HEROES HOTLINE :: The Weekly Newsletter of HEROESONLINE.COM

AUGUST 20, 2010

On the Road! Looking for an excuse to travel to Raleigh on Sunday, August 22? Do you already live in Raleigh and want an excuse to get out of the house? Well, look no further than the Raleigh Comic Book Show! Shelton Drum will be there selling his wares at the Heroes Aren't Hard to Find table! Sounds like it is a fun show and a good place to dig around for some deals. Plus, admission is FREE!

Raleigh Comic Book Show
August 22, 2010
10 am to 4 pm
Holiday Inn Crabtree
4100 Glenwood Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27612

On the Road, Again! Shelton Drum and Shawn Daughhetee will be heading to Maryland for the Baltimore Comic-Con August 28 and 29! You can find them at the Heroes Aren't Hard to Find booth selling comics and promoting HeroesCon 2011! Baltimore Comic-Con is one of our favorite conventions to go to because, like Heroes-Con, the focus is on comics.

Shelton has been expanding the convention stock for your comics purchasing pleasure. He has beefed up the Marvel Silver Age selection considerably. And if that weren't enough we have a quality selection of books from the 40's and 50's in ALL genres. That's reason enough to make the trek to Baltimore!

But if you need more reasons you should check out their Guest list. It is crazy impressive! The lists for Artist Alley guests and Retailers are substantial as well. It is guaranteed to be a fun weekend full of comics and Shelton and Shawn are excited to attend!

Also, a special congratulations to show owner, Marc Nathan, and his wife, Shelly! Click the link to read the press release that includes the newest addition to the guest list, their baby boy, Reese Aaron. We are happy to hear that mommy and baby are doing well!

Baltimore Comic-Con
August 28-29, 2010
10-6 on Sat. and 10-5 on Sun.
Baltimore Convention Center
1 West Pratt St
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Just Announced! The Heroes Discussion Group is back in August to celebrate our finest hour. In a recent poll taken on this very site, the majority of folks voted for Saturday afternoon as their preferred time for Heroes Events. So, please plan to join us on Saturday afternoon August 28th at 4:00pm where we will meet in the back of the store and sit down to discuss one of the most popular books of 2010—Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

We plan to discuss the entire series but our primary focus will be the final volume of the series. It is recommended but not required that you be familiar with the entire series.

We plan to talk in depth about the story-line, the pacing, the art-work, the page lay-out and the wild characterization. In other words, we will examine what it is about Scott Pilgrim that has turned the series into such a phenomenon?

We are making an educated guess that the majority (if not all) of those planning to attend the discussion group will have already seen the film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. If that proves to be the case, we’d like to veer slightly off topic and discuss the adaptation of O’Malley comics into film—what worked and what didn’t?

Then we’d like to branch out even further and discuss comic adaptations in general. This is one of our all-time favorite discussion topics

Finally we will spend the last fifteen minutes discussing upcoming Discussion Groups. Hint: September’s Discussion Group will be a book you will definitely want to Reed. With more surprises just around the corner! Expect the unexpected! This will prove to be a rather exciting two hours (or more if we are really rolling!)

And of course Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is available from Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. As usual we are offering the special 10% Discussion Group Discount; but be sure to mention the discount when you check out! We can’t wait! See you there!

REVIEW :: Thor The Might Avenger #3
by Shawn Daughhetee

I have been loving Thor The Mighty Avenger! It is a fun and well-written book that appeals to fans of all ages! In the first issue we are introduced to the two main characters, Thor and Jane Foster. Thor has mysteriously been sent to Midgard and wants to return home. He meets Jane at the Bergen War Memorial Museum when he tries to get his hammer, Mjolnir, out an urn in one of the museum displays. We are also introduced to the villain of this story arc, Hyde. The second issue is action packed as Thor defeats Hyde. Now, in issue three, the action continues as mayhem ensues, with a little help from Loki. Thor meets superheroes Henry Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet van Dyne (Wasp) but it is not a friendly encounter.

Roger Landgridge's writing is perfect for this series. It is fun, fast and self-contained. All you need to know is between the covers. Partner that with Chris Samnee's art and you've got magic. I love the bold lines and the dynamic movement of Samnee's art. And I love the sense of life that he gives the characters. If you want to see more of Samnee's art check out Siege: Embedded and the Comic Twart Blog. Matt Wilson's coloring really helps to accentuate Samnee's art. Everything fits together incredibly well!

This book has a classic, timeless feel. It somehow balances retro styles and modern sensibilities. Ant-Man and Wasp don their original costumes. And Hyde is very much a throw-back villain. Yet something about this book feels modern. It might be the rich colors and the bold lines. Or it might be that Jane Foster is a strong and feisty character. At least more so than any of the 60's Marvel women.

The first page of issue three we are given a re-cap of the events in the previous title, which adds to the retro feel. This book is perfect for new-comers. You don't need to know anything about Thor to be able to understand and appreciate this book. You don't need to know anything about other Marvel characters either. Landgridge does a perfect job of introducing everyone. The first time we see Janet van Dyne she is reading a fashion magazine at the Pym research facility. We know right off the bat that she is fashion-conscious and intelligent. That is all you need to know about her. And Samnee's art helps to describe the characters, especially through facial expressions. The smile on Loki's face on the bottom of page 7 sums up that character, no words needed. Not to spoil too much, but the fight between Thor and Ant-Man is nicely executed. The coloring and lettering all work together to help make things clear and concise. The end of this issue leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. I seriously can't recommend this book enough. If you aren't reading it, you really should!

The Heroes Discussion Group will meet at the store Saturday, August 28th at 4:00pm to discuss one of the most popular books of 2010—Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

We plan to discuss the entire series but our primary focus will be the final volume of the series. It is recommended but not required that you be familiar with the entire series.

We plan to talk in depth about the story-line, the pacing, the art-work, the page lay-out and the wild characterization. In other words, we will examine what it is about Scott Pilgrim that has turned the series into such a phenomenon?

We are making an educated guess that the majority (if not all) of those planning to attend the discussion group will have already seen the film adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. If that proves to be the case, we’d like to veer slightly off topic and discuss the adaptation of O’Malley comics into film—what worked and what didn’t?

Then we’d like to branch out even further and discuss comic adaptations in general. This is one of our all-time favorite discussion topics

Finally we will spend the last fifteen minutes discussing upcoming Discussion Groups. Hint: September’s Discussion Group will be a book you will definitely want to Reed. With more surprises just around the corner! Expect the unexpected! This will prove to be a rather exciting two hours (or more if we are really rolling!)

And of course Scott Pilgrim Volume 6 Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is available from Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. As usual we are offering the special 10% Discussion Group Discount; but be sure to mention the discount when you check out! We can’t wait! See you there!