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. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know.

This week, my absolute favorite thing Free Comic Book Day. The books are free but the retailers pay for them so as you’re at the local comic shop with your kiddies or your pals, be sure to thank the retailer and maybe shop around for something cool while you’re there. To get us started this week I’m going to lead with the “Rocket Raccoon” book for Free Comic Book Day (FCBD). This is a great cover by the very talented Skottie Young. You can pick this one up this Saturday for the price of a thank you.

Image From Free Comic Book Day

The next book this week is a crazy cool cover from the Valiant mini-series “Shadowman: End Times”. Valiant has been rocking the comic book world with terrific art and mind blowing story lines. If you haven’t jumped in yet, give this title a shot.

Rick Remender’s “Deadly Class” has been inspiring for the writer in me because it is so very different but so very much a comic book. The  medium of comic books can tell any kind of story to every kind of reader with any kind of taste. This comic is a testament to that. It’s also another hit story from the mind of Remender.

“Origin II” comes to an end with issue #5 and I’m not sure how I feel about it. The overall story didn’t have the same punch as the first issue of the series did. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but with the Origin Pedigree I was hoping to have another electric storyline like the first Origin series. Despite Adam Kubert and Keiron GIllen making a beautiful story, I don’t think Origin II will stand the test of time like the original has.

Peter Parker is back even though his body never really left. The Amazing Spider-man gets his body back in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #1 just in time for the movie’s release. The book is terrific but I liked this Marcos Martin variant cover the best. If you’d like to hear more about the movie and how we Big Shiny Robots feel about it, go over to this page here and binge on “spider-commentary”.

The panels this week are simple. Here is another set I got out of the preview pages on the Free Comic Book Day website. FCBD has a nice sampling from each book so you can look at the ones you want to get and for parents to see if the content in the book is something they’d like their kids to have. Remember folks, comic books are more of an adult art form than a kids one. Even though the panels below from The Regular show, many of the books on Free Comic Book Day are aimed at adults. That’s why the previews exist on the page for Free Comic Book Day so if you’re a parent with concerns for the content your kids may get a hold of on FCBD, go take advantage of the previews.

Image From Free Comic Book Day

In the “Avengers” issue 28 it appears as someone has found Tony out. Will everything the Illuminati is building unravel in their face?

The last set of panels is from “Vertigo Quarterly: CMYK” and is a story by Jock and Lee Garbett with colors by Lee Loughridge and lettering by Jared K. Fletcher. The story is really crazy but very fun. That’s what I love the most about anthologies and that’s why I love FCBD. Many stories of all different varieties by very talented professionals all for free! 

That’s it for this week! For a look at last week’s “Five and Three” please visit this link. If you want more awesome art to look at and like my commentary, visit the deviantART Podcast over here. Follow me on Twitter @MarkAvo for my tweets & Instagrams of Free Comic Book Day. I’ll be at The Nerd Store with the creative team of The Salt City Strangers and the Hold 322 podcast. We’ll be sketching and chatting and playing games all day to promote issue #3 of The Salt City Strangers. Oh, and be sure to come back next week!

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. If you disagree with a pick, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo. If you think I should’ve picked something else or have a pick in mind for next week, give me a shout out and let me know.

This week I’m starting things off with a crazy indie cover I spotted on ComiXology, “Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land”.  Art and writing on this wonderfully humorous comic is all from Dean Rankine. The book is only a buck and comes in at just under 100 pages! That’s a crazy deal for the amount of content but the book might not be to everyones tastes.

Image from ComiXology

Next up is “Elektra” #1 from Marvel. The cover art on this one is a spectacular display of the beauty ninja limbs can create courtesy of Michael Del Mundo. I think the page count is a little high for a four dollar book but as long as Marvel keeps the quality up then the readers will continue to buy them.

The cover on this book is creepy and gripping and Max Bemis deserves credit for setting the hair on my neck on end with “Evil Empire” #2. BOOM! Studios has been producing some of my favorite books lately. I got to hand it to them, they’re on top of their game.

Here’s an Image title in “Zero” #7. The book by Ales Kot has been an intriguing sci-fi spy thriller. The first cover to stick in my head this week was this issue by Matt Taylor.

The last cover for this week is an example of DC Comics getting covers right. I’ve complained in the past that DC’s covers aren’t as eye catching as the other publishers and this week they’re hitting above .500. That being said, this cover in particular was terrific. Even though it’s another typical “team splash” cover it’s done in a way that tells a bit of a story. It’s also a wonderful blend between dark and light and uses every amount of negative space available. Kenneth Rocafort is my favorite cover artist this week and with a cover like this I’m a little disappointed I dropped “Teen Titans” ten issues back. I guess I’ll have to borrow them from someone and get caught up before the relaunch this summer.

My favorite panels this week start with “Original Sin” #0. The book’s writing is by Mark Waid and it answers the question, “What is the Watcher watching for?” I like the young Nova and in these panels you see why. He’s excited to be a part of the super-heroes of Earth and is making memories. He wants to be a part of everything and shares his experiences with everyone he can. After all, who can a teenage super-hero talk to? The Watcher himself will always listen.

“Letter 44” by Charles Soule and Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque is superb storytelling. Oni Press has a hit on their hands that, in my opinion, not enough people are reading. The story of a letter from an outgoing president to an incoming one is simple enough. It’s the secret that 43 tells 44 though that makes this book what it is. The previous president started war and spent the country into a hole. He did so because of an alien space craft just outside the asteroid belt! What I love the most about this book has been the political intrigue and the real applications of space. The well-drawn crew in the panels below is studying the craft and they’re all in zero-G. The 2D image by Alburquerque is full of motion and the figures look like they’re about to float right out of the panel.

My last pick for the week is a Groot panel from one of the two backup stories in the double-sized “Guardians of The Galaxy” 14. I can’t want to see Groot come to life this summer so maybe that’s why picked this panel? It’s probably because of how it makes me feel like a kid again, or maybe it’s because it’s just fun? Either way, it’s the last pick this week and it’s a great one.

That’s all for now, if you’re aching for more comic book moments you can check out last week’s article here. If that doesn’t satiate you go checkout the deviantART Podcast where my friend’s and I geek out about art. If you’re all caught up on those fronts I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next week. I’ll be here waiting!

I’m writing this week’s issue of “Five and Three” from the press room at Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience! The lines may have been long but that only meant more time for me to read this week’s comics. Honestly, I can’t believe how long the lines were on a Thursday! I do this all for you, my faithful readers. Well, the both of you anyway, I can’t really count my mom can I? (love you ma!)

This week I’m kicking us off with a cover from the BOOM! Studios and Evil Ink book “Translucid”. I raved about the book so much that you had to know something from that book was going to be in Five and Three this week! If you’re a fan of Claudio Sanchez and his lovely wife Chondra Echert, give them a listen in our Big Shiny Robot Interview with them right over here. In the meantime, enjoy the Ming Doyle variant for “Translucid”, I know I do!

Image courtesy of BOOM! Studios

Next up is “Wonder Woman” #30 from Cliff Chiang. Sure the art inside is Goran Sudzuka, but as much as I love his interiors I had to give it to Chiang for another dynamite interpretation of Wonder Woman. To me she’s a strong Amazonian beauty and no some disproportioned super-model that most women could never look like.

Next up is a very cool cover to Nova #16 by Paco Medina. I’m a sucker for the over-the-shoulder glance back in comics and I love Beta Ray Bill. This is two great tastes in one!

“Skinned” issue one is a digital comic from Monkeybrain with art by Joshua Gowdy. The cover is fantastic and the price is just right at a dollar. I usually buy a Monkeybrain book on ComiXology because it’s so easy and just a buck. The other reason I do is because Monkeybrain puts out quality comics.

My last pick is another cover to “Winter Soldier: he Bitter March” by Andrew Robinson. This time it’s issue 3. There are 2 more issues left in the series so place your bets now on whether or not this Bucky fan picks the other two. The odds are not “ever in your favor” on this one.

For my panel this week I went with some obvious choices. Why you may ask? Well, it would be because they were great or because they hint at great things to come.

This little set of panels from “Batman” issue 30 make me happy because even in Zero Year The Batman knows how to hide like a Ninja. I love how Greg Capullo drew The Batman in such a way that we get to see exactly how his Ninja moves work. In this case it’s the ladder. Seems pretty simple but a ninja uses misdirection. In the case of a water tower nearly falling on your heads and a building collapsing underneath you, The Batman knows to just stay out of their view and they’ll never notice him.

The next set of panels is a double pages spread I debated clipping. The reason I did is because my favorite part of the panel was Ultimate Agent Coulson. After having read the book though, it’s the entire team that makes me happy. Why you may ask? Well reader, I’d like to ask why the two of you are so full of questions this week but you both rarely post in the comments so I won’t bother. I will, however, answer you. My reason is that the “All-New Ultimates” issue 1 really let me down. I had a sinking feeling that the Ultimate books were going to all be terrible (except for Spidey). I’m happy because I now that Ultimate FF is going to be great and has a wonderful cast of great characters.

My last panel is another happy moment for me. If you have to ask why, you haven’t been reading comics for the last 16 months. For those that haven’t, Peter Parker’s mind was taken over by Doctor Octopus and “The Amazing Spider-Man” because “The Superior Spiderman”. This last panel has so much potential for the future because Peter Parker is back in his own mind and his own body.

Well, that’s it for now. Don’t forget to stop by the Big Shiny Robot booth 1106. We’re about 3 booths east of the legendary Neal Adams! Just East of him is Black Cat Comics with my buddies from the deviantART Podcast. Just East of them is Eden! Actually, I don’t know what’s East of that because the convention is so big this time around I couldn’t see everything in a day. If you’re not able to make it to the Con, visit our Instagram for some amazing Cosplay pics and then go read last week’s “Five and Three” where Hydra took over. Until next Friday, or if I see you at the convention, take care and Rock On!

HAIL HYDRA!

This week’s “Five and Three” has been taken over by Hydra. You thought you were all free to choose the covers from any publisher you wanted? You all thought you’d see images from the new book “Shutter” from Image Comics or the cover to issue eleven of “East of West”? Maybe you’d get to see the cover to the new “Flash Gordon” written by Jeff Parker and published by Dynamite? You honestly thought you’d see some panels from the first issue of Scott Snyder’s “Batman Eternal”? When Hydra takes over your article, the only comic book moments you get to choose as favorites are the ones Hydra tells you get to choose. Isn’t it Marvelous how simple Hydra makes things?

The new comic by the legendary Chris Claremont “Nightcrawler” #1 is a Hydra approved title for a “Five and Three” pick. Chris Samnee is one of Hydra’s favorite artists and his cover for this book is superb. HAIL HYDRA!

Daredevil’s 50^th is celebrated in spectacular fashion with a cover to “Daredevil” #1.50 by Paulo Rivera that features every storyteller that left an impact on The Man Without Fear. If you’re sentimental or if you just like good comics, go pick up this book and read the stories by Waid, Bendis, Rodriguez, Maleev, and the Kesel twins Karl & Kurt.

The cover to the “All-New Ultimates” #1 by David Nakayama is so superb it sets a bar for the rest of the issue that writer Michel Fiffe and artist Amilcar Pinna can’t reach. As a huge fan of the Marvel Ultimate universe I hope issue two steps up the game. If it doesn’t though, the covers by Nakayama should keep me happy. Considering Hydra’s taken over this article though, I may not have much more of a choice!

Hydra has approved the cover to the “Secret Avengers” issue 2 because they’d like everyone reading to know that The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stands no chance of ever rescuing the author from the clutches of Hydra.

Even had Hydra not taken over this article and forced me to only pick the books they wanted me to (which strangely enough happen to only be Marvel Comics), I would have picked the “All-New X-Men” issue 25 as the final cover of the week. It’s also the book that contained so many great moments I couldn’t have picked every panel. The list of all-star artists in the book is so amazing you will have to pick your jaw off of the floor when you see it. This cover by Stuart Immonen is just icing on a delicious comic book cake.

To start off with panels I’m going back to “Nightcrawler” #1 by Chris Claremont but this time you can take a look at the pencils by Todd Nauck. I’m never going to drop this book but not because of Claremont, it’s because of the blue elf’s little brother Bamf’s. When there is a stuffed version available, count me first in line.

“Captain Marvel” is a book I’ve been buying because I enjoy it, my wife enjoys it, and my niece enjoys it. It’s one I give away to her because I know the character of Captain Marvel as written by Kelly Sue DeConnick is going to be a great example of a female lead for the little lady in my life. It’s also a book my wife can read and understand that not every comic reader wants to read anatomically insane women characters that act like Barbie dolls. It’s also a laugh riot, especially with The Guardians of the Galaxy show up.

The last panel may be simple, but I love Iron Fist and I have the feeling that ending with a fiery fist of fury will knock Hydra to the curb. “Iron Fist: The Living Weapon” by Kaare Kyle Andrews has big shoes to fill with fan memories of the Fraction, Brubaker, Aja & Foreman run on the character; but, with a knock out first issue, the future is looking bright.

That’s it for “Five and Three” this week. Danny Rand aka Iron Fist has successfully saved “Five and Three” from Hydra. Next week we’ll be back and Hydra free! Expect some interesting things for next week because I will be at the Salt Lake City Fan-X convention aka SLCComicon 1.5. I’ll be reporting on everything at the con with my fellow bots but if you see me I’ll be more than happy to stop and chat. Just yell out, “Mark Avo,” or send me a Tweet @MarkAvo. Who knows, maybe the cell service will actually work this time around? If you can’t wait until next week for more awesome comic book moments, check out last week’s 100% Hydra free article here. If you’re all caught up please give the deviantArt Podcast I appear in over at deviantartpodcast.com. See you next week!

This week will be another fast one on my part as I let the comics do the most of the talking. There were some great comics I didn’t get to but I hit everything I had at the top of my stack. The best books I read this week came from just about every publisher so there is a pretty good representation down below. I didn’t get to the indie books I usually do but I promise to give them a better look next week. I think first and foremost though, my number one favorite thing in comics this week was the release of “Captain America: Winter Soldier”. The movie is stellar and our Editor-In-Chief Bryan Young (AKA Swank-mo-tron) loved it. He has more to say in his review over here. Now, with that in mind, onto the comic books!

I think it’s a little funny that I love Captain America but I didn’t include his book this week. I love Remender but the covers and the interiors just didn’t punch me in the gut like these other books did. Speaking of a gut punch, take a look at the cover to “Judge Dredd: MegaCity Two” issue 3! The last issue was featured in this here article back when Androidika aka @MrMiah covered for me. This week gets the pick because of the very cool crab.

The covers continue to get better with an amazing pop art spectacle from Francis Manapul over in “Detective Comics” #30. The book has a fresh creative team, and while I’m sad to see Layman go, his story lines were getting outside my taste range.

The next cover is the terrific one comic book from BOOM! Studios called “Dead Letters”. The cover art by Chris Visions is phenomenal. It tells a story of a man who is dead, possibly rom suicide, and the cops are arriving on the crime scene. That’s just in the shadow of the man struggling with internal pain. The story inside is top notch so give BOOM! your indie dollars this week and pick up a new and incredibly interesting title.

Next up is the cover by Gordan Parlov on Mark Millar’s “Starlight” #2. I have to say, I’m loving Starlight. In my circle Millar can be a divisive creator. I’m usually the one on the pro side but with covers like this and a cool story about a retired pilot who lived another lifetime on the other side of a worm hole really plays in my favor. “Black Science” is the latest sci-fi masterpiece at Image but “Starlight” is creeping up fast on its heels.

The last cover is another one from the digital realm. Some may call this cheating but I think it’s totally fair given the number of digital readers who are 100% digital. Besides, who would deny that the cover to “Batman 66” this week isn’t the coolest cover currently out there?

The panels gave me a bit of grief this week. I loved Ultimate Spiderman though, and I miss Pete in that universe so when I saw Miles imagine how life might have been if he could have trained under Peter, I had to include it to show everyone.

“Turok” was a book I thought would be very dumb. I was handed the book from Miah and, admittedly, begrudgingly read it. I’m glad I did though, because the Native American, British Crusaders and Dinosaur mix has put “Turok” on the top of my fun comic books list.

The last panel I have for you is a shrunken down double page spread from “Pretty Deadly” #5. The book wraps up the current storyline with this issue and most of the questions are answered. The poetry is stunning and the fact that the storyline plays out like the poems is very touching. I reviewed issue 1 when it came out and I still have nothing but positive things to say about the book. I love the art, I love the writing and I love the book. If you want a good look at the beautiful double page spread, go pick up the book and give it a read. You’ll not only be stunned by the gorgeous artwork, you’ll be adding another Image title to your comic hold.

That’s all I have for this week from the comic book world. I’ll have some final words to say about last weekend’s SaltCON convention coming soon. Make sure to get out and play a game with some loved ones tomorrow because it’s International TableTop Game Day. Before then though, if you need some more comic book art and panels go check out last week’s issue of “Five and Three” right here. If you’d like to see me yammer on about art go checkout the deviantArtPodcast or hit me up on Twitter @MarkAvo. I love to shoot the breeze in 140 characters or less. Until next time, goodnight Josh!

This week’s “Five and Three” is being written in the lobby of the Davis Conference Center during the setup of the 2014 SaltCON Convention. Big Shiny Robot will be here all weekend to shoot the breeze and accept challenges to gaming contests. We’re more comfortable around a controller or a joystick but that doesn’t mean we can’t roll the dice with the best of them. This week was another huge week for comic releases. I know this because my wallet is a little more empty than usual. That and it was a tough week to choose my favorites from all the books – but I did my best.

Starting us off on covers this week is a twisted take on Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Vitruvian Man”. With the Starz series kicking off this past week, and the spookiness of what that cross indicates, I couldn’t resist picking the cover to “Crossed” issue 50.

I went with another spooky pick this week when I saw “The Devil Fish Project” on ComiXology. The deep red tone grabbed me and didn’t let me go. I wouldn’t picked a double page spread of Red for the panels but unless you’ve read “Origins II” issue 4, the reference wouldn’t hit like turning that page did.

If you’ve hated “Superior Spiderman”, you’re not alone. You are, however, wrong. Not about “what should happen” or how the “character should be treated”, but about the book being terrible. Dan Slott has written an amazingly entertaining take on Spiderman, even if it has kinda ruined Parker’s life. That being said, the only defense I have for Slott that I’m sure I’ll be hearing about later is:  Having Pete’s mind taken over by Doctor Octopus sounds just like the Parker luck to me. I digress though, because the point of “Five and Three” is the art and the panels, not a diatribe on Spock vs. Spiderman. For anyone counting, this is the issue you NEED to pickup if you’ve been waiting until the book changes back to The Amazing Spiderman. Besides, look at the cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli, it’s terrific!

“Savage Wolverine” issue 16 by Richard Isanove gets the last Marvel pick this week. I love this cover and I don’t have much more to say.

It’s clear that “The Sandman: Overture” is a story told by rock-stars. J.H. Williams III couldn’t knock it out of the park any more unless there was a neighboring park. Neil Gaiman is beloved even if you can’t understand the story. He is because of what he represents to modern comic book history but also because he’s an interesting personality. That’s not what draws the eye in to “The Sandman: Overture” issue 2 though, it’s Williams III art. I really couldn’t just written one word because one or man, neither will do the cover any justice. Wow.

Another wow could be uttered for Panel Syndicate’s “The Private Eye” issue 6. The story for Brian K. Vaughn, Marcos Martin and Munsta Vicente has made it a year. The release time of these issues leaves much to be desired but only because I can’t get enough. That being said, I would wait twice as long for another tale of PI. If you’re looking for more of Martin’s work, visit the issue announcement here on this site.

I didn’t include the double page spread from “Origin II” issue 4 but I really wanted to. Instead, I included a panel that espouses my take on life. I am loving this book so far and I think it’s been a great sequel to the wonderful book that came before it, “Origin”.

The final panel this week comes from the pencils and the colors of an Allred. The team of Mike and Laura Allred make some beautiful art. Together with Dan Slott, the Marvel NOW! “Silver Surfer” is a book to watch out for. Based on the first issue, this book is going to give every other book on the stands a run for your money.

That’s it for this week. Come down to SaltCON and visit me but beware. To challenge me to a game brings almost certain defeat! Well, for one of us (probably me). For more “Five and Three” you’ll have to either come back next week or visit last week here. Don’t forget to gripe about my picks in the comments. If you have compliments, my Twitter handle is @MarkAvo and I’d love to hear from you. See you next week! 

For the local Salt Lake City geek scene the next few weeks will be busy ones. Not only are we getting some amazing movies coming to the big screen but we’re having some hugely impacting events happen in the DC and Marvel universes. Add to that the fact that TV is coming up on sweeps, and print media is pumping out a ton of new and exciting content and geeks should want for nothing. In Utah we have so many conventions coming up it’s hard to keep track.

The Con season starts next weekend with the gaming convention SaltCON. Just 3 short weeks later the follow up to the widely successful and first ever Salt Lake Comic Convention Fan-X begins. How do we all find the time? How do any of us get the most bang for our buck? I can’t tell you what comic books to buy but I can help you know what I think are worth taking a look at each and every week. That’s especially helpful in weeks where publisher literally dump a truck load of books onto the market (like they did this week). So, with that in mind, onto my favorite covers in comics this week!

I’m starting with a book that’s been a great balance between the sci-fi and spy genres. If you’re a fan of either genre and are looking for something new, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than “Zero” by Ales Kot and Vanessa Del Ray. The colorist on the book is Jordie Bellaire and longtime readers of “Five and Three” should know how in love with her colors I am.

The next book I think you should take a look at is a new one from Image. Image is certainly putting out some of my favorite books and my favorite covers this year. “Sovereign” #1 is yet another one of those books and covers.

I don’t need to say anything about the Marvel NOW! renumbering of “Daredevil” but I will. This comic book is terrific but because of the Marvel NOW! re-launch it now costs a buck more. Is that extra buck worth it to everyone that faithfully followed the book over the last two years? I can tell you that if it was anyone other than Mark Waid and Chris Samnee producing this book I wouldn’t touch it at the $3.99 price point. I’m sure Marvel knows that too and that’s why it’s a buck more. Hey, at least we all get a digital copy with it NOW!

I complain about DC covers ad nauseam. They’re usually terrible representations of what the emotion of the book is or what the over-all feeling of the story will be. More often than not, DC covers are an overblown fight scene that could really just be a splash page. “Birds of Prey” issue 29 takes my bias and drops it on its head. This cover is spectacular.

My favorite cover this week comes directly from the digital realm. I’ve tried to stay away from picking digital covers of books that will later be put into print but with this cover I couldn’t resist. This week’s cover to the weekly series “Adventures Of Superman” is so geek-tastic I had to show it to everyone. Who wants a patriotic Superman cover with a Kal-El from just about every era? You all raised your hands just now, didn’t you?

To start off the panels this week I’m going to pick a hilarious scene from “The Superior Foes of Spiderman” issue 10. Yes I picked them last week but since you’re paying attention you’ll also know how funny and entertaining this comic is. If you haven’t even bothered to give it a shot, read the panels below and explain to us all why you hate funny things in the comments below.

Do you like heist stories like “Ocean’s Eleven”? Do you like spooky stories like “Poltergeist”? Why aren’t you reading “Ghosted” from Image Comics. The storytellers, Joshua Williamson (“Voodoo”), Davide Gianfelice (“Northlanders”), and Miroslave Mrva spin up a heist tale with crime and revenge and ancient burial grounds that would make anyone cringe and then smile with delight. The art is just as well done as the story, as you can see from this really cool panel of snakes below.

I’m finishing this week with an incredible indie book. I found the “Morning Noon Night” by Brent Boates on ComiXology (also found on Graphicly. Brent is the writer and artist for this book and his storytelling is second to none. The book is a series of short war stories which are all chilling. The first one in particular, “Morning”, has an absolutely startling ending. The comic is just a buck and it is worth every penny of that dollar. Please go give his book a chance. The stories will make you think and that’s the entire point Boates is going for. With escalating tensions in Ukraine and with continuing civil war in Syria at the top of the headlines, even with great geek moments just on the horizon for all of pop-culture, one can’t forget that not everyone is at peace enough where they can enjoy stories of action and adventure. In this particular scene from “Morning Noon Night”, Boates sets up an incredibly tense scenario for any soldier on patrol. Where are these soldiers’ comrades? Why did they simply abandon their Humvee? Is it a trap by the enemy?

That’s it for this week. If you’re a local to the Wasatch Front I hope to see you next weekend at SaltCON and next month at Fan-X. Until then, you can read more “Five and Three” from past weekend’s here. If you’d like to chat or want to meet up during the conventions, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. If you fancy yourself an art fan like I am, head on over to the deviantART Podcast where you can occasionally find me vamping about art. Until next week!

Starting off this week we’ve got a great cover from “Hawkeye” issue 17 that reminds me of the robots from Saga. Sure the issue is a holiday special from fill in artist Chris Eliopoulos that’s giving Aja more time to catch up on future issues, but that doesn’t mean it’s a comic without a holiday. St. Paddy’s day is next week and the issue is number 17. 

If you want some hard cop drama I suggest you read “Red Team” by Garth Ennis and Craig Cermak. The story wrapped with this issue that readers had to wait a few months for. The story ends on a great note and I’m pretty sure it’ll be a movie at some point in the future.

“Monster & Madman” is another book I got for my horror fan wife. The pedigree of this book is excellent. Steve Niles is the writer (“30 Days of Night”), and the story is about Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein’s monster!

I’m not reading “FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics” but other bots are and they say it’s great. I say the cover is terrific. Agree or disagree, let me know in the comments below.

“Captain Marvel” renumbers for a perfect jumping on point. The cover is great but the content is even better. It’s a great comic for anyone but if you’ve wanted a comic book that’s perfect for that young daughter or niece in your life, this is it.

Could “Superior Foes of Spiderman” please keep going forever?

“All-New X-Men” #24 has just the right amount of humor from the Guardians of the Galaxy and a perfect pinch of the Star Jammers. I can’t read everything so choosing books gets difficult. Bendis keeps me hooked with his “All-New X-Men” because of so many reasons and humor is just another reason I can’t drop this book.

The big finisher for the week is from Batman #29 because Greg Capullo is a Go-Censored-mn Rock Star. The homage to Frank Miller is so obvious but that only elevates this particular panel that’s a full page. I usually stay away from full pages but how could I resist? Ain’t it beautiful?

That’s it for this week. Sometimes you gotta keep it short because the Sandman is calling. No, really, I have some catching up to do on some “Sandman” titles. Didn’t like my picks? Loved my picks? Let me know on Twitter @MarkAvo. If you’d like to admire some more art you can visit the deviantART podcast I occasionally guest in. If you need more “Five and Three” action, check out last week’s article here. After that, come back next week. I’ll be here on the same bot channel, approximately the same bot time. Oh, and Happy Pi Day! 

The world of Comics had some great covers and some great moments this week. I couldn’t decide what covers to choose until the last minute. In fact, it was so last minute that this week I’ve decided to lead off with my favorite panels. To kick us off though, here is an amazingly cool trailer put together by Archie Comics for “Afterife with Archie” issue 4.

You’re going to see some repeats this week. I know I said there were many great moments to choose from, but I liked ‘Secret’ issue 6 and the indie title ‘Hyper Marlow Buds’ so much that they’re in here twice.

Secret has consistently been my favorite Hickman book. It’s seen its share of some long delays, but that just means the artist on the book, Bodenheim, is healthy and on the top of his game. This sexy action sequence leads to an incredibly violent book. The climax of this story is happening now. If you’re into spy stories and want a twist, ‘Secret’ is the book you need to be reading.

Speaking of books you need to be reading, I loved the cover to the indie book “Hyper Marlow Buds” and the price was just right. For a buck on ComiXology, this title gave me some great laughs and some amazing moments to share with you. Go pick it up; it’s a great time for a steal.

This last set of panels reminds me of the most recent episode of the CW’s “Arrow”. I like how the book and the TV show have some common elements but manage to stay fresh and separate. The Outsider war storyline has been superb. The cliff hanger at the end of “Green Arrow” issue 29 is the setup for an amazing conclusion.

To start off the covers this week I’ll just throw out the really cool cover to “Hyper Marlow Buds” by Alexander Enlund. I like the coloring and the composition. It snagged my eyes and with that attention, got me all in.

Mark Millar has a new book with Goran Parlov. He’s been on the record as saying the work by Parlov for his book “Starlight” is some of the best he’s ever seen. I have to agree. Starlight was incredible. It was a mix of old school serialized sci-fi like “Flash Gordan” and “The Warlords of Mars”.

“Hinterkind” issue 6 is a cover I was told to take a look at over the Twitters. Thanks to the readers who send me suggestions, this one was a great one.

Here’s Hickman and Bodenheim’s “Secret” #6 again. This cover is one of my favorites in the series. The only thing I could do with less of in a Hickman story would be the blank title/chapter pages. I know they’re cool story elements but at this point, Hickman’s over using them. I’m very glad that Marvel’s reined him in to only having one of the, admittedly cool looking designed title/chapter pages per book in “Avengers” and “New Avengers”. Maybe Hickman will choose to start doing only two of these pages in the future or try something altogether different?

Skottie Young wins my favorite thing in comics this week. The Moon Knight book is really great. It’s another “last minute” title that Androidika/@MrMiah turned me on to. This variant however, is something I saw on Marvel’s website and knew it had to make the list this week.

That’s it for another week of comics. Check out more great moments from the past here, and if you’re into looking at terrific art, check out the deviantART podcast I guest star in from time to time. If you’re all caught up on “5 and 3” moments I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next week for more. Until then, I’ll be here. I might even have bells on. To see THAT happen, follow me on Twitter @MarkAvo.

Welcome to “Five and Three”, your home for a visual review of the best things comics has to offer this week. Long time readers will know that big weeks like this week mean the field is full of favorite moments. I may not have picked yours. If I didn’t, don’t forget to sound off in the comments section on the bottom of the page. Without further ado, here are my favorite moments from this week in comics.

Let’s start off with a cover to a book I want everyone to go out and pick up. Zenescope and Comixology have made it easy for everyone to read “Vikings” issue 1. How did they make it easy to pick up you ask? Simple, the issue is free! If you have a web browser you have the ability to read this digital short on the Comixology website. I’m sure it’s available in other areas, and will probably be in print in the near future, but why not give it a go now? Look at how bad arse those Vikings are!

Next up is a fun one by Andy Hirsch. The cover to issue 10 of “Regular Show” from Kaboom! is light-hearted, a great cover gag, and some excellent cartooning.

The next two covers playoff off of a similar concept.  Each one focuses attention on the center face/skull and has faces/skulls on either side of the center for artistic impact. The first one I’d like you to take a look at is “Dead Boy Detective” issue 3 from Vertigo. The cover artist is none other than the enigmatic Mark Buckingham. The cover is obviously going to be of a high caliber when Buckingham is the artist, but to get a surreal and spine tingling start to a story set in the world of Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” is a real treat.

Eduardo Risso brings us a more colorful cover with a similar theme to “Dead Boy Detective” issue 3. The theme may be similar but the Candy skull decoration of Lono’s face isn’t spine tingling, it is hair raising. The difference between the two may be subtle but it’s basically that detectives help people and Lono rarely helps anyone but himself. When Lono does aide others, like he has throughout “100 Bullets: Brother Lono”, people get hurt and people get dead.

My final choice for the covers section this week is “Nemo: The Roses of Berlin” by comic book legend Alan Moore. The art for this story, set in the world of “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, is by Kevin O’Neil. The magnificent pencils and colors stand out like a war poster from World War II but with a touch of the pop-art style found in the burlesque advertisements of the 30’s that would later morph into the style used for pin-ups during the war. O’Neil’s colors are a picture perfect balance of cool and contrasting warm colors. They help to make the story elements in the cover sell the story inside. We’re told not to judge a book by its cover but sometimes you jump in when a cover is as well done as the one for “Nemo” is.

Onto the panels! So many comic books, so many panels and so many balloons! How’s about I just choose some that made me giggle and end with Batman?

First up is this little joke found in the pages of “Rat Queens” issue 5. You will not find a page in “Rat Queens” where something isn’t funny. If you’re a fan of “Superior Foes of Spiderman”, “Quantum and Woody“, or  on of the Deadpool books by either Bunn or Duggan and Posehn, I suggest you give this one a go. Kurtis J Weibe and John “Roc” Upchurch make a deadly combination if you’re allergic to laughter.

Do I just choose Hawkeye because I’m a fanboy, bro? How dare you ask that of me bro?! Bro, Hawkeye is amazing. Fraction is amazing. Aja is amazing. Hollingsworth is amazing. OK, maybe I’m a fanbro, but what are you going to do about it bro? If you ask the magic word of me on Twitter Bro, I’ll skip picking a Hawkeye book just for you…. If you don’t Tweet me bro, expect more Hawkeye picks in the future.

I’ve picked “Batman Superman” this week because I like Jae Lee’s art and I loved how Bruce is uncomfortable being a normal human. Being normal is outside his comfort zone. Instinctiviley trusting someone he’s just met is not something Batman does, but he lets himself go with it because she’s family. Also, I picked this because you’ve got to see how beautiful Helena and Kara are in this book. Lee’s busy style is very sensual when it needs to be. In this book, The World’s Finest are the essence of that sensuality.

That’s it for this week bro! If you’ve got some comments that you feel are better understood in under 140 characters, find me on Twitter @MarkAvo. If you want more 5 and 3 picks from previous weeks you can start with last week here. If you’ve already seen those a few times now don’t worry, I’ll be back next week with more bro moments in comic books – same bro time, same bro channel.*

*Big Shiny Robot is a website and not a channel. If you’re unable to tune in it’s because I’ve overused Fraction’s bro joke in this article and your TV isn’t web enabled. – Also, ARTICLE 100 BRO!