After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

What do you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

Image Comics

Story: Nathan Edmondson
Art: Nic Klein

Maracaibo, Brazil—a dinner party is abruptly ended by a sniper’s bullet.

Milan, Italy—a ballerina leaves rehearsal with a man, obviously romantically linked. As they walk and discuss her performance. They sit down to dinner at an outdoor café. The man, Alan, seems to be distracted as the dancer, Quinn, is talking to him. Then it happens; they’re being watched. Moving quickly Alan and the Quinn run through the streets of Milan as sniper bullets pop around them. Taking a brief moment of rest on the subway, Alan reveals to Quinn that he used to be an Operative, a Shooter working for the U.S. Military and feels that he must have been burned. They make a quick run for his apartment so he can get his “Go” bag. Trying to make a run out of his apartment Alan gets pinned down by the sniper on a nearby rooftop. Knowing his location, Alan gets a look at the guy through his binoculars, only to be shocked at who’s been trying to kill him.

Dancer is written by Nathan Edmondson, the writer of Who Is Jake Ellis?. Right there that had me interested in his new title. Dancer can best be summed up as a modern day Spy Thriller with a strange twist. Art is provided by Nic Klein, who was on art duty on another image title, Viking.

This was a very cool book, had nice amount of mystery and action. The story has a nice pace and the art blends perfectly with the overall mood of the writing.

Definitely something I will be reading issue 2 of.

I give Dancer #1, 4 Magnificos! out of 5

What did you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

Story: Jonathan Hickman
Art: John Romita Jr.

Jonathan Hickman takes the reins this issue. Does he deliver?

• All across the globe—in the Savage Land, in Wakanda, in Tabula Rasa and more—Avenger battles X-Man for the fate of the world!
• Hope has a suicide mission to propose to Wolverine!
• While in space, the Avengers’ away team meets the Phoenix head on!

The two teams are on the move searching for Hope. Where one team goes, the other follows. Fights happen, but not long ones… that’s for the other title.

Hope has a plan, but she needs a hand. Enter the betrayed Wolverine. He’s her back-up plan in case the Phoenix is too much for her to handle. Their pact doesn’t last long.

But this issue isn’t all about Hope.

Iron Man does something he should have done in #1. Emma Frost violates Captain America. And everyone ends up on the Moon staring at the Phoenix.

We’re a quarter of the way into this event and Hickman has delivered the best entry of the series yet. That’s not to say the book was great, it’s just a step above the previous issues. Hickman sidesteps the action and gives readers a Mutant-centric issue. There is a sense of desperation in Hope and Cyclops. Hope wants a chance, and Cyclops wants Hope. I can’t really say it’s a nice break from the fighting since there isn’t much of that, but it’s the deepest issue so far.

And now to the art. The first few pages were great and I thought John Romita Jr. was back in true form. Then the other pages happened. Each page seems to have a different artist. Maybe JR Jr. is the only artist who can handle the accelerated schedule, but the art has suffered for it throughout the series.

This is by far the best issue of the series and finally there are some interesting character moments, but it’ll still be an uphill battle to salvage this event. Now that the Phoenix Force has made it to Hope, hopefully we’ll start to see which side was right to begin with.

I give Avengers vs. X-Men #4, 2.5 Magnificos! out of 5.

Check out our podcast review of Avengers vs. X-Men #1 here, and our podcast review of AvX: VS #1 here.

What do you think of the event so far? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

In the video shot at C2E2, the trio discuss their Watchmen experiences and answer fan’s questions. Who knew Adam Hughes was a Nite Owl fan?

Below the video, check out a new promotional image of The Comedian.

Are you looking forward to Before Watchmen? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

In the Virtual Lab, you can play eight Chemical Bonding puzzles.

Your Oscorp workstation is now online.

Here, you will master the fundamentals of genetics, chemical reactions, and bioengineering under the strict tutelage of Dr. Curtis Connors. His name is almost as legendary as his work… and his work is revolutionary. Your efforts in the animal dynamics lab are crucial to the success of Dr. Connors’ latest initiative.

Proceed.

Once you’ve completed four, you gain access to a video message from Dr. Curt Connors. When you complete the next four, you unlock a warning. Along with the videos, a few photos are unlocked as well.

More games will be available soon, so check back regularly.

The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3, 2012.

What do you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3, 2012.

What do you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

Check out Doctor Curt Connors’ message to potential candidates. Also, make sure you head back to the site Monday, May 14th as it looks as if they’ll unveil something new. Trailer maybe?

Are you prepared to engineer a brave new tomorrow?
Step into the virtual lab this Monday, May 14th, and help us chart a path to unprecedented innovation.

The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3, 2012.

What do you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

Is there a writer currently working in the comic industry as consistently good as Robert Kirkman has been over the last decade or so? If so, it’s news to me. Both Invincible and The Walking Dead are in the stretch towards their 100th issues, and while there may have been a slow spot here and there, the quality has never dipped below excellent. This week brings us new releases of both titles, so let’s talk about Rick Grimes and company first.

The Walking Dead #97

Something to Fear, Part 1. After Rick strikes a deal with the Hilltop, a renewed sense of optimism has overcome the group. Said optimism has also sparked a renewed sense of badassery in Rick. He can finally see a peaceful future for his community, but he knows this future must be earned. If he wishes to pave the way for happiness, nothing must stand in his way, and that includes the Hilltop’s rivals/oppressors, Negan and his people.

As Rick, Andrea, Michonne, and stowaway Carl (when will that damn kid ever learn?) are scouting the area, a group of Negan’s men stops them and demands everything. Food, weapons, clothes… it’s the price they must pay for Negan’s “protection.” Unfortunately for them, Rick has a different plan. The thugs are quickly disposed of thanks to some quick shooting/swordplay from Andrea and Michonne. Rick lets one of them live to deliver a message to Negan – Fuck off.

Meanwhile back at the community, an odd discovery is made when one of the zombies has begun rotting, to the point where it’s turned almost entirely black. Are they changing? Dying off? Evolving? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

I’m really enjoying Rick’s newfound sense of confidence. It reminds me why I started to admire the character way back in the beginning of the series. He’s lost a lot in the past 97 issues. Far more than most men could handle. And just when we think he’s finally hit rock bottom, he rebounds and shows us how to take control of a shitty situation. The evolution of his character has been deeper than just about any character in comics, and this is a testament to Robert Kirkman’s skills.

Oh, and Maggie’s knocked up. This can’t possibly end well…

Speaking of Robert Kirkman’s skills, have you been reading Invincible? If not, you should be.

Invincible #91

The former Bulletproof (Zandale Randolph) is still filling in for Invincible while he’s recovering from the Viltrumite plague. He’s finding the job to be a little more than he can handle though. Not because he isn’t capable of doing the job, but because he’s kind of a player. His girlfriend isn’t fond of the fact that Zandale has been putting the moves on a grieving Atom Eve. There’s clearly a joke here about the brothers being big fans of thick white girls, but in an effort to keep this review classy, I’m not going to go there…

Meanwhile, Dinosaurus has kidnapped/saved Invincible from the warship he was recovering on after catching his Viltrumite captor attempting to murder Mark in his sleep. They’re holed up in one of Dinosaurus’ old secret lairs when they’re ambushed by Zandale, Kid Omni-Man, Allen the Alien, and Atom Eve. Like most super hero vs. super hero fights, this one started with a misunderstanding, as the team didn’t realize that Dinosaurus was actually protecting Invincible. However, unlike most super hero fights, this one ends with Mark’s arm falling off after punching Allen in the head. I guess that virus was a little stronger than we all thought.

91 issues strong, and this book is still consistently the best regular super hero comic out there. It’s got it all – engaging story and characters, humor, kickass action, and beautiful art. Much like The Walking Dead, Kirkman hits a bit of a slump every so often, but his bad days are still better than 99% of current writers’ good days.

I give both The Walking Dead #97 and Invincible #91 4.5 Magnificos each. -Squirrel

Boom! Studios

Story: Same Humphries
Art: Francesco Biagini

“You Are Illegal On This Earth”

How is that for an opening? Had me wanting to turn the page. Higher Earth seems to be a sci-fi chase adventure book. A man falls from a portal to what looks like a garbage pit of a planet. There he is searching for this girl who from what he tells her doesn’t belong there. In his tale he tells her about how there are multiple Earths and to access them you just need to punch a hole between the dimensions. Each Earth is based on the original but deviating in some way making it unique. The mysterious man looking for this girl is also being pursued by someone. There aren’t a lot of specifics in this first issue, it pretty much starts you off in the thick of things. However, it’s not a confusing place to start, especially with the fast pace of the read. There’s enough there to make you interested enough to pick up issue 2 to see where the chase goes next with the hope that you will be told why there is this pursuit, who this girl is and why this mysterious man is trying to help her.

Higher Earth should be picked up, especially at the $1 cover price. A buck for a first issue, that’s awesome. I’m very pleased; this is the second book I got this week that I very much enjoyed. That hasn’t happened in a while for me with all the dreck that’s coming out of Marvel and the DCnU these days.

I give Higher Earth #1, 4 Magnificos! out of 5.

What did you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.

Image Comics

Story: Jim McCann
Art: Rodin Esquejo and Sonia Oback

At 4:42pm Jo wakes up to a phone call from her friend Elle but something isn’t right. All Jo hears on the other end is a couple of painful grunts and the call fails. Completely shaken she calls Elle’s boyfriend Dane. They find out the Elle has been attacked on a subway platform leaving her in a coma. What seemed to be a tragic but all too common mugging was actually a calculated attack by some mysterious person in a hoodie. A person following the orders of some disembodied voice over a cell phone. Gathering around Elle’s hospital bedside is her over protective father, her emotionally cold mother, douchebag brother (Elle refers to him as such), Jo and Dane. Jo and Dane suspect that something is going on.

She’s not the only one.

Doctor Geller is first to see Elle come in the ER, she’s covering for Dr. Hammond, who seems to be ignoring his pages. Dr. Hammond does eventually show and abruptly dismisses Dr. Geller. Once Elle has been stabilized, Dr. Geller takes a look into Dr. Hammond’s file on Elle—a file that differs from the chart in patient’s room.

In a different location Harold Crenshaw receives a phone call, he agrees to deliver something in a metal case to someone in regards to the Elle Peterssen case. Only to be involved in a single car accident caused by the mysterious man in the hoodie.

With all this going on, Elle is having an out of body experience that transcends her to the Astral plane. Here she meets Blake Robert “Bobby” Plangman. Bobby welcomes her to “The Garden” a “fitting place for the vegetables” as he put it, referring to people trapped out of their bodies trying to find their way back. While trying to find here way back to her body she is also trying to unlock what exactly happened to her and why.

This is a fantastically written thriller. Little Easter Eggs are dropped around, everyone is suspect and there’s the mysterious person in the hoodie. On top of that the art is top notch. Personally I love reading thrillers—especially the “Whodunit” ones. This book has landed a spot on my pull list, I definitely recommend Mind The Gap to everyone.

I give Mind The Gap #1, 4 Magnificos! out of 5.

What did you think? Head over to our podcast Facebook page and let us know.