & Sundays 1970-1971 HC

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
Korgi Volume 3 A Hollow Beginning GN

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Fly #4

The Pull List: Comic Book Reviews for 9/7/11

Another comic day has descended upon us this past Wednesday and she was a big one filled with MANY titles that I was excited about. Here is a full list of all the new comic released in stores on 9/7/11 as well as my reviews from last week’s releases.

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The Big Lie (Image Comics)

Story & Art by Rick Veitch

As a proud New Yorker who has spent my entire adult life with the taint of 9/11 I could not rightfully let the upcoming tenth anniversary pass by without making a mention of it in one way or another. When I first read this comic I had mixed emotions. Veitch had crafted a thought provoking tale of a Nobel worthy scientist who has gone back in time to save her husband from dying in the fallen towers, but was met with the type of real world skepticism that such a claim would provoke. Even as the various people in the room began to (slowly) connect the different aspects of what she was saying to the possibility that she is legit they all seemed more focused on her iPad than they were in the upcoming doom. The final scene was a fitting but expected ending with a shocking twist that was foreshadowed earlier in the dialog (and it’s not what you think).

The art is good too considering the story is all dialog until the very end scene. The story are very driven by what is going on in the dialog rather than the panels but the different characteristics feel human and familiar to real life. The destruction shown in the iPad was a mixture of iconic photos/footage and original angles as far as I can tell but it was not too obscene or glorified in any conceivable way.

The Bottom Line - I have read several papers and theories on what was behind this event and I admit that every once in a while I look at what the conspiracy theorists have to say, even entertaining the possibilities that what they say may add up. I say this because Veitch had brought up every question I have ever had through the voices of the men in the room who use logic to try and figure out what kind of a sick game is being played on them as they ask well crafted questions and eventually reach the answers themselves through various means. This book is damn good but because of the nature of the story it is not for everyone. I guarantee this will piss people off but it is done in such a great way that I feel it is THE must read of the week. B+

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The Boys #58 (Dynamite Entertainment)

Written by Garth Ennis, Art by Russ Braun

How do you bring down a superhero? Do you, A) confront him head on with some elaborate scheme? Or do you, B) Release a scandalous sex tape of him going to town with a load of tranny hookers? If you chose B then you might be Garth Ennis! This issue was all character moments as The Seven discuss the repercussions of this public revelation and The Boys contemplate what the next hit will be as they prepare for the possible reciprocation brought upon by their actions. Also, Hughie does a little bit of extra curricular learning by digging into the Homelander’s history which unearths some twisted information. The ending looks promising but I have seen this cliffhanger before and was disappointed. We’ll see though.

Any artist who teams with Ennis must know what he is getting himself into. Braun does a great job at delivering on this task too! The trannies look mannish, the Hughie looks as overwhelmed as usual, and The Homelander comes off even more pompous than usual. Also, I LOVE the way he depicts Butcher’s bulldog, Terror. That dog has visible personality.

The Bottom Line - This series has gone on long enough that an issue like this where not much action is present still provides entertainment. Much brickwork is being laid for the future of the series and it’s (what I assume/hope) explosive conclusion. It is still not to late for newbies to catch up with this series via trades then join the rest of us via floppies on the day of release! C+

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The Red Skull #3 (Marvel Comics)

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Mirko Colak

The head on collision of historic fact and character fiction that is this series finally comes to its boiling point in this issue as Johaan Schmidt and the Nazi party become one. Focusing on the communist party protests in Germany shortly after Hitler came into power, Johaan is forced to make some tough decisions between his “friend” and the boss that he works for. The interesting part to me is that neither of them suspect that he would turn against them all in the blink of an eye should it further his own means. The subtly of his deception is something that really hammers home who this kid truly is and foreshadows who he will be.

I enjoyed the artwork for this issue. It blended perfectly with the script and did not overpower the words on the page. The period clothing and style were represented loyally and the architecture looks like it was faithfully adapted from the history books.

The Bottom Line - This series is a fun read for longtime fans of Marvel Comics but the nuances of the character can be lost on those who are not. This story is reminiscent of Magneto: Testament in that for the most part they are strong World War II stories that only take a twist into fiction when the end approaches. I would go as far as to say that this could in fact be the opposite end of a bookend when coupled with Testament as one shows a young man’s struggle through the Holocaust and this one shows how a young man became a ruthless Nazi. Greg Pak is the Spielberg of comics. B-

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Terminator/Robocop Kill Human #2 of 4 (Dynamite Entertainment)

Written by Rob Williams, Art by PJ Holden

When a man-sized killer robot tells me that I have to come with them and have ten seconds to comply you bet your ass I am going to do as told. Starting off with a trip to the past this series took an unexpected turn (for me at least) directly into the events of Terminator 2 and what happens from there is magical. When I first went into this series I had a feeling that I was going to be entertained but after this issue I admit that I am excited for issue three on a level that I usually reserve for birthdays and nights out with the guys. Rob Williams, you have done your homework on these franchises and it shows. The big references and even small nuances instantly highlighted without taking away from the pacing in a perfect marriage of playing to the established crowd and putting forth an amazing story that can draw new fans in.

The art department is no slouch either. There is something truly special about seeing a man unexpectedly being ripped apart from within by one of the Terminator’s signature time travel spheres. PJ Holden is genius in his effort to bring this rare sight onto the paper in the manner that he did. His action shots are full on cinematic too. I especially love his take on the famous scene from T2 where Arnold is just laying into the police with suppressive fire.

The Bottom Line - I was a bit surprised by this issue. In a week with relaunched DC titles and Marvel’s Spider-Island I did not expect this to be my book of the week but I have to give credit where it is due. THIS IS MY PICK OF THE WEEK!!! A-

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True Blood The French Quarter #1 (IDW Publishing)

Written by Mariah Huehner & David Tischman, Art by David Messina

There is a mystery killer on the loose staking vampires and Eric Northman is not going to put up with this sh*t any longer. The story starts out strong with Eric, Sookie and Bill investigating a murder in The Big Easy when the dearly departed is found with a Fangtasia matchbook on his person. Although I know this does not fit in with the present continuity of the show AT ALL it is still fun to see how Sookie deals with her desire for three men (Alcide is the third man). With the popularity of the show (and novels) I feel that this series is the start to a wonderful new medium in which die hard fans can get their fix of the characters in between the

The art felt a bit too “Land”, almost exactly traced at some points, but when there out countless images to draw reference from and when the likeness of the actors is not just desired but expected then that leave little to no wiggle room for artistic interpretation. Not that Messina is bad, quite the opposite actually. I enjoyed his work very much but when I showed by girlfriend who is not really a comic book fan she was a little distracted by how realistic the characters facial expressions were.

The Bottom Line - A strong opening with a hint of mystery and an explosive ending, this issue iss what I hope the show would be like sometimes. I thought the last series with the tainted True Blood drinks would be hard to top but it looks like we have another winner here. A

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Swamp Thing #1 (DC Comics)

Written by Scott Snyder, Art by Yanick Paquette

Picking up right after the events of Brightest Day this series does not seem to have changed much from what was set up in the recently deceased iteration of the DCU. I am very interested in where this is going since apparently Swamp Thing and his former human host, Alec Holland, exist as two separate entities and like an ex who just wont take a hint, the swamp keeps calling to Holland who just wants to live a normal life. Also, what’s the deal with the new bad guy monster thing and its twisted head followers?

I have been following Paquette’s career for a while now and I feel that this is his best work. He really nails down the freaky foliage and redefines “turning heads” with his work.

The Bottom Line - Typical first issue right here. Don’t get me wrong, it is interesting and entertaining but with the intention of introducing the characters to new readers much of the page count is spent trying to balance this with story progression. Since it did build off of Brightest Day with minimal changes I feel a little more comfortable in jumping into this but I hope for a pay off to hold my attention B

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The Lightning Round!

Here is a small number of the other books that were released this week and how I quickly rate them.

Animal Man #1 (DC Comics)

I honestly had no clue what to expect when I cracked this issue open. I have never read a solo Animal Man title before and even my limited exposure to the character only goes back to what I have seen in the pages of 52 but in keeping with the mindset of trying out new things I picked this up without a second doubt. I was glad that the story was not too heavy on the character’s back story and everything you need to know about him is revealed upfront. There was what I assume is a new development at the end setting up something big. The art was a little funky but I really dug many of the shots that were used and the dream sequence was different from what is seen in a typical “Big Two” book. B+

Men of War #1 (DC Comics)
When I heard that Sergeant Rock was being folded into the new DC I was curious as to how this iconic World War II military character would work in Superman’s world. The issue starts out with a bang and then immediately flashes back to give us the story of how we got there (very over done these days I feel). Aside from a very small but world changing cameo from a shadowed meta, this issue was a pure military story and was an enjoyable update to this oft overlooked character. Oh, and the cover is f*cking awesome! A-

Batgirl #1 (DC Comics)
This was my pick of the week during our new releases post. I still want to see why Barbara Gordan can walk again! They made mention to her handicapped time and her fear of ending up like that again is VERY realistic, so much so that she freezes up and second guesses herself during the worst possible times. I am happy with this issue, it is a strong introduction to what I hope is a memorable story arc. B

Batwing #1 (DC Comics)
As much as I love Judd Winick I almost did not finish read this book because of the strong action packed intro followed immediately by a “__ weeks earlier” flashback right when the action got really juicy. I am sorry but this is an overused practice in comics today that I have seen five times this week alone. Once I put that aside I enjoyed the rest of the issue but I was tainted from my initial response. B-

Cobra #4 (IDW Publishing)
I will never be Cobra Commander. I have come to realize this, but that does not stop me from enjoying the journey other candidates are taking to gain the title. The body count continues to rise as it is Major Bludd’s turn to do some damage. I think he is my favorite of the group since he is the most down to earth. A-

Irredeemable #29 (BOOM! Studios)
I really hate the Plutonian. He is kind of a really big dick, all destroying Earth and what not. Then he went away and the Paradigm started getting things back together but now that he is back it has all gone to hell. What does he have planned though? I really hope for an answer soon. Oh, and survivor has yet ANOTHER brother? Interesting. C+

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Graphic Novel Of The Week:
Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot (Fantagraphics Books)
An adaption of the classic novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette, this story was awesome! Taking place in the ’70′s, hit-man Martin Terrier is looking to retire but keeps finding himself being dragged back to the job. I don’t want to ruin the story for you guys but as a noir fan I was very pleased by the outcome and was very happy to have had this gem recommended to me or I would have missed it.

IDW Publishing Breaks Into iBooks!

This is big news for the comic industry! IDW has just announced a deal in which their content will be made available directly through Apple’s iBooks service, making them the first major comic publisher with such an offering . Previously IDW’s books were made available digitally through providers such as ComiXology and iVerse in which you could purchase individual issues as well as collections, or numerous standalone apps for various series and titles (as shown below) created to take advantage of iTunes’ search function.

A deal such as this could potentially open IDW to a larger audience than ever before with impulse buys via the “Featured” section of the program. Apple has built a reputation of being a king maker whenever it features anything in one of its commercials, be it song, movie or app, and I would love to see this record include comic books.

Imagine this; the next generation iPad commercial just started and there is the device against a solid white background. As the narrational finger swipes across the screen, highlighting the device’s various functions in sync with a reassuring voice over, we momentarily stop on the cover for True Blood: All Together Now via iBooks. As the commercial moves on half a second later that ever so brief screen time could potentially drive a large amount of customers to purchase the book for themselves. In a time when the industry is looking at ways to bring in new readers an official Apple nod might be just what we need.

IDW is currently focused on using this format to distribute longer-form graphic novels and collections with hopes of bringing in new readers in the same way book retailers such as Barnes and Noble has. While the release schedule for upcoming titles are not directly tied to when we may see them in comic shops, there are a few titles books as Code Word: Geronimo that will see day and date release on iBooks to maximize its exposure as IDW continues to look toward the future of the industry and how fan consumption will evolve.

If you are not an iBooks customer or do not own an iOS device then don’t worry. IDW will continue to work with technology partners on distribution for iOS and Android apps, Sony devices, Nokia devices as well as the web. Also, content will remain available for purchase through these methods and pricing will be as closely consistent as possible throughout all outlets. Just consider this as another way for you to get the stories that you love.

Check out the official press release below for more information!

IDW Graphic Novels Debut on Apple iBooks

First major comics publisher to offer iBook graphic novels and comics
for the iPad™, iPhone®, and iPod touch® !!

Continuing to lead the charge of digital comics, IDW Publishing, a leader in digital comics, proudly debuted today the first large collection of comic and graphic novel titles ever available within Apple’s iBooks store. As the first major comics publisher to offer significant content, IDW’s initial iBooks entrée features nearly twenty complete graphic novels, including award-winning books and works by best selling prose authors.

This one-of-a-kind launch kicks off with CODE WORD: GERONIMO, which is launched simultaneously in iBooks and in print. An original graphic novel detailing the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound by SEAL Team 6, CODE WORD: GERONIMO is expertly written by military insider Captain Dale Dye (USMC, Ret.) and Dr. Julia Dye, Ph.D., and offers the amazing, moment-by-moment inside story of the clandestine raid that rid the world of this terrorist mastermind.

“IDW’s graphic novel line is a perfect fit for iBooks,” stated Jeff Webber, IDW’s director of ePublishing. “While our various comic storefront apps, such as IDW Comics, TRANSFORMERS Comics or Doctor Who Comics, are extremely popular with experienced comics readers and fans of those brands, having this significant presence in iBooks will help readers discover creators and titles, much the same as browsing in major book retail chains.”

IDW’s rich catalog of top prose authors and comics creators is especially suited for iBooks. Fans of IDW writers such as Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Max Brooks, Peter S. Beagle, or James Patterson can now find IDW graphic novels right next to their respective prose releases. Award-winning creators like Darwyn Cooke and his acclaimed adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker books and the first installment of the BLOOM COUNTY: THE COMPLETE LIBRARY are also included in IDW’s diverse iBooks line.

The IDW launch has something for all ages, from classics like Eric Shanower’s OZ series for younger audiences, and Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s best-selling LOCKE & KEY series for mature readers.

“Our internal technology team, led by Lorelei Bunjes, has put a huge effort into developing a great reading experience for iBooks,” Webber continued. “We’re very proud of the team’s efforts to create a quality experience.”

The initial lineup includes the following titles:
•   Code Word: Geronimo
•   Bloom County: The Complete Digital Library 1980-1981
•   Locke & Key Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
•   Locke & Key Vol. 2: Head Games
•   Locke & Key Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows
•   Locke & Key Vol. 4: Keys to the Kingdom
•   Parker: The Hunter
•   Parker: The Outfit
•   Star Trek: Movie Adaptation
•   Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation
•   The Last Unicorn
•   Little Adventures in Oz Vol. 1
•   Dead Space
•   Dragon Age
•   G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds
•   Witch & Wizard: Battle for Shadowland
•   The Murder of King Tut
•   True Blood Vol.1: All Together Now
•   The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

Experience SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY In Louisiana

SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY, the acclaimed noir-inspired comic book miniseries written and drawn by Louisiana native Kody Chamberlain, will soon be collected into a complete trade paperback through Image Comics. Chamberlain’s gritty and richly illustrated series tells the story of a down-and-out detective trying to bring a killer to justice before his city and evidence are washed away by an impending storm. SWEETS is steeped in effortless local detail, recalling readers to the sights, sounds, and flavors of New Orleans.

While Chamberlain’s fans await the release of the new trade paperback collection, his work is being presented for the first time ever in a fine arts gallery setting at The Arcadiana Center for the Arts. The gallery exhibition is now open and available for viewing until October 1st, 2011. Arcadiana Center for the Arts will also host a release party and book signing for the trade paperback comic with Chamberlain on September 10th at 6pm.

Gallery details:

Kody Chamberlain – Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story

The Acadiana Center for the Arts - Mallia Gallery

101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette, LA 70501

337.233.7060 (phone), 337.233.7062 (fax)

Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10 AM – 5 PM, Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM

Admission: Members: Free; General: $5; Students & Seniors: $3;

17 & Younger: $2; 4 & Younger: Free

SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY TP (JUN110516, ISBN: 978-1-60706-413-8), a 136-page full color crime noir comic book, will be on sale for $14.99 in stores September 9. For more information about the work of Kody Chamberlain, visit http://www.kodychamberlain.blogspot.com/.

“Kody Chamberlain’s work in this exhibit transcends the genre of comic illustration with a depth of perspective and intensity of vision that can only be described as masterful,” said Dr. Gerd Wuestemann, Executive Director, Acadiana Center for the Arts. ”The chiseled technical detail of his work combines with solid psychological underpinnings to draw the viewer down the rabbit hole and lets us wander in strange and exciting landscapes.”

“This is a highly unique exhibit. I was able to install my entire miniseries, with lettering, in a gallery setting,” said Chamberlain. “The 117 pages of sequential story completely fills the space with only a half inch of wall between each page, the end result is a striking visual experience. This comic feels like it’s alive in that room.”

SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY, was the winner of the 2011 Spinetingler Award in the category of Best Mystery/Crime Comic or Graphic Novel, and has also amassed an impressive list of positive reviews, including these:

“[Chamberlain]‘s a one-man band, and the fact that this story read so well as a complete package is nothing short of amazing. …This kind of care and craftsmanship isn’t just art — it’s magic.” — David Pepose, Newsarama

“…a thrilling read that executes a stellar story with beautiful art… I have never possessed anything even closely resembling a sweet tooth, but the experience of reading this book was so palpable, I found myself wanting a good ol’ fashioned pecan praline after I was done.” — Joy Hog

“I enjoy the rare one man comic book trifecta that actually works out. 4/5 stars!” – The Daily BLAM!

“Chamberlain is an impressive artist who captures New Orleans with such a sense of authenticity and accuracy that at any second you expect to see Ignatius Reilly pushing a hotdog cart through the French Quarter in the background of one of his panels.” — Shawn O’Rourke, Pop Matters

“…a cop drama for people who are sick of cop dramas. …SWEETS feels far more visceral and dark and somehow less like it’s mugging for the camera than the endless string of unrealistic cop-schlock shows that permeate the airwaves…” — Andy Grossberg, Tripwire Magazine

“…incredibly rendered” – Examiner.com

“A phenomenal graphic masterpiece.” — Comic Geek Speak

Hasbro & IDW Present MAGIC: THE GATHERING Comic Books

IDW Publishing and Hasbro, Inc. have announced yet another extension of the companies’ long-term relationship with an all-new comic book series based on the ground-breaking MAGIC: THE GATHERING trading card game (TCG). Under license from Hasbro, Inc., and in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, IDW will launch a new series entitled MAGIC: THE GATHERING this fall, the first comic series in more than a decade based on the many worlds of the hugely popular game. Adding to the rich stories are exclusive, playable, alternate-art cards for the MAGIC: THE GATHERING TCG, which will only be available through select issues of the IDW comics.

“Magic: The Gathering is an incredibly strong property which spawned a new entertainment category, and there is so much to be done creatively with comics,” says IDW’s Magic editor, Denton J. Tipton. “I’m really looking forward to telling new stories in the many worlds of Magic, which have been near and dear to my heart since the mid-90s.”

IDW Publishing and Hasbro subsidiary, Wizards of the Coast will work closely together to ensure the comics offer another layer of experience for MAGIC: THE GATHERING fans. The initial four-issue miniseries will focus on a unique, new Planeswalker, a powerful mage with the ability to travel between worlds in the Magic Multiverse. Many popular MAGIC: THE GATHERING characters will be featured in the series, as well.

This comic series is written by renowned author and game designer Matt Forbeck (The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, Amortals, The Marvel Encyclopedia), who is joined by talented newcomer, artist Martín Cóccolo. Each comic book will also be collected at intervals into graphic novels. MAGIC: THE GATHERING will be distributed to a wide audience through comic-book outlets, trade bookstores, mass retailers, and digitally through a variety of platforms.

Marvel Comics Goes Back To Season One, Books Go Mainstream

SEASON ONE Trade Dress Revealed!

Get your first look at the new trade dress for the groundbreaking debut of Marvel: Season One! Kicking off in 2012 in comic shops and Disney Stores across the world, featuring a modern cover design, fans can experience the Marvel Universe like never before with this new line of graphic novels. Complete with full stories featuring your favorite Marvel characters, these graphic novels modernize the seminal origins of these characters while also offering new revelations for long-time fans.

The complete first wave of Season One graphic novels includes:

Fantastic Four: Season One by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Stephen King’s The Stand, Television’s Glee) and David Marquez (Secret Warriors), on-sale in February 2012
X-Men: Season One by Dennis Hopeless (Legion Of Monsters, Lovestruck) and Jamie McKelvie (Generation Hope, Phonogram), on-sale in March 2012
Daredevil: Season One by Antony Johnston (Daredevil) and Wellinton Alves (Nova), on-sale in April 2012
Spider-Man: Season One by Cullen Bunn (Fear Itself: The Fearless, Sixth Gun) and Neil Edwards (Fantastic Four), on-sale in May 2012

It’s time to discover the world’s greatest super heroes all over again in Marvel: Season One!

New Comics On Sale 9/7/11

Welcome to another listing of this week’s comic books due to be in stores on Wednesday. The DC Universe backs up a truck full of number ones and Dynamite Entertainment brings a whopping number of awesome issues this week. Here is a full list of what was released last week as well as a handful of reviews. Feel free to leave a comment below with what you are excited to see.

Mario’s Top Ten Picks

10) Terminator/Robocop Kill Human #2 of 4 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Written by Rob Williams, Art by PJ Holden

The last human in the area is dead, now it’s time for the robots to fight! This is another one of those wonderfully high concept series that couldn’t quite get out of the gate in Hollywood that Dynamite turned one executive’s trash into a genre fanboy’s gold! Fans of either series will hopefully be pleased with the result.

9) Big Lie #1 (Image Comics)
Story by Rick Veitch

If you could go back in time to stop 9/11, would you? More importantly, would people believe you? Veitch explores that concept as well as many of the more colorful theories in this well crafted one-shot celebrating the tenth anniversary of the dreadful attacks that scarred my home town and sent our nation down a new path. Some people might find this distasteful but I like to keep an open mind, plus some of the best 9/11 tales came in the form of comics.

8 ) The Boys #58 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Written by Garth Ennis, Art by Russ Braun

The Boys’ war against The Seven continues to built to its inevitable climax in this semi-serious iniquitous parody of the entire mainstream superhero genre. While some arcs are not as entertaining as others this one is looking to be great as all the pieces begin to fall into place for the series to begin it’s final phase before the end.

7) Action Comics #1 (DC Comics)
Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Rags Morales

A short sleeve tee shirt and jeans? Superman really is from Kansas, isn’t he? Morrison is an odd guy when it comes to his writing style but I really hope he doesn’t try to do some high brow, multifaceted epic like we saw in All-Star Superman and he just delivers one hell of an entertaining story that the majority can enjoy.

6) True Blood: The French Quarter #1 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Mariah Huehner & David Tischman, Art by David Messina

I do not hide my love for True Blood. Although I have not read the novels I can say that I am as big of a fan of what Alan Ball has brought to the HBO as any fanatic out there. This is the third comic series that IDW has presented in conjunction with the creative team behind the TV show and while it may not be a direct crossover it is a fun companion to the series. Expanding on the universe set by the show, we finally get to see a little more of New Orleans beginning in this issue. I wonder if we’ll see Tara’s Lady MMA club?

5) X-Factor #224.1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Peter David, Art by Valentine DeLandro

Another of Marvel’s “Point One” issues intended to bring in new readers, PAD has built up his own little tree house in the corner of the X-Men books into a full on fort of awesomeness. In the shadow of the upcoming Regenesis, X-Factor Investigations looks to be in store for a makeover in the form of new characters and this issue could contain a few hints of what direction the series may take.

4) Cobra #4 (IDW Publishing)
Written by Mike Costa, Art by Antonio Fuso

The body count continues to rise as the competition over who can kill the most Joes rages on. The prize? Title of Cobra Commander! This is not the GI Joe of yesteryear and I am grateful for this shot in the arm reboot intended to bring in a new fan base. I will be honest, I prefer this title to the Flagship Joe book but I have a type of bias for the bad guys that is usually only reserved for News Corp. I expect big fun from this issue.

3) Red Skull #3 of 5 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Greg Pak, Art by Mirko Colak

Journeying back to Nazi Germany, this series continues to entertain as we see the birth of a monster. The way the last issue ended I really thought we were going to see Johan take a different route until his true sefish nature reared its ugly head. Look for more of the same amazing character moments as we build up to the man who would be known as The Red Skull.

2) New Avengers Annual #1 (Marvel Comics)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art & Cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto

How many years has Bendis held the monopoly on The Avengers now? Does it matter? I look forward to the re-return of Wonder Man as well as the big style that Dell’otto brings. If Marvel is putting both of these creators on one issue then we are in store for something big regardless if it has long last effects or not.

1) Batgirl #1
Written by Gail Simone, Art by Ardian Syaf

So Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again? This I have to see. Others have said that the story is done in a way that makes sense since she was still wheelchair bound due to The Joker’s bullet but I think I need to see it with my own eyes. Gail Simone is consistently a good writer and this is her favorite character so I doubt it would be rubbish, in fact that is why this issue has earned the top spot of my picks. I expect big action and big character moments followed by the typical cliffhanger of an opening issue.

New Comics Releases for 9/7/11

DC COMICS
Action Comics #1
Animal Man #1
Batgirl #1
Batwing #1
Detective Comics #1
Green Arrow #1
Hawk And Dove #1
Justice League International #1
Looney Tunes #202
Men Of War #1
O.M.A.C. #1
Scooby Doo Where Are You #13
Static Shock #1
Stormwatch #1
Swamp Thing #1

Vertigo
House Of Mystery #41
I Zombie #17
Sweet Tooth #25

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MARVEL COMICS
Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes Magazine #1
Casanova Avaritia #1 (of 4)
Dark Tower The Gunslinger The Battle Of Tull #4 (of 5)
Fear Itself Wolverine #3 (of 3)
Halo Fall Of Reach Covenant #3 (of 4)
Heroes For Hire #11
Hulk #40
Kick-Ass 2 #1 (of 7) (John Romita Jr. 5th Printing Variant Cover)
Kick-Ass 2 #2 (of 7) (John Romita Jr. 2nd Printing Variant Cover)
Marvel Super Stars Magazine #7 (Marvel Adventures)
Moon Knight #5
Mystic #2 (of 4)
New Avengers Annual #1
Punisher #3
Red Skull #3 (of 5)
Spider-Island Avengers #1 (One Shot)
Spider-Island I Love New York City #1 (One Shot)
Spider-Man With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility #6 (of 7)
Thor Heaven And Earth #4 (of 4)
Thunderbolts #163
Wolverine #15
Wolverine Debt Of Death #1 (One Shot)
X-23 #14
X-Factor #224.1
X-Men #17
X-Men Schism #1 (of 5) (Frank Cho 3rd Printing Variant Cover)

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AVATAR PRESS/BOUNDLESS COMICS
Crossed Psychopath #1 (of 7) (Raulo Caceres Wondercon Cover)
Lady Death #9

BOOM! STUDIOS
Elric The Balance Lost #3
Insurrection V3.6 #4
Irredeemable #29

DARK HORSE
Kult #2 (of 4)
Star Wars Dark Times Out Of The Wilderness #2 (of 5)
Usagi Yojimbo #140

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Boys #58
Danger Girl And The Army Of Darkness #3
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #4
Green Hornet Strikes #9 (of 10)
Kato #12
Kirby Genesis #3
Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson Moon Called #8 (of 8)
Terminator Robocop Kill Human #2 (of 4)
Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #6

IDW PUBLISHING
Cobra #4
Crysis #4
Godzilla Gangsters And Goliaths #4 (of 5)
Infestation Outbreak #3 (of 4)
Transformers #25
True Blood The French Quarter #1 (of 6)
Zombies Vs Robots Undercity #4 (of 4)

IMAGE COMICS
50 Girls 50 #4 (of 4)
Artifacts #1 (of 13) (Michael Broussard SDCC 2010 Signed Cover)
Big Lie #1
Drums #4 (of 4)
Hack Slash #7
Infinite #1 (2nd Printing Variant Cover K)
Morning Glories #12
Pilot Season Declassified 2011 (One Shot)
Reed Gunther #4
Screamland #4
Spawn #211
Twilight Guardian #1 (of 4) (Troy Hickman Signed Edition)
Walking Dead Weekly #36

_________________________________________________

12-GAUGE COMICS
I.C.E. #2 (of 4)

ACROSS THE POND STUDIOS
E.L.F. #4 (of 6)

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Fracture #1

AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman Snow #3

ARCHIE COMICS
Mega Man #5
World Of Archie Double Digest #10

ARDDEN ENTERTAINMENT
Flash Gordon Mercy Wars #3 (Color Variant)
Grim Ghost #4

ASPEN MLT
Executive Assistant Iris Volume 2 #3

AZURE PRESS
Ninjas Vs Zombies #1 (Photo Cover)
Ninjas Vs Zombies #3

BIG DOG INK
Critter #2 (of 4)
Penny For Your Soul False Prophet #1 (of 7)

BLOOMSBURY USA
Canterbury Tales GN

BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS
Comics #2 (Lucille Ball)
Infamous #2 (Lindsay Lohan)
Orbit #4 (Stan Lee)
Political Power #3 (Joe Biden) (Foil Edition)
Walter Koenig Things To Come #1

BROADSWORD COMICS
Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose #69 (Deluxe Edition)

CAMPFIRE
Conquering Everest The Lives Of Edmund Hillary And Tenzing Norgay GN
Don Quixote Volume 2 GN
Oliver Twist GN

CANDLEWICK
Tantalize Kieren’s Story GN

COMIC SHOP NEWS
Comic Shop News #1264

CURIO AND CO.
Finding Frank And His Friend GN

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
Even More Old Jewish Comedians HC
Hidden HC
Like A Sniper Lining Up His Shot HC

FIRST SECOND
Americus GN
Bake Sale GN
Feynman HC

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES
Discord GN
Interactives GN

MOONSTONE
Avenger Justice Inc Files GN
Spider #2

NORTHWEST PRESS
Power Within (One Shot)

PANINI PUBLISHING
Doctor Who Insider #5
Doctor Who Magazine #436

RAZORBILL
Vampire Academy GN

REBELLION/2000 AD
Hondo-City Law GN
Judge Dredd Megazine #313
Judge Dredd Tour Of Duty Mega City Justice GN
Missionary Man Bad Moon Rising GN
Slaine The Wanderer GN

RED 5 COMICS
Atomic Robo And The Ghost Of Station X #1 (of 6)

SCHOLASTIC
Drawing From Memory HC
Wonderstruck HC

TH3RD WORLD STUDIOS
Intrepid Escapegoat Curse Of The Buddhas Tooth #1 (of 3)

TITAN PUBLISHING
Supernatural Magazine #27 (Sep/Oct 2011)

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Alter Ego #104

VERTICAL
Velveteen And Mandala GN

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT
Charmed #13
Grimm Fairy Tales #64 (Dream Eater Crossover Part 10)
Grimm Fairy Tales The Library #1

The Pull List: Comic Book Reviews for 8/31/11

Ready for a quick look back at this past Wednesday’s releases? It was (thankfully) a small number of releases compared to the past god knows how many weeks due in part to DC only releasing two titles. To see a full list of books that were released this week please click here.

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ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #2 OF 12 (Dynamite Entertainment)

Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Esteve Polls

Starting out with a heart to heart conversation, this issue of Zorro does a great job at giving the characters some more depth rather than relying heavily on the swashbuckling action filling in a little bit more of where the story is headed. Matt Wagner’s grasp of the characters really shines through in these dialog scenes, although the touches of Spanish seem a little forced at times but that can easily be overlooked by the average reader. The pacing of the story is top notch and the ending really seems to lead on that something big is coming in the next issue.

Another item I would like to highlight is the artwork by Polls. His art was crisp and clean. I am afraid to say that I was previously unaware of his talent before, his style is reminiscent of Howard Chaykin (To me at least). His attention to detail with full backgrounds is wonderful and even the non-action dialog scenes are rendered well with thoughtful angles and appropriate close-ups. But his power lies in the action shots where everything on the page seems to draw your eyes to the key motions and gestures in a very subtle manner. I will say that Esteve Polls is someone to watch out for in the future.

The Bottom Line - This is a strong chapter in this series and I am very interested in seeing where we are taken as the comic progresses. I would suggest that fans of the character or even adventure in general at least pick up the trade if not the single issues.

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ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #4 (IDW Publishing)

Written by Dave Gibbons, Joe Pruett, John Arcudi
Art Scott Hampton, Tony Harris, Brenadan McCarthy

The fourth and final issue of an anthology series celebrating the pulp hero, this issue does not let us down! Kicking things off with a classic beach robbery story, then bringing us to an underwater U-Boat battle all before wrapping up with a aerial chase between two rocket propelled individual, this issue is an epic representation of the amazing comics as told in yesteryear.

It has been a long time since I have had this much fun reading a book. Living in an age of comics where story lines go on for literally years as they blend from one event to the next to the next like a long running daytime soap opera it is rare to see a story that has a beginning, middle, and end all within the confines of a single publication (let alone three in one issue!) AND maintain it’s entertainment value. The writing is easy to follow, the humor is clean yet fun, and the main character is happy-go-lucky.

The artwork in each tale has a carefully crafted innocence reflecting the time period depicted in the original series as well as the modernist style of today’s creators. It is that perfect blend of retro and contemporary that raises my enjoyment as I go from page to page absorbing as much of the beautiful renditions as I can.

The Bottom Line - BUY BUY BUY! This is big adventure, big fun, and big value featuring several top tier comic creators. Oh, and money generated from the sales go to hairy cell leukemia research. Seriously, this is a good book that raises funds for a good cause, what is not to like?

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Flashpoint #5 (DC Comics)

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Adam Kubert

Well, it is finally here. The end of the DC Universe as I came to know it. Again. Johns has been a big name around the comics world for a bit but I have seen this before so I was a little unimpressed with the issue over-all. Individual scenes were spectacular though, don’t get me wrong. The revelation of how this world came about? Genius. The touching moment between Barry and his mother? Thought provoking. The final scene with Barry talking to Batman? Emotional. The parts were great, but knowing what came afterwards soured the experience for me.

Story aside, Kubert delivers as always. As much as his glorious splash panels and pages fill up much of the issue to show off action or key moments, the dialog is often reduced to a number of talking head panels piled up on a page but that has more to do with Johns’ script style than Kubert’s art. Sandra Hope is also noteworthy in this issue in that her inks over Kubert’s pencils really stands out with the deep blacks and shading depth added to each page.

The Bottom Line - This is how a universe dies; with a whimper, not a bang. Truth be told I had no idea what to expect when I opened the covers. I knew it was not going to be an ending in that this issue is the direct catalyst for the “New 52″ that DC is pimping hard lately, but that was pretty much it. It was decent, I will give it that. I was vaguely reminded of the last “world shattering” event that was headed by Johns in Infinite Crisis but I enjoyed that immensely while this, well, it could have been better if “studio notes” weren’t so noticeable and, I am assuming, were forced onto the creative team from the higher-ups.

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The Rinse #1 (BOOM! Studios)

Written by Gary Phillips
Art by Marc Laming

When I first heard about this new crime series I admit I was automatically interested. Anyone who knows me will agree that I am a very big fan of the gritty, realistic noir comics so it should come as no surprise that The Rinse appears on my radar. What DID catch me off guard however was the one dollar price point for the introductory issue. It is very rare to get anything for a buck, let alone an entertaining high caliber book such as this. The book focuses on a street smart, baseball obsessed wise guy money launderer and what he goes through to avoid the heat. The narrative is something straight out Casino and the action is very street level. You can tell that research was done just to get the aspects and lingo of the business right. Top shelf stuff right here.

The art was a bit of a surprise since most comics like this are heavily in black and white! Nothing wrong with color, just a little unexpected is all, but it was a nice touch. The scenery is amazingly laid out to the point that I feel there might have been more than one trip to certain San Fransisco spots just to get the art perfectly represented.

The Bottom Line – For a dollar I admit that this book is worth the gamble, and not just because I am partial to the genre. BOOM! is a company that is known for seeking out high level projects to bring to shops and this comic is no different. Buy this for a buck while you can because I sense a second printing coming up once the word gets out.

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Incredible Hulks #635 (Marvel Comics)

Written by Greg Pak
Art by Paul Pelletier

The final chapter in an outstanding series as headed by Greg Pak, this issue had so many markings of an ending I thought it was one of the many DC titles that just wrapped up! Lots of guest spots as the team make their way back from the Dark Dimension to throw a beating at a gamma infused Fing Fang Foom. Predictably the good guys win but what little power remaining in the centric “wishing machine” is used to give the supporting cast the Gamma Squad the power to transform from human to powerhouses at will AND retain their smarts in either form. While the issue was not perfect it was fun as hell to read, especially the nice drive Betty and Bruce go for at the close of the comic.

Pelletier’s rendition of Marvel’s Green Goliath was straight up monstrous! The bulky frame style he used was perfect for the story. Though I would have liked to see more background in some of the more energetic moments he more than made up for with the attention to the location in the post action desert scene.

The Bottom Line - This issue was an alright ending to Pak’s run. The pacing is smart and the action is big when present, but with a blockbuster like The Hulk I would have expected something bigger, or at least longer. It was nice seeing the cast get sort of reset in a sensible way for the next creative team to come in and take the series for a spin, as if his run was like a rental car. I would say to check this out in a trade format if possible.

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Justice League #1 (DC Comics)

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Jim Lee

Welcome to ~~One Year Later~~ The New 52! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Okay, so here it is finally and all I could think as I flipped through the luscious pages by Jim Lee was “yawn”. There is only so far that expertly drawn depictions of the dark knight in a rooftop chase spread over seven pages can go, especially when those same seven pages contain a total of seventy nine words, a majority of which are on the first page! Things got more interesting as Green Lantern arrived on the scene but since this was more of a “first meeting” between the two it felt like a large introductory moment than a team-up which could come back and alienate fans of all different periods of length. All of that aside, there is one item of interest to me at least and that is the damn mystery woman in the hood who is apparently popping up everywhere starting with Flashpoint #5.

The art by Jim Lee is the art by Jim Lee. Much like the shark he has remained unevolved in his style because he hasn’t had to change a thing since his X-Men days. He is the industry standard when it comes to big action shots and this issue is no different. Seeing him draw Batman sequentially again makes me wish that the Frank Miller series he was on got a few more issues but I’ll take what I can get. The redesigned costumes are not as noticeable nor as big of a deal as others have lead on.

The Bottom Line - Despite all of the hype I was not that impressed. From cover to cover this has the typical first issue stereotypes all over it. I guess I was hoping for something more in line with Grant Morrison’s New X-Men #114. I do expect big things from this series as the next two or three issues come along but for an opening issue it had failed to floor me like we all hoped it would. Like I said, since this is a first issue I will look for the next one before I build a permanent opinion.

Here is a small number of the other books that were released this week and how I quickly rate them. The rating system I will be using will be ranked as:

New Release – This book is the bee’s knees. Buy this comic as soon as the issues arrive in the store!
TPB – It is okay. If you are vaguely interested then wait for the trade paperback or hardcover.
Bargain Bin – Almost a total pass that I would only touch just so i could move it out of the way in the cheap bins.

Uncanny X-Force #14 (Marvel Comics)
Back to back weekly issues is something I enjoy a lot. It cuts down on the amount of time that could lead readers to lose excitement and the way the last issue ended left me wanting more and soon. The team is now back in the 616 Marvel Universe from a trip to the Age of Apocalypse and they are greeted by the Archangel and his squad of horsemen. The issue ends with Archangel and Genocide making their mark as X-Force lay beaten. New Release

Invincible #82 (Image Comics)
After reading this issue I automatically started to wonder just what new kinds of crazy Kirkman has planned for this series in the future. There were many seeds planted in the story such as Invincible looking at more peaceful solutions instead of fists and Robot being offered, and accepting, a position to monitor all of the heroic efforts headed up by Cecil and his crew. Very interesting stuff indeed. TPB

The Mighty Thor #5 (Marvel Comics)
Silver Surfer vs Thor! Galactus vs Odin! This issue started out with an all out brawl and Galactus blew his lid! As the battle comes crashing down to earth the focus shifts to Loki and The Destroyer robot-statue-thing. The final addictive moments show what happens when a normal man puts all fear aside to involve himself in the world of the gods. New Release

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Collected Edition Of The Week:
Thunderbolts by Ellis & Deodato Ultimate Collection (Marvel Comics)
Collecting the previously two volume run in one binding, this is a phenomenal story reaching into the villainous psych of a team filled with “reforming” criminals. Spinning out of Civil War, the team headed by Norman Osborn are tasked with hunting and incarcerating unregistered super humans. Although in single issue form this series took FOREVER to come out it is still one of my favorite story lines, especially when you read this before jumping into Dark Avengers, also drawn by Deodato.

One key item of note for this is the series is that it led me to recognize the awesomeness of Marko Djurdjevic and the amazing covers that he shortly began pumping out for the entire company on a regular basis. The cover art alone is an amazing testament to the power of this series and often enough the images were powerful enough make it my PC’s background month after month. This book collects THUNDERBOLTS #110-121 and material from CIVIL WAR: THE INITIATIVE.

A Special Look at Marvel Comics’ Upcoming Daredevil #4

The blind avenger is back and here is a look at Marcos Martin’s pages! As a long time fan of this series who came into it during the dark and gritty years, it is fun seeing the character back under a light, adventurous light during Mark Waid’s current run.

Also, here is a look at the second printing cover for the first issue.

Image Comics Presents The “OUR MINDS ARE ON THOUGHT BUBBLE” Anthology

Image Comics Proudly Presents Thought Bubble Anthology in November

Like Image Comics, UK’s Thought Bubble festival celebrates sequential art in all its forms and genres. Now the leading creator-owned publisher is joining forces with the non-profit Thought Bubble organization to celebrate the fifth year of the festival with THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY, a collection whose proceeds will go to the charity Banardos.

THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY will feature short stories written by Andy Diggle, Stuart Gordon, and Antony Johnston, gorgeous art by Charlie Adlard, Duncan Fegredo, and D’Israeli, and a cover by Becky Cloonan, and will also include the six winners of the Northern Sequential Arts Competition.

“Thought Bubble is delighted to be working with one of our favorite publishers, Image Comics, for our first ever anthology,” said Lisa Wood, Thought Bubble Festival Director. “We are stunned at the support we have received from everyone who has contributed to the comic and hope it is the first of many more to come!”

The Thought Bubble Festival takes place across Leeds from the 14th-20th of November with a massive Comic Con held at the city’s largest convention halls on the 19th and 20th. It is now the UK’s largest festival celebrating comic art in all its wondrous forms.

THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY #1, an oversized, 24-page full color anthology comic book, will be on sale for $2.99 in stores November 9 and is available to order now in the September issue of Previews. For more information, visit www.thoughtbubblefestival.com.

Choose Your X-Men Team This November Part 2!!

Yesterday we showed you a preview of the X-Men Teams that are sided with Cyclops in the upcoming Regenesis, today we are happy to show the teams that are aligned with Wolverine in an amazing image by Nick Bradshaw!

WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #1
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
ON SALE – 10/26/11

X-MEN LEGACY #259
Written by MIKE CAREY
Art by KHOI PHAM
Cover by CLAY MANN
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
NOVEMBER 2011

UNCANNY X-FORCE #19
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
DECEMBER 2011

X-FACTOR #230
Written by PETER DAVID
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Variant Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
JANUARY 2012

Sneek Peek at Marvel Comics’ ULTIMATES #2

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Ultimate Comics Ultimates #2 from the rockstar creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic. Ultimate Comics Reborn continues as the entire world begins to crumble around S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Ultimates are powerless against it! With their leader nowhere to be found, can Thor, Iron Man & Nick Fury pull together and stop the Tomorrow People before it’s too late? Find out in Ultimate Comics Ultimates #2!

ULTIMATE COMICS: ULTIMATES #2
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by ESAD RIBIC
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
ON SALE – 9/28/11

Choose Your X-Men Team This November!

With the upcoming Regenesis event coming from Marvel, it looks like there will be another reshuffling of the line-ups and which mutant is on what team. With just a few reveals to date, fans are wondering just who will make it out of the current Schism storyline alive. Here is a look at the interconnecting image celebrating that drawn by Dale Keown for November’s UNCANNY X-MEN #1, GENERATION HOPE #13, X-MEN #20, and NEW MUTANTS #33!

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Category Archives: Books

New Comic Books For 1/4/12

Avengers vs X-Men

Philip K Dick’s ‘Now Wait For Last Year’ going to the big screen

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 11/30/2011

New Comic Releases for 11/23/2011

Borderlands Novel Coming Out This Tuesday

New Comic Releases for 11/16/2011

You Can Finally Stop Starving! ‘The Hunger Games’ Official Trailer Hits

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 11/9/2011

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 11/2/2011

Comikaze Preview

New Comics Releases for Wednesday 10/26/2011

Power-Con & Thundercon

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 10/5/11

New Comic Releases for Wednesday 9/21/11

New Comics On Sale 9/14/11

IDW Publishing Breaks Into iBooks!

Experience SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY In Louisiana

Hasbro & IDW Present MAGIC: THE GATHERING Comic Books

Marvel Comics Goes Back To Season One, Books Go Mainstream

New Comics On Sale 9/7/11

A Special Look at Marvel Comics’ Upcoming Daredevil #4

Image Comics Presents The “OUR MINDS ARE ON THOUGHT BUBBLE” Anthology

Choose Your X-Men Team This November Part 2!!

Sneek Peek at Marvel Comics’ ULTIMATES #2

Choose Your X-Men Team This November!