Another Pick for Halloween

Pixu HC Vol. 1 Mark of Evil

This gripping tale of urban horror follows the lives of five lonely tenants-strangers-whose lives become intertwined when they discover a dark mark scrawled on the walls of their building. The horror sprouts quite innocently from a small seed and finds life as something otherworldly, damaged, full of love, hate, fear, and power. As the walls come alive, everyone is slowly driven mad-defenseless against the evil in the building, stripped of free will, leaving only confusion, chaos, and eventual death.

Originally self-published as a two-volume book, this groundbreaking work receives a deluxe presentation in a hardcover edition with a sketchbook section.

Pixu is a simple yet complex book; it is a quick read with simple dialogue, but there is a lot more depth behind it. I enjoyed the twisted nature of the story as well as the beautiful artwork.

Angela's Pick of the Month

The Night Bookmobile

Audrey Niffenegger, the New York Times bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife, has crafted her first graphic novel. First serialized as a weekly column in Britain's The Guardian, The Night Bookmobile tells the story of a wistful woman who one night encounters a mysterious disappearing library on wheels that contains every book she has ever read. Seeing her history and most intimate self in this library, she embarks on a search for the bookmobile. But her search turns into an obsession, as she longs to be reunited with her own collection and memories.

This graphic novel beautifully toes the line between the comic world and the world of unforgettable literature. The protagonist’s plight is haunting and her story will stay with you far beyond the last pages of this book. Audrey Niffenegger’s first graphic novel is just as expertly crafted as her full-length novels and the colorful, sketchy art mirrors the fantastical nature of this tale. Niffenegger’s is a definite, fresh voice of graphic novels worth checking out.

Statues by Tim Miller

By far, one of the coolest things we have at our store are the full sized character statues. Some of our most recent additions are my favorites so far:

 

Black Cat and Black Widow, both sculpted by Tim Miller.

I was browsing today on deviantART, an online community where artists can showcase and discus their work (and where a lot of my favorite comic book artists show off their artwork) and I was excited to find that Tim Miller, the sculptor of both statues, has an account where he posts shots of his sculptures as works in progress.

It’s impressive to see the amount of effort and talent that goes into making each one. Not to mention, I think they look really awesome in their unpainted stage. You can really appreciate the amount of detail work put into each one.

Miller occasionally posts a step by step progression of how the statue begins as a wire frame and is gradually built up using clay and wax to produce the final product. Miller also briefly explains his process and the other materials used, such as the fabric panels, and what happens after he has finalized his design. This is Miller's progression of his Mystique statue, which was designed by one of my favorite artists, Adam Hughes.

It’s fascinating to see how Miller bring a flat piece of artwork to life. You have to appreciate the talent and work that it takes to create something like this. It’s really impressive, so definitely check out Miller’s page to see more behinds the scenes info on his work in his own words at http://sculptortim.deviantart.com/ or you can just come in and see the finished products for yourself.

Lloyd's Pick of the Month

ASTRO CITY: LIFE IN THE BIG CITY

Welcome to Astro City, a shining city on a hill where super-heroes patrol the skies. Each chapter in this collection is a standalone story, highlighting different aspects or characters in the Astro City world. The city's leading super-hero tries to be everywhere at once, and berates himself for every wasted second as he longs for just a moment of his own. A smalltime hood learns a hero's secret identity, and tries to figure out how to profit from the knowledge. A beat reporter gets some advice from his editor on his first day on the job. A young woman tries to balance the demands of her family with her own hopes and desires. Despite the fantastic settings, the characters in these slice-of-life stories feel like real people, and that gives the stories real power.

I was going to quit collecting comics and then I read this.  Classic storytelling that makes  investing into each character worth it.  Mixed with great art, I felt I was in the city with the people.  I want to visit this place for real.

Picks of the Week

 UNCANNY X-FORCE #1
Wolverine promised Cyclops that X-Force would disband -- he lied. A secret society has resurrected En Sabah Nur, putting into motion events that will turn this age of heroes into an Age of Apocalypse! To hold them back, Wolverine and Archangel bring together Fantomex, Deadpool, and Psylocke to form The Uncanny X-Force! Stained by their history, they are the only ones capable of making the hard resolutions necessary. A band of likeminded friends and mercenaries set to one purpose, one big ugly task -- kill Apocalypse by any means.

CHAOS WAR #1 (OF 5)
Bigger than THE INFINITY GAUNTLET! More cosmic than ANNIHILATION! Since the end of SECRET INVASION, the CHAOS KING has amassed his army of alien slave gods -- and the time to strike Earth is NOW! Only the greatest Marvel heroes can oppose him -- all led by the newly-returned god of heroes ... HERCULES! But are even his incredible new powers enough to stand against the greatest threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen - a mad god who seeks to destroy Reality itself?

                                             

ULTIMATE COMICS THOR #1 (OF 4)
Exploding from the pages of the Ultimates, comes Ultimate Thor! Don't miss the superstar team-up of JONATHAN HICKMAN and CARLOS PACHECO as they go back to the beginning and tell the origin of Thor, Loki and the rest of Asgard! Ragnorak has descended and Asgard sits at the edge of the end. What will become of Thor and the Warriors Three? And what exactly does Baron Zemo, mysterious commander for the Nazis, have to do with it all? Ultimate Comics Thor brings you the untold story of Thor's thunderous debut!

It's the most wonderful time of year

Since October is here that means it's time for Halloween.  Over the next month we will be putting the spotlight on some of our favorite books that reflect the spirit of the season. To kick it off I've chosen:

BEASTS BOOK 01 GN

By various, edited by Jacob Covey

A BESTIARY OF THE AGES BY A CALVACADE OF ART STARS

Beasts is a classic mythological menagerie, illustrating creatures that were thought at one time to actually exist, depicted by about a hundred of the most acclaimed artists and cartoonists coming from the most avant-garde ambits of the art world.

Now I know that this isn't an actual graphic novel but it's here because it has some great art and the descriptions are usually spot on.  It's uncanny how each artist is able to capture the spirit of the beast that is being depicted.  This is a must have if you're a fan of monsters of any ilk.