ANDY’S PICK :: DISNEY JUNIOR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANIMATED CHARACTERS: Where was this book when I was a kid. As a Disney obsessed youth (I blame the classic Gold Key published, Walt Disney Comics Digest) I used to make lists of every character I could. These were the years before the internet so I had to go off memory and comic books. What I wouldn’t have done for a book like this! There are over 150 entries with illustrations and character info starting with Ariel (I imagine) and ends (I’m pretty certain) with Zurg. And the inside of the book jacket is a giant poster. All for only $13.00!!! Any pre-teen will love it!

HeroesCon 2014 is only 3 weeks away and even more great creators are being added to our guest list every week! It’s getting SO CLOSE! We’ll see you at the Charlotte Convention Center June 20-22, 2014. Tickets for  are on sale now! Check out our full line-up of comic creators here!

CREATORS! Artists Alley tables are still available but they are going fast! Reserve your space today!

LAUREN AFFE – Colorist: Buzzkill, Five Ghosts, Turok

PAUL AZACETA – Artist: Outcast, X-Men, Graveyard of Empires

ALEAH BAKER – Colorist, Letterer, Concept Designer: Sonic the Hedgehog & Mega Man
IAN FLYNN – Writer: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe, Mega Man, New Crusaders and other Archie titles

JORDAN BOYD – Colorist: Star Wars Legacy, Umbral, Savage Hulk

WES BROOKS – Artist: Undead Speed Equipment, Grim Riders

BERNARD CHANG – Artist: Green Lantern Corps, Demon Knights, Wonder Woman

SCOTT HANNA – Inker: Detective Comics, Amazing Spider-Man, Nova

TOM HEINTJES: Hogan’s Alley Magazine

LEWIS LAROSA – Artist:  Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, X-Men, JLA, Punisher MAX

TOM LYLE – Artist: Spider-man, Robin, Punisher,Batman

NORM RAPMUND – Inker: The Flash, Booster Gold, Teen Titans, Nightwing, Batman/Superman

TIM RICKARD – Cartoonist: Brewster Rockit, Space Guy!

BUDD ROOT – Artist: Cavewoman

ANDY SMITH – Artist: Thanos, X-Men, Wolverine, Superman, Batman

BOB WIACEK – Inker: X-Men, Star Wars, X-Factor, Brave and the Bold

JARRETT WILLIAMS – Cartoonist: Super Pro KO, Regular Show, Yo Gabba Gabba!

WALDEN WONG – Inker: Guardians of the Galaxy, Wolverine and the X-Men, Justice League Dark

Heroes Convention takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 20-22 2014. Get your 3 day passes today! The full guest list (so far) is here.

Great news! Another hotel convenient to the Charlotte Convention Center is offering a special rate for HeroesCon 2014 attendees!

City Center Courtyard by Marriott has opened a block of rooms for us! Reserve yours today!

Call 1-888-839-1758 and request the HEROESCON 2014 rate.
OR
Book online at www.marriott.com/cltup; click on “Special Rates & Awards” then “Group code”. Type HCCHCCA Standard King Beds or HCCHCCB for Two Queen Beds.

JUSTIN’S PICK :: SOUTHERN BASTARDS #2: When I see the word “southern” in anything, I am immediately skeptical. I’m all too accustomed to our region and citizenry being unfairly pigeonholed as a bunch of unthinking bigot morons. Thankfully, Jasons Aaron and Latour sidestep all that, and craft a tale that’s somewhere between pulp and spiritual. I’m sure nearly every one of you read #1; this is a gentle reminder that #2 needs your attention, as well. Aaron is working the spaces between genres like he did in his acclaimed Vertigo series Scalped, and Latour’s art is a blend of darkness and whimsy in the grand EC tradition (don’t let those colors fool you, I see Kurtzman and Davis both lurking in that line work).

SETH’S PICK :: BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL. 1: There are several reasons to pick up this first volume of the acclaimed series Black Science. Firstly, it’s an energetic sci-fi tour de force from Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera. There’s a reason these single issues sold out quickly, and if you missed any of them, here’s the perfect opportunity to see what we’ve all been talking about. Secondly, and of equal importance, this collection is only $9.99! Image Comics has been using this price point for the first volumes of their new series’ trade paperback collections, and it’s a smart publishing initiative. In fact, you could pick up this volume and the first collections of Manifest Destiny and Pretty Deadly for just over $30 plus tax. That’s a lot of good comics for not a lot of money. 

Bonus Pick: Southern Bastards #2: This is yet another sold out Image series, and my favorite new title of the year. Jason Aaron and Jason Latour’s southern crime story employs finely tuned writing and meticulous art to brilliant effect. Their cinematic use of tension and release remind us of how comics can still be used to tell unique stories in unique ways.

Bonus Pick #2: Devil Dinosaur by Jack Kirby TP: This is not the King’s greatest comic work, no, not by a long shot. But it is a series where he draws all kinds of dinosaurs and monsters, and that’s enough for me. Plus, this is the first time the whole series is available in a single trade paperback.

ANDY’S PICK :: DEVIL DINOSAUR BY JACK KIRBY THE COMPLETE SERIES TP: Here’s the back-story. In 1972, DC asked Jack Kirby to come up with a title to compete with Marvel’s recent licensing acquisition of Planet of the Apes. Hence, Kamandi. A few years later, Kirby was back at Marvel and they asked him to create a new property  that could go paw to paw with the new Kamandi TV series that DC was developing. So Kirby grudgingly  came up with Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy. The series only ran for 9 issues. The comic was geared at younger readers, but like most comics back in the ’70s it was never marketed properly. So, at the time  DD  looked like a big-foot n embarrassment from the once-great King when compared to the more cutting edge ‘relevant’ comics from O’Neill and Engelhart. Today those topical books are still fun but are self important, quite silly and rather dated; meanwhile ol’ DD remains a great kids comic just brimming with the Kirby excitement, movement and creativity. Marvel is offering all nine issues in an affordable soft cover edition for only 19.95. You owe it to yourself to pick it up and enjoy!

HeroesCon 2014 is only one month away and even more great creators are being added to our guest list every week! It’s getting SO CLOSE! We’ll see you at the Charlotte Convention Center June 20-22, 2014. Tickets for  are on sale now! Check out our full line-up of comic creators here!

CREATORS! Artists Alley tables are still available but they are going fast! Reserve your space today!

LUIGI ANDERSON – Colorist: The Auteur

FRANK BARBIERE – Writer: Five Ghosts, Solar: Man of the Atom, The White Suits

BRIAN CLEVINGER – Writer: Atomic Robo

MICHELLE DELECKI-DAVIS – Painter

BRYAN JL GLASS – Writer: Mice Templar, Furious

KERON GRANT – Concept Artist: Robocop, Transformers, GI Joe

MIKE HENDERSON – Artist: Nailbiter

JANET LEE – Artist: Return of the Dapper Men, Jane Auten’s Emma, Wonderland Alphabet

HEIDI MACDONALD – Writer: The Beat

BEN MCCOOL – Writer: Pigs, Lookouts

MIKE MCKONE – Artist: Justice League United, Avengers: Endless Wartime

STEVE NILES – Writer: Criminal Macabre, 30 Days of Night, Frankenstein Alive Alive

STEPHANE ROUX – Artist: Harley Quinn, Batman, Birds of Prey

TOM SPURGEON – Writer/Historian: The Comics Reporter

KARL STORY – Inker: Adventures of Superman, Serenity, Tom Strong

DEXTER VINES – Inker: Amazing X-Men, Uncanny Avengers, Batman

SCOTT WEGENER – Artist: Atomic Robo

Heroes Convention takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 20-22 2014. Get your 3 day passes today! The full guest list (so far) is here.

IZZY’S PICK :: LITTLEST PET SHOP #1: I was SO excited about this comic ever since I saw an ad for it in the back of a recent My Little Pony issue! I was also interested in it because the art on the cover is very appealing.  I also watch LPS on TV and I really like it. Please enjoy!

RICO’S PICK :: BLACK CANARY AND ZATANNA: BLOODSPELL: On the rare occasion when the visionary Paul Dini writes a comic book you owe it to yourself to pick it up. Dini along with Bruce Timm created a definitive version of Batman for television. This week we get beautiful new hardcover comic with all new material written by Dini with stunning art by Joe Quinones. This book has been in the works for years and it shows.