Category Archives: Comic Books

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Who Is The Outsider?

Since his first appearance leading The Secret Society of Super-Villains, fans have guessed at the identity of The Outsider. I have my own theory about The Outsider’s true identity, which I will reveal now.

the outsider
I believe that The Outsider is the Alfred Pennyworth from The Crime Syndicate of America’s Earth-3.

Here are my reasons for believing this is so.

The original Silver Age Outsider was Alfred Pennyworth.
 
The character The Outsider goes back to the 1960s. In 1964’s Detective Comics #328, Batman’s butler Alfred is killed when a boulder crushes him. Shortly thereafter, a mysterious criminal mastermind named The Outsider begins working in Gotham. In Detective Comics #356, it is revealed that a mad scientist brought Alfred back to life using a machine that also made Alfred evil and gave me the worst case of eczema ever.
Side effects of regeneration machine include skin irritation and insanity.
At the end of the issue, Batman punches The Outsider onto the machine, activating it. This restores Alfred back to his usual happy, not-dead, not-evil self.
The New 52 Outsider looks like Alfred Pennyworth.
 
More than any other DC character, The Outsider looks like Alfred Pennyworth. Remove the color from the panel below and you’d be hard pressed to say if this was Alfred or The Outsider.
The Outsider knows where Batman lives.
 
Justice League of America #5 gives us many clues to the Outsider’s identity, as you’ll see in the panels below. After The Outsider kills Catwoman, he announces he’s going to drop her body at Batman’s doorstep. Signalman asks, “You have Batman’s home address?” The Outsider responds, “Yes. Ha. I do.”

 

 
The Outsider knows The Joker.

 

“If The Joker could see me now.” It almost sounds like a throwaway line, so I wouldn’t be surprised if most readers glossed over that panel as they read Justice League of America #5. But Geoff Johns is too good a writer to put that line in for no reason.
I think that line gives us a glimpse to the origin of both The Outsider’s stark white skin and his tic where he says “Ha.” in between lines of dialogue. Perhaps at some point on Earth 3, Alfred fell into a vat of the same acid that made The Joker.

The Outsider has a deep knowledge of all-things Batman.

He calls Catwoman Selina.

He has a map of the Batcave.
He knows everything there is to know about The Scarecrow.
The Outsider watched his world die.

 

This has been the clue most cited by people who think the New 52 Outsider and The Outsider from Flashpoint are one and the same. The Flashpoint universe in no more, perhaps The Outsider is the only survivor of it. But The Outsider from the Flashpoint universe looked nothing like Alfred. He was an Indian man named Michael Desai. Michael Desai and the current Outsider share little in common other than a love of well-tailored suits.
Michael Desai, The Outsider of Flashpoint

I think the world that the New 52 version of The Outsider watched die was not the world of Flashpoint, but rather the Earth that is home to the Crime Syndicate of America. In Earth 2 #1, it is revealed that Apokolips attacked Earth 2 and the main New 52 Earth at the same time. The main New 52 Earth’s heroes fought off Darkseid and his hordes before they could do much damage. Earth 2 didn’t get off as lucky, losing both Gotham, Metropolis and other cities, as well as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman before the might of Apokolips. There’s a chance Earth 3 fared even worse.

On Earth 3, characters who are heroes on the main Earth are villains. The Justice League is the Crime Syndicate. Perhaps self-interest got in the way of the villains of Earth 3 being able to work with one another to fight back the hordes of Apokolips. I think this Outsider made his way through a boom tube from Earth 3 to the New 52 Earth, and has been plotting for a way to bring the Crime Syndicate of America over to the New 52 Earth since then. I strongly believe that Pandora’s Box, the focus of the Trinity War crossover, will be the key to bringing the Crime Syndicate of America to the main Earth.What if this scene that Madame Xanadu sees in her vision in Justice League #22 isn’t a vision of the future, but a glimpse into Earth 3’s past or present? Instead of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, what if that’s Ultraman, Superwoman and Owlman?

The Crime Syndicate of America plays a huge role in Forever Evil.
 
Right after Trinity War concludes, the DC Universe will be thrust into Forever Evil. It is revealed in the promotional image below that the Crime Syndicate of America will be major players in this event. This makes me more firmly believe that the evil Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3 is their herald on the main Earth, setting things up for the Crime Syndicate to take over. By settings things into motion for the Justice League to square off against the Justice League of America in Trinity War works in the Crime Syndicate’s favor. Divide, conquer, and pick up the pieces.
“Forever Evil” is also the translation of the Latin phrase “Aeternus Malum” from the Secret Society’s communicator coins, the face of which looks a lot like Death Storm from the Crime Syndicate of America.
With only one week to go before Trinity War concludes in Justice League #23 and two weeks before Forever Evil #1, I believe The Outsider true identity will be revealed very shortly, and that he will be revealed as the Alfred Pennyworth of Earth 3!
UPDATE! Two pages from the Justice League: Trinity War Director’s Cut #1 give more credence to my theory that The Outsider is the Alfred from The Crime Syndicate’s Earth!
Justice League: Trinity War Director’s Cut #1 is a reprint of Justice League #22, but featuring Ivan Reis’s artwork in penciled form. In the back of the issue is Geoff Johns’s full script for Justice League #22.
During Madame Xanadu’s horrific vision, Johns specifically calls for Reis to draw Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman in sillouette, and then refers to them as SUPERMAN-LIKE FIGURE, BATMAN-LIKE FIGURE and WONDER WOMAN-LIKE FIGURE. If these were the actual Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, there would be no need for him to refer to them in that way.
But it’s later in the script that he get the closest thing to definitive confirmation I feel like we’re going to get until it’s revealed in-story. Geoff Johns refers to The Outsider as Leader/Alfred. That’s right. It’s right there in the script. The leader of the Secret Society is Alfred. 
I’m surprised DC would let that LEADER/ALFRED line go to print. I can only speculate that the inclusion of this was an oversight by the team who put this script book together, as it is a HUGE reveal!
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Keep Calm and Carry On

NYCC 2013 tickets go on sale today at the Midtown Comics downtown location at 12 noon. Spurred on by the quick sell-out on New York Comic Con’s website and the high price tickets are commanding on eBay, people started camping out for tickets yesterday evening, lest they miss out. Depending on which comment you believe on the Midtown Comics Facebook page, there are 50-200 people camping out for tickets in the alleyway next to the store. This alleyway greatly stinks of the refuse of the nearby fast food joints.

Fittingly, the first person in line was dressed like sewer-dweller Casey Jones.
Did I mention it rained last night?

This is foolishness. But this is what happens when people panic.

There is no need to panic. Keep calm and carry on.

Midtown Comics announced on its Facebook page that it would have plenty of New York Comic Con tickets, and that there was no need to camp out. Also, starting Friday, Midtown Comics will be just one of many stores that will be selling NYCC tickets. The full list can be found here. The downtown store, through a special promotion with NYCC is selling them one day early.

One interesting note about the retailer list: Midtown Comics is the only store where you can buy a 4-Day pass, anywhere. If you are interested in a 4-Day pass, I recommend hitting up a Midtown Comics location early. But by early, I mean sometime today or tomorrow. And if you’re camping out for a 3-Day pass, why? Seriously, why? Why not just stroll into one of the many stores selling 3-Day passes Monday to pick one up instead? Sleep in your beds comics fans, not in wet, smelly alleyways.

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NYCC 2013 Retailer Tickets Go On Sale 8/12/13 (UPDATED!)

Buried at the bottom of an email New York Comic Con sent out today announcing that Batman artist Greg Capullo will be attending NYCC this year was an announcement that will have far more immediate impact for people have been unable to score their weekend pass to New York Comic Con 2013. Here is the image from the email.

The Retailer Ticket page on NYCC’s website doesn’t list any stores as of this writing. We do know that Midtown Comics will be selling them at all three of their locations. Midtown Comics may be the only comic book store in New York City itself where you’ll be able to buy tickets. Midtown has already announced that all of their NYCC ticket sales will take place in person; there won’t be any mail order available for them.

Retailers will be selling 4-Day, 3-Day and single day passes to New York Comic Con, so if you missed out on a 3 or 4-Day pass, this is your chance. Don’t miss out.

UPDATE! According to the Midtown Comics Twitter and Facebook pages, Midtown Comics will have NYCC tickets for sale starting on 8/8/13 at 12 noon.

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My Time at HeroesCon


Written by Nicholas Doyle.

A few weeks ago, Charlotte, NC played host to the 31st annual HeroesCon, put on by Shelton Drum’s fantastic comic shop, Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. The convention is among the best in the country, and is beloved by both fans and professionals alike – mostly due to the fact that its focus is completely on comics, which is a welcome change as the bigger conventions are including more TV/Film/Video Game content and pushing the comic stuff off to the side.

I’ve been going to the convention for a few years now, but this time was going to be different; for one, I was going to be there all three days, which I’ve never done. Also, my wife Brooke was going to join me the entire time – while she’s not super interested in comics, she’s been to the convention in the past and had a good time – another great thing about HeroesCon is that it is very family friendly, and doesn’t include some of the creepier aspects that you might find at other conventions. Her being there meant that we would spend a good majority of our time in various panels – which was also new to me; in the past, I’ve usually gone to conventions to have books signed, and not gone to many panels.

Our author, now with kung fu grip!

  

The con started on Friday, and after walking around the floor for a few hours, we made our way to the Sports in Comics panel. I don’t care that much about sports, but my friend Rob Ullman (http://rkullman.blogspot.com) was going to be there talking about his hockey comics, so I wanted to check that out. In addition to Rob, the panel also included Kevin Freeman (who writes NFL Rush Zone,) Paul Friedrich (who makes hockey comics for the Carolina Hurricanes website,) and Jarrett Williams (who creates Super Pro KO for Oni Press.) The panel mainly focused on the challenges inherent with adapting sports to comics, and why they felt that sports comics were not more popular. While the panel was sparsely attended, I really enjoyed it, and it led to my first impulse buy of the convention – after almost buying Super Pro KO at last year’s HeroesCon (and again at the 2012 New York Comic Con,) I decided to pick it up after hearing Williams discuss it on the panel – I really enjoyed it, and fans of pro wrestling, manga, and Scott Pilgrim should definitely check it out.
 
After that, we randomly found ourselves in what would end up being my favorite panel of the convention. I wanted to check out the QuickDraw panel (where convention goers are given the opportunity to draw whatever they like and have it judged by instructors from the Savannah College of Art and Design) but when we got to the room, it was standing room only – Brooke decided to walk down the hall and see if one of the concurrent panels struck her fancy. She wandered into the Stumptown panel, where writer Greg Rucka and artist Matthew Southworth were discussing their Portland-based crime book, which is published by Oni Press. After a few minutes, Brooke texted me to join her, and I’m really glad I did. Rucka described Stumptown as a love letter to The Rockford Files, and it was great hearing both him and Southworth discuss the effort they put into the book – for example, there’s a car chase that takes place in the second volume of the book that essentially prompts the reader to hold and turn the book like they themselves are driving a car – which, frankly, sounds awesome. Southworth said that the editor of the book actually filmed a “practice run” of the route of the chase, so that he had exact reference. To be honest, the only Rucka work I’ve read is Gotham Central, but by the end of the panel not only did we both want to pick up Stumptown, I also decided to pick up Lazarus, Rucka’s collaboration with Michael Lark.
 
That pretty much wrapped up the first day of the convention, but there was still tons to do – the con hosted a drink-and-draw at a nearby hotel bar that benefitted Team Cul de Sac, a charity stated in honor of cartoonist Richard Thompson to raise money for Parkinson’s research (Thompson was diagnosed with the disease a few years ago, and he was forced to end his Cul de Sac Collection strip last year –  if you want to be happy and heartbroken at the same time, go to http://www.gocomics.com/culdesac and read through the archives – Thompson is a master, and it’s a shame the disease has taken the his work away from us.) The D&D was not just limited to professionals – the convention had provided paper and coasters that everyone could use – and  there are few things that are more fun that sitting in a bar, doodling.
Day two of the convention started off with the Marvel Writers panel, which featured Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Kelly Sue Deconnick, and Jason Aaron (Jason Latour was also scheduled to appear, but he was a no-show.) This panel was tons of fun, with Fraction and Deconnick taking center stage – the four writers definitely enjoyed each other’s company, and enjoyed talking about the books they’re writing. Topics ranged from the difficulties Deconnick, Fraction, and Aaron ran into when beginning to write Thor to, well, beards (although I would assume that any panel that includes Aaron would get to this topic sooner or later.)
Immediately following that panel, we came to the one I was initially the most excited about – and it turned out to be the low point of the con for me. Starman is one of my favorite comics, and the convention was hosting a 20th anniversary panel with series artist/co-creator Tony Harris and cover artist Andrew Robinson. I was a little hesitant because James Robinson, the writer of the entire series was not going to be present, and Harris left the book before it ended, but I was still interested in seeing what he had to say. It turned out to be the most boring hour of the entire convention. While I did learn some things (for example: Harris and Robinson are contractually obligated to be included in anything that involves Jack Knight, even if it’s just them signing off on something,) the panel (obviously) revolved around Harris, and his stories about his time on the book (or his eventual falling out/making up with Robinson) just were not that interesting. Add into the mix that Harris seemed to have no interest in anything that happened in the book after he left, and it just felt like a waste of time – we would have gotten up and left, but there were not a ton of people in the room and did not want to be obvious. It definitely would have been great to have had Robinson, who steered the book through its entire run, present on the panel.
 
One plus side of going to the convention for all three days was that we didn’t feel obligated to be in the convention center the entire time – we pretty much decided to come and go as we pleased, and after walking around the convention floor for about an hour after the end of the Starman panel, we decided to grab some food and spend some time at our hotel’s pool. ConTip: stay at a hotel with a pool. After dinner, we headed back to check out the convention’s annual art auction – another thing I’d never been able to go to, since I’ve always been gone by Saturday night. Team Cul de Sac was auctioning off a couple of items (including a Complete Calvin and Hobbes box set signed by Bill Watterson!) and I wanted to look at all the art that had been created specifically for the auction. When we arrived, there were some empty seats, but by the time we’d looked at the art on display, the room was packed. We only stuck around for a little bit of the auction (enough to see the Calvin and Hobbes collection go for over $1000, which is admittedly a lot, but I wonder what it would have gone for if Watterson had doodled in the book instead of just signing it.)
 
We only had limited time on Sunday, because Brooke had to go to work in the evening, but we weren’t going to miss the Matt Fraction panel – confession: my wife has a bit of a crush on him – and we were not disappointed. Fraction is currently writing Marvel’s best book (Hawkeye) and spent a good chunk of time talking about that book and how his family has influenced his writing of FF and Fantastic Four. In addition, he also touched on the future of Casanova (Michael Chabon is coming onboard to write back-up stories!) and his two new creator-owned books, Satellite Sam and Sex Criminals. I’ll admit to being in the tank for most of Fraction’s stuff, but both of these books sound great – Satellite Sam looks what goes on behind the scenes on a 1950’s kid’s show (and with Howard Chaykin on art, it’s bound to be risqué,) while Sex Criminalswas described by Fraction as his attempt at creating a Bridesmaids or Knocked Up for comics. 
After another short stroll of the con floor, we decided to grab lunch and head out of town, completely satisfied with our convention experience. HeroesCon is my favorite convention, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in comics and comic art – it’s not as big (or as overwhelming) as NYCC or San Diego, and it really does a great job of being a fun, family friendly show. I’ll definitely be there next year.     
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Which NYCC Single Day Ticket Should You Buy?

The 3 and 4-Day passes have come and gone, but as of today at noon, you can now buy single day tickets to New York Comic Con at the NYCC website.

But which day to go? Each day has their advantages and disadvantages.

Thursday is the least expensive, the least crowded and you’ll have first shot at the hot NYCC exclusives. But many pros skip Thursday. It would stink to show up at your favorite artist’s table in Artist’s Alley only for him to not even be in NYC yet. Also, Thursday is a shorter day. This is the first year that Thursday single day tickets are available.

Friday is more expensive and and more crowded than Thursday, but nowhere near as crowded as either of the two weekend days. You’ll do well to get to the show before offices let out for the day and the crowd descends on the Javitz.

Saturday is the monster of all days. You’ll be paying more to be packed in like sardines. Seriously, if you’re agoraphobic, stay away from NYCC Saturday. But if you’re willing to pay the price (both in money and personal space), the rewards are high. The highest profile creators are usually around on Saturday. The most important panels are this day. This is the day that separates the Fanmen and Fanwomen from the Fanboys and Fangirls.

Sunday will be crowded, but not nearly as crowded as Saturday. Expect to see many hungover creators arriving late to their table. Bargains can be had in the dealer room, especially late in the day. If you’re a DC fan, Sunday’s DC panel should be considered can’t-miss.

I’m betting Saturday tickets go very fast, with Sunday close behind. I would buy those tickets today if you can. I wouldn’t be surprised if Thursday tickets go quickly, especially among the toy collecting, variant cover needing crowd. Friday is probably your best bet for holding out if you’re short on cash right now.

If you’re kicking yourself for missing 3 and 4-Day passes, there will be limited amounts at comic book retailers later this summer. Those were originally supposed to go on sale in June, but no date has been given as of yet. As far as I know, Midtown Comics will be the only NYC based comic book store selling NYCC passes.

What day or days are you going to NYCC this year?

UPDATE! Midtown Comics announced on their Facebook page that they will be selling single day, 3-Day and 4-Day passes at their three NYC stores beginning in late June or early July.

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NYCC 3-Day Passes Are SOLD OUT!

Hopefully you read my post yesterday and purchased a 3-Day pass to NYCC, because as of this morning, NYCC is completely sold out of 3-Day passes.

With 133 days still to go until NYCC, this is the fastest ever that New York Comic Con has sold out of multi-day passes.

Single day tickets will be on sale sometime in June at newyorkcomiccon.com

If you missed out on the 3-Day and 4-Day passes, you’ll have one last shot at getting your hands on one in June. New York Comic Con announced on their Facebook page that Midtown Comics will be the exclusive retailer of a limited number of 3-Day and 4-Day passes. Unfortunately for those of you not local to NYC, if this year is anything like previous years, you will have to go to a Midtown Comics store in person to buy a pass. They don’t sell them through the mail.

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NYCC 3-Day Passes are Over 90% Sold Out!

New York Comic Con announced today that 3-Day passes are 90% sold out. Have you bought yours yet? I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re completely gone by the end of this week, if not by the end of today.
Buying a 3-Day pass is a bargain compared to buying 1-Day passes, as the 3-Day pass is only $15 more than the Saturday pass.
NYCC has barely begun announcing the line-up of guests and it already looks awesome. Scott Snyder, Dan Slott, David Finch, Felicia Day, Eve Miles, Adam Hughes and Jonathan Hickman will all be there.
If you’re planning on going to NYCC for more than one day (and why wouldn’t you?), don’t get locked out! Head to NYCC’s website and buy your ticket now!
Tuesday Night Movies will be at NYCC all four days providing coverage of the east coast’s largest comic book and entertainment convention!
Written by Billy Henehan, who would like it if you liked us on Facebook.
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The Exclusive Merch of Wizard World Philly 2013

Wizard World Philadelphia is this coming weekend. I was originally going to do a Top 5 Exclusives of Wizard World Philadelphia, like I did for Wonder Con. Unfortunately, looking over the list of show exclusives, I honestly can’t find five items to recommend. When it comes to cool exclusives, companies seem to be not as focused on Wizard World Philly like they are with NYCC and SDCC.

But if you do find yourself at Wizard World this weekend here are my Top 5 Top 3 Exclusives of Wizard World Philadelphia 2013!

Walking Dead #1 Philadelphia Comic Con Exclusive Variant Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco – FREE
I don’t usually get excited for variant covers, but this comic has two things going for it: 1.) That painted cover by Julian Totino Tedesco looks very cool. 2.) It’s free to all paid attendees.

White Phoenix Funko Pop! Figure – $20/$45
I really like Funko’s line of big-headed figures and bobbleheads. They’re just super-cute. For all you Jean Grey fans out there, there are two versions of this figure to be had at Wizard World Philly. The standard version will run you $20. If you’d like the glow-in-the-dark variant, you’ll have to buy a two-figure set that includes the standard and variant versions for $45.

Stan Lee Cologne – $25
That’s right. Stan. Lee. Cologne. Quite possibly the oddest convention exclusive ever offered. Have you ever wanted to mimic the musk of a 90-year old man? Now’s your chance! I’m picturing the cologne smelling like a mix of gamma rays and Brylcreem. If I make it to Wizard World Philly, EVERYONE is getting this for their birthday this year.

Did I miss something cool? Check out the full list here and let me know.

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3-Day Tickets to NYCC 2013 Now on Sale…And They’re Over Halfway Gone

3-Day passes for NYCC went on sale yesterday at noon. Last night, New York Comic Con tweeted that over 50% of the 3-Day passes have already been sold. If you’re interested in buying one, do so NOW at New York Comic Con’s website. Today may be your last day to secure one. A 3-Day pass is cheaper than two 1-Day passes, so it really is worth it.

4-Day passes sold out from NYCC a few weeks ago. If you missed out, a limited number of 4-Day passes will be available at Midtown Comics in June.

Tuesday Night Movies is looking forward to covering all the awesomeness sure to be at New York Comic Con this coming October!

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The Best of Marvel’s 700 #1s

Last month, Marvel and Comixology announced they would be giving away the #1 issue of 700 Marvel titles through their joint digital comics service. This quickly crashed the Comixology servers and the program was suspended. The program is reopening today for readers who signed up on Comixology’s website earlier in the week (check your inbox today for an email from Comixology if you signed up). The different #1 issues available to download span decades; you can download the Avengers first appearance as well as the first issue of a new Avengers series that debuted earlier this year. 700 comics can be a little daunting. Here are what Tuesday Night Movies feels are your best choices:

Hawkeye #1 – You might recognize this from our Best Comics of 2012 post. Hawkeye is the best series that Marvel currently produces. The creative team of Matt Fraction and David Aja are working magic on the page. When I recommend this series to people, their reaction is usually, “Hawkeye? The guy from the Avengers? With the arrows?” Yes, yes and yes. This series is so much more than that though. It focuses on what Hawkeye does when he’s not with the Avengers. It’s very street level. His main antagonist is the Russian mob. After you download the first issue for free, you may want to buy the just released Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon, which collects the first five issues of the series.

Avengers Arena #1 – If you like The Hunger Games or Battle Royale, I highly recommend checking out this series. 16 heroes have been captured by murderous villain Arcade and taken to an island where they’re told they have to battle it out to the death. I won’t lie, when this series was first announced I thought it would be cheesy and shallow. I was wrong on both counts. Writer Dennis Hopeless is giving us great stories on what it means to be a hero. The pacing reminds me of the TV show Lost.

Infinity Gauntlet #1 – That purple guy at the end of The Avengers movie? That’s Thanos, an alien obsessed with death. Infinity Gauntlet is the tale of Thanos getting the power to do what he wants. He starts the story by wiping out half the universe with the snap of his fingers. Needless to say, Marvel’s heroes aren’t happy about this (the half of them that are left, that is).

Amazing Fantasy #15 – Spider-Man is my favorite superhero. After four movies and countless cartoons, I’m sure you know the story by now. Nerdy high school student Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, imbuing him with spider-like superpowers. Yes, this isn’t technically a #1. But this is the issue that started it all, and Marvel is including it in this promotion. See Spider-Man’s origin as it was originally told by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Superior Spider-Man #1 – What you need to know: Doctor Octopus switched brains with Spider-Man. Spider-Man died in Doctor Octopus’s body, leaving Doctor Octopus in charge of Spider-Man’s body. Having access to Peter Parker’s memories have inspired Doc Ock to use his powers for good and become a superior Spider-Man to Peter Parker. It’s an exciting series full of thrills and intrigue. Will Ock woo Mary Jane? Will Peter find a way back to the land of the living? Will Peter’s friends realize it’s not him in his body? Only time will tell.

Fantastic Four #1 – Another classic. Stan Lee. Jack Kirby. This is the one that really started it all. This is the birth of the Marvel Universe right here.

Daredevil Volume 3 #1 – The best Marvel comic on the stands right now not named Hawkeye. For years, Daredevil has been portrayed as a hard boiled action hero. Writer Mark Waid flips the script with the new Daredevil comic, giving readers the first lighthearted Daredevil in decades. Artist Paolo Rivera gives us the coolest visuals from Daredevil’s POV that we’ve ever seen.

Wolverine #1 – Without a doubt, the most popular character to wear a X on his belt in the Marvel Universe, it was years before Wolverine starred in his own solo comic, a 4-issue mini-series. This is the start of that mini-series. Besides having one of the coolest covers of all time, this comic takes Wolverine away from the X-Men to Japan where he fights ninjas. Ninjas!

All-New X-Men #1 – In the next X-Men movie, the story is going to focus on Days of Future’s Past, a story where X-Men from the future come to the present to stop the annihilation of the mutants from coming about. In All-New X-Men, the original five teenage X-Men from the past come to the present and aren’t exactly happy with what they see.

If you’re a Deadpool fan, you’ll find a bunch of comics to choose from. The two that I recommend most are Deadpool #1 and Uncanny X-Force #1. The latest volume of Deadpool is written by comedian Brian Posehn and his TV writing partner Gerry Duggan. Uncanny X-Force #1 is the first issue of the recently completed 35 issue epic by writer Rick Remender. It gives you Deadpool, Psylocke, Wolverine and Archangel at their absolute coolest. It’s a must read.

That’s 11 of 700. There are a lot of other really good stories among the 689 that remain. Try some out. What’s it going to cost you?