SPOTLIGHT ON NEW RELEASES :: SEPTEMBER 22

September 22, 2010 at 9:23 am By:

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!


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