SETH’S :: ANT-MAN #1: You have to give Marvel a little credit for some of their recent publishing strategies. Since they were acquired by Disney and their films became one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood, Marvel has gotten increasingly better about publishing new comics that have a more obvious correlation with some of those t.v. and movie projects. Just a few weeks ago they published a new SHIELD comic, and this week we see two new series that will hopefully appeal to new readers. Operation Sin #1 sees an Agent Carter comic just in time for the new show, and Ant-Man #1 arrives just in time for the first film trailer. Ideally, such cross-promotional efforts will translate into more people walking into comic shops.

I’m particularly excited for the Ant-Man comic. Whereas most of the other Marvel Film properties have had multiple comics series over the years, Ant-Man is a relatively unexplored character. He’s one of those characters who has been a go-to guest star in the past, but hasn’t really had much by way of his own series. Marvel wisely tapped Nick Spencer to help define Ant-Man before the film. He’s coming off an acclaimed run on Superior Foes of Spider-man, and should do a nice job developing the criminal turned tiny hero. Ramon Rosanas provides the art, and while I’ve not seen much of his previous work, the previews suggest his cartooning is a good choice for this series. Wrap it all in one of the nice covers by Skottie Young or Chris Samnee, and you have a fun read for the week.

HEATHER’S PICK :: UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #1: Confession time, I had never heard of Squirrel Girl until a Free Comic Book Day a few years ago when a local cosplayer, Amberle, showed up in a most amazing costume.  A bigger confession, until someone told me that she was a Marvel character, I thought Amberle just really loved squirrels.  This week I will be able to start learning all about Doreen Green and her best squirrel friend, Tippy Toe.  Doreen is leaving her secret apartment in the attic of Avengers Mansion (I seriously love that little detail and all of the fun things that are stored up there) and heading off to college to study computer science.

Written by Ryan North, adorably rendered by Erica Henderson, and colored by Heroes’ very own, Rico Renzi, this all ages tale is sure to thrill.  I for one can’t wait to have another female centric book from Marvel to read.  Did I mention there’s an awesome Skottie Young variant cover and an Art Adams variant as well?!? Don’t be a nut and miss out on this great new book!

JUSTIN’S PICK :: MULTIVERSITY THUNDERWORLD #1: I am not a Grant Morrison fanatic, but I’m not repelled by his work, either. I think he’s a very good writer, mostly in that he has a broad and elastic style that can suit a plethora of subject matter. Multiversity has been proof positive of that. But I have anticipated none of the offerings in this mind-bending miniseries more than Thunderworld. Cam Stewart is an inspired choice to delineate the Marvel Family, and Morrison has a pretty sterling track record of modernizing the tropes of yesteryear. Holy moly! 

SETH’S PICK :: RUMBLE #1: What a way to end my year of Staff Picks! I’ve been eagerly awaiting Rumble #1 since it was first announced months back at the Image Expo. Sure, the blurb heralding the series – “a scarecrow-Conan fighting in a Louis C.K. TV show directed by David Fincher” – has an excellent hook. What ultimately sells it to me, though, is the creative team of John Arcudi and James Harren. Their involvement makes me think this will be one of Image’s most consistent and innovative series for as long as the creators produce it.

While many of you may best know Arcudi and Harren from their reliable work on B.P.R.D., it’s important to realize that these two possess far more creative dexterity than to simply be labeled as horror creators. Arcudi excels at humor just as well as he does with developing rich characters. Harren, while known for capturing scenes of violence or horror, is a fine storyteller just as capable at crafting small, quiet scenes. These guys always produce comics worth your time, and their combined skills should be on full display with this new creator-owned series. Rumble is the kind of new comic that makes me happy to be a comic retailer, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

MATT’S PICK :: SQUARRIORS #1: Go Nuts Over Squarriors!
I’m all about the idea of comics featuring woodland creatures taking up tiny bows, arrows and swords! Sadly, I missed the boat on “Mouse Guard”. So, this is my (our) chance to get in on the ground floor of an interesting post-apocalyptic tale of battle-hardened sentient-animals. This title looks like it will borrow some story-arc pacing from “Mouse Guard” – they are based on seasons. The art featured in this book looks lush and kinetic, suitable for a book about tiny woodland-warriors. Artistically interesting “camera angles” and engaging dialog make this a book worth investigating. Based on the sample pages I’ve seen and the creators’ successful crowd-funding campaign, Squarriors looks like a winner!

The votes are in and the winner is March of the Wooden Soldiers, the 3rd Volume of Fables comics. In all honesty, this is the right choice. It is the storyline where a good series with a clever premise became a great series with legs strong enough to carry it for 150 monthly issues, two spin off series, a prose novel and three stand alone graphic novels.

So plan to join us on Saturday December 20th at Noon (an hour earlier than usual) We know this is the busiest time of the year, but do yourself a solid by setting aside a few hours to break bread and talk comics.
March of the Wooden Soldiers collects Fables # 19-21 and # 23-27 along with the Prestige one-shot issue The Last Castle featuring perhaps the greatest swashbuckling hero of the last 40 years, Little Boy Blue. No, we are not kidding.
Thanks to the decree of our liege and manager Justinian, March of the wooden Soldiers is available at Heroes with the Heroes Discussion Group 10% Discount. Just remember to mention it when you check out.
Topics will include

• The choices writer Bill Willingham makes regarding characterizations of very familiar characters
• What sets Bigby Wolf apart from other popular feral characters…
• And of course, Prince Charming….would you vote for him in the Fabletown Mayoral Election
• Also, Why March of the Wooden Soldiers is (or perhaps is not) the ideal discussion choice.

We invite everyone-both new readers and devoted fans–to join us. We’d like to touch on later story lines as well as the Network TV ‘interpretations’ of the same concept: Grimm and Once Upon a Frozen Time, but if there are any discussioneers who attend and have not read beyond Wooden Soldiers we promise will tread lightly.
We will see you on Saturday December 20th at NOON and fair warning to the uninitiated, once you enter the world of Fables, it is tough place from which to escape.

Click to embiggen

Celebrate the release of “Behold the Dinosaurs” with us and author Dustin Harbin.

TOMORROW! Saturday, November 29th from 2PM – 4PM

We will have copies of the leporello book on hand, it makes an amazing gift. This event is free and suitable for all ages! Bring your entire Dino-loving family!

UPDATE! ATTENDEES WHO SIGN UP ON EVENTBRITE WILL RECIEVE A FREE LIMITED EDITON DINOSAUR PRINT SIGNED BY DUSTIN HARBIN!

More info on the book from publisher Nobrow here.
http://www.nobrow.net/16393
“Introducing a brand new large format Leporello from American artist Dustin Harbin.

Can you name over 100 Dinosaurs off the top of your head? Do you know which of them came first? Which were the tallest and longest and which were the smallest and shortest? Which of them travelled by land and sea, or sky? Well if you don’t know, Behold! the Dinosaurs! will get you well on your way there, with over 100 of the most awe-inspiring dinos and a handful of other prehistoric creatures that leap, crawl, run, fly, swim and slither from one side of this 4 metre concertina to the other, right up to the point where… well, you know.

Dustin Harbin is well known in the alternative comics scene for his Diary Comics series published by Koyama Press. Dustin’s work has also appeared in Casanova, Seconds and the Hic & Hoc Illustrated Journal of Humor. He lives in North Carolina in the United States, just east of the region formed when the Ur-continents of Baltica and Laurentia collided, throwing up the Appalachian Mountains near the beginning of the Devonian Period. His favourite dinosaur is – of course – the Stegosaurus.”

“We’re gonna need a bigger book shelf”–Sheriff Brody

ART OF RICHARD THOMPSON HC| $35.00
I will let our esteemed Warehouse Manager talk about this one, but I can’t say enough about the great Richard Thompson. This book is indispensible!

ART OF THE SIMON AND KIRBY STUDIO| $60.00
KIRBY KING OF THE COMICS HC NEW PTG| $45.00
Two books that showcase the art and the artist! Titan has done a splendid job with their S&K Library and this artbook is a terrific accoutrement! Who knew Kirby better than long time assistant and devoted friend Mark Evanier? Evanier is one of the most engaging writers around and this book is a proud and respectful testament to The King.

NANCY COMPLETE DAILIES GN VOL 03 LOVES SLUGGO 1949-1951| $39.99
Have you ever taken the time to read and devour Ernie Bushmiller’s masterpiece Nancy. Deceptibly simple and oddly corny, it is surprisingly funny and a virtual textbook on comic storytelling.

COMPLETE FARSIDE SC SLIPCASED BOXED SET| $100.00
in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Calvin and Hobbes was the comic strip page gold standard, but it was Gary Larson’s odd and consistently laugh out loud funny single panel the Far Side that got the most buzz around the water cooler. The strip is still influential today with strips like Bizarro, Lio and rhymes with Orange mining the vein Larson tapped.

JUSTIN’S PICK :: DC SUPER POWERS 8 INCH RETRO ACTION FIGURES: Comics are the peanut butter to merchandising’s jelly. There is something archly appealing about seeing our favorite characters rendered in three dimensions, and that impulse has spawned a cavalcade of…stuff, spanning generations. Now, two generation-defining toy lines – Mego and the Super Powers Collection – get melded in this new series of figures by the Figures Toy Company. Heroes has always been a comics-first establishment, and that principle will always guide us, but these figures….THESE FIGURES…were too cool to resist. And with gift season soon upon us, there’s a character in this selection to please the frothing fanboy in YOUR life (that’s if the staff doesn’t snap them all up first!).

RICO’S PICK ::MULTIVERSITY: PAX AMERICANA: Grant Morrison and his most perfect collaborator Frank Quitely reunite to bring you this alternate earth tale of Charlton heroes The Question, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Nightshade and Peacemaker. Sounds like a mini Morrison/Quitely one issue stab at Watchmen done their way and it should be interesting.