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Don’t forget to check out POINT of ORIGIN’s look at DC: The New Frontier all week.
Sunday was Part One.
Wednesday: POINT of ORIGIN: DC: The New Frontier, Part 2: Issues 3 and 4
Saturday: POINT of ORIGIN: DC: The New Frontier, Part 3: Issues 5 and 6
There’s gonna be a big surprise at the end. You won’t want to miss it. For more, check Wednesday's POINT of ORIGIN.

Every Tuesday, I’m here to shed a little light on your comic reading choices for Wednesday. As always, click on a pic to make it biggie sized.

Dark Horse Comics

Umbrella Academy #6
Remember way back when I called this the mini-series of the year? No? Okay, let’s get you back up to speed. Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) teamed up with Gabriel Ba (Cassanova) to deliver one hell of an f’d up take on a super-family. This is the last issue of the mini-series, and if the way issue five ended is any indication, this issue is going to blow whatever pre-conceived notions you have away. You should be able to find the other 5 issues at the shop on Wednesday, if you haven’t already grabbed them up. Take my advice, grab this book off the shelf, slap $2.99 down on the counter, and walk out the comic shop better for the experience. FYI, Dark Horse is holding a raffle contest for to celebrate Umbrella Academy's success. There's some pretty cool stuff, so go ahead and enter.

DC Comics

Justice League #18
Ed Benes draws a mean super-team. His takes on the members of the Justice League will go down alongside some of the other greats who have tackled one of DC's flagship titles (Porter, Byrne, Maguire). This issue promises to be a slugfest between the members of the JLA and the Suicide Squad. I, for one, can’t wait. Dwayne McDuffie has been giving us an underappreciated run. It’s no surprise he can write the JLA, he only worked on the Justice League animated series forever. The current asking price for awesome is $2.99. You can swing it.

Marvel Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #551
Despite Amazing Spider-Man's editorial faults, I have to stand by Marc Guggenheim again this week. Last issue his writing reminded me why Spidey is one of my favorite heroes ever. He’s always just smart-assing around, and I love it. Salvador LaRocca has been knocking the art out of the park here, especially considering he’s got like 4 different books he’s drawing right now. That kind of consistency is clearly worth the $2.99 Marvel is requesting you exchange for the rights to own this book.

Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death
Looking for something to fill the part of you that’s missing great pulp adventure? Look no further than this one-shot showcasing Orson Randall’s adventures as the Iron Fist. This is also a perfect chance for you to jump on one of Marvel’s more under the radar titles. Matt Fraction has been delivering month in and month out on this title. Don’t let his hard work go to waste. Scrounge up $3.99 in change from under your car seat, and use it to pick up this comic. PS- Ed Brubaker co-plots this book with Fraction if that sways your decision at all.

The Order #8
Sadly, it was announced recently The Order was going to end with issue 10 due to sales not meeting Marvel's expectations. Barry Kitson and Matt Fraction have been nothing short of stellar while teamed on this book. It’s a shame I didn’t get the word out sooner. Don’t take the fact this is being cancelled to mean you shouldn’t pick it up, or that it’s a bad read. Quite the opposite. $2.99 lets you in on the swan song of this unappreciated title. Plus, if you stick around to the end of the column, you’ll find out how to grab up issues 1 through 7 on the cheap. Then you’ll see what you’ve been missing.

Trade Paperback/ Hardcover of the Week

This week is such a light week single issue wise, I figured on giving you guys two terrific trades to ponder when hitting the local comic shop.

Green Lantern Sinestro Corps War Vol. 1
This is your chance to read the opening salvo of the storyline of 2007. Hands down the most action-packed story you'll read this month. Not only does it showcase some amazing pencils from the likes of Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis and Patrick Gleason, but you're also getting some stellar scripting from Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons. This is the blockbuster ever blockbuster wishes it could’ve been. I’ve said plenty good about this story already. $24.99 may seem a little steep, but prorated out over the 176 pages, you’re only paying 14 cents a page. That’s a bargain if I ever saw one.

The Order: The Next Right Thing
Hey, wow, you mean to tell me the week issue 8 comes out Marvel also puts out a collection of the first seven issues? What marketing genius. Despite the low sales, Marvel still saw fit to organize these issues for everyone who missed them the first time around. The Order focuses on a group of super-heroes who are termed to one-year contracts. Seeing how all these characters have to deal with one another considering they were placed on the team by the government, and didn’t decide to work with one another by choice, is what makes Matt Fraction and Barry Kitson’s creation such a fun read. And their adventures are pretty crazy, too. Go ahead and plop $14.99 down for this. Then pick up issue 8 while you’re at it. If you’re not satisfied, Marvel won’t give you your money back, but hey, you gave something new a chance. They can never take that away from you.


See you next week.

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