Ever finish a comic and wish there was someone to discuss it with? Now’s your opportunity, as we bring back an old Heroes favorite during this weekend’s Labor Day sale. Join us this Saturday, September 1 at 2:00 P.M. for a brand new chapter of the Heroes Discussion Group! After much deliberation over what book to discuss, we settled on a favorite of both our staff and customers: Black Hammer volume 1: Secret Origins.

If you enjoyed the first volume of Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s breakout superhero mystery, then be sure to stop on by the shop this Saturday for a lively discussion about legacy, rebirth, discovery and much more. This time around, the discussions will be jointly led by veteran discusser Andy Mansell and our well-read young staffer Samuel M. Reynolds-Oosting.

We couldn’t be more excited to share conversation about some of our shop’s favorite authors and illustrators with fellow customers and readers! It’s always a great part of our local comics community, and we hope you’ll join us for this discussion and some of the other exciting ones we’ll be announcing soon! Don’t forget, the discussion starts this Saturday at 2 P.M., but the Labor Day sale kicks off at 10 A.M. and runs all the way until 10 P.M. on Saturday, with Sunday and Monday’s hours both being 10 A.M. – 6 P.M. 

-The Heroes Discussion Committee  (also known as Andy, Sam and Seth)

RICO’S PICK :: ZODIAC STARFORCE #1: I’ve read an advance digital copy of this one and I cannot wait to hold this ink-on-paper comic in my hands! Paulina Ganucheau is responsible for the beautiful art on this book including the wonderful character designs of this magical girl team that is no longer a team. In fact, Ganucheau is handling all of the art on this book, from the drawing, right down to the very last glowing sparkle. Kevin Panetta has crafted a story that has me curious about the backstory of these girls and what will bring them back together! Get on board this unexpected new title from Dark Horse this Wednesday!

ANDY’S PICK :: EDGAR ALLAN POE’S PREMATURE BURIAL ONE SHOT: Is there anything more frightening than being buried alive?  not in my book.  Two of the most terrifying short stories by Edgar Allan Poe—The Cask of Amontillado and The Premature Burial–focus on this awful subject have been adapted by that living (and unburied) legend Richard Corben.  These adaptations should prove to be exciting and beautifully rendered.  Just look at the Cover!  And if anyone asks, when the time comes (and not before!) I demand to be cremated.

RICO’S PICK :: JUICE SQUEEZERS #1: “Scrawny kids versus giant bugs!” Juice Squeezers is a new 4 issue series by David Lapham and Lee Loughridge. This comic is great for comic readers of all ages interested in deep dark town secrets, great art, appealing characterization and  bug-squashing action!

JUSTIN’S PICK :: WORLD WAR 3 ILLUSTRATED #45: I am fascinated by curios. I blame my grandmother, and her dragging me through area Goodwills and the antique shops of Waxhaw on a regular basis. So when a title like “World War 3 Illustrated” crops up in the week’s new offerings, my eyes perk up. The cover only reinforces that curiosity. Upon further investigation, WW3I is a sporadically published political anthology, founded by comic book artists Peter Kuper and Seth Tobocman, and painter Christof Kohlhofer. [1] #45’s theme is the afterlife, and the contributor line-up is a cornucopia of names I don’t recognize (with the exception of Mumia Abu-Jamal), but Peter Kuper’s work is always worth a look, and I won’t mind that cover haunting my coffee table for a couple months.

HONORABLE MENTION :: BUZZKILL #4: I’m aware the year isn’t over yet (at least not in practice; mentally, that’s another story), but I’m calling Buzzkill superhero book of the year. And it rounds out 2013 nicely with its fourth and final issue this month. The creative team fires with a perfect synergy, and the “high concept” doesn’t interfere with the characterization, or dictate the plot. It’s smart, it’s clever, it’s the kind of thing superhero comics need to do more of: short form, dazzling entertainment. Yes, dazzling. There. I said it.

[1] Wikipedia, yo.

SETH’S PICK :: SHAOLIN COWBOY #1: On the surface, Shaolin Cowboy might seem an uncommon staff pick from the likes of me.  There’s not much depth by way of story, its violence is downright gratuitous, and character development is eschewed for visual antics.  Yet, I find myself frequently including this book among my favorites.  Geof Darrow is undoubtedly a master of the form, capable of drawing expansive single paneled pages and highly detailed action scenes with multiple characters.  That’s undeniable, but is really just a part of why I love this book.  Darrow imbues each page with joyous energy.  Even if it’s a bloody scene, Darrow seems to relish the opportunity to put his silent protagonist through the ringer, confident that somehow they’ll both live to see the tale’s end.  As a result, the book feels like Darrow is drawing exactly what he wants, giddily following his muse wherever it may lead.  In this way, Shaolin Cowboy feels like the work of a seasoned jazz improviser soloing at the front of the stage.  But like any experienced jazz musician, you know Darrow laid the groundwork for his solo with years of practice and discipline.  This is the kind of book that makes me happy to have the opportunity to write about comics for this blog.  

SETH’S PICK :: CATALYST COMIX #4: This has been one of my favorite go-to sleeper series in recent months.  Joe Casey has brought new life to some of Dark Horse’s old super hero properties from the nineties.    His writing alone warrants a read, but the biggest selling point for me is that each issue features three different stories following three sets of protagonists.  The artists who bring this triad to life are top notch creators like Dan McDaid, Ulises Farinas, and Paul Maybury.  This combination produces bright, colorful, kinetic super hero comics, and best of all, you don’t need to have read any of the lackluster nineties stories to follow what’s going on here.  And if that wasn’t enough for you, the cover artists in regular rotation are Paul Pope, Raphael Grampa, and Brendan McCarthy, all of whom are perfect fits for this fun, bizarre super hero series. 

SETH’S PICK :: BEST OF MILLIGAN AND MCCARTHY HC: We live in an era where an endless wave of past stories are being newly collected (or re-collected) and remastered for new audiences.  As with anything, this wave doesn’t always yield wonderful results.  However, this week offers you a chance to pick up a true gem of previously published, never before collected comics.  Dark Horse’s The Best of Milligan and McCarthy collects over 250 pages from these idiosyncratic creators.  Throughout their careers, Peter Milligan and Brendan McCarthy have exhibited a wide range and use of satire in their work.  Be it at Marvel, DC, Vertigo, or 2000 A.D., these creators are always reliable.  This new hardcover collects many of their influential stories from the eighties, like Paradax, Skin, Rogan Gosh, and Freakwave.  These are quirky, psychedelic, multi-layered comics that will both befuddle and entertain upon repeated readings.  If you’re already a fan, here’s a way to collect all of these stories in one handy volume.  If you’re not familiar with these works, flip through a copy at Heroes this week, and prepare to encounter mind-blowing comics from two greats of the ’80’s British comics invasion. 

HEATHER’S PICK :: ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1: Do you know what I miss? Tiny Titans, especially the bat penguins and rabbits.  Luckily for me, I can fill that adorable gap in my comic reading this week with a tiny little Hellboy and friends. At first, I wasn’t totally sold on this idea.  I mean, I love Hellboy, Jr. and the young Hellboy stories, but I like the grittiness in those tales rather than having a cutesy kid friendly-vibe.  But ultimately, Art and Franco won me over, mostly thanks to the addition of the animal sidekicks.  Who doesn’t love a purple monkey? Plus, any book that brings Roger back will make my pull list.

RICO’S PICK :: CATALYST COMIX #1: For this relaunch of Dark Horse’s superhero anthology the company has gone with a formula similar to what worked so well for Image Comics’ Prophet. I love the creative team they’ve assembled and I hope the book finds it’s audience because this is just the type of thing that people complain about not being able to find on the shelves. Here it is people, Joe Casey writing superheroes drawn by Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury, Ulises Farinas, and Rafael Grampá! Weird action awaits!