SETH’S PICK :: SOVEREIGN #2: Many readers have only recently realized that Image Comics is putting out some of the highest quality comics on the stands.  But for every runaway hit that sells out immediately (think Black Science), there are others with a slower burning fuse of public awareness.  Sovereign may fall into that latter category, but I’m here to let you know that it’s a new series well worth your time and money.  In the first issue, creators Chris Roberson and Paul Maybury establish a range of themes and possibilities.  There are obvious fantasy elements present, namely in the book’s inclusion of a healthy amount of magic and the undead, but those are all balanced with strong characters amid societies rife with civil unrest.  I’ve seen the book regaled as a story existing in the vein of Game of Thrones, and there may well be some truth to that.  This is, however, a story that was born for the comics medium, and Maybury’s always impressive cartooning eloquently reminds us of that.  Sovereign is a comic with endless potential, and may just be yet another long running and entertaining series for Image. 

JUSTIN’S PICK :: Some weeks, doing a staff pick can be pretty tough. I mean, I know there are homeless and starving people in the world, but do THEY have to sift a SINGLE comic book – out of hundreds – to highlight on a weekly basis? NO. Clearly, my plight is underrated. Taking a cue from our man Phil, I’m just going to babble about a few things that’ve struck my fancy of late. We’ll call this the Southern Variation, since that’s an appropriately nerdy in-joke one out of ten of you will understand.

First of all, Uncanny Avengers. This is my favorite Marvel comic going right now (but it better watch its back, She-Hulk’s creeping up fast). Rick Remender packs more into a single issue than most writers manage to squeeze into a trade paperback. The pacing can be pretty glacial, and he wanders off on a lot of tangents, but man, are they good tangents. Remender is one of those guys that really understands the synthesis of plot and characterization, and how crucial that alchemy is to comics. Too many of his contemporaries seem to sacrifice one for the other, and it makes for some pretty boring and/or predictable comics. Of course, having Daniel Acuña illustrate your scripts is never collateral damage, and this guy’s stuff just gets better and better. I liken his artistic development to whittling: the more he shaves off, the more beauty is revealed. Uncanny Avengers #16 is part two of a big denouement for the series – Avenge the Earth – and even though the involvement of Kang makes any incident inherently undoable, it’s about the trip, not the destination.

If you’d like to take a different trip, why not visit the fantastical land featured in Chris Roberson and Paul Maybury’s new Image sword and sorcery series, Sovereign? Issue two is out this week; #1 teased just enough to really whet the imagination.  Understandably, it concerned itself more with exposition and conceptualizing, but hinted at broad enough conflicts to fuel this title for some time. The focus is split between a few different classes: religious, royal, and warrior, and an underlying sense of dread informs the whole issue. This is an obvious choice for fans of Saga or Game of Thrones, and the art! Paul Maybury is consistently overlooked as a reliable and deft storyteller. The guy deserves more eyes on his stuff. Provide a pair, won’t you?

Lastly, my generation will not permit the publication of a Simpsons one-shot without at least a passing remark. After the likes of Mr. Burns, Professor Frink, and even Lisa Simpson have proven to be shining solo stars, who could warrant the treatment next? Moe Szyslak? Bumblebee Man? The Captial City Goofball? Close, but no cigar! It’s the one, the only…DUFFMAN! That’s right, Springfield’s resident swill shill is ready for Spring Break with an issue of his very own comics magazine! What shenanigans may ensue are anyone’s guess, but here’s hoping the Seven Duffs show up (“Surly only looks after one guy: Surly.”). I suppose for this particular issue, we’ll have to move back to the former genre rack residency…but then again, what 80s kid didn’t adore Spuds MacKenzie? Alas, those were different, heady times.

Welp, that’s the top of the heap for me this week. Good night, and good luck. See you in the funnypages. Etc.

3 straight weeks with HUGE HeroesCon 2014 Guest List updates?! Get used to it! Check out today’s update and please tell your friends about the show on Facebook and Twitter!  Tickets for Heroes Convention 2014 are on sale now!

CREATORS! Artists Alley tables are still available but they are going fast! Reserve your space today!

FRANK CHO – Artist: Savage Wolverine, Avengers, Shanna, Liberty Meadows

DENNIS HOPELESS – Writer: Avengers Arena, Cable & X-Force, Avengers Undercover, The Answer!

DAVID MARQUEZ – Artist: Ultimate Spider-Man, All-New X-Men, Joyners in 3D

PAUL MAYBURY – Artist: Sovereign, Catalyst Comix, Aqua Leung, Marvel Strange Tales

BRIAN REBER – Colorist: XO Manowar, Archer & Armstrong, Unity, Batwing

ROBBI RODRIGUEZ – Artist: Federal Bureau of Physics, Frankie Get Your Gun, Uncanny X-Force

TIMOTHY TRUMAN – Artist: Conan the Conqueror, Scout, Grimjack, Hawkworld, Jonah Hex, A Man Named Hawken

DAVE WACHTER – Artist:  Breath of Bones: A Tale of The Golem, The Guns of Shadow Valley

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. 

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!

Here is a great HeroesCon 2013 Guest List update to close out 2012 and a reminder that today is the last day to get your HeroesCon 3-day passes for $30.

Bob Almond has inked Stan Lee’s Guardian Project, Black Panther, Heroes For Hire, Warlock and too many other great comics to list here. He is also the founder and coordinator of the Inkwell Awards which recognizes excellence and acheivement in comic book inking.

We’re happy to welcome Peter Bagge back to HeroesCon this year! You love the iconic style that brought Hate’s Buddy Bradley to life and we’re sure you picked up Reset, his 4-issue mini series from Dark Horse Comics in 2012.

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