November 1st, 2011

Comic Fans! We've missed you dearly, but would rather wait until we have something to say before we trick you into coming here to read up on Local Heroes. So much good stuff has been happening lately and so much cooler stuff is on the horizon, which we'll talk about right now!

Two months in and I don't think we can classify the new DC relaunch as anything other than a resounding success. So many great new books, and excitement about comics that we've never seen before. We're also happy to see so many new and lapsed readers coming into the store. You've asked what we think, well here are some of our favorites so far:

Batman: Scott Snyder (American Vampire) is killing it on this one.

Action Comics: Grant Morrison has a totally new take on the Man of Steel, and we love it!

Animal Man: Jeff Lemiere (Sweet Tooth) has made this book something special, the surprise hit of the bunch.

Aquaman: This book is funny, and Aquaman's a badass!

All Star Western: Jonah Hex in Gotham City - very cool!

Batman and Robin: Damian Wayne is such a little dickhead - and we love it!

Wonder Woman: Azzarello and Chiang is all we need to hear.

We also wanted to thank everyone who participated in our DC: The New 52 program for a chance to win a $200.00 Local Heroes gift certificate. Mark Westmeyer was the lucky winner and he couldn't be more excited. We're happy for Mark and hope he enjoys his free comics!

In case you missed the notice, the Christmas shopping season is already here, and Local Heroes will be holding its first ever Black Friday Sale! We figured comic fans need to save some coin too - here's the details:

• Select graphic novels - buy one/get one FREE!

• Comics by the pound! That's right, buy and read in bulk! Select comics will be $5.00 per pound, no limit!

• All back issues - 60% Off!

• All action figures - 30% Off!

• All T-shirts - 15% Off!

This will be the biggest sale we've ever had and we're excited to be offering such sweet deals - get here early, we'll be open regular hours - 11-8.

We've been ordering all kinds of great new products for the holiday season, which should begin arriving in the next couple weeks. We've got some really great tumblers and water bottles with DC and Star Trek designs, cool Star Wars merch and more buttons, magnets and stickers. We're also really excited to start offering Lamp-in-a-box, really great lamps with vintage Marvel Comic characters and panels - be sure to check them out! We'll be sending out a series of gift guides in December, so keep an eye out for those as well if you need ideas for the comic lover in your life.

We'd also be remiss not to talk about our favorite books over the last couple of months - Petrograd, Sweet Tooth, Habibi and the newly released 100 Bullets hardcover - so many good books!

You might not know about my man-crush on Craig Thompson (no relation) or his breakthrough book, Blankets. I'm fond of both, and like most of his fans, have been waiting for his next book with baited breath. Well, it took seven years, but it finally showed up! Habibi is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and just on initial inspection, you know where that seven years went. I don't think I've ever seen a book so detailed or art so intricate. From the art itself to the lettering - right down to the page numbers - it's something to behold. The story follows two central characters in a mesh of modern and ancient times. They are separated and live a great portion of their lives alone, longing to be reunited, and finally are - but it's not how either of them imagined it would be. There is a very interesting mash-up of Christian and Muslim ideology that is reflected in the stories told by, and running concurrently with, the central characters. A love story at it's heart, Habibi is unlike any book we've ever read - check it out!

Books about the assassination of Rasputin and turn of the century Russia might not seem like gripping comic material, and we would agree with you. But in the right hands (Philip Gelatt and Tyler Crook) you get Petrograd, which is a fascinating and tense book about these heavy topics. This book reminds us a little of queen and country, maybe just because there are British spies in it, or maybe because it's equally well-written. The book follows British intelligence as they attempt to stop Rasputin from making friends with the Germans, and his murder is there best bet. A great book blending the best historical fiction and spy dramas, and beautifully illustrated with a tone that matches the period, Petrograd is good comics!

100 Bullets is in our all-time top three (don't ask about the other two - they change too much) favorite comics ever. We've hoped for years that one day Vertigo would release it in a beautiful oversized hardcover. It finally happened! Read this book, it's the best crime book and the best conspiracy book all in one.

For some reason, we let Sweet Tooth slip off of our radar after the first couple of issues. Well, we caught up in trade and damn, this book is really, really great. Jeff Lemiere (Essex County, Animal Man) writes and draws this book, set in a post-apocalyptic world where some people have begun to mutate into a human/animal hybrid. The story follows one such boy, Gus, who has antlers and is protected by his father, deep in the woods, where they hide from the rest of the world. When his father dies, he is happened upon by Jeppard, and they venture out of the woods together to face all the horrors of the outside world. Awesome stuff.

Well, that's all we this time. Be sure to take advantage of the sale and, as always, let us know if you need anything at all!

-LH (Greg)