Trick-or-Treat at Heroes all weekend long! Stop by the store, during regular business hours, today through Sunday to get candy and special FREE Halloween comics while supplies last. It will be like a mini, scarier version of Free Comic Book Day! Plus, we would love to see your Halloween costume so be sure to come all dressed up. Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!

Four local artists tell stories about their experiences living in Charlotte  for Creative Loafing. Click this link to see the comic strips Dustin Harbin, John Hairston, Jr., Bridgit Scheide and Marcus Kiser created. I know you will be entertained and impressed!

Note: Some stories may not be suitable for all ages.

It’s the end of the publishing month and thus a huge week for new releases.  And since it’s also the week of Halloween there are plenty of horror themed titles to choose from.  Check out the full listing of new books on our new releases page.  Here are a few of the standouts that caught my eye this week.

1) Action Comics #894

In a recent spotlight I discussed how writer Paul Cornell has managed to inject new life into this series.  Thus far he’s offered us  interesting takes on Luthor, Deathstroke, and Grodd.  Appropriately timed for Halloween, Cornell brings Neil Gaiman‘s popular character Death into the picture.  While the appearance of the Sandman staple will attract plenty of readers on its own, hopefully some readers will show up for Cornell’s involvement.  If he’s done as good a job as he already has on some of DC’s more mainstream characters, just imagine how he’ll approach ones from the Vertigo stable.

2) Avengers #6

Half a year into Marvel’s ‘Heroic Age’ and its slew of Avengers books we’re finally starting to see how each book stands up on its own.  While New Avengers is worth a look on the merits of Stuart Immonen‘s art alone, the Brian Bendis and John Romita, Jr. Avengers title is developing into a worthwhile series.  In rereading the first five issues in one sitting I found them to be more enjoyable reading each issue month by month.  This is certainly becoming the big budget action movie equivalent of the Avengers line of books.

3) Superman Earth One HC

This is the first in a series of new character reimagining graphic novels helmed by J. Michael Straczynski.  Working in a format not unlike Marvel’s Ultimate line of books, here classic DC heroes have their origins updated for a modern audience.  Complete with an updated new costume courtesy of series artist Shane Davis, this line should appeal to old and new readers alike.  At 126 pages for only $19.99, it’s  an affordable chance to partake of what might be one of DC’s most reader-friendly ideas in recent years.

4) Beasts of Burden/Hellboy one shot

Beasts of Burden was probably a bigger surprise to many of us than it should have been.  Considering the creative team of  Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, none of us should have been shocked by the quality of the book.  Containing elements of fantasy, horror, and even nods to children’s literature, Beasts of Burden instantly found its place in the modern comics canon.  This week, just in time for Halloween we get what promises to be a fun one shot co-written by Dorkin and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and illustrated by Jill Thompson.  To top it all off, both Mignola and Thompson provide covers for the issue.

5) Incognito: Bad Influences #1

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips return with the second act of their acclaimed crime series.  This creative team has worked together on several good noir comics in the past decade, ranging from Vertigo’s Scene of the Crime to Marvel Icon’s Criminal.  With each new effort they manage to produce an increasingly focused and entertaining story.  Volume one seamlessly integrated the worlds of pulp, noir, and superheroes into a single unified story, so expect more of the same quality this time around.

> Bonus picks of the week:  Captain America: Patriot #3, Wonder Woman #604, Fantastic Four #584, Justice League: Generation Lost #12, Secret Avengers #6, and JLA/the 99 #1.  Remember, the full listing of this week’s New Releases is available on our site.  Enjoy your comics!

Where will you be this Halloween at 10 pm? I will be firmly planted in front of my television set ready to watch The Walking Dead as it premieres on AMC. If you will be out trick-or-treating or partying then consider this your reminder to set your DVR to record. This is a not-to-be-missed show especially if you want to come to the Heroes Discussion Group fully prepared. November 6th from 1 to 3 pm we will meet in the store to discuss the first twelve issues of The Walking Dead along with the first episode of the television series. Check back in after you have seen it and let us know what you think!

Special Note: The Walking Dead is a mature book with violence and adult themes and the TV show will not be any different. Parental discretion is advised.

Whether you read comics for escapism or simply for entertainment, at their most fundamental level this medium is about transporting a reader away from one place and to another.  Sometimes this happens through a deep and complicated book like David Mazzucchelli‘s wonderfully dense epic Asterios Polyp and other times it can be as simple as reading a Superman comic for the sheer gravity of nostalgia.  With the magnitude of new material to sift through each week, it can be difficult at times to find a book that genuinely takes you by surprise.   On such rare occasions you find yourself enjoying a book you had little faith in at first glance.  Case in point with the six issue limited series Astonishing Spider-man and Wolverine.

Upon hearing about this title my first thought was, “Why do we need yet another book featuring these two characters?”  Between their own titles, guest appearances, and being card-carrying members of two Avengers teams they probably show up at least two or three times a week in new comics.  I thought Marvel might be over-inundating a market already drenched in these characters.  However, upon realizing the book was created  by writer Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert, I figured it might hold more promise than I initially thought.  So I read the first issue, and lo and behold I found myself in one of those rare occasions of being pleasantly surprised by a book and enjoying it more than I thought I would.  How exactly did this happen?

The success of this book probably owes some debt to the fact that it exists under Marvel‘s Astonishing line.  This particular Astonishing book is perhaps the best example of how this line works to great (and entertaining) effect.  Free from the confines of continuity, Aaron and Kubert throw the characters into a world without heroes, recognizable supporting casts, or anything they’re used to dealing with day to day.  In the first three issues alone we see a bearded Spider-Man cataloging human-sized insectoids, a robot Devil Dinosaur, a Phoenix Gun, and (most entertaining) Doom the Living Planet.  The result is unadorned, direct comics fun.

Under the Astonishing umbrella Jason Aaron is really able to play to his strengths.  As with his work on Scalped or Ghost Rider, here Aaron is unafraid of writing big action scenes, but does so while still managing to adhere to what makes the characters unique.  Many writers have approached Spidey and Wolvie from the standpoint that they must get along with each others since they’re both heroes.  This approach ignores the fact that they’re very different types of characters with very different motives.  Aaron takes the perspective that even if they’re the last two heroes on Earth they still wouldn’t get along.  Alone in a dangerous world, not only does the duo not work together, they completely avoid each other.  We’ve seen Aaron’s understanding of Wolverine with his work on Wolverine: Weapon X, but we’ve not yet seen him really interpret Spider-Man.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how he walked the spider line between Spidey’s wiseacre tendencies and scientific genius.  One of Aaron’s great strengths as a comics writer thus far has been his ability to take characters both overused and underused and put his own logical stamp on their identities.  I’ve never been a big fan of Ghost Rider or Wolverine but I love the way Jason Aaron writes them.  His characters walk and talk like you’d imagine they would (or should) in a comic book.  That’s about as high a compliment as I can pay a writer. Also, if you are a fan of Jason Aaron you should give his column for Comic Book Resources a read. He gives really good insight into his work and into the industry in general.

Artistically, Adam Kubert was a wise choice to bring this book to life.  This guy’s proven himself capable of handling some of Marvel and DC‘s A-list characters, including a memorable run on Wolverine in the ’90’s.  What I appreciate most about Kubert’s work in this series though is the scope in which he illustrates this story.  There is a foreboding sense of danger we feel when viewing the heroes in a savage wilderness.  Aaron’s writing alone might not conjure the severity of the predicament facing the heroes as they jump from troubled place to more troubled place.

It is Kubert’s art that brings us directly into the cross-hairs.  With expansive background detail which only adds to the awareness of the story’s impending dread, Kubert is able to take one of Aaron’s most adventurous scripts to date and match it’s energy and joy for comics.   While some of you might have thought Kubert’s already done the work of his career, this series reminds us that he’s still a viable artist who continues to turn out intelligent and visually impressive work.  Like his legendary father Joe, Adam’s an artist who will still be creating fun comics for decades to come.

We live in a time where comics are in abundance.  As a result, it’s not difficult for readers or retailers to get jaded about the state of the industry.  After all, I freely admit to being skeptical when I saw this book solicited in previews.  Why must Spider-Man, Wolverine, and other characters (ahem, Deadpool) appear in so many books week after week?  Ultimately the answer is that people continue to buy these titles.  So if you’re among those who are frustrated by a marketplace seemingly flooded with books featuring some of these characters, you owe it to yourself to find the best on which to spend your money.  This is one of those books.  I doubt you’ll find a better comic featuring these characters that is so unbound to continuity ties, and where a grand storyline doesn’t mean that the characters are poorly written and illustrated.  We’re only three issues into this surprising joyride of a miniseries, so pick them up if you want to read fun comics again.

Stop by the store, during regular business hours, from Friday, October 29 through Sunday, October 31 to get candy and special FREE Halloween comics! We will have freebies for kids and adults alike that way everyone can join in the fun. We always love seeing our customers all dressed up so we hope you will drop by the store before you go to your Halloween parties or while you are taking your kids out trick-or-treating!

Shelton Drum is packing up his comics and heading to the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA for the Roanoke Valley Comicon on October 23! The staff has been working hard to replenish the convention stock as we sold a lot of books in New York. We have been filling in holes and adding this week’s New Releases. Shelton will also have an amazing selection of Silver and Golden Age books with him. If you missed us at NYCC now is your chance to flip through our incredible selection of comics and get a good look at our new signs. We hope to see you at the Roanoke Valley Comicon this Saturday!

Roanoke Valley Comicon
Saturday, October 23
10 am to 4 pm
Admission is $5, kids 10 and under get in free with paying adult
Salem Civic Center
1001 Roanoke Blvd
Salem, VA 24153

1) Batman and Robin #15

Always one of DC’s top offerings, this week we’ll see the last issue of the Grant Morrison and Frazer Irving storyline.  With Bruce Wayne’s imminent return, pick up this one to see Morrison’s dynamic duo one last time before the other Bat comes back.  The Batman family of titles are easily the best corner of the DC universe, and always worth a look.  With a new creative team starting after the next issue (and Morrison moving on to Batman, Inc.), make sure you see how he wraps up his memorable run on this title.

2) Carnage #1

Several customers have been asking about this one, so here’s your notice that it’s finally here this week.  For those who thought Carnage was finally killed off, Zeb Wells and Clayton Crain bring the sadistic Spider-villain back to once again terrorize the Marvel Universe.  Wells has worked on some of the better Amazing Spider-man storylines in the past few months (particularly the recent Lizard story with Chris Bachalo) and Crain has worked on gruesome characters like Ghost Rider, Venom, and Carnage in the past, so he’s a  natural fit for this series.

3) X’ed Out

The first new graphic novel from Black Hole creator Charles Burns, this one is interesting because it contains all new material that has never been serialized.  Black Hole is one of those books most comic fans should make an effort to read at some point in their lives.  With elements of horror and social commentary, it’s a classic deserving a place on your shelves.  This new book apparently draws some inspiration from Herge and Tintin, but with a focus less on linear storytelling.  As the first of three volumes planned for this story, make sure you jump onto this book on the ground floor.  It’s guaranteed to be a unique and worthwhile reading experience.

4) Kick-Ass 2 #1

Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. aim to capitalize on the success of their first Kick-Ass series and the ensuing film with this sequel.  Though I’m sure it’ll sell great on it’s own, it’s worth mentioning just to remind some of you that it’s being released this week.  Expect more of the same ultra-violence this time around as Millar and Romita, Jr. continue their exploration of real world costumed vigilantes.  Whether or not you like Millar’s work, you’ve got to hand it to the guy for knowing what his audience wants and continuing to deliver it to them with each new title.

5) Icons DC and Wildstorm art of Jim Lee HC

The top offering of the week for modern comic art aficionados has to be this career-spanning hardcover from Titan Books.  Not only does it include everything from sketches, interior work, and cover art, but also a never before seen Legion of Super Heroes story from Jim Lee and Paul Levitz.  For $39.95 you get nearly 300 pages of material and over 500 examples of Lee’s art all in one fancy hardcover.  This is the latest in a string of of quality comic and art books from Titan in recent years that includes the Simon and Kirby Library and the recent Art of Drew Struzan collection.  Congratulations are also in order to our friend (and HeroesCon stalwart) Steve Saffel for his editing contributions to the Icons book.

> Bonus picks of the week: Astro City: The Dark Age HC vol. 2, Darkwing Duck #5, Justice League of America #50, Daredevil #511, DC Universe Legacies #6, and the timely Night of the Living Dead #1.  As always, our full listing of this week’s new releases is available under the New Releases tab on our site.  Enjoy your comics!

Halloween is just around the corner and publishers have been releasing a ton of awesome horror books. I recently have read new releases like Tomb of Terror #1, House of Mystery Halloween Annual #2 and Constantine: Hellblazer City of Demons #1 and old favorites like The Walking Dead and The Marquis: Danse Macabre. It got me thinking about my favorite scary comics and what I think are the best horror comics. In celebration of all things creepy and spooky I want to ask all of our readers out there: What is your favorite horror comic? And in that same vein, is there a book that you always look forward to coming out around Halloween, like Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror or the DCU Halloween Special? Is there a book you read to put you in the mood for Trick-or-Treating? Who are your favorite horror writers and artists? Post in the comments section. We want to hear from you!

Red, the movie based on Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner‘s three-part comic book mini-series, opens in theaters today! The movie stars Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren as retired CIA agents who come out of retirement and team up to figure out why the CIA is trying to kill them. From the trailers it is obvious that the movie took the basic premise of the comic and multiplied it. There is more story and more plot. Not to mention that there are way more characters. The comic was an action-packed thrill ride and the movie looks like it will live up to its namesake. The movie is rated PG-13 for violence and language so it is not for everyone, but for the rest of you, go read the book and go see the movie! Who wouldn’t want to see Helen Mirren as an assassin?