We are happy to announce that this Saturday, August 21 from noon to 4 pm we will be hosting Michael Keller, one of the artists for Sky Pirates of Valendor! He will be in the store to promote Sky Pirates of Valendor being solicited in the August issue of Previews (page 284 to be exact). Everyone who orders a copy will receive an original sketch from Keller! He will also have an anthology of short stories available for purchase. It is only $5 and it is a great introduction to the Valendor world. Come by and make him feel welcome! Also, you can join their Facebook Group!

Looking for an excuse to travel to Raleigh on Sunday, August 22? Do you already live in Raleigh and want an excuse to get out of the house? Well, look no further than the Raleigh Comic Book Show! Shelton Drum will be there selling his wares at the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find table! Sounds like it is a fun show and a good place to dig around for some deals. Plus, admission is FREE!

Raleigh Comic Book Show
August 22, 2010
10 am to 4 pm
Holiday Inn Crabtree
4100 Glenwood Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27612

De’Angelo Dia will perform at the McColl Center Friday, August 20 as part of the Closing Reception for current Artists in Residence. Dia’s work explores stereotypes of race and gender using photography and performance. It is difficult to describe his complex body of work. I highly recommended you go and see his work for yourself and draw your own conclusions about what his work means. I must admit, we have some incredibly talented customers.

The McColl Center
721 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

The Closing Reception will be from 6 to 9 pm and Dia’s performance, Negritude Movement, will begin at 7:15 pm.

I have been loving Thor The Mighty Avenger! It is a fun and well-written book that appeals to fans of all ages! In the first issue we are introduced to the two main characters, Thor and Jane Foster. Thor has mysteriously been sent to Midgard and wants to return home. He meets Jane at the Bergen War Memorial Museum when he tries to get his hammer, Mjolnir, out an urn in one of the museum displays. We are also introduced to the villain of this story arc, Hyde. The second issue is action packed as Thor defeats Hyde. Now, in issue three, the action continues as mayhem ensues, with a little help from Loki. Thor meets superheroes Henry Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet van Dyne (Wasp) but it is not a friendly encounter.

Roger Langridge‘s writing is perfect for this series. It is fun, fast and self-contained. All you need to know is between the covers. Partner that with Chris Samnee‘s art and you’ve got magic. I love the bold lines and the dynamic movement of Samnee’s art. And I love the sense of life that he gives the characters. If you want to see more of Samnee’s art check out Siege: Embedded and the Comic Twart Blog. Matt Wilson‘s coloring really helps to accentuate Samnee’s art. Everything fits together incredibly well!

This book has a classic, timeless feel. It somehow balances retro styles and modern sensibilities. Ant-Man and Wasp don their original costumes. And Hyde is very much a throw-back villain. Yet something about this book feels modern. It might be the rich colors and the bold lines. Or it might be that Jane Foster is a strong and feisty character. At least more so than any of the 60′s Marvel women.

The first page of issue three we are given a re-cap of the events in the previous title, which adds to the retro feel. This book is perfect for new-comers. You don’t need to know anything about Thor to be able to understand and appreciate this book. You don’t need to know anything about other Marvel characters either. Langridge does a perfect job of introducing everyone. The first time we see Janet van Dyne she is reading a fashion magazine at the Pym research facility. We know right off the bat that she is fashion-conscious and intelligent. That is all you need to know about her. And Samnee’s art helps to describe the characters, especially through facial expressions. The smile on Loki’s face on the bottom of page 7 sums up that character, no words needed. Not to spoil too much, but the fight between Thor and Ant-Man is nicely executed. The coloring and lettering all work together to help make things clear and concise. The end of this issue leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. I seriously can’t recommend this book enough. If you aren’t reading it, you really should!

While there are numerous new superhero titles to check out this week, including several Avengers books and new issues of Brightest Day and Image United, I’ll focus today’s spotlight on two other areas of the store.  So let’s look at five books ranging from a couple of great kids titles, to a couple of genre titles worthy of attention, and a new release in our literature section that I think some of you might enjoy.

1) Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet #1

Marvel had some recent success with their recent kid-friendly adaptation of Secret Wars entitled Spider-man and the Secret Wars.  They build upon that success with this new four-issue all-ages adaptation of the Infinity Gauntlet series.  Brian Clevinger and Brian Churilla are at the reins on this series, and while these two creators have worked on more genre-based stories in the past (like Atomic Robo and the Anchor) they should do a nice job translating the classic Marvel tale for younger readers.  It’s nice to see Marvel focusing more publishing efforts on a younger audience.  Using source material culled from some of their previous stories is a great way of using old properties to pull in new readers.  If a young fan enjoys a series like this, in a few years they may find themselves wanting to read the original story.  That’s the kind of publishing strategy that I can get behind!

2) CBGB #2

We move from a good all ages offering to a new mini-series for a mature audience.  Issue one was one of last month’s favorite issues for several of us on the Heroes staff. Read our new staffer Justin Crouse‘s review of that first issue on our blog to see why this book works.  Grounded in the fabled NYC punk mecca CBGB, this new mini-series takes a look at why the place was so relevant  by telling small stories set in that world.  In the process the creators illustrate how that time and place in New York continues to be relevant to so many writers, artists, and musicians today.  Don’t assume that you have to be a huge punk fan to enjoy this book.  The best thing about this book is that you can value it without necessarily knowing much of anything about punk music or culture. If you look at this series as a kind of historical fiction it’s easy to appreciate it as a set of straightforward stories that are rooted in a very real place.

3) Darkwing Duck #3

It was only a matter of time before Boom! Studios published a series featuring this character, but I’m sure even they were unprepared for how quickly the first two issues would sell.  For those who don’t remember, Darkwing Duck was a newer Disney character that had an animated series in the early – mid 90′s and featured one of animations coolest rogues gallery, including two of the great villain monikers Quackerjack and Liquidator.  Not only does the new title maintain the fun tone set by the cartoon, but its art looks like it was lifted straight out of the old animation!  This is one of my picks for best new kids book of the year and is easily accessible to adult readers as well.  If you’ve got kids or nieces and nephews, this is a book that will be a lot of fun to read to and along with them!

4) The Light #5

The popular mini series from Nathan Edmondson and Brett Weldele wraps up with this issue.  While the plot has been driven by the novel concept of a light-borne virus, Edmondson has done a nice job juxtaposing this genuinely frightening scenario with the nervous relationship between the father and daughter main characters.  Weldele illustrates the horror with an art style akin to Ben Templesmith, which works very well for a story like this one.  For a more detailed look at this series refer to fellow Heroes staffer Jenny Bement‘s recent review on our blog!

5) Set to Sea GN

This week we see the anticipated debut graphic novel from Drew Weing.  Focusing on a poet who winds up spending a life at sea, this graphic novel looks to be a worthy addition to the niche of maritime comics.  In the past several years we’ve seen Sammy Harkham‘s deceptively simple Poor Sailor and Christophe Blain‘s excellent Isaac the Pirate books, and early reviews of Set to Sea have been high in their praise.  So if you’re a fan of pirate or maritime stories or happen to be looking for something new in the literature section of the store, this is one you’ll want to consider.

Hey guys! I just wanted to do a quick post to update everyone on the results of the poll we did last week. We asked our fine blog readers to let us know what is the best day for signings/in-store events. “Saturday afternoon” won with a clear majority of the votes. 65% to be exact! We will keep this in mind as we organize events. We want to ensure that the maximum amount of people can attend. Thank you everyone for your input, as always we appreciate it!

Dennis the Menace cartoonist and Charlotte native Marcus Hamilton made an appearance on Charlotte Today this morning to promote the new Dennis the Menace stamp. Last month the US Postal Service released five stamps commemorating some of the best Sunday Funnies. They weren’t able to talk about the stamp but for a brief mention because they were too busy discussing Hamilton’s work and process. Hamilton has been doing the Monday through Saturday daily Dennis the Menance strip since 1994. It was fascinating getting to learn how he got the job and how he was trained. And he gave a mention to another Charlotte cartoonist Jim Scancarelli who does Gasoline Alley. It is a really interesting interview and I hope you take the time to watch it!

My family and I have been big fans of Hamilton for a long, long time now. When I was a young child Hamilton spent some time with my family taking photo references for some illustrations. The following ad is for the Children’s Home Fund Organization and it features my brother and me. You can’t tell it is me because my back is facing the audience but I know it is me and that’s all that matters. My dad has a Dennis hanging up in his living room that was done for him when he was running for Mint Hill Town Commissioner.  And Adam and I won the Dennis the Menace piece at the Art Auction at this year’s HeroesCon. I am really happy to see Hamilton get recognition for his hard work!

The Heroes Discussion Group is back in August to celebrate our finest hour. In a recent poll taken on this very site, the majority of folks voted for Saturday afternoon as their preferred time for Heroes Events. So, please plan to join us on Saturday afternoon August 28^th at 4:00pm where we will meet in the back of the store and sit down to discuss one of the most popular books of 2010—Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

We plan to discuss the entire series but our primary focus will be the final volume of the series. It is recommended but not required that you be familiar with the entire series.

We plan to talk in depth about the story-line, the pacing, the art-work, the page lay-out and the wild characterization.

In other words, we will examine what it is about Scott Pilgrim that has turned the series into such a phenomenon?

We are making an educated guess that the majority (if not all) of those planning to attend the discussion group will have already seen the film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World.

If that proves to be the case, we’d like to veer slightly off topic and discuss the adaptation of O’Malley comics into film—what worked and what didn’t?

Then we’d like to branch out even further and discuss comic adaptations in general.  This is one of our all-time favorite discussion topics

Finally we will spend the last fifteen minutes discussing upcoming Discussion Groups.  Hint: September’s Discussion Group will be a book you will definitely want to Reed. With more surprises just around the corner! Expect the unexpected!

This will prove to be a rather exciting two hours (or more if we are really rolling!)

And of course Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is available from Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find.  As usual we are offering the special 10% Discussion Group Discount; but be sure to mention the discount when you check out!

We can’t wait!  See you there!

1) Bone: Tall Tales HC/TP

How can I not start this week’s spotlight with a mention of  new Bone stories from Jeff Smith?  The new Tall Tales collection includes previously released material from Stupid, Stupid Rat-Tails as well as previously published but never collected Bone yarns.  Even better is the fact that in this collection we’ll see brand new Bone stories from Smith and Tom Sniegoski.  This offering should whet our collective appetites until the upcoming Bone: Quest for the Spark illustrated novel, the first in a trilogy of all new material.  All three forthcoming books will be brought to us by Smith and Sniegoski.  If you haven’t read Bone before you immediately should!  There are many reasons it’s as popular as it is among both kids and adults.  Without question, this is one of the books that rightly deserves it’s place in the modern comics canon.

2) Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1

For the DC fan, here’s a new Green Lantern title featuring Guy Gardner and fellow members of the corps (green and otherwise).  The new series is written by Peter Tomasi, who is currently working on Brightest Day and may be most regarded for his solid contributions to Green Lantern Corps.  Joining on the art front is Fernando Pasarin who has worked for DC for the past few years on titles like Justice Society of America and Outsiders.  This series will document the further changes in Guy Gardner as a result of his actions in the Blackest Night storyline and should be a good jumping on point for those who want to start on the ground floor of what could be a good new DC venture.  Plus, fan-favorite corps member Kilowog is supposed to be a frequent member of the supporting cast, so Kilowog fans unite!

3) Strange Science Fantasy #2

I mentioned the first issue of this series in one of last month’s spotlights and am happy to bring it back to your attention again!  Scott Morse continues his love letter to pop culture, ‘B’ movies, and classic sci-fi and fantasy films and comics with this second issue, which features a character called Shogunaut!  Whereas issue one featured characters and themes inspired by the ’50′s and ’60′s era car culture and its love of hot rods, this month’s issue, if you hadn’t already ascertained from the mention of ‘Shogunaut,’ looks to combine kung fu archetypes and monster movies.  Another reason to pick this title up is the back up feature, again provided this month by the great Paul Pope.

4) Buzzard #3

This issue concludes Eric Powell‘s mini series featuring one of the most enigmatic characters from his Goon series.  This one may have slipped under the radar, but has been a quality read alongside the wonderfully creepy art from Powell that we all know and love.  Don’t think you have to know everything about the Goon books to enjoy this title.  Issue one does a nice job at explaining who this character is and why you should be reading about him.  Buzzard has the look and feel of a classic horror comic or film and works because it isn’t trying to be something it’s not.  You won’t find metaphysical density here, just simple, fun horror comics.  We still have copies of the first two issues so if you’re looking for a worthwhile read, buy all three and have a complete mini series to enjoy!

5) X-Men #2

This one’s for the reader who is keen on mutants and vampires.  ‘X’ titles have featured the undead in the past but now we have a whole series that looks to be devoted to their encounters.  Brought to you by the creative team Victor Gischler and Paco Medina, the new series isn’t set in a parallel universe but should bring about major ramifications for some of the ‘x’ characters for years to come.  Already we’ve seen several previews that feature certain ‘x’ heroes as newly-turned vampires.   This one should sell quickly too, so get it while you can!

>Bonus Pick of the Week: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – New World #1

The all star creative team of Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and Guy Davis bring the bureau into a new era with this new mini series.  With their long story arc centering on the War on Frogs behind them, expect lots of creepy new monsters and apocalyptic threats as only the three creators can provide.  And seeing as it’s a new era for the book, expect developments in the lives of the existing characters and hopefully the introduction of some new ones as well.  Also, congratulations are in order for artist Guy Davis, one of our industry’s nicest folks (and a Heroes Convention staple), for recently passing the 50 issue mark with his work on B.P.R.D. Fifty issues on this title plus he still manages to find time to work on his own creation The Marquis, as well as provide monster designs for books like Solomon Kane.  In an era where many artists leave a title after 4 – 12 issues worth of work, it’s a nice rarity to see an artist provide so much quality art for a single title.  Cheers Guy, and here’s to 50 more great issues!

It’s time for another Heroes Online Blog exclusive! For those of you that missed out on it the last time, we are giving our reserve customers another super special chance to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World before it opens on August 13th!

I saw the movie back in July and it was AWESOMELY EPIC!

Getting tickets will be the same as the last time. Just come in and clean out your reserve bag before the super-duper exclusive advanced screening on Thursday the 12th @ 7 o’clock and let us know that you read about the screening on the blog. We’ll reward you with a ticket for two! If your reserve bag is already squeaky clean then you’re in luck! Just mention this blog post at the register and you too could be headed to see the Epic Adventure of the Year! We have a limited amount of tickets so they will go to the first customers that ask for them. Remember, this is a Heroes Online Blog exclusive, and only applicable to our darling reserve customers! See you at the movies!