In case you missed hearing about this at our recent Charlotte MiniCon, Heroes is teaming with writer Matt Fraction for a special offer benefiting the American Red Cross and their Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.  Fraction wrote a special stand alone issue for Hawkeye #7 that directly deals with the hurricane.  In addition to writing the story, Fraction is donating all of his royalties from the issue to the Red Cross.  That means the more copies people buy, the more money the Red Cross will make.

In conjunction with Fraction and the Red Cross, Heroes is offering a special signed copy of Hawkeye #7 for $10.  As of this writing, there are less than 100 copies still available.  You can stop by the store and reserve your copy today.  All of the money we receive for this book will go entirely to the Red Cross, and each transaction will be kept separate from other store purchases.  Our costs for the book, shipping, and Matt’s time are all being handled by us and aren’t included in the $10 price of the book.  That means all of the money will go straight to the Red Cross and their relief efforts.  We’d also encourage you to donate more than $10 for the book if you’re able.

We applaud Fraction and his work to maintain awareness of the Red Cross and their work helping those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy.  Reserve your copy of Hawkeye #7 today and help us raise money for those who desperately need it.  

SETH’S PICK :: HAWKEYE #7: Aside from being one of the more unique superhero comics on the shelves, this week you have another, even better reason to give Hawkeye a try.  In the immediate aftermath of of Hurricane Sandy, writer Matt Fraction was moved to pen a story about the everyman Avenger dealing with those affected by the storm.  This makes perfect sense, as the book is very much grounded in the actions of an ordinary man facing down big obstacles.  If that’s not enough of a reason to check it out, it’s worth noting that Fraction is donating all of his royalties from this issue to the Red Cross.  That means the more copies of the book that sell, the more money the Red Cross will get to help those in need.  You can buy this book and know that you’ll be making a small difference in the lives of others.  The other nice thing about this issue is that it’s kind of a jumping on point, so if you missed Hawkeye #1-6, you can still read this book and be on the ground floor.  Hawkeye has become a regular sell-out for us, and for good reason.  Pick this one up, read one of comics’ best superhero books, and help raise money for the Red Cross all at the same time.

SETH’S PICK :: UNCANNY X-FORCE #1: I know there’s a substantial fanbase of Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-force among our blog readers, and I happily count myself among you.  We all know and respect the work Remender, Opena and Ribic did on the title, but it’s understandable to be a little skeptical about this new version.  Since I haven’t read much of his previous work, I can’t tell you much about new writer Sam Humphries, but the team he has assembled (including Spiral, Storm, Psylocke, Fantomex-ish Cluster and Puck) seems like an interesting way to start.  It’s also interesting to me that the always reliable Ron Garney will be working on this series, and that he’s moving away from his recent pencil-driven work on books like Wolverine: Weapon X to now work with an inker.  Most of the new Marvel Now books have been enjoyable, and this one has the potential for that as well.  I should also mention that Young Avengers #1 also hits shelves this week.  Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie are a consistently entertaining collaborative team, and they should work wonders with these characters. 

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.    

If  you’ve been to the Charlotte MiniCon before, you know we always have cool door prizes that any attendee can win.  Sometimes, though, Shelton throws some especially exciting and valuable items into the mix.  This year is a prime example of that.  Along with passes to HeroesCon, t-shirts, prints, and some of the other awesome items you might be expecting, this year’s door prizes include some highly sought after books like those pictured above.

Look closely and you’ll see copies of the San Diego Comic Con variant for Walking Dead #87, and a variety of covers for the now sold out Amazing Spider-man #700, including the regular cover, variants by Olivier Coipel and Marcos Martin, and even a copy of the super hard to find Steve Ditko variant.  If you look on ebay right now, the Ditko variant has been selling for between $800 and $1200.  That’s right, Shelton’s offering up a $1000 comic book as a door prize this year!  That should give you an idea of how much fun Charlotte MiniCon will be this year.

Remember to “Like” us on Facebook and then register for your FREE Mini-Con pass! Print your pass and bring it to the convention to speed your entry into the con. All attendees will receive a door prize ticket upon entry. Amazing door prizes will be given away all throughout the day, so get in early and stay all day! You never know when your number might be called!

Charlotte MiniCon is Sunday, January 20, 2013 at The Grady Cole Center from 11am to 5pm. There is plenty of free parking!

Complete 2013 Charlotte MiniCon Guest List (so far):

• Rich Barrett
• Chris Brunner
• J. Chris Campbell
• Rich Case
• Sanford Greene
• Chris Hamer
• Dustin Harbin
• Cassie Hart Kelly
• Tom King
• Jason Latour
• Lost Story Studios (Brockton McKinney & Bo Fader)
• Kevin Mellon
• Don Monroe
• Drew Moss
• Eraklis Petmezas
• Jay Potts
• Buddy Prince
• Budd Root
• Andy Smith
• Matthew D. Smith
• Spandex Splinters
• Brian Stelfreeze
• Rob Ullman
• Lee Weeks
• John Wycough

SETH’S PICK :: PROBLEMATIC: SKETCHBOOK DRAWINGS 2004-2012: I could have justifiably written about the start of artist James Harren’s new B.P.R.D. series (subtitled The Abyss of Time), or Tom Kaczynski’s Beta Testing the Apocalypse – fans of indie, political or analogy-filled comics should give this one a look.  However, I saw Fantagraphics’ preview of this new sketchbook from Frank artist Jim Woodring, and it quickly jumped to the top of my buy pile.  If you know Woodring, you know he’s a master of imaginative, bizarre, often wordless comics.  What I didn’t know, was that Woodring fills up Moleskine sketchbooks on a monthly basis.  Everything from stream of conscious excursions, life drawings, crazy new character designs and loose thumbnails find their way into Woodring’s sketchbooks.  Admittedly, this book might be best suited for the process hounds among us, but Woodring’s eclectic art is well worth seeking out for the uninitiated as well.

SETH’S PICK :: NEW AVENGERS #1: I’ll admit that, while I think Brian Bendis’ run on Avengers is respectable, it never really did much for me.  The Illuminati idea, though, was one that always seemed promising.  You’ve got Marvel’s smartest heroes secretly convening to stop threats only they can.  It’s a good idea that should realize more of its potential under the direction of new writer Jonathan Hickman.  If his Avengers title is the sprawling, huge cast facing off against even larger threats, then New Avengers looks to be the converse – a small group operating in a more hidden manner. If you’re a fan of Black Panther like me, you’ll be happy to know that T’Challa will also be a big part of New Avengers.  I’d also be remiss not to mention that the artist of this book is Steve Epting, who did some nice work with Hickman on Fantastic Four.  I’m not exactly sure what the pair has planned for this title, but I’m betting it’s worth a look.

SETH’S FAVORITES OF 2012 :: It’s been an eclectic year for comics.  Amid all the relaunches and reboots, company-wide crossovers and such, there were still some truly entertaining books that caught my attention.  It’s like I always say, you might not like everything new, and might not like the directions of some books or companies, but if you take the time to look around, you’ll find plenty of quality comics to enjoy.

Favorite Super-hero Book of 2012: Wolverine and the X-men/Hawkeye: I couldn’t narrow it down to one.  Wolverine and the X-men, in spite of having to weave in and out of the giant Avengers vs. X-men story, managed to be one of the most consistently joyous comics of the year for me.  Much of this is owed to writer Jason Aaron, who kept the tone of the book consistent, which may well have been a challenge this year.  Kudos also to artists Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw for matching the energy and humor in Aaron’s scripts, and adding their own unique takes on these characters.
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SETH’S PICK :: DJANGO UNCHAINED #1: December always brings lots of good comics, and this week is a good representation of that.  Everything from Hickman’s Avengers #2 to Francavilla’s Black Beetle #0 will be new on the shelves, with lots of other good books like Saga and Pogo along for the ride.  So why am I picking a movie adaptation?  First off, in addition to being published by Vertigo, the comic’s script is essentially Quentin Tarantino’s screenplay.  In fact, parts of the screenplay might not end up in the film, but will appear here, so that’s a plus for Tarantino fans.  Most significantly to me are the artists bringing the comic to life.  It’s the first major post-Scalped work from artist R.M. Guera, and each issue’s flashback sequences are provided by talented local writer/artist Jason Latour.  So you have a Tarantino-helmed comic about a vengeful slave-turned-bounty hunter trying to free his wife, and you have more-than-qualified artists bringing the screenplay to life in a way the movie won’t.  This is a no-brainer to me. 

SETH’S PICK :: RUST VOL. 2: If the Mayans were right and the world will end next Wednesday, why not pick up a good book to read while you wait for inevitable destruction?  Rust is an entertaining sepia-toned all ages book from animator/cartoonist Royden Lepp that deals with giant robots, strange jetpacks, and the fallout of a global war.  On paper, some of those elements don’t readily make for an all ages epic, but one of Lepp’s strengths is that he doesn’t talk down to a young audience.  If you never read Volume 1: Visitors in the Field, it’s probably wise to start there, but it’s a solid read that should grab you quickly.  I love all ages books that manage to appeal to adult readers as well as kids.  Rust is a prime example of this kind of comic at its best, and hopefully some of you out there will give this one a look.  These are also great gift ideas for young readers interested in comics beyond the super hero genre.