Why Settle? with Aaron Settle, Regional Manager (asettle@lonestarcomics.com)
Last weekend was very soccer-centric for us. We had 2 games on Saturday and a third on Sunday. The girls played well on Saturday, both game out on the short end of the score. Zoe did score another goal though, which meant we owed her more ice cream. The deal of ice cream for goals became more problematic on Sunday when Zoe scored twice and had an assist as the Mystery won their first game of the season 6-1. And Zoe got something called a cookie sundae, it was a crazy mix of cookies, ice cream and who knows what else. But Zoe liked it. After all the time outside, everyone was happy to get inside and catch on some reading.
Before I get into the cool new books that came out last week, I wanted to mention something cool going on in our Dallas and Arlington stores this weekend. Saturday October 3rd is the date for the latest incarnation of 24 Hour Comic Day. It is one of my favorite things that we host. Aspiring comic creators all get together for this endurance challenge where the goal is simple, create a 24 page comic in just 24 hours. It’s a lot of fun and you get to see a lot of talented people creating some really neat projects. There are still openings for creators if you want to take up the challenge, or you can just stop by and watch if your interested in what goes into to making a 24 page comic. The fun starts at noon on Saturday and runs through noon on Sunday. Now that I have taken care of that, I want to turn my attention to some really fun books that came out this week.
The new direction on The Incredible Hulk continues this month in Incredible Hulk 602. Banner continues his road trip with his son as he begins to train him on how to kill the Hulk. His first step is to find him a sparring partner whom he can’t hurt, so he picks the unstoppable Juggernaut. There are some good lighthearted moments here mixed in with the action. My favorite involves the duo winding up in a comic book store in Arlington, Texas so Skaar can understand one of Juggernaut’s insults. This issue continues down a very interesting path and is rapidly making this one of my favorite titles to read.
This was a great week for Superman fans. Not only do you get Blackest Night: Superman 2 (which has what may be my favorite final page of the entire year), but you also get the long awaited debut of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Superman: Secret Origin. This highly anticipated mini-series retells the classic origin of Superman from when he first found out about his origins. The story is good, we get to meet lots of familiar characters and Gary Frank’s art is amazing. This book is a must for any Superman fan.
Before I go, I wanted to mention one book that isn’t really a comic or graphic novel. But it is really cool and a must for any Batman fan. Last week saw the release of the latest entry into Running Press’ Vault series. I have loved all of these “Museum in a Box” titles and The Batman Vault is no exception. In addition to great stories about the history of Batman, it comes complete with replicas of some really cool Batman collectibles including a Batman mask, Bob Kane sketches, a make your own Batplane and lots of other cool items. If you love Batman, you’ll love this book.
That will do it for another week. Check out Incredible Hulk 602, Blackest Night: Superman 2, Superman: Secret Origin and The Batman Vault and let me know what you think. I’m off to pick up Zoe from school, but I’ll be back next week with another batch of books to visit with you about.
