Comic Shop Corner: Deadpool & Cable: Split Second #1

This weeks hot book: Deadpool & Cable: Split Second #1

Synopsis: Call them a duo with a special kind of dynamics...call them the odd couple but with guns...call them 90s comics distilled down into two characters -- DEADPOOL AND CABLE ARE BACK, BABY! That's right -- The Merc with the Mouth and the Soldier with the Scowl are together again in this all-new series! When Cable gets a vision of a terrible future set off by the death of one man, he knows he must protect him no matter what! I'll get you three guesses who's been hired to kill that guy. Go on, guess. The fan favorite team of Fabian Nicieza & Reilly Brown have reunited to get the gang back together -- and it feels so good!

Why check it out? It's well known that Rob Liefield created Deadpool, but the scripter on that issue of New Mutants #98? None other than Nicieza. Upon completing the New Mutants run with issue #100 the two went on to do X-Force until issue #12 when Liefield leaves and Nicieza becomes the full time writer. Years later, he and Reilly Brown paired the two characters together for 50 issues after their previous solo issues ended and it ended up being gold. So why pick this up? Why wouldn't you!? These two creators revitalized these characters by pairing them up and now they're doing it again when Deadpool is at his peak of popularity.

Special: Best Christmas Movies

Hey everyone. The holidays are officially over and I hope everyone had a good one! For this post-Christmas pre-New Year Special post I'm going to rank all the Christmas movies I watched this year based on the movie's quality and it's yuletide cheer. First up, a couple rules:

1. The movie must be a theatrical release, so no Netflix specials, straight to DVD fare or TV movies/specials. I also didn't include this years releases (Krampus and The Night Before) since they deserve more than 1 viewing before being properly judged.

2. The judgment for Christmas spirit is in the table below.

5=Christmas themes throughout plus Santa or Jesus
4=Christmas themes throughout
3=Mostly Christmas themed
2=Half Christmas themed
1=Barely Christmas themed

And now the list:

24. Edward Scissorhands
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 1     Total rating: 5

23. Batman Returns
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 2     Total rating: 6

22. The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 1     Total rating: 6

21. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Movie rating: 2     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 7

20. Eloise At Christmastime
Movie rating: 3     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 7

19. Disney's A Christmas Carol
Movie rating: 3     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 7

18. The Polar Express
Movie rating: 3     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 8

17. The Santa Clause 2
Movie rating: 3     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 8

16. Scrooged
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 8

15. Home Alone 2
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 8

14. Mickey's Christmas Carol
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 8

13. Home Alone
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 8

12. Die Hard 2
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 8

11. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 3     Total rating: 8

10. A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 9

9. The Santa Clause
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 9

8. A Christmas Story
Movie rating: 4     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 9

7. Eight Crazy Nights
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 9

6. The Muppets Christmas Carol
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 9

5. Just Friends
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 9

4. Gremlins
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 9

3. Die Hard
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 4     Total rating: 9

2. Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 10

1. Elf
Movie rating: 5     Christmas rating: 5     Total rating: 10

Top 10 Countdown: December 26, 2015

10. Set It Off - The Haunting
Last week: NEW!


9. Marianas Trench - One Love
Last week: 10.


8. Hedley - Hello
Last week: 8.

7. Good Charlotte - Makeshift Love
Last week: 9.


6. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 4.


5. One Direction - Perfect
Last week: 6.


4. As It Is - Speak Soft
Last week: 5.


3. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 1.


2. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 3.


1. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 2.

Special: The Night Before/Krampus/A Very Murray Christmas Mini-Reviews

'Tis the holiday season so why not tackle some mini-reviews on some of the holiday flicks that hit your local multiplex and streaming service this year.

The Night Before:

Ethan, Isaac, and Chris have been friends since childhood, and for a decade, their yearly Christmas Eve reunion has been an annual night of debauchery and hilarity. Now that they're entering adulthood, the tradition is coming to an end, and to make it as memorable as possible, they set out to find the Nutcracka Ball - the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.

My thoughts? Not too often you have a Christmas movie that hits on so many different emotions like The Night Before does, all 3 of our main characters are flawed and overcoming those flaws with the help of their friends and a drug dealing Michael Shannon, surprisingly being the emotional centerpiece to this film. More importantly this movie is also really funny which is almost as rare as an emotionally satisfying Christmas film.

Final verdict: 4 out of 5 drug dealing Zod's.

Krampus:

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

My thoughts? Not nearly as scary or horrifying as the trailer's make it seem but Krampus is still good campy fun. You can tell that it's a traditional comedic cast and that overshadows what little gore there actually is. Mostly the scares come from the toys and elves that look more menacing than you usually see them in Rankin-Bass specials. But overall this movie is more akin to Gremlins than to Black X-Mas.

Final verdict:4 out of 5 homicidal gingerbread men.

A Very Murray Christmas:

Bill Murray worries no one will show up to his T.V. show due to a terrible snow-storm in New York City.

My thoughts? People have been crapping all over this Netflix Original Holiday Special. It currently holds a 36% user rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite a solid 77% critic rating, to go along with a 5.8 user rating at IMDB and an ever lower 5.1 user rating at Metacritic. I will say not a lot happens in this special, A snow storm knocks out the power cancelling Bill's Christmas Special so he's stuck in the hotel singing songs with the staff and other occupants before passing out and going into a dream sequence where George Clooney and Miley Cyrus show up to sing along with Bill. This can essentially be explained as a series of famous people (Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph and Jason Schwartzmen among them) singing famous Christmas songs along with Bill Murray for an hour. Not my cup of tea but obviously some people will and have enjoyed this, just don't expect a plot.

Final verdict: 2 out of 5 golden rings.

Top 10 Countdown: December 19, 2015

10. Marianas Trench - One Love
Last week: NEW!


9. Good Charlotte - Makeshift Love
Last week: NEW!


8. Hedley - Hello
Last week: 9.

7. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 5.


6. One Direction - Perfect
Last week: 7.


5. As It Is - Speak Soft
Last week: 6.


4. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 1.


3. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 4.


2. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 3.


1. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 2.

Comic Shop Corner: Justice League #46

Before we delve into this week's selection some exciting news... All the Free Comic Book Day books for this year's event (May 2016) have been announced! So head on over to http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/981 to check out what all the Indie publishers, IDW, Image, Dark Horse, Marvel and DC are releasing for you this year.

Speaking of DC, I do read mostly DC however it wasn't my intention to have 4 posts in a row about DC Comic properties but alas that's how it ended up thanks to this week being extremely light... Anyways let's check out this week's feature:

This weeks hot book: Justice League #46

Synopsis: "Darkseid War" rages on! Wonder Woman and Mister Miracle must rally to find the missing Anti-Monitor, while the rest of the League deals with the consequences of their new, godlike abilities.

Why check it out? Well apart from this being the most exciting arcs the Justice League have undergone since the New 52 launch in September 2011, this arc also marks the return of Darkseid who hasn't been seen since the first Origin arc which didn't really dig deep into his character, rather they focused on the leaguers coming together but with this arc he gets his due, as do his children. So why this issue? Francis Manapul, the man that drew The Flash so beautifully at the outset of the aforementioned launch, is drawing it! This will likely be the most gorgeous book of the entire arc which will make it more than worth your while.

Special: Christmas CD

Howdy folks! With every holiday season that comes you get treated to a new volume of the hit Christmas compilation, which I make every year, "What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree?". We're at volume 8 this year and the information for download and tracklist is below, but before we get into that, here is the link to last year's post which has last year's CD (volume 7) and a direct link to the previous years article which has volumes one through six. (LINK IS HERE) And now here's the obligatory "I own none of the music listed here or in previous articles" quote.

What's A Partridge? What's A Pear Tree? Volume 8

http://www.mediafire.com/download/qj8hn5hcu3ucla9/What%27s_A_Partridge_What%27s_A_Pear_Tree_Volume_7.zip

1. Relient K - Angels We Have Heard On High
2. Seasons Change - Holidays
3. Count Your Blessings - Round Up The Christmas Tree
4. Jason Lancaster - All I Can Give You
5. Issues - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
6. It's Only A Story - I'm Coming Home
7. Amely - Christmas Time Again
8. William Beckett - Do You Hear What I Hear?
9. State Faults - Mookie's Last Christmas
10. Automatic Habit - Merry Christmas, Don't Come Home
11. Divide & Conquer - I Sat On Santa's Lap And All I Got Was This Restraining Order
12. Metro Station - Last Christmas
13. This Wild Life - Sleigh Ride
14. MxPx - 2005
15. Sunrise Skater Kids - 12 Days Of A Pop Punk Christmas
16. Sherri Dupree & Max Bemis - White Christmas
17. Hawk Nelson - Up On The Housetop
18. illScarlett - Christmas Vacation
19. Daisyhead - Silent Night
20. A Rocket To The Moon - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Top 10 Countdown: December 12, 2015

10. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 4.

9. Hedley - Hello
Last week: 10.

8. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Hey Everybody
Last week: 8.

7. One Direction - Perfect
Last week: 9.


6. As It Is - Speak Soft
Last week: NEW!


5. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 5.


4. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 6.


3. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 3.


2. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 2.


1. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 1.

Comic Shop Corner: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

This week's hot book: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Synopsis: DC Comics and IDW team up for the crossover you never saw coming as two of the greatest entertainment icons meet for the first time! In Gotham City, a series of deadly raids leads Batman to believe he’s up against a group of highly trained ninjas known as the Foot Clan! Somehow, they’ve crossed over to another dimension and are determined to take advantage of the situation while looking to get back home. But they haven’t come alone: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are hot on their trail. Get ready for excitement as heroes and villains from both worlds clash and team up in an epic battle that threatens the very fabric of reality!

Why check it out? Uh do you need another reason? Look at the title. Written by James Tynion IV (Batman and Robin Eternal, The Woods) and drawn by newcomer Freddie Williams II this book has gotten great reviews early but again it's the TMNT in Gotham... You should've bought this already!

Special: Top 10 Non-Christmas Movies That Take Place At Christmas

Well readers it's finally December so we're ready to tackle some Christmas lists this holiday season. To check out some past lists of the ilk search the blog for "Christmas" or when you get down to the bottom of this post the tags are listed and if you click on "Christmas" all the posts should come up. Anyways this week we're tackling 10 movies that aren't considered "Christmas Movies" but that take place on Christmas... So here we go.

10. Friday After Next

Finds Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) back in the old neighborhood where it all began. It's Christmas time and a ghetto Santa Claus breaks into their run-down apartment, stealing all their presents, along with anything else he can stuff into his sack, including the rent money hidden in their stereo speakers. Their only hope to not get evicted before Christmas is to take jobs as security guards at a local mall, where they learn some comic lessons about the true meaning of the holidays.

Best Christmas Quote: "That's right. Got my ass back in the projects. The only place where you get robbed by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve." - Craig Jones

9. Catch Me If You Can

Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline -- all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill gave him his first real claim to fame: At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in the history of the U.S. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) makes it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him.

Best Christmas Quote: "Carl? Carl! Merry Christmas! How is it we're always talking on Christmas, Carl? Every Christmas, I'm talking to you!" - Frank Abagnale Jr.

8. Trading Places

Upper-crust executive Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and down-and-out hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) are the subjects of a bet by successful brokers Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy). An employee of the Dukes, Winthorpe is framed by the brothers for a crime he didn't commit, with the siblings then installing the street-smart Valentine in his position. When Winthorpe and Valentine uncover the scheme, they set out to turn the tables on the Dukes.

Best Christmas Quote: "Okay, pork belly prices have been dropping all morning, which means that everybody is waiting for it to hit rock bottom, so they can buy low. Which means that the people who own the pork belly contracts are saying, "Hey, we're losing all our damn money, and Christmas is around the corner, and I ain't gonna have no money to buy my son the G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip! And my wife ain't gonna f... my wife ain't gonna make love to me if I got no money!" So they're panicking right now, they're screaming "SELL! SELL!" to get out before the price keeps dropping. They're panicking out there right now, I can feel it." - Billy Ray Valentine

7. Rocky IV

After reclaiming the boxing championship title, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) plans to retire and live with his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire). However, during an exhibition match, Rocky's friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is mercilessly beaten to death by hulking Russian newcomer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Rocky vows payback against Drago and flies to Russia to train for a Christmas Day fight. Despite their different training methods, Rocky and Drago both wage a long and intense match.

Best Christmas Quote: "Are you planning to grow reindeer or something? How the heck are you supposed to train here? What a depressing vacation. What about the Rose Bowl game? I hope they have my comics here." - Paulie

6. Prometheus

The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) hopes that they will meet a race of benevolent, godlike beings who will in some way verify her religious beliefs, while Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) is out to debunk any spiritual notions. However, neither the scientists nor their shipmates are prepared for the unimaginable terrors that await them.

Best Christmas Quote: "No, no, no. It's Christmas, captain, and I want to open my presents." - Charlie Holloway

5. First Blood

Vietnam veteran and drifter John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into a small Washington town in search of an old friend, but is met with intolerance and brutality by the local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When Teasle and his deputies restrain and shave Rambo, he flashes back to his time as a prisoner of war and unleashes his fury on the officers. He narrowly escapes the manhunt, but it will take his former commander (Richard Crenna) to save the hunters from the hunted.

Best Christmas Quote: None. That's right. They make no mention of the holiday but eagle eyed viewers can see Christmas Decorations in various location throughout the movie so put it on and enjoy.

4. Go

Grocery store clerk Simon (Desmond Askew) occasionally sells drugs from his cash register at work, so when soap opera actors Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr) come looking for Ecstasy on a quiet Christmas Eve, they are surprised to find Ronna (Sarah Polley) covering his shift. Desperate for money, Ronna decides to become an impromptu drug dealer, unaware that Adam and Zack are secretly working for obsessed narcotics officer Burke (William Fichtner).

Best Christmas Quote: "They can't evict you on Christmas! Then you'd be ho-ho-homeless!" - Simon Baines

3. Kiss Kiss Band Bang

Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the part, he lands in Hollywood, where he's flung into a tangled, murderous conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), and hard-boiled private eye Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer). This deadpan, affectionate parody of film noir tropes is named for film critic Pauline Kael's influential 1968 collection of film reviews and essays.

Best Christmas Quote: "Merry Christmas, sorry I fucked you over" - Perry van Shrike

2. Batman Returns

The monstrous Penguin (Danny DeVito), who lives in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with wicked shock-headed businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) to topple the Batman (Michael Keaton) once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she is transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.

Best Christmas Quote: "Two lives left. I think I'll save one for next Christmas. But in the meantime, how about a kiss, Santy Claus?" - Selina Kyle/Catwoman

1. Iron Man 3

Plagued with worry and insomnia since saving New York from destruction, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), now, is more dependent on the suits that give him his Iron Man persona -- so much so that every aspect of his life is affected, including his relationship with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). After a malevolent enemy known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) reduces his personal world to rubble, Tony must rely solely on instinct and ingenuity to avenge his losses and protect the people he loves.

Best Christmas Quote: "Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time, so... first off. I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again. Also, it's Christmas time. The rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because... I can't come home yet." - Tony Stark/Iron Man

Top 10 Countdown: December 5, 2015

10. Hedley - Hello
Last week: NEW!


9. One Direction - Perfect
Last week: 10.


8. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Hey Everybody
Last week: 9.


7. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: 5.


6. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 7.


5. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 6.


4. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 2.


3. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 4.


2. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 3.


1. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 1.

Top 10 Countdown: November 28, 2015

10. One Direction - Perfect
Last week: NEW!


9. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Hey Everybody
Last week: 10.


8. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She's Kinda Hot
Last week: 3.


7. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 8.


6. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 7.


5. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: 6.


4. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 5.


3. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 4.


2. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 1.

1. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 2.

Special: Spectre/The Peanuts Movie/Creed Mini-Reviews

Spectre:

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre.

My thoughts? Having not properly prepared myself before watching Spectre by watching Craig's previous outings as Bond, it would usually be hard to figure out where this new entry places among the others but Spectre was so below Skyfall and Casino Royale it's almost humorous that they only decide to put out a high quality Bond film every other one. Upon first viewing I might even put this new entry below Quantum of Solace which is disappointing given the potential with Christoph Waltz as the big baddie, if anyone seemed to be a tailor made Bond villain it's him, good thing they wasted that potential, on a side note bring back Javier Bardem. Not to say this movie is awful, just well below what should be Bond standards.

Final Verdict: 3 (almost 4) out of 5 helicopter tricks.

The Peanuts Movie:

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang make their big-screen debut, like they've never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world's most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron.

My thoughts? Bringing the fun of The Peanuts to a brand new generation that likely don't even know what a comic strip is, The Peanuts Movie succeeds on all kinds of levels. They make all the beloved characters likeable in their own way and the story was crafted in a fun way that it has a comic strip aesthetic to it where they give us a bunch of little drop ins that all have their charm to them but all work as a branch to the overall story. The animation is simplistic but beautiful. It made a fan out of me and I don't even care for the Peanuts holiday specials.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 5 dog flying aces.

Creed:

Adonis Johnson never knew his famous father,world heavy weight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there's no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed's legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo - the fierce rival who became his closest friend.

My thoughts? Much like the aforementioned Casino Royale, Creed doesn't act as another entry into a long running series that ran out of breath, rather it breathes fresh air into the series lungs giving it a rebirth. Yeah maybe the plot is a little too formulaic, but really, that's the only "bad" thing you could say about Creed, the movie that is, you can say a lot of bad stuff about the band. Either way this might be the best film of the year.

Final Verdict: 5 out of 5 underdog stories.

Comic Shop Corner: American Vampire: The Second Cycle #11

This week's book: American Vampire: The Second Cycle #11

Synopsis: From the depths of Area 51 to outer space, “Dark Moon” has pushed our cast to the limit. Be there for the jaw-dropping finale, as the forces of the Tongue make their final shocking play. The great weapon—Issaku—is revealed as the battle for the soul of a country and our characters reaches its shocking climax. This extra-sized issue is the end for the Second Cycle of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, but look for the Third Cycle to begin in early 2016!

Why check it out? Scott Snyder said he would not stop making American Vampire books until it was complete, we now know this to be a lie since Second Cycle was horribly delayed and now the news that a Third Cycle is coming, but still this remains an American Vampire book and although it wasn't quite as strong as the original series it was still quite good and Rafael Albuquerque's art was made to draw space so this issue should be a lot of fun to look at.

Special: AKA Jessica Jones Episode 1: AKA Ladies Night Review

Back in April this here blog tackled reviewing the very first episode of Daredevil (which can be found here). At that point Daredevil was kicking off a spat of Netflix Original Series for Marvel and I wrote that this allows Marvel to take a darker route without alienating their movie fanbase, or even worse, leaving money on the table since the scores of 12 year olds couldn't see these dark, R rated premises. Now lets find out if AKA Jessica Jones is following the same route or if it's building it's own path.

Unlike Daredevil, Jessica Jones doesn't start with an origin, rather we get a first hand look at her powers. She catches a wife sleeping around on her husband, now would be a good time to mention she's a freelance Private Eye, anyway... When she shows the husband he gets irate at her because crazy people. She promptly sends him through the door with the pictures and we hear her say "now for the matter of my bill" all-the-while she's giving us a narrator speech about what she does and her characteristics. When reaching a lawyer's office and asking the woman for work she chimes in on a couple characteristics of her own that Jessica has a response for. She's called volatile, erratic and unprofessional. Jessica considers herself effective since several jobs were brought to her only after several others have failed and she completed them. The lawyer tips her hat to Jessica and mentions she's aware of her methods, but methods she needs.

We then see Jessica in full on P.I. mode... ON THE TOILET! Who says we never see superheroes use the bathroom anyway? She fleeces some information from some poor girl on the other end of the line and then she calls it a night... OR she would if she could sleep. She decides to creepily watch some random people (and one not so random one). She ends up having a vision that frightens her so she hits the booze hard and wakes up to someone in her apartment/office... Turns out it's her neighbor Malcolm though, he doesn't seem to serve any purpose yet but the next people that walk in do!

Mr. and Mrs. come up from Omaha after their daughter, Hope, has vanished, well vanished is not the right word since they know she's around she just left school, the track team and stopped keeping in touch, they were sent to Jessica by someone at the Police Station to have her investigate since the police state no crime was committed. While investigating she found out that Hope had met a guy and she's likely out with him according to her former best friend and roommate.

Jessica takes a break from that and decides to serve some creep with court papers (this is the lawyers job). This is when we see her super strength on camera as she lifts the guy's car up, in order to get him to take the paperwork she threatens him with her "laser eyes" a power she doesn't actually have. But something the lawyer is still none too happy with, we also see her dealing with more of the difficult nightmares that have been plaguing her.

The rest of the episode has Jessica meeting the mysterious man she was photographing earlier, my P.I, skills tells me it's Luke Cage but they don't state his name. Jessica also uncovers the truth about Hope and who this mysterious man is who took her away, turns out there are ties between Hope and Jessica that Jessica would rather forget. The end of episode 1 also leaves you with a shocking conclusion that'll leave you shocked.

Krysten Ritter stars as Jessica Jones, she's previously had small roles in feature films such as Big Eyes, She's Out Of My League and Confessions Of A Shopaholic, though she's mostly known for her TV work like Veronica Mars, The Gilmore Girls and Breaking Bad. She does a fine job though it's a bit weird for me to see her behind the camera instead of in front of it, a 360 from her Veronica Mars days where she disliked the teen P.I. Veronica. Other than Ritter no other real main cast were introduced. There was Trish who runs a morning show and had former ties to Jessica though we don't know how. The lawyer who again only appeared near the beginning and on the phone later after the laser eye incident. There's also the aforementioned Malcolm, he seems like he'll be the comedic relief if he's anything at all going forward.

AKA Jessica Jones is much, much darker than Daredevil. Daredevil had dark underlying tones but the over arching sentiment was hope and that was the ray of light to get through the dark times. Jessica Jones takes it to a whole other level as it tends to lean towards more of a thriller but also is dark with having it's main character dealing with mental deficiencies, in this case PTSD. She's also a raging alcoholic who refuses to see a psychiatrist or take her medication.

The dark tones also are reflected in the setting so most of the episode takes place at night which works well given it's comic book roots, the lighting leaves that ink like feeling and you're just watching intently until its time to turn the page. It's also refreshing to see LGBT featured in the Marvel Universe though I don't know if having a love triangle between three lesbians is the best way to utilize it but time will tell!

Overall AKA: Jessica Jones didn't have the set up that Daredevil had that made me want more right from the get go but the episode and the ending especially has me geared up to watch more and it certainly appears to have a chance at being better than Murdoch and co. by the time I've watched the 13 episodes in full.

Top 10 Countdown: November 21, 2015

10. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Hey Everybody
Last week: NEW!

9. Patent Pending - Brighter
Last week: 4.

8. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: 9.


7. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 8.


6. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: 7.


5. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 6.


4. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 5.


3. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She's Kinda Hot
Last week: 3.


2. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 2.


1. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 1.

Comic Shop Corner: Action Comics #46

This week's book: Action Comics #46

Synopsis: Once upon a time, the idea that Clark Kent could be corrupted would have been unthinkable, but now one villain is about to take advantage of his troubles! As more and more people turn on the Man of Steel, how long before Superman turns to the dark side? What evil force is orchestrating all this?

Why check it out? The "Truth" storyline wrapped up back in September in issue #44, that storyline seen Superman pushed to the brink of madness by the mastermind behind the shadow warriors (sorry no spoilers here), that after he was outed as Clark Kent and horribly weakened and left to fight his friends and neighbors who had turned on him when they discovered he was an alien. Issue #45 served as a bridge to to this week's issue #46 which is where the real fun seems to be starting, and if it's anything like Truth you won't want to miss it!

Special: All-New Hawkeye/Hero Cats: Midnight Over Stellar City/Howard The Duck Mini-Reviews

All-New Hawkeye #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Synopsis: Hawkeye and Hawkeye take aim at another season. But it's not all straight as an arrow for Clint and Kate. A deep-seated rift that stretches across time, brings old man Clint and a wiser Kate back together as they chase down mistakes from their past. The star-studded team of Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez return, bringing you another inspired look at the world of Hawkeye.

My thoughts? This iteration of All-New Hawkeye didn't start off quite as well as the last one did, however, the first one was so universally loved, myself included it would be hard to replicate let alone surpass. This book picks up a while after the last series concluded and the rift between Clint and Kate is still very large after they came to blows deciding what to do with the mutated children eventually turning them over to S.H.I.E.L.D. This series, much like the last, also covers two timelines although this time we're going 27 years in the future rather than back into Clint's past. Turns out the kids are being used by Mandarin as a W.M.D. and levelled half of China. Grown up Hawkeyes have to put the tights back on and fix their mistake but can they beat the Mandarin let alone get to the kids?

Hero Cats: Midnight Over Stellar City #1
Publisher: Action Lab

Synopsis: Midnight is on the hunt, tracking down the mysterious Crow King.  Can the claws of justice outwit this fowl villain and uncover his grand scheme?

My thoughts? Midnight is a member of the Hero Cats of Stellar City, a group of cats that got together to protect their humans and their city... Turns out their newest threat will involve saving the entire world. If you haven't been following along in the pages of Hero Cats you may be lost, however they do give you a recap section, though strangely enough it's at the back of the book. In any event Midnight is a fearless defender that is a bit of a loner but he's always trying to dole out justice. The art style of this book is beautiful, it's more inks than art but for a Midnight book it fits perfect and is stunning to examine. Not a lot happens here as Midnight simply inches towards catching The Crow King and getting Bandit back from another dimension. Step one: Learn to defeat his minions... Check.

Howard The Duck #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Synopsis: First spectacular issue! A great jumping on point! Sure to go up in value! Don't miss out on the series everyone is calling "Howard the Duck"! The last page will shock you! Nothing will EVER be the same again! Hey! Where are you going? Come back! Waugh!

My thoughts? Like Hawkeye above, Howard The Duck was another relatively new book that got a new #1 despite having the same creative team post Secret Wars, which due to delays is actually still ongoing but anyways... See on the cover that "Plus: Gwenpool" part? Yeah. It was surprisingly really good! I might have to work the ongoing into my titles but we'll see, Howard decides he wants to go back to his own planet and Dr. Strange tells him how but he's stopped right before fully entering the portal somehow and at the end of the book we meet some bizarro versions of some favourite characters from the previous volume. I'm just going to grab some popcorn and enjoy seeing where this goes... :)

Top 10 Countdown: November 14, 2015

10. Neck Deep - Gold Steps
Last week: 3.

9. Seaway - Best Mistake
Last week: NEW!

8. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: 9.

7. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: 8.

6. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 7.

5. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 6.

4. Patent Pending - Brighter
Last week: 2.

3. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She's Kinda Hot
Last week: 5.

2. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 4.

1. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 1.

Comic Shop Corner: Batman And Robin Eternal #6

Hey folks so this was supposed to launch last week unfortunately time constraints made us start this week... In the middle of the month... Yeah. Not ideal. Anyways when I started this blog years ago (wow, that's crazy to put in perspective) Comic Shop Corner was the reason I originally started it, too bad it's also gone through the most changes. It started off as a weekly highlighting a bunch of books, then switched to a monthly format which saved me time weekly but also made a big project at the end of the month, so we're going back to a weekly where I will highlight one book I recommend.

This week's book: Batman And Robin Eternal #6

Synopsis: Grayson, Red Robin and Red Hood fracture, not knowing whether they can trust each other or the legacy of Batman. In the past, Robin gets his chance to redeem himself in Batman's eyes and take on Scarecrow.

Why check it out: Well this was an easy choice since I just profiled the first 5 issues in this past Sunday's special so find that here.

See you next week guys!

Special: Checking In On Batman And Robin Eternal (#1 - #5)

Okay folks so I apologize for this special being stupidly late but I didn't have as much free time as I expected to on Sunday, let alone yesterday, but I'm here now wrapping out what I hope will be the first of many posts of this ilk where I check in on a comic book series after 5 issues or so, what better place to start than with Batman and Robin Eternal, DC's follow-up weekly series to last year's hit Batman Eternal.

In case you didn't know Bruce Wayne is without memories so he has no idea he's Batman, instead the police department have put Batmen out on the street, mostly robots but some have police inside, like Commissioner Gordon moonlighting as Batman in the main Batman title. Dick Grayson on the other hand has been out spying on the spy organization Spyral by infiltrating them as an agent but reporting back to Bruce, who is no longer there obviously. For his next mission Spyral has sent him back to Gotham where he meets up with his old pals Tim "Red Robin" Drake, Jason "Red Hood" Todd and Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon. He also meets Harper "Bluebird" Roe for the first time as well as her new friend and roommate Stephanie "Spoiler" Brown.

The plot flashes back to one of the first cases that Dick and Batman ever worked on together, it was a giant human trafficking ring run by a mysterious woman named Mother, Batman has ties to her somehow, but Grayson doesn't know how. All he has to go on is a recording he found of Bruce advising that if he's watching this video he's no longer around to help and they need to clean up "his biggest mistake".

Grayson's unsure who he can trust since he finds out Mother can control anyone at anytime thanks to some nanobots. His immediate thought is that Tim and/or his parents could be suspect, seeing that he was the only one who wasn't orphaned... Did I forgot to mention that orphans are Mother's favourite? Anyway when Tim finds out about this he's none too happy, he and the rest of the Bat-family feel betrayed by Dick, rightfully so.

Will the gang be able to get to the bottom of this and overcome their differences? Will Bruce get any shred of memory back so that he too can help out? And who's the mysterious woman Mother? Also can the mysterious woman in black going around seemingly testing the Bat-Family be trusted? After all she can only say "mother" and that's about it. For what it's worth Harper seems to trust her new friend.

As far as the review goes, as with most weekly series the book is pretty slow moving. Which is disappointing given my excitement but again not all that surprised. The art is constantly in flux but Manapul did issue #5 which was awesome, though Steve Orlando's dialogue isn't the strongest in that issue or the preceding one. Overall it's still good, still has me pumped but enough set up already let's get into the dirty details and the action!

Top 10 Countdown: November 7, 2015

10. New Found Glory Feat. Hayley Williams (Paramore) - Vicious Love
Last week: 4.

9. Zebrahead - Worse Than This
Last week: NEW!

8. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: 9.

7. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: 8.

6. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 7.

5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She's Kinda Hot
Last week: 6.

4. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 5.

3. Neck Deep - Gold Steps
Last week: 1.

2. Patent Pending - Brighter
Last week: 2.

1. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 3.

Top 10 Countdown: October 31, 2015

10. Man Overboard - She's In Pictures
Last week: 10.

9. Four Year Strong - Stolen Credit Card
Last week: NEW!

8. As It Is - Sorry
Last week: NEW!

7. Arkells - 11:11
Last week: 8.

6. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She's Kinda Hot
Last week: 7.

5. State Champs - All You Are Is History
Last week: 6.

4. New Found Glory Feat. Hayley Williams (Paramore) - Vicious Love
Last week: 4.

3. Simple Plan - Boom
Last week: 3.

2. Patent Pending - Brighter
Last week: 2.

1. Neck Deep - Gold Steps
Last week: 1.

Special: Halloween ComicFest 2015 Mini-Reviews

If you checked out the special last week you'll know I ranked the 2015 Halloween ComicFest books. Now HCF took place yesterday and I grabbed a few books including my top 3 anticipated: Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors/Avengers Assemble Season 2, Donald Duck's Halloween Scream and The Batman Adventures #1. So for this week's special I decided to read those 3 comics and give you a mini-review on each and re-rank them based on how much I enjoyed them.

3. Donald Duck's Halloween Scream

Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
(W/A) William Van Horn (CA) Dan Noonan
Classic Disney haunts are home for the howl-iday! In "It's In the Bag" and "Public Ugly #1," trick-or-treating Donald scares up a literal ton of candy... then is forced to get rid of it by fair means or foul!

So I had this book ranked #2 originally because I really love Disney's Duck comics but I felt a little let down here. The humour wasn't up to it's usual standards and the second story was no longer Halloween themed so it felt a bit out of place given the title. The advantage here is that the stories did follow each other so that was an unexpected treat since usually these comics have 2 or 3 unrelated stories. Unfortunetly the stories were also super predictable, another knock against a usual top notch title. Though it was still very enjoyable, just not as enjoyable as the big 2's main titles for this Halloween season.

2. Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors/Avengers Assemble Season 2

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
(W) Joe Caramagna, Jim Zub (A) Ron Lim, Mario Del (CA) Kalman Andrasofszky
When Peter Parker has a terrible day, he discovers that none other than Nightmare is behind it! But how can the Ultimate Spider-Man defeat a foe that's inside his own head? Guest-starring Doctor Strange! Then the Avengers take on their spookiest mission yet when they travel to Castle Doom to face Dracula! And if that's not enough, Dracula's brought a horde of bloodthirsty vampires with him!

I generally dislike books that don't end properly especially in these freebie teaser issues so I'm happy to report that both of these stories do end nicely, the downside however is that neither story really left me wanting more. They were both good and all, Having Doom as the villain in AA was a big plus for me but it didn't make me want to pick up this book really.

1. The Batman Adventures #1

Publisher: DC
(W) Kelly Plunkett (A) Ty Templeton
The Joker and the Penguin make a deal: in return for the theft of a small item, the Joker provides the Penguin with money to garner public acclaoim as a millionaire philanthropist! How high can the Penguin fly before Batman catches on? Don't miss your chance to read this free first issue of the comic book series that spins out of the critically-acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series and brings an animated approach to comics!

Great news! Batman lands at number 1, though that's hardly surprising to those who know me but what I most loved about this book is that is done end nicely tying up the main plot but there is a sub-plot with the Joker that remains unfinished and shrouded in mystery which makes you want to pick up the series (nice marketing ploy DC).

So what did you think? What was your favourite Halloween ComicFest book? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @DonnyForTheWin

Special: Halloween ComicFest 2015!

Hello everybody and thanks for reading the 300th post on this blog! Yay!!! Next Saturday is Halloween... It's also Halloween ComicFest, an event I detailed here but the short version is that at participating comic shops you can get free Halloween themed comics!!! Now there's a lot to read so how do you decide which to pick up? Well I'll help you there by giving you my ranking!

21. Kitaro: The Birth Of Kitaro

Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
(W/A/CA) Shigeru Mizuki
Shigeru Mizuki's The Birth of Kitaro tells the spooky origin story of the legendary mangaka's most popular character. This preview is taken from the golden era of the late 1960s, when Kitaro truly hit its stride as an all-ages supernatural series. Mizuki's Kitaro is both timelessly relevant and undeniably influential, inspiring a decades-long boom in stories about yokai, Japanese ghosts and monsters. This Halloween Special is the perfect introduction to the new all-ages Kitaro series coming in 2016 from D&Q!

20. Skylanders

Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
(W) Ron Marz, David Rodriguez (A/CA) Fico Ossio
Happy Halloween from Skylands! Enjoy this special comic treat as we introduce you to the candy villainy of Pain-Yatta! This issue reprints a special selection from the Skylanders: Light in the Dark storyline featured in Skylanders Volume 4 coming next month!

19. Grimmiss Island

Publisher: DARK HORSE COMICS
(W) Art Baltazar, Franco (A) Art Baltazar
The Volcano Goddess threatens the Mama Woogees' tiny island! What can their creation Grimmiss do to stop this terror? Between an eye exam, a tough lesson in love, and stopping the Tiki Monoliths, there are lots of things for a little guy with a skull head to do!

18. Vampblade

Publisher: ACTION LAB - DANGER ZONE
(W) Jason Martin, Dan Mendoza (A) Winston Young (CA) Winston Young, Dan Mendoza
Get a look at the latest offbeat genre heroine from Danger Zone...VAMPBLADE! After appearing in the pages of Zombie Tramp and then guest starring in a limited series with the queen of the undead, the mystical blade wielding Vampblade is all set to debut her own ongoing series in 2016! Here's your chance to see what the book is all about and also take a peek at Zombie Tramp and friends!

17. Fragments Of Horror

Publisher: VIZ MEDIA LLC
(W/A/CA) Junji Ito
An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito's long-awaited return to the world of horror.

16. Chakra The Invincible

Publisher: GRAPHIC INDIA PTE. LTD
(W) Stan Lee & Various (A) Jeevan Kang, Various (CA) Jeevan Kang
Straight from the Free Comic Book Day release and based on the animated shorts seen on Angry Birds ToonsTV with over 30 Million views worldwide, Chakra the Invincible is the latest superhero from legendary creator, Stan Lee. Join Chakra and his friends for a very special Halloween as Dr. Singh sits you down by the campfire and tells you about some of Chakra's most sinister villains and spookiest adventures!

15. World Of Archie

Publisher: ARCHIE COMICS
(W) George Gladir (A) Rich Koslowski, Fernando Ruiz (CA) Bill Galvan, Bob Smith
Strange things are going on in Riverdale! You're invited to the best Halloween party of the year - exclusively for monsters! Is it possible that Archie and Jughead have really stumbled into a Halloween party where the guests are not in costume, but are actual, real-live monsters?! Find out for yourself if this tale is a 'trick' or a 'treat' in "For Monsters Only!"

14. The Garlicks

Publisher: ACTION LAB
(W/A/CA) Lea Hernandez
Olive, a curious butcher's apprentice, decides to crash a monster's party on Halloween Eve. Disguised as a goofy vampire alpaca, she meets an equally goofy vampire horse named Vourdain. But what is Olive going to do when it's morning and time for all monsters to unmask?

13. The Adventures Of Psycho Bonkers

Publisher: ASPEN MLT INC
(W) Vince Hernandez (A/CA) Adam Archer
A pulse-pounding Psycho Bonkers action-adventure story for fans of all ages! Join the cast of this completely brand new full throttle series along with Fathom's Ernie the Seahorse, and characters from many of Aspen's most popular titles as they team up to win a thrilling, issue-spanning race! Aspen Comics' is excited to once again offer fans and readers a unique comic and coloring book package that includes a crafted full length story geared for kids to color, plus added puzzles, mazes and other fun filled activities for children and readers of all ages! It's the perfect treat for the Halloween holiday!

12. Publisher: PERFECT SQUARE
(W/A/CA) Noriyuki Konishi
Nate Adams is just an average kid until the mysterious Whisper gives him a device that allows him to see what others cannot, Yo-kai of all shapes and forms! Now, armed with the Yo-kai Watch, Nate, Whisper and their new invisible friends embark on an all-new supernatural adventure!

11. Actionverse

Publisher: ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
(W) Vito Delsante & Various (A) Ray-Anthony Height, Sean Izaakse (CA) Ray-Anthony Height & Various
ACTIONVERSE DEBUTS! Get a peek at the Creator Owned event of the year that everyone will be talking about from Action Lab...ACTIONVERSE! Action Lab ties its Creator Owned Superhero Properties together in a universe shattering event never before attempted by a comic publisher. Preview the Midnight Tiger, Molly Danger and Stray crossover, get the who's who on all the Major Heroes and Villains and a special first look at our new series, ACTION LAB: DOG OF WONDER!

10. Spook-A-Rama

Publisher: FAMOUS MONSTERS
Cory loves monsters. He dresses up in monster suits and reads monster magazines, much to the chagrin of his mother, who would rather he be working in a mailroom. But when Cory learns about his hero Wilbur Atchison's studio tours, he suddenly sees an opportunity for greatness! But he soon finds out that not all of Hollywood is make believe. An all-ages adventure in the spirit of The Goonies and Monster Squad!

9. Bitten

Publisher: MAGNETIC PRESS
(W) Cornelia Funke, Raul Garcia (A/CA) Francisco Herrera
Some Hollywood Horror stories are true! Based on best-selling YA author Cornelia Funke's "Little Werewolf", comic artist Francisco Herrera (Venom, Megamind) and Disney Animator Raúl García (Aladdin, The Lion King) bring you a fun new short story and activities set in the world of the upcoming graphic novel, Bitten!"

8. Grimm Tales Of Terror #2

Publisher: ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC
Inspired by Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow, Zenescope goes back to its roots of horror for this special Halloween Comic Fest reprint of Grimm Tales of Terror #2! When a group of treasure hunters heads to the Amazon in search of the priceless Spider King relic, they will find that the "Web of Deceit" they've spun has put them in a horrifying predicament!

7. Boom Studios Halloween Haunt 2015

Publisher: BOOM STUDIOS
(W/A) Jones Wiedle & Various
Enjoy three, spooky tales for your reading pleasure in this BOOM! Studios Halloween Special, featuring short stories from Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Lumberjanes. Perfect for passing out on Halloween instead of/in addition to candy!

6. Doctor Strange: The Oath #1

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
(W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Marcos Martin
Doctor Strange embarks on the most important investigation of his career, as he sets out to solve an attempted murder - his own! And with his best friend near death, Stephen Strange turns to an unexpected corner of the Marvel Universe to recruit a new ally!

5. Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina #1

Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
(W) Roberto Aguirre Sacasa (A/CA) Robert Hack
Halloween ComicFest 2015: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Script: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa  art: Robert Hack, Jack Morelli Cover: Robert Hack, Rosario "Tito" Peña

There's no better way to kick off your Halloween than with Archie Comics' newest horror series. Terror is born anew in this dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's origin. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda. Relive all the horror with this special black and white presentation of the critically-acclaimed first issue.

4. Harley Quinn #1

Publisher: DC
(W) Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti (A) Chad Hardin
Harley is set to begin her new life, but she needs a job first. Enter the Coney Island Roller Derby! It's game time as Harley sets out to destroy her competition - literally. This free issue is the perfect place to start reading the adventures of Harley Quinn - the Joker's on-again, off-again psychotic girlfriend, the Clown Princess of Crime!

3. Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors/Avengers Assemble Season 2

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
(W) Joe Caramagna, Jim Zub (A) Ron Lim, Mario Del (CA) Kalman Andrasofszky
When Peter Parker has a terrible day, he discovers that none other than Nightmare is behind it! But how can the Ultimate Spider-Man defeat a foe that's inside his own head? Guest-starring Doctor Strange! Then the Avengers take on their spookiest mission yet when they travel to Castle Doom to face Dracula! And if that's not enough, Dracula's brought a horde of bloodthirsty vampires with him!

2. Donald Duck's Halloween Scream!

Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
(W/A) William Van Horn (CA) Dan Noonan
Classic Disney haunts are home for the howl-iday! In "It's In the Bag" and "Public Ugly #1," trick-or-treating Donald scares up a literal ton of candy... then is forced to get rid of it by fair means or foul!

1. The Batman Adventures #1

Publisher: DC
(W) Kelly Plunkett (A) Ty Templeton
The Joker and the Penguin make a deal: in return for the theft of a small item, the Joker provides the Penguin with money to garner public acclaoim as a millionaire philanthropist! How high can the Penguin fly before Batman catches on? Don't miss your chance to read this free first issue of the comic book series that spins out of the critically-acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series and brings an animated approach to comics!

For more information feel free to visit www.HalloweenComicFest.com