So, Archie is up to his usual antics again. He literally horns in on a band, waxes poetic about French pastries, and invites himself to lounge in Mr. Lodge’s den. Pretty standard Archie fair, but the story I am looking forward to isn’t in the preview pages, sadly. I really want to know how a pair of pants are going to cause Archie to lose Jughead’s friendship. I guess I’ll have to head to my comic shop next Wednesday and pick the book up to find out. You should too! Enjoy the preview!

ARCHIE #620
“A Lot of Brass,” “Yours, Mine and Ours,” “Elite Treat” and “How Low Can You Go?”
Archie’s good at tooting his own horn and in “A Lot of Brass,” it bothers everyone in school when it becomes an actual horn. Then in “Yours, Mine and Ours,” Mr. Lodge creates a fool-proof way to schedule himself and with one push of a button, Archie undoes it all. In “Elite Treat,” can Jughead tell the difference between French pastry and a boxed snack? Finally, in “How Low Can You Go,” Archie’s new pants cause him to lose everything, including Jughead’s friendship.
SCRIPT: CRAIG BOLDMAN, ANGELO DECESARE
ARTIST: TIM KENNEDY, PAT KENNEDY
COVER: FERNANDO RUIZ
Shipping Date: 4/13/2011
On Sale at Comic Shops: 4/20/2011
Newsstands: Week of 5/3/2011
Comic, 32 pgs, 40 lb. glossy stock, Full-Color
$2.99 US

The Hollywood Reporter pointed me out to this new Thor featurette that has me salivating like I can’t believe. In fact, this is my 1138th post and I was going to write a review of the Blu-ray of THX-1138 (because it’s an underrated masterpiece) but I watched this featurette and I’m DYING to see this movie. I can’t believe that there are people out there NOT excited for this movie.

Think about this: Kenneth Branagh is directing this movie and he’s a genius. End of story.

Now I have this subconscious urge to get a Dr. Pepper at 7-Eleven.

I’ll be honest with you, I used to read the Sonic comic, but it got very convoluted. I am excited for the upcoming reboot, but until then, we have the upcoming Sonic Universe #27! While I may not be aware of the book’s continuity or anything like that, I am a sucker for alternate universes! Take a look for yourself, and if you like what you see, pick it up at you local shop next Wednesday!

SONIC UNIVERSE #27
“Fractured Mirror” Part Three: Silver joins an all-new, all-different band of Freedom Fighters in all-out war against Enerjak and his sinister Prelate minions! It’s a no-holds-barred battle in this dark version of reality, and everyone may not make it to the end!
SCRIPT: Ian Flynn
ARTIST: Tracy Yardley!, Jim Amash, Phil Felix, Ray Dillon
COVER: Tracy Yardley! & Ben Hunzeker
Shipping Date: 4/6/2011
On Sale at Comic Shops: 4/13/2011
Comic, 32 pages, 40 lb. glossy stock, Full-Color
$2.99 US

While today’s clip doesn’t have a shot of Hawkeye, It is much easier to follow the action. In this clip, the newly Midgard-bound Thor wakes up in a hospital after being tased. Not knowing what to do, he kind of freaks, and considering his situation, that’s understandable. The way he gets taken down does make one think about the overall plot of the movie. If my guess is correct, Odin not only banishes Thor to Earth, but makes him mortal. While that probably takes the whole “Don Blake” thing out of the equation, it still makes for an interesting concept. Thor is much more likely to learn humility if he isn’t all powerful, after all. Anyway, I’ve hemmed and hawed enough, let’s watch the clip!

I have no idea why there’s a random shot of what seems to be Hawkeye in the middle of this clip (since it has no payoff and seems to be outside of the whole situation) but who else would it be?

Thor is obviously breaking out of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility and if they’re taking an Ultimates take on Hawkeye and he’s one of Fury’s men right off the bat it makes perfect sense.

What do you guys think? Does this look incredible or what? And do you think that’s Hawkeye? Or not?

Special thanks to Mockingnerd and Mandybu for bringing this to my attention.

Marvel provided us with this preview of Fear Itself #2.

I haven’t read the first one yet, but I picked it up because everyone has quite begrudgingly told me I had to. In fact, I’ve been told by numerous people spanning the United States “I kind of didn’t want to like it, but it was good.”

I’ll have to see for myself.

From Marvel’s press release:

Marvel is proud to present your first look at Fear Itself #2 (of 7), from comics megastars Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen. The comic blockbuster of 2011 is here and fans and critics everywhere are asking “Who are The Worthy?” Seven hammers of unfathomable power have fallen to the far corners of the Earth and the race is on to see who will be the Serpent’s champions. With the Asgardians leaving the Marvel Universe to fend for itself, can the Avengers repel a foe that gets stronger the more he’s feared? The Marvel Universe’s worst nightmare comes true this May as the event iFanboy.com calls “a huge, epic story that is exactly the kind that comic books are made for” continues, only in Fear Itself #2 (of 7)!

Well, the Adventures in the Wonder Realm saga is over, but that doesn’t mean Dilton’s inventions are done causing trouble for Archie and his friends! A freak lightning storm causes one of Dilly’s experiments to take on a life of its own, literally! The Riverdale gang will never look at a Transformer the same way again! Dilton also gets a rare starring role as he falls for the new transfer student. It’s a classic tale of staying true to yourself, despite pressure not to. Enjoy these and over 100 pages of other stories in World of Archie Double Digest #6, coming to comic shops next week!

WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #6
“The Junkman Cometh,” “Don’t Mind Me” and “Whack Attack”
In “The Junkman Cometh,” lightning strikes Dilton’s failed invention of a robotic brain. Suddenly it begins to transform with other inventions into a giant robot! Then, in “Don’t Mind Me” Dilton falls for the new student. As he plans on how to introduce himself, he plays out how Archie, Reggie and Moose would do it, when all he needs to do is be himself. Finally, in “Whack Attack,” the gang takes on the challenge of paddle ball, but the best player may surprise you!
SCRIPT: BILL GOLLIHER, MIKE PELLOWSKI
ARTIST: STAN GOLDBERG, BOB BOLLING, MARK McKENNA, TIM KENNEDY, JIM AMASH
COVER: FERNANDO RUIZ, BOB SMITH
Shipping Date: 4/6/2011
On Sale at Comic Shops: 4/13/2011
Newsstands: Week of 4/26/2011
Digest, 160 pgs, 30 lb newsprint, Full-Color
$3.99 US

Moon Knight has been a favorite character of mine since I was a kid and I’ve been sad that his most recent iterations have been pretty boring to me. At his best, Moon Knight is a schizophrenic mix between Batman and Daredevil with all the powers of a Moon God and at his worse he’s a white hooded sidekick with no personality.

It’s interesting to see a team like Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev take on the character. I’ll certainly be putting it in my hold to see what all the hubbub is about.

From Marvel’s release:

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Moon Knight #1, from the Eisner Award-winning creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev! Moon Knight heads to Los Angeles as a one-man Avengers team to dissolve a criminal syndicate tearing the City of Angels apart. Except there will be no warm welcome, because once word gets out about Marc Spector’s arrival, the mastermind behind LA’s crime circuit will stop at nothing to make an example of any Avengers who cross him. Plagued by incurable schizophrenia, can Moon Knight hold it together to clear out a city riddled with villains? This May, two of comics’ biggest talents reunite to redraw, and redefine one of Marvel’s Big Shots, only in Moon Knight #1!

I’ll admit that I haven’t actually read Little Archie since my own kid-hood, but after looking at this preview for Archie & Friends #154, it certainly looks like the sort of story I can share with young ones in the family and enjoy it with them. You can’t go wrong with kids and their pets. I’m not suprised at all to see Reggie has a pet lizard. Throw this, an amusement park, and throw in Sabrina, the pre-teen witch, and you have a recipe for a fun story. Check it out when it hits the shop later this month!

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #154
“Buck-bucking the System” Part One
Starring Little Archie and the Power Pets, plus Little Sabrina and Salem! As Archie and the gang enter their pets in the Power Pet Pageant, how will they fare against some stiff competition, including Sabrina’s cat Salem? And if you ever wondered what animals thought, thanks to some of Salem’s magic tricks, you will!
SCRIPT: ANGELO DECESARE
ARTIST: FERNANDO RUIZ
COVER: FERNANDO RUIZ
Shipping Date: 4/6/2011
On Sale at Comic Shops: 4/27/2011
Newsstands: Week of 4/26/2011
Comic, 32 pages, 40 lb. glossy stock, Full-Color
$2.99 US

I love Jughead, but I have to call foul on this preview. Jughead debates that if he eats  now he won’t have room for food at Veronica’s party? Come on, he’s Jughead! Of course he’ll have room, he has the metabolism of a cheetah! Anyway, the whole concept of 3D commercials could be super-effective. I already get hungry seeing a good burger in 2D! Anyway, I’m rambling, you can see Jughead up to his usual (and sometimes unusual) antics in Jughead Double Digest #169. Pick it up next week!

JUGHEAD DOUBLE DIGEST #169
“The Ultimate Temptation” and “Pay-Back Fire”
In “The Ultimate Temptation,” Jughead must decide to save his appetite for an all you can eat spread at Veronica’s party or go to work for an agency offering him a job as a food sampler! One choice will make him a hero! Then, in “Pay-Back Fire”, Reggie tries to get the best of Jughead with his over the top practical jokes, but in the end who is it that gets the last laugh?
SCRIPT: George Gladir and Mike Pellowski
ARTIST: Jeff Schultz, Al Milgrom, Tim Kennedy, Jon D’Agostino
COVER: Fernando Ruiz, Jon D’Agostino and Tito Pena
Shipping Date: 3/30/2011
On Sale at Comic Shops: 4/6/2011
Newsstands: 4/19/2011
Digest, 160 pgs, 30 lb newsprint, Full-Color
$3.99 US