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. 

What a week! I hope your week has been as busy and exciting as mine. I was one of the lucky few who saw the first 30 minutes of Kevin Smith’s “Tusk” and this week I was fortunate enough to see it and then review the film in its entirety. This week in comics though, my favorite thing is the 2014 City Weekly Arty that I won with my fellow storytellers for “The Salt City Strangers”. We were voted the best indie comic book in the state of Utah by our fans. It is a wonderful honor and is probably going to end up being my favorite thing in comics for the entire year. Stay tuned.

One of the articles I’ve written for Big Shiny Robot that pulled in a ton of views was the teaser for “Spider-verse”. This week the Mike Del Mundo variant of the “Superior Spider-Man #33” tie in issue blew me away. It’s nearly the same as the teaser but it looks really spiffy in the full cover dress.

 

Image: 13thdimension.com

My pal @Savtastik send this really cool variant to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” by Rebekah Isaacs. It’s has a bit of an Archie Comics vibe to it and we both agreed it was awesome. If you want me to feature your pick, drop me a line on Twitter @MarkAvo.

I love this “Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches” cover and I haven’t even had a chance to read it yet. Archaia is producing top notch work and it’s thanks to creators like the amazingly talented S.M Vidaurri who is writing and drawing this issue.

This “Daredevil” cover by Chris Samnee is spooky and “Children of the Corn”-esque. It’s just another example of greatness coming from the Eisner award winning “Daredevil” team of Samnee and Waid.

Wow, the ending to “Translucid” by Claudio Sanchez, Chondra Echert, and Daniel Bayliss wasn’t the Batman and the Joker relationship dissection I thought it would be. The ending seemed completely different than how I see the characters but at this point, I’m not even sure who the Batman character was and who was the Joker character. It could really go either way depending on the Batman books you’ve read or on “your version” of Batman. It certainly would apply with Grant Morrison’s take on how the Joker is never the same because of his personalities. If that’s the case though, I always thought the Joker didn’t actually want Batman to die. You give the series a read and tell me what you think.

This first panel from Thor #25 was sent to me by my friend Chris Hoffman @Hoffmangler. He liked how the vision of the now, the future and the near future were stated succinctly in these three panels.

I love “The Private Eye” by Brian K. Vaughn, Marcos Martin, and Munsta Vicente. Read up on the latest release of issue #8 here. It’ll explain why I like the near future looking book and you’ll laugh when you find out that it’s a digital only book.

The last panel I picked for this week was from the punk rock “Deadly Class #7” by Rick Remender, Wesley Craig, and Lee Loughridge. I picked this because I instantly thought of a passionate highschool relationship I had and how I wasn’t quite sure if she was crazy. Maybe I was the crazy one for staying so long. She was my femme fatale story and whenever I see panels like this one my mind gets nostalgic and my heart has a panic attack.

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. Until next week, meet you all at the Big Shiny Robot: Nerd Swap Meet at the Boehemian on Sunday!

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. 

I didn’t have a big week so I reached out for help and got some from the creator of the “Salt City Strangers” Chris “Hoffmangler” Hoffman. He helped me pick some panels and some covers and you can guess which ones those were. With that in mind, the first cover of the week is a really cool variant for “The United States of Murder Inc #5” by David Mack. I know there were other covers I could have picked over this one but I liked the positive and negative space and the idea that the trail leads back to the person with the gun.

I love the stylized Cold War spy stories from the 60’s. The paperback covers were the best and in that silhouetted style of those and some of the “James Bond” flicks I picked the cover to “All-New Ultimates #8” by David Nakayama. I’d given up on the title until a conversation with a fellow aspiring comic book writer at last week’s Salt Lake Comic Con. With covers like this one, how could I stay away for long?

Obligatory “Hawkeye #20” pick. This isn’t my favorite David Aja cover for Hawkeye but because there will not be too many of these covers left to pick, and because it’s bloody terrific either way, of course I picked it this week. Every issue that comes out is exciting and bitterly disappointing. Maybe we can all get together and convince Matt Fraction to keep writing more Hawkguy? Didn’t that work for the campaign to get Bettie White to host “Saturday Night Live”?

To my taste in comic book art, Dustin Nguyen can do no wrong. Scott Snyder and Jim Lee have told one hell of a cool Superman story with “Superman Unchained”. I think Lee works best in these small dose mini-series. I know he likes working on books in each book’s continuity but he is a busy guy and fans will clamor for his art any way that they can get it. I’d like a Green Arrow story next but I don’t want Lemire or Sorrentino going any where. In fact, after Snyder and Capullo are done with Batman I’d love DC forever if they let Lemire and Sorrentino take a crack at Bats.

My final pick is an Image book. That happens a lot because Image puts out quality books that make me happy. “Ghosted” is a book that makes both me and my wife happy and any book that lets my lady share in one of my passions is a winner every time. “Ghosted”, for the uninitiated, is a cross between “Ocean’s  Eleven” and “The Medium” with a dash of “Ghostbusters” and a little “Uncharted”. It’s hard to nail down because it is so unique. It’s also a book you should definitely check out if you have room in that pull list and want something different.

First up in panels is a simple one from “Batgirl: Futures End #1”. Look at all of the trophies that The Black Beast, the leader of the “Batgirl squad”, has in her underground lair! Don’t mess with the lady who is part Batgirl and part Bane. I guarantee you’ll regret it.

In another “Futures End” pick I loved the tweets this week about the infamous “boob window” on Powergirl’s costume. I’m not a fan in as much as I am a fan. It always looks right even though I think we all agree the window needs to go. It is so iconic though that it’s been hard for DC to find a replacement. It is also very silly and juvenile and practically everyone in comics makes fun of it. It is such a running gag that the characters of the comics themselves bag on the overdone display of cleavage.

My favorite moment this week comes from the pages of “The Amazing Spider-Man #6” by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. I love these two creators on this book. They understand the core of what most fans love about the spidey characters. Agree or Disagree, you can let me know on Twitter or in the comments but I loved these panels. Peter Parker is unmasked (yet again), and even though his goose is cooked, the egomaniac J. Jonah Jameson can’t stop mugging for the camera long enough for Peter’s identity to be revealed. J. Jonah gets exactly what he deserved and we, the readers, get a good chuckle.

I’m putting in a last minute addition this week because of Scott McCloud’s Twitter feed @ScottMcloud. He tweeted a link to “Kingdom Lost” on The Bouletcorp.com. The story is short enough you can get through it in about 15 minutes tops. It is a wonderful metaphor wrapped in art that is so good you’ll weep! I’m using a ton of hyperbole to get you over to the story linked here and above but trust me, it’s amazing and worth it and it’s your bonus for the week.

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. Until next week, Man your own Jackhammer!

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. 

I’m with the rest of the Big Shiny Robot writer’s crew at the second annual Salt Lake City Comic Convention. Because of the hectic schedule, this week we’re going to blaze through the list of my top picks and favorite things in comics this week. Fasten your seat belt and let’s get going.

First up in covers this week is a special variant made especially for the Salt Lake City Comic Con. The variant is for “Death of Wolverine” and is by Greg Horn. It’s not my favorite of the variants but it’s cool because I’m a Utah local and our con got a variant special from Marvel Comics.

Next up is another Marvel book with a great cover. This time it comes in the form of “Hawkeye vs. Deadpool” #0 by James Harren. I don’t think Deadpool is taking the fight as seriously as Hawkeye is but I’m happier for it.

What I like about this trippy number from Valiant for the first issue of “The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage” is the composition. The design, with the art by Roberto De La Torre, makes for a really tight cover.

While the 3D covers from DC Comics this week are amazing, you’ll have to get the full effect in person. I’m glad for “Justice League” #33 because those 3D covers are great and DC had to get some mad props for their covers this week. Ivan Reis makes this Justice league cover, one to fight over.

My favorite cover for this week is a shameless plug. The 3^rd issue of an Independent comic book I write for released yesterday for the start of the Salt Lake City Convention. “The Salt City Strangers” cover is by Chris Hoffman, Josh Oakes, and Emmanuel Ordaz with words by me and my friends Josh Butterfield, Jeremy Gates, and Chris Hoffman. I’m also happy I got to do some inks but you’ll have to get a copy of the book to check out the inside. I’m too humble to shamelessly plug my comic book more than once in this article.

Speaking of the Con, how about something from Steve Lieber – who is a guest at the convention – to start us out on panels this week? If you’re at the Salt Lake convention or any convention, I hope your cosplay experiences don’t go like the panel below.

I’m a fan of Magic and stories about magic. This new book from Boom! Studios is a great read with a fun setup for the remainder of the mini-series. I suggest you give it a look if you’re into Magic, comic books, and good storytelling. The artist, Mariano Navarro nails some great narration by Caleb Monroe in a 6 step process to magic. Here are a few of the steps by the storytellers of “Cloaks” #1.

With so many great moments to pick from in the few books I read I decided to pick one of the most outstanding from this week’s “The Punisher” issue #10 by writer Nathan Edmondson and artist Mitch Gerads. If you’re a long time reader of this article you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Gerads. My reasoning is his attention to detail, his ability to show action like it is and not how it can be in a summer blockbuster, and for the quiet moments of excellence like the one below. Gerads shows an old man being brutally beaten without having to show anything but the shadows. These panels made me breathless.

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. Until next week, keep calm and Salt Lake Comic Con!

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. 

Vertigo probably wins covers this week but I’ll get to those last. To start us off let’s go with a simple character cover for “Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor” #2. The art isn’t a spectacular action sequence or an impossibly complex artistic composition. It’s just a beautifully done rendition of David Tennant’s Doctor and it’s wonderful.

I let the amazing Brandigirlio pick this cover. She likes horror and dark stories but she also really likes cats. This cover has just about everything she likes about comics and it’s also a great piece of art to boot.

Allison Strejlau does the cover for “The Regular Show” #14 in the style of M.C. Escher and I picked it because it’s fun.

The first Vertigo winner this week is “Dead Boy Detectives” #8. It should be no surprise to long time Comic book fans that Mar Buckingham rocks the cover picks this week. The colors, the trippy windmill, and the snow-scape make this one another home run from Buckingham.

I think the cover for Vertigo’s “Bodies” #2 is cool. I like how the bars of the prison cell become the negative space of the cover. The composition is not the usual schtick for my favorite cover artist Francesco Francavilla but that only means Francavilla hasn’t shown us all of the tricks in his bag.

The three panels picks for the week come from books with great moments too good to be spoiled. In an attempt to tease rather than spoil, here are some pages that should peak your interest without ruining the story. 

How about a masked Superman asking for help from Shazam over in “The New 52: Futures End” #18? Superman has been facing off against Rampage for the last two issues. He isn’t doing so well here when he gives in and asks for help. What’s the former Captain Marvel doing in the future of the New 52? 

Charles Soule’s “Letter 44” continues to boggle and intrigue with contemporary sci-fi. The political wheels spin against one another on Earth whilst the military and science teams in space continue to hope for survival against an Alien threat. That threat is becoming increasingly hostile. The altruistic hopes of the science team seem to be lost as the First Lady of the United States tries to keep her husband’s presidency out of a tailspin by offering herself up as barter. If you aren’t reading this book you are missing out.

More questions with subtle answers this week as “The Guardians of The Galaxy” reveal how Star Lord and Thanos escaped the Cancerverse. Only half of the story has been told and I’m already happy. If the next issue has the same level of action and fantastic art, I don’t think I’ll care how Thanos escaped too.

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. Until next week, is it better to Burn Out or Fade Out?

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. 

A big week for some largely anticipated titles from some greats and, as one would expect when a great creator has a book come out, they made this week’s list of picks. Starting the picks off is the cover to Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips “The Fade Out” #1. The pair of creators have started the first book in what is being called quite possibly the best contract ever in comics. Brubaker and Phillips have an exclusive deal with Image Comics to create and publish whatever their whimsy takes them. “The Fade Out” is so pulpy, dark, and sexy that the pages smolder.

I’m in love with Kurtis Weibe and everything he is doing with “Rat Queens” but his “Peter Panzerfaust” is also not to be missed.

I haven’t read a single issue of Manifest Destiny but I’ve watched each cover tease me and my wallet ever month. This issue is no exception.

I picked last month’s cover to “The Unwritten: Apocalypse” by Yuko Shimizu and I’m picking the book and her art again this month. Every issue is a print I’d love to own. Her art is Spectacular.

Last pick for the week is the variant cover to “Multiversity” #1 I found browsing the pages of Inside Pulse. The cover is by Chris Burnham and is an homage to Simon and Shuster’s “Action Comics” #1 where Superman appeared for the first time. It’s also a timely pick because an auction for the original “Action Comics” #1 recently sold the comic book for over $3.2 Million dollars*.

Image: Inside Pulse

I had plenty of amazing moments to pick from this week and I missed some huge ones in books I am not reading. Apparently both “Batwoman” and “Original Sins” this week are books that can’t be missed. I suppose I’ll have to visit my LCS this weekend and find out for myself. In the meantime how about a panel of a huge butt map courtesy of “The Delinquents” #1 from Valiant? Quantum, Woody, Archer, and Armstrong team up for some hilarity and insanity over in the Valiant Universe and it’s a book you should be reading so go do that and I’ll wait for you to finish.

Great, you’re back. “The Delinquents” was great right? Did you read Grant Morrisons multiverse hoping DC universe adventure of the mind and spandex? “Multiversity” was not what I was expecting and it’s everything I was hoping for… I guess it all depends on what Earth I came from when I read it. The comic is great, the art is great, the writing is great. It’s Grant Morrison, what more needs to be said?

Last set of panels is an amazing action sequence from tag team artist on “Daredevil” Javier Rodriguez. His explosive action sequences were the delight of the book. Matt Murdock moved with the ferociousness of a super-hero that is rarely done so well. It’s clear that the man without fear is very capable of going toe-to-toe with any martial artist but with Rodriguez on pencils, the proof is in the imagery.

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. Until next week, is it better to Burn Out or Fade Out?

*EDITORS NOTE: The original article stated a selling price for Action Comics #1 at 2 Million dollars. We regret assuming the book wouldn’t sell for more and the selling price of the comic has been changed to represent the actual amount the comic book sold for.

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. 

Another huge week in comic books makes my job at picking books even tougher. Without further ado, let’s get into the picks – I did my best.

My first pick is the return of “Sex Criminals” by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky. Issue seven marks a huge moment for fans of the book simply because they have a new issue. This book is hot and if you’re comfortable with a more adult themed story you should jump in now.

Next up is a shady cover to “The Shadow Master” #12. The cover is a literal representation of shadow and mist that surrounds The Shadow. It sets the perfect tone for the pulp inside.

I usually shy away from picking graphic novels because the variety in floppies is too great. In this scenario though, as I browsed covers on ComiXology, I knew I had to pick Ray Fawkes “The People Inside”. The story is about relationships and how they change and grow over time. The cover represents that in stellar form. It’s simple but on inspection, so very deep.

How cool is the cover to “The Remaining”? The whispy apparition in the clouds is terrifying.

Apparently Pere Perez and the people over at Valiant rock some “Sgt. Peppers”. This cover was fun, nostalgic, and my favorite of the week. My hat is off to the creators of “Archer & Armstrong”, but my headphones will stay firmly attached to my ears.

First up in panels for the week is a wonderfully important moment from “Original Sin” #7. What took down Thor and why is he no longer worthy? Well, you’ll have to read that to find out. That being said, it’s not only fans in this world that were stunned, Tony and Cap seem confused as well.

The New 52 is controversial with long time comic book fans. I personally can go either way depending on the individual book. Whether from rumored editorial oversight or simply a creative miss, some books struggle to find the popular audience that has kept them alive. Thankfully, the weekly “The New 52: Futures End” has not been one of those books. It’s been fun and exciting. It’s also been a weekly and an event book that I look forward to every issue. What causes the future to go bad though? Well, it appears we’ll soon find out.

“The Walking Dead” has been a love hate book for me. I’ve read the trades in the past and I keep up with the floppies through friends only to stay current. I haven’t been a big fan of the direction that the creative team was taking the book and there have been some rules breaking that Kirkman pulled off with a “whatever” attitude that frustrated me. I don’t want this to spoil anything but the panels below were the crucial point in spinning my slowly growing negative feelings toward the book. If “The Walking Dead” goes in the direction it is teasing…. Wow.

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. Until next week, keep your voices down!

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. 

From one comic book movie weekend into another, “Five and Three” keeps rolling on. The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie isn’t my favorite thing in comics this week because I haven’t had a chance to see it yet. If you’d like to know how I feel on it you can read both Neverbot’s positive review and CitizenBot’s very negative review. My opinion will probably fall somewhere in between the two.

Starting us out on a strong note is “Batman ‘66” digital issue #40 with a spectacularly big, shiny bat robot. If you’re reading this Paul Rivoche (the artist on the book), thank you!

Next is a juxtaposed delight for the eyes from Ryan Sook as he fills in on the cover to DC’s weekly look at the future of The New 52 in “The New 52: Futures End” #14. Brandigirlio helpd me whittle down to this issue but I had to explain it was Barda fighting Deathstroke and not Wonder Woman. She didn’t care about that though, only that there was one more bad ass lady hero fighting the good fight in the comic book realm.

From Millicent Barnes Comics I present you with a very cool indie cover to “Mack & Mondo” by S. J. McCune. I’m not a huge cat fan but if McCune drew them all I might be. You can find his wonderful book at the rock bottom price of $.099 cents from your favorite digital comics retailer.

I’ve always been a fan of Stan Sakai. His art in the “47 Ronin” comic from last year was one of my favorite stories of 2013. He is taking his character Usagi Yojimbo far into the future with “Usagi Yojimbo: Senso”. With the first cover to the six part mini-series he is also taking comic book fans on a journey of visual delight.

My favorite cover of the week goes to Marvel’s “Figment” #3 by John Tyler Christopher. It’s one of the most original and charming covers I’ve seen all year. I’ve had no interest in Figment up to this point but with covers like these I’m about to make the dive. Wish me luck, although I doubt I’ll need it.

Art Baltazar can make anything meant for kids an instant buy for adults. His simple cartooning in “Tiny Titans: Return To the Treehouse” #3 is every bit of the word perfection. It also helps that book is enjoyable on all levels with jokes and gags for all-ages to enjoy.

Another artist that elevates everything he puts pen to is Skottie Young. If you’re not reading the new “Rocket Raccoon” book that he is writing and drawing you’re missing out. Young’s “Rocket Raccoon” is so mystifyingly good you’ll think the comic was enchanted.

I’m posting both Phil Noto’s and Mitch Gerad’s interpretation of a Punisher and Black Widow moment. The two books, “The Punisher” #9 and “Black Widow” #9, had a cross-over this week courtesy of their shared writer Nathan Edmondson. His high octane spy thriller starring everyone’s favorite female Avengers met up with the action packed, and ultra-realistic, Punisher. In a moment on a boat that’s just about to blow up, the stories synchronize and then split.

Reading both books was fun because the point of view is slightly different in each book for the shared time-lines. That being said, I know I’m probably in the minority, but I prefer Mitch Gerads gritty inks and dazzling colors to Noto’s fantastical paints and gorgeous tones. That’s not always the case, but in this shared story line, Gerads past hyper-realistic work on the US Operators spy comic “The Activity”, gave him the edge.

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. Until next week, “Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!”

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. 

My absolute favorite thing in comics this week was without a doubt the “Guardians of The Galaxy” film. With a rockin’ soundtrack, the movie keeps an incredible action packed pace all the way to the end. Dancing Groot was a wonderful way to end the film and The Guardians themselves are the perfect pick to start us off this week. 

I am Groot!*

Next up is an amazingly haunting cover to the indie comic “Deadtooth” #1. The story by Mark Hong is about werewolves. The content inside is fairly morbid but that’s exactly the tone you’d expect from a properly done horror comic. The art inside and on the cover is by Jeff Hibben. His talents extend in many directions, not just in the traditional comic book format. You can find more of his work on his deviantArt page right here.

The cover to “Caliban” #5 shocked me. I was instantly hooked and new it had to make it into this weeks picks. I’ve always been felt instantly uneasy when I see images of the little grey men. I suppose I blame “Unsolved Mysteries” from the 90’s. In this instance though, the blame falls directly on Facundo Percio. If you see him, let him know for me that his at is unnerving and spectacular.

I loved the first issue of “Mercenary Sea” but quickly decided to collect it in trades. During my time away from the book I’ve quietly watched terrific covers go by. From the sidelines each month I’ve picked others in place of Mathew Reynolds covers but this week I was fixated on the depth and the colors of his “The Mercenary Sea” #6 cover. The blood, the red hair, the sharks and the ocean are brilliantly combined.

Last cover pick of the week goes to J.H. Williams III because he is a rock star. I’ve been waiting for the most recent issue of “The Sandman: Overture” like every other fan: agitated anticipation. Every time this book has come out though, the reward for the patience has been a spectacle for the eyes and mind.

Speaking of waiting, how excited was the comic book world to actually get an issue of Hawkeye in their stores this week? How bummed is the comic world that Fraction announced to the world he was done with the final script to the finale of his Hawkeye story? All I can say for certain is that I’m going to make you wait a bit longer and show my pick of panels from “Hawkeye” #19 last.

How about some fine panels from “Daymen” #4 by Matt Gagnon, Michael Alan Nelson, and Brian Stelfreeze? If you haven’t been following “Daymen” you’re missing out. If you have, how cool was the set of panels showing the canes from all of the House of Virgo’s past Daymen?

Next up is a solemn look at a set of panels from a short story that blew me away. “Adrift” by Jody Houser and Nathan Fox is a little 8 page comic with staying power. The sincerity of the story and the way it dealt with the things left unsaid between those that have died and those that we mourn with was inspiring. Having dealt with a number of deaths of people I cared for in the last calendar year, this story grabbed me and didn’t let me go. The “Vertigo Quarterly: CMYK #2: Magenta” was just as great as the first issue “Cyan”.

Now let’s get to Hawkeye. I’ve been learning ASL (American Sign Language) this past few months with my wife @Brandigirlio. We wanted to better understand the language of our Deaf friend Natasha. An added bonus to the studies was enjoying Matt Fraction, David Aja & Matt Hollingsworth’s “Hawkeye” #19 on a totally different level. The panel below is a young Clint & Barney Barton discussing their father abuse. Here we see the signs that Clint conveys to his brother Barney telling him, “Dad is big, I can’t stop him.” Barney inspires Clint and then in the future, a deafened Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye inspires… well, go read the the issue to find out. For those that have been following “Hawkeye all along, there is a special joke in this issue that has a setup way back in issue 1. I’ve included it for you at the end because bro, good things come to those who wait bro, and patience is a virtue. 

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. Until next week, “I am Groot!”

The first two pages are from “Hawkeye #1” and the pay off is in issue #19, blown up below.

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. 

Nothing I post this week could possibly top the San Diego Comic Con and the announcements coming out of that convention. It’s literally geek Christmas and next week is the opening of “Guardians of The Galaxy” for an official start to the geek New Year. If you’re missing out on San Diego there are still great events to take part of over the weekend. Doctor Who comic book day can be celebrated tomorrow, Saturday, July  26^th, at your local comic book shop. Also happening tomorrow is a Batman event. if you missed out on Batman day this past Wednesday, you have another chance to celebrate Batman’s 75 anniversary at your local library. For more info on Doctor Who Comics day click here and for more info on the Batman events happening around the nation click here.

Let’s start with a smooth segue by posting the “Batman Eternal” cover to issue #16. The cover is done by one of my favorite artists Dustin Nguyen and it’s spectacular. The use of the contrasting colors and the peeled away cityscape under the protected cape of The Batman is fantastic.

Next up is the “Storm” #1. I had the opportunity to read a preview issue last week and I can honestly say I was very impressed by the story from Greg Pak. The cover and the interiors are done by the same artist, Victor Ibanez. Ibanez keeps Pak’s story exciting but grounded. This is another female centric comic that isn’t exploitative for men. It is a genuinely good story and has a great cast of characters led by a strong female lead.

I picked this Mike Norton cover to “Revival” #22 because I loved it. What’s more is that I nearly ran into a deer about that size while driving home last night. I also ran into a baby fawn eating by the side of the walkway I take to the train station that gets me most of the way home. I guess I had deer on the brain and Norton’s eerie cover just drew me right in.

The cover to “The Unwritten: Apocalypse” #7 is one I’d love to have hanging on my wall. Without the comic title etc, the art by Yuko Shimizu would look like something out of a museum. It’s a wonderful testament to the flexibility of the comics medium. It’s also an amazing piece of art.

For the final cover pick I went the opposite direction of a museum piece. The nostalgia rich “Transformers vs. G.I. Joe” #1 by Tom Scioli. IDW knows how to pull at the memories by producing their 80’s cartoon themed comics. Knowing that this cover is truly more than meets the eye is half the battle. Go Joe and Rollout!

For the panels I’m going to lead with the great art by Simon Fraser for “Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor” #1. This moment, and the fact that the book features a swimming pool in the Tardis that I heard Neil Gaiman talk to Chris Hardwick about on the Nerdist Podcast a few years back, cemented it as a pick for me this week.

“Afterlife With Archie” is some of the best reimagined story telling from a comics publisher I’ve ever read. I don’t want to spoil anything in the book but artist Francesco Francavilla is absolutely killing it so you cannot miss this issue. Let me just give enough away that if you’re an H.P. Lovecraft fan, you have got to pickup the trade with this issue and add this book to your hold. Sabrina the teenage witch has one helluva crazy adventure in this book and it is horrifying and dramatic and damn fine story telling.

Last panel for the week comes from the wonderful mini anthology book “Secret Origins” from DC Comics. I’ve liked each issue but the choice on art for the origin of Damian Wayne as “Robin” was uncharacteristic of DC and all together wonderful. Peter J. Tomasi spins a great yarn but the art by Ian Bertram made this little story my favorite of the three. In honor of The Batman’s 75^th though, I thought I should have a panel with a Batman so I included Dick Grayson.

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. If you’d like more of me yammering on about art you can check me out on video with my buddies from the Salt City Strangers doing the deviantArt Podcast right here. Until next week, Keep Calm and San Diego ComicCon!

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. 

What a week for comics huh? The announcements just kept coming in from all over the place. I suppose that’s what happens when it’s a pre-Con weekend but it’s not every week Archie Andrews dies. So, Captain America is soon to be an amalgam of “Batman Beyond” and I for one am very excited to see where Remender takes the characters of Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers. I’m more interested though, in just who this Superior Iron Man character is going to be and if he’ll be clashing with Daredevil. Enough about the Marvel Entertainment announcements though because it’s left some people with a Thor tooth…

First up this week is a lovely book from Troutcave Comics. It’s a little independent title called “Sporkman in Time And Space” and it’s written and drawn by John S. Troutman. I laughed when I saw the cover and hopefully you will too. Consider it this week’s bonus cover and this week’s nod toward the indie comics world.

Next up is possibly the cleanest and perfect for a poster cover from the “Adventure Time” team since the book began. The book has an art team a mile long but don’t think that’s to hit deadlines. The book is all-ages for a reason and including multiple artists is a great way of keeping the attention of the older aged crowd.

Here is a tone change from the fun covers by moving to a more seriously toned book with the variant cover to “Life With Archie” #36. In case you live under a rock, Archie Comics let Paul Kupperberg and Pat and Tim Kennedy kill Archie. Sure it’s in a parallel time line but that time line allows for some great stories that would otherwise not be possible to see print. The book is phenomenal to anyone who is a long-time Archie fan but more importantly it’s a great story on life and death and how friends deal with the death of someone they love who was so full of life. Next months issue will transport the Rivendale crew a year into the future and I think that’s what I liked the most about this particular variant from Ramon Perez. I would hope that when I’m gone there will be a group of friends and loved ones who will gather together, have a few drinks and reminisce. 

Image: Archie Comics

“Elektra” #4 by Michael Del Mundo is just one gorgeous rendition of Elektra. Her eyes and the perfect reflection in her sai is proof that women can be sexy in comics without the image having to be exploitative.

Another image with a beautiful woman on the cover comes from Jamie McKelvie for the creator owned book from Image Comics “The Wicked + The Divine”. This cover to issue #2 is so very slightly surreal. The colors, like on the previous cover to issue #1, are spectacularly picked. The gaze of her eyes draws the viewer in because of the stark black and blue eye shadow surrounded by the warmer colors of her hair and skin. The inside of the book is just as great and worth picking up for anyone who is a fan of the super-natural and/or the writing style of Kieron Gillen.

My favorite cover this week has to be from the new “Teen Titans” book from Marvel Comics. The New 52 has been subtly included with a cover that is half web page, half comic book. The book is certainly hitting the hip and young image it’s going for with the creators names being included as @Twitter avatars but the crisp green and the wonderful colors of the “Teen Titans” team brings the entire thing home for me. The short version for why I picked it is I think the cover is cool and it’s a great thing for DC to allow some fresh creativity in their cover designs. #KeepItUp

On to the panels and the first set I’d like to highlight for you is from the Dark Horse comic book “Eye of Newt” #2. The book is written and beautifully illustrated by Michael Hague. Most people will remember the art style from “The Hobbit” and if you were wondering whether it was the same you’d be correct if you thought it was. Michael Hague is a legendary illustrator and his skill in this book is on full display. This is a book I knew my wife @Brandigirlio would love. She’s usually a fan of horror comics but a little known fact is that she’s the one who bought the tickets to first screenings of each one of Peter Jackson’s Tolkien films. If you know someone who has wanted to get into comics but is more into fantasy than action heroes, tell them about “Eye of Newt”.

The next panel I found amazing was from Dan Slott’s “Silver Surfer” #4 with art by Mike and Laura Allred. I could have picked anything from this book including the cover but I loved Mike’s penciled Guardians so much I knew they’d have to be my pick this week.

The last set of panels for the week from “Robin Rises: Omega” #1 makes me happy because Morrison’s Batman arc is officially part of the New 52 Canon. Sure his “Batman Inc.” was completed in the New 52 DC Universe but now the rest of it is officially included. Also, I’ll admit here publically that I like Damian and I’m excited at the prospect of getting him back. If you think I’m crazy please send complaints to Brian Williams care of NBC at 30 Rockefeller Center New York, New York.

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. If you’d like more of me yammering on about art you can check me out on video with my buddies from the Salt City Strangers doing the deviantArt Podcast right here. Until Next week, here it is, you’re moment of Zen: