Well Captain Britain and MI13 has come to a close … and I’m sad.

I don’t know if you had a chance to read it, but the comic — Marvel’s British-flavored super team series — did not deserve to die.

Of course, I hear many fans of canceled series say the same thing; although, honestly, most of the comics floating around the industry that get cut truly do suck. (Spider-Girl anyone? I’m just saying!) Captain Britain and MI13, however, was damned good.

The comic was that rare superhero book that didn’t focus on fight scenes that go nowhere and over-hyped characters — instead it reveled in witty dialogue and the development of smart stories.

Its last arc — which pitted the team against the legendary vampire Dracula and an army of the undead — was played out like an intricate game of chess. In this multi-issue tale, strategy was more important than things blowing up. That’s not to say that things didn’t blow up, but writer Paul Cornell forced you to pay attention to each move on his expansive battlefield — not just random acts of violence.

Yes, I will admit, the cast of MI13 (guys like the Black Knight, Pete Wisdom and Blade, among others) was far from a collection of A-list characters. Hell, it wouldn’t even be a stretch to call them lame. But if you read the book, you’d see they were utilized in ways they’d never been before. As the dust of the last issue clears, I’d go so far as to say that these heroes were left a lot cooler after the series than before.

At the very least, this comic brought Captain Britain’s “dead” wife Meggan back to the Marvel Universe … so those six Excalibur fans out there should be happy.

I’m not sure how much of this series will be collected in trade paperback, but hunt down the back issues for sure to enjoy this gone-too-soon series.

Carlton Hargro is Editor-In-Chief of Creative Loafing. You can read more of his writing at the magazine’s Comic Proportions blog.

On Monday night, the Heroes Discussion Group met to discuss the highly-lauded graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

The conversation flowed fast and furious; there was a decisive split between the attendees as to the merit and the success of the work.

Some found the memoir a genuinely engaging slice of life; others had problems with narrative issues caused by Satrapi’s short-comings as a cartoonist.

We explored how she presented life in Iran before and after the Islamic Revolution. The Old Fart moderator added some historical color by describing how the average American teen felt when the American Embassy in Iran was seized.

A substantial amount of time was spent discussing the author’s teen-age years spent alone in Europe far away from her parents and her culture.

The conversation went on far longer than we anticipated. We had to stop at 8:00pm to give us enough time to screen Persepolis, the animated film adaptation of the books.

By the time, the film ended, it was close to 10:00pm and we decided to continue the discussion on line here at our favorite site.

If you have read the books or viewed the movie, we invite you to join us. The questions may range from general discussion about the graphic novel itself to comments about the film to an analysis of the adaptation from comic to cartoon.

To start: there were strong disagreements about the first 100 pages of Persepolis II that detailed the author’s teen-age years spent in exile in Europe.

One of our participants—Heroes unofficial and incredibly talented photographer Vy Tran—Face-booked me (a verb is coined!) yesterday and stated:

“I was a little disappointed at how a couple of the folks at the discussion were giving the author flack because the problems she dealt with in the second half of the book “weren’t a big deal” and were “stupid.” Dusty even said, “Everyone deals with stuff like that.” But I’ll submit to you that the problems she dealt with during her time in Europe WERE a big deal BECAUSE everyone goes through stuff like that. “

What do YOU think?

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So, Legion of 3 Worlds is FINALLY over. And now that it’s over, it’s probably time to assess the general quality of the five-issue limited series.
I’ll say up front that I liked the LO3W — but for two specific reasons … which I’ll get to later.

Firstly, here’s what I didn’t like about the series:

Superboy Prime — The success of a blockbuster comic book rests on the shoulders of its villain, and Superboy Prime — though powerful — was just silly. Yeah, I sometimes found his dialogue freaking hilarious, but … err … that’s the problem. It’s hard to take a bad guy seriously when he’s cracking you up. (Except for the Joker and Superboy Prime ain’t nobody’s Joker.)

Too many characters — it seemed like a cool idea at first, but when you get hundreds of Legionnaires together it just seems like a big, anonymous mass of costumed dudes and dudettes. At the end of the day, only a few characters held the spotlight anyway.

Lateness — It’s bad when a book is so late, you know the ending before the last issue comes out.

OK, so that’s what I didn’t like. But, as I mentioned before, there are two reasons I think LO3W was actually an enjoyable tale: Conner Kent and Bart Allen.

Say what you want about the series and writer Geoff Johns and artist George Perez, but ultimately they brought two characters back from the dead who should never have died. So the ends justified every single page of the means.

And that’s it.

Can’t wait to read Adventure Comics!

So this week is an especially slow news week. Besides the regular stuff we do in the store all week, y’know, selling comics, restocking comics, all that stuff, I’ve been working on some site-based stuff that’s had me hip deep in code for the last week or so. Not necessarily redesigning the site, but before we start putting up a bunch of stuff for HeroesCon 2010 (yes I’ve noticed the 2009 dates are still listed, thank you), I wanted to spiff the place up a little bit. A lot of little things will change, and I’m going to clean up the site navigation and other little odds and ends that have annoyed me since I redesigned it back in 2007.

The big thing is that I’m going to be moving this blog onto our site proper, via the awesome and swear-inducing complexity of WordPress. We’re going to be using the blog a good bit more, providing more content from out in the comics world, more interviews like this one, more reviews, more guest blogging, etc. So while I’m still in the planning stages, I wanted to ask you guys:

What would YOU like to see on our blog? What aren’t we talking about that you’d like? What ARE we talking about that you’re tired of hearing about? While it’s true that we’re a comics shop that wants to take your money, we like you and want you to enjoy having your money taken; or if you live too far away to shop here, at least enjoy reading about us and our various opinions and connections.

Point is, a lot of what has made us so popular over the years is YOUR very kind support, so I thought I’d ask YOU what you thought. See how I’m getting YOU to do my work for me? All it takes is CAPITAL LETTERS!

Anyway, let’s hear it: post in the comments section below what you’d like to see more or less of. As long as you’re polite, I promise we are listening. And in the meantime, thank YOU for listening!

How can I make sure I get part eight of the “Wolverine: Old Man Logan” storyline?

There have been a lot of changes with the Wolverine titles as of late and I have been getting a lot of questions about the Old Man Logan storyline. I wanted to take this time to clear things up a little bit so that everyone is on the same page. Wolverine has changed its title to Dark Wolverine and it is focusing on Wolverine’s son Daken. So that means that Wolverine Weapon X is the main Wolverine title.

So what does this mean to you, as a reserve customer, who has Wolverine on your pull list? I will pull Dark Wolverine #76 for “Wolverine” and “Dark Wolverine”, but after that I will switch the Wolverine reserve list to “Wolverine Weapon X” (since that title is focusing on Wolverine). So if you want to continue getting Dark Wolverine you will need to add it to your list.

Now what does this have to do with Old Man Logan? Marvel is wrapping up the Old Man Logan storyline with Wolverine Old Man Logan Giant Sized #1 that is scheduled to come out in late September. I would have pulled this for everyone who was getting “Wolverine” but since I am changing that title I will pull this for everyone who is getting “Wolverine Weapon X”. If you don’t want to get Wolverine Weapon X but you do want the Old Man Logan one shot do not despair! Just let me know and I can Previews order you a copy (but you should only do this if you don’t have “Wolverine Weapon X” on your list).

So to sum up this way-too-long blog post, there are TWO ways to get the Wolverine Old Man Logan Giant Sized #1: 1) Have “Wolverine Weapon X” on your list or 2) tell me that you want it. It is that easy!

One of the cool things about working on the convention every year is getting to see some stuff well in advance of its publication. Sometimes it’s because it gets sent to us, sometimes we see it at another show, sometimes the publisher sends out advance copies to increase retailer interest.

The first time I heard about Lamar Abrams was when “Cheeky” Chris Pitzer informed me that he would be attending HeroesCon with AdHouse Books. Now, while I trust Chris above most people, I like to have SOME kind of idea of who someone is before I just throw their name up on our guest list, so Chris sent me over a pdf of the first bits of Remake, which would be published in a few months. I was down with the program pretty much from page one, although I have struggled with how to explain why–Remake is an amazing book by a breakout artist, although it has some weaknesses here and there, even if they’re mainly weaknesses born out of the enormous enthusiasm of the book.

The best and worst thing about Remake is its limitless enthusiasm and elan. Almost from the first page you can tell that Lamar Abrams is spinning these comics right out of his brain, with very little editing happening between said brain and the page. I say this as if I know: of course I do not. But I certainly got that impression, which as someone who reads a ton of comics is ENORMOUSLY refreshing. This, to me, is one of the things that really animates minicomics as an artform–the kind of egalitarian idea that says anyone can make comics any time, any way they like. And with someone like Lamar, who obviously is hugely talented, that kind of loose energy makes his comics come further alive.

It’s almost like it’s meta-funny–for instance, what is actually happening in the story rarely seems particularly important, as much as HOW it’s happening. Like in this 2-page sequence, one of my favorite of the book which had me giggling out loud in the bathroom of the Toronto Reference Library a few months ago:

“UPSLAPT” is now my favorite sound effect, complete with arrow-addition to the “U”. And how can you beat dialogue like “Oh my hand and part of my arm!” I’ll tell you how: YOU CAN’T!

The problem with Remake is really just one of format. I think what’s reprinted in the book is the original minicomics 1-3, and maybe some extra odds and ends. In small doses the lack of a gripping story is probably less evident, and you’d be free to just giggle yourself silly over the panache and flourish of Lamar’s art and dialogue. As a 150-or-so page book, it can be harder to digest as a whole. This may just be me being a format snob, OR even more likely cautioning myself to be careful when one day reprinting my own feeble minicomics. I suggest reading Lamar’s comics as they were originally published, in chunks. The book is just $12.95, so pretend you’re buying 3 $4.50 minicomics with a fancy cover and you’ll be in good shape.

Basically though, Lamar Abrams is the bomb-diggety. I have found myself looking at this book again and again–there’s something really effortless and engaging about Lamar’s comics, as if he’s channelling the kind of silly comics you’d make when you were 8, but employing man-sized talents to those comics. Result: UPSLAPT!

Oh! And while hunting images for this review, I happened on Lamar’s website, which has a ton more cool drawings and comics. I suggest you hop into that. In the meantime, you can pick up Remake from us at the store (some have Lamar drawings in them!) or from AdHouse if you are not fortunate enough to be one of our customers. Enjoy!

by comic strip fanatic and general know-it-all Andy Mansell

My favorite memories from my childhood were the Saturday nights when my father would take me to the drug-store and we would buy the Sunday editions of all four major Chicago Newspapers. I had four, 12-page full color comic sections. It was heaven. This may be inconceivable for most of you under the age of thirty; but with the rise in classic comic strip reprints, the fondness for this great lost art is growing.

The strips were great–some adventure, some humor, some soap opera, but there were no superhero strips except perhaps the Phantom. Around the same time, I purchased a Batman 80 Page Giant for a precious quarter and lo and behold there was a reprint of a Dick Sprang style Batman Sunday page from the 40s!

My mind reeled—I sat down and drew my own fantasy Sunday Section with a full page Hourman, a full page Doctor Fate—in the style of Prince Valiant—an Aquaman vs. Sub-Mariner battle strip and a full page Fantastic Four. This was my childhood fantasy—my first “collectors” dream.

With the Sunday strips dying a slow painful death—even though we strip fanatics hold onto them for dear life—DC has decided made a bold step forward to bring my dream project to life! (They must have found the letter that I wrote to Julius Schwartz back in 1970!)

Thus Wednesday Comics was born—and you must read it for several reasons:

1. You will get to experience the joy our parents and grandparents felt every Sunday morning. In the Charlotte Observer, there are no less than 8 (8!!!) comics on a single page. DC gives you a single strip per page like the way it was back in the 30s and 40s. Nirvana!

2. The creators take full advantage of their format. Some explore the size with challenging results. Some stick to the traditional grid.

3. And the Flash Comics duo of half page features uses every old strip convention to create something refreshing and new!!—you have to read it to believe it!

4. Although they are all ‘hero’ strips, the results are wide and varied.

5. If you are a fan of current comics, the list of writers and artists reads like a veritable all-star roster: Azzarello, Busiek, Gibbons, Palmiotti, Kubert(s), Didio and Gaiman-just to name a few!

6. If you are more intrigued by a contemporary or “Indy” slant, you have Paul Pope tackling Adam Strange and Kyle Baker taking Hawkman to new heights (sorry–I had to)

7. The Gibbon/Sook Kamandi strip is told in the format of Prince Valiant. For me, this page alone is worth the price of admission! (Yes, it blows my Dr. Fate clear out of the water!)

8. Unless I am mistaken, we will finally find out who would win the epic battle: Krypto or Streaky

9. Best of all, you will finish the book (paper?—PAPER!!) and you will anxiously await next week’s edition. That was the sole job of the newspaper cartoonists back in the day.

10. Finally–It is only $4.00

Try it! Buy it!! Don’t wait for a couple of issues to come out. Don’t wait for a trade collection. These comics are meant to be read once a week in one sitting. So select your breakfast cereal of choice—I’ll take Fruity Pebbles —and enjoy!

OK, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend buying Marvel Divas #1 — because, as I flip through the pages of this four-part limited series’ debut issue, there’s stuff to like and stuff to hate.

First up, let’s talk about what I hate. For starters, the general concept is a little lame. I can almost hear the writer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, pitching this comic: “It’s like ‘Sex & the City,’ but with super heroes.” Not sure if that’s how it went down … but it’s corny, right? You’ve got to be one heck of a salesperson to convince an editor that gathering some of Marvel’s most well-known female heroes — Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Black Cat, Firestar and Hellcat — and have them sit around, drink mojitos and talk about boys will be a hot comic. But the book’s central idea comes off a trifle stale on the printed page.

All that witty banter about bad dates leads to my other most-hated section of the comic: the ending. The cliffhanger we’re left with is pure soap opera melodrama and something you’d see in a Lifetime movie, not a Marvel comic.

Now, putting those wacker elements of the book aside for a second, let’s talk about what I actually liked about Marvel Divas. Yes, the comic depicted a ton of “girl talk” scenes, but it was nice to see superheroes having conversations — especially ones about emotions and relationships — instead of just punching or shooting. In a weird way, it reminded me of old Marvel Comic titles where characters’ personal lives were regular fodder for stories. Look past the mojitos, and you’ll see some cool character developments and some cool in-continuity moments (like a scene showing Marvel’s black super people cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina).

On top of that, the art — by Tonci Zonjic — is done in a cartoony style that’s light on lines but heavy on emotion. It kind of comes across like a less-manic version of Amanda Conner’s work.

So, see: things to like and things to hate.

At the end of the day it was fun. If you are a fan of any of the heroes featured in the comic (or a fan of Sex & the City — oh you know you watched it!), you’d get a kick out of Marvel Divas.
Carlton Hargro is Editor-In-Chief of Creative Loafing. You can read more of his writing at their website.

While you may not always know to hear US talk about it, we’re not the only game in town when it comes to local comics conventions–our buddies Dave Hinson and Rick Fortenberry have been organizing the Charlotte ComiCon, for the last few years. It’s a seasonal one-day show, with the summer installment taking place this Sunday, July 12th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Charlotte. The show will go on from 10am to 4pm, and there are a host of guests and exhibitors you can check out at the official site. Our resident tough guys Seth Peagler and Rusty Baily will be manning the Heroes booth, so be sure to drop by and slap some high-fives with those guys.

Best of all, readers of our blog and this Friday’s Heroes Hotline will get an extra bonus! You can print out the coupon below and bring it in for $1 off your ticket price! You’re welcome!