Here’s a rundown of new books I think you should be aware of in this first week of August.  This week’s spotlight features some local color from a few of our talented Charlotte-area comic creators, which makes this an even better than normal week for all of us at Heroes!  It’s always a good thing when we see our neighbors making quality comics!  For a full listing of today’s new comics be sure to check out the new releases section of our site.   

1) Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1

This is a title I’ve been eagerly awaiting since it was announced.  For those who aren’t familiar with the character, the source material is the illustrated novel Baltimore, Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, a collaborative effort from Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.  The novel might have been missed by some, but it’s well worth reading if you can find it.  This comic isn’t an adaptation, but presents a new story that takes place between parts of the novel.  So even if you have read the novel you’ll be getting a whole new episode in the life of the peg-legged vampire hunter in the comic.  We know the whole vampire idea is being overdone lately, but as with American Vampire, Baltimore‘s representation of the undead is much darker than recent incarnations, hearkening back to the classic Stoker novel.  Joining Mignola on the comic are Christopher Golden and artist Ben Stenbeck, who turned in some nice work on Mignola’s other recent character Witchfinder.  Baltimore is a great addition to his ever-expanding comic universe, and if you’re a fan of Hellboy or B.P.R.D. this is a book not to be overlooked.

2) S.H.I.E.L.D. #3

Jonathan Hickman has quickly established himself as one of Marvel’s top writers in just a few short years.  S.H.I.E.L.D. is the rare book that is living up to the hype surrounding it.  What sets this title apart from others is the fact that it takes an interesting starting point, the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., and finds ways of adding depth to the premise that moves it beyond a mere linear exploration of one of Marvel’s classic institutions.  All the while, Hickman and artist Dustin Weaver add historical figures like Galileo and Da Vinci to the story, not just as background characters but as integral movers of the plot.  In this comic, it’s characters like these who defended Earth from cosmic threats like Galactus and the Celestials long before super heroes existed.  If you want to read a truly unique comic that still manages to incorporate elements of super heroes into its telling, read this book if you’re not already.

3) Daredevil: Black and White #1

Marvel has released several of these stand alone issues over the past few years.  What’s great about these books is that you’re not only getting three complete stories for a $3.99 price tag, but there are quality creators behind the stories.  For example, in this book you have the talents of noted writers Peter Milligan and Ann Nocenti, Iron Fist artist David Aja, and Jason Latour, one of our great local comic professionals.  And as the title suggests, all the stories are in stark black and white, which if you’re like me, only adds another reason to purchase.  The previously released Doctor Strange and Master of Kung Fu black and white issues were also excellent, but probably overlooked by many.  Do yourself a favor and remember to look at this new Daredevil issue.

4) Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love TP

The popular Fables spinoff miniseries receives its first trade paperback collection, which binds together the entire six issue run.  Writer Chris Roberson recently added another Vertigo success to his name with his recent iZombie series.  His work on Cinderella is brought to life by veteran artist Shawn McManus, who has worked on a wide range of titles over the years.  And the covers for the series were illustrated by another skilled local comic artist, Chrissie Zullo.  As is the case with many of the best paperback collections, this one is said to contain extras.  It’s like watching a special edition dvd. . .only you’re reading and not really watching.

5) Hawkeye and Mockingbird #3

In the seemingly endless sea of Avengers titles, here’s one that definitely deserves more attention than it’s receiving.  Jim McCann and David Lopez hooked me with their first issue with their good job of capturing the dichotomy between these two characters.  More than that, they brought back the classic version of Hawkeye who simply loves being a super hero.  We haven’t seen that character have fun in a long while.  Regardless of the relationship between the two title characters (once married, then both dead, then both alive), it almost reads like a good cop flick, with Hawkeye filling the gung ho, devil-may-care persona, and Mockingbird being a bit more grounded and technically-minded.  Throw in a few lower level West Coast Avengers villains and suddenly you have a comic that is more fun to read than I expected.