Comic Book Pick of the Week

BATGIRL #73
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Written by Andersen Gabrych; Art by Pop Mhan and Jesse Delperdang; Cover by Tim Sale

Life and death maintain a tenuous balance at the edge of the Lazarus Pit. A major character has died. Now a battle must be fought between two old foes…and only one will survive. We're not giving away any secrets, except to say that this is the end of Batgirl!

Batman  |  32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50 US

On Sale February 15, 2006

This is the
last issue of this series. It wraps up the storyline of Batgirl's quest for her mother with more revalations of Lady Shiva's past.

Dodge Hornet Concept Car

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First came the Dodge Razor and then the Dodge Slingshot concept cars, well the newest compact concept car is the Dodge Hornet.
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"This Hornet concept, which debuts at the upcoming Geneva motor show, goes after the small, spiffy and economical European B-segment. The hunched down, wide-bodied, front-wheel-drive hatch will run 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, thanks to a single-cam 1.6-liter supercharged four-cylinder that generates 170 hp and 165 lb-ft. The engine mates to a six-speed manual transmission."
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"The front passenger seat and the rear seats all capable of folding forward to provide a flat loading bay."
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Comic Book Picks of the Week

There were several good books out this week as DC Comics wraps up various storylines in order to prepare for next month's "One Year Later" leap.

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NIGHTWING #117
Deathstroke's endgame is in play, and not everyone will make it out in one piece! On the run from the deadly Society, Nightwing is in for the fight of his life. Guest-starring Oracle and a whole mess of villains as we wrap up one of the biggest Dick Grayson stories ever!
32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50 US
On Sale February 8, 2006

I couldn't believe the way they ended this issue. Talk about leaving you hanging. I was like "ARRGH, NO WAY!"

HAWKMAN #49
Concluding the 3-part "Coalition in Crisis!" The repercussions of the Rann/Thanagar War climax as Hawkman and Hawkgirl face their feelings for each other with total annihilation looming ahead. There's no turning back now, and the imminent Crisis may determine their ultimate fate.
32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50 US On Sale February 8, 2006

Another couple gets together only to face an uncertain future. This is like the trend of the week. It's an INFINITE CRISIS tie-in with some great artwork by Chris Batista and Cam Smith.

TEEN TITANS #32
An INFINITE CRISIS tie-in! Superboy-Prime meets Superboy as the Boys of Steel confront one another about their roles in this universe.
32pg.  |  Color  |  $2.50 US On Sale February 8, 2006

This issue has more of the big Superboy fight that was in INFINITE CRISIS #4. This book is worth it for that alone. Plus it ties up some loose ends reguarding history of The DOOM PATROL.

Winter Storm hits the Northeast

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Up until this weekend, I had been enjoying the warmer than normal winter weather that we've been having in New Jersey. It meant very little snow fall totals for the season. Well that all changed as a major winter storm dropped record levels of snow in the Northeast on Saturday night and Sunday.

The storm blanketed the Eastern Seaboard from North Carolina to Maine over the weekend, dropping 26.9 inches of snow Central Park — the heaviest snowfall since record keeping began in 1869. The old record was 26.4 inches in December 1947.

Where I live in Central New Jersey, we had between 17 inches to 21 inches of snow. My Dad and I spent several hours shoveling out the driveway and walkway.

NYPD To Test Dodge Charger Patrol Cars

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The New York Police Department is adding some muscle to its car fleet: the 2006 Dodge Charger.

The department plans to buy 15 police versions of the car for a pilot program that will begin this summer.

In a recent analysis by Michigan State Police, Chargers equipped with a V-8 engine had the quickest acceleration (6.52 seconds to 60 mph) and fastest lap time (150 mph) of any police vehicle tested.

The police highway unit will test drive 10 Chargers featuring V-8 engines, officials said. The rest will have V-6s and hit city streets in the five boroughs.

If they pass inspection, they could replace hundreds of squad cars in the NYPD's 3,000-vehicle patrol fleet, now dominated by Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas.

Nemesis Riker and Troi Coming to New Force!

The next exciting Star Trek release from Diamond Select Toys is the New Force Comics exclusive "Nemesis" Riker and Troi twopack! These star-crossing lovers are presented in their “Star Trek: Nemesis” uniforms and together will help complete the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise-E!

Sculpted by the experts at Art Asylum, this exclusive twopack also features movie-accurate accessories and amazing character likenesses. In scale with past releases, the Star Trek: The Next Generation action figure universe is swiftly expanding to include more of fans' favorite characters and looks.

Available in Spring of 2006, fans are encouraged to visit
www.newforcecomics.com to pre-order their exclusive twopack today, as quantities will be limited. Pictures of the "Nemesis" Riker and Troi action figures will be available after next month's American International Toy Fair in New York City.

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40th Anniversary of Star Trek Brings New Figures!

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With the Star Trek franchise’s 40th anniversary celebration beginning on September 8th, we at Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum are excited to announce plans to commemorate this historic occasion with several action figures and collectibles! Beginning at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, fans will be able to buy products specifically geared toward the original Star Trek series as well as the ongoing Star Trek: The Next Generation line.

The first of several special announcements involves the completion of a line that some fans thought would never be completed. Four exclusive action figures from the classic episode “Mirror Mirror” will be made available at San Diego Comic Con! “Mirror Mirror” Uhura, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov will round out the previous releases including Kirk, Spock and Scotty figures! Each figure will be exclusive to a different retailer, with all four making their debuts in San Diego.

Images of these upcoming exclusive figures will be available after the upcoming American International Toy Fair with prototypes displayed at several conventions leading up to the Comic Con launch. In scale with the previously released “Mirror Mirror” figures and featuring the same articulation, these Art Asylum-designed figures are sure to please fans and retailers alike. Be sure to check back during our Toy Fair coverage for more Star Trek news!

2007 Dodge Caliber SRT-4

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Dodge has replaced the Neon with the Dodge Caliber starting as a 2007 model. The factory that had made Dodge Neons for the last decade now had Dodge Calibers rolling off the assembly line. To replace the Neon based SRT-4, Dodge will be introducing the Dodge Caliber based SRT-4.

Simon Elliott, Managing Director of Chrysler Group said: "The SRT-4 has been developed by Chrysler Group’s ‘Street Race Technology’ performance division. All SRT vehicles feature unique exterior details, lowered sports suspension, sports interior and a powerful engine - the all-new 2.4-litre turbocharged engine boasts a tyre-smoking 300 horsepower to deliver a level of power you’d expect from a V8!"

The SRT-4 is a performance version of the Dodge Caliber and offers 260 lb. ft. of torque from a 2.4-litre turbocharged engine to reach 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds.

Comic Book Pick of the Week

The excitement and action of INFINITE CRISIS continues in this weeks comic book pick of the week. One of my favorite DC characters dies in this issue. I was expecting another character to die instead, but I was surprised while reading the story to see that it would be someone else. I hope that they bring this character back sometime in the future.

RANN/THANAGAR WAR: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL
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Written by Dave Gibbons; Art by Ivan Reis and Marc Campos; Cover by Gibbons and Michael Bair

Infinite Crisis is here — and the Cosmic Storm rages out of control, threatening the fate of the entire universe! While the Rannian and Thanagarian flagships each suspect that the other is responsible for the disturbances, Donna Troy must lead her team of space champions into the cosmos in an attempt to prevent total destruction. But as the war rages on, a startling discovery will be uncovered, one hero will be forever changed, and another will make the ultimate sacrifice.

DC Universe  |  48pg.  |  Color  |  $4.99 US

On Sale February 1, 2006

New Star Trek Action Figures Announced

DIAMOND Select Toys has announced some more new Star Trek figures.

Enterprise Crew Continues to Grow!

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With the Riker and Worf figures hitting stores soon, we’re pleased to officially announce the third series of Star Trek: The Next Generation action figures will feature Data and Geordi La Forge! Based on their appearances in both the series and the feature films, Series 3 will contain three core figures and several exclusive versions of each character.

The first officially recognized artificial life form, Lieutenant Commander Data is much more than a machine. Developed by renowned scientist Dr. Noonian Sung, Data is gifted with super-human strength, durability and intelligence and even began experiencing actual emotions as part of his quest to become more human.

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Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge, one of Data’s closest friends, has served aboard the Enterprise for years despite his handicap. Born without sight, he has overcome this obstacle thanks in part to his V.I.S.O.R. and ocular implants. Originally a flight controller aboard the Enterprise, his brilliant proficiency with the ship’s systems quickly resulted in his being promoted to Chief Engineer.

You can expect the same articulation featured in the upcoming Riker, Worf, Picard and Troi figures, with incredible attention to detail and series-accurate accessories. The core assortment is scheduled to contain Season 7 Data and Season 7 La Forge along with a limited mystery figure! Images and details will be announced along with the full lineup of exclusive figures as the Fall 2006 release date approaches.