Every week we like to give our fans the top ten books we recommend and plan on buying every week. We also like to give one kids recommendation, and a collectors item. These weekly blogs do not include any spoilers just a summary of the book usually provided by the comic book distributor. We also release comic book reviews every Wednesday that do include reviews with spoilers. Keep in mind the covers we provide are our preference so it may not be available or you may prefer a different cover. Make sure to go to the comic distributors for information on every variant released for the books. Here's our top ten for the week:
Action Comics #25: We love all the Action comics books and always try and pick one up when one comes out. This week an old character is being brought back in ZERO year, and you can expect lots of surprises. A very overconfident superman is trying to save Gotham, an a woman from his past is doing the same exact thing only to a much smaller degree. Eventually the two will run into each other. Will this be good or bad? Who is the woman from Superman's past? Will Superman be able to save Gotham? What character will will be seeing that is recreated?
Amazing X-Men #1: This is a brand new series that we have been looking forward to ever since Marvel X-Men Messiah Complex, The X-Men have felt a little hopeless without their friend. However, they learn that Nightcrawler may still be alive. Its up to Northstar, Firestar, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and Iceman to try and bring back their friend. Will they be able to bring back Nightcrawler? Matermind Hulk artist, Ed McGuiness and the old X-Men writer, Jason Aaron are teaming up to make this book one of the best things on the stand this month.
made the announcement. If you could only get one book this entire month this would be the book I would choose. We are looking forward to this series and all the new series that Marvel announced at New York Comic Con this year that will be coming out in January. Ever since Nightcrawler's death from the
Batman Black and White #3: We have been collecting this new mini series since day one and we have enjoyed every book. We wish there were more than 6 books in this series, but unfortunately at six books this series will end. These books are some adventures from some of the top artists and creators. This week Lee Bermejo, Marv Wolfman and Riccardo Burchielli, Rian Hughes, Damion Scott, Paul Dini and Stephane Roux. We enjoyed reading the first two and loved the creativity and art in both books. We can't wait to see what adventures they have for Batman Black and White #3.
Batman Superman #5: We have been enjoying this series ever since it has been released. Gamers this weeks issue is especially good for you to read. When the new toy master comes up with a deadly weapon everything comes to life. This is the ultimate fighting game and there is one target in mind, Batman. Can Superman help Batman before the video game takes its first victim? What other heroes will we see in the video game fighting in this battle?
Doctor Who Prisoner's of time #10: We have been enjoying this 50th anniversary collection, and its one of the first books we look for when a new list is released. This book features the 10th Doctor and features all eleven of the reincarnations of The Doctor. This week, The Doctor brings Martha to the 1950's in Los Angeles and they run into a movie crew who's members start to mysteriously disappear. Will The Doctor and Martha be able to uncover the mystery of all the missing people? There are three different covers with this book, and they ship randomly. So keep in mind you may not get the one you want unless you pick up one from the store.
Forever Evil #3: With all of the heros gone, it is up to some very unimaginable protectors to fight off Lex Luthor. There is also a secret revealed about the Syndicate's mission and what it will mean for the future of the DC universe. Who do you think the new hero's will be? Do you think they will be able to fight off Lex Luthor? What is in the future for the DC Universe?
Green Lantern #25: It has been a while since we have read any Green Lantern so we are picking up this book to add to our collection this week. We like the Black and White variant cover on this one so we hope to get this particular variant. This week, there are some major decisions to be made with the Green Lantern Corporation and Hal is faced with some decisions. However, everyone else may not agree with him so this could cause some issues. Will Hal be able to resolve everything and get everyone else to agree with him? Or will people leave the corporation and make it even weaker? Will anything happen while they are figuring out the solution?
Ghostbusters #9: It has been a while since we have read any Ghostbusters so we are picking up thisweek's book. This book almost seems as if it should have come out last week in time for Halloween. This week, Stingy Jack was rejected from Heaven and Hell so instead he is reeking havok in Manhattan. The Ghostbusters must stop him before he burns the city into the ground. The heroes will encounter lots of turmoil this Holiday season. Will the Ghostbusters be able to stop Stingy Jack before he desroys the whole city?
Kids Pick: Garfield #19: We love being very adamant about how important comics are for kids. Not only do they learn from reading but its something enjoyable to them so they want to read it and learn from their favorite cartoon characters or superheros. Garfield is always a great pick for the little ones. Who doesn't love garfield? In this issue there will be a series of thankful stories just in time for Thanksgiving. We think its great when there is a kids book that has great literacy and also having an educational side to it. Who better than to teach your little ones to be thankful for their food than Garfield? There will be many tales of thanking and giving in this compilation of Thanksgiving stories. If you are looking for more gender related books we would recommend My Little Pony or Transformers. Either way your little ones should be satisfied this week.
Shadowman #12: We have always enjoyed the Shadowman series. This book will have a collection of stories of dead tales and beyond vs just one story so it should be a great one to enjoy. There are many great creators and artists that worked on this book so either way you should not be disappointed. We can't wait to see what stories they have in store for us this week.
Superman Unchained #4: This is another book that we have been collecting since the first book was released and we are continuing on with our Superman Unchained collection this week. There are a total of 11 different covers for this book, and this series was made to celebrate the 75th anniversary that takes place next year. We want to get just about every variant for this book including the Jim Lee variants. We picked this one for our blog because we like the old school look for the 75th anniversary. This is the Silver Age variant. In this issue, Superman is determined to stop Ascension's attack and has an encounter with Wraith. Superman has no choice but to call in some friends for some help. Who will win the battle? What friends will join Superman as allies to help him? The cover we have shown is the variant cover that we hope to pick up. We love the old school covers so this one is our favorite of them all.
Collectors Item of the Week: We like to give one collector's item every week that we plan on picking up.
We like to suggest one rare book and then an item that is released for the week that is not a book. This week, DC comic is releasing its first line of new action figures for Arkham Origins. There are several differnt ones, Batman, Joker, Bane, etc. These run about $24.99 a piece. Comic and game collectors I would not miss these action figures.
Every season we are blown away at how The Walking Dead just gets more exciting, and more compelling than any other show we have watched. Most comic book shows and movies get absolutely destroyed by the fans when it doesn't follow the comics, and even when this show doesn't follow the comic it still gets more and more creative and exciting every week. We were so slammed with Halloween events last week and concentrating on getting media coverage for Halloween Comic Fest that we are including a recap and review for both episodes, and also our predictions for next week and the show in the rest of the season. Many of our reviews do contain spoilers so please keep that in mind before reading any further.
Episode 2: This episode was all about the emotions and trying to take in everything that had happened at the prison the previous week. At the end of last weeks episode we see Patrick become very ill and then dies and turns into a zombie. Patrick's turning seemed different because his eyes bulged out of his head immediately. He changed differently than some of the zombies we have seen. The episode started with Tyreese and Karen having a romantic scene with him singing to her. Things were somewhat peaceful. Carl tried to talk Rick into killing some of the zombies at the fence and Rick felt like there was more important chores to do such as farming. This was one incident where we actually felt like Rick was wrong over Carl. The zombies at the fence were getting out of control, and it was a compromise to their safety. Next, all hell breaks loose in Cell Block D, and we hear gunshots and screaming. We knew from this moment on that zombie Patrick must have unleashed on everyone in Cell Block D. Then all of a sudden Rick tells Carl to get in the tower with Maggie. But before Carl has time Michonne gets into some trouble on the outside with the zombies and sprains her ankle. Meanwhile Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and just about everyone in the group other than Hershell runs into the cell block and there are several zombies. All hell had broken loose and Patrick and some others had turned and were feeding on the group in cell Block D. Rick and the others were able to somewhat get it under control, but 10 people died in the cell block. Most of these people were residents from Woodbury. The girls that carol had started to watch out for Mika and just had their world go from bad to worse. Their dad had been bit and carol thought it was just his arm and was going to cut his arm off but then discovered that he had also been bit on the back of his neck. So Carol knew what had to be done and she got the girls to come say goodbye. The older girl, wanted to put her dad out of his misery and then backed out at the very end. Carol then did the job and confronted the girls out front and Carol was a little harsh on, but we feel that she was just trying to show her in the world of zombies you have to act fast no matter what. While they were talking the little girl said "Our daddy didn't deserve this and neither did Nick". Just incase you forgot Nick is the zombie at the fence that she named. Its apparent that this little girl has some issues, and after she ran away her sister told Carol that she had some issues and that she wasn't scared that she just had some problems. We discover in this episode that not only are there many deaths, but what is causing people to turn is a horrible flu. Very similar to a flu that went on in the 1930's that affected the young from teen years into about age 30. The group realizes the smartest thing to do is seperate everyone. The people who are ill need to go in one unit. And the people that were exposed in cell block D but not sick are in another section of the prison. The only people that were not exposed was Michonne, Carl, Beth, and the baby. Everyone else has been exposed at some point. The episode ends with Tyreese bringing flowers to Karen but he finds blood tracks coming out of her room and then he finds her and David outside next to a gasoline can and they had been burned. The only reason we could tell that it was Karen was because of her bracelet. Is the governor in the prison? Or is someone inside the prison killing other people? This now brings up the death toll count in this season to 13. Only two episodes, and 13 people have been killed. How much more intense could this get? We can't wait until next weeks episode.
Review: We thought overall this was a great episode. One thing we love about this show is having one shocking thing happen or another. The writers for the comic book and the show are all so creative in throwing everything in there that they possibly can. Having sicknesses is one thing that has never really happened in the show, and in real life it happens everyday. There are sicknesses that we all get throughout the year, where if they are not cured or treated we can die from them. Strep Throat, Bronchitus, Pnuemonia, there are all kinds of sicknesses that we all have to get treated for. We think going four years was pushing it a little with no sicknesses, so we feel like it was time to make it happen. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to treat these illnesses and who will be a casualty in the meantime. This hasn't really happened in any zombie story writers are usually so focused on the immediate action that sicknesses don't ever get discussed. We can't wait to see how this story plays out. We give this episode a 9 out of 10.
Episode 3: Last weeks episode ended with Tyreese finding his beloved Karen and his friend David murdered and caught on fire. We saw Tyrese from season to season never express much emotion in the World of turmoil that they lived in. In the past year he had been through a lot, losing his friends, Woodbury, and dealing with The Zombie Apocolypse. We all see him struggle, and have a very hard time killing zombies. He wanted to do it for Karen, but we all knew that killing zombies is the last job he wanted to be assigned to. Since Karen was responsible for the zombies at the fence, Tyrese wanted to help but we could all tell that he was hesitant. Episode 3 started with Tyrese finding Karen and David as a continuance from last weeks episode. And then Rick, Carol, and Daryl found David in absolute disbelief and heart broken at what someone had done to the love of his life and his friend. At this point everything that Tyrese had held in came out. Everything that we saw him hold back and all his fears were flying out like a fist on a punching bag, only the punching bag was unfortunately Rick. Tyreese was very frustrated with Rick because of his lack of taking care of the real issues. The one person who is trained to think like a detective is not on the council and he's needed being one of the strongest people. We could understand Tyreese feeling this way because they needed Rick and not out on the fields farming when anyone can do that, even the kids. Rick's strength certainly came out after Tyreese punched Rick in the face a few times. Rick lashed back and he turned Tyrise's face into a hot mess. Rick went to go get his hand wrapped up, but Tyreese did not want any medical care. Tyrese was really the one who needed the medical care the most after Ricks fist unleashed on his face. The group was faced with even more sickness this week than they were last week, this time Glenn and Sasha were both ill and had to be quarantined. Dr. S had also been infected with the sickness and was very ill. Daryl Michonne, Tyreese and the new miltary medic went off to find some medicine at an animal hospital near by to help all the sick people. Hershell knew it would be a while before the group returned since the pharmacy was so far away. So he volunteered to go in with all the sick people and medicate them with some herbal ingredients he found in the woods. Maggie was of course hysterical but Hershell convinced her to let him with some convincing. Hershell is one character that we have seen go through so many different stages of emotion. At the farm he didn't want to help anyone, and then we also see him go through his heartbreak with losing his wife, but even since then it has been Hershell wanting to spend the rest of his life helping people. And even helping strangers, which he was so against before. If Glenn had not been in there it would be hard to say if he would have gone in. We have also watched Hershell grow a certain love for Glenn, when in the beginning he wanted Glenn as far away as possible. Its been great to see everyone on the farm to grow such a loving family relationship with the rest of the group. And now Hershell is sacrificing himself for Glenn and some other strangers from Woodbury. We have loved watching Hershell grow into such a compassionate and selfless character. We hope that we continue to see Hershell and of course Glenn on the show so we are hoping the others can get the medication. Meanwhile, the group of four is off to the animal hospital to get the medications and they run into many troubles along the way. While on the road there is a voice on the radio that says "Santuary, we are alive". While the group is trying to figure out the voice on the radio they swerve off the road and hit a few zombies. Then all of a sudden they come over a hill and there are hundreds if not thousands of zombies. This is the most we have ever seen even at the farm. Daryl tries to get out of the herd but gets stuck on some zombies getting crushed by the tires. So the four decide to make a run for it, but Tyreese just sits there and is off in space like he has no clue what's going on. Then Tyreese finally decides to grow a pair and gets out of the car and just starts killing off zombies left and right, hacking them with a hammer of some kind that he had. I had never seen anyone in the group be surrounded by this many zombies and actually make it out alive. Maybe it was good that Tyreese bottled up his anger, because it may have saved his life. The rest of the group didn't even help him I am not sure if its because they wanted to let him unleash his anger or if they didn't want to risk themselves. Tyreese ended up making it out ok, and continued on into the woods with the other three. At this point it doesn't seem possible for the four to access the medicine with the road being completely blocked by hundreds of zombies. We are keeping our fingers crossed for them to get the medicine and return safely. The most shocking part of this episode comes at the end. When we find out that Carol admits to Rick that she was the one who killed Karen and. We suspected this or that something was going on the minute they found the bodies. Based by the look that Carol had on her face. It wasn't a "I'm shocked" look it was an "I'm sorry" look so we suspected this from the previous episode. However, keep in mind I say that something was going on, we are still not convinced that Carol was the one who did it. We think she might be covering up for one of the kids. Either Carl or her new found love for. Her cough also seemed to be a little fake and sounding different than the others. And if that's the case we will be seeing a lot more deaths since she is now inside the unit with the rest of the sick people.
Review
The episodes that we really find compelling is the episodes that really relate to real life. This is one reason we love this show and comic so much/ Last week, we had a fan say that she loved following carol and relating to domestic violence. This episode in my eyes was really the episode that made the characters and the fans realize that when life gets rougher than you can imagine that you have to pick up the pieces. This has been an incredible season so far, and one of the most compelling yet. We can't wait for more, and tonights episode. We have included a preview for tonights episode so watch this for some great action to look forward to in tonights episode.
Today Marvel announced that there will be a crossover episode with Thor on November 19th. This episode will focus and follow the new movie Thor: The Dark World. We couldn't be more excited for this episode and what excitement it will bring.
Since The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has aired we can say it has not been one of our favorite shows. We feel like its way too predictable, and we don't dislike the show but it is not one of our favorites. We still watch it every week in the hopes that its going to get better, and that moment might be finally here. We do not have the expectation that this is a show with Superheros, but it seems more like Agent Coulson and his rookies than Agent Coulson and some incredible agents. We feel that Coulson is what holds this show together, we have enjoyed watching him in the new show. Marvel could not have made a better move in bringing Thor to the show. Even though this show is not a show about superheros we feel that fans still have the expectation of there being a superhero at some point. With the shows ratings plummeting every week they could not have made a better move. And something that you might find even more exciting is the Star Trek mastermind Jonathan Frakes will be directing this episode. That's right the Star Trek director that we have all become to love is directing this episode. We can't wait for this episode, don't forget to tune in on November 19th.
Every week we like to give our fans a weekly recommendation list of our top choices for the week. Our intention is not to give away any spoilers, only a summary of what the book is about. We like to give our top ten plus a Children's book so you know what to pick up for your little ones. This week we tried to suggest as many Halloween books as we could with Halloween in a week. Here's our top ten for the week:
Beware The Batman #1: This is a brand new Batman series for all ages, and we always try and pick up the first of a new Batman series when it comes out. In this brand new series, Bruce Wayne has been learning fighting skills from Alfred for years, and now its time to take down Gotham's criminal underground as his new role as Batman. Will he be able to do it? What trouble could Batman run into along his way to taking down Gotham's criminal?
Doctor Who Vol. #3 #14: Every week that a Doctor Who book is released we try and pick one up. We have always enjoyed reading and its one of the first things we look for when we pick up new books. This series we have really been enjoying it is packed with plenty of revelations and action to go around. In this weeks book, Clara and Calamity Jane are shot and killed by Wild Bill. But how could this be when he is no longer alive? Lots of confusion that will be cleared up in this weeks issue. It sounds like the Doctor holds all the secrets and answers, but he's not budging.
Haunted Horror #7: Since we are trying to recommend as many Halloween books as we can this week and also are in the mood for some Halloween books filled with horror, we are picking up this book this week. This is one that we have always wanted to read, but have never had the chance to. Beware this book is only for those of you that like lots of gory horror. This book was actually banned from some stores in the 1950's for being a little too much. If you want something for Halloween that is strictly for adults then this is the book for you. What will Haunted Horror have in store for us this week?
Justice League Dark #24: This is one series that we have always enjoyed so we are continuing on with our collection this week. Don't forget that Justice League #24 is also available this week. In this weeks book, The Justice League Dark is dead, and we find out how John Constantine survived. Will he try and stop the new villains or will he join them? Will anyone be able to stop the villains with Justice League Dark gone?
Iron Man #17: It has been a while since we have read any Iron Man comics, but we are excited for this weeks book. This is suppose to be the Iron Man book that holds the most revelations with Tony Stark. Marvel has promised some revelations that no Iron Man fans will want to miss out on. This book is all about Tony Stark, and lots of secrets will be uncovered in this issue. There will even be revelations that Tony did not know himself. My prediction is that we may find out more about Tony's family and possibly Howard Stark. Or maybe new family members that Tony never knew about. What revelations will we find out about Tony Stark?
Kids Pick: Bravest Warriors #13: This is our kids recommendation of the week, and it is a fun and exciting series that your little ones will love. Packed with action and tons of curiosity to keep them entertained. One thing we love about this series for kids is there is a lesson to learn in every book and its also packed with tons of action to keep them interested. The art in this book is also great for the little ones. For more gender related books I would go with TMNT Animated series or My Little Pony. Or you can get all three, you can't go wrong with Christmas coming up.
Secret Avengers #10: This is a series that we have not had the chance to check out yet, and we are intrigued by this series and looking forward to this book. With the Avengers gone, S.H.I.E.L.D. is on their own, and have to be able to handle Thanos' strikes alone. Will they be able to take down Thanos and handle the strikes or is everyone doomed? Its up to Agent Coulson, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury to defend against Thanos' strikes and we find out what the deal is with the newest member of The Secret Avengers.
Vampirella/Eva/Dracula Halloween Special: This is our Halloween book choice for the week being released. There didn't seem to be too many Halloween books being released this week, but this one should fill any Halloween comic book cravings. We also wanted to get this book because it has been a while since we have read or seen anything with any of these characters so it will be a nice change. In this book, Vampirella, Eva, and Dracula are all teaming up and joining forces again to take down the Doomsday Cult that is threatening the Earth. It will be one obstacle after another in this Halloween special and you can expect loads of excitement.
Wolverine and the X-Men #37: We always try and get at least on X-men book per month and we have been enjoying this series so we are continuing on with our collection. In this week book, it Battle of The Atom part 8. Wolverine is especially in trouble when he loses his healing factor takes a bad hit. Will he be able to recover and fight? Marvel has also revealed that there will be a big secret revealed in this issue for the end of 2013. What could it be?? We are excited for another exciting issue of Wolverine and the X-Men #37.
Zombie War #1: It has been a while since we have read any zombie comic books that wasn't the Walking Dead so it will be nice for a change. With Kevin Eastman on this book we feel that this book will meet our expectations. There will be two giant sized issues in this series, and this is the first of the two. Zombies are always a big threat, but an even bigger threat when they carry and use weapons as these zombies do. This book is the perfect treat for Halloween. Jina, A pilot tries to figure out what will stop these creatures, and what provoked them in the first place. Will the zombies be able to be stopped? What damage will the zombies cause along the way?
The moment we had all been waiting for finally arrived on Sunday night when the season 4 premiere of The Walking Dead aired. With a whopping 16.1 million viewers The Walking Dead broke the record for the most viewers in the history of television. It is amazing how far The Walking Dead has come in only four seasons, and we are very excited for the fourth season of one of our favorite TV shows of all time. This show has exceeded our expectations the more and more we watch it.
In the episode 30 Days Since an Accident it had been a month in their world since an accident and everything seemed pretty calm for the most part at the prison. There seemed to be a herd of zombies at the fence, but nothing out of the ordinary in their World. There seemed to be a remarkable amount of new additions made to the prison. There was a barn now, crops, and the group seemed to be very settled in and everyone had their own jobs and roles in helping out around the Prison. The group had also set up several zombie traps outside of the prison yard. There also seemed to be new romances in the air, Beth had a new boyfriend named Jack. Carol was calling Daryl "pookie", and there also seemed to be some crushes going on with the kids. Daryl had also brought even more people that he found out in the woods so even more people were added to the prison besides the people in Woodbury. Daryl had become the new hero to all the people that he had brought in. We also know that Maggie is not pregnant, but she wants to live life normally and have a baby with Glenn.
The episode started with Rick digging for new crops and he had his headphones on to avoid hearing the zombies at the fence. While digging he ran into a gun, and when he found it he took the clip out of it and threw it in the wheelbarrow. It seems as though Rick is starting to take the more conservative approach, and is hesitant about guns for some reason. Does he feel how Hershel did on the farm and just wants things to be peaceful and not draw attention? This is the first thing that entered our minds when we were watching Rick be so hesitant to something he used on a daily basis before this point. He always encouraged everyone to carry a gun for safety and now it was almost as if he didn't want guns to exist. In the beginning, him being so drawn away from guns, almost makes it seem as if he was still a little off, but we felt like this was Rick just trying to keep things peaceful. Then he and Carl start talking about the pig being sick. Right at this moment I knew that pig was infected, it was just very obvious and this is when I really started to think that the animals were infected and this could be a tragedy for the entire group. If the pig was infected what else could be there that's infected animal wise? Shortly after this Michonne comes back from her hunt for the governor, and finds no signs of him. The rest of the group (especially Daryl) doesn't seem to be very supportive of her hunting down the governor out of concern for her safety. The rest of the group is about to go on a food and supply run, but Rick sits this one out because he needed to go check the zombie traps in the woods. At this point he runs into a woman, Clara. He was talking about bringing her back to the camp, but then she leads him back to her camp to help out and Rick discovers that her husband is a zombie. Her husband was too weak to fight, and looked to be covered by some type of cloth. It was obvious that Clara had completely lost it and had given up. She didn't feel like she could redeem herself from the bad things she had done. As her and Rick were chatting by her tent, she all of a sudden tries to stab Rick and he dodges her and then she takes the knife and stabs herself. She then asked Rick not to kill her so she could live with her husband. He then leaves and then heads back to the prison and talks to Hershel. Hershel explains to Rick that even if he lost both kids he would still have to carry on. From this point on we knew Rick would be just fine. He had finally over come the guilt of everything that had happened in the previous season. While all this was going on Daryl had an idea to go check out The Big Spot in town and so he and Michonne, Sasha, Tyrese, Jack, and the new guy Bob all headed into town. What they didn't realize is that The Big Spot had a crashed helicopter on top of the building with tons of zombies on top of the building, and of course the roof was extremely damaged from the crash and herds of zombies on top of the building. When they pulled up Bob was just staring at a persons legs who had the whole top half of them missing. I think from this point on Bob knew something was up, when Bob approached the store after the other went inside he went to go take a bottle of Alcohol and the shelf crashed making a whole bunch of noise attracting all the zombies to one part of the roof. His one problem with alcohol may have costed the entire group their lives. Then all of a sudden, zombies started crashing through the roof. The only casualty before the rest of the group escaped was Jack. Poor Beth. This had been her second loss of a significant other since her husband died at the farm. The group comes back to the prison and Daryl goes to break the terrible news to Beth. When he told her she seemed numb, almost like it didn't bother her that he was gone or that she was just so distraught that it didn't even affect her. The same thing happened at the farm when her husband died. With Beth, ever since the zombie version of her mom was killed in the barn, she just seems numb, like nothing else affects her. When people die she doesn't grieve normally, she almost acts as if it never happened. Then there seemed to be a connection between her and Daryl, but then he left and Beth had a sign designed for workers by her bed that said 30 Days Since an Accident. She removed the 3 to make it from a 30 to a 0.
Overall we thought this episode was amazing. There is really nothing we can think of to complain about or find any flaws, and it seems as though the rest of the country feels the same way as The Walking Dead broke the record with astonishing 16.1 million viewers. It was shocking in parts, they did things they have never done before, and there was a very decent amount of action and revelations made. Was it the best episode ever made? No, not in my opinion, but it definitely is up there with one of the best episodes. I thought the part with Rick and Clara was a little on the bizarre side, but I also think they put this part in there to show that Rick was not lost and that he was still there. He has not lost all hope, and the point was for the viewers to see that he wasn't completely damaged. It was good to see that Rick was almost feeling completely back to normal and was ready to fight back again. Even though there has been many trailers released the best one with the most reveals was from San Diego Comic Con in July. We have included that trailer, and it should clear up some questions you may have from the first episode.
There were so many things revealed in this trailer and if you watched it before Sunday's episode, then the first episode was most likely a little more exciting for you and you might have some answers to questions that others may not.
In every Walking Dead blog there are a few places we like to awknowledge. First, is our friends at Senoia Coffee and Cafe. They have some incredible food, and this fun filled fan environment is even known on set as The Woodbury Cafe. The other place is The Woodbury Shoppe which is a very new Walking Dead merchandise store that is on set. They have some great merchandise that you will not see anywhere else and they do have online ordering so if you can't make it in you can pick up some orders online. You never know who you will run into at both places since they are both on set. As we learned last June at Denver Comic Con from Vince Gonzales and Michael Koske that many of the actors don't like to eat the food that is provided to them on set. They prefer to go out and eat somewhere that isn't covered in blood and zombies so a lot of times you can catch them grabbing a bite at Senoia Coffee and Cafe and stopping by The Woodbury Shoppe.
San Diego Comic Con may be the largest con in the nation, but it seems as though there were more revelations at this year's New York Comic Con. Comic Book publishers made some major announcements, and lots of other exciting announcements were made. One thing we know for sure is that January is going to be an awesome month for comic book releases. It will be hard to choose between everything because everything new coming out will fill every comic book lovers dreams. Caution: this may contain some spoilers, but nothing that should ruin anything for you or nothing that won't be on the news.
With Batman's 75th anniversary being next year DC announced that they have some major plans in store for Batman fans of the caped crusader. In January DC will be releasing the 27th
recreation of Detective Comics. We are very excited for this. We have
not been overly excited about The new 52 series and we are looking
forward to a change, not to mention the aritsts and writers that will be
working on this book. If you are a fan old Batman comics this is for
you. Rad Meltzer, Paul Dini, Bryan Hitch, Frank Miller, and the current
writer Scott Snyder will all be working on this. Think that book is exciting? There is another one that may excite you even more than that which is Batman: Eternal. This will include the end of the Zero Year that is currently going on in Batman series now. Either way, Batman fans should be pleased with what DC has in store for everyone. Stephanie Brown will also be making an apperance in this series. Another thing that DC announced is that Superboy will die in the upcoming Krypton storyline. What do you think about all of DC's latest revelations and story lines? We cannot wait to pick up some of the new books they have coming out. We know that Mark Hamill's days of the Joker are over and the new voice actor of the evil clown prince, Troy Baker. We have included a clip from the panel at NYCC where he does the Joker's voice. He will be play the Joker's voice in one of the most anticipated Batman video games of all time, Arkam Origins.
Dark Horse is releasing a few new series that should excite you all. For a while now, Dark Horse has been hinting about a Firefly and Serenity comic book series. Serenity is the first one they talked about to be released in January. That's right a new Serenity series called Serenity: Leaves the Wind. This new series is written by Jed Wheadon, Joss Wheadon's brother, and also has Buffy The Vampire Slayer artist Georges Jeanty. Don't get too excited for too long of a series because this series is only a six part mini series. In this new series, River is the new ship pilot, and Zoe is pregnant. Also, the group is in greater danger than ever. Is this a series that you will be picking up, or are you passing on this one? Dark Horse commented that this series is to be released in January. Dark Horse also announced that there will be a new Aliens series, also to be released in 2014.
IDW had some exciting news for fans, and that was the new artists that they have just added. John Romita, Sergio Aragonés, and David Mazzucchelli will all be on the IDW team, plus many more to come. We were a little shocked and excited to learn that John Romita is joining the IDW team. IDW is also making new artist version of Jim Steranko's Nick Fury Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. What do you think of IDW's newest artist additions? You can also look forward to some more strips they are making new issues of such as Kirby's New Gods, Dave Gibbons' Watchmen and Charles Schulz's classic Peanuts comic strips.
Marvel also has some exciting comic book releases for everyone. The Panel at NYCC was dedicated to the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Marvel Comics Executive Editor Tom Brevoort, editor Lauren Sankovitch, along with writers Al Ewing, Dennis Hopeless, Jonathan Hickman, Ales Kot, and Nick Spencer talked about the future for the Avenger's and for All-New Marvel NOW! They announced that there will be a new Avengers series. The new series is the most important piece they are working on and also Hickman's favorite. There will also be another Avengers series out called Avengers Undercover. Which is a series about teens who pretend to be the villains so they can take down the real villains. Ewing commented in the panel that The Mighty Avengers will keep getting bigger and bigger. Avengers Arena is coming to an end and everyone dies so you can expect this series to be coming to an end. Avengers #24 will be The Avengers #24 NOW and also The Avenger's #1. The book is due to be shipped out on Christmas Eve. Some other titles you can also look forward to in the near future include but are not limited to: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Iron Patriot, New Warriors, Punisher, Elektra, Captain Marvel, Black Widow and the Silver Surfer, Thor, and Captain America. We are especially excited for Silver Surfer since it has been years since we have read one of these books. They are also releasing an X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy crossover. Regardless Marvel has a lot of titles coming out that should suit any comic book readers desires. They are making so many new series there will be so many great book coming out that it will be hard to keep up with. We are excited for all the new releases coming out, which one are you looking forward to the most? If you attended the con you may have attended the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel and watched next weeks episode. This was the biggest revelation made in this panel, when they were asked the question was avoided and they were not willing to give up much. Let's face it, Marvel never gives away any hints so this is pretty standard. They are working on issues #5 and #6 of the comic book that they are hoping to release soon.
Transformer fans, GI Joe and Transformers will be making another comic crossover again for the first time since the 80's. There is also a whole new line of transformer toys coming out with the new movie releasing soon.
Valiant Comics is going back to their 90's collection and releasing a few titles. They are bringing back world's worst superteam with Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody . And the Eternal Warrior series goes into the future and suppose to be even more packed with the action than the current one that we have grown to love. We are excited to see everything that Valiant has in store for us in 2014.
Walking Dead fans, there were also some big announcements made this year at NYCC. The first thing that was announced was they are adding three new cast members Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, andMichael Cudlitz, who will play Sargeant Abraham Ford. Kirkland wanted to add someone similar to Daryl and Rick who has those leadership qualities that won't back down. He is also a character in the comic book series so this should fit in well with the show if it is played out right. There were also several Walking Dead revelations made in panels. Andrew Lincoln quoted that " (Carl) would be a badass this season." And he gave away the spoiler that episode 9 the group gets in some real trouble and he was so shell shocked by the script that he had to call his cast and crew friends to make sure it was real. We have a feeling Carl is going to be getting the group in some big trouble. They also revealed several spoiler previews so if you were there you were lucky enough to watch. If you have not heard us talk about Walking Dead #115 there was 14 books that were released last
Wednesday, and they were sold out a week in advance. Image was offering
13 of the copies to certain select retailers, but only at a Walking
Dead party. Mile High Comics was one of the retailers selected so we
were lucky enough to be able to attend a party. One of the Black and
White variants for this book was listed at $250.00 for retail price. I
am sure you can imagine what the price keeps exceeding on that specific
variant and also all the other variants for Walking Dead #115. The 14th
book was only available at NYCC since it was the special edition for
the con. So if you went you might have been lucky to pick one up.
Since there were very few of these books made, and available to the
general public they are great collectors items. There will also be more
books in the rest of the series.
Please send us any of your photos from New York Comic Con, or any other event. And please don't forget about our Costume Contest. Photos can be submitted to our Facebook page, or any
Since the last season of The Walking Dead, we have all been pumped for the fourth season. And that moment is finally almost here. Denver Comic Con for us this year was great, even though we didn't apply for press. It was our kids first con together and so we really just wanted to dress up for them and have fun. Since we didn't have the pressure of being press, we decided that we would do things a little differently this year. So instead of releasing everything right after, we decided to wait and keep the anticipation going for next year. This year at Denver Comic Con we could not have been more thrilled to see and meet the Assistant Director, Vince Gonzales and the head walker of The Walking Dead, Micheal Koske. This in my eyes, was one of the best panels that DCC had to offer this year. Our first two attempts getting into this panel did not work out, even showing up early, this panel was completely packed and almost impossible to get into. In my years of going to events I had never had so much trouble getting into a panel. Finally, on our third day, we were able to get into this panel. After the panel was over I could see why this panel was so packed and why it was so hard to get into. Not only was it incredibly exciting to see these two, but they were also giving away spoilers for next season and even some behind the scenes details that everyone would want to hear for next season.
When Michael and Vince talked about the behind the scenes details I can definitely say I learned a lot of things that I was not expecting. Michael is the head walker, so even when the walkers don't look like the same person it very well could be him since he has several different zombie looks. Michael did a lot of the talking since he is the head zombie and he deals with the special effects the most. First, in the scenes where Michael is actually eating and pulling out intestines, he is actually doing it, yep that's right he is gnawing on sterile cow intestines. And the other part of the time, Michael is gnawing on condoms filled with BBQ. You will hear towards the end of the blog where the cast and crew eat and a lot of times its not on set based on what they have to eat and the scenery not exactly being appetizing. To me, I think Michael deserves to be the highest paying actor on the show just for having to do this. Michael did talk about how he got started with The Walking Dead. Before The Walking Dead, Michael had never played in any major roles and he was just out of college when the show practically fell in his lap. For him, it was one of those things that he looked at like a one and a million chance that he would never get. He literally walked up to a casting director and got lucky with an audition, and he amazed the directors just as we get amazed with his work everyday. So, for all you out there that have acting or voice acting aspirations, just remember its possible and it can happen. One thing I was pretty shocked to find out was the number of walkers there actually are in an episode. As many as we see I would think that there would be hundreds but nope there isn't. Apparantly a lot of those bodies you see (especially the ones on the ground) are dummies, and even some of the ones walking. To this say Vince stated that there has not been more than 175 in a single episode. This made me think back to the episode in the beginning when Rick was on his horse in the army tank, and there appeared to be hundreds. This just goes to show how amazing effects can, and what we can percieve them to be vs what they really are. Some of the zombie extras would even carry dummies, or some of them would just be dummies laying on the ground. As low as a budget as this show had when it first started, I must say the effects and everything else involving the scenes is very impressive. The actors who play the zombies are also sometimes filmed from the neck up and their head is really the only part shown, and then the rest is effects. This I thought was pretty awesome too, and that they didn't have to makeover their whole bodies just to make a scene that was only a few seconds long, or have to give 100 zombies makeup from head to toe.
After the men talked about all the behind the scenes details I decided to raise my hand and ask a question that I was almost positive they were not going to answer. And my question was : "What can you tell us about where next season is headed and how much is Season 4 going to follow the comic?". Michael glanced over at Vince a little bit hesitant to answer it, and then Vince looked right back at me and said "I will tell you this, "Season 4 will not follow the comic, not even a little bit". So there's your spoiler. And if you have read the comic, then you should know that this could change a lot of things that happen. People have been wanting to know if Little Ass Kicker dies (as she does in the comic), and I think we now have our answer. My prediction is what he meant by this statement was that Little Ass Kicker does not die as she does in the comics. This is a question that people have been dying to know the answer to, and I think its because its hard to swallow. Anytime a child dies on a show, fake or real, and especially a baby it can change your views on things, even change your mind on your favorite show, whether it follows the comic or not. Knowing this little bit of information can lead into so many different
possibilities for next season. If you have not read the comic, then
this may not change a whole lot for you. But, lets face it when we have
a movie or a show based off the comic, we want to see it follow the
comic. This may change the opinion of the show for many viewers, and
especially Walking Dead comic book readers. The way we feel about all the disturbing parts in the comic and the show is that this is one thing we love about the show. And that's that they don't hold back, they explore all possibilities for what it would really be like, and how our kids would be in grave danger and the point is made to never let go of them. Sure, when someone randomly kills a child on a movie or a show and its not necessary, then yes it is a little disturbing. But, lets face it this would be completely accurate in a zombie outbreak. Regardless, we are pumped for Season 4 and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for this season. We are especially excited to see what revelations will be made, and how it will differ from the comic. And don't forget that there will be a Walking Dead spin off show in 2015. Hey fans, it will not follow the comic or the show and it will be completely different and doesn't even take place in Georgia. The quality will be the same as well as the acting, but don't expect it to follow any story lines that we are normally use to with The Walking Dead.
Don't worry ladies the last part of the panel was completely dedicated to Norman Reedus. I think Vince and Michael both knew that everyone wanted to know the juicy details on our favorite character. One thing they said was Reedus was the only person in the cast (even Robert Kirkman) that actually had an entire truck load and a wagon behind the truck full of mail. Not much of a suprise, but a little shocking that he gets more fan mail than Robert Kirkman himself. One thing both men said was how great of a guy Norman Reedus was. They pointed out how much he awknowledges his fans. And I have to say out of all the businesses on set we see Reedus and Rooker the most taking photos with fans. They both emphasized on something a lot and something that I am sure all of you have heard many times, and that's that The Walking Dead cast is really a family. They are together on set, off set, holidays, weekends, and they really spend a lot of time together just as any family would. One thing that was really amazing towards the end that I never thought of was when Michael asked people what they thought zombies meant to us as a person. I am thinking to myself, "we all love them". But he gave a much better analysis and that was "Zombies are our metaphor for our fears in everyday life". I thought this was the most compelling and truthful analysis that I had heard of zombies to this day.
Now, let's take a look at the comic up to this point and also the first three seasons of the show. In my opinion, this might possibly be the best comic book TV show of all time. The first time we picked up TWD comic I fell in love with the horror, the art, and the astounding writing that Robert Kirkman did in this amazing comic. The first three seasons were amazing, and I think we can all thank an
incredible comic due to this (along with amazing cast and crew).
The first season of The Walking Dead started out a little slow but in my experience, good, long lasting TV
shows always start out slow. I felt like the show did start out a little slower than the comic, but there are so many more characters in the comic than in the show. I am glad that they cut out characters rather than cutting out important details, because lets face it there's so much to the comic and so many characters that it would be impossible to cover it all in less than an hour. Other than leaving out a few characters in the comic, I would say the show matched the comic 100% up until this point. It was a great first season and we got to see the characters that we had all been reading about for several years, and one of our favorite comics was finally developing into a great show. This is the season when all the characters in the storyline realized that life as they know it may never be the same. Even with all of the turmoil in season one, we felt this was actually the season least packed with action, but it was still a great season. This was of course Michael's favorite season because this is where he made his debut and his dreams started to come true.
In the second season, we watched the whole group kind of diminish and fall apart. This is when Rick kills Shane and I think it was something we were all waiting for the first two seasons. The thing that still throws me off to this day was how Shane turned. Did he get bit and we all just didn't see it? Or did he get poisoned by the water from the water well? Sometimes I love how the show leaves us hanging and leaves it up to us to decide what the motive was or what exactly happened. The show allows you to determine some answers on your own, and its one thing that we love about the show. It also leaves the opening for other books, TV shows, and possibly movies when we don't have every single detail and every single aspect of the story. We have to admit that the only thing we didn't like about Season two is how much they dragged out Shane. After everything he had pulled we felt like it just dragged on for too long, we did like how his exit was made on the show, we just wished it was a little quicker and not drawn out so much.
The ending of last season was in my eyes, absolutely incredible. Merle's exit at the end could not have been more perfect. This was someone we began to loathe in the show, and at the end him trying to redeem himself and make up for all the harm he had caused was the best way that they could have made his exit. When Carol's husband (Ed) died in the show, no one cared and I think that's because he was pure evil all the way until the end. But with Merle's exit it was so tragic because he put himself on the line twice to save his brother and the group. When Merle decided to put himself on the line close to the end of the season, I think he knew it came down to him sacrificing himself, or his brother and the rest of the group. He even put himself on the line to save Michonne, and we all know she is his least favorite. The brotherly connection between Daryl and Merle at the end was absolutely incredible. We had not yet seen this connection with the brothers and it was the moment that Daryl realized that Merle wasn't so heartless after all, or that something had changed him for the better. Vince identified this as his favorite season and scene of the show was when Merle and Daryl had that last moment together. One exciting special effects thing we learned in the first season was learning what happened to all those fish when the tanks got broken in Woodbury. And you can rest knowing that all those exotic fish did not die. There was a stunt woman to pull all of the fish. The heads in the tanks were real skulls, which is another thing that makes this show great is they try to get as realistic as they possibly can. We also have Andrea's exit, which we thought overall was good but just like Shane we thought it was a little drawn out. She was an annoyance just like Shane was for a long time and I think everyone was relieved to see her go because her character was just getting too much on the annoying side.
A couple places that we would like to give a big shout out to. One of them being our friends at Senoia Coffee and Cafe. They have always made their place like a home to fans, and especially The Walking Dead cast and crew. Their food looks amazing, and if you are anywhere near Georgia stop by and give them a hello. Also, Woodbury Shoppe is another great place where The Walking dead cast and crew will show up to meet fans. They have anything and everything that you could think of that is related to The Walking Dead. They really have some awesome merchandise that you may not see anywhere else. And let's not forget this is where the cast and crew goes when they are too grossed out by the set to eat there, so you never know who you are going to tun into. Another place is Mile High Comics. They have made it possible with all their freebies and giveaways to make our Walking Dead comic book collection what we really want it to be. Of course, a big thanks to Denver Comic Con for bringing us two strait years of one of the most amazing cons to attend, and they have also brought us great Walking Dead cast two years in a row. Don't forget all the proceeds go to Comic Book Classroom, a literacy program for kids. The photo placed here was taken with a fan at Senoia Coffee and Cafe, which is known and shown in the show as the Woodbury Cafe.
There are also some books that we encourage everyone to read that relate to zombies. One is The Walking Dead book series. It is absolutely phenomenal, and we have not wanted to put it down since we started reading it. Its all about the governor and the loose ends that we did not know about, such as when Penny got bit, and why the governor turned so evil. It fills in a lot of the gaps that the comic and the show leave out and its great finding out all the details that we may not know. As we stated earlier its very creative when writers do this so there is an opening for other books and stories. Another great book that we have been thoroughly enjoying is Brian Parker's, GNASH. It is a great book about the zombie virus, and it is very worth the read. You can get it on Kindle or Paperback on Amazon. Another great zombie book is Dan Conner's, My Gal, The Zombie. It is a great zombie comic strip with the perfect amount of humor and keeps your attention throughout the whole book. Dan also has some great art, and he is featured at the Charles M. Shulz Museum. We will leave all info on all these places and the books at the end of this blog so please be sure to check them all out. Don't miss our weekly reviews on The Walking Dead and other shows, and please contact us with any questions or comments. Also don't forget to watch the preview below for tonight's show if you have not seen it yet. This is the extended trailer so it is different from the one that was released at San Diego Comic Con this year.
Blog written by Geeking 4 Everyone
Pictures from panel taken by Geeking 4 Everyone and all others came from The Walking Dead website and Senoia Coffee and Cafe.
Action Comics #25: We love all the Action comics books and always try and pick one up when one comes out. This week an old character is being brought back in ZERO year, and you can expect lots of surprises. A very overconfident superman is trying to save Gotham, an a woman from his past is doing the same exact thing only to a much smaller degree. Eventually the two will run into each other. Will this be good or bad? Who is the woman from Superman's past? Will Superman be able to save Gotham? What character will will be seeing that is recreated? 
Amazing X-Men #1: This is a brand new series that we have been looking forward to ever since Marvel X-Men Messiah Complex, The X-Men have felt a little hopeless without their friend. However, they learn that Nightcrawler may still be alive. Its up to Northstar, Firestar, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and Iceman to try and bring back their friend. Will they be able to bring back Nightcrawler? Matermind Hulk artist, Ed McGuiness and the old X-Men writer, Jason Aaron are teaming up to make this book one of the best things on the stand this month. 
Batman Black and White #3: We have been collecting this new mini series since day one and we have enjoyed every book. We wish there were more than 6 books in this series, but unfortunately at six books this series will end. These books are some adventures from some of the top artists and creators. This week Lee Bermejo, Marv Wolfman and Riccardo Burchielli, Rian Hughes, Damion Scott, Paul Dini and Stephane Roux. We enjoyed reading the first two and loved the creativity and art in both books. We can't wait to see what adventures they have for Batman Black and White #3.
Batman Superman #5: We have been enjoying this series ever since it has been released. Gamers this weeks issue is especially good for you to read. When the new toy master comes up with a deadly weapon everything comes to life. This is the ultimate fighting game and there is one target in mind, Batman. Can Superman help Batman before the video game takes its first victim? What other heroes will we see in the video game fighting in this battle? 
Doctor Who Prisoner's of time #10: We have been enjoying this 50th anniversary collection, and its one of the first books we look for when a new list is released. This book features the 10th Doctor and features all eleven of the reincarnations of The Doctor. This week, The Doctor brings Martha to the 1950's in Los Angeles and they run into a movie crew who's members start to mysteriously disappear. Will The Doctor and Martha be able to uncover the mystery of all the missing people? There are three different covers with this book, and they ship randomly. So keep in mind you may not get the one you want unless you pick up one from the store.
Forever Evil #3: With all of the heros gone, it is up to some very unimaginable protectors to fight off Lex Luthor. There is also a secret revealed about the Syndicate's mission and what it will mean for the future of the DC universe. Who do you think the new hero's will be? Do you think they will be able to fight off Lex Luthor? What is in the future for the DC Universe?
Green Lantern #25: It has been a while since we have read any Green Lantern so we are picking up this book to add to our collection this week. We like the Black and White variant cover on this one so we hope to get this particular variant. This week, there are some major decisions to be made with the Green Lantern Corporation and Hal is faced with some decisions. However, everyone else may not agree with him so this could cause some issues. Will Hal be able to resolve everything and get everyone else to agree with him? Or will people leave the corporation and make it even weaker? Will anything happen while they are figuring out the solution? 
Ghostbusters #9: It has been a while since we have read any Ghostbusters so we are picking up thisweek's book. This book almost seems as if it should have come out last week in time for Halloween. This week, Stingy Jack was rejected from Heaven and Hell so instead he is reeking havok in Manhattan. The Ghostbusters must stop him before he burns the city into the ground. The heroes will encounter lots of turmoil this Holiday season. Will the Ghostbusters be able to stop Stingy Jack before he desroys the whole city? 
Shadowman #12: We have always enjoyed the Shadowman series. This book will have a collection of stories of dead tales and beyond vs just one story so it should be a great one to enjoy. There are many great creators and artists that worked on this book so either way you should not be disappointed. We can't wait to see what stories they have in store for us this week.
Superman Unchained #4: This is another book that we have been collecting since the first book was released and we are continuing on with our Superman Unchained collection this week. There are a total of 11 different covers for this book, and this series was made to celebrate the 75th anniversary that takes place next year. We want to get just about every variant for this book including the Jim Lee variants. We picked this one for our blog because we like the old school look for the 75th anniversary. This is the Silver Age variant. In this issue, Superman is determined to stop Ascension's attack and has an encounter with Wraith. Superman has no choice but to call in some friends for some help. Who will win the battle? What friends will join Superman as allies to help him? The cover we have shown is the variant cover that we hope to pick up. We love the old school covers so this one is our favorite of them all.
