Close, close in a gaming store not so far away…

STAR WARS CARD SLEEVES!!!!!

Yes, hum the theme song in your head if you must. Fantasy Flight has released an exceptional limited run of specialty Star Wars backed card sleeves. So, play Magic with the man who shot first or catch’em all with Lord Vader or throw them on any other card game that needs some sci-fi spice. But whatever you do, pick them up before an X-Wing comes along and vaporizes them because there will not be any prequels here.

Of course, if space battles and laser swords aren’t your thing, maybe the other limited edition Lord of the Rings sleeves will be. Slip them over your favorite standard sized cards to give them a Samwise Gamgee to their Frodo Baggins. Or grasp the One Ring to rule all other swag-less individuals. Whatever you choose, wield them responsibly.

You want to kick your Warhammer Fantasy RPG game up to level 4? How about level 5? Then let Hero’s Call be Fantasy’s version of the Spinal Tap speaker! Chocked full of new hero and GM options for careers, action cards, talents, spells, and region options, this player’s resource is loaded with must-have ingredients for kicking your game up a couple levels.

Bringing Cthulhu to the deck-building party, Penny Arcade: Rumble in R’Lyeh is both a standalone game and an expansion for last year’s Penny Arcade: The Game, Gamers vs. Evil! So, players can enjoy Eldar God gaming goodness in the base 2-4 player version of the game or combine it with the previous game for excessive nerd overload. Rumble in R’Lyeh specifically adds Gold cards to the gameplay, which must be acquired through the use of Token and Power cards. Totally worth it when they have names like Gunhorse (a horse made of guns, duh!), Sad Zombie, and Gabe’s Gross Mouth.

Bridging books and board games, the Where the Wild Things Are board game from the Tales to Play series, lets families take control of Max’s journey to the land of the Wild Things. Each player controls a different Max miniature game piece on his trek through the becoming king of the Wild Things. Players draw cards and roll dice to decide their success or failure across the illustrated game board. Great gameplay and Wild Thing miniatures for the whole family.

Gamers have been waiting for this next exapnsion since somewhere around the dawn of man. Yes,  has finally arrived. Adding not only a fifth player ability to the game, but a new item dubbed decoration. Players may now trade their resources for this item in an effort to gain further points. Club someone if you have too, fight a t-rex, do whatever you have to for a copy of this valued expansion.

 

Possibly you’re the kind of comic fan with refined tastes. You enjoy your caviar black, your bourbon warm, and your Rolls Royce.

If you share in respectable tastes such as those you might be inclined to pick up a copy of Thief of Thieves, a sequential periodical penned by two gentlemen of leisure known as Robert Kirkman and Nick Spencer. These two have earned the gentleman title through a succession of highly successful books, namely Walking Dead and Invincible for Mr. Kirkman and Morning Glories, Infinite Vacation, and Thunder Agents for Mr. Spencer. A classic heist scenario, Thief of Thieves is about a father who lives a secret life as a master thief…but maybe not for long, as the FBI is closing in. Sharpen your comic palette by giving Thief of Thieves a chance.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have the first issue of Adventure Time. Based off the popular, trippy Cartoon Network show, Adventure Time the comic is written by Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics webcomic acclaim. The Land of Ooo will be torn asunder during the first few issues as an old enemy returns, ready to stomp all over the lives of Finn and Jake. It’s gonna be lumpin’ amazerin!

And now a little item for those in the audience enjoy the ability to drink.

Normally, a pint glass with Batman plastered on it would be reason enough to get excited and drop some bank, but what if I told you this one had a Batmobile on it too.

And the phrase, “Wanna come to my Bat Cave?”

And “Chicks dig the ride!”

I think the appropriate answer would be, “Holy Bat Glass, Batman!”

Lastly, tonight, a creator shift change for a great book that’s been flying under the radar lately.

That book is Secret Avengers, which has, of late, been written by Warren Ellis (If you haven’t picked it up, do so. Some of the best one issue stories I’ve ever read.), but will now be written by popular Venom and Uncanny X-Force writter, Rick Remender. Not only does the book get a writing make over, but a couple new members join the team, too. Namely, Captain Britain and Hawkeye. Wait one more issue and you’ll also get the added benefit of Venom joining the team. With Remender’s credentials from Uncanny X-Force, primarily in the violence and sensation aspects, this version of the Secret Avengers should be insane action all the time.

 

Let’s see if our “beloved” distributor can accomplish a holiday miracle and actually ship us what we ordered this week. If they manage to do so, here’s some of the awesome items to drop next week.

Because it demands to be mentioned first, there is a plethora of Sonic Screwdriver merchandise coming in. And not just the normal 10th or 11th Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, no. This time around you get them both…plus a whole lot more. Yes, folks, with the new Doctor Who Personalize Your Sonic Screwdriver kit you can build up to 80 different versions of the Sonic Screwdriver. That’s Matt Smith’s, David Tennant’s, and about every other Doctor you can think of. But wait because it comes in pieces it probably doesn’t make all the cool sound effects the other screwdrivers have, right? Wrong! And if that wasn’t enough, we’re also getting in the Master’s Laser Screwdriver (Pictured to the left) and a restock on River Song‘s Future Sonic Screwdriver. Pick these babies up while you can, because with gift giving in full swing they will go fast.

And if that’s not enough timey wimey-ness for you, then you’ll just have to check out the Doctor Who Ongoing v.2 trade paperback (and don’t worry if you didn’t get the first volume because we still have a copy). This volume contains issues #5-8, which is cool because #6-8 has been the best storyline thus far. That trilogy of issues carries the Doctor, Amy, and Rory to a recreation world where travelers can emerse themselves in whatever fantasy world they choose. Be a cowboy, be a gladiator, go to Atlantis, whatever suits you! But, as is always the case with the Doctor, things go haywire and the fantasy worlds become real. Eventually there’s a talking dinosaur and about a thousand versions of the Doctor running around. Pick up the collection and find out how it gets to that point!

To bridge the gap between comics, here’s some statues.

Ooooooo!

Awwwwww!

Ooooooo!

Awwwwww!

I know I’ve had a bunch of people asking about a White Lantern Sinestro, so here’s a mini bust for all you Sinestro nuts out there.

Hazzah!

Hooray!

The newest edition to the Batman Black & White line of statues comes from Patrick Gleason’s (Batman & Robin) exaggerated take on the character. Basic pose, but exceptional design.

Before he was writing the Dark Angel Saga in Uncanny X-Force or Frankencastle in The Punisher, Rick Remender wrote an epic series by the name of Strange Girl. Set in a post-rapture Earth, the lengthy adventure follows a young, emo girl and her demon buddy as they embark on a road trip across the country hoping to trick their way into the great hereafter by way of an open gateway to heaven. Any fan of Preacher or Y the Last Man will fall madly in love with this book. Luckily, you won’t have to search out any other volumes after it, because this is the Strange Girl Omnibus so it’s got every single issue of the entire series.

Finally, a new miniseries from the creator of iZombie, Chris Roberson’s Memorial. A blend of fantasy and horror, Memorial is the story of a young girl named Em who, after losing her memory and attempting to rebuild her life, must to battle with primal forces of the universe. Oh, and she’s got a talking cat on her side. Roberson has proven he can handle the fantastical through his Vertigo work, so I’m sure he’ll be up for the challenge of a series this demanding. Those who love iZombie or Locke & Key while probably find a comfortable fit in Memorial.

 

Who doesn’t want a tiny version of themselves?  What about a tiny version of yourself in your Pathfinder game?

If you’re an avid player or a beginner (especially if you’ve picked up the Beginner Box) this set of four miniatures, each representing a core class (Cleric, Wizard, Fighter, and Rogue), can come in mighty handy as a distinct way to distinguish your character on the map.  Each character has been carefully painted and crafted so that they are easily recognizable.  Be our hero and pick up a copy of the Beginner Box Heroes.

Moving from tiny to giant, if you always thought your copy of Cthulhu Dice was fun but not quite big enough, Steve Jackson has a solution for you.  Springing from the Giant Foam Cthulhu Dice demos displayed at conventions, you too can have your own 4″ wide, foam Cthulhu Die in one of four colors.  Regardless of the size, the game plays exactly the same as its smaller counterpart, except for a new bracelet substitute for the sanity chits.  Also safe to throw at fellow players without causing permanent damage!

While we’re on the whole dice topic, how about something for the hunting buff in your family?  How about a Trophy Buck?  Yuuup, Steve Jackson has done zombies, Cthulhu, and now hunting.  Structured similarly to Zombie Dice, Trophy Buck is a set of 12 dice that players take turns rolling to see if they can nab the most deer.  The dice have various symbols that indicate different amounts of deer as well as deer tracks, ultimately leading players to the decision of whether to continue hunting or stop so that you don’t scare the deer away.  Plus, you get a swanky camo dice bag!

For those more interested in the storytelling sensibilities of roleplaying, the dice-less system of Nobilis releases its 3rd edition today. Set in an anime-esque world where half-human, half-god spirits live in an ethereal world around ours, Nobilis: The Essentials is the core rulebook for any prospective player.  Within this beautiful slipcase edition you’ll find all the information about creating characters and dealing with all their godly abilities.  Designed by Jenna Katerin Moran, any crossover fan of anime and roleplaying needs to give this a go.

The Dead Marshes may not be the most relaxing place to take a vacation, but, as far as the Lord of the Rings LCG is concerned, they’re pretty dang awesome.  Yes, the newest Adventure Pack for the LotR LCG core set, Dead Marshes contains 60 new cards (that is cards 95-115 of the Shadows of Mirkwood cycle) to be incorporated into your base game.  

Supplanting famous Internet sensation webcomic, Axe Cop, onto the equally popular card game, Munchkin, Steve Jackson has created Munchkin Axe Cop.  Didn’t see that name coming.  As you might imagine, there is lots of chopping and lots of stuff taking.  Taking characters from the comic and turning them into cards, Munchkin Axe Cop allows you to play Axe Cop‘s partners, the Dinosaur Soldiers and Sockarang, along with battling infamous baddies like Giant Robot Zombie and Dr. Stinky Head.  As the webcomic is based off the writings of a five year old boy, one cannot comprehend the insanity hidden in this box until they have purchased it, chopped it open with an axe, and blown it to bits with their awesomeness.

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