It’s the second annual 2 in 1 Showcase Halloween Spooktacular! In this oversized episode, the boys talk about their favorite slashers, both in the movies and in comics. The guys talk about the worlds of Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash crossover, plus a discussion of the best slasher series ever to come out of comics, Hack/Slash. In the picks, Chase is a fan of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1, while Blake has been introduced to the coolness that is Supernatural Law. E-mail us with your comments, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!

Episode 90: Halloween Spooktacular II

But the Halloween Fun doesn’t stop there! We’ve got TWO mini-episodes for you this week! First up, a special flashback to April, when the guys recorded a special segment for the Library of the Living Dead Podcast featuring the Marvel Zombies!

Episode 89.5: Marvel Zombies

Next, Blake is here to give you a reading of an all-new Halloween short story. You can read the full story as it’s serialized over the next week at his website, Evertime Realms, but he hopes you enjoy this audio version of the first part of the tale. Enjoy “THE RESTLESS DEAD OF SIEGEL CITY!”

Episode 89.6: The Restless Dead of Siegel City

As many of you may already know, PJ and Veronica recently left BSI to pursue other opportunities. And we are now pleased to introduce you to our new staff.  First up is Monty (pictured above), the artist on a webcomic called Welcome to Border City.  Monty also loves Transformers (but not the MIchael Bay movie, that’s just silly) and Hello Kitty! Our other new staff member is Tim (not pictured above), he reads a lot of Marvel and claims he’s not a Skrull.  Additionally, we have a volunteer staff that helps out on Wednesday mornings, but they wish to remain anonymous.  Just think of them as comic elves that magically fill your orders.

We strive to bring you the best in comics, including service.  If there is anything any of us can do to better your experience with BSI Comics, please let us know.

Reviewed by: Ryan Broussard : ryanb1114@yahoo.com
Rating: Solid
Title: Captain America #43 : “Time’s Arrow” part 1

Can Bucky really leave his past behind…

Writer:Ed Brubaker
Art: Luke Ross
Inker: Fabio Laguna
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Warren Simons
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Wow it seems like the whole Red Skull taking over the world, brainwashing Sharon, Bucky becoming Cap arc lasted for two years.  Maybe that is because it did almost last two years.  That’s along time in comics.  I am so very relieved that arc is over and we can move on.  It was good writing and a nice story but it dragged on for a bit too long.  I am hoping now that we the reader can connect better to Bucky enough to except him as Captain America.  This issue, although not the best new start, is definitely not a bad one.

About a month has passed and Bucky has started to hit the streets and take down criminals just like Cap would.  He seems to have a good relationship with Natasha, the Black Widow, and from what we know Sharon is being taken of.  But Bucky still has problems feeling like Captain America, and rightfully he should.  I just can’t shake the feeling that Bucky is temporary.  I see him as Captain America, just not THE Captain America, if that makes any sense.  I think that Brubaker has done wonders for the character and makes him work just fine.  But it still doesn’t feel like Captain America.

But the story is still good and peaks my interest.  I really want to see the Widow/Bucky relationship develop.  I want to see who this new villain will be.  I want to see Bucky deal with the ghost of his past as the Winter Soldier.  This issue has a nice set up for all those things.  I guess the bottom line is this: Captain America is a pretty good book right now.  This issue is a good jumping on point and a solid start for a new direction for the series.  On the other hand, I still keep waiting for Steve Rogers to come back as Captain America and make this book full again.

The art by Ross is good.  I think he shines more at action scenes than static ones.  The fight panels with the leaper are great and the flashbacks stick out in my mind.  He does use a lot of very big panels, which works for the writing Brubaker is doing here.

Overall, this is a solid issue that shows some great promise.  It’s a good jumping on point for those who are curious to see how Bucky fares as Cap.

What Works:
The Action, the bucky/widow scenes, the flashbacks

What Doesn’t:
The character can not figure out whether he is cap or not, and frankly, neither can I

Recommended for:
New Cap readers…

Scores:
Story: 3.5/5
Art:3.5/5
Final: 3.5/5

You can pick this issue up at BSI Comics when it hits stands this Wednesday October 22nd !

How do you read your comics? Once the monthly magazine has run its course, there are more options than ever before: hardcovers, paperbacks, digests, phone book-like “Essentials,” Premiere hardcovers, and hefty, hefty omnibus editions. This week the guys talk about all the different ways comics can get collected in the aftermarket, which verions they like the best, which formats don’t cut the mustard, and even the possibility of digital comics for your collected editions! In the picks this week, Chase is a fan of The Lone Ranger, while Blake recommends the new beginning in Fables #76. E-mail us with your comments, “Ask Chase Anything” questions, or anything else at Showcase@comixtreme.com!
Episode 89: The Omnibus Edition

In order to raise awareness for Domestic Violence shelters and a Women’s Crisis Line, the fansite Wonder Woman Museum is sponsoring Wonder Woman Day III. The event will take place on October 26, 2008 in Portland, OR and Flemington, NJ. However, you don’t have to fly out to enjoy the fun. There are a slew of original works of art by a ton of artists with online bidding starting in two days.

Those of you that come to the store on a regular basis (most of you) know that conversations vary wildly from the latest issue of Proof (you should be reading it) to origami cranes. But the one topic I love talking about is the state of the comic book industry. I may not get to read every issue that comes out, but I truly love owning and operating BSI Comics. Most of you see the day to day fun of the comic store. What you don’t see is the serious amount of time that goes into running the shop and keeping it open. Carl Tupper once told me that everyone should go into business for themselves at least once to know what it’s like. It’s not easy. Don’t get me wrong, BSI Comics is a better job than my previous one with the company that rhymes with Shmentergy. The funny thing is that when I was in the process of buying the store I thought that I would bring my guitar (the one I don’t know how to play) to work with me and I’d have time to learn it while I worked. Quick, raise your hand if you’ve seen me with a guitar in the store. That’s right, you haven’t. The guitar still sits in a corner of my house and gets strummed on every now and then by my 16 month old daughter (maybe she’ll find the time to learn it).

We are a proud member of ComicsPRO and have attended every trade show they have offered because we believe in advancing the comics industry. There is a lot to love about the comics industry, but there are many things that need to change in order to stay viable and relevant in the future. A recent aritcle on The Comics Reporter site boasts If I Were The Emperor of Comics: Two Dozen Things I’d Decree To Make Comics Better. My personal favorites are numbers 6, 7, 14, and 21. But, they are all valid talking points. If you are at all interested in the issues surrounding your favorite medium I encourage you to speak up and let us know of things you’d like to see. We are in regular contact with Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse and are alway willing to pass on suggestions, criticisms, or raves.

As always, I’ll see you on Wednesday.

BSI Comics is proud to announce the addition of Comic Collector’s Bricks. Each brick is packed with 5lbs. of comics, 40-50 different issues for only $7.99. But that’s not all! Each Comic Collector’s Brick comes with a coupon for $5 off anything in the store with the purchase of $25 of back issues. Get em while they’re hot!

Reviewed by: Ryan Broussard : ryanb1114@yahoo.com
Rating: Surprisingly Good
Title: Marvel Zombies 3 part 1 of 4

The Marvel Zombies invade the Marvel Universe

Writer:Fred Van Lente
Art: Kev Walker
Colors: Jean Francois-Beaulieu
Letters: VC’s Rus Wooton
Cover Art: Greg Land & Justin Ponsor
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the incredible success that Marvel Zombies had when it first premiered on the scene.  I eventually read it and enjoyed it very much.  Then they announced Marvel Zombies 2 of course and I picked that up as well.  That was still pretty good but not as great as the initial run.  It was still considered a success and thus Marvel announced to print Marvel Zombies 3, although under a new creative team.  I know I for one was disappointed to here that Robert Kirkman was not going to be writing this and so I had little hope for this series.  I felt the idea had become stale and with out Kirkman would be left to rot (no pun intended).  Well I was completely surprised by this new take on the Marvel Zombies and the direction they are going in.

Make no mistake this is not the Marvel Zombies that we are used to.  This does not take place on another dimension or parallel universal like the others; this takes place in the REAL Marvel Universe.  That right there is a huge change that new writer Fred Van Lente has brought to this book.  That means this book feels much more part of the Marvel Universe we are all reading currently.  This issue even begins with the introduction of the Florida state Initiative team.  The story is that the zombies that found a portal into the Marvel Universe and must be stopped.  We are introduced to a new ultra secret group like S.H.I.E.L.D. that is called A.R.M.O.R. and monitors alternate realities and their ties to the Marvel Universe.  I absolutely love this idea.  Even more so this group figures the best way to take down the Zombies is to send in machines with no living flesh into the Zombie Universe and take them out.  So the group recruits fan favorite and Nextwave star, Machine Man along side Jocasta, who just made her debut back to the Marvel Universe in last months Avengers Initiative. It is a fresh and terrific idea that Van Lente has brought to the table here.  I was just completely surprised at how good this was.  I was expecting the same old Zombie versus Zombie with cybernetics story that has been played out already.  This is something very different and in fact I would say is the best first issue out of the trilogy of Marvel Zombies so far.  Van Lente is going great places with this story.  I love that he is using Machine Man as his hero and I love the overall idea.  Add to that good writing, good violence, great action, and a zombie deadpool and you have a great issue.

The art by Kev Walker is surprisingly good as well.  This issue much more clear than its predecessors.  Walker has a good take on the Zombies and has a very good rendition of Machine Man and Morbius.  I very much enjoyed the art and found no real problems.  Also Greg Land provides a nice cover based on the Army of Darkness movie poster.  It appears that all the covers for this book will be based off of a horror movie of some type.

I can’t believe I am saying this, but this issue was one of the best Marvel Zombies issues yet.  It felt a lot like an Avengers Initiative issue except they are against Zombies and not Skrulls.  I love this new direction.  I feel anyone that was on the fence about this series to go ahead and pick it up and see how different it is, but in a great way.  Besides, with Halloween around the corner, what would your pull list be with out a Zombie title?

What Works:
Great set up, nice action, amazing idea, new use of old characters like Morbius and Machine Man

What Doesn’t:
No familiar zombies from the past Zombie stories, but that is okay really.

Recommended for:
Marvel Zombie Fans, NextWave fans, and Avenger Initiative fans (if that is you, you could not ask for a better book!)

Scores:
Story: 5/5
Art:4/5
Final: 4.5/5

Make sure to pick this issue up at BSI Comics when it hits stands this Wednesday October 8th!