HEROESCON 2014 :: GUEST LIST UPDATE

October 08, 2013 By: Rico Renzi Category: Guest List, HeroesCon

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Fall is here but we’re already getting ready for next Summer, June 20-22, 2014 to be exact! Check out all these awesome creators joining us for HeroesCon next year! Tickets are going on sale soon!

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CLIFF CHIANG :: Artist: Wonder Woman, Beware the Creeper, Human Target

deeringMARC DEERING :: Inker: Supergirl, Legion

Dorkin_DyerEVAN DORKIN :: Cartoonist: Milk & Cheese, DORK, Beasts of Burden, DC Nation

SARAH DYER :: Writer/Color Artist: DC Nation, Beasts of Burden, House of Fun, MAD

francavillaFRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA :: Cartoonist: Black Beetle, Afterlife with Archie, Captain America

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MARIS WICKS :: Cartoonist: Primates, Yes Let’s, Adventure Time, Batman

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STAFF PICKS :: FANTOMEX MAX #1 :: OCTOBER 02, 2013

October 01, 2013 By: Rico Renzi Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

staff_picks rico_staff_picksFan-favorite character Fantomex is getting his own is getting his very own limited series featuring covers by fan-favorite artist Francesco Francavilla. I used up all the F’s!

This 4 issue series is written by newbie Andrew Hope and illustrated by longtime Deadpool artist Shawn Crystal. It’s a Max title so that means it’s rough and tough and all that stuff, not for kids!

By the way, check out Crystal’s interview podcast Inkpulp Audio. He takes a personal approach to the interviews and focuses less on craft and comic book characters. He’s had some great guests so far including Skottie Young, Rick Remender and today a new interview with Kelly Sue DeConnick just posted!

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LOOKING AHEAD :: NOVEMBER PREVIEWS

September 18, 2013 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Looking Ahead

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seth_smlSeth Peagler (SP): It’s been a few months since we featured our “Looking Ahead” column.  Between HeroesCon, warehouse sales, and traveling to other cons, we’ve all had our hands full.  It’s back now, though, and this time a Heroes married couple will be perusing Previews for your benefit.  Orders are due very soon, so make sure to get yours in this week!  With that, Heather, where do you think we should start?

heather_smlHeather Peagler (HP): Instead of just calling this “Looking Ahead” this month, I think we should call it “Looking Ahead to Heather’s Birthday.”  Clearly Marvel and DC knew that I had a birthday in November since they are choosing that month to give me an awesome Nightcrawler return and a Harley Quinn that feels like old times.  There’s so much fun stuff to choose from!  Just consider all my picks to be a nice birthday list and everyone get to shopping!

SP: We all know that comic characters never stay dead.  It’s probably no surprise that Marvel is bringing Nightcrawler back now.  This resurrection in particular looks promising.

HP: BAMF! BAMF! BAMF! the appearance of a familiar blue visage at the end of Wolverine and the X-Men could only lead to the awesomeness of a pirate Nightcrawler.  Jason Aaron should get a huge cookie basket from Marvel for making X-Men so very amazing.  Speaking of being amazing, make sure Amazing X-Men #1 by Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness is on your pull list for November!

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SP: Aaron and McGuinness are a perfect fit to herald Nightcrawler back from the beyond.  I’m excited for this as well, but am equally excited that Marvel is collecting the earliest of Captain America’s Golden Age adventures into an omnibus. It’s Joe Simon and Jack Kirby pitting Cap and Bucky against Hitler and the Nazis!  You all know how nearly impossible it is to dig up single issues or reprints of these books, so this is an opportune way to finally get these stories if you’re interested in a nice slice of comics history. Along with Golden Age Cap, Marvel is finally bringing their Silver Age Ant-Man stories back into print, via a brand new trade paperback in the Masterworks series.  This collection has long been out of print, so here’s your chance to brush up on Ant-Man knowledge before the upcoming Marvel film adaptation.

HP: Speaking of issues that are hard to find, Marvel must have gotten my subliminal messages about Chris Giarusso’s Mini Marvels as they have assembled a complete collection for my reading pleasure! It even includes a complete run of Mini Marvel comic strips! This is a great collection for kids and adults alike.  Marvel also has a collection that’s the opposite of kid-friendly coming soon with volume 1 hardcover is the latest Deadpool series.  The first twelve issues of this hilarious series by writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn are collected within.

SP: Another new Marvel collection I’m looking forward to is the Avengers: The Enemy Within TP by Kelly Sue DeConnick.  I’ve enjoyed her take on Captain Marvel, and this collection should please all members of the Carol Corps, official and honorary.

HP: Perhaps it is Halloween coming that has me in the spirit for reading the new ongoing series of Ghost by the writing team Kelly Sue DeConnick and Chris Sebela and interiors by Ryan Sook! I really enjoyed the last mini-series and am looking forward to reading more.

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SP:  Along with Ghost, we can’t ignore Dark Horse’s newest horrorific Black Beetle series.  Black Beetle: Necrologue #2 continues the pulpy goodness wrought by Francesco Francavilla, the busiest artist in comics, and features more horror elements than the last mini series.  And though it isn’t overtly a horror title, there’s plenty of gruesome genius on display in Geof Darrow‘s Shaolin Cowboy #2.  I’m thrilled that Darrow found time to bring Shaolin Cowboy back to the masses, and this series’ inclusion of zombies makes it a perfect accompaniment to Dark Horse’s other ghoulish November titles.

HP:  Over at DC there’s Harley Quinn! I absolutely adore Harley Quinn, or the early version of her anyway.  I yearn for the days of Mad Love Harley and do so miss her looniness.  I have great hope for Harley Quinn #0 to return to old school Harley and give readers back that cute and quirky homicidal maniac missing from the current pages of DC.  The creative team lends itself to the fun of Harley with artists like Darwyn Cooke, Walter Simonson and Art Baltazar all contributing.  If you share my love of Harley be sure to check out all the new t-shirt offerings on page 421 of Previews! I want at least three of them!

SP: Trust me, folks, she’s not kidding about wanting that many Harley shirts.  I think fans of all ages DC stories should enjoy the new Scooby Doo Team Up series.  Issue #1 features Batman and Robin, so if you have a young reader in the house, or are yourself a young-at-heart reader, don’t forget this one.

HP: That Scooby Doo Team Up series reminds me of the old cartoon when everyone from the Harlem Globetrotters to Sonny and Cher to Jonathan Winters would show up and take part in the hi-jinx! If it wasn’t for those meddling kids!! Speaking of kids, is it ever too early for love to be in the air? Especially when that love is expressed as A Very Vader Valentine’s Day? With art by Katie Cook, the adorable book with 36 valentine card is sure to be loved by both the kids and Star Wars fans in your life.

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SP: November definitely looks to be an especially kid-friendly publishing month.  Along with the new Scooby Doo title, there are debut issues of Ben 10 and Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and a new stand alone graphic novel in Adventure Time vol. 2: Pixel Princesses.

But if I was forced to pick a book of the month, I’d have to go with Image’s Black Science #1.  Not only does it mark Rick Remender‘s return to Image, but re-teams him with talented collaborator Matteo Scalera.  You can ascertain that the series focuses on dark science fiction, but I have a feeling this is going to be not only a big seller, but a critically acclaimed book.  That means that like Saga, the first several issues of this series might move quickly.  Get in on the ground floor with the first issue in November.  Remember to let Justin (justin@heroesonline.com) or any of the store staff know what you’d like from Previews, and we’ll make sure you get your books!

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HEROESCON 2013 :: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA :: MONDO LIMITED EDITION SCREEN PRINT

June 04, 2013 By: Rico Renzi Category: Feast Your Eyes, Guest List, HeroesCon, Schedule

Our pal Francesco Francavilla is coming to HeroesCon this weekend and he’s bringing Mondo with him!! Want to know how you can get a Black Beetle screen print available only at HeroesCon? Here’s the skinny:

Mondo is pleased to announce a screen print based on the comic book The Black Beetle by comic artist and creator Francesco Francavilla.

TITLE: The Black Beetle
ARITST: Francesco Francavilla
SIZE: 24″ x 36″
EDITION: 225 (regular), 110 (variant)
PRICE: $55 (regular), $75 (variant)

The variant will be sold this weekend at HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC on Saturday (June 8), where Francesco Francavilla will sign copies in person.

Black Beetle HeroesCon Variant

Follow  @f_francavilla and @MondoNews for the exact sale time and location.

The regular will be sold online at a future date on MondoTees.com.  Follow @MondoNews for updates.
The Black Beetle is centered on a pulp-noir character and takes place in a fictional universe that’s based in Colt City. The character debuted on the pages of Pulp Sunday, Francesco Francavilla’s blog devoted to all things pulp, and had a brief life as webcomic before stepping in the print world with an ashcan first, and on the pages of Dark Horse Presents anthology later. Francesco quickly realized that many fans were interested in exploring this world with him, so soon after the short run in DHP, a new 4-issue mini – titled “NO WAY OUT” – was released. The first 2 issues have sold out and have required DH to go back to press for a second printing.

With issue 4 coming out next week and with the first hardcover volume – also titled “NO WAY OUT” – available for pre-orders right now, there is no better time to jump on board of the fantastic adventures of The Black Beetle.

Black Beetle Regular Edition

The Black Beetle is a Detective/Vigilante SuperHero – His mission is to fight crime in Colt City. We don’t know who he is, not yet anyway. We do know that he has access to some advantaged technology and that he is patrolling the city streets and protecting the citizens the best he can. He is –after all- one man. Colt City is a fictional city set in the late ‘40s America on the East Coast and has a very “pulp” vibe to the city’s depiction and inhabitants.

Commenting on his collaboration with Mondo, Francavilla said, “I’ve been a huge fan of Mondo for a while, and I’ve recently become one of their poster artists (which brings me joy all the time), so you can  only imagine how happy I was when I heard that they were a big fan of my creation, The Black Beetle. From there it didn’t take too long to get to the poster you see here. Hopefully it’s just the first of many. Hope you guys enjoy the poster and consider jumping on the books as well: they are what comics should be: 100% entertainment and FUN! Thanks again, Mondo, for making this happen.”

Francesco official website: www.francescofrancavilla.com
The Black Beetle official blog: http://theblackbeetle.blogspot.com/
Pulp Sunday blog: pulpsunday.blogspot.com

About Mondo
Mondo is an art gallery and online store devoted to a passionate love of film, art and music. The company has received global recognition for bringing art back to movie poster design and has emerged as one of the leading curators of classic and contemporary film soundtracks on vinyl. Utilizing the talents of world-class artists and designers, Mondo produces limited edition, screen printed posters based on film, television and comic properties, working with companies like DC Comics, HBO, Marvel, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Studios as well as filmmakers including Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo Del Toro, Zack Synder, Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright. Based in Austin, TX, Mondo operates out of a permanent gallery space that hosts regular exhibitions featuring a blend of breathtaking original artwork and limited edition screen prints. Mondo is also recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences with a full archive of film posters as part of their research library. The parent company of Mondo is Alamo Drafthouse.
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STAFF PICKS :: MISTER X: EVICTION #1 :: MAY 1, 2013

April 30, 2013 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

SETH’S PICK :: MISTER X: EVICTION #1: It’s true that this Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, and while you know we’ll have plenty of quality free comics to give you, I’d encourage you to ease through the crowds and find this book on the genre side of the store.  If you don’t know about the character or any of Motter’s work, I’d encourage you to give it a look.  When Mister X appeared in the early eighties, it brought several novel elements into American comics, like art deco design, stylish noir, and even German Expressionism.  Beyond the book’s intelligence, just look at a list of its contributers (Jaime Hernandez, Seth, Dave McKean and more) to find reasons to read this title.  It’s a beautiful book that continues to deliver strong stories and design.  This first issue of a new miniseries is a great place to learn about the character, as is the recent Mister X: Hard Candy one shot that collected new Motter material from Dark Horse Presents.  And if scholarly comics don’t do it for you, there’s always Hawkeye #10 out this week.  It just so happens that this issue is the first of the series to feature art from Francesco Francavilla, who will be among the guests at Heroes for the FCBD excitement this Saturday.  Get him to sign a copy and a few of his excellent Black Beetle issues while you’re at it.

 

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STAFF PICKS :: BLACK BEETLE #2 :: FEBRUARY 20, 2013

February 15, 2013 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

SETH’S PICK :: BLACK BEETLE #2: In a week where there are several books I’m interested in picking up (Nova, Thor, Avengers, Baltimore, Captain America), I find myself being most excited about Black Beetle.  After just 2 issues (0 and 1), it’s a given that this series will deliver a certain level of quality and entertainment.  This shouldn’t really be a surprise, since it’s being written and drawn by Eisner winner Francesco Francavilla.  I guess the thing that stands out most about this book in my mind is that, while it is full of wonderful art, a memborable pulpy character, and lots of energy, the book feels almost effortless.  It’s a simple and fun read, and while you know lots of hard work went into it, the work doesn’t tax the reader.  For that reason, it reminds me of Hellboy.  Both titles have an insane amount of planning and execution in them, but you can pick up any issue knowing you’ll get a well-crafted comic that entertains you just as much as it impresses you with its craftsmanship. 

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STAFF PICKS :: BLACK BEETLE #1 :: JANUARY 16, 2013

January 11, 2013 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Staff Picks

SETH’S PICK :: BLACK BEETLE #1: It’s true that our Charlotte MiniCon will take place on Sunday, January 20, but first we’ll  be spending Tuesday and Wednesday working on new comic arrivals.  Black Beetle is my pick of the week for a few different reasons.  One, it’s a mini series written and illustrated by Eisner award winning Franceseco Francavilla.  He’s done cover work for just about every company, and I bet there are at least 3 or 4 of his covers still on our stands.  Two, it’s a simple, direct pulp/adventure comic done out of love for the genre.  You still get Francavilla’s art, but you also get a new world full of mobsters, mysteries and monsters.  How Francavilla found time to produce this series with his already full plate is baffling, but I’m happy that he did. Finally, it’s also a good palate-cleansing comic if you’ve been reading lots of mainstream super hero or indie comics lately.  Black Beetle #0 is one I’ve returned to on several occasions since it debuted a few weeks ago, and I’m sure you will too.    

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LOOKING AHEAD :: JANUARY 2013

November 15, 2012 By: Seth Peagler Category: DISCUSS, Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead is our monthly column where we talk about some key things you’ll find in the most recent issue of Previews.  You can order any of these books and more by simply looking through Previews and letting us know which ones you’d like.  Just make sure you get your orders to us by November 18.

To kick off 2013, DC’s popular Death of the Family storyline will be continuing in such titles as Batman, Batman and Robin, Detective Comics, Batgirl, Nightwing and Red Hood and the Outlaws.  Check out these titles to see how the Scott Snyder-directed new version of the Joker will continue to wreck havoc on the Batman family. (pages 93-103)

Dark Horse will ring in the New Year by bringing us brand new series to enjoy.  First up is a new Star Wars ongoing series by Brian Wood.  The key here is that this one focuses on untold stories set in the days of the classic trilogy with Han, Chewie, Luke, Leia and Vader.  Dark Horse will also be debuting a four issue mini series, The Black Beetle: No Way Out, from Francesco Francavilla.  Francavilla’s one of comics most in-demand cover artists, but somehow he found time to write and draw this mini series which will undoubtedly be packed with plenty of pulp-noir goodness. (pg. 34, 48)

Image celebrates the tenth anniversary of Invincible with issue #100.  In addition to answering lots of questions and potentially leading the character in a new direction, this issue also features a ton of variant covers from the likes of Cory Walker, Marc Silvestri, Bryan Hitch, Art Adams and more.  Some of writer Robert Kirkman’s diehard Walking Dead fans are slowly realizing he writes other comics too, so don’t be surprised if this one goes quickly.

Image is also bringing a brand new printing of Paul Pope’s One Trick Rip-Off.  Not only is this 288 page volume newly colored (for the first time), but over 150 of the pages comprise a Deep Cuts section, featuring a plethora of unpublished and rarely seen work from Pope.  Some of the stories here were original published in Japan, and have never been seen by an American audience.  (pages 184-185)

For the Comic Strip enthusiasts among you, there are plenty of reasons to look forward to January.  Over 15 classic Calvin and Hobbes books have been newly reprinted, and some of these haven’t been available for quite a while.  Whether it’s a collection of Sunday Strips or one of the many best of collections (The Indispensable, The Authoritative, etc.), or one of the early collections, there are many options in this month’s Previews. (pages 232-234)

If you prefer comic strips that are a bit darker in their humor, Fantagraphics debuts a brand new collection of Tony Millionaire’s Maakies in January.  Millionaire’s highly regarded for the way he combines classic strip cartooning (and fine line work) with subversive humor.  Green Eggs and Maakies continues the long-running exploits of Drinky Crow and Uncle Gabby as they find new and self-destructive ways to get themselves into trouble.  (pg. 296)

January also finds Marvel continuing their big Marvel Now campaign with a slew of new series.  Among the new titles are a Sam Humphries/Ron Garney helmed Uncanny X-force #1, a Black Panther-focused New Avengers title from Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting, Dan Slott and Ryan Stegman’s Peter Parker-less new Superior Spider-man #1, Frank Cho’s Savage Wolverine #1, and Young Avengers #1 which reuintes Phonogram‘s Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.  (Marvel Previews pages 2-23)

 

Take a look through Previews for yourself and remember to let us know by November 18 if you’d like us to order or reserve a copy of a January book for you.

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