YES LORD! This summer Mark Bagley returns to HeroesCon, after an absence of a few years–in fact, I think the last time we’ve seen Mark may have been at one of the first few Free Comic Book Day shindigs we ever had. Although I could be wrong–Shelton’s memory is better than mine for dates and stuff.

ANYway, Mark is coming HERE in JUNE for HEROESCON! He’s one of the most consistent on-time dudes in the business, with some incredibly lengthy continuous runs on books like Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, and a little weekly book you may have heard of called Trinity. We’re pleased as punch to welcome Mark back–but he’s not alone! Also this week we added 4 other suh-weet names to the list:

NATHAN EDMONDSON is an excellent dude to NOT get into a bar fight with, as I discovered last year in the Westin hotel bar. What is the deal with drunk people hanging out in BARS all the time? Anyway, Nathan is also a writer of some skill–look for his upcoming book Olympus, from Image!

CHARLIE KIRCHOFF is a studly colorist, with work on a TON of Doctor Who books, including the recent hit Doctor Who: The Forgotten, as well as Angel: After The Fall and Spike: After The Fall; and my favorite, the new Zombies That Ate The World, over our buddy Guy Davis!

SUNNY LEE has worked in comics on and off in comics for the last ten years, most notably on Superboy, Young Justice, and Wolverine, and most recently on the Gen 13 relaunch.

And our new buddy MARK MCHALEY comes to us from the wild world of trading card art, where we got turned on to him through the lovely Allison Sohn. Mark has had work in a ton of different trading card sets including Star Wars Galaxy 4, Indiana Jones Masterpieces, and Batman Archives.

Okay–there’s STILL a sheaf of names I need to work through, so if you’ve contacted me and haven’t seen your name yet, I’m working my way towards you! Look for another update next week, right here!

by Peter Tomasi and Andy Kubert
reviewed by Carlton Hargro

OK, I’ve got to make a confession: I love The Outsiders. I’ve always loved the Outsiders — ever since the group appeared as Batman and the Outsiders back in the 1980s.

Yes, I realize that the Outsiders is one of the lamest teams to ever grace a comic series. I guess I have a soft spot for cornball characters — and the Outsiders corner the market on some of DC’s most Z-list heroes: Metamorpho, Black Lightning, Katana and a few more. But I love them; at the end of the day, I’m just attracted to the possibility of greatness inherent in all these nobodies.

Over the years, DC has tried its hand at several different incarnations of the team. Some were awful (the version with the Eradicator, for example) and some were somewhat enjoyable. (Although it initially lacked any of the team’s original lineup, Judd Winick’s version wasn’t so bad.) But I think the latest reboot of the series, helmed by writer Peter Tomasi, might be the best take on the series since … well, ever.

So what is Tomasi doing right? First, his team of Outsiders embraces the past by bringing back the entire original squad (Halo included) — and he brings back the old guys with their recently added changes intact (Geo-Force, for example, makes reference to stabbing Deathstroke). To that nostalgic mix, he adds a few new cast members: one old character (the Creeper) and one (sort of) brand-new guy (Owlman).

Second (and maybe third), Tomasi has also introduced two cool elements that make the team more than just a collection of lovable losers. I won’t spoil these elements, but I will hint that he’s created a link between all of villains that have ever plagued the Outsiders (the Duke of Oil included).

So look , I’m digging The Outsiders right now. You may be all engrossed in the latest ultra-modern comic of the moment, but I think you’ll enjoy this new approach to a few not-so-cool heroes.

Carlton Hargro is the Editor-In-Chief of Creative Loafing Charlotte. For more Hargrifficness, check them out online.

Holy Mackerel! When we agreed to have a special in-store signing with film director George Romero, we thought it would be a good way to promote the store to people who may be unfamiliar with us.

But JEEZ LOUISE, what a turnout! If you’ve ever been to one of our massive Free Comic Book Day shindigs, it was kind of like that, EXCEPT that all of those people were there to meet just one dude! Whoa Nellie!

The signing was part of the "American Zombie" film retrospective organized by The Light Factory, and in some ways sort of the lead-off event. Many thanks to Wendy, Juliette, Dee and the whole staff for putting on a great event and being able to adjust to some pretty wild challenges on the ground!

Read on for all the gory (get it? gory? zombies?) details at the Flickr set we’ve posted, containing over 60 photos!.

UPDATE! My man Russell Smith just sent me this short YouTube video in our store. Although he’s referring to a different “Dustin” in the video–MY directing idol is Russell himself. Check it:

Today’s the day! From 3pm to 5pm today, we’ll be hosting acclaimed director George Romero, who unleashed zombies on the world with his seminal “Night of the Living Dead” and many followups, perhaps most famously “Dawn of the Dead.” His appearance is in conjunction with The Light Factory’s film retrospective “American Zombie,” going on all this weekend. AND the signing in our store will be the only public autograph opportunity of the entire weekend!

Not only is Mr. Romero a legendary film director, but his zombie creations are no stranger to comics. Shawn and Seth have put together a really sweet selection of comic versions of some of his most famous works, as well as his 2005 DC series Toe Tags–plus a ton of other zombie-related works like Walking Dead, Zombies Vs Robots, and more! So rest assured, there’ll be plenty of ways for you to give us money to show your love of zombies today!

A couple of things we’re getting A LOT of questions about:

1) We will be giving out numbers throughout the morning and early afternoon for the autograph session–this means you don’t have to stand in line all day waiting. BUT you can only get them here at the store, in person, and one per person. NO EXCEPTIONS! When the signing begins, we’ll be calling numbers rather than making everyone line up. We love you!

2) We are unsure as to whether or not Mr. Romero is asking attendees to purchase something from him in order to get an autograph. We have tried to figure out the answer, but it’s still sort of unclear. WE are not charging anything for the event, nor do you have to purchase anything to stand in line. This is not to say that we won’t be ready to help you purchase as much as you want to. We MAY exercise the right to limit the number of signatures per person in order to make sure everyone in line gets a chance to get to the front–this depends on total turnout/speed, etc.

3) Similar to 2: we are not restricting photography, except insofar as Mr. Romero’s personal preferences extend. And as always, if anyone doesn’t want their picture taken, please respect their wishes and personal space.

Okay! Look for a collection of photographs from the event later today or tomorrow! See you at 3 o’clock!

reviewed by Carlton Hargro

It looks like writer Ed Brubaker has scored another winning series with the launch of his latest crime/superhero comic Incognito.

Incognito, a creator-owned comic published by Marvel’s Icon imprint, mixes the best aspects of the two genres by telling the story of a former super villain who’s currently in hiding in the Witness Protection Program — and as a result of being bored by his new life, becomes a hero.

Like some of Brubaker’s other crime books, such as Sleeper and Criminal, Incognito is filled with the requisite amounts of sex, violence, double-dealing, femme fatales and more. The story is a lot of fun and the art, by Sean Phillips, is as gritty as the writing. But as much as I love Incognito’s writing and art, I dig the text pieces in the back of each issue even more.

The first two editions of the series featured two prose-style history pieces that explained the past, present and future of pulp characters like the Shadow and Doc Savage. Now that may sound boring on the surface, but both articles are quick reads — short, but enormously informative.

The writers who Brubaker have assembled to craft these historical works thus far have managed to show the links between pulp books of the past and superheroes of today in a way that would be of interest to even casual comic fans.

Personally, I’ve always wondered about the origins of guys like Doc Savage, but I wasn’t stoked about the idea of sifting through some huge tome about him. After I’m done reading an engrossing book like Incognito, however, I’m more prone to just flip through a quick story.

And with the economy the way it is, I appreciate anything that extends my comic reading experience without extending the price.

Carlton Hargro is the Editor-in-Chief of Creative Loafing Charlotte. For more by Carlton, check out the Creative Loafing website.

As I try to work my way down through my pile of guest list confirmations (it’s huge), not to mention the tons of e-mails I still need to return (even huger), I am starting finally to if not catch up, then at least start to pull abreast of the influx of guests. Just added to our HeroesCon Guest List this week are the following studbolts:

JOHN BEATTY is one of the best artists and inkers in comics, period. He is probably most well-known for his stint inking the legendary Mike Zeck on acclaimed runs on Punisher and Captain America, plus work on Secret Wars, Batman, and a zillion others.

JEREMY DALE is an illustrator best known for his work on the popular GI Joe comics for Hasbro, with writer Larry Hama. He’s also had art in Popgun and Wildguard, and is currently working on upcoming books from the Big Two.

SHANNON GALLANT also has worked on GI Joe comics, in this case the upcoming IDW movie prequels featuring Duke and Destro; as well as Monsters Vs. Aliens and Mack Bolan: Executioner.

CASEY JONES is practically a member of the staff, so helpful is he every year in putting on the show. But fortunately, since we don’t pay him, he’s a fan-favorite comics artist as well, most recently on New Warriors and Marvel Adventures: Avengers.

DANIEL WAY has become a member of our little HeroesCon family over the last few years, as well as one of the hottest writers at Marvel Comics. He’s probably most closely associated with Wolverine, as the writer of the longrunning Wolverine: Origins, as well as the upcoming Dark Wolverine series tying into the current Dark Avengers kerfuffle. And this isn’t even mentioning his work on Ghost Rider!

Okay, look for MORE additions to the list next week, to be followed by another Indie Island update around the beginning of March! The “march” to HeroesCon 2009 is indeed on!

Last week our friend Jim Royal died. Jim was not only a gifted penciller, inker, and all around artist, but the kind of guy who could crack you up just by turning his head a certain way at the right time. He’s known Shelton for years and years, and I myself have known him since I started working here, 13 years ago last week.

I remember sitting across the street at a table with (then fellow clerk) Matt Fraction, and the both of us just crying laughing at Jim, who could make a stone gargoyle laugh. We called him “Gentleman” Jim, although in truth he was anything but, but in the best possible way. Jim was generous to a fault, and the kind of guy it was always fun to see, whether in your hometown or out somewhere on the con circuit.

Besides his personal qualities, Jim was an illustrator and inker with a deep portfolio, including work on Arkham Asylum, The Spectre, Birds of Prey, and Spider-Man, and many more. He was a primo dude, and he’ll be sorely missed, not just by us, but by his many many friends throughout the comics industry.

Our thoughts go out to his many friends and family. Goodnight, Gentleman Jim.

Oh yes! Just added to our HeroesCon 09 Guest List, as part of Indie Island, is a star-studded indie cavalcade of ingenious independent impresarios. That may be overstating it a little bit, but hey–this is the Internet, after all. But enough of this blather: witness!

LIZ BAILLIE is totally awesome, believe you me. She’s the author of the My Brain Hurts series, as well as the new Sing Along Forever, and is a regular contributor to indie anthologies like the AWESOME Anthology!

FRED CHAO is just as awesome as Liz, but a little taller. He’s also the cartoonist behind Johnny Hiro from AdHouse Books–I believe a collected edition might be coming out later in the year. EXCITEMENT!

RACHEL FREIRE is a relative newcomer, but HER new book FCHS from AdHouse looks kind of amazing. It’s also written by our old chum Vito Delsante, who is also kind of amazing. So are you!

CARLA SPEED MCNEIL is returning triumphantly to HeroesCon after like… jeez, I can’t even remember when she was here last. It might have been LAST MILLENIUM!! Either way, she’s been producing her acclaimed self-published series Finder since the latter days of the 20th century–it’s already classic!

JIM OTTAVIANI is so friendly it reminds you of how you wished you were more nicer to people. Not you of course, but other, less nice people. When he’s not saving puppies from burning orphanages, he’s the writer behind the science-inflected Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards, and Suspended In Language!

MK REED is know both far and wide for her excellent writing, especially on her Ignatz-winning story in Papercutter #8, not to mention Cross Country and I Will Feast On Your Whore Heart. Whoa, MK, language!

Whew! Okay, still more to come as I work my way through this stack of forms, but I’m starting to, if not catch up, at least get into a rhythm. Signs point to TWO updates to our Guest List next week! See you then!

Well, I said it briefly yesterday, but now I have said it in a much more longwinded fashion: Claudio Sanchez is a super-nice guy, the signing we hosted yesterday went almost impossibly smoothly, and everyone had a great time.I mean, check out all these peeps:

Okay, there are 40-something photos, most with wearisome descriptions and anecdotes, all yours for the viewing over at our Flickr site (I just noticed we’ve crossed 1200 photos!!). I sincerely hope you enjoyed them. I’m home sick today, and it was extra hard to think of anything to say when I was so busy pitying myself. The things I do for you!

Oh, but before I forget, for those of you who couldn’t come but want a piece of the action:

Before he left to go play last night’s Coheed & Cambria show at the newly named Bojangles Arena, Claudio kindly signed the rest of the “bloody” Kill Audio vinyl figures we’d gotten in for the event. If you’d like one of these tour exclusive fellas, drop Shelton an e-mail or call us at 704.375.7462 with your charge info to order one. We’ll probably charge you $5 or $6 or so, depending on where you live–and of course you can just pick one up in the store anytime, until they’re all gone. Okay–go drink in the photo report!!

by Carlton Hargro

I’ve always liked Nick Fury but never really liked a comic book starring Nick Fury.

For me, Fury was sort of like Dr. Strange — good for an occasional guest appearance, but not good enough to support a monthly comic book. Maybe it’s because, just like Strange has an almost limitless array of powers, Fury has a limitless supply of resources as the head of Marvel’s resident espionage organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.

But based on the quality of Fury’s latest title — Secret Warriors — I just may change my mind about Marvel’s No. 1 spy.

If you’re not familiar with the premise behind Secret Warriors (which is written by Secret Invasion architect Brian Bendis and Jonathan Hickman, of Image Comics fame), here’s the gist: Before Secret Invasion, Nick Fury figured out the Skrulls were hiding among us, so he created a team of heroes who weren’t known by the bad guys. And then helped beat up the bad guys. After Secret Invasion, Fury continues to lead his super team, but now he’s going against Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign, among other baddies.

So why does this Fury vehicle work where others failed? Well, first, instead of having Nick run S.H.I.E.L.D. and hang out with thousands of faceless agents, Hickman and Bendis have pared down his crew to just a handful of folks. Second, Hickman and Bendis can just plain write. Their characterizations are accurate; the dialogue is witty and entertaining; and the plot is engrossing and offers several real surprises. On top of all that, the art by Stefano Caselli is great … clean, yet detailed.

Bottom line: Buy Secret Warriors No. 1. It’s good … even if you don’t dig Nick Fury cmics.

Carlton Hargro is Editor-in-Chief of Creative Loafing Charlotte.