Quick note before lunch (I’m famished!): I just put up some more photos on our Flickr page: check em out!

Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: R.M. Guera

reviewed by Todd Harlan

I hate the word epiphany, so let’s just say I came to an understanding about myself when I read this book: I get uncomfortable reading about a character’s fictional circumstances that I understand to be typical of a great many people in reality, especially when those circumstances are the result of racial marginalization, extreme poverty, and a society—of which I am a part—that allows such things to continue in 2007. But that’s one thing good stories do—they confront and broaden the reader’s perception of his or herself, their values, or their perception of what’s going on around them, all while seducing them into turning to the next page—no easy feat.

Scalped does just that. It’s the story of “Rez Cop”, Dashiell Bad Horse and Tribal Leader, Lincoln Red Crow, set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation. Over the years, Red Crow has amassed an extraordinarily high body count to create an organized crime empire, culminating in the realization of his dream: the grand opening of the Crazy Horse Casino. Enter Dashiell Bad Horse, who, as a punk teenager, abandoned his mother and the reservation for parts unknown, and wound up as an agent for the FBI. His assignment: Infiltrate Red Crow’s organization and take it down.

Jason Aaron’s strengths lie in dialogue that allows his characters to transcend the panel—to get up and walk around on the page, and it’s these fully-realized characters that propel this mix of western and noir forward at a tight clip. But be warned: it’s not for the faint of heart. R.M Guera’s graphic depictions of squalor, sex, violence will leave a lasting impression. Too he’s one of those artists who can maintain a high degree of clarity while employing a busy line against a large amount of black space. It’s a perfect compliment to Aaron’s narrative.

And hey, if social commentary in your comics bores you, there’s plenty of story to be had. Best of all you can get the fist five issues for a measly ten bucks, so give it a try.

Have I ever steered you wrong?

Actually, I’m going to refer you to Tom Spurgeon‘s excellent Comics Reporter blog, where he reviews Jordan Crane‘s new Uptight #2. This came out last Wednesday (I think), and I loved it so much I’d planned to share my love with all of you; however, time is short, and Mr Spurgeon has done it better than I probably would have, and certainly with less words. Check it out!

Check it, all y’all:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heroesonline
Now, I’m still working out all the kinks, as far as the order that photos should display in, labels, sets, blah-blah-blah, BUT the page is up, seems to be working, and took a million less years than it would have if I were doing it all the old way, by hand, coding each, etc. Of course, the photos currently up (all by the very generous Gary Corbin) are just the teensiest tip of the photo iceberg, but I’ll continue to update with more, and then gradually start working my way backwards through the history of the show, at least the history I have photo documentation of. And of course I’ll let you know here on the blog whenever I add anything. Enjoy!

Well, we’re seeing some good discussions break out on the blog here, and I have to assume that will only grow, as you guys notice this new vector of hours and start chiming in. And if there’s any way we can put our customers to work for us, we’re always on the lookout.

To that end: I’m in the middle of totally revamping our website, which will feature all sorts of new hotness, as well as some of the old coolness you’re used to. One of the newer features will be a long-demanded (by Shelton) Frequently Asked Questions page for the convention. Now, while it’ll probably be another month or so before this new website actually sees the light of day, I thought I’d go ahead and start gathering some Questions which may or may not be Frequently Asked right away, for when the time comes.

So: What is it you’re always Frequently Asking? Remember, we do have brains, so we’ll probably be able to figure out most of the obvious ones. What I’m looking for are the weird ones. For instance, “Does HeroesCon have a costume contest?” is one we get a lot. Another might be “Can I get a half-priced parents pass as an advance ticket?” (the answer is No). Et cetera. Lay it on me. And if you’re thinking of asking a “funny” question, no one ever asks those, so don’t bother. I’m talking to you, Daniel.

Now Discuss! (Frequently Asked Questions, not young Daniel.)

Here’s something I’d like to hear from Heroes-dom assembled on: I can say with some authority that next year’s HeroesCon is going to be the biggest one ever. We’re already at full-steam, guest list wise, and it’s still just July. There’s plenty more to come, and you can expect some sweet announcements over the next couple of months. Programming will be through the roof, Indie Island will be bigger than ever, and all signs point to standing room only all weekend.

So, since we have all this time to really concentrate on making a great, world class event next year, what you you do? How would you improve the convention? Guests you’d like to see, panels you’d want to attend, whatever–believe me, we listen very carefully to this kind of thing. After all, all our magical famousness comes from being such a convention-of-the-people, so lets hear those opinions! Negative opinions are okay too, but let’s just keep it nice and clean for everyone’s benefit, okay?

Now discuss!

by Paul Hornschemeier
80 pgs :: HC :: Fantagraphics Books

reviewed by Shawn Reynolds

One of my favorite purchases during this year’s Heroes Convention was Paul Hornschemeier’s The Three Paradoxes. And after discussing it at the “Up Close and Personal” panel with Hornschemeier, moderated by the ever lovely Andy Mansell, I was very excited to get a chance to sit down and read it.

On the surface this book is simple. There are four main stories, each with a corresponding art style. The first is the story of Hornschemeier and his father talking as they walk down the street. The next story you are introduced to a young Hornschemeier searching for a bully with his friends. The third story is the origin of the man with the scar on his neck. Finally, the fourth story is of the philosopher Zeno explaining his three paradoxes. When you first begin to read this book it is hard to figure out how all the stories relate to each other. But by the time you finish you start to see how they connect. I will warn you: you will need to read this through at least two times, maybe more. It is a quick read, but it is not a light read. It is rich and dense and there are many layers and meanings.

To understand the book it is important to understand Zeno’s paradoxes. An oversimplified version of Zeno’s paradoxes is as follows: 1) you can never begin, 2) you can never catch up and 3) you can never move. For me this book is simultaneously supporting and refuting Zeno’s claims. Socrates is the voice of reason, stating that change does exist. While Socrates points out the flaws in Zeno’s paradoxes and logic does lead us to conclude that they are false, the rest of the book supports the paradoxes. That said, the book supports them in a limited way. For example, when Hornschemeier encounters the bully in that moment he could not move to defend himself. Later on he could move, but in that moment the paradox holds true (Hornschemeier directly states this in reference to not being able to move when he sees the scar, but I wanted to point out a less obvious example). Change seems to be inevitable and yet when you want something to change it seems like it never will.

An interesting aspect of this book is the symbolism of the road. It is a symbol for change and progress. Roads take you places. They send you out on journeys and they bring you back home. When you walk across the street you can become a different person. Also, it is a symbol for danger. Bad things can happen on the road. And bad things can happen when you travel down the road. In my 11th grade English class the teacher discussed the importance of the river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. She said that it symbolized a baptism. Every time Huck got into the river he changed. In The Three Paradoxes the road takes on the same significance. Just how most of the action takes place in or around the river in Huck, most of the action takes place in or near the road in Paradoxes.

Enough about philosophy and symbolism, let’s talk about the art. There are five different art styles which help  to differentiate between the stories. This distinction is important, if there wasn’t a sharp contrast between stories the book wouldn’t flow and it would get really confusing really quickly. The story of Hornschemeier and the bully is told in a child-like comic strip style; whereas, the story of the scar is like a comic book from the 1970s (complete with yellowed paper). What strikes me most about the different art styles is that the Zeno story seems to distinguish itself from the other stories. It appears to be a separate entity, not a part of the larger narrative. The other stories relate directly to Hornschemeier, either his past or his thoughts. But this story isn’t about Hornschemeier. It is about some philosopher a long time ago. The Zeno story may be separate, but it is integral to the understanding of the story.

I think this work is highly successful. The art, the dialogue and the flow of the stories all work together to make this a rich and complex work. If after reading this Socrates is not your favorite philosopher then something is wrong with you!