Hey, everyone, come on, grab your friends!  We’ll go to very distant lands!

approval payday loans

Jake and Finn have stopped playing with BMO and are back for a second round of Adventure Time trade paperback mathematics!  Adventure Time volume two collects issues five through nine of the series that’s sweeter than Peppermint Butler.  Within these flippin’ sweet pages are stories of Finn and Jake turning into robots, traveling in Princess Bubblegum’s time machine, and laying some smack down on the Ice King.  Make your kids (or, hell, yourself) happy and pick it up!

Liches and zombies need not apply.

Scott Snyder just finished what is sure to become a classic Joker story in the main Batman series, but, before he made a name for himself, Snyder wrote one of the creepiest runs of Detective Comics ever.  Set during the period of time where Dick Grayson was Batman, this extended run has an entirely different tone from other Batman books as Grayson is all about the sarcasm and acrobatics, both brought to life by Jock’s expressive pencils.  Faced with a complicated murder mystery to solve, Grayson must team-up with Commissioner Gordon to crack the case.  Not only do Gordon and Grayson share sleuthing duties, but the story is also evenly split between them.  Gordon must deal with the arrival of his prodigal son, James, Jr., who may or may not be entirely sane.  Snyder is incredibly dept at pacing horror and suspense on the page, a talent uses handily during many of Gordon and James, Jr.’s scenes together.  Just remember to watch out for that water running under the bathroom door.

One thing you will certainly not find in Image Comics Five Weapons miniseries is a sorting hat.

That just makes it all the more important to choose wisely when you’re enrolling in The School of Five Weapons, because the weapon you choose will define the rest of your life.  Knives, staves, archery, exotics, and guns may be deadly, but they have nothing on the brain of Tyler, the most recent arrival to the premiere assassin school.  Join Jimmie Robinson (Bomb Queen), handling both art and writing duties, as he leads you through the halls of the deadliest high school in the country.  

Just don’t call it Harry Potter with guns.

Talking raccoons make every comic better.

Brian Michael Bendis got to sample the Guardians of the Galaxy in his recent run on Avengers Assemble, but now he launches deep into the stars with the beginning of another ongoing Guardians of the Galaxy series.  The first point one issue details the origins of Starlord, the boy from Earth who grows-up to lead the meanest bunch of space police in the universe.  With crisp, detailed artwork from Steve McNiven (Civil War), the addition of Iron Man, and the eminent Marvel Studios film adaptation the only reason to skip this book is if you’re off planet.

 

Anything Finn can do, Fionna can do better.  And in knee socks.

The highly successful Adventure Time comic series gains another tie-in miniseries this Wednesday!  Written by co-creator and storyboard artist from the television show, Natasha Allegri, Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake brings the girl power!  Spinning out of a stand-alone episode where the regular protagonists, Finn and Jake, where gender bent into women, this miniseries gives them the spotlight for six whole issues!  As the previous Adventure Time series have sold out as fast as the Ice Queen sliding down a snowy slope, if you want a copy be sure to put your name on the pull before Wednesday or be at the store early!

Vampires have been the new hotness for quite some time now, but they’ve never been Marvel NOW!  Uh, until now.

With this week’s Morbius, the Living Vampire #1, another of Spidey‘s villains gets an empathetic make over.  After breaking out of The Raft prison in Spider-Man #699.1, Michael Morbius is attempting to find his inner good guy and satisfy his natural hunger.  Written by Joe Keatinge, up-and-coming author of Hell Yeah and Glory for Image Comic, the first issue showcases his unique blend of stylistic indy paneling and catchy, quick dialog as well as moody horror.  As is often the case, C-list characters commonly make for the best reads at the big two comic companies (for evidence, see Swamp Thing and Hawkeye), given that the writers have a leeway to put the characters through their paces in ways that the A-list characters can’t be.  Trust me, it won’t suck.  Except, you know, in the ways that a vampire book should.

The other Marvel NOW! release for this next week is Johnathon Hickman’s Avengers companion book, New Avengers #1. Like FF to Fantastic Four, this series will share characters with the main title, as well as some plot elements, making them a shared story, of sorts.  And if you’ve read Hickman’s first issue of Avengers or any of his Manhattan Projects series, you know he’s capable of giant sci-fi craziness and incredible plot twists, both qualities which he will bring to characters of New Avengers.  Starring The Illuminati, the secretive, behind-the-scenes puppet masters of the Marvel Universe, the series will feature Black Panther, Iron Man, Reed Richards, Namor, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, and Beast desperately struggling to halt the collision of two universes.  And fans of the New Universe concept of yesteryear should take note, as it’s rumored to return in this book.

Thanks to a little timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stuff, the third series of Doctor Who Character Builder Miniatures materializes in the store this Wednesday!  Yes, we know series two hasn’t arrived yet, but, you know, time travel.  Anyway, it really doesn’t matter as each set features different characters or key characters in unique costumes.  Set three includes the Doctor in his fancy green longcoat (circa season five), Amy with Silence marks on her face, an alternate universe Rory, River Song, an Ood, and many more (check them all out to the right).  Each figure is compatible with Lego’s, if you wish to build your own Doctor Who adventure set, or feel free to pick up one of Doctor Who Character Builder playsets currently at the store.

 

The Avengers are dead.  Long live The Avengers!

After Brian Michael Bendis’ lengthy run on, basically, ever Avengers comic for the last ten years, it’s out with the old blood and in with the new as Johnathon Hickman takes over.  Riding a wave of success off of his acclaimed Fantastic Four run and current run on Manhattan Projects for Image, Hickman claims to be having the time of his life writing this new Avengers series.  If the writer’s having fun, that usually bodes pretty well for the book.  Plus, Hickman’s not leaving anything on the drawing room floor as he’s jam-packed his Avengers team with nearly twenty members, including Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, to name a few.  If you’re going to pick up any Marvel NOW! book to get a taste of the reboot, this is it.

Read the next book with extreme prejudice.  Thunderbolts #1 is an assemblage of the lean,  mean, and extreme combining the toughest customers the Marvel Universe has to offer.  That includes Venom, Elektra, Red Hulk, The Punisher, and Deadpool.  The Red Hulk leads the team, but only as much as you can lead nutjobs like Frank Castle and Wade Wilson.  Written by Daniel Way, who’s been running the Deadpool book for the last four years, this series is certain to be spilling over with blood, guts, and guffaws.  Steve Dillon, artist on Garth Ennis’ legendary run on The Punisher series, lends his pencils to the book, which means both creators have ties to characters on the team and that makes for a good read.

The future is not a happy place in Image Comics‘ new post-apocalyptic series, Blackacre.  From the new creative team of Duffy Boudreau and Wendell Cavalcanti, the series focuses a lone, retired soldier, Hull, who must venture forth from behind the protective barrier of his home city, Blackacre.  Beyond the walls lie creatures and cults beyond recognition, all of which are ready to eat him alive.  Readers of Prophet and Planetoid will find a similar narrative of survival here, as Hull has to outlast and outlive the terrain and terrors of the wasteland.  

Mike Mignola returns to the character that made his career, Hellboy, this next Wednesday.  Not only is Mignola writing the series, but he’s also drawing the character for the first time in ten years.  Of course, if he’s going to return to the series, there has to be an amazing reason.  Hellboy in Hell #1 begins a new miniseries where Hellboy has died and returned home, along with the entirety of Great Britain.  And if you don’t know, Hellboy, as the son of the devil, has a throne waiting for him in the underworld, one that he’s not too keen to take back.  Like Halley’s comet, Hellboy comics don’t come around too often, especially not by its creator, so be sure to grab a copy and get your Big Baby fix.

 

This week is Marvel‘s week.  Beezees.  Word up.

Marvel NOW! is in full effect, as two of the cornerstone titles hit shelves this Wednesday.

First up, Deadpool #1.  Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, two thinking man’s comedians, are writing the book (their first comic endeavor ever…that rhymed) while the legend himself, Tony Moore (Walking Dead), lends his beautifully twisted pencils to the Merc with the Mouth.  The premise for the first arc of this series is so unbelievable, I hesitate to tell you about it.

Okay, you’ve convinced me.  All the country’s deceased presidents are coming back to undead life and there’s only one man who’s jerk enough to re-kill them.  I think you know who it is.

That Tony Stark needs to learn how to hold onto his inventions.  Iron Man #1 by Kieron Gillen and Greg Land re-introduce Tony Stark to a whole new range of readers with this Marvel NOW! starting point issue, where Tony gets his Extremis technology stolen and must develop an entirely new suit of armor to get it back.  Gillen has been killing on the Uncanny X-Men AvX tie-ins, bringing the pathos and the action while Greg Land is just a beautiful, painterly artist who will make Tony’s armor look so polished you’ll think you can eat off it.  Anyone who loves the Iron Man films but has never read one of his comics NEEDS to check this series out.

If you missed this year’s epic Marvel brawl to end it all, Avengers vs. X-Men, all hope is not lost.  Coming out this Wednesday is the complete epic all in one hefty volume.  That’s twelve issues for the main series, folks, plus six issues of AvX: Versus, the all fights all the time miniseries that accompanied the main series, and (if that wasn’t enough) three AvX: Infinite issues, which have never been in print before.  The entire volume is a treasure trove of the greatest writers and artists working in comics today, featuring names like Jonathon Hickman, Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Jeph Loeb, Kieron Gillen, Ed Brubaker, Andy Kubert, Oliver Coipel, John Romita, Jr., and many, many, many more.  And this thing’s so thick after you get done reading it, you can use it as a coffee table.

You’ve read the novel.  You’ve seen the Swedish movie.  You’ve seen the American movie.  But have you read the graphic novel?

No, obviously not, it’s not out until this Wednesday.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo makes its way to comic shelves this week with a Vertigo graphic novel adaptation by novelist Denise Mina and artists Leonard Manco and Andrea Mutti.  If you nabbed the free sample comic from a couple months back, you know that this version of the story plays with silence and ambiance in way the previous incarnations have not.  And, if you’ve lived under a rock for the last eight years or so, then you should check the book out anyway as it is one of the best mystery, suspense stories of the decade.

 

Point one is usually considered an unimportant amount. But not this coming Wednesday.

Marvel NOW! Point One is extremely important for those who’ve got an interest in the forthcoming Marvel NOW! refresh! This over-sized issue will contain original short stories previewing and leading into future Marvel NOW! titles, including FF, Young Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, and Cable & X-Force. That means stories by the likes of Kieron Gillen, Matt Fraction, Mike Allred, and Dennis Hopeless.

Wait, did I say Dennis Hopeless? Yes, former Pulp Fiction employee (like you didn’t already know), Dennis Hopeless. Dennis’ story is absolutely key to understanding his future Cable & X-Force series. It will show how Cable brought the, currently insane, Forge onto the team. Check the issue out for a great preview of upcoming titles. And don’t forget the Scottie Young baby variant!

Speaking of Scottie Young and babies (which seem to be utterly linked these days), A-Babies vs. X-Babies also drops this Wednesday. If you were one of the many who wished Cyclops and Captain America would stop acting like babies during Avengers vs. X-Men, this…is probably not the issue for you. However, if you love cute Marvel parody books lampooning the ridiculousness of giant crossover events, this IS the book for you. And you don’t even have to worry about a baby variant because the whole book is full’a babies!

Nathan Edmondson is one of those up-and-coming young comic writers you always hear about. He’s written great espionage series like Who is Jake Ellis?, Dancer, and Grifter, but now he’s turning his talents to Ultimate Comics Iron Man. This four issue miniseries will delve deep into the history of the Ultimate Universe’s version of the iron avenger, revealing his secrets for donning the armor in the first place. Oh, and did someone say Ultimate Mandarin? Followers of The Ultimates should give this miniseries more than a cursory glance.

It’s a known fact that everyone who reads the engrossing Morning Glories series has said, at one time or another, “I’d love to see this cover artist do interiors!” Well, that has finally happened. Mind the Gap is written by Jim McCann and, more importantly, drawn by Rodin Esquejo, the phenomenal cover artist for Morning Glories. Enough about Morning Glories, though, because Mind the Gap more than stands on its own. Not quite a murder mystery, this coma mystery centers around a sketchy cast of characters, all of which have their own motives for placing the lead character into a coma. But don’t count her out just because she’s unconscious, from her own mindscape she attempts to piece her memories together to catch the culprit. Just like Saga, Prophet, and, yes, Morning Glories before it, this first volume of Mind the Gap (the first six issues) is only $9.99! You can’t beat it!

© 2013 Pulp Fiction Comics & Games Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha