PICKS OF THE WEEK

X-MEN GIANT-SIZE #1
Think you know everything there is to know about the original X-Men? Think again! Something happened to Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman and Professor X years ago, a secret so horrible that it has been locked away in the dark corner of Cyclops' mind until today. What crisis strikes in the present that calls upon memories of the past? Witness the astonishing debut of the Evolutionaries! Taking the lead for a few issues is famed X-Men writer CHRIS YOST (X-FORCE) and with all this danger, he's lucky to have  regular X-MEN artist PACO MEDINA and DALIBOR TALAJIC (PUNISHER) along for the ride.

 LAST MORTAL #1 (OF 4)
Alec King is a born loser.  A small time criminal who has never succeeded at anything in life and whose fear of failure has crippled him. When his only friend, Brian, the brains and charm of their two-man operation, convinces Alec to help him with a hit contract on a mayoral candidate his life 

 ROCKETEER ADVENTURES #1 (OF 4)
Dave Stevens unveiled the Rocketeer nearly 30 years ago to instant acclaim, and in all the years since that auspicious debut, respect for Dave's talent and his greatest creation have only continued to grow.
Last year, IDW had the honor of releasing the complete Rocketeer saga in several editions, showcasing the work of this great artist as it was always meant to be seen-completely remastered, with nearly every page scanned directly from the originals and recolored by Dave's hand-picked colorist.
Today we are able to celebrate Dave's talent once again, with an all-new Rocketeer anthology miniseries written and drawn by some of the finest creators in comics, and with the full cooperation of the Stevens family.
The first star-studded issue of The Rocketeer features a gorgeous cover by Alex Ross, and terrific stories by John Cassaday, Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, and Michael Kaluta, plus outstanding pin-ups by Mike Mignola and Jim Silke-all paying tribute to the continued legacy of Rocketeer and Dave Stevens!

 FLASH OMNIBUS BY GEOFF JOHNS HC VOL 01
The first in a series of hardcover volumes that collect all of the best-selling issues of THE FLASH written by comics superstar Geoff Johns, beginning with issues #164-176, plus THE FLASH: OUR WORLDS AT WAR #1, THE FLASH: IRON HEIGHTS and THE FLASH SECRET FILES #3!

In this volume, Wally West finds himself without his super speed in a darker, mirror version of Keystone City. Can a powerless Flash defeat Captain Cold and Mirror Master to save the city he loves? Plus, The Flash is shocked to learn that a strange cult is killing all the people he has ever rescued. Featuring art by fan-favorites Ethan Van Sciver, Scott Kolins and more!

SIGNING ALERT

KEN EPPSTEIN THE WRITER AND EDITOR OF NIX COMICS WILL BE SIGNING AT THE COLUMBUS LOCATION THIS WEDNESDAY FROM 6-8

Picks of the Week

FEAR ITSELF YOUTH IN REVOLT #1 (OF 6) FEAR

With a growing sense of uncertainty and despair gripping the nation--and the world--the remnants of the Initiative program are sworn in as federal agents charged with keeping the peace. Their ensuing actions, however, threaten to plunge America's young heroes into civil war! Featuring AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE stars THOR GIRL, ULTRAGIRL, CLOUD 9, KOMDO and HARDBALL--plus FIRESTAR, GRAVITY and some very cool surprises--YOUTH IN REVOLT brings the horror of FEAR ITSELF to the doorstep of a generation!

 FLASHPOINT #1
Not a dream, not an imaginary story, not an elseworld. This is Flash Fact: When Barry Allen wakes at his desk, he discovers the world has changed. Family is alive, loved ones are strangers, and close friends are different, gone or worse. It's a world on the brink of a cataclysmic war - but where are Earth's Greatest Heroes to stop it? It's a place where America's last hope is Cyborg, who hopes to gather the forces of The Outsider, The Secret 7, S!H!A!Z!A!M!, Citizen Cold and other new and familiar-yet-altered faces! It's a world that could be running out of time, if The Flash can't find the villain who altered the time line!
Welcome to FLASHPOINT!

 NETHERWORLD #1 Of(5) (MR)
Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Heroes and Villains Entertainment present the next evolution of supernatural noir!
It's the message on the walls.  It's the feeling in your gut.  In this city, "We are all lost." Ray certainly is; a former cop turned private eye and junkie, haunted by his past in a city with no sun and no hope.  A beautiful woman and a slick criminal both offer him the same job: Find a girl named Madeline and bring her to them.  Ray doesn't want the job, but he can't just leave this girl in the middle. Thrust into the city's twisted underbelly, Ray will unveil Netherworld's darkest secrets and come face-to-face with his past.  Beware, Ray.  If you seek the truth, you just might find it.
From masters of supernatural terror Bryan Edward Hill and Rob Levin (Pilot Season: 7 Days From Hell, Broken Trinity: Pandora's Box) and the art team of Tony Shasteen and colorist JD Mettler (Witchblade: Annual, Stephen King's Talisman) comes a haunting supernatural noir epic like nothing you've ever seen before

 BATMAN AND ROBIN DELUXE HC VOL 03 BATMAN MUST DIE 

Grant Morrison's best-selling run on BATMAN & ROBIN continues with this volume collecting issues #13-16 and BATMAN: THE RETURN #1. On the eve of Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City, the new Batman and Robin team that battled crime during his absence must deal with the deadly return of The Joker.

Then, Grant Morrison connects BATMAN & ROBIN with the best-selling THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE for the climactic showdown between Batman and The Black Glove.
And in an epic tale illustrated by acclaimed artist David Finch, learn what happens to Dick Grayson after the "real" Batman returns.

Know Your Villains

A hero is nothing without a villain to define themselves against.  Simply saying "he's crazy, so he wants to do bad things" is simply not enough anymore.  Yes, there are a number of psychotic characters in comics books, but readers have become increasingly curious about their unique viewpoints. The industry has been wonderful in exploring this slippery slope of criminal genius and these are a few of the gyms Marvel and DC have produced.

Books of Doom -
From the black steppes of Eastern Europe, to the college campuses of New York City, and finally to the throne of Latveria - this is the life of Von Doom! From his earliest disasters to his scientific triumphs to the tragedy of the fractured man he would become, this is the story you know, and the one you don't. The story of the missing years and the journey that shaped the man who would be king. An epic Russian tragedy in comic form, this is unlike any Doom story you've ever seen.

Batman: The Killing Joke -
The is the definitive Joker story.  Not only does it give you insight into Joker's origin, but it also defines his relationship with Batman.  If by some strange accident, you have not read this story, you should change that now.  There are other good Joker stories out there, but nothing as stark or poignant as this.  Pick it up now!

Loki -
There are two sides to every story. You've heard Thor's - now it's time to hear Loki's. Odin's least favorite son rewrites Asgardian lore from his perspective in this groundbreaking collection. In this story, Loki's insatiable lust for power, his conflicted sentiments toward Sif, his antipathy toward Balder and his deep-seated feelings of longing and resentment toward his older brother, Thor, and uncaring father, Odin, will take on new meaning.
 

Luthor -
Superman has been called many things since going public, from the defender of Truth, Justice and the American Way to the World's Greatest Boy Scout.  He's made himself appear so human that he has almost everyone forgetting he's not one of us. Almost.

Only Lex Luthor stands against Superman to make him account for what he truly is: a dangerous threat to all humanity.  The end to Luthor's lifelong mission to bring Superman to his knees has never been closer...

Osborn -
The world's most dangerous felon is in the world's top supermax-security prison--an institution so secret that even the vice president doesn't know it exists. But can any cell contain Norman Osborn? After the events of SIEGE, the former Green Goblin, Iron Patriot and power-mad director of worldwide security isn't allowed to have a toothbrush...and he's surrounded by the deadliest criminals in the world. Lucky for Osborn, they're fans.

FCBD

Don't forget Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow.

Picks of the Week

 GLADSTONES SCHOOL FOR WORLD CONQUERORS #1
Welcome to Gladstone's School for World Conquerors, a top-secret academy for the children of the world's greatest super villains to learn the trade. Join us as Kid Nefarious, Mummy Girl, Martian Jones, Ghost Girl, and the infamous Skull brothers unearth the School's and their parents' hidden past. 

 FEAR ITSELF SPIDER-MAN #1 Of(3)
SPIDER-MAN IS ROCKED BY THE EVENT OF THE YEAR!
Manhattan is gripped in violent panic. Peter Parker has not slept in days. Abandoning his friends and family, Spider-Man cannot...WILL not... stop if there are people to be saved. But as the opening salvos of Fear Itself take their violent toll, will Spidey have what it takes to fight his own doubts? Find out here!

 STUFF OF LEGEND TP VOL 02 THE JUNGLE
Unsuccessful in their quest thus far, the band of heroic toys travel farther behind enemy lines in search of their human master. There they uncover the true history of the mysterious closet realm known as the Dark in the bombed out husk of a ruined Zoo. Battle weary and vastly outnumbered by the armies of the cunning Boogeyman, Maxwell the teddy bear and Percy the piggy bank lead their troops into the savage wilds of the Jungle in search of sanctuary. Loyalties will be tested and horrible secrets exposed.

 MOON KNIGHT #1 

The wait is over! Moon Knight is here...like you ' ve never seen him before! And we mean NEVER! The Eisner award-winning team of Bendis and Maleev tear into the mythos of Moon Knight with the same verve and derring-do they brought to Daredevil.  A  MARVELOUS reinterpretation of one of the most enigmatic characters in Marvel history starts right here!

 X-MEN PRELUDE TO SCHISM #1 Of(4)
Before Messiah Complex came Endangered Species. This is the prelude to the X-Men Event of 2011. What does it mean to be a leader? What does it do to a person? What do the choices you make mean about the person you are? This mini-series delves into these issues and will give an X-Men reader what they need to know about their favorite mutants before everything changes in July.

SPRING SALE!!!

Greetings!

It's springtime and that means it's time to clean!  Clean out back issues that is. 

In Fairfax and Columbus from now, April 30th, until the end of May ALL Back Issues will be on sale for 50% off the sticker price!  Also Included in this sale are Hardcover Marvel Masterworks and DC Archive editions.

We need make some room in the bins, and our loss is your gain!  Missing some books in your collection?  Want to try out a new title?  Can't beat 50% OFF.

 FCBD is MAY 7th

Don't forget that FCBD is next weekend as well, so stock up on the 50% off stuff THIS weekend and come grab stuff for Free next weekend!!  Lots of interesting and exciting offerings for this year's FCBD. Hope to see you in the store this month; it’s shaping up to be a great one!