Straight from PREVIEWSworld itself is the list of new releases of comic books and comic related merchandise you can expect in shops this Wednesday. Anyone interested in what was in shops last week can find that list here.

PREMIER PUBLISHERS

DARK HORSE COMICS

NOV140024 – ANGEL AND FAITH SEASON 10 #10 MAIN CVR – $3.50
SEP140116 – DRUG & DROP TP VOL 01 – $10.99
AUG140130 – GAME OF THRONES STARK WOLF SCULPTED MUG – $14.99
NOV140059 – GHOST #11 – $2.99
NOV140065 – GHOST FLEET #3 – $3.99
NOV140030 – HELLBOY AND THE BPRD #2 1952 – $3.50
NOV140021 – LADY KILLER #1 – $3.50
SEP140126 – LONE WOLF & CUB OMNIBUS TP VOL 07 – $19.99
SEP140025 – PARIAH TP VOL 03 – $14.99
NOV140088 – USAGI YOJIMBO SENSO #6 – $3.99

DC COMICS

MAY140382 – ABSOLUTE BATMAN INCORPORATED HC – $125.00
NOV140228 – ACTION COMICS #38 – $3.99
NOV140191 – AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #9 – $2.99
NOV140237 – BATMAN ETERNAL #40 – $2.99
OCT140356 – DEATHBLOW DELUXE EDITION TP – $19.99
NOV140260 – DETECTIVE COMICS #38 – $3.99
NOV140263 – DETECTIVE COMICS #38 COMBO PACK – $4.99
NOV140197 – EARTH 2 #30 – $2.99
NOV140193 – EARTH 2 WORLDS END #14 – $2.99
NOV140329 – FAIREST #33 (MR) – $2.99
NOV140285 – FLASH SEASON ZERO #4 – $2.99
NOV140202 – GREEN ARROW #38 – $2.99
NOV140271 – GREEN LANTERN #38 – $2.99
NOV140337 – HINTERKIND #14 (MR) – $2.99
OCT140368 – INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US TP VOL 02 – $16.99
NOV140206 – JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #13 – $2.99
OCT140346 – LEGENDS DARK KNIGHT 100 PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #5 – $9.99
NOV140205 – LOBO #4 – $2.99
NOV140336 – NAMES #5 (MR) – $2.99
NOV140210 – NEW 52 FUTURES END #36 (WEEKLY) – $2.99
NOV140321 – SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #8 – $2.99
AUG140341 – SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER TP VOL 02 – $19.99
OCT140359 – SINESTRO TP VOL 01 THE DEMON WITHIN (N52) – $14.99
OCT140363 – SUPERBOY TP VOL 05 PARADOX (N52) – $17.99
OCT140371 – SUPERMAN THE POWER WITHIN TP – $16.99
NOV140280 – SWAMP THING #38 – $2.99
NOV140341 – WOLF MOON #2 (MR) – $3.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

AUG140387 – WONDER WOMAN ART OF WAR STATUE BY CLIFF CHIANG – $79.95

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV140449 – ANGRY BIRDS #7 – $3.99
OCT140534 – EDWARD SCISSORHANDS #3 – $3.99
NOV140479 – JUDGE DREDD (IDW) TP VOL 06 – $17.99
NOV140498 – MAXX MAXXIMIZED #15 – $3.99
NOV140462 – MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #13 – $3.99
NOV140464 – MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC TP VOL 06 – $17.99
NOV140511 – SHADOW SHOW #3 – $3.99
NOV140456 – SKYLANDERS #4 – $3.99
NOV140517 – STEVE CANYON HC VOL 05 1955-1956 – $49.99
SEP140445 – SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK FULL BLOODED COLLECTION HC – $34.99
OCT140464 – TMNT ANIMATED TP VOL 05 CHOOSING SIDES – $7.99
OCT140468 – TMNT CLASSICS TP VOL 09 – $19.99
NOV140472 – TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES TP VOL 04 – $17.99
OCT140569 – TOM SUTTON CREEPY THINGS CHILLING ARCHIVES OF HORROR HC – $24.99
NOV140490 – V-WARS #9 – $3.99
NOV140516 – WEIRD LOVE #5 – $3.99

IMAGE COMICS

OCT148281 – AUTUMNLANDS TOOTH & CLAW #1 2ND PTG (MR) – $2.99
NOV140642 – BIRTHRIGHT #4 – $2.99
SEP140603 – CASANOVA COMPLETE ED HC VOL 02 GULA (MR) – $29.99
OCT140734 – DEADLY CLASS #10 (MR) – $3.50
JUL140544 – ELEPHANTMEN #61 (MR) – $3.99
SEP140717 – FADE OUT #4 (MR) – $3.50
NOV140655 – GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #5 CVR A BROWNE (MR) – $3.50
NOV140656 – GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #5 CVR B PITARRA (MR) – $3.50
NOV140659 – HUMANS #3 (MR) – $2.99
NOV140555 – IXTH GENERATION #1 – $3.99
NOV140665 – NAILBITER #9 (MR) – $2.99
OCT140754 – ODYC #2 (MR) – $3.99
OCT140762 – ROCHE LIMIT #4 (MR) – $3.50
NOV140683 – SINERGY #3 CVR A OEMING – $3.50
NOV140690 – TECH JACKET #7 – $2.99
NOV140638 – TECH JACKET TP VOL 03 – $16.99
OCT140770 – TREES #8 (MR) – $2.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

AUG140699 – WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 6 AF – PI

MARVEL COMICS

NOV140846 – ALL NEW X-FACTOR #19 – $3.99
OCT140832 – AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #12 SV – $3.99
OCT140932 – AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 02 SPIDER-VERSE PRELUDE – $17.99
NOV140777 – ANGELA ASGARDS ASSASSIN #2 – $3.99
NOV140725 – ANT-MAN #1 – $4.99
NOV140749 – AVENGERS NO MORE BULLYING #1 – $1.99
OCT140850 – BUCKY BARNES WINTER SOLDIER #3 – $3.99
OCT140914 – DEATH OF WOLVERINE HC – $24.99
NOV140834 – DEATH OF WOLVERINE WEAPON X PROGRAM #5 – $3.99
NOV140824 – HAWKEYE VS DEADPOOL #4 – $3.99
NOV140818 – HULK #10 – $3.99
NOV140816 – IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON #8 – $3.99
NOV140798 – LEGENDARY STAR LORD #7 – $3.99
OCT140924 – MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS PROSE NOVEL HC – $24.99
NOV140756 – MARVELS AVENGERS #2 – $2.99
NOV140859 – MEN OF WRATH BY AARON AND GARNEY #4 (MR) – $3.50
NOV140826 – MIRACLEMAN #14 (MR) – $4.99
APR140745 – MMW FANTASTIC FOUR HC VOL 01 NEW PTG – $49.99
NOV140774 – OPERATION SIN #1 – $3.99
NOV140817 – PUNISHER #14 – $3.99
OCT140931 – PUNISHER TP VOL 02 BORDER CROSSING – $17.99
OCT140835 – SPIDER-MAN 2099 #7 SV – $3.99
NOV140835 – STORM #7 – $3.99
NOV140732 – UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1 – $3.99
OCT140916 – UNCANNY AVENGERS PREM HC VOL 05 AXIS PRELUDE – $24.99
NOV140736 – WOLVERINES #1 – $3.99
NOV140833 – X-MEN #23 – $3.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

SEP140989 – A VERY ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS REGIFTED TP – $14.99
OCT141010 – ARCHIE #663 REG CVR – $3.99
OCT141013 – ARCHIE 1000 PG COMICS MEGA DIGEST TP – $14.99
OCT141012 – ARCHIE COMICS DIGEST #257 – $4.99
OCT141710 – ARMOR HUNTERS BLOODSHOT TP – $14.99
OCT141711 – ARMOR HUNTERS HARBINGER TP – $14.99
NOV141278 – ARMY OF DARKNESS VOL 4 #2 CVR A HARDMAN MAIN – $3.99
OCT141014 – BETTY & VERONICA #274 REG CVR – $3.99
NOV141722 – BLEACH 3IN1 TP VOL 10 – $14.99
NOV141489 – BRAINSTORM #5 (MR) – $3.99
SEP141312 – CAPT VICTORY & GALACTIC RANGERS #4 – $3.99
NOV141245 – CHAOS SMILEY THE PSYCHOTIC BUTTON ONE SHOT – $4.99
NOV141015 – CROSSED BADLANDS #69 (MR) – $3.99
NOV141018 – CROSSED BADLANDS #69 FATAL FANTASY CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141017 – CROSSED BADLANDS #69 TORTURE CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141016 – CROSSED BADLANDS #69 WRAP CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141070 – CURSE TP – $14.99
NOV141421 – DF AVENGERS X-MEN AXIS #1 DF EXC BONUS PK – $29.99
NOV141426 – DF HAWKEYE VS DEADPOOL #1 DF EXC BONUS PK – $29.99
AUG131291 – DF RED SONJA #1 HIGH END COLLEEN DORAN RED ULTRA LTD CVR – $75.00
NOV141406 – DF STEAMPUNK BSG 1880 #1 BCC B&W EXC BONUS PK – $14.99
OCT141411 – DJANGO ZORRO #2 RARE LEE VIRGIN ART ED – $50.00
JUL141358 – DOCTOR WHO BLOOD OF AZRAEL GN – $19.99
SEP141500 – DUNGEON TWILIGHT GN SET – $39.99
NOV141447 – EC WALLY WOOD SPAWN OF MARS HC – $29.99
OCT141542 – EPOCHALYPSE #2 – $3.99
NOV141071 – ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK #2 MAIN CVRS – $3.99
NOV141699 – ETERNAL WARRIOR DAYS OF STEEL #3 CVR A HAIRSINE – $3.99
OCT141612 – EUREKA GN – $15.99
OCT141533 – FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 45 – $10.99
NOV141106 – FEATHERS #1 – $3.99
NOV141082 – FICTION SQUAD #4 – $3.99
NOV141449 – FOOLBERT FUNNIES GN HISTORIES & FICTIONS – $24.99
NOV141058 – FUNGUS THE UNBEARABLE ROT OF BEING GN – $12.00
NOV141154 – GARFIELD #33 – $3.99
OCT141595 – GARFIELD SHOW GN VOL 04 LITTLE TROUBLE BIG CHINA – $7.99
NOV141760 – GFT GRIMM FAIRY TALES #106 A CVR CHEN & DI NAPOLI (AOFD) (MR – $3.99
NOV141761 – GFT GRIMM FAIRY TALES #106 B CVR CAFARO & SCHAFFER (AOFD) (MR) – $3.99
NOV141762 – GFT GRIMM FAIRY TALES #106 C CVR MALSUNI (AOFD) (MR) – $3.99
NOV141763 – GFT GRIMM FAIRY TALES #106 D CVR NEW YEAR PEKAR (AOFD) – PI
OCT141795 – GFT TALES OF TERROR #6 A CVR CAFARO (MR) – $3.99
OCT141796 – GFT TALES OF TERROR #6 B CVR ORTIZ (MR) – $3.99
OCT141797 – GFT TALES OF TERROR #6 C CVR ERIC J (MR) – $3.99
NOV141030 – GOD IS DEAD #26 (MR) – $3.99
NOV141032 – GOD IS DEAD #26 CARNAGE WRAP CVR (MR) – $3.99

NOV141031 – GOD IS DEAD #26 ENCHANTING CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141033 – GOD IS DEAD #26 END OF DAYS CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141034 – GOD IS DEAD #26 ICONIC CVR (MR) – $3.99
OCT141114 – I PLAY THE BAD GUY #2 – $3.99
NOV141713 – JACO GALACTIC PATROLMAN GN – $9.99
SEP141621 – JOHN CARPENTERS ASYLUM #9 (MR) – $3.99
NOV141307 – JOHN CARTER WARLORD #3 CVR A BENES MAIN (MR) – $3.99
JUN141433 – KINGDOM OF THE WICKED HC – $19.99
NOV141724 – KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS GN VOL 02 – $9.99
NOV141584 – LBX GN VOL 03 ARTEMIS BEGINS – $9.99
NOV141321 – LEGENDERRY A STEAMPUNK ADV TP – $24.99
OCT141309 – MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #10 CVR A LAU MAIN – $3.99
OCT141675 – MAKESHIFT MIRACLE HC VOL 02 BOY WHO STOLE – $24.99
NOV141723 – METEOR PRINCE GN VOL 01 – $9.99
NOV141705 – MUST READ VALIANT GREATEST HITS #2 – $5.99
NOV141725 – MY LOVE STORY GN VOL 03 – $9.99
NOV141721 – NARUTO 3IN1 TP VOL 10 – $14.99
NOV141338 – NEW VAMPIRELLA #8 CVR A MAYHEW MAIN – $3.99
NOV141720 – NISEKOI FALSE LOVE GN VOL 07 – $9.99
NOV141719 – ONE PIECE GN VOL 73 – $9.99
NOV141585 – POKEMON ADV BLACK & WHITE GN VOL 06 – $9.99
NOV141586 – POKEMON ADVENTURES GN VOL 26 EMERALD – $9.99
NOV141229 – RED SONJA VULTURES CIRCLE #1 CVR A ANACLETO – $3.99
NOV141230 – RED SONJA VULTURES CIRCLE #1 CVR B GEOVANI – $3.99
NOV141104 – ROBOCOP 2014 #7 (MR) – $3.99
OCT141536 – SAY I LOVE YOU GN VOL 05 – $10.99
OCT141593 – SEPARATORS #2 – $3.99
NOV141327 – SHAFT #2 CVR A COWAN MAIN (MR) – $3.99
OCT140956 – SHINOBI NINJA PRINCESS #5 – $3.99
OCT140948 – SIP (STRANGERS IN PARADISE) KIDS #2 – $4.99
OCT141573 – SIXTH GUN DAYS OF THE DEAD #4 – $3.99
OCT141023 – SONIC BOOM #3 – $3.99
OCT141026 – SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE #13 – $9.99
OCT141031 – SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SELECT TP VOL 10 – $11.99
MAY140994 – STEAM TALES #1 – $3.99
SEP141215 – STORYVILLE THE PROSTITUTE MURDERS GN – $19.99
JUN140924 – STRIKE FOUR CRANKSHAFT BASEBALL BOOK TP – $24.95
OCT141334 – TERMINAL HERO #5 (MR) – $2.99
AUG141679 – THE RAGE HC VOL 02 KILL OR CURE – $10.99
NOV141435 – THUNDERBIRDS COMIC TP VOL 01 EARTHQUAKE MAKER – $10.95
NOV141436 – THUNDERBIRDS COMIC TP VOL 02 BRAINS IS DEAD – $10.95
NOV141437 – THUNDERBIRDS COMIC TP VOL 03 EIFFEL TOWER DEMOLITION – $10.95
NOV141438 – THUNDERBIRDS COMIC TP VOL 04 ZOO SHIP – $10.95
NOV141439 – THUNDERBIRDS COMIC TP VOL 05 – $10.95
OCT141550 – TREASURY VICTORIAN MURDER COMPENDIUM HC VOL 02 – $29.99
NOV141139 – UNCLE GRANDPA #4 MAIN CVRS – $3.99
NOV140925 – UR GN (MR) – $14.95
NOV141446 – VALENTINE FOR CHARLIE BROWN HC – $9.99
OCT141424 – VAMPIRELLA FEARY TALES #3 ANACLETO VIRGIN – $50.00
OCT141423 – VAMPIRELLA FEARY TALES #3 RARE ADAMS VIRGIN – $50.00
NOV141052 – WAR STORIES #4 (MR) – $3.99
NOV141054 – WAR STORIES #4 GOOD GIRL NOSE ART CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141053 – WAR STORIES #4 WRAP CVR (MR) – $3.99
NOV141711 – WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY GN VOL 06 (MR) – $12.95
NOV141098 – WOODS #9 – $3.99
AUG141754 – WORLD TRIGGER GN VOL 02 – $9.99
SEP141712 – X-O MANOWAR CLASSIC OMNIBUS HC – $99.99

MAGAZINES

SEP141934 – ALTER EGO #130 – $8.95
OCT141901 – CINEFEX #140 – $12.50
NOV141876 – COMIC SHOP NEWS #1438 – PI
OCT141512 – HEAVY METAL #272 (MR) – $7.95
AUG141961 – JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #64 – $10.95
AUG141967 – RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #152 – $9.95
NOV141888 – SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #95 – $8.95
JUL141743 – SLEEPY HOLLOW OFFICIAL MAGAZINE #1 – $9.99

BOOKS

NOV141803 – COMICS FEVER COMICS & ANIME OUTSIDE THE BOX SC W SLIPCASE (MR) – $39.95
JUN141656 – DOCTOR WHO OFF GUIDE HOW TO BE TIME LORD HC – $16.99
NOV141805 – GERRY ANDERSON COMIC COLLECTION HC – $39.95
NOV141815 – HORROR COMICS FIENDS FREAKS & FANTASTIC CREATURES SC – $45.00
NOV141858 – I AM JACKIE ROBINSON YR HC – $12.99
SEP141881 – MARVEL 75 YEARS CHARACTERS & THEIR UNIVERSE HC – $24.95
NOV141806 – POSTER PACK MANGA ART OF OSAMU TEZUKA VOL 01 – $17.95
OCT141851 – SONS OF ANARCHY OFFICIAL COLLECTORS ED HC – $29.95
NOV141808 – SORAYAMA XL MASTERWORKS HC (MR) – $99.00
MAY141629 – SWAMPMEN MUCK MONSTERS O/T COMICS SC – $21.95
OCT142768 – WARHAMMER 40K PANDORAX TP – $16.00

MERCHANDISE

AUG142258 – 2000AD ROGUE TROOPER NAVY T/S LG – $16.99
AUG142257 – 2000AD ROGUE TROOPER NAVY T/S MED – $16.99
AUG142256 – 2000AD ROGUE TROOPER NAVY T/S SM – $16.99
AUG142259 – 2000AD ROGUE TROOPER NAVY T/S XL – $16.99
AUG142260 – 2000AD ROGUE TROOPER NAVY T/S XXL – $18.99
AUG142263 – 2000AD STRONTIUM DOG WHT T/S LG – $16.99
AUG142262 – 2000AD STRONTIUM DOG WHT T/S MED – $16.99
AUG142261 – 2000AD STRONTIUM DOG WHT T/S SM – $16.99
AUG142264 – 2000AD STRONTIUM DOG WHT T/S XL – $16.99
AUG142265 – 2000AD STRONTIUM DOG WHT T/S XXL – $18.99
OCT142603 – ADVENTURE TIME BMO WASTE BAG DISPENSER – $20.00
JUL142394 – ADVENTURE TIME JAKE ARM CANVAS TOTE BAG – $19.99
SEP142269 – ALIENS XENOMORPH QUEEN ULTRA DLX AF – $109.99
NOV142715 – ASSASSINS CREED FLEECE BLANKET – $24.99
SEP142338 – ATTACK ON TITAN ARMIN ARLERT NENDOROID – $52.99
SEP142351 – ATTACK ON TITAN COLOSSAL TITAN HEAD MOLDED MUG – $14.99
JUL142397 – ATTACK ON TITAN EREN PINT GLASS – $9.99
JUL142399 – ATTACK ON TITAN LEVI PINT GLASS – $9.99
JUL142398 – ATTACK ON TITAN MIKASA PINT GLASS – $9.99
AUG142641 – ATTACK ON TITAN SCOUTS PLASTIC TRAVEL MUG – $19.99
JUN142468 – ATTACK ON TITAN SCOUTS VS TITAN MUG – $9.99
NOV142533 – BATMAN 1989 BATMOBILE REPLICA KEYCHAIN – $9.95
OCT142474 – BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS PLAY ARTS KAI JOKER – $99.99
OCT142473 – BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS PLAY ARTS KAI ROBIN – $99.99
OCT142624 – BATMAN LOGO PACK VINYL DECAL – $4.99
NOV142736 – BIG PICTURE APPLES TO APPLES GAME – PI
NOV142205 – BOOMCO FARSHOT BLASTER – PI
OCT141908 – BOWMAN 2014 CHROME FOOTBALL T/C BOX – PI
NOV142671 – CARNAGE FLEECE BLANKET – $24.99

NOV142805 – CASTLE FREAK BD – $19.95
NOV142762 – CATDOG THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD – $39.99
JUL142324 – CFSP MSGU NAHEL ARGAMA FIG – $64.99
OCT142623 – CLASSIC BATMAN TV VINYL DECAL – $4.99
NOV142806 – COYOTE DVD – $14.95
SEP142612 – D&D ATTACK WING WAVE 2 AARAKOCRA TROOP EXP – $24.99
SEP142613 – D&D ATTACK WING WAVE 2 BLACK SHADOW DRAGON EXP – $24.99
SEP142614 – D&D ATTACK WING WAVE 2 MOVANIC DEVA ANGEL EXP – $14.99
NOV142488 – DAL TOKIDOKI VENDETTINA SDCC 2014 DOLL – $169.99
NOV142807 – DARK MOUNTAIN DVD – $16.95
OCT142261 – DAWN OF PLANET O/T APES SER 2 AF – $22.99
SEP142459 – DBZ BROLY S.H.FIGUARTS AF – $67.99
NOV142554 – DC COMICS BATMAN RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
NOV142560 – DC COMICS FLASH RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
NOV142559 – DC COMICS GREEN LANTERN RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
NOV142541 – DC COMICS HARLEY QUINN HEAD PEWTER KEYRING – $5.99
NOV142542 – DC COMICS JOKER HEAD PEWTER KEYRING – $5.99
NOV142558 – DC COMICS JOKER RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
NOV142557 – DC COMICS SUPERMAN RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
NOV142556 – DC COMICS WONDER WOMAN RESIN PAPERWEIGHT – $26.99
AUG148272 – DC HEROCLIX JUSTICE LEAGUE 2014 OP KIT – PI
AUG142739 – DC HEROES BATMAN CANDY BOWL HOLDER – $34.99
AUG142741 – DC HEROES JOKER CANDY BOWL HOLDER – $34.99
NOV142808 – DEMONIC TOYS BD – $19.95
NOV142811 – DEMONS 2 BD – $24.95
NOV142812 – DEMONS 2 DVD – $19.95
NOV142809 – DEMONS BD – $24.95
NOV142810 – DEMONS DVD – $19.95
NOV142738 – DISNEY APPLES TO APPLES GAME – PI
NOV142574 – DISNEY SHOWCASE LITTLE PRINCESSES – PI
OCT142627 – DISNEY SHOWCASE MINNIE MOUSE COUTURE FIG – $55.00
NOV142829 – DISTRICT 9 OST DOUBLE LP – $29.98
NOV142444 – DOCTOR WHO 4TH DOCTOR REGENERATED 5IN AF – $32.99
JUL142311 – DOCTOR WHO CRACK IN THE WALL STICKER SET – $12.99
NOV142586 – DOCTOR WHO ELEVENTH DOCTOR IPHONE4 CASE – $36.99
NOV142449 – DOCTOR WHO FIG COLL #34 FIFTH DOCTOR – $20.00
NOV142451 – DOCTOR WHO HOLOGRAM 10TH DOCTOR 5IN AF – $32.99
NOV142577 – DOCTOR WHO SONIC CUTLERY SET – $32.99
NOV142579 – DOCTOR WHO SONIC PEELER – $19.99
NOV142578 – DOCTOR WHO SONIC WASHING BRUSH – $19.99

NOV142583 – DOCTOR WHO TARDIS EARBUDS – $15.99
OCT142131 – DRAGONBALL Z KAME SOCKS – $8.99
AUG142253 – DREDD 3D BLK T/S LG – $16.99
AUG142252 – DREDD 3D BLK T/S MED – $23.99
AUG142251 – DREDD 3D BLK T/S SM – $16.99
AUG142254 – DREDD 3D BLK T/S XL – $16.99
AUG142255 – DREDD 3D BLK T/S XXL – $18.99
OCT142745 – ENGINEERED BY FIREFLY BELT BUCKLE – $19.95
SEP140994 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT LG – $21.99
SEP140993 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT MED – $21.99
SEP140992 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT SM – $21.99
SEP140995 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT XL – $21.99
SEP140996 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT XXL – $23.99
SEP140997 – EWOKING DEAD T-SHIRT XXXL – $24.99
SEP142357 – FREE HARUKA NANASE FIGMA – $74.99
OCT142593 – FROZEN ANNA SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $2.99
OCT142594 – FROZEN ELSA & ANNA SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $2.99
OCT142586 – FROZEN ELSA & ANNA SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $2.99
NOV142576 – FROZEN ELSA GIANT WALL DECALS – $25.99
OCT142592 – FROZEN ELSA SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $2.99
OCT142595 – FROZEN OLAF 3D SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $4.99
NOV142575 – FROZEN OLAF THE SNOW MAN WALL DECALS – $25.99
MAY142253 – GAME OF THRONES DROGON BABY DRAGON RESIN STATUE – PI
MAY142254 – GAME OF THRONES RHAEGAL BABY DRAGON RESIN STATUE – PI
MAY142255 – GAME OF THRONES VISERION BABY DRAGON RESIN STATUE – PI
AUG142725 – GHOSTBUSTERS STANTZ DLX TALKING MOTION STATUE – PI
AUG142724 – GHOSTBUSTERS VENKMAN DLX TALKING MOTION STATUE – PI
JUL142288 – GINTAMA KOTARO KATSURA GEM PVC FIG – $124.99
JUN142334 – GINTAMA TSUKUYO GEM PVC FIG – $129.99
OCT142237 – GODZILLA 12-IN LONG 1985 VER AF – $21.99
OCT141943 – GODZILLA CITY SPRINT PX DIRTY WHITE T/S LG – $18.99
OCT141942 – GODZILLA CITY SPRINT PX DIRTY WHITE T/S MED – $18.99
OCT141941 – GODZILLA CITY SPRINT PX DIRTY WHITE T/S SM – $18.99
OCT141944 – GODZILLA CITY SPRINT PX DIRTY WHITE T/S XL – $18.99
OCT141945 – GODZILLA CITY SPRINT PX DIRTY WHITE T/S XXL – $20.99
OCT142544 – GOTG DRAX SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $3.99
OCT142564 – GOTG DRAX SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $3.99
OCT142543 – GOTG GAMORA SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $3.99
OCT142566 – GOTG GAMORA SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $3.99
OCT142545 – GOTG GROOT SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $3.99
OCT142565 – GOTG GROOT SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $3.99
OCT142527 – GOTG GROOT WITH ROCKET RACCOON AHV – $149.99
OCT142541 – GOTG ROCKET RACCOON SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $3.99
OCT142562 – GOTG ROCKET RACCOON SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $3.99
OCT142529 – GOTG STAR LORD AHV – $129.99
OCT142542 – GOTG STAR LORD SOFT TOUCH PVC KEY RING – $3.99
OCT142563 – GOTG STAR LORD SOFT TOUCH PVC MAGNET – $3.99
NOV142645 – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PEEL & STICK WALL DECAL – $13.99
NOV142646 – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY RACCOON GIANT WALL DECAL – $17.99
NOV142647 – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY WALL GRAPHIC DECAL – $17.99
SEP142442 – KANCOLLE I-58 PVC FIG HALF DAMAGE VER – $149.99
SEP142474 – KANCOLLE YAMATO AGP AF – $118.99
NOV142784 – KUNG FU GIRL & WHIPLASH DOUBLE FEATURE DVD – $19.97
NOV142795 – LA MALDICION DE LA MOMIA AZTECA DVD – $9.99
NOV142796 – LA MOMIA AZTECA DVD – $9.99
NOV142785 – LEGACY OF RAGE DVD – $19.97
SEP142707 – LEPRECHAUN COMP MOVIE COLL BD – $39.97
AUG142800 – LORD RINGS LCG ANTLERED CROWN ADV PACK – $29.95
NOV142708 – MAGIC 8-BALL – PI
NOV142159 – MARVEL DEADPOOL SLOUCH BEANIE – $12.99
AUG142730 – MARVEL HEROES IRON MAN CANDY BOWL HOLDER – $34.99
SEP142463 – MASKED RIDER NEW 1 & NEW CYCLONE S.H.FIGUARTS SET – $68.99
SEP142465 – MASKED RIDER NEW 2 S.H.FIGUARTS AF – $27.99
SEP142464 – MASKED RIDER NEW CYCLONE S.H.FIGUARTS VEHICLE – $41.99
AUG142583 – MEGA MAN ZERO S.H.FIGUARTS AF – $50.99
JUL142123 – MINECRAFT MINI-FIGURE 3-PK – PI
NOV142825 – MONTY PYTHON LIVE (MOSTLY) ONE DOWN FIVE TO GO DVD – $19.98

AUG142850 – MY LITTLE PONY COMP ORIGINAL SERIES DVD – PI
NOV142274 – MY LITTLE PONY MYSTERY PONY – PI
OCT142346 – NERF ZOMBIE STRIKE SLINGFIRE – $26.99
NOV142813 – NIGHT TERRORS DVD – $19.98
JUL142346 – ONE PIECE OCHATOMO MINI FIG 8PC DS TOP VER – $9.99
JUL142344 – ONE PIECE POP CAVENDISH EX MODEL PVC FIG – $164.99
JUL142345 – ONE PIECE POP MOMONOSUKE EX MODEL PVC FIG – $49.99
MAY142620 – ONE PIECE POP REBECCA EX MODEL PVC FIG – $129.99
SEP142467 – ONE PIECE VIOLET FIGUARTS ZERO – $35.99
OCT142209 – PANDA CLASSIC 7.5IN VINYL FIG – $105.00
NOV142700 – PEANUTS TRADITIONS EASTER BUNNY SNOOPY FIG – $32.50
NOV142704 – PEANUTS TRADITIONS SNOOPY HEART BALLOON FIG – $37.50
OCT142710 – POCKET POP JON SNOW VINYL FIG KEYCHAIN – $5.99
OCT142546 – POP GOTG DANCING GROOT VINYL FIG – $10.99
NOV142396 – PULLIP SAILOR MERCURY DOLL – $179.99
NOV142489 – PULLIP TOKIDOKI SUPERSTELLA SDCC 2014 DOLL – $179.99
NOV142487 – PULLIP TOKIDOKI X HELLO KITTY VIOLETTA DOLL – $179.99
NOV142814 – PUPPET MASTER BD – $19.95
NOV142815 – PUPPET MASTER DVD – $9.95
NOV142799 – RED VS BLUE BD + DVD SEA 12 – $24.95
NOV142800 – RED VS BLUE DVD SEA 12 – PI
SEP142454 – ROBOT SPIRITS GWEW SIDE MS WING GUNDAM ZERO EW – $37.99
SEP142455 – ROBOT SPIRITS SIDE MASHIN KUUJINMARU – $59.99
SEP142452 – ROBOT SPIRITS ZG SIDE MS ZETA GUNDAM – $44.99
NOV142781 – RWBY 2 BD + DVD – $24.95
SEP142469 – SAILOR MOON CUTIE MOON ROD PROPLICA – $99.99
SEP142473 – SAINT SEIYA SCL GEMINI SAGA AF CG MOVIE VER – $99.99
NOV142672 – SHIELD LOGO FLEECE BLANKET – $24.99
SEP142466 – SOC GX-67 SPACE PIRATE BATTLESHIP ARCADIA – $275.99
SEP142462 – SRC MAZINKAISER AF CHOGOKIN Z COLOR VER – $76.99
NOV142335 – ST ENTERPRISE NX-01 REFIT 1/1000 SCALE MODEL KIT – $28.99
NOV142336 – ST ROMULAN BATTLE CRUISER 1/1000 SCALE MOD KIT – $28.99
NOV142712 – STAR TREK ENTERPRISE MESSENGER BAG – $79.95
OCT142774 – STAR WARS RPG AGE OF REBELLION STAY ON TARGET ACES BK – $29.95
NOV142816 – SUBSPECIES BD – $19.95
OCT142179 – SUPERMAN FLIP KNIT BEANIE – $20.99
NOV142817 – TALES FROM THE CRYPT VAULT OF HORROR DBL FEATURE BD – $24.97
NOV142827 – THE CONGRESS BD – $19.97
NOV142828 – THE CONGRESS DVD – PI
SEP142292 – THE HOBBIT BILBO BAGGINS 10IN PLUSH – $19.99
SEP142294 – THE HOBBIT GALDALF 10IN PLUSH – $19.99
SEP142295 – THE HOBBIT SMEAGUL 10IN PLUSH – $19.99
SEP142293 – THE HOBBIT THORIN 10IN PLUSH – $19.99
NOV142244 – TOKIDOKI DONUTELLA VINYL FIGURE – $19.95
OCT141909 – TOPPS 2014 CHROME BASEBALL T/C JUMBO BOX – PI
AUG141987 – TOPPS 2014 FIVE STAR BASEBALL T/C BOX – PI
SEP142475 – ULTRAMAN MEBIUS ULTRA-ACT AF – $37.99
NOV142740 – UNO ATTACK GAME – PI
JUL142520 – VENOM MOLDED HEAD MUG – $14.99
NOV142820 – WAX DVD – $14.95
NOV142733 – WH40K DARK HERESY RPG FORGOTTEN GODS – $39.95
AUG142068 – X-MEN ATTACK STANCE WHT T/S XXL – $18.99
JUN142661 – YU GI OH HEROCLIX SERIES TWO OP KIT – PI

“Gotham” 1.11 – Rogue’s Gallery (5 out of 10)  – Directed by Oz Scott; Written by Bruno Heller and Sue Chung; Based on characters created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Howard Chaykin, Frank Miller, Greg Rucka; Starring Donal Logue, Ben McKenzie, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sean Pertwee…; Rated TV14” Aired on Fox 01/05/15.

Gotham is back and I was super excited to watch tonight’s episode, sadly I was extremely disappointed by it as well. It seemed as we approached the mid-season finale that the show had found it’s stride and was focusing on only a few characters in each episode in order to really flesh them out and give us the back story to each character on the show. It was working and was making me start to care about the people I was watching each week. Then with the show’s return it suffered from the same mistakes as the pilot episode.

We not only caught up with what was going on with Gordon but also everyone else who lives in Gotham minus Bruce and Alfred. It is important to catch up with all the characters we have met so far but not in one episode. We ended the mid-season finale with Gordon entering Arkham Asylum. That’s what I wanted to see and learn about. However it was only part of this week’s episode.

Let’s start with everyone else first. I have really enjoyed watching Fish set the pieces about to turn on Falcone but this week the story following her and Butch was unneeded. It’s only purpose was to show Butch’s loyalty to Fish by killing his best friend Jimmy. They killed him because he was next in line to take over if Falcone died. Instead of spreading this out through out this week’s episode they could have done it another week in five to ten minutes of screen time at the most.  It was drawn out and felt like nothing other than filler.

We also got to watch Cat and Ivy break into Gordon’s apartment to get out of a storm and spend the night. That’s all that happened other than Ivy answering the phone when Barbara called and pretends to be Jim’s lover by talking in an adult voice. I’ve said it before but the drama between Jim and Barbara is pointless. We know they end up together and I couldn’t care less if they fight along the way. Their relationship is not what makes future Commissioner Gordon awesome.

When we catch up with Penguin he is trying to raise taxes without Maroni’s permission and ends up getting punched by a cop and then arrested just so Maroni can teach him a lesson. This story line I was okay with because it moved the Penguin story arc along. Maroni tells Penguin “you’re a smart monkey but you’re still a monkey and I’m the zoo keeper,” as he’s being released from jail. The look Penguin has just screams revenge and I can’t wait to see what happens when Penguin finally executes his plan to take over. But like Fish’s plan I don’t need to see every single step along the way. The writers need to be careful they don’t make this story arc dull. It’s one of the best parts of the show and it would be a shame if they loose that.

Now onto Arkham Asylum, the thing I was most excited to see in this episode. I was very curious to see how it compared to the comic version but unfortunately they didn’t tell us much about it.  What we do learn is that Dr. Leslie Thompkins played by Morena Baccarin works in the woman’s wing. Thompkins is straight form the comics and seeing her here pre Batman is a lot of fun. She is one of the few people Bruce trusts with his secret and she often serves as a moral compass for The Dark Knight. Other than Gordon there are about 6 other guards…that’s about it. The main plot this week was that someone at Arkham was using electricity on inmates to try and accomplish a form of mind control. I thought for sure the villain was Nurse Duncan and was pleasantly surprised to learn the real villain was Jack Gruber.

Neither of these characters appears in the comics by those names so I didn’t think much about them. It wasn’t until the preview for next week came on and they called Gruber “The Electrocutioner” that the geek in me got a little excited. The Electrocutioner isn’t anyone special and is hardly a contender for Batman in future but it was still a nice nod to the comics and it’s fans. The Electurcutioner is actually made fun of in “Arkham Orgins” when Batman takes out the assassin with one kick. Clearly he’s nothing special but still seeing a Batman villain from the comics as the main bad guy for an episode or two is fun to watch even if the villain is B class at best.

Overall the episode was just okay. It was filled with a lot of filler and I was really hoping for more information on Arkham coming back from the break. They continue to set the stage for bigger things, I just hope when those bigger things eventually get here that they don’t disappoint. 

The Secret History of Wonder Woman 2014, Jill Lepore. 410 pages, hardcover. (7 out of 10 stars)

This is a book I’ve been excited about for some time. Even though everyone knows Marvel’s Stan Lee, and comic book fanboys know Superman’s Siegel and Schuster and Batman’s Bob Kane and Bill Finger…Wonder Woman’s creator has been more of an enigma. Jill Lepore has finally broken that enigma open in an excellent biography of William Moulton Marston in “The Secret History of Wonder Woman.”

I heard Lepore interviewed on NPR a month or so before I picked up the book, so I knew what to expect with the book. Not an overview of Wonder Woman’s publishing history, not a fictionalized biography of the Amazing Amazon, but a biography of the writer who created her, and what inspired him to do so. As a longtime DC Comics nerd, but also as a history teacher and one who already knew enough about Marston to be dangerous, I was excited to read the book.

William Moulton Marston was a bigamist.

While Wonder Woman always had a secret identity of Diana Prince in the comic books—until relatively recently at least—the bigger secret was the life and lifestyle of her creator. Because William Moulton Marston was a bigamist. His first wife was Sadie Elizabeth Holloway, with whom he had two children—his second was Olive Byrne, with whom he also had two children and who lived in the same home and mothered side-by-side with Holloway. Another woman lived in the same home, but seemed to be more of a live-in aide than an actual wife, and it’s not clear there were any shenanigans between Marston and her. In any case, the guy had multiple wives. What’s more intriguing to me is that, unlike the traditional views on polygamy in the United States, Marston seems to have been motivated to take multiple wives because he admired women and elevated them so much.

The first several chapters of the book aren’t focused on Marston at all, but on the women’s suffrage movement, and on the work of Margaret Sanger, most famous for promoting birth control and the eventual birth control pill. All of this groundwork will come into fruition with its influence on Wonder Woman later, but there’s also a direct connection to Marston’s life because Byrne was Sanger’s niece.

Lepore looks at the ways the suffragettes shaped the ideals of Wonder Woman – an island of women ruling themselves without men, who can have power and influence over men when they enter into our world. She also pulls out examples of other novels and plays where there are similar gynotopias (I think I just made up that word, but I like it) to Paradise Island, and how they may have influenced the creation of Wonder Woman. Even the look of Wonder Woman was influenced by the suffragists, with political cartoons featuring women breaking out of chains becoming a central image in Wonder Woman comic books.

Marston was a psychologist who proclaimed himself the inventor of the lie detector test—which (ironically) is stretching the truth a little. He did a lot of experiments using the device, he honed it, he used it a lot in his own research…but it was more that he was a ceaseless promoter of the polygraph than that he actually invented it. That was something I already knew, and knew that it influenced Wonder Woman’s “lasso of truth,” but it was still interesting to read about it here. Lepore writes a fascinating biography that gets at the bizarre core of a man who was into bondage, who put that into comic books, but who also had an admiration for women. He mandated a “Wonder Women of History” feature in every book—a two-page biography on Susan B. Anthony or Margaret Sanger or Marie Curie or other notable women of the real world. He made sure Wonder Woman was always more powerful than the men in the book, and had settings like all-female schools and colleges where the brilliance of women would be celebrated.

…a man who was into bondage…but still had a sincere admiration for women

Lepore uses panels and covers from 1940s comics to illustrate the book, along with photos and political cartoons from the 1890s on. There are family photos of the Marston family that haven’t been published before, and the first sketches for how Wonder Woman might look, and images that influenced her design.

I loved this book, but I do have two problems with it. And they’re kind of a big deal. First is that the book is titled “The Secret History of Wonder Woman,” it has Diana Prince changing into Wonder Woman on the cover, but it gives relatively short shrift to the superheroing itself. It’s all behind-the-scenes stuff that doesn’t really get into the impact of the character in the comic book world. He does point out that she’s one of only three heroes that survived the purge of superhero comics spearheaded by Frederic Wertham. He mentions in a few paragraphs that she was part of the Justice Society. But within the fictional DC Universe, she became part of a trinity of heroes. She’s been in nearly every incarnation of the Justice League. She’s depicted as having strength only second to (often equal to) Superman. Every female superhero since 1941 has been subordinate to her, but that fictional history that’s lasted over seven decades isn’t given much credit. I know that it’s not the point of the book, but by ignoring it completely, she’s doing fans who are picking up the book because of Wonder Woman (in the title, on the cover) a disservice.

The second problem I have with it—and this is huge, this blew my mind, it actually offended me—is that the Wonder Woman that many of us grew up with, the one who inspired girls and boys on playgrounds across the country and around the world—warrants only a paragraph. Lynda Carter, who still, nearly forty years later is the touchstone for fans, is only mentioned once. And it’s a fairly derisive mention. For a historian like Lepore, who has spent so much time researching the character and the history, to dismiss what for us is the reason we started reading comics in the first place…it hurt. There’s one paragraph about the development of the television series, one paragraph quoting the lyrics to the theme song, and one paragraph that mentions that Lynda Carter was a Miss America pageant winner.

Lepore’s treatment of Lynda Carter nearly undoes all the goodwill I had towards this book

And that’s it. Over 400 pages about Wonder Woman, and this gets less than a page? Lepore implies that the 1970s series undid all of the feminist progress that Wonder Woman had made in comic books and pop culture in the previous decades. I heartily disagree. That program showed a strong, independent, smart woman who completely kicked ass. She was beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a schoolboy crush on her. But she was the female superhero that we all looked up to. Until the X-Men and Avengers movies, she was one of the few successful runs of a superhero on the big or small screen, and she’s as much of an icon as Christopher Reeve’s Superman, and for the same reasons. She was the essence of the character. For as dated as the series is by today’s standards, she still shines as brightly as she did when I was a pup. And Lepore’s treatment of her undid almost all of the goodwill I had for this book.

It’s a stunning biography. It’s an insightful look at the creation of a superhero that will last into the lives of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But it also took a huge part of that character’s impact and pushed it aside for its own agenda. I still recommend reading it, but be ready for a painful ending. 

At the beginning of this new year, one of the geeky things I’m most excited about is where “Arrow” and “The Flash” are headed. CW’s two superhero series are usually the television highlight of my week, and watching them with my sons has become a nerd ritual. With that in mind, here’s a quick recap of what you need to know if you’re catching up with Season Three of “Arrow.” This will be an overview of episodes 3.2 – 3.7; I reviewed the season premiere here, and the two most recent episodes are big enough they warrant their own reviews, coming in the next few days. 

Instead of doing an episode-by-episode plot breakdown, it’ll probably be better to go through the main characters and update you on what’s happening with them, leading up to the midseason finale. This is already a transformative season for most of them, making this season entertaining and faster-paced than previous seasons. 

Let’s start with Sara Lance, AKA the Canary. 

She’s dead. Comic book dead, or dead-dead, you ask? Dead-dead. Three arrows to the heart on a rooftop, falls ten stories, lands on the pavement, got buried in the cemetery (where she conveniently already had a grave, nice), dead-dead. I liked how they were handling her character, but her death does pave the way for her sister to become Black Canary. Anyway. Sara. Dead.

Next up: the Olicity situation. 

“Olicity” is the fan community “shipping” Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak. Hard. There have been a few kisses here and there, a lot of flirting, in Season 3 they finally go on a date. Which ends with explosions, but has some even more brutal conversations at dinner doing more damage than a bomb ever could. Basically, Oliver chooses being a superhero over being a boyfriend, and their hearts are both breaking for it. Slowly. Over the course of many episodes. I’m not sure if either of them will get over it anytime soon. And if you want an eyeful of fan art and tumblrs and gifs about it all, just do a Google Image Search for “Olicity.” You’re welcome.

And here’s Arsenal. 

Roy Harper has graduated to his big boy hoodie and is now a full time member of Team Arrow. You get a true mentor/sidekick vibe between Ollie and Roy now that I’m enjoying, and one that we really haven’t seen in 21st Century superhero television or movies. It’s an interesting dynamic that’s been sidelined since Tim Burton’s Batman, and I’m liking how it plays out. That often translates into Roy not being quite good enough, becoming a hostage, being sent to dispatch henchmen….but it’s working. He gets a few dramatic moments of his own when he thinks he’s the one who killed Sara in a mirakiru-fueled rage, but it wasn’t him. Really. 

With the Arrowcave filling up, someone’s gotta get put on the back burner. 

For right now, it’s Diggle. He’s got a new baby, he’ll be getting married to Lyla…he’s never had a costume, but now he’s even more behind-the-scenes than he was. I like the guy, I hope he gets an increased presence in the second half of the season. 

Thea Queen is looking hotter than ever. 

…by which I mean she’s been on Corto Maltese with her pop Malcolm Merlyn, training in the family art of ninja-assassining. So she’s been learning to fight with swords, holding her hand over candles, getting a more grownup haircut and wearing midriffs that are…well…she looks good. She’s also less annoying and whiny than she’s ever been. Finding out she’s been lied to by everyone in her life, getting her mom impaled to death in front of her, and becoming even more of a billionaire heiress than she was has been good for Thea. She’s the biggest question mark right now–she could become Arrow’s biggest ally or biggest enemy; I’m hoping the producers go someplace bold with her.

At the beginning of Season Two, I wanted Laurel Lance dead.

She was mourning Tommy Merlyn, she was a drunk, she was crying all the time…she wasn’t annoying, she was uninteresting. By the end of Season Two, she was going places. In the season finale, she finds out Oliver is Arrow, she helps defeat the bad guys, and then just as she’s feeling good, her sister is killed in front of her. I was worried that this would return her to her whining, but it’s hardened Laurel. She’s been training with a former boxer named Ted “Wildcat” Grant after Oliver refused to train her. We’ve seen her in promo pics as Black Canary, so we know it’s coming…but she’s not quite there yet. I’m liking her more than I ever have. Black leather will do that. 

Speaking of Wildcat…

He’s only been in a handful of episodes, running a gym. There’s been a hint of an almost-superheroing past when he defended his brother, there was even a cat-shaped black mask on the shelf in the gym. I’m hoping he becomes a full-on hero alongside Laurel for a few Wildcat/Black Canary teamups…but I don’t necessarily see it happening. He’s a fun character and an interesting counterpoint to Oliver. Plus his gym was the site of a fight where Oliver jammed an arrow into a glove and used it as a boxing glove arrow, and a million fanboys laughed and bonered and it was good. 

The other new guy this season is Ray Palmer. 

Ray Palmer is best known to geeks as “Atom,” a scientist who uses “dwarf star matter” in a belt to shrink down to microscopic size…and fight…crime. But like, tiny. Here, Brandon Routh’s character comes to Starling City, takes over as the COO of Queen Industries, and takes over as a potential love interest for Felicity. She’s rebounding, but she’s rebounding nicely. Palmer is funny, he’s likable, he’s smart, he’s handsome, and he’s on the cusp of being a superhero in his own right. We get some pieces of a tragic backstory, we see his inherent goodness…he’s a great guy.

But what we care about is this:

At the end of a single episode, we see Ray looking at the A.T.O.M. suit. We don’t know what the acronym stands for, but he spent the episode working out a business deal that would let him acquire the dwarf star matter he needs to finish the suit. Earlier producers had said “if we see Palmer in the Atom suit, it would probably be on ‘The Flash,’ not ‘Arrow,'” …but they may be rethinking that. At first I thought we’d be getting ripped off if we never saw Ray Palmer as Atom; now I like the guy as a civilian so much, I’m fine either way.

But do it. Totally do it.

All of this leaves Arrow–Oliver Queen–in a transitional period. Some of his allies are dead, some need extensive training, his sister hates him, his girl…who he doesn’t want to be his girl but he loves…is with a super cool guy, his former girlfriend is turning into a superhero, which he doesn’t like…he’s in the middle of a hurricane. Which isn’t as calm as you’ve been led to believe. His life is already shaken up, he doesn’t need a new guy thrown into the mix.

Like the Flash. But here he comes.

As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike. 

Be prepared for a “Five and Three” a year in review article coming soon. I’ll cover the best of 2014 as far as “Five and Three” is concerned. If you have a vote, don’t forget to tweet it out to me @MarkAvo. Now, onto the best of last week just before Christmas Eve and all the books you’ll be reading this holiday weekend.

Let me express my thanks for another year with Big Shiny Robot and another year of “Five and Three” by wishing you all a Merry Christmas via the wonderful cover art to the one-shot “Flash Gordon Holiday Special”.

I’m going all portrait covers first. Sure, there were plenty of Darwyn Cooke covers to get me through the cover selection this week but I couldn’t say no to the terrific artwork to “Elektra #9” by Michael Del Mundo. The ninjas appear to be phantoms as they form a bull’s-eye around the sometimes heroine Elektra. They also thrill me to no end.

We’re going to go simple with a reminder that I was going to pick the Cooke variants this month. He is my favorite artist in comics. I can say that with confidence but you’ll hear me call many artists my favorite. I have a bunch of them. For today though, it’s certainly Darwyn Cooke and this pick is for “Catwoman #37”.

This cover is a Darwyn Cooke variant for “Justice League #37”.

This cover is a Cooke variant for “Teen Titans #5”.

The cover to “Batman Superman #17” is my favorite Cooke variant for the week.

If you didn’t read our review to “A Town Called Dragon” by Zombietron, I highly suggest you do. After that you should be convinced this is a book you’re missing out on. If you’re able you should get it for your stocking and pretend Santa brought it to you.

I’m glad that Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads are back in stellar form with the creator owned masterpiece “The Activity”. This book is a grounded in military intelligence but often uses future looking weaponry. They never go too far though, and with the latest issue #16 they remind us all that war has costs and that freedom and liberty are not free. I’m hoping it isn’t another 13 months before we get the next issue but I’ll be reading their work on Marvel’s “The Punisher” while I wait.

In “Batman #36” we find out from Alfred that The Joker has concocted his masterpiece and he is unleashing it on The Batman. In this issue, it’s confirmed that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have been releasing their masterpiece all along. The character of The Batman is beloved. He is many people’s favorite character in all of fiction, but I have often found the character tired. It is hard to hit the right notes with The Batman without making him into a god or a joke. Snyder and Capullo are creating the perfect stories for The Batman. There is just the right amount of history, crime, detective work, and horror. I believe that the horror is what makes this character feel so real. It certainly works when The Batman’s arch nemesis inverts The Batman’s inspired weapon – fear – against The Batman himself. Scott Snyder is no stranger to horror, and with many issues of Spawn in his portfolio neither is Greg Capullo. I believe that is what makes them such a great pair and why they’re creating a definitive storyline in The Batman’s history of publication. The Joker is horrifying in “Batman #37” and the mental game he is playing is all from the crazy talented mind and pencil of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. 

That’s all for this week. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo or on Instagram @TheMarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or if you have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know. If you’d like to check out more “Five and Three” comic book moments start with “Five and Three” from last week. And remember, buy your friends and loved ones comics for the holidays!

As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike. 

Starting us off this week, AKA the last week to buy comics before the Christmas holiday, is the return of Francesco Francavilla to “Five and Three”. He brings the chills and thrills with the latest issue of Archie in a zombie infested Riverdale, “Afterlife With Archie #7”. 

“Wild’s End #4” by Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard. The BOOM! Studios published comic is a lovely story about anthropomorphic animals in the countryside of England. The series didn’t really grab me with issue one but by issue four my appreciation for the story has caught up with my appreciation for the spectacular art. Seriously, who doesn’t want to read about giant alien robots attacking the British countryside?

Kelly Sue DeConnick is creating some dynamite comic books with a strong feminine tone and the comic book world couldn’t be happier or more grateful. I suppose that means, like the criminal women on the books titular prison colony “Bitch Planet”, comic book fans are “non-compliant”. Valentine De Landro’s art is pitch perfect in tone for a story very much in the zeitgeist as women and minorities make political headlines. I proudly stand with the NC tattooed women as we wait patiently in line for issue #2 next month.

DC Comics continues its lead from last week with an appearance by a Vertigo book and my favorite cover coming up next. Ryan Kelly’s cover to “Coffin Hill #14” was very narrowly edged out by my bias and love of the next artist.

I promised months ago that Darwyn Cooke would be taking over the covers section of “Five and Three” for the month of December and that trend most certainly continues with “Justice League United #7”. Take in the lovely cover and make sure to pick up a few for your friends. They’re wonderful pieces of art and comic book for under four bucks.

I absolutely love Andrea Sorrentino and I miss his artwork on DC’s “Green Arrow”. The dynamism that he can put into a single page with the use of panels and eye-catching juxtaposition of story pieces has quickly become some of my favorite storytelling styling. His work on “Uncanny X-Men Annual #1” was a must buy for me and the story Bendis doesn’t disappoint.

The second panels pick is more Jake Parker doing Rocket Raccoon with Skottie Young on “Rocket Raccoon #6”. ‘Nuff said.

I’ve been a fairly big follower of everything Valiant has been doing but I’ve been buying and consuming issues digitally. Paulo Rivera back on monthly issues for “Valiant #1” changes that because Paulo Rivera is the artist that inspired me to pick up my pen and pencil and start drawing seriously again. His process is an inspiration only matched by the end product of that process. Alongside writers Matt Kindt and Jeff Lemire, Rivera is telling a really interesting story about a great evil that has defeated our protagonist Anni-Padda The Eternal Warrior, throughout time. Several of my favorite heroes from the Valiant U show up in this book to help Anni-Padda defeat the great evil once and for all. This epic has just started and my only hope is that Rivera sticks around for the ending.

That’s all for this week. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo or on Instagram @TheMarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or if you have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know. If you’d like to check out more “Five and Three” comic book moments start with “Five and Three” from last week. And remember, buy your friends and loved ones comics for the holidays!

‘The Flash’ Episode 1.9 “The Man in the Yellow Suit” (10 out of 10) Starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Rick Cosnett, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Kavanaugh, and Jesse L. Martin. Guest starring Robbie Amell, Amanda Pays, John Wesley Shipp. Written by Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing. First broadcast December 9, 2014.

It may be a mark of how good and how accessible “The Flash” is that my wife has decided to start watching it with me and my sons. She hasn’t gotten on board with a superhero TV series since “Smallville,” so that’s saying something. This week’s mid-season finale has a payoff for those of us who have been watching since the first episode, but is just as exciting and downright frightening to newcomers. It even has a few payoffs for those of us who have been watching “The Flash” since 1990. Okay, that may just be me. But it paid off. 

Billing episodes as “mid-season finales” at all seems forced and silly to me. I mean, only a season finale is big enough to be a real finale, getting everyone to tune in–but here, “The Man in the Yellow Suit” earns the title. It moves the story of Barry Allen and the Flash forward in a big way, but also the stories of supporting characters who are  becoming as important as Barry’s in this series. 

This episode takes place at Christmastime, so we have the Christmas tree going up in the West home, and some awkward gift-exchanging between Barry and Iris, and some less-awkward but more significant gift-exchanging between Iris and Eddie. The kids are moving in together, and Barry, ironically slow on the uptake, gets all moody about it. While he’s in that funk, he reflects on his mother’s murder (he’s spiraling, okay?) and his dad’s wrongful imprisonment…and then he shows up. The Man in the Yellow Suit. They guy who fourteen years ago, in a whirlwind of lightning, stabbed Nora Allen through the heart and killed her. Like, dead. We’ve seen this guy in the pilot, then again three episodes ago at Detective West’s home when he stole the evidence from the murder from West, warning him that next time, he’d kill Iris. 

While this is happening, Caitlyn Snow is doing some Christmas shopping, and runs into her old boyfriend. Her fiance, actually. Who’s dead. Ronnie Raymond, no longer dead, is growling “I’m not Ronnie…I’m FIRESTORM!” and then his head and hands ignite in a not-unlike-Ghost Rider kind of way, and he runs away. We saw him kill some people under a bridge a few weeks ago, and now he’s back. And angry. And on fire. Caitlyn flips out, and gets Cisco’s help to try and track Ronnie down. They find him, he’s still angry and on fire, and she cries. She actually has some good moments there, and isn’t as weak as I’m making her sound. The geek part of me (96% of me) was excited that we’re seeing Firestorm — a DC Comics hero who’s been around since the early 1980s — and we may be progressing her along her own path to becoming Killer Frost — villainess and Firestorm’s archenemy. The other 4% of me felt bad for her. Because she’s cute.

Reverse Flash is always a step ahead of Barry.

Back to the main thrust of the story — this Man in the Yellow Suit. We haven’t known who he is, just that he’s a bad guy. In the comic books he’s known alternately as Reverse Flash and Professor Zoom. It looks like in this series he’ll be called Reverse Flash. And he’s actually frightening. Knowing that he killed Nora is bad. Seeing him kill more people in this episode, you realize that a bad guy with Flash’s superpowers would be unstoppable. Reverse Flash is always a step ahead of Barry. Not just in their races across Central City, but in his plotting, his plans, his genius. Barry and the S.T.A.R. Labs crew find a way to trap Reverse Flash using some tachyon technology they get from S.T.A.R.’s competitor Mercury Labs — and this is where the 24-years-ago shoutout comes in. Mercury’s director is Dr. Tina McGee, played by Amanda Pays…who played Dr. Tina McGee on “The Flash” TV series in 1990. I watched that series when it was on, and love seeing that the character has somehow lived on, and has some kind of history with Dr. Wells. She only gives up the tachyons when Barry blackmails her; I hope we see more of her and Mercury Labs in the near future. 

Ultimately this episode is about Barry Allen meeting his ultimate enemy. The guy who killed his mother, who imprisoned his father, and who someday may kill Barry himself. The script, the direction, the special effects, the acting, all combine to make a truly menacing villain. No sneering, no mustache-twirling “I’ll get you next time, Scarlet Speedster!” …just a very real threat to everything that Barry loves. He’s stronger he’s smarter, he’s ruthless–he’s even faster than the Flash. It’s a great introduction to a horrific villain. The episode is 62 minutes long, and that last two minutes is a doozy–we get the reveal. We see who Reverse Flash really is, and even though it’s not a complete surprise, the bits of information we quickly get are significant. And some cool technology that has been a part of the Flash’s story since the 1950s that we haven’t seen yet. 

If it comes down to either 100 hours of good superhero television or a good 2 hour movie…I’ll take the television.

So yeah. A real finale. We have to wait until mid-January for new episodes, but I’m okay with that. Now that my wife is watching, we may have to go back and rewatch some episodes. All of them, I’m guessing. For a series that only has nine episodes under its belt, it’s a great show. The preview of upcoming episodes showed us the return of Captain Cold (yay), and interviews with showrunners revealed that Mark Hamill will be reprising his role as the Trickster (he played the goofy villain in the 1990 Flash series), and Victor Garber as Dr. Stein, Firestorm’s assistant/conscience/gestalt/mentor. It gets weird. Loving this series as a geek, loving it as a dad raising geeks, loving it as a DC Comics fan with a bleak cinematic future. If it comes down to having a hundred hours of fun superheroing on television or a single two hour movie, I’ll take the television. I don’t have much faith in this point in “Batman v Superman,” or the movie series that Zack Snyder is building. I’m content with what’s happening with DC Comics on the small screen. “The Flash” plus “Arrow,”  “Gotham” on Fox, plus the upcoming “Teen Titans” on TNT and “Supergirl” on CBS and just-announced “Krypton” on SyFy — my DVR’s gonna be earning its keep. It’s about damn time. 

And yeah, I didn’t include “Constantine.” Because it’s “Constantine.”

Big Shiny Robot! is teaming up with the Salt Lake City Library to do a free screening and panel discussion about the best holiday superhero movie out there, Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns.”

It is at the downtown Salt Lake City  library in the auditorium, Thursday, December 11, 2014, at 6:00pm.

From the library’s blurb:

Join us for a screening of the 1992 superhero film Batman Returns. In this second installment of the Batman film series, Batman is pitted against the Penguin, a warped and deformed adversary who is planning to take over Gotham City. Meanwhile, the mysterious Catwoman emerges with her own agenda. After the film, a panel of comic book experts will discuss the film, the material that inspired it, and more.

PANELISTS David Landa, Dr. Volt’s Comics Bryan Young, City Weekly, Big Shiny Robot! Greg Gage, Black Cat Comics 

As I’ll be on the panel and watching the movie, I’d love to see everyone there. Tim Burton’s “Batman” films hold up much more than people realize and what better way to remember that than at a free screening on the big screen?

Again: It is at the downtown Salt Lake City library in the auditorium, Thursday, December 11, 2014, at 6:00pm.

As always, “Five & Three” brings you my favorite things in comics this week. Every week I pick my five favorite covers and three favorite panels to create “Five & Three”. I like to talk about why I picked the covers and panels and welcome hecklers and trend setters alike. 

It’s an all-covers week as DC Comics comes in strong thanks to some beautiful Darwyn Cooke covers and a terrific new Vertigo book. First up though, is an interesting choice of perspective for the cover to “Gotham Academy #3” by Karl Kerschl. The comic itself continues to be a bunch of fun and one of the books I hope continues to turn the artistic and character direction of DC. I may be in the minority, but I really like what DC Comics has been doing lately.

As an example of how much I like what DC Comics is doing lately I can point to the wonderful variant covers to their main titles this month from Darwyn Cooke. This variant to “Detective Comics #37” is terrific but I like the interiors by Francis Manapul just as much. It was hard not to pick Manapul’s cover but I’ve got a good history with his “The Flash” covers so I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of his work here.

 

Image: 13thdimension.com

I didn’t pick the Cooke variant to “Grayson #5” because the Mikel Janin one pulled me in. The mood is red hot with this cover.

Off of DC for just a moment I’d like to talk about how much I’m loving “Guardians 3000” and how amazing issue 3 is. I’m doing so by sneaking in an Alex Ross cover. Who doesn’t love Alex Ross? I hope this book is selling well because I’m in it as long as Dan Abnett and Gerardo Sandoval are the creative team.

Back over to DC comics because I didn’t love Gail Simone’s “Secret Six #1” as much as I’d hoped I would. Is it a bad book then? By no means, it’s wonderful and the artistic team did a great job, but it felt too compact for the story I know Simone is ready to tell. I recommend this to anyone with a place in their hold but if you’re full up it’s probably better to wait for the trade on this one.

There is so much going on in the artistic composition and talent for the cover to Vertigo’s latest “Wolf Moon #1” by Jeremy Haun, June Chung, Jae Lee, and Lee Loughridge, that I just had to include it here. Given that I featured “Grayson” earlier, I guess I’m in a bit of a red mood this week.

Panel Syndicate delivered another great book this week with the penultimate issue of “The Private Eye #9” and the cover by Marcos Martin and Munsta Vicente is another one I’d like to see as a print. Readers will be happy to know that the cover to issue #8 is soon to become a print. If you’ve wanted granddad giving the bird on your wall as much as I have, you’ll get your chance very soon.

Last up is my favorite artist once again. I promised months ago that Cooke would be a large feature for “Five and Three” for the month of December and with covers like these, how could I disappoint? Darwyn Cooke certainly didn’t.

Image: 13thdimension.com

That’s all for this week. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo or on Instagram @TheMarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or if you have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know. If you’d like to check out more “Five and Three” comic book moments start with “Five and Three” from last week. And remember, from now on we’ll see you on Mondays!

‘The Flash’ Episode 1.8 “Flash vs. Arrow” (10 out of 10) Starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Rick Cosnett, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Kavanaugh, and Jesse L. Martin. Guest starring Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, Patrick Sabongui. Story by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, Screenplay by Ben Sokolowski and Brooke Eikmeier. First broadcast December 2, 2014.

 This is it. Or the first part of it. The crossover event we’ve been waiting for since “The Flash” was announced. Having two different superhero television series on the same network, you’d think it’s a no-brainer. And yet, knowing WB and DC Comics…they’ve committed no-brainers before. So finally seeing Flash and Arrow in a full-on crossover event is something of a fanboy dream come true. While Marvel is pretty much getting everything right with their superhero franchises, DC Comics characters have suffered through sputtering starts. So with the #flarrow hashtag set and ready to go, we sat down to watch “Flash vs. Arrow.”

It’s been billed as a crossover event, which had me thinking it would be a two-parter, with part one airing on “The Flash,” and part two on “Arrow.” Instead it appears to be two independent stories taking place contiguously, but able to be enjoyed as separate stories in their respective series. The plot of this first episode is essentially this: a new metahuman is in Central City, using his mutated eyes to wreak havoc. He makes eye contact with someone, his red eyes flash towards their eyes, they’re infected with a rage that turns against other people. Then the bad guy takes money, gets away from cops…whatever he wants to do, leaving the bystanders to beat the crap out of each other. It’s a tweak on a classic Flash character “Rainbow Raider”…I think he’s going by Chroma these days. In either case, his name is the ridiculous-and-awesome Roy G. Bivolo. Like a mashup of ROYGBIV and “gigolo,” which is a great mnemonic to remember the order of the colors of the spectrum. And a gigolo. 

Like a mashup of “Roygbiv” and “gigolo”

Barry Allen is in the process of getting his red ass handed to him by Bivolo when he’s saved by an arrow–Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak and John Diggle are in town from Starling City, following up on a lead from a boomerang murder there. Barry’s at first delighted to see his old buddy Arrow, excited to team up–but Arrow has other plans. He tells Barry he’s reckless, he needs more training, he should be using his superpowers more wisely to protect himself. Barry’s skeptical and a little hurt–and then a little more hurt when he gets two arrows in the back as part of his “training.” 

In the non-superhero part of Barry’s world, he sees his would-be girlfriend Iris growing closer to the Flash on one level, and further from Barry on the other. She’s put in the uncomfortable position of defending Flash against her boyfriend, who wants to start up an anti-Flash task force with the Central City PD. She stalwartly defends Flash, jeopardizing her relationship with Eddie and antagonizing her dad. 

Eventually this does turn the corner from a friendly teamup into a “versus” situation, and we get the nerd debates over which superhero would win in a fight. While I’ve been a part of that debate before with various superheroes, it’s never been with Flash and Green Arrow, so it was cool to see it here. We saw both heroes pulling out all the stops with speed powers and trick arrows…I’m still not sure who would win, but there was a lot of asses getting handed to their respective heroes. While elements of this episode were dark, revealing some of the deep-seated issues that Barry Allen has toward several of his allies, there’s also more warmth and humor in it than you get from many DC Comics productions. I appreciate that. Some of those punchlines are given away in trailers and commercials, but this feels like true friendship and mentorship between Arrow and Flash, and I like that. 

The interplay between the different families of characters is good, with Cisco serving as the funny, awkward icebreaker between them all. I’m liking Cisco more and more as part of the S.T.A.R. Labs team; often those kind of one-note punchline characters become more annoying over time, but he’s getting better. I used to be biding my time until he turned into Vibe (an earthquake-causing superhero) and Caitlyn into Killer Frost (a supervillain with ice powers)…but now part of me is hoping that never happens. They’re great as Barry’s S.T.A.R. Labs sidekicks, and I want them to stick around a while. 

Often crossover episodes are mere placeholders, taking the characters outside of their normal setting and not progressing their overall stories. Happily, this episode advances most of the major characters–not only Barry Allen’s story, but also Iris, Eddie, Oliver Queen and even Dr. Wells. Captain Singh, the head of the Central City PD also gets more screen time here, and with a throwaway line about his boyfriend, we find out he’s gay, and it’s not a big deal. His character in the comic books is, and I’m glad they worked that into the character in the series. Really that scene focused a lot more on Big Belly Burger (a DC Comics staple) than on Singh’s sexuality, and that’s as it should be.  

This episode advances the stories of most of the major characters

There’s not a direct cliffhanger bridging “The Flash” last night and “Arrow” tomorrow night, but the characters cross over enough that it’s clearly one event. The lack of a true two-part story makes it easier to syndicate later, put out on blu-ray or streaming…it makes sense. Even if it prevents it from being a two-hour television movie, it’s probably the best way to do it. 

Nerd sites are saying “The Flash” and “Arrow” might do these crossover events once per season–I’d love that. I like the references that the two shows can casually work into dialogue and plot points, and it makes sense to have them share this little corner of the DC universe for as long as they can. And hey, if Supergirl and the Teen Titans find their way to Central City and Starling City as those series get up and running? I’m all for it. 

Next week’s episode is “The Man in the Yellow Suit,” and will be the last new episode until 2015. From the title, I’m guessing it’s either about Curious George’s owner or Flash’s archenemy and the possible murderer of Barry’s mom.  But first, we’ve got more action on “Arrow” tonight. Tune in.