Bring On The Bad Guys: Darkseid, Braniac, & Terminator

Egads! Another molotov cocktail that's served as a kids drink. Say it isn't so! Say we don't have to suffer the bad guys again! Yes, sad for all of those within hearing range... you will submit!  Your lethal injection of mean is back with this month’s rendition of “Bring on the Bad Guys,” and once again we show that we don’t discriminate because of race, sex, color, or creed. If you’re rotten, you qualify. And there are many ways to qualify. It might be that you enjoy kicking cats. It might be that you eat people. Or...maybe it’s because you’re one of Satan’s soldiers. In any event, we flip through the PREVIEWS catalog each month to see who needs to be called out as a deviant, and then we explain why these people … or things … or whatever they are … shouldn’t be helped if you see them bleeding in the middle of the street.

Let us begin.

The Terminator: The Original Comic Series — Tempest and One Shot

He's the original heartless, cruel, mechanical monster that never quits, and never gets tired. He's cold circuitry, and AI gone bad. Developed with only one purpose: to take you out. You won't even be a memory. The goal is for you to be removed from this Earth because you are nothing more than a virus with shoes. And he is the antibiotic. He's the creation of writers John Arcudi and James Robinson, with artwork by Matt Wagner, and he's back for the attack in The Terminator: The Original Comic Series — Tempest and One Shot (JUN17007). This is Dark Horse's very first Terminator story, and collected in this volume are The Terminator #1-#4 ("Tempest") and Terminator: One Shot. If it's history that you want when it comes to the all-time bad guys in comics, then pick up this book that's already earned the badge of a "classic." Check it out in the Premier Comics section of the June PREVIEWS comic shop catalog!

Darkseid Special #1

Think how hard it must be to exist as a God. No one is on the same intellectual level as you are, or has your stamina, or has your intolerance for self-pity. You're pretty much an island to yourself. Few peers, if any. And yet, you still find yourself caught in the doldrums of life, just like the guy on the street! Consider this: what might the mood be of the dark God after news of the latest daring escape from the orphanage of Granny Goodness? In the Darkseid Special #1 (JUN170374) from writers Mark Evanier and Sam Humphries — with art by Scott Kolins and Steve Rude — we learn that all house foundations within the area shake like there's an earthquake outside your front door. Darkseid is furious, and is determined to capture and punish the escapees. So what might the carnage look like? Word around the camp fire is that the Lord of Apokolips has put his best hunter on the case, but one of Granny's students is unlike anyone he's ever encountered before. So who knows what to expect. If you want to find out first before your friends give you second-hand news, pre-order the Darkseid Special #1 from DC Comics! You'll find it in the Premier Comics section of the June PREVIEWS catalog!

Batman: The Killing Joke By Bolland T-Shirt

In 1988, writer Alan Moore teamed up with artist Brian Bolland to write a self-containd graphic novel about Batman that was said to be loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc "The Man Behind the Red Hood!" It's a story that plays with your head. The Joker has one purpose in mind: to drive Jim Gordan insane. But the story's brilliance is in the flashbacks juxtaposed with the story's current timeline. On one hand we have of a young family man and failed comedian who suffers a bad day that drives him insane. On the other hand, this same insane comedian shoots Jim Gordon's daughter, paralyzing her for life. It is a tale that twists you every which way but loose. Awesome in its execution and drama, The Killing Joke has become a timeless classic in the history of the Dark Knight, which makes the Batman: The Killing Joke By Bolland T-Shirt (JUN172403) a certified collectible. Welcome at any comic con, and guaranteed to show everyone that you have a firm grip on the classics! Look for it in the Apparel section of the June PREVIEWS catalog.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens EAA-017: Kylo Ren Figure

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Well, that old adage doesn't hold water if you shake the tree hard enough, and watch all the fruit disappear into the gutter. Bad things happen all the time, and in the case of the son for Han Solo and Princess Leia, that's exactly what happened. Much like Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side of the Force, so, too, did young Kylo Ren. Worshipping at the foot of his long departed grandfather, Kylo Ren has renounced his parents, and taken the lead on establishing the Empire to greatness again in the latest episode of the Star Wars saga. Now you can pick up a PREVIEWS Exclusive tribute to this young dark lord with the Star Wars: The Force Awakens EAA-017: Kylo Ren Figure (FEB178955) that comes with meticulously crafted layers of outfit, and the character's signature crossguard lightsaber. Painted with expert technique and perfectly representing the texture of his armor, this figure is yours to find in the Import Toys/Statues/Models section of the June PREVIEWS catalog.

Superman Animated Series Brainiac Resin Bust

How do you argue with a super computer? Well, you don't. The circuit board isn't encumbered by emotion. So there's no room for pity or empathy. And if you're facing the Superman Animated Series Brainiac Resin Bust (JUN172645), now you have two strikes against you instead of one. Not only are you facing a super computer, but one which qualifies as a villain that can give The Man of Steel a run for his money. Not many people (or artificial intelligence) can boast such credentials. But, yeah, Brainiac has been around the block a few times when it comes to out-maneuvering the Man of Steel. In the Superman Animated Series, his is the brain which makes Kal-El glad that he stayed in school. Now you can have a fitting tribute to the mastermind criminal with a bust from Diamond Select Toys sculpted by Varner Studios which is limited to only 3,000 pieces, and comes with a hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Look for it in the Diamond Select Toys section of the June PREVIEWS catalog!

And once again we've done our job for the month, showing you our list of irredeemables! Go out and pick up a copy of the June PREVIEWS, and let us know your favorite villains, and who YOU want to pit against each other in a fight to the death. Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter, and let us know about your favorite bad guys.

See you next time, fiends!