Heroes Con 2011 - Part 5

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Stuff of Legend v1&2 by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith, and Charles Paul Wilson III - Another instance where one of the creators, in this case the artist (CPW3), sold me on the book; another instance where the story involves childhood themes; in both cases the other instance is Pinnochio, Vampire Slayer - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 4

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Frankie Get Your Gun #1 by Robbi Rodriguez - I didn't have to pay for this; it came with the commission I got from Robbi and he did a sketch on the inside cover; it is a heist story but that's about all I know at this point - more

Pinnochio, Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins - I didn't plan to buy this; I was curious and got sucked in by Jensen's sales pitch to me, especially the fact that it is based on the original book and not the Disney movie; both creators signed the cover for me although I wasn't careful enough handling it immediately after they did so and both signatures got smeared a little bit - more

DMZ v7: #37

War Powers: Chapter One
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

Matty Roth returns to the DMZ (Manhattan) only to find that things have changed. The new governor, Parco Delgado, is a man on a mission; a mission that seems likely to cause more considerably more harm than good. He wants Matty's help.

What's most striking about this chapter is the revered way in which most people talk to and about Matty. He is a journalist. Despite the role he played in the election of Delgado he is supposed to be the neutral observer. He should not be fully committed to one side or the other. Some might hold that he should never take a side but in an environment like the DMZ that is probably not possible.

At this point in the story Matty doesn't like what Parco is planning. It seems like a foolish and misguided plan of action, at best. At worst it may tear the DMZ apart. What Matty will do and what role he will play, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly is not clear at this point. He is going where he must and stepping into the line of fire and will probably not survive, unscathed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 3

Heroes Con 2011
Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Johnny Hiro #1 by Fred Chao - had to give Fred's comic a try after the great job he did on sketches for me earlier this year at CGS Super Show - more

Zigzag #2 by J. Chris Campbell - loved the humor in #1 which I bought at SPX in 2010 and I'm back for more - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 2

Just two of the many (8) books I purchased at Heroes Con...





Crogan's March by Chris Schweizer - 2nd book in the Crogan series; I had a nice chat with Chris about the series while he personalized my copy with a sketch; one of two books that I planned to purchase at Heroes Con - more

Breathers by Justin Madson - Been wanting to read the rest of the story since I picked up the first couple issues at SPX in 2009; love the look of the art; can't wait to dig in - more

Heroes Con 2011 - Part 1

Jun 3, 4, 5
Charlotte, NC

Day 1
So much too much... This is my first Heroes Con. I had heard the hype I just didn't anticipate that the show would live up to the hype to such a great degree. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it all, I just didn't anticipate how overwhelming it would be. I certainly felt the urge to try to do as much as possible.

My favorite part of shows is discovering artists that I hadn't heard of before. As much as I would like to own a commission or some original art by a famous artist whose work I really like I get a bigger high from getting a really nice piece from an artist that was previously unknown to me and possibly most of the other people at the show.

Day 2
I had to get more cash. I was running low and knew I had a couple commissions for which I had yet to pay the artists. I ended up spending more than I wanted to, once again, but I am very pleased with all my purchases.

Day 3
I decided not to stay for the third day. I'm sure it would have been fun but I had already spent more than I planned on spending.

Overall
Next year I will be more prepared. I took business cards from several artists whose work I liked and whose commission rates seemed reasonable but from whom I didn't have the time or money to get a sketch. I will be checking out their stuff online and pre-ordering if possible, from them next year.

It was great meeting people from message boards and podcasts. Their reactions ranged from sarcastic to polite to excited when I introduced myself. I might have seemed a little too eager to meet some of them.

It took me the better part of a day, 7.5 hours, to drive each way. A couple of choke points on either end and one in the middle of both drives slowed things down a little bit. Aside from the choke points I was able to make very good time. Now that I look back on the whole weekend I don't regret making the long drive. I wish Heroes Con was closer to home but it was well worth my time and money.

DMZ v7: #36

The Island: Chapter Two
by Brian Wood (writer) and Kristian Donaldson (artist)

The world is a very gray place. The world the DMZ exists within is no exception. Rules aren't gray, they are black and white; and yet they are needed and necessary. They can and should embody the safeguards needed to prevent society from turning on itself.

This two-part story is about what happens and what can happen when individuals selectively follow the rules. That's one perspective. Another perspective might be that it is about how one bad apple, in charge, exercising poor judgement can turn an ideal situation into a nightmare, peace into war.

Leaders have to be held to a higher standard. They deserve some consideration in exchange for the demands put upon them but they should not be revered or respected to an extreme extent. They are human and if they cross the line then they may need to be relieved of command, one way or another.

This two-parter isn't perfect. It ends a bit abruptly but I like it, probably because of the prominent way the military figures into the story and the way that it is portrayed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.