Seven days left, ya’ll!  You feelin’ it?  Merry X-Mens is right around the corner, and the search for gifts, trimming of trees, all that goofy shit is reaching a fever pitch.  Me?  No X-Mens Spirit yet, folks, I gotta be up front.  Ol’ Hotsauce is workin’ like crazy and is bone-weary.  But I’m getting there.  It helps when I get to kick back and relax, catch up on the tv I’ve had to ignore, and dive into the ever-growing “To Read” funnybook stack.  That stack grows considerably larger this week as a truckload of my very favorite books drop.  It’s like Kris Kringle, even knowing full damned well I’ve never been on the NICE list, is still looking out for me.  Hit the jump and see what books have caught my eye and belong in stockings across the globe (note:  do not actually put a comic book into a comic book fan’s stocking – don’t fuck up the CGC value plzzzzz), and make sure to tell us what books you want wrapped, bagged, and boarded under YOUR tree.  For those of you reading that don’t celebrate X-Mens, you should be ashamed.  Very un-American of you.  Xavier died for all of our sins, and his birthday should be kept holy.

On to the books!

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Welcome, friend-os, to another installment of BTFC, the #1 stop to find the best and brightest comic releases each week.  Not #1?  Did I make your top 10, at least?  No matter.  What DOES matter is that we’ve got a week chock full of interesting releases, and if you hit the jump you can check those out AND be privy to my insane Marvel U conspiracy theories.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

Check out all the new releases HERE and remember to hit up the comments section and mention the floppies that made your pull list but perhaps missed my mentioning.  See you inside!

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“On my signal, unleash Hell.”

So this is why last week was so dry, and why pull lists were weak – the industry was gearing up for the holiday season and the Black Friday LCS sales!  This week sees a thunderous ton of books dropping into our laps.  Every book that normally gets a “Omega Level Pick of the Week” all come out this week.  Huge events reach their conclusion.  Exciting new books drop to replace them.  Superman celebrates his 75^th Anniversary.  Your wallets groan, your credit cards gnash their teeth, gift cards jump to their death.  So put your bibs on kids, this is the meal before your Thanksgiving meal.  Don’t gorge yourself, the trick is pacing – and the helpings are plenty.

Check out all the new releases HERE, and give your LCS a visit to see if they are offering any cool sales for the holiday season!

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So apparently I caused a commotion on Spaceship OL this morning.  Caff would have you believe I ruined two deck levels, and that a third will need at the very least a scrubdown and new paint job.  Pluto claims I ate his Great American Novel.  The Dude says the munitions locker was ejected into space.  I remember none of this, but I KNOW that I woke up, sobbing, karate chopping two of the ship’s Oxygen Garden Bots, while the crewmembers looked on in horror.

“WHAT – THE – SHIT – MAN?!?!”  Caffeine asked, not politely, if I may say.  The answer came to mind quickly, it was the ONLY thing on my mind.

“The pull list this week.  It’s got hardly anything for me.  I don’t know what to do!”   I received a wall of blank stares, and after a moments hesitation, Caff offered his advice.

“Are you kidding me, bro?  Just look in the archives for some stuff you might have missed.  And get this shit cleaned up.”

That Caff-Pow is a lifesaver.  Hit the jump to see what I found, and for god sakes, if you have any recommendations, please let us know.  I think my sanity depends on it.

All this week’s releases can be found HERE.

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Welcome back, Omega Level Mutants!  This week is a pretty special one for fans of homo sapien superior, as those of who’ve evolved that extra special chromosome celebrate their fiftieth anniversary this month, courtesy of Marvel’s X-Men Gold #1, an issue that brings back X-Men from throughout the years, and the creators who made them famous!  As our own tribute, the column this week is dedicated to chatting up our favorite X-things: characters, writers, artists, squads, villains, movies, etc.  So step inside and lets discuss those folks that have been uncanny, astonishing, amazing, ultimate, and giant-sized – the X-Men!

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Hey folks, Johnny here for another week of comics mirth, mayhem, and pull-list jibber-jabber!  As I write this, I’m looking out my window on a cold, wet, Midwestern fall day – miserable in all respects, but perfect for one thing: sitting inside, listening to music and readin’ comics!  For shut-ins like myself the Comixology app has been a godsend in that if the weather doesn’t abide, no matter, I can grab all this week’s goodies digitally.

Remember, you can check out all this week’s releases HERE.

As always, if I don’t mention a book that you think deserves more love, speak up!  Though my wallet doesn’t quite agree, I’m always eager to try new books, and the OL community wants YOUR input.  Yes you.  I’m pointing right at you.  This week brings kind of an eclectic group of titles, so let’s get down to business, shall we?

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“Omnia mutantur, nihil interit – everything changes, but nothing is truly lost.”  – Dream   Sandman #74 (1996)

Sherlock Holmes.  Superman.  Optimus Prime.  James Bond.  Jesus of Nazareth.  You just can’t keep a great character dead.  Death and rebirth is a staple of all literature, and this week sees one of the great comic book characters and series find new life.  Step inside and let’s talk about superstar author Neil Gaiman revisiting the work that made him famous, and a few of the other great titles dropping this week.  Don’t know what’s coming out?  Check (HERE).

Also, if I fail to give a shout-out to a book that has you swooning, make mention in the comments below!

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Welcome back, friends, enemies, and those destined to be one or the other, to that one stop shop for all that is cool and worth your comic book dollar.  I’m your tour guide, La Salsa Caliente (Johnny is fine), and I’ve got a few books scribbled down on this digital notepad of mine that I want to shove in your grills and demand that you buy, or, at the VERY least, read in the store while your comic shop owner mean-mugs you.  Hit the jump for a very Image-centric week, and be sure to let us know in the comments what books are demanding your money, too.  We love recommendations!  That is LITERALLY why we are here.

If you don’t know what’s coming out this week, I usually see what’s dropping HERE.

Alright then – see ya inside!

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The powers-that-be would have you believe that today is just a Wednesday, another school day.  Another workday.  Some jack-ass, somewhere around the world, right this very instant, is quoting that inane GEICO camel, asking every other poor sap that has the misfortune working with him if they know what day it is.  “What day is it, Leslie? “  “Mike, do you know what day it is?”  If that guy is in your office – coffee mug in hand, smug, all-too satisfied look plastered on his corporate sellout face, do me a favor.  Stand up and tell him what day it is.  Take your keyboard and unplug it from your PC.  Just as he rounds the corner to your cubicle and asks you if you know what day it is – you swing.  Swing HARD*.  Make sure plastic keys connect with bone.  Make sure coffee ruins khakis, and teeth spray like Skittles from a rainbow.  Stand over him, and wait for his eyes to focus again and meet your own. “I know what day it is, Kyle.  Wednesday is Comic Book Day!  Bitch.”  Hit the jump and lets talk comics, and you should probably get away from that d-bag Kyle before he calls the cops.

*Omega-Level does not condone the use of violence to let people know about comic book day, and suggests perhaps just handing out free/unwanted comics to co-workers and friends as a much healthier way of dealing with your issues.

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No hyperbole in those words folks.  No disclaimer.  No caveats.  Rafael Grampa is one of the greatest artists in the comic/pop art world today.  So what we have to wait with baited breath for his forever-delayed Dark Horse mini-series “Furry Water”?  So what he takes time away from drawing to shill vodka and play drums in a band?  Not since Paul Pope have we had a rock start artist that backed up his reputation with truly dynamic and iconic visuals.  The dude is a dream.  This week he’s got three pieces available for us jokers to get our grubby mitts on.  Hit the jump and let’s chat about them and some other comic books of note hitting the shelves Wednesday!

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