I don’t know if there is anything else in the world that makes us happier than when people we know and like get recognition for their talent and that certainly is happening with artist and writer Jason Latour. I may be a little biased because he is a customer and good friend of the store, but I genuinely love his work. He is one of the wittiest and smartest guys I know. I love listening to him tell stories and talk about comics. I think I can speak for everyone at Heroes when I say that we love it when he comes in the store!

Comic Book Resources has a preview of Latour’s story in Daredevil Black and White #1 which is out this week. Peter Milligan wrote the story and Latour did the art. The basic synopsis is that Daredevil is given a chance to get his sight back but it comes with a catch.

I love the way he lays out his pages and how they flow. I love his style and use of contrast between the whites and blacks and grays. In other words, he can really draw! His story in Daredevil Black and White #1 is great! I highly recommend that you pick it up right now if you haven’t already done so!

Also, CBR’s Timothy Callahan interviewed Latour for his When Worlds Collide blog. Callahan speaks very highly of Latour’s work. It is a really fun and informative interview. It gives you a glimpse into the dedication it takes to be a comic book artist. Most people don’t stumble into the industry, most people have to work their butts off to get where they are. Definitely check out the interview and find out what made Latour say this, “Every time that’s done the sky rains Jack Kirby’s tears.” Latour even mentions Heroes and HeroesCon and says some really nice things. Shucks, thanks Jason!

Latour has some exciting new projects coming up this year. He will be doing the art for Scalped #43 which is written by Jason Aaron. Also, his book Loose Ends will be coming out later this year through 12 Gauge. He wrote this one and Chris Brunner did the art with Rico Renzi on colors. I am so super excited about that book! Brunner had some pages on display at our art show at Twenty-Two. It looks amazing! Plus Brunner and Renzi are more friends of ours and we love to support our friends! Another big project due out next year is Noche Roja which is a Vertigo Crime original graphic novel written by Simon Oliver with Latour on art. You will hear more from us about each of these books as they come out!

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.

We wanted to take this time to thank all the readers and critics of Creative Loafing who voted Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find the Best Comic Book Shop in Charlotte! It really does mean a lot to us to win this award. We work really hard to make Heroes an awesome store and it is nice every once in a while to get a little recognition for it. We love comics and we love our customers and we hope that enthusiasm shows! So stop by the store today to pick up your new comics from the best shop in Charlotte and while you are there pick up a copy of Creative Loafing and check out the other winners!

Former employee Dan Morris (pictured along with his lady Christa Newman) will be teaching two Advertising and Graphic Design classes this fall at the CPCC Harper Campus. These classes are open to the general public and there aren’t any prerequisites. Classes are held on Saturdays beginning August 21 and run till December 11. For admissions information check out CPCC’s admissions page.

The first class is listed under the Illustration Concepts category and is titled Drawing Words/Writing Pictures: Creating Comic Books and Graphic Novels. It will be taught using Matt Madden and Jessica Abel‘s book Drawing Words/Writing Pictures. Makes you wonder how they came up with the course title. This is basically a how-to class for comics. It will also cover some basics about comic history including important figures in the medium. During the class students will create several pages worth of comics. This is a class for anyone interested in learning the basics of how to create their own comics.

The second class is part of the Visual Narratives program and it is titled Constructing Visual Narratives: Comics, Graphic Novels and Picture Books. This class is a little more in depth than the previous one. Students will be focusing on how to tell a story through comics. They will learn about different approaches and methods of storytelling and how best to utilize the medium of comics to tell their narrative.  By the end of class students should be able to create their own mini-comics.

For a more detailed course description please take a look at CPCC’s Fall course schedule.