With Free Comic Book Day just three days away, we continue our steady march towards HeroesCon 2009 today with another update to our Guest List!

Joining the list first of all today is STEVE EPTING, the incredibly popular artist behind books like Captain America, Avengers, El Cazador, and scores more–not to mention a prolific illustrator and digital painter. Steve is also a regular collaborator with fellow-guest Ed Brubaker–look for their upcoming series The Marvels Project this summer, redefining the early years of the House of Ideas!

Also new today is our old buddy SCOTT HAMPTON, who is as comfortable working in ink (Simon Dark, Batman: Gotham County Line) as he is in paint (The Life Eaters, Spookhouse). Scott’s an old buddy of ours and a great guy, so it’s always fun to have him back.

ALSO fun to have back this year will be ANDREW ROBINSON, the muscley writer-artist behind Dusty Star. Andrew’s also worked on Gen 13 and recently done a ton of high-profile covers for DC, including their “Faces of Evil” event, Superman, and Detective Comics!

Attending his very first HeroesCon this year is writer KEITH R.A. DECANDIDO, who’s currently writing Farscape for BOOM! Studios, as well as recent Star Trek: Alien Spotlight, and tons of novels set in the worlds of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and more.

And returning this year from NC-based Tsunami Studios are GARRY MCKEE and JASON WALKER. Both have worked on numerous RPG and CCG games, including Warhammer 40K CCG and Legend of the Five Rings (Garry) and City State of the Invincible Overlord and Scarred Lands (Walker).

Okay, more to come–and don’t forget Free Comic Book Day on Saturday!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is nearly upon us so rather than doing my usual countdown of new comics and rather than highlighting the free offerings you’ll find at the comic shop this Saturday I thought I’d point out some other worthwhile books to hunt down while you’re at the shop picking up the free stuff. The following is some different types of books that will satisfy some of your particular comic needs.

SO, YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GOOD WOLVERINE COMIC?

Every year we get a new comic book movie as the driving force behind FCBD and this year it’s X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. So, what are the good Wolverine comics to pick up and enjoy after seeing the movie? Since there are a bajillion books out there featuring the famous X-men it can be a little overwhelming to pick out one that might actually be a good read on its own (without being up on everything that comes before it). There’s always the book WOLVERINE: ORIGIN which the movie draws a few elements from. But be aware that this is a book about Wolverine as a kid in the 19th century so it may not be what you’re expecting. For a modern, action-packed book showing Wolverine kicking ass and taking names try WOLVERINE: GET MYSTIQUE by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney. All you need to know going into it is that it’s about Wolverine on a mission to kill the shape-shifting villain Mystique.

WANT A DIFFERENT KIND OF SUPERHERO BOOK?

If you’re tired of the same old superhero books from Marvel and DC you really need to try Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY. Yes, Gerard Way is the lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance. But after you read this book you’ll only think of him as Gerard Way, The Comic Book writer. This is really that good. It’s a fun story full of crazy superhero action, explosions, time travel and all that stuff but done in a way that surprises you at each step. At it’s heart it’s a story about family. I like to think of it as What If Royal Tenenbaums Director Wes Anderson Made The Incredibles?

Way’s writing style reminds me a little of Grant Morrison who is no stranger to post-modern superhero deconstruction. Probably my favorite superhero work by Morrison is his SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY series. An ambitious story consisting of seven four-issue minis that weave in and out of each other to tell a larger epic that spans from the beginning of time to the end of the world, Seven Soldiers is a dense and complicated read. Best enjoyed by reading multiple times with a set of annotations nearby.

INTERESTED IN FINALLY TRYING SOME MANGA?

If you think there are a lot of Wolverine comics out there to sort through, wait until you start trying to figure out what kind of manga to read. There’s a lot and, unlike Wolverine comics, they’re all pretty different. So, if you’re new to it, where to begin? Start with two names: Tezuka and Urasawa.

Osamu Tezuka is the grandfather of modern Japanese manga and you might know his most famous creation from the famous anime is spawned: Astro Boy. He has a variety of work out there though and a lot of it has geared more towards adult tastes but with artwork that can look like it’s made for kids. One of his most revered works is the epic multi-volume BUDDHA which tells the life story of the founding prophet of the Buddhist religion but mixes in fictional characters and some almost Disney-like cartoon elements to make it a fun, family-friendly epic (though with its fair share of nudity and things like a little kid getting eaten by a snake which I guess could freak some little ones out).

Naoki Urasawa is the modern day master of manga. His artwork is less cartoony than Tezuka’s but his stories draw a lot of influence from his predecessor. In fact, the most recent U.S. release of Tezuka’s is Pluto, a dark and intriguing sci-fi book that is based on some secondary characters from Tezuka’s kid-friendly Astro Boy. Tezuka’s award-winning masterpiece is MONSTER, a 15 volume epic about a Japanese doctor in Germany that 10 years ago saved the life of a young boy who has now grown up to become a dangerous serial killer.

WANT A GOOD CRIME COMIC?

This is an easy one. If you like crime stories and aren’t already reading Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips’ CRIMINAL then you’re missing out on arguably the greatest crime comic ever made. There’s a few volumes available now and each one is mostly self-contained so check out my favorite, Vol. 3: THE DEAD AND THE DYING. It’s a three parter that basically tells the same story three times from three different points of view.

If you want to dig a little deeper into the comic world’s crime offerings, seek out some STRAY BULLETS by David Lapham. Over the course of several volumes, Lapham introduces numerous characters and gets them all in over their head in some really nasty situations. For the most part you can pick up any volume that you find and jump in as there is a good mix of self-contained stories with some continuation of larger over-arching plots. Just be aware, if you get too caught up in it, Lapham was self-publishing this book and sort of ran out dough and has left the book hanging for a while now to do some paid work for DC. No word on if and when he will get back to it.

HOW ABOUT A COMIC FOR KIDS?

These seem so rare these days but a new comic just released by Boom Studios is sure to please both you and your kids: THE MUPPET SHOW. Written and illustrated by cartooning genius Roger Langridge, this five issue mini-series perfectly captures the vaudeville feel of both the old show and Langridge’s own work like Fred The Clown. The second issue of this series just came out this week.

Boom has recently published a couple of Pixar related books too like a CARS prequel and an INCREDIBLES comic written by the great superhero writer Mark Waid.

LOOKING FOR A LAUGH?

TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE does exactly what the title implies. It’s the brainchild of Michael Kupperman and its absurdist sense of humor is sure to appeal to Adult Swim fans (in fact a reoccurring bit in this book, “Snake ‘n Bacon” is soon to be a series on that network. The most recent issue is #5 which is intended by the author to only be read by old people for some reason. Stories include Mark Twain and Albert Einstein teaming up to solve mysteries and aliens abduct a man and give him sexy woman legs.

For something a bit on the risque side, there’s the self-aware cheesecake comic EMPOWERED which is secretly a fantastic commentary on superhero comic stereotypes and the demeaning nature of “good girl” art. It’s about a plucky, superheroine named Empowered whose power derives from her skintight, alien costume. Unfortunately it is ridiculously fragile and prone to being shredded in very revealing ways which leave her powerless and susceptible to being tied up by super-villains. All of which makes her a laughing-stock among other heroes and gives her a complex about her own worth as a hero.

HOW ABOUT SCI-FI?

I mentioned it above but it’s worth re-mentioning Naoki Urasawa’s PLUTO. It’s a robot story that mixes 50’s style Astro Boy robots with Blade Runner replicant-style “human” robots.

If you’re sci-fi tastes lean more to the retro-side of things though you should be reading Rick Remender and Tony Moore’s FEAR AGENT. You can start at the beginning but I really enjoyed VOL 3: THE LAST GOODBYE which tells how an alien invasion turned our hero from a Texas family man into a hard-drinking, spacesuit-wearing ray-gun slinger. It’s a horrific invasion story despite its use of goofy looking aliens which will make you think of some of the chilling sci-fi stories told by the EC Comics greats like Jack Davis.

HORROR?

Zombies are everyone’s creature of choice these days but don’t go for that Marvel Zombies stuff. Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD holds true to the zombie tenet that the undead are always the least of the survivor’s problems. Start at the beginning with volume 1 and follow the dwindling number of survivors as they try to make a go of it in this post-apocalyptic world.

For sheer terror though, try Kazuo Umezu’s classic manga THE DRIFTING CLASSROOM. It’s about a school in Japan that disappears in an earthquake and reappears in a desert wasteland leaving teachers and children confused, terrified and alone. Everything begins to break apart, much as it did to the poor kids in Lord of the Flies, but Umezu holds nothing back and no one in this story is safe. Children especially.

FINALLY, HOW ABOUT SOMETHING MORE EMOTIONAL AND RESONATING?

Comics aren’t just about zombies and superheroes remember. There’s a wealth of stuff out there that will tug at your heart strings and maybe even make you cry.

Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Trilogy is a highly acclaimed graphic novel series that begins with TALES FROM THE FARM a story about an orphaned ten year old who befriends the town’s gas station owner as both share a common desire to escape their real world problems into the world of superhero fantasy.

Alex Robinson’s TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN is, on the surface, a similar story to that new Zac Effron flick where a middle-aged dad finds himself magically transferred into the body of a high school student. Robinson uses the concept to explore ideas about memory and parenthood in a very touching way.

And, Dash Shaw’s BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON is just about the most realistic portrayal of a disfunctional family I’ve ever seen in comics, despite the fact that the youngest son is drawn with a frog head.

We’re starting off the week with a bang–just added to our HeroesCon 09 Guest List is an impressive group of creators from the Silver through the Bronze Ages… and of course they’re all still working today! Check it:

NICK CARDY is our best buddy; kind of like the “favorite uncle” of HeroesCon. He’s as popular with fellow guests as he is with his many fans, and why not? Nick’s career goes all the way back to the beginning of the Silver Age itself, with work on DC titles including Aquaman, Bat Lash, and Fight Comics–and most notably on Teen Titans. Nick’s covers and interiors have influenced entire generations of cartoonists, and he’s as sweet as pumpkin pie in person!

GARY FRIEDRICH, the creator of Ghost Rider, returns to HeroesCon this year. Besides his work on Ghost Rider, Gary was a Marvel bullpen writer and editor from the mid-60’s through 1978, and worked on pretty much everything, including X-Men, Iron Man, Captain America, and Sgt Fury and Nick Fury: Agent of Shield!

Another popular guest at HeroesCon for years and years now is another notable formal Marvel bullpenner–ROY THOMAS was Marvel’s first Editor-In-Chief after Smilin’ Stan, and had popular runs as writer on books like Avengers and Conan the Barbarian. And besides his Marvel work, he also worked on DC books including All-Star Squadron. These days Roy is writing most of the Marvel Illustrated series of books, as well as editing Alter Ego at TwoMorrows! Note that Roy is only able to attend the convention on Saturday, June 20.

WAYNE VANSANT is probably best known for his work on The Nam, one of the most offbeat and well-loved books of its time. He’s also contributed to Dark Horse’s Two Fisted Tales and Medal of Honor, as well as Semper Fi.

Last this week is ROD WHIGHAM, whose career began in the 80’s on GI Joe. He’s also worked on Justice League, Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Punisher, and dozens more!

Okay–more updates on the way. Welcome to the working week!

written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Adam Kubert and Scott Williams

I am going to make the assumption that virtually all of you have read these two issues. This is the kind of book everyone buys even if they do not regularly read Batman. Just in case: I need to post the words SPOILER ALERT, because this review has to examine the ending of the story.

My initial reaction to the story was one of complete disappointment. From what I’ve been reading in blogs and hearing from customers in the store, the general consensus seems to agree with my initial assessment.

It is impossible to read this story without comparing it to the final Mort Weisinger/Julius Schwartz era Superman tale, “Whatever Happened to Man of Tomorrow?” The Alan Moore story was an instant classic. It was the end of an antiquated era that sorely needed to be put to rest. Because of it, the story was able to evoke deep emotions in the reader as it it treated its subject matter as if it was the death of a very dear old friend.

Therefore this two-part Batman story–with its title, timing and the use of the literate British superstar writer –begs for comparison to the well established Superman classic. It would be impossible for any story to come close to Alan Moore’s triumph from 20-odd years ago. Thus my initial reaction to the story was a complete let down.

I felt the two issues led me too far in too many directions and culminated in an unsatisfactory finale. It left me feeling cold and almost angry. But I had this nagging feeling that I must be missing something. I am not a blind faith fan of Neil Gaiman; but I cannot deny that he is a very clever writer and he has a huge reputation to uphold. So even though I was disappointed upon my initial reading, I had to assume that there is more to the story than originally met my eye.

And sure enough; a second reading proved to be quite rich and satisfying. The plot is simple: Bruce Wayne/Batman is watching his own wake with a mystery woman whom we were all either hoping or dreading will be revealed as Death from Gaiman’s Sandman. We learn in the second issue, it is Bruce Wayne’s mother who has been assigned the role of his spiritual guide.
The story ends with Bruce Wayne coming to the understanding that he is Batman, he is destined to be Batman and the only way Batman’s story can ever end is with his death. But…. the story can never end.

Regardless of how many times you re-invent the character, one thing will always remain: Batman is at heart a boy’s revenge fantasy. He must always succeed because he is stronger and smarter than every other human. He can overcome any adversity and win the day for the greater good–just like a hero should.

Gaiman uses the wake to delightful and rather inspiring ends. Admit it, any of the one and two page stories of Batman’s demise would have made an incredibly fitting coda to Bruce Wayne’s four color life–Batgirl and the Bomb, Harvey Bullock and the kid, the final physical and mental victory over the Joker. There are several more within the story’s framework and each one comes close to affecting the reader in the same satisfying manner as the special moments within Moore’s final Superman tale.

The two stories that get the majority of page-time show that Batman could never settle down and receive that well deserved happy ending. Catwoman’s tale shows us the Batman’s life is tragic and cannot withstand a romantic relationship. This is a very moving, chilling and perverse tale of obsession. It is a terrific tale and climaxes in a surprising way.

Even better is the story of Alfred and the role(s) he plays in Batman’s life. This is a very clever tale that shows above all that Batman’s story will continue to be twisted and manipulated away from the original boy’s revenge fantasy concept into something else, either silly and antiquated—like the Caped Crusader from the 40’s to the 60s—or something violent and “realistic”, like the Dark Knight of the 70s to the present. Batman will be nothing but a pawn of the actors and writers who pull his strings and the audience who determines the extent of his popularity.

The story’s wrap-up is a bit of a challenge. The shape of the Bat signal morphing into the hands of a new born is absolutely inspired and the final image of a new mother’s joy upon looking at her infant son successfully masks –for the briefest moment –the true “reality” of the Batman character. But Gaiman makes it clear that this is not going have a happy ending. Batman will not retire to suburbia like Superman. Martha Wayne’s joy cannot equal Superman’s wink; hence the original feeling of anger and disappointment.

But Gaiman is reaching for something more, something richer, something darker and something that is NOT happy. Batman is the absolute dark reflection of the Christ figure. Instead of dying for our sins—which the previous 40 odd pages publically offered the readers—Bruce Wayne is destined to remain alive in tragedy and torment to entertain us over and over and over.
No matter who is drawing him, no matter who is writing him, no matter who fights temporally for the right to wear the cowl, Bruce Wayne will always be the little boy kneeling in a filthy alley surrounded by blood and bodies and a broken strain of pearls. Forever.

Bruce Wayne is in hell and God help us, as readers of his exploits, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is truly an excellent comic book and deserves multiple readings. I wish we could have scheduled this book as a future discussion group, but with the convention coming up quickly, I have to use the Review as our forum in its stead.

Do you disagree with this assessment? Please respond and let us hear about it. Thanks for reading!

Well heckfire–after last week’s hurly-burly update-per-day pace, it seems downright sedentary to only make two updates to the HeroesCon 09 Guest List this week. On the other hand, between the two of them, they total 18 people! I’m going to make this quick, as I still have to get the Heroes Hotline sent AND print up a bunch of Free Comic Book Day flyers to take around town over the weekend. It IS, after all, a week from tomorrow!

But for now, CHECK OUT these SWEET PEEPS:

ERIC CANETE is the artist behind books like the hit End League, Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin, and a ton of others, including design and storyboard work on the Ben 10 Cartoon Network show. Be sure and welcome Eric to his first HeroesCon!

OTIS FRAMPTON is the creator of the Oddly Normal series of graphic novels, as well as the non-Marc-Deering half of a podcasting team!

CHRIS GIARRUSSO is no stranger to HeroesCon attendees, attending I think his 3rd or 4th this year. You probably know Chris from his several Mini Marvels books for Marvel Comics, as well as his own G-Man!

JASON LATOUR lives in our very neighborhood–when you’re not catching him browsing the rack on Wednesday afternoons, you can catch him as the artist on The Expatriate, as well as the writer of the upcoming Loose Ends!

BUDD ROOT is practically in our neighborhood, and another frequent Wednesday visitor to the shop. He’s also the creator of the cult-favorite Cavewoman series!

GREGG SCHIGIEL is also returning to HeroesCon this year. Besides working on What If? and Disney Adventures Magazine, Gregg is also the writer and artist of the Spongebob Squarepants comic in Nickelodeon Magazine!

Also joining the list today are our buddies in Tsunami Studios–there are a few more Tsunami-ers still to confirm, but I thought I’d point out these guys. And they’re located right here in good ole North Carolina to boot! Ah, my home state… Oh! Anyway:

STEVE BIRD has worked on a ton of books, including Robin, Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul, Blue Beetle, and Hard Time.

RICK KETCHAM is a name synonymous with quality, inking all over the place for all the major publishers. Recent work includes Runaways, GI Joe, Robin, and The Dresden Files!

ERIC LAYTON, a force to be reckoned with, has worked on Hexen Hammers, GI Joe, Kyle XY, Ex Machina, and more!

Last but not least, JOHN “WAKI” WYCOUGH is known for his work on GI Joe, Transformers, Dr Who, and a ton of others. Be sure and welcome Tsunami back to HeroesCon!

And have a great weekend!

[Ed. note–some SPOILERS below, although pretty mild unless you’ve really been out of the Cap loop for the last two years.]

Writer Ed Brubaker really knows how to stretch out a story.

His propensity to tell long yarns is evident in comics like Daredevil — where he dangles plots and character beats over the course of several storylines — but it’s on full display in the pages of Captain America.

Cap, under Brubaker’s guiding hand, has essentially consisted of one adventure that’s taken four years to tell. The comic seems like a throwback book in this day of six-part arcs created for the express purpose of later publishing a trade paperback.

For avid readers, Brubaker’s approach is the ultimate form of serialized fiction. He gives an audience the necessary time and space to really know, understand and care about the characters — good guys and bad guys. For casual readers, however, this approach can lead to stories that seem to move too slowly.
But in Brubaker’s defense, Captain America is not “padded” in the least (like the old Bill Jemas days). Each issue serves up significant character moments, contains elements that keep the story going and offers enough nuggets to satisfy dedicated members of the audience.

On top of that, when I read Cap I get the feeling that we’re going somewhere — that we’re not on some endless ride leading to a dead end (so, no crap like a third Summer’s brother or anything like that).

The first sign of forward progression in the pages of Captain America was the reintroduction of Bucky Barnes. That was a BIG deal. The second sign was the murder of Steve Rogers. That was also a BIG deal — made even bigger because the guy has remained a corpse for a few years. The third sign was the introduction of the new Captain America (aka Bucky). Now, judging from some new ads I’ve seen in the pages of Marvel books, it looks like another chapter in this ongoing saga MAY be coming to a close.

And knowing Brubaker, that ending will undoubtedly lead to a new beginning.

Check out our pal Tommy Lee Edwards, who beyond being an amazing AMAZING artist on comics like Marvel: 1985 and more, is also a bigtime illustrator who’s worked for Lucasfilm among a ton of other high-profile clients. Tommy Lee is once more participating in the Ride For Kids program this year, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. We love Tommy Lee and hope you can help, or pass this along to help get the word out. From TL’s e-mail:

“Giving my time as a motorcyclist is my way of showing support for those families battling every day with childhood brain tumors.

Last year, hundreds of North Carolina bikers and I traveled the Triangle area and contributed to a national fundraising total of $4.5 million. With generous donations from friends and family, I was able to personally deliver $9,350. This total earned me the title of “Champion Fundraiser”. Along with that honor, I will be leading this year’s ride as we strive to beat the 2008 total and get even closer to a cure.

The 2009 Ride for Kids is next weekend, May 3rd, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation needs your help.

DONATE NOW to sponsor my ride
http://www.firstgiving.com/edwardsillustration

Our primary source of donations in 2008 came from teaming up with Lucasfilm. We shipped a limited-edition Star Wars print, illustrated and signed by me, to anyone donating a minimum of $30. I’ve been unable to gather the resources in time to offer the same incentive for donors this year, but have planted seeds for 2010.

For this year, I’ve decided to go for a wild blitz-week of fundraising. We have one week to raise as much as possible. The cut-off is May 1st. So if you can, please donate today.

You can visit my firstgiving website to make a donation. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to our fundraising efforts. Large or small, anything helps. And please don’t feel any pressure to donate at all. Many of you may not be in a position to do so, or chose to put your funds toward a separate charity.”

Holy cow, Free Comic Book Day is just a week from Saturday! Jeez-O-Man, and Shelton is firing up his big party machine. Since my last FCBD post, we’ve added Sonic penciller and colorist Matt Herms, as well as amazing Secret Invasion and Astonishing X-Men colorist Laura Martin! (My bad, Cully wrote me to say she’s not going to be able to make it, and I totally forgot. But she’ll be at HeroesCon in June!) Not to mention the ridiculous guest list you can see in the image above.

To review: there’ll be between 20-25 different comics we’ll be giving away while supplies last (we always order a TON, but some things sell out before others). We’ll open our doors at 10am, so come early and stay late. The signing/sketching/kibbutzing jamboree will start around 1pm, and got until 5. Although Brian Stelfreeze is always sketching like an extra hour after everyone else is done. Don’t miss out on this totally FREE event!

Whoa, two whole days this week without an update to the HeroesCon 09 Guest List? What gives?! Relax, relax… we’ve been dotting some other I’s and crossing some other T’s–one T in particular that finally got crossed this week was that we are now at last Twittering. So if you want the latest HeroesCon news in little 140-character or less bursts, feel free to begin following us!

A tweet I’ll be twittering in just a moment is today’s Guest List update, including more of our HeroesCon “family” members. This is really turning into one of our best ever Guest Lists, too, with peeps from all over the comics industry. Witness:

CHRIS BRUNNER just gets better every year, especially now that he lives around the corner from our store and we get to see him all the time. YOU may have seen him in the pages of Gotham Central, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, The Ride, or one of a billion trading cards. Don’t miss his upcoming book Loose Ends from our buddies at 12 Gauge Comics, created with Jason Latour–that reminds me, I need to get Jason added to this fershlugginer list.

RICHARD CASE is one of our oldest friends, although he’s not all that old. Although he’s a quiet guy, he packs a lot of mojo into his drawing hand, with past work on Grant Morrison‘s now-classic Doom Patrol run, Sandman, and inking over the late great Mike Wieringo on Sensational Spider-Man. These days Rich is a concept artist at Red Storm Entertainment.

JOHN FLOYD has worked with some of the best in the business, including Joe Sinnott, Barry Windsor-Smith and more, on titles including Birds of Prey, Trinity, Silver Surfer, Rune, and more.

CRAIG ROUSSEAU is the co-creator of The Perhapanauts, with fellow buddy and guest Todd Dezago. He’s also worked on Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2, Marvel Adventures Superheroes, Batman Beyond, Impulse, and many more!

CHRIS SAMNEE is attending his third consecutive HeroesCon, and gets a little more famous each time. These days his dance card is pretty full, and includes art on The Mighty, Area Ten, Dead of Night: Devil Slayer, Daredevil: Blood of the Black Tarantula, Checkmate (*draws breath*), Queen & Country, Capote in Kansas…

RENEE WITTERSTAETTER is also no stranger to HeroesCon, or to comics–she’s worked on titles including Superman, Conan, She-Hulk, and many more. Most recently she’s written The Art of Michael Golden and Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira.

Rounding out today’s update in the cleanup position is KELLY YATES, whose creator-owned Amber Atoms series is still new enough for you to grab up all the issues. Kelly’s also been in Doctor Who: The Forgotten, The Perhapanauts, Fear Agent, and many more.

Every Wednesday we run down the 5 most interesting comics or graphic novels coming out for the week.

5. DETECTIVE COMICS #853
Written by Neil Gaiman; Art by Andy Kubert and Scott Williams; Cover by Andy Kubert; Variant sketch cover by Andy Kubert
DC Comics
$3.99 | 48 pgs

After a bit of a delay we finally get the second and final part of Neil Gaiman’s “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” story that began in the last issue of Batman. If you’re coming in late, Batman is dead and they’re having a funeral for him. Except this doesn’t seem to be the Batman (or the Bat-continuity) that we’ve been following recently. It’s more of an amalgam of the kooky elements of Bat-history (very much like what we’ve seen Grant Morrison do in his recent run on the title).

It’s a weird little story very much inspired by Alan Moore’s classic end-of-Superman tale “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” from the mid-80s. Neil Gaiman needs no introduction of course and probably neither does the artist on this book, Andy Kubert so it’s a given that a lot of people will be checking out where this story goes in this issue.

4. DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY: BATMAN — THE ANNUALS
Written by Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton and others; Art by Lew Sayre Schwartz, Dick Sprang and others; Composite cover by Curt Swan and others
DC
$39.99 | 256 pgs

Speaking of wacky Batman stuff, DC also has this collection of stories from a number of Batman Annuals that came out in the early 60s. This is full of the kind of stuff that used to make Dark Knight fans shudder with embarrassment but thanks to Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman and the Cartoon Network and a growing ennui with gritty, depressing Batman stories this kind of thing has come back in vogue. Legendary writers and artists like Bill Finger and Dick Sprang bring you crazy tales with shirtless Batman and Robin in the jungle, fighting an octopus and wearing kilts for some reason. And that’s just what you can glean from looking at the cover. If you’re a fan of the new Brave and the Bold series on Cartoon Network than this is where the inspiration from that show came from (this and hallucinatory drugs I’m sure).

3. SCALPED VOL. 4: THE GRAVEL IN YOUR GUTS
Written by Jason Aaron; Art by Davide Furno and R.M. Guera; Cover by Jock
DC Vertigo
$14.99 | 144pgs

Since it’s a generally slow week for new stuff I’ll take this opportunity to quickly point out that Scalped is one of the best ongoing comics out there right now. It’s a dark crime drama set on a decrepit and drug-addled Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Dash Bad Horse is the prodigal son come home after years away from “the Rez” to take a job as a local law enforcer. Which actually means working for shady Casino owner and manipulator of all things on the Reservation, Chief Red Crow. But Dash has more than one agenda in this complicated tale of murder, drugs and dysfunctional family issues.

The latest trade paperback comes out this week and it focuses on Red Crow and the one man he has to answer to: Mr. Brass.

2. I AM LEGION #3 (of 6)
Written by Fabien Nury; art by John Cassady
Devil’s Due
$3.50 | 32 pgs

Attention anyone who bought the DC Humanoids graphic novel I Am Legion back in 2004 and always wondered what happened next: This is what happens next.

DC had reprinted the European comic (originally published by Humanoids) illustrated by Planetary and Astonishing X-men artist John Cassady in a graphic novel format but it only contained the equivalent of the first two issues of the story. Then DC abandoned the poorly selling line and left the handful of American readers of this book hanging.

Now, here in 2009, Devil’s Due has picked up the Humanoids mantle and is releasing this series in comic format. Issue #3 continues where DC’s graphic novel left off so now’s the time for readers of that book to get back into this supernatural thriller about Nazis and a young Romanian girl with the power to tilt the war in their direction.

The artwork, as you might expect from Cassady, is breathtaking.

1. VIKING #1
Written by Ivan Brandon; art by Nic Klein
Image Comics
$2.99 | 24 pgs

The newest crime comic to hit the stands takes place in one of the most brutal periods of crime history: the 9th Century. Ivan Brandon (Cross Bronx) and Nic Klein (who’s done a lot of painted cover work for Marvel) collaborate on this ultra-violent viking tale about two brothers fighting their way to top of the Norse mob.

Though the concept is novel the real attraction here is the unique art by Klein. As you can see from this preview, his work here is a unique mixture of styles that seems part EC Comics, part Neal Adams and part – oh, I don’t know – Genndy Tartakovsky maybe? It’s striking and should make a big splash, appealing to fans of Brian Wood’s Norhtlanders, Ed Brubaker’s Criminal and Jason Aaron’s Scalped.