I posted several of the pictures I took during the Heroes Discussion Group on Fantastic Four by Hickman vol 1 TP on the Heroes Flickr site. Click here to check them out! We all had a great time discussing Fantastic Four, SHIELD and Nightly News with Jonathan Hickman. If you missed the discussion then you can listen to it here via the Dollar Bin!

Stay tuned to the blog for pictures from the Steve Epting and Jonathan Hickman signing!

It’s a huge week for new books but here’s a brief look at some of the standout titles worth checking out.  Don’t forget that today (Wednesday 9/22!) we are hosting the prodigiously talented duo of writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Steve Epting from 3 – 7 ! While I’m sure they’ll sign some of their other books the main reason for their visit is their highly anticipated new comic. . .

1) Fantastic Four #583

Jonathan Hickman has slowly been building up FF to the new storyline called ‘3,’ and Steve Epting is an ideal artist to tackle what is sure to be an interesting new direction for the classic heroes.  With his work on SHIELD and Secret Warriors (along with less hero-driven books like Pax Romana and Nightly News), Hickman is undoubtedly one of our industry’s most inventive writers.  Epting has had a long and successful career but has been churning out what is probably his best work in recent years on books like Captain America and The Marvels Project.  Since they’ll be in the store Wednesday we’re featuring back issues and trade paperbacks from Hickman and Epting on display this week, so peruse them for any you missed or have been thinking about reading.  This includes some of the books you might have forgotten about, such as Epting’s beautifully drawn pirate story El Cazador and issues of Hickman’s erudite Transhuman.  And if you haven’t read SHIELD or The Marvels Project yet, by all means pick them up this week!  They really are two of the best superhero books to have been published this year.

2) Thor #615

Another quality creative team joins Thor as writer Matt Fraction and artist Pasqual Ferry begin their run on the regular series.  This is a wise move on Marvel’s part as Fraction did a notable job on Invincible Iron Man around the time the first film was released.  Now Fraction has nearly a year to build up the Thor title before the Asgardian hero’s film hits theaters.  Also worth mentioning is how sleek the promo art from Ferry looks.  While he’s been around the industry for a good while, early promo art looks to be some of the nicest work he’s produced thus far.  This should be a fun book and is a great jumping on point for any who might be wanting to read Thor before seeing the Hollywood version of the character.  Don’t be surprised if the Fraction/Ferry duo goes down as one of the all-time great creative teams on the series.  Congratulations are also in order to Matt Fraction for recently winning the ‘2010 Pen Literary Award for Outstanding Body of Work.’  Invincible Iron Man has been racking up awards this year and Thor looks to be another artful addition to Fraction’s impressive catalog.

3) Cages TP

We now turn away from superheroes to one of comics’ best examples of high art.  Cages is Dave McKean‘s tour de force, a lofty story he meticulously wrote and illustrated.  The creator is probably best known for his multifarious covers for Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series, but Cages is where he really solidified himself as a creator in his own right.  This long out of print book is over 500 pages in length and focuses on several artistic characters from several different mediums.  With elements of spirituality, art theory and philosophy, Cages is truly a masterpiece.  If you enjoyed Asterios Polyp this is another insightful comic that should definitely be in your home library.

4) Smurfs GN vol 1 and 2

One of this week’s best all-ages offerings, the first two volumes of Smurfs comes courtesy of NBM and Papercutz and is apparently largely comprised of Smurfs comics previously published in Europe.  The Smurfs are slowly coming back into the American spotlight, and with a new movie on the horizon it’s nice to see the classic characters back in print form as well.  This is a great title for those looking for a new book to keep your kids excited about reading!

5) The Art of Drew Struzan HC

Drew Struzan is an artist best known for his iconic poster designs for classic films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and even the Goonies.  Though not someone immediately associated with the comics medium, he’s been a clear influence on modern comic masters like Adam Hughes and Alex Ross.  We’re happy to spotlight this book not only because it surveys so many of Struzan’s timeless pieces but also because it was edited by Steve Saffel, a longtime friend of Heroes who graciously helps us out every year at Heroes Con.  This continues a big year of publishing for both Saffel and publisher Titan Books.  Also published today is another book Saffel worked on, Beetle Bailey HC Dailies and Sundays 1965 – 1966.  Today’s books  follow closely on the heels of The Simon and Kirby Superheroes, which Steve also edited.  If you saw The Best of Simon and Kirby edition or Spider-man: The Icon from a few years ago you know he’s got a knack for strong storytelling and design.  Check out all of Steve Saffel’s books this week in the store!

> And if those aren’t enough great books to pick up during your trip to Heroes here are a few more new releases to consider this week: Flash #5, Avengers #5, Darkwing Duck #4, Avengers Academy #4, Justice League of America #49, Nemesis #3 (Millar and McNiven), Secret Avengers #5, Legion of Super Heroes #5, and Love and Rockets New Stories vol. 3 TP.  With an enormous publishing week upon us don’t forget to check our full listing of our new releases on our site.  And come by the store on Wednesday from 3 – 7 to say hello to Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting!

Oh me! Oh my! We have just confirmed that Jonathan Hickman will be present tomorrow, Tuesday the 21st for our Discussion Group focusing on the first trade paperback of his work on the Fantastic Four. Jonathan has been manning the helm of Marvel’s flagship for a while now and our resident moderator, Andy Mansell, has a boatload of  fun and thought-provoking questions for the wordsmith. So be sure to head on over to the store for the Twenty Third edition of our Heroes Discussion Group, starting at 7:00pm on Tuesday, September 21st.

Hey there everybody! If you’re an early bird every New Comics Day you might want to change your schedule because this week the worms are sleeping in. This is a reminder to all you comic book fans. Steve Epting and Jonathan Hickman will be in our store THIS Wednesday the 22nd for the kickoff of their collaboration on the fantastic Fantastic Four issue 583. The mystery of 3 starts here!

The guys will be in the store from 3 pm to 7 pm signing copies of the brand new Fantastic Four #583 on Wednesday evening. And be sure to pick up one of the guys other super awesome projects. Like say, Steve’s blockbuster Marvels Project or Jonathan’s amazing series’ Secret Warriors and SHIELD plus his creator-owned Nightly News! Also, don’t forget that Steve was the artist that wrenched at our hearts by “killing” our beloved Captain America. All these and more will be on display and available for purchase now through the signing.

Check out our Flickr page for photo reports from Baltimore Comic-Con and SPX!

Click here for the Flickr set for Baltimore Comic-Con. I got a couple of good shots of Shelton working at the booth. I really wish I would have taken more pictures. And I wish the ones I did take were a little better. But I had fun and that’s all that matters, right?

And click here for the SPX photo report. I took a bazillion pictures but limited the set to around 30 of the best pictures I took. I had a blast roaming the floor, buying mini-comics and hanging out with some friends. If you haven’t ever been to SPX I would highly recommend masking the trek up to Bethesda, MD!

Small Press Expo (or SPX) is a yearly comics convention held in Bethesda, MD that focuses on mini-comics and independent creators. I was able to attend the show this past weekend and had a blast! There were tons and tons of awesome books but I was only able to bring back a small (very small) sampling of what SPX had to offer! Be sure and check out these quality minis located in our Fiction/Literature section!

1) Adrift by JP Coovert

2) Blar by Drew Weing

3) Daily Catch: Anthology of Comics featuring Jon Chad, c. frakes, Katherine Roy and Laura Terry

4) Double Click by J. Chris Campbell

5) Mermin #2 (restock), Mermin #3 by Joey Weiser

6) Monster Town by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

7) Papercutter #14 by Tugboat Press featuring Dave Roche, Nate Beaty, Brian Maruca, Jim Rugg and Farrel Dalrymple

8 ) Save Me by J. Chris Campbell

9) Traffic & Weather by Rob Ullman

10) Zak & Sara by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

1) Justice Society of America Special#1

Other than the fact that this issue will probably include every character on both Justice Society rosters, the main draw of this book has to be the fact that it’s both written and drawn by Scott Kolins.  And if you’ve followed the recent Kingdom Coming story arc that’s spread across the family of Justice Society titles you’ll definitely want to pick this one up as it wraps the whole story up.  Kolins has done some exceptional work for Marvel and DC in the past decade so it will be nice to see him illustrating a huge cast over the course of a 56 page issue.

2) Oz: Marvelous Land of Oz HC

Eric Shanower and Skottie Young deliver the second volume of their Oz adaptations.  I’m sure some of you have been waiting for the collected version of this title, and you won’t be disappointed.  As one who bought all the issues individually, I can tell you that Shanower and Young again reached the high mark they did   with their work on Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  This is a great all ages title but don’t think you have to be a kid to enjoy the book.  Skottie Young really is crafting the work of his career on this series of adaptions, and in a decade we’ll be looking back at his work on this book and still be holding it in high regard.

3) Kodiak One-Shot

This one shot comes courtesy of Locke and Key writer Joe Hill, co-writer Jason Ciaramella, and artist Nat Jones.  Hill has proven that his skills at writing the horror genre with much of his recent work.  Nat Jones, in addition to be a frequent Heroes Con guest and all around nice guy, is well known for his talent at crafting dark and moody art.  This story apparently focuses on a man vs. beast type story with plenty of the creators’ trademark horror in tow.  And as the title suggests, there are bears a-foot!

4) X-23 #1

X-23 is written by Marjorie Liu with art by Will Conrad. Liu wrote NYX: No Way Home and the recent X-23 #1 one-shot which makes her the perfect choice to launch this new ongoing X-23 series. X-23 has been in team books before and she has had mini-series but this is her first ongoing series. She has been a part of the X-Force team for a while now but she leaves them behind and discovers that she must take the place of Wolverine after the events of Wolverine #1. X-23 has an interesting character history. She was originally created for the X-Men: Evolutions tv show and was then brought into comics in the NYX mini-series. As a character, she was part of the Weapon X program and she is a clone of Wolverine. Like Wolverine she has claws, but she has them in her hands and feet.  This sounds like an interesting storyline and a nice addition to the X-titles.

5) Red Specials

Wildstorm is releasing four Red Specials, all of which are on sale today. Red is a new movie based on the comic of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. The story is about a retired CIA agent who is viewed as a liability. It is action packed and pretty violent, but in a humours Warren Ellis way. If you haven’t read it you definitely should give it a try, especially before the movie comes out. These specials are based on the movie and each issue centers around one of the four main characters. Red: Frank Special #1 is written by Gregory Noveck with art by Jason Masters and it focuses on Bruce Willis‘s character Frank Moses (who is based on Paul Moses in the comic book). In Cairo, Frank must learn lesson number one: no personal attachments. Red: Joe Special #1 is about Morgan Freeman‘s character Joe Matheson and it is written by Doug Wagner with art by Bruno Redondo. Set in Moscow at the height of the  Cold War, Joe is sent to do personnel reviews of agents in the field. Red: Marvin Special #1 is about John Malkocich‘s character Marvin Boggs and it is written by Erich Hoeber with art by Diego Olmos. This special explores his psyche and explains why he is such a paranoid character. The final one-shot, Red: Victoria Special #1 is about Helen Mirren‘s character Victoria and it is written by Jon Hoeber with art by David Hahn. It is about how Victoria, M16’s top assassin, falls in love with her next target, a KGB agent. The original Red comic didn’t provide much background on the characters so it will be interesting to read about the characters’ pasts and I am curious how they will flesh-out each of the characters. Also, stay tuned for the Red: Eyes Only #1 which is a prequel to the comic (NOT the movie) and it is written and drawn by Cully Hamner!

A sampling from the most recent Previews catalog of what looks like a winner in the month of November! All books are available for pre-order at your local shop (that’s us)!

Hellboy Double Feature of Evil One-Shot – Richard Corben on Hellboy is always the best and Hellboy one-shots are always a good way to hook the casual or curious reader (you know who you are). Pg 28

Batman – The Batman line gets a new revamp, launching two new Batman books.  Batman, Inc. continues Grant Morrison’s work on the character and seems to be about Batman as a superhero brand name within the DCU.  David Finch writes and draws his own title, Batman:  The Dark Knight.  Batwoman by JH Williams gets a preview issue #0.  Already established books get new creators attached to them in some way or another.  Lots of chances to get into a new comic here. An interesting note, Batman comics seem to be the only place in mainstream superhero books where you can find writer/artists.  Tony Daniels, JH Williams, and David Finch are writing and drawing their respective books.  A neat coincidence if anything.  Pgs 62-73

Assassin’s Creed: The Fall #1 – I’m not much of a video gamer person myself.  I know nothing about Assassin’s Creed at all except for vague memories of a pretty good commercial.  HOWEVER this caught my attention because it’s being written and drawn in collaboration by Karl Kerschl (who did that incredible Flash section in Wednesday Comics) and Cameron Stewart (Batman & Robin, Seaguy).  Two of the best artists in the industry blending there styles into a singular vision is more than enough reason to give this a gander. Pg 112

Darkwing Duck TP Vol. 1 – If you’ve missed the mega popular Darkwing Duck comic up to this point, this paperback collects the first five issues and along with issue #6 also coming out that month it is a good opportunity to get caught up all in one fell swoop. Pg 246

Acme Novelty Library Volume 20 HC – Even for something that’s been around for as long as Acme Novelty, there is such a thing as a new reader, to its credit Acme Novelty volumes work as independent stories as well as parts of larger stories.  Though as far as I can tell from the solicit this is NOT part of the longer Rusty Brown narrative of the past few volumes. Pg 274

Amazing Spider-Man #648/649 – Spidey changes up its formula again.  Twice monthly/one writer/three artists/double-sized, it looks like a heck of a value.  If you’ve been looking to jump in, jump here. Marvel Previews Pg 21/22

Captain America by Jack Kirby Omnibus – Jack Kirby came back to Marvel in 1976 and returned to (arguably) his most famous creation as both writer and artist.  The 25 issues collected all in one here are Kirby at his maybe most madcap and insanely creative, flipping the down to earth tone of before and going waaaay out.  Electric comics in a fancy hardcover. Marvel Previews Pg 96

I feel honored and privileged to be able to announce today that Dustin Harbin (sometimes known as Dustin K. Harbin) will be appearing in Indie Island at HeroesCon 2011. All of us at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find are proud to have him on our guest list! He keeps churning out some great work. He does a (somewhat) daily web strip, the first six months were published through Koyama Press as Diary Comics #1 and is currently available at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. Or if you are headed to SPX this weekend you can pick one up directly from him! And in addition to that he is the letterer for Casanova. He is a busy, busy man! You should definitely check out his awesome work on his website and his Flickr page. While his new work is incredible, I think my favorite strip of his is still the three-part What Would Dharbin Do? The Skating Kazoo. Beautiful! Please stop by and welcome him to the other side of the table. I’m sure it will be a surreal experience to go from organizer to guest, so be sure and help make his transition a little easier!

That is a tough act to follow, but I think Mike Maihack has the chops! Maihack currently does a weekly webcomic called Cleopatra in Space. He is also the man responsible for Cow & Buffalo, which is another weekly webcomic but it is temporarily on hiatus. He is a super sweet guy and his commissions and convention sketches are fantastic! He has a great style and a wonderful sense of color. Just check out that print he did for this past HeroesCon! Wow! And it is for sale on his website! Go check that out and I’m sure you will get pumped for his appearance in Indie Island at HeroesCon 2011. Be sure you stop by his table and say hi! And maybe pick up a copy of Cleopatra in Space #1!

We have several new additions to the HeroesCon 2011 Guest List to announce today! The first is John Beatty! He has been a regular guest at HeroesCon since the second one! That is an impressive feat! Almost as impressive as his work as an inker. He has worked on some of the best comics around, like Captain American, Batman, JLA, Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos, Secret Wars and tons more. Beatty currently works for the DC Licensing Department creating style guide art that is used in DC licensed products.

Also new to the guest list is Marc Deering. His most recent work includes inking for Supergirl, Adventure Comics and Spike: The Devil You Know. He has also worked on Forgotten Realms and Grimm Fairy Tales. He is an incredibly talented artist (just check out the Joker piece that he posted on his deviantART page) and we are happy to have him back for another year!

And we have yet another inker to announce! Eisner Award winning Jose Marzan, Jr. is probably best known for his work on Y: The Last Man and The Flash but he has worked on about a billion other titles. He is quite a prolific artist and has been in the industry for over 25 years! His most recent work includes Jack of Fables, House of Mystery and Army of Two.

And now for a change of pace we have a penciller! Koi Turnbull‘s recent work includes titles for Marvel and DC like New Warriors and Terror, Inc. But he really made a name for himself with his work at Aspen Comics particularly on Fathom and Aspen Seasons. Currently he is a member of the Atlanta based HeadHunta’ Studios.

That concludes our Guest List additions for today, but stay tuned shortly for a couple Indie Island Guest List additions. AND keep checking back with us over the next couples weeks because we have some more announcements to make!