Another month of new comics draws to a close, and after a few solid weeks of publishing there are still new comics to talk about.  As always, check our new releases page for a complete listing.  Here are just a few books that caught my attention this week.

1)  Frankencastle #21

Rick Remender‘s horror twist on the Punisher comes to a close with this issue.  While the idea of turning the Punisher into a literal monster was controversial among fans, we can all agree that it was definitely a new take on the character.  The finale boasts art from Dan Brereton, a talented painter who has proven his skills at illustrating monsters with his creator owned title the Nocturnals, along with various projects at Marvel and DC.  This is one to pick up if you’ve followed the Frankencastle story up to this point, or just want to see how they transition the character out of his current monstrous incarnation.

2) Action Comics #893

Writer Paul Cornell has already brought some attention back to Action Comics with his first couple of issues.  By focusing the title primarily on Lex Luthor he has found a way to appeal to old and new fans alike.  This issue offers a showdown between Luthor and Gorilla Grodd, which is made more entertaining by the fact that the talented Sean Chen is illustrating it.  All this and you get a Luthor and Grodd cover by David Finch!

3) De: Tales HC

This new hardcover printing collects various short stories by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, the twin creators behind works like Daytripper, Umbrella Academy, and Casanova.  Long out of print and widely considered to be among their best early works, De: Tales offers some of the slice of life qualities that made Daytripper so popular.  At the same time the volume illustrates the different ways in which the duo work, with both creators alternating between writing and illustrating different stories.  With a strong year nearly behind them it’s nice to see Ba and Moon’s early work finally back in print.

4) Captain America #610

I’m spotlighting this book not only because today’s issue wraps up the Bucky vs. Zemo storyline, but also to remind you that Cap is still an entertaining book.  While Steve Rogers will always be the only Captain America in the minds of many that doesn’t take anything away from the quality Bucky stories that Ed Brubaker has continued to write.  With artist Jackson Guice on board Cap remains a Marvel title worth reading.  Hopefully the Brubaker/Guice team will be around for a while and continue to build on the foundation built by Brubaker and Steve Epting.

5) American Vampire vol 1 HC

I’ve spotlighted this title before but it deserves another mention.  In a time where vampires run amok in nearly every genre imaginable American Vampire succeeds by telling entertaining stories that rise above a marketplace inundated with mediocre monsters.  The 200 page hardcover collection is impressive because it contains a new sketchbook and art section along with an introduction from Stephen King, who some of you might remember as the writer of the backup stories in the first five issues.  Writer Scott Snyder and Raphael Albuquerque have done an amazing job on the series thus far and it’s nice to see their first run on the series collected in a prestige format.

> Other notable new releases this week: Chew #14, Justice Society of America #43, DC’s Star Spangled War Stories one shot, the X-men: Second Coming HC, and Mad’s Greatest Artists: Sergio Aragones HC

Before we officially announce Walking Dead HC vol 1 (which is Walking Dead issues #1-12, or Walking Dead TP vol 1 and 2) as the new Heroes Discussion Group topic, we wanted to ask our discussioners when we should meet. We are of two minds about this discussion group. Either we have it Saturday, October 30 so it can be a Halloween event or we have it Saturday, November 6 so we can also discuss the first episode of the new Walking Dead television series on AMC. So what do you think? Do you want to focus on Walking Dead itself or do you want to also discuss the tv show?

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The Mint Museum Uptown will open its doors to the general public October 1, 2010 with a ribbon cutting at 5 pm. Events start Friday at 5:30 pm and end Saturday at 5:30 pm. That’s right, the uptown location will celebrate its grand opening for 24-hours! Admission on Friday is only $10 to non-members while members get in free. Starting at 2 am on Saturday admission is free to everyone! They have a wide array of events to keep everyone entertained, from Curator’s Spotlights to music to live demonstrations. You can view the full list here! Plus, you get to be one of the first to view the new location and their new exhibitions including Contemporary British Studio Ceramics: The Grainer Collection and New Visions: Contemporary Masterworks from the Bank of America Collection.

The Mint Museum Randolf location remains open with a primary focus on Ancient and Native American Art, Decorative Arts and Historic Costumes. The Uptown location will have the American Art, Craft + Design and Contemporary Art collections. Please see The Mint Museum website for more information about exhibitions, directions and parking.

Mint Museum Uptown Grand Opening Celebration
Friday, October 1 at 5:30 pm thru Saturday, October 2 at 5:30 pm
500 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Last night as I sat down to read Drew Weing’s first graphic novel, Set to Sea, I didn’t realize what an impression it would leave on me. It is so much more than a hauntingly inspiring story about a poet who ends up on a sea vessel. It is so much more than page after page of highly-detailed illustrations. It feels like a small precious art book full of engravings or paintings on each page or an old illustrated maritime novel. Weing has even said that he wanted the book to be reminiscent of old gilded novels from the romantic period and that really comes across, especially with the faux-gilt lettering and embellishments on the cover and the title page.

The story reveals itself with one panel per page and with the sparse use of words, I flew through the book. I regret reading it at such a quick pace and I intend to go back and re-read it (multiple times) to more thoroughly absorb and appreciate the detailed illustrations. Weing’s art is mesmerizing. You could stare at one page for hours. Each page is carefully planned and crafted to maximize its storytelling ability and it is easy to see the love and effort that went into each line and crosshatch.

It would be easy to compare this to Sammy Harkham’s Poor Sailor or Chris Schweizer’s Crogan’s Vengeance. These books are loosely tied together with similar themes and artistic choice but Poor Sailor and Crogan’s Vengeance feel modern in their interpretation of the past. The tone and aesthetic of Set to Sea hearken back to a time long ago. It is as if we have discovered a long-lost relic. Furthermore, Set to Sea is a little more life-affirming than Poor Sailor. Poor Sailor is a heartbreakingly sad story that leaves you feeling morose. Although they both have circular stories that end where they begin you feel like the poet in Set to Sea has lived a happy and fulfilled life. Also, Set to Sea isn’t a kid-friendly boy adventure like Crogan’s Vengeance. There is action and adventure but it is a more character-driven story than an action-driven story. That is a long way of saying, if you enjoyed those two books then I feel certain that you will enjoy Set to Sea. It will have familiar elements but it won’t be the same read.

I don’t want to write a long and exhaustive review of this book to somehow convince you to purchase it. I just want you to pick it up and look at it. Once you do, the art will do the rest.

I posted several of the pictures I took during the Heroes Discussion Group on Fantastic Four by Hickman vol 1 TP on the Heroes Flickr site. Click here to check them out! We all had a great time discussing Fantastic Four, SHIELD and Nightly News with Jonathan Hickman. If you missed the discussion then you can listen to it here via the Dollar Bin!

Stay tuned to the blog for pictures from the Steve Epting and Jonathan Hickman signing!

It’s a huge week for new books but here’s a brief look at some of the standout titles worth checking out.  Don’t forget that today (Wednesday 9/22!) we are hosting the prodigiously talented duo of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Steve Epting from 3 – 7 ! While I’m sure they’ll sign some of their other books the main reason for their visit is their highly anticipated new comic. . .

1) Fantastic Four #583

Jonathan Hickman has slowly been building up FF to the new storyline called ’3,’ and Steve Epting is an ideal artist to tackle what is sure to be an interesting new direction for the classic heroes.  With his work on SHIELD and Secret Warriors (along with less hero-driven books like Pax Romana and Nightly News), Hickman is undoubtedly one of our industry’s most inventive writers.  Epting has had a long and successful career but has been churning out what is probably his best work in recent years on books like Captain America and The Marvels Project.  Since they’ll be in the store Wednesday we’re featuring back issues and trade paperbacks from Hickman and Epting on display this week, so peruse them for any you missed or have been thinking about reading.  This includes some of the books you might have forgotten about, such as Epting’s beautifully drawn pirate story El Cazador and issues of Hickman’s erudite Transhuman.  And if you haven’t read SHIELD or The Marvels Project yet, by all means pick them up this week!  They really are two of the best superhero books to have been published this year.

2) Thor #615

Another quality creative team joins Thor as writer Matt Fraction and artist Pasqual Ferry begin their run on the regular series.  This is a wise move on Marvel’s part as Fraction did a notable job on Invincible Iron Man around the time the first film was released.  Now Fraction has nearly a year to build up the Thor title before the Asgardian hero’s film hits theaters.  Also worth mentioning is how sleek the promo art from Ferry looks.  While he’s been around the industry for a good while, early promo art looks to be some of the nicest work he’s produced thus far.  This should be a fun book and is a great jumping on point for any who might be wanting to read Thor before seeing the Hollywood version of the character.  Don’t be surprised if the Fraction/Ferry duo goes down as one of the all-time great creative teams on the series.  Congratulations are also in order to Matt Fraction for recently winning the ’2010 Pen Literary Award for Outstanding Body of Work.’  Invincible Iron Man has been racking up awards this year and Thor looks to be another artful addition to Fraction’s impressive catalog.

3) Cages TP

We now turn away from superheroes to one of comics’ best examples of high art.  Cages is Dave McKean‘s tour de force, a lofty story he meticulously wrote and illustrated.  The creator is probably best known for his multifarious covers for Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series, but Cages is where he really solidified himself as a creator in his own right.  This long out of print book is over 500 pages in length and focuses on several artistic characters from several different mediums.  With elements of spirituality, art theory and philosophy, Cages is truly a masterpiece.  If you enjoyed Asterios Polyp this is another insightful comic that should definitely be in your home library.

4) Smurfs GN vol 1 and 2

One of this week’s best all-ages offerings, the first two volumes of Smurfs comes courtesy of NBM and Papercutz and is apparently largely comprised of Smurfs comics previously published in Europe.  The Smurfs are slowly coming back into the American spotlight, and with a new movie on the horizon it’s nice to see the classic characters back in print form as well.  This is a great title for those looking for a new book to keep your kids excited about reading!

5) The Art of Drew Struzan HC

Drew Struzan is an artist best known for his iconic poster designs for classic films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and even the Goonies.  Though not someone immediately associated with the comics medium, he’s been a clear influence on modern comic masters like Adam Hughes and Alex Ross.  We’re happy to spotlight this book not only because it surveys so many of Struzan’s timeless pieces but also because it was edited by Steve Saffel, a longtime friend of Heroes who graciously helps us out every year at Heroes Con.  This continues a big year of publishing for both Saffel and publisher Titan Books.  Also published today is another book Saffel worked on, Beetle Bailey HC Dailies and Sundays 1965 – 1966.  Today’s books  follow closely on the heels of The Simon and Kirby Superheroes, which Steve also edited.  If you saw The Best of Simon and Kirby edition or Spider-man: The Icon from a few years ago you know he’s got a knack for strong storytelling and design.  Check out all of Steve Saffel’s books this week in the store!

> And if those aren’t enough great books to pick up during your trip to Heroes here are a few more new releases to consider this week: Flash #5, Avengers #5, Darkwing Duck #4, Avengers Academy #4, Justice League of America #49, Nemesis #3 (Millar and McNiven), Secret Avengers #5, Legion of Super Heroes #5, and Love and Rockets New Stories vol. 3 TP.  With an enormous publishing week upon us don’t forget to check our full listing of our new releases on our site.  And come by the store on Wednesday from 3 – 7 to say hello to Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting!

Oh me! Oh my! We have just confirmed that Jonathan Hickman will be present tomorrow, Tuesday the 21st for our Discussion Group focusing on the first trade paperback of his work on the Fantastic Four. Jonathan has been manning the helm of Marvel’s flagship for a while now and our resident moderator, Andy Mansell, has a boatload of  fun and thought-provoking questions for the wordsmith. So be sure to head on over to the store for the Twenty Third edition of our Heroes Discussion Group, starting at 7:00pm on Tuesday, September 21st.

Hey there everybody! If you’re an early bird every New Comics Day you might want to change your schedule because this week the worms are sleeping in. This is a reminder to all you comic book fans. Steve Epting and Jonathan Hickman will be in our store THIS Wednesday the 22nd for the kickoff of their collaboration on the fantastic Fantastic Four issue 583. The mystery of 3 starts here!

The guys will be in the store from 3 pm to 7 pm signing copies of the brand new Fantastic Four #583 on Wednesday evening. And be sure to pick up one of the guys other super awesome projects. Like say, Steve’s blockbuster Marvels Project or Jonathan’s amazing series’ Secret Warriors and SHIELD plus his creator-owned Nightly News! Also, don’t forget that Steve was the artist that wrenched at our hearts by “killing” our beloved Captain America. All these and more will be on display and available for purchase now through the signing.

Check out our Flickr page for photo reports from Baltimore Comic-Con and SPX!

Click here for the Flickr set for Baltimore Comic-Con. I got a couple of good shots of Shelton working at the booth. I really wish I would have taken more pictures. And I wish the ones I did take were a little better. But I had fun and that’s all that matters, right?

And click here for the SPX photo report. I took a bazillion pictures but limited the set to around 30 of the best pictures I took. I had a blast roaming the floor, buying mini-comics and hanging out with some friends. If you haven’t ever been to SPX I would highly recommend masking the trek up to Bethesda, MD!

Small Press Expo (or SPX) is a yearly comics convention held in Bethesda, MD that focuses on mini-comics and independent creators. I was able to attend the show this past weekend and had a blast! There were tons and tons of awesome books but I was only able to bring back a small (very small) sampling of what SPX had to offer! Be sure and check out these quality minis located in our Fiction/Literature section!

1) Adrift by JP Coovert

2) Blar by Drew Weing

3) Daily Catch: Anthology of Comics featuring Jon Chad, c. frakes, Katherine Roy and Laura Terry

4) Double Click by J. Chris Campbell

5) Mermin #2 (restock), Mermin #3 by Joey Weiser

6) Monster Town by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

7) Papercutter #14 by Tugboat Press featuring Dave Roche, Nate Beaty, Brian Maruca, Jim Rugg and Farrel Dalrymple

8 ) Save Me by J. Chris Campbell

9) Traffic & Weather by Rob Ullman

10) Zak & Sara by Pranas T. Naujokaitis