Painted Staff Picks (05/09/2018)

Wow! Free Comic Book Day weekend was craziness! We hope you had lots and lots and lots and lots and LOTS of fun! And the excitement does not stop there. Let's get to some Painted Staff Picks!

Justice League: No Justice #1 (of 4)

Adam's Pick

Writters: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson
Artist: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: AndWorld Design

Dark Nights: Metal left the DCU transformed in ways both terrifying and wondrous-and only the Justice League is strong enough to face the threats to come...or are they? Four giant beings comprised of the universe's major energies-Mystery, Wonder, Wisdom and Entropy-who sustain their life force by devouring planets are on their way to destroy the planet of Colu. The only way to take down this unimaginable threat is for the superhero teams of Earth to forget everything they thought they knew and form new alliances.
What secrets of the cosmos will Superman, Martian Manhunter and Team Mystery discover? Will Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Team Wonder awaken alien magic they cannot put back to sleep? What can Harley Quinn possibly have to teach the rest of Team Wisdom? And most importantly...why the heck is Beast Boy on Team Entropy with Lobo and Batman? Find out all this and much more in the most exciting, bombastic event of summer 2018! In this kickoff issue to the four-issue miniseries, after Brainiac systematically takes down all of Earth's super-teams, the last thing the League expects is for him to ask for their help! Without their aid, his home planet and the universe are both doomed!

There is a hole in the Source Wall. This has not only led to new magics. New super powers. But also... New Villains. Ones that are ready to seek out and destroy Earth. With the Omega Titans already on their way, new teams must form and fight together. It is the dawning of the new Justice Leagues!

Barrier #1 (of 5) Collector's Edition

Funky's Pick

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Marcos Martin
Colorist: Muntsa Vicente

From the Eisner Award-winning team behind The Private Eye, Barrier is an unconventional drama about violence, language, and illegal immigration...with a shocking sci-fi twist. After debuting on PanelSyndicate.com, this critically acclaimed five-part miniseries finally comes to print, exclusively from Image Comics. After making the massive, 50-plus-page first issue available to mature readers for FREE on Free Comic Day, this special collector's edition of the first issue is being released in a larger size to match the next four issues being released WEEKLY throughout the rest of May! Printed in its original "landscape" format (side-stapled for convenient shelving!) and graced with gorgeous cardstock covers, each comic is meant to be a durable work of art, and there are no plans for these print issues to ever be collected, so the only way to own your own copies of this groundbreaking story is by supporting your friendly neighborhood comic shop!

Repeat!!! This will never be combined! Come grab the single issues, arriving weekly, today!!!

PS: As Issue #1 was available (as a non-collectors edition) on Free Comic Book Day, this actually makes it the SECOND week #1 is available. It also means that #2 is also on shelves now!

Venom #1 (Leg #166)

Adam's Pick II

Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Ryan Stegman
Inker: JP Mayer
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles

In the wake of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s collapse, an ancient and primordial evil has been awakened beneath the streets of New York, and with it, something equally evil has awakened in that most Wicked of Webslingers - VENOM! Still a Lethal Protector of the innocents in New York, this never-before-seen threat could force Venom to relinquish everything it holds dear - including Eddie Brock! Join two of the hottest creators in comics today, Donny Cates (God County, Thanos) and Ryan Stegman (New Mutants: Dead Souls), for a VENOM adventure a thousand years in the making!

Venom is still on the side of good. Fighting as a champion of New York City. But for how long? A new foe has arisen within the city and it will cause the symbioteto question its choices. Will this enemy cause Venom to turn back and leave his new life of heroing, and maybe even his host, behind?

Need more? We got you! Come on by and we can offer you even more delightful comic tales.

Painted Staff Picks (03/07/2018)

We did it. 20 YEARS!!! And it is all thanks to you, our wonderful customers! And, with you, we will see many, many more Anniversaries. And, to kick off another day with you... Here are this week's Painted Staff Picks.

Oblivion Song #1

Funky's Pick

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Colorist: Annalisa Leoni
Letterer: Rus Wooton

A decade ago, 300,000 citizens of Philadelphia were suddenly lost in Oblivion. The government made every attempt to recover them, but after many years, they gave up. Nathan Cole...won't. He makes daily trips, risking his life to try and rescue those still living in the apocalyptic hellscape of Oblivion. But maybe...Nathan is looking for something else? Why can't he resist the siren call of the Oblivion Song?

If a catastrophic event befell our world and your family was taken away from you, how far would you go to find again? What would you risk? Would you face lands of unspeakable destruction? A lost world filled with the deadliest of creatures? Nathan Cole would. If it means getting those back he lost. He would go anywhere. He would risk everything.

Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Outcast) and  Lorenzo De Felici's new Skybound series, Oblivion Song, takes you to the far ends of the darkest places while tugging at your heart strings. You can almost hear the soft, echoing song alluded to in the title. This is a must pick up. So come by and grab a copy today.

Not enough Kirkman for you? Also out this week is Walking Dead #177 and trade paperback Volume 29. They are out now! Come by and grab all the Robert Kirkman-goodness!

Doctor Strange: Damnation #2 (of 4)

Adam's Pick

Writers: Nick Spencer, Donny Cates
Arist: Szymon Kudranksi
Colorist: Dan Brown
Letter: Travis Lanham

Mephisto has taken up some major real estate in Las Vegas, but he's not going to stop there. He's got the rest of Earth on his "TO GET" list and only Doctor Strange can stop him. The only downside? Strange went into Mephisto's Hotel Inferno to confront him and has not been seen since. Add in the fact that the devilish villain has already corrupted several Avengers... Wong and his rag-tag group of mystical heroes look like they're in serious trouble.

The mystical shoe is on the other foot! But is it the wrong foot? Doctor Strange is fighting with all he can but he is trapped. It is up to his team of mystical heroes to help save him and... The entire world! But... Can they get to Mephisto in time? This new(ish) mini-series from Marvel is worth the grab, come by today if you haven't yet and grab the second issue in this magical Doctor Strange saga.

Batman: White Knight #6 (of 8)

Adam's Pick

Writer/Artist: Sean Murphy
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Todd Klein

Gotham City's strongest alliance comes to an end when Gordon's trust in Batman reaches its limit. On the verge of resignation, the commissioner attempts a final act of public service, but an unlikely intervention allows the Dark Knight to fight another day. Meanwhile, Jack's mission takes a hit when his pills lose effect-and under cover of all this chaos, Neo Joker is positioned to take the city hostage.

We know we have talked about this incredible DC Comics Elseworlds series before. But we really wanted to reiterate it. Batman. White. Knight. Is. The. Best. You. Should. Buy. It. New printings of back issues are in stores, if you have yet to come in and grab yourself some copies, come by today!

We know you love books just as much as we do! Come by, say hi and grab all of these great books!