Bet you thought I forgot all about this week’s PlayStation comic store update, didn’t you? Well, I didn’t. So here it is.

This week’s biggest steal is the first five issues of the original 1963 version of Marvel’s X-Men. No matter how dated they may seem, these issues are among some of the best from Marvel’s silver age, and you’d do well to check them out. There’s another healthy dose of Wolverine, but the selection tops out just before the start of Jason Aaron and Ron Garney’s excellent “Get Mystique” arc. Hopefully you won’t have to wait that long to be able to download that one because it’s awesome. Phoenix: Endsong also shows up, but unless you’re really familiar with Grant Morrison’s run on New X-Men, these books won’t mean a whole lot to you. IDW has another good bit of content this week, with All Hail Megatron leading the pack. Thankfully, this week sees the return of publisher Red 5, and their off-beat We Kill Monsters. It’s no Atomic Robo, but it’s still pretty decent. More selection is always a plus, and if more Red 5 comics sell, we’ll likely see more Red 5 comics show up on the marketplace.

It’s a pretty light week overall, but there’s still some great work to be read. Check out the complete list below.

• 2000AD Prog # 1670 - $ 1.99
• Archie & Friends # 137 - $ 1.99
• Betty & Veronica # 1 - $ 1.99
• Donald Duck and the Vacation Chain # 0 - $ 0.99
• Donald Duck in: “Gone With The Wind” # 3 - $ 1.99
• Dreamland Chronicles # 2 - $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe # 8 - $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe Origins # 8 - $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes # 2 - $ 1.99
• Locke & Key: Head Games # 5 - $ 0.99
• Marvel Knights (2000) # 11-15 - $1.99 (each)
• Scrooge McDuck and the Coin-Eating Plant # 0 - $ 0.99
• Star Trek: Nero # 2 - $ 1.99
• Superduck # 8 - $ 1.99
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 15 - $ 1.99
• Transformers # 3 - $ 1.99
• Transformers: Tales of the Fallen # 2 - $ 1.99
• Transformers: Tales of the Fallen # 3 - $ 1.99
• We Kill Monsters # 1 - $ 0.99
• Wizards of Mickey # 4 - $ 0.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 56-61 - $199 (each)
• The X-Men (1963) # 1-5 - $1.99 (each)
• X-Men: Phoenix Endsong (2004) # 1-5 - $1.99 (each)

Top Cow’s Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5 comes out today, so why not check out our preview right now?

Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5 (of 5)
(W) Mark Waid    (A) Kenneth Rocafort    (Cov) Rocafort, Ale Garza, Joe Weems V

Morningstar and Cyberdata’s ultimate plan is revealed in this earth-shattering conclusion. Will the Cyberforce and Hunter-Killer team members discover his true goal in time to stop it or will Morningstar emerge triumphant?

Cover A – Kenneth Rocafort and Emily Warren
Cover B – Ale Garza, Joe Weems V and Sunny Gho of IFS
Cover C - Kenneth Rocafort

Full Color        32 pages        $2.99      limited series

For comics shipping 03.10.10 or The Week Fantasies Got Final. Every week I’ll check Diamond’s shipping list to see what you absolutely, positively need to spend all your hard earned cash on at the Local Comic Shop.

DC COMICS

Batman and Robin #10 - $2.99

Andy Clark joins Grant Morrison for the latest storyline in this excellent comic. Cameron Stewart’s art will be missed, as was Frank Quitely’s when he took his leave, but Clark is a more than capable artist in his own right, and I can’t wait to see what he does with this book and these characters.

Daytripper #4 - $2.99

Another day in the life of Bras, another intriguing story from the minds and pencils of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. It’s not exactly clear where this philosophically focused book is going, but the ride has sure been sweet so far. What’s more, is that each book is fairly self-contained, allowing new readers to come aboard at any point. It’s about time you started reading this, don’t you think?

Secret Six #19 - $2.99

Catman’s past is about to catch up with him, but what will the Six think? Honestly, as long as Gail Simone is writing this book, I’m reading it. That should hold true for you too.

MARVEL COMICS

Criminal: The Sinners #5 - $3.50

Finally, this whirlwind of an arc comes to a close. Brubaker and Phillips are masters of their craft, and have yet to deliver a finale that didn’t live up to the story that preceded it. I hope you’ve been following this book from the start because this is one conclusion that’s sure to be as gruesome as it is heart-breaking.

Punisher MAX #5 - $3.99

Another great crime story comes to a close this week as Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon’s opening arc on the relaunched, revamped, and remade Punisher MAX rockets to its stunning conclusion. Crime as we know it in the Punisher’s world is about to change forever thanks to the birth of the Kingpin, and you’re not going to want to miss out on what I’m sure is only the tip of the iceberg of what Aaron has planned for this book.

Ultimate Spider-Man #8 - $3.99

More great Spider-Man stories from Brian Bendis and Takeshi Miyazawa. I’m sure by now that I don’t have to keep reminding you to pick this book up, but I’ll do it anyway. Pick this book up.

ONI PRESS

Ghost Projekt #1 - $3.99

Joe Harris and Steve Rolston bring you this sci-fi thriller with Cold War tendencies about a mysterious Russian secret base, and the project that somehow has found its way to being re-opened. You can check out a 13-page preview right here, and after you read that, I’m  sure you’re going to be as sold on the book as I was. Rolston’s art is a big part of why I’m checking this out, but I’m also a sucker for a great espionage story. This looks like it could be the best of both of those worlds.

Trade Paperback/Hardcover of the Week

Greek Street, Vol. 1: Blood Calls for Blood - $9.99

First of all, this book is terrific. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the Greek tragedies of yesterday were reimagined to happen in the Red Light district of London, this is the book for you. The writing is excellent, if a bit confusing at times, and the art is just perfect for a story like this. Secondly, this collection is only ten bucks. I love when publishers know they have a quality product on their hands that could use a bit more regular readers, so when a collection comes out, they price it on the cheap in the hopes of grabbing your sales. It’s worked before for worse books, but Greek Street is truly a bargain at this price, and you’d do well to start reading this immediately.

That’ll do for this week. Hopefully the site will be running at full capacity again very soon, so don’t stray too far.

Though not much has been heard on the Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 front since it was announced in December, recent listings on IMDb.com may have revealed some of the characters appearing in the game. Returning are Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn, and joining them will be Robin and Two-Face. Could Robin’s casting allude to some sort of co-op multiplayer?

A quick perusal of the Internet Movie Database this morning revealed a few intriguing bits of information regarding the sequel to the surprise super-hero video game hit Batman: Arkham Asylum. According to the latest casting update for Warner Bros. Interactive’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed action-adventure title, both Two-Face and Robin will be characters making at least cameo appearances. Of course, with the actors supposedly cast, I have an distinct feeling these roles will be much larger.

Bruce Greenwood, who many of you will remember as Captain Pike from Star Trek and Ashley Judd’s husband in Double Jeopardy, will be playing Two-Face. There’s no indication at all that he’ll be playing Harvey Dent, leading me to believe that at least as far as this game’s universe is concerned, Harvey Dent has been Two-Face for a substantial length of time. Ironically, Bruce Greenwood will be the voice of Batman in the next animated feature from DC, Batman: Under the Red Hood, but the man’s got a great voice, and terrific range, and I’m sure his Two-Face is going to be able to hold his own against Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker.

The bigger surprise comes from the casting of Robin for the game. Vincent Martella, most recognizable as Joe Lo Truglio’s sidekick from Role Models, will be providing the vocal track for the Boy Wonder, though we don’t know which of the four (Spoiler doesn’t count) Robins he’ll be portraying. I’d put my money on Tim Drake, but only because Dick Grayson is so much older. Jason Todd, and his sordid history, wouldn’t be someone the video game writers wanted to deal with, and Damian is just too new. Like Greenwood, it’s also a bit ironic since Martella will be voicing a young Jason Todd in the upcoming Under the Red Hood direct-to-DVD feature. As cool as it is to see that Robin will be appearing in the game, I’m more excited for what this casting potentially means. Yeah, you guessed it: multiplayer.

Now, there’s been absolutely no indication from Warner Bros. Interactive that this game will have multiplayer, or just what this game will entail (other than taking place in Gotham), but let’s for a minute suppose that the developers intend to include some sort of co-operative play. How awesome would that be? Even if it only pertained to challenge rooms, having the ability to play as both Batman and Robin at the same time with a friend would be a hell of a lot of fun. Think of all the crazy cool combos you’d be able to pull off. Think of the sweet team-up maneuvers you’d be trying to coordinate. The possibilities are endless, and I hope that Warner is at least thinking of adding a feature like this. I’m by no means asking for the the entire game to be co-operative. The first Arkham Asylum played wonderfully as a single-player experience, but as you can clearly tell, some sort of Uncharted 2-like optional multiplayer missions would have fans super excited. Perhaps we’ll learn more from this week’s GDC, but if not, we’re likely to hear more about Arkham Asylum 2 at E3 2010, so stay tuned to this same Bat-channel.

This week the PlayStation comic store will have released 1000 comics, and even though I haven’t been keeping track, I’m guessing about eighty percent of them have been Marvel. Not that that’s a bad thing.

Now the service has only been available for a little over two months, and already the catalog is robust enough that it would rival even some of the most impressive physical comic collections. With another few weeks, the offerings online may even surpass my own private collection, but that’s neither here nor there. The most important thing is that publishers have found a way to expand their potential market, and they’ve done it in a way that still preserves the brick and mortar comic shops. While I’ve voiced my gripes about the lack of publisher variety week to week on the PlayStation comic update, the comics offered are generally good reads. This week, you’ve got a heaping helping of Tales of Suspense, including the very comic where Iron Man first appeared. There’s also a pretty decent sampling of both the Wolverine and X-Men ongoings, with the main appeal of the Wolverine books being some Simone Bianchi art. His style may not be for everyone, but I happen to think it’s pretty cool. IDW has a decent showing of their monthly books, though you either have to be a pretty big GI Joe fan or a Transformers fan to care. I’m not really either, but I can tell you that GI Joe: Cobra is still an excellent read regardless of being a book based on an action figure line.

Check out the rest of the week’s releases below, and see if any of the 1000 comics available appeal to you.

• 2000AD Prog # 1669 - $ 1.99
• Army of Two # 2 $ 1.99
• Donald Duck and the Unexpected Guest - $ 0.99
• Donald Duck in: “Gone With The Wind” # 2 - $ 1.99
• Dreamland Chronicles # 1 $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe # 7 $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe: Cobra # 6 - $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe Origins # 7 - $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes # 1 - $ 1.99
• Locke & Key: Head Games # 4 - $ 0.99
• Scrooge McDuck and the Haunted Cellphone # 0 - $ 0.99
• Star Trek: Nero # 1 - $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963)#39-53 - $1.99 (each)
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 14 - $ 1.99
• Transformers # 2 - $ 1.99
• Transformers: Tales of the Fallen # 1 - $ 1.99
• Ultraheroes # 2 - $ 0.99
• Weekly World News # 1 - $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 50-55 - $1.99 (each)
• X-Men (2004) # 199-204 - $1.99 (each)
• X-Mickey: The Glove # 8 - $ 1.99

Sara Pezzini vs. Aphrodite IV, round two. Find out how it all goes down in our preview/review of Witchblade #135.

Witchblade #135
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Stjepan Sejic
Cover Artists: Sejic, Darick Robertson, J. Scott Campbell and Nei Ruffino

In part one of “Almost Human”, the Witchblade bearer came face to face with Aphrodite IV, a super-strong, indestructible cyborg woman with green hair. In part two, the story delves right into the action, with plenty of robots and gunfire.

Sejic’s art is remarkable, as always. In addition to his great art style, it’s the small touches on certain pages that really make me stop and look. For example, early on, there’s a large panel of Sara and Aphrodite stopped in mid-fight, and there’s an air of innocence in the picture not often seen near either of them. Seconds later, the shit hits the fan, bullets are flying, and the Witchblade is out in full force. It’s an interesting contrast, and just another reason why I enjoy all of Stjepan Sejic’s work in the Top Cow universe.

This is a great issue for Ron Marz, too. In addition to giving us great lines like “I don’t care if you are just R2-D2 with nice tits…”, Marz nicely moves issue #135 from the action-packed first pages to the slower paced middle of the story, and then back again. He also managed to bring a bit of humanity into Aphrodite IV, who previously seemed to be nothing more than a super android in the body of an attractive female.

Witchblade #135 does a good job of furthering the story, making Aphrodite more interesting, and setting up the climax of this particular arc. See what happens when the issue hits comic store shelves today.

For comics shipping 03.03.10 or The Week Spring Training Began Once More. Every week I’ll check Diamond’s shipping list to see what you absolutely, positively need to spend all your hard earned cash on at the Local Comic Shop.

DARK HORSE COMICS

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #33 - $2.99

Twilight revealed. For the few of you left who use the internet and didn’t find out the identity of the masked man a few months ago, this is the issue you’ve been waiting for.

DC COMICS

Demo, Volume 2 #2 - $2.99

This issue’s story centers on a man who resents food so much he doesn’t eat. Too bad he’s become smitten with a co-worker, and will do whatever it takes to win her over. The thing I love most about this series is I have no idea what’s going to happen, and I can’t stop turning the pages once I open a book. You should all definitely be reading this great series.

Detective Comics #862 - $2.99

More great Batwoman adventures from Rucka and Jock. I’m a huge fan of Jock’s art, and even though it’s tough for anyone to have to replace JH Williams III on a book, I really am digging his layouts and finishes on this book. Besides, you’re also getting another stellar Question back-up from Rucka and Cully Hamner, so you really can’t go wrong here.

First Wave #1 - $3.99

Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales bring Doc Savage and The Spirit into the DC fold for good with this mini-series, which will hopefully launch a series of new ongoings starring the Man of Bronze and Denny Colt. Those of you wondering just what Batman is doing on the cover should know that this story will take place during the very start of Bruce’s career as the Caped Crusader, and won’t be bogged down by the constraints of continuity of the last fifty years.

MARVEL COMICS

Invincible Iron Man #24 - $2.99

Fraction, Larocca, Tony Stark. That’s all you need to know. I mean, you’re not going to want to miss out on the penultimate issue of “Stark: Disassembled.” Especially since next month’s twenty-fifth issue is likely going to be one of the best single issues of the year.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #5 - $3.99

Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco return to continue the story of the Ultimate Red Skull, and you had better believe I’m not missing a panel of it. Millar defined what the Ultimate Avengers were, and nobody tells a better story with these characters than this guy. Pacheco’s no slouch in the art department either. Check this out.

Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #1 - $3.99

Even though I don’t particularly care for what Jeph Loeb’s done with these characters in the past, he’s got the distinct advantage of working with Frank Cho on this book. If you don’t know how stunning each and every page of Cho’s art is, perhaps you better do some searching online to find out what you’ve been missing. Seriously, this book is going to look amazing. How it reads? That’s something we’re going to have to find out together.

Wolverine: Weapon X #11 - $3.99

Ron Garney returns to team with Jason Aaron for another arc of the best Wolverine comic on the stands. The action’s intense. The art’s top notch. The characters are well characterized, and the plots are engaging. It’s a new story arc that would be perfect for new readers to jump on with. That was a hint.

ONI PRESS

Stumptown #3 - $3.99

Man, feels like forever since I read the last issue of this book, but the wait will have been well worth it. Rucka’s got a character with a sharp mind and tongue, and a propensity for trouble to boot. Solving the case isn’t going to be easy for Dex, but as the mystery grows deeper, the odds grow worse. I can’t wait to see how it all goes down.

Trade Paperback/Hardcover of the Week

Planetary, Volume IV - $24.99

Warren Ellis and John Cassaday created a comic about a group of adventurers who took on all the archetypes and fantastical stories we grew up with and then some. The series finally concluded late last year, and now you can get your hands on the final nine chapters of this tribute to science fiction. Ellis’ storytelling is no joke, and the way he’s able to reinterpret the myths and legends we all know and love cements his place as one of the modern masters of comic fiction. John Cassaday is a brilliant artist, with a deft ability to ground fantasy in reality. Once you grab this, you’re going to want the other three books. Do yourself a favor, and make sure you leave a little room on your bookshelf for Planetary.

Today, Marvel sent around this teaser image featuring Valkyrie, Emma Frost, Hellcat, She-Hulk, Agent Brand, and Monica Rambeau fighting dinosaurs, zombies, and an old man. What could it mean?

We’ll supposedly find out the full scoop on Heralds tonight’s Attack of the Show on G4, but from the looks of it, I’d say Marvel’s unleashing yet another “Grrrrl” comic on the world. Listen, I’m all for promoting strong female characters. I love Renee as the Question. Tara Chace is one of my favorite characters of all time. I dig Manhunter and Catwoman, as well as pretty much all of the characters in this teaser image. However, the publisher’s recent string of female-centric books being released solely on the premise that the books have women in them is getting to be a bit much. That said, I’ll reserve final judgment for the actual book.

BOOM! Studios and POW! Entertainment have revealed a deal for a new line of superhero comics presented by Stan Lee.

POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios announced a deal has been struck that will see the production of a series of three superhero titles presented by Stan Lee. These series will premiere from BOOM! Studios later this year.

BOOM!’s Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid, creator of BOOM!’s runaway hit series IRREDEEMABLE and its smash sister book INCORRUPTIBLE, will be writing one of the series. Two other series will follow, featuring A-list writers as a part of the creative team. Further announcements will clarify the teams and the timing for the roll-out.

This past December, POW! announced that Walt Disney Studios had entered into a first-look deal with POW! and currently has a number of projects in development where it is working closely with the world-renowned Lee.

The revelation of Stan Lee’s presenting a series of three superhero titles at BOOM! follows on the heels of a viral marketing campaign announcing “Stan’s Back” that hit the internet early last week. Across major comic book news sites and blogs last week, ads appeared teasing “Stan’s Back.” The L.A. Times’ Hero Complex & L.A. Times’ Brand-X also got in on the action, running the “Stan’s Back” campaign in print and on their respective website. All the banner ads linked back to www.stansback.com, a site which had only the “Stan’s Back” logo and nothing else disclosing additional information.

For one week, the internet was in a frenzy with comic fans everywhere trying to figure out what could the “Stan’s Back” teaser campaign mean. Today it has finally been revealed - Stan Lee is back, presenting a comic book series for the Direct Market comic specialty market that Lee was instrumental in fostering.

POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios had no further details at this time. More forthcoming.

I went to LA, and all I got you was the PlayStation Comic Store update.

IDW and Marvel once again dominate the weekly PlayStation Comic Store update, and with less than ten books from other publishers, this week’s fifty comic load is sadly more of the same. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some pretty good reads here. It’s just that, well, I’m starting to get a little fed up with the lack of options week to week. While it’s true that Marvel easily has one of the largest back catalogs available, and a lot of it is really great stuff to read, I just can’t help feeling people using the PSP to get their comics are missing out on the other options. I mean, come on, DC has this crazy license with Sony for comics, action figures, and Sony’s even making the DC Universe MMO. Why aren’t there any DC comics available on this service? Whatever legality and production issues DC has to go through to get some comics up on this service, they need to figure it out. Variety is the spice of life, and bludgeoning people with an endless onslaught of Marvel comics (yes, there are other comics, but nobody’s downloading the latest Donald Duck) is getting a little old. That said, everyone should be checking out Stan and Jack’s early Avengers run.

Pretty sure that last sentence made me seem like a hypocrite. Oh well. You can check out the complete list of comics available below.

• 2000AD Prog # 1668 - $1.99
• 2000AD Prog 2010 Christmas Mega-Special - $6.99
• Burke & Hare # 3 - $0.99
• Donald Duck in: “Gone With The Wind” # 1 - $0.99
• DoubleDuck # 3 - $1.99
• Locke & Key: Head Games # 3 - $0.99
• Magica De Spell and the Enchanted Party - $0.99
• Scrooge McDuck and the Unpredictable Sniff-O-Meter - $0.99
• Superduck # 7 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 1 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 2 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 3 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 4 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 5 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 6 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 7 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 8 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 9 - $1.99
• The Avengers (1963) # 10 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 107 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 108 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 109 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 110 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 111 - $1.99
• The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 112 - $1.99
• Transformers # 1 - $1.99
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 13 - $1.99
• Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 5 - $0.99
• Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 6 - $0.99
• Transformers: Spotlight # 17 - $1.99
• Transformers: Spotlight # 18 - $1.99
• Transformers: Spotlight # 19 - $1.99
• Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 489 - $1.99
• Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 490 - $1.99
• Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 491 - $1.99
• We Will Bury You # 1 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 44 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 45 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 46 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 47 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 48 - $1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 49 - $1.99
• Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Down The Pub # 13 - $0.99
• X-Men (2004) # 193 - $1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 194 - $1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 195 - $1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 196 - $1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 197 - $1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 198 - $1.99
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 1 - $1.99
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 2 - $1.99
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 3 - $1.99
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 4 - $1.99
• X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 5 - $1.99