Super-excited about our super prizes!

A while aback I entered a random drawing from one of our favorite kids' publishers, Capstone Books. Wouldn't you know it--WE WON! (Or were one of several winners, to be honest, I'm not sure.) They sent us this awesome Superman Family Adventures library edition (hardcover) book and a super-big tote bag. The bag is especially nice, since it comes in handy for carrying large loads of books and comics while we rotate stock in the library.

Captsone makes several great series, but we're partial to the superheroic genres, including the SFA we've blogged about before. If the art style looks familiar, you may have see authors Franco and Art Baltazaar work before on Tiny Titans, based on DC Comics' Teen Titans. These are fantastic books for early readers, with lots of action to hold their attention and about the most colorful graphic style you'll find in any comic book.

One thing I'm particularly excited about is the reverse side with a fantastic illustration of Wonder Woman. WW is tough to find these days--she's usually lumped in with the Justice League--so it was a nice surprise to see her get some prominent face-time!

Relatedly, you'll be hearing more about Wonder Woman in the coming months as we seek to track down some more girl-friendly comic book characters for the neighborhood.

Back to Capstone--they're fantastic and they do a great deal of good to promote literacy of all ages, but especially in getting young readers interested. So thank you Capstone for your fantastic books and for the wonderful prizes!

You'll find Superman Family Adventures in the library now, check it out!

Check out  more of Capstone's DC hero adventures:

• Superman Family Adventures series
• Preview of the issue we won
• Their new Man of Steel series

Happy Birthday to the Man of Steel!

Last week--April 18th to be exact--the world's first and best-known superhero turned 75 years-old! It's probably not escaped you that coming June 14, Superman returns to the big screen in Man of Steel. The most recent trailer is nothing short of fantastic!



For a while now, geeks (like myself) around the world have been wondering what (if any) particular story might serve as source material for the film. While this new interpretation will be the third time in the last 30+ years that we've seen Kal-el's origin on screen, it appears that the filmmakers are going for a different flavor of Superman. One with more angst about his purpose on Earth and a tougher road out of adolescence.

Now there are plenty of Superman comics out there that cover his origin, but one of my personal favorites was published a few years ago. The Birthright storyline gave us a more in-depth look at Clark's personal motivation for wanting to do good with his powers, by learning more about the world outside of Smallville--before moving on to the big city of Metropolis.

Clark is just starting out as a reporter and travels to Africa in his early 20s. I won't spoil it--you really should read it--but in trying to help some newly made friends he learns a few hard-knock lessons about his own limits. The result is likely the most human depiction of Superman we've seen to date. Clark fuses his Kansas and Krypton upbringings into a single vision to do good in for the entire planet (not only Metropolis)--through his earthly talents (journalism) as well as his otherworldly ones (super powers).

While we've seen Supes care for the planet before, before Birthright we never really got see Clark--or at least young Clark--get his feet wet and learn about humanity.

It's no secret that the storyline carries through themes from the (now ended) Smallville TV series. My guess is that this story might have been an influence on the new film. Though (again, don't want to spoil the comic's story here) it looks like some locations may have been changed.

Birthright and Man of Steel also share a similar threat in the form of enemies from his former homeworld Krypton. General Zod, the main villain from Christopher Reeve's Superman II, appears to be the key adversary in this latest rendition as well. There's a twist in Birthright that I won't give away, but I think there's enough evidence here to say that it's had an influence on choosing Krypton's most-wanted rebel. Lex Luthor has a great part in the comic as well--it remains to be seen if he'll show his shiny, bald visage in the film.

In any case, you should stop on over to the Library of Justice soon and check out the great Superman stories we've got in stock. Oh, and happy birthday Supes--you don't look a day over 30!

Now in the Library of Justice:

DC Showcase Presents: Superman Vol 1. (See anthologies)

Superman: Birthright

Various issues of Superman Family Adventures

SFA is a fantastic kids comic about Supes and his gang (Supergirl, superdog Krypto, Lois Lane, etc.). It featurs fantastic artwork by Franco and Art Baltazar and is a superlative entry into comics in general--as well as Superman lore. We've got several issues from which to choose.

More on Superman's 75th birthday:

• LA Times tribute 
• Comic Book Resources: Fans choose on the greatest Superman stories
• Comics Alliance: Superman (and co.) comic art through the years

Valentine's Day Reader Treats!

Wither yon Lois, Clark? Thou art a cad!

Scandalous!

Happy Valentine's Day! Or happy spend-some-quiet-time-with-a-book-or-comic day! We slipped a couple of romance-y themed treats into the library this morning. Young Romance from DC Comics is a revival from the days of yore and yesteryear, published just for the occasion. It's chock full 'o sweet superhero stories--including one with Superman and Wonder Woman--plus a few punch-out Valentines to woo your own cuddly caped crusader. (Too much?) It's recommended for hormonal teens and starry-eyed lovers.

We're also really excited to have a copy of New York Times bestselling novel A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. It's not your usual tawdry romance between a vampire and the witches who love them. It's much, much better than that! (Emily swears by it.) It's romantical, yet keeping with our Fantasy February theme. We know what you're thinking--that this is like that other notoriously cringe-worthy, vampires in love book series. Don't go there--this one really is well written. We're not judging. (But we do have standards!)

Stop by the Library of Justice and check 'em out!

Wednesdays Mean New Comics!

Wednesdays are very special for the curators of the Library of Justice. It means the possibility of fresh stock! For those not in the know, NEW comics arrive in stores every Wednesday.

Just like new movies on DVD hit shelves every Tuesday--and hit theaters every Friday--Wednesdays belong to comic books and graphic novels. And yes, it's technically after Wednesday, but try to ignore that for a sec, and focus on NEW COMICS!!

Comics for Kids...

Today we grabbed some new issues to refresh the Library, including two favorites with our younger patrons. Both are great titles for kids of all ages.

UP, UP, AND AWAY--FOR GOOD.
Superman battles a rogues gallery while aided by his closest pals (Lois, Supergirl, Superboy, and his dog Krypto in Superman Family Adventures. The art style is colorful, simple, and full of energy and excitement (and a few gags only parents could love). We were sad to learn recently that DC Comics is bringing the series to a close soon, so it was essential to scoop up some issues. We're still not sure why Supes is packin' up his cape for this kids-oriented title, but we suspect Lex Luthor is involved....

A BOY. AND HIS DINOSAUR. IN A SPACE SUIT.
Super Dinosaur is about a boy and his talking tyrannosaurus rex, Super Dinosaur (with a name like that, it's kind of setting him up for success, yes?). They square off against the evil Maximus, fight crime, go on adventures, you know, the usual. But the best part is the suit. SD might have quite the bite, but his reach isn't so great (he's got tiny arms). Yes, that totally does not sound "super". So they gave him a cool Iron-Man-like suit of armor complete with full-sized arms controlled by two teeny joysticks his widdo claws opewate so he can do AWESOME things like kung-fu! I told you he was SUPER.

Comics for Teens and Grown-ups...

Did you see Zero Dark Thirty and want to learn more about the black ops strike teams that are America's last defense against terrorists? Then get ready for some globe-trotting, high-tech excitement!

Foshay? FO'SHO!
Just out this week is an all new issue of The Activity, illustrated by local comic creator and artist Mitch Gerads. Team Omaha, a highly-trained and specialized, covert strike team are the stars, as they bring down terror cells around the globe. For this week's story, Mitch and writer Nathan Edmondson have the team taking out assassins in a familiar destination--Minneapolis! You may have seen the write-up in the Star Tribune about the issue this past weekend.

We also have a trade paperback of the first several issues in stock. Catch up with Team Omaha's missions and check out The Activity! 



The WATCHMEN have arrived!

Finally, we have an excellent copy of what is likely the most-revered and well-known graphic novel of all time--WATCHMEN! Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons comic opus is not for the faint-of-heart or readers with low stamina. Every page packs in gripping drama in this modern noir tale filled with suspense and an ensemble of unforgettable characters.

If you saw the movie but never read the graphic novel you OWE it to yourself to read the much more nuanced and riveting source material. Seriously, WATCHMEN. Do I need to say more? Should I say it again? WATCHMEN.

WATCHMEN.

The word has lost all meaning.

WATCHMEN.

It's back again! (I'll quit while I'm ahead.)

Catch up on your heroes with BIG anthologies!

Has a been a while since you've cracked open a comic book? Maybe you're just looking for a refresher on an old favorite--or want to get the low down on a Marvel or DC character you've always wanted to know more about. Maybe you're totally new to comics.

You're in luck. 

You can digest dozens of stories thanks to the thick, black and white comics anthologies published by Marvel and DC. What they lack in color, they make up in spinning good 'ol yarns about your favorite superheroes from the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern eras of comic book publishing. They're printed on salt-of-the-Earth, pulp paper and show off the beautiful--and oft forgotten--ink work rendered before they were colored.

Both Marvel and DC have put out volume after volume on an array of characters, super teams, and special titles--well-known and not-so-well known. A few in my personal collection include The Avengers, Ant-Man, and Marvel's take on Conan the Barbarian (among some of the best comics every written!).

A few weekends ago, I was a willing participant in that great, nerdly swirl of comic geeks held every autumn at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds--FallCon. The "one day wonder" is a great place to get a good deal on comics--and especially those compiled in trade paperback form. That's just what I did, picking up a few Marvel Essentials collections as well as some DC Showcase Presents volumes.

I selected mainly "Volume #1" books so Library of Justice readers could enjoy the origins and early days of favorites like Superman, Batman, Iron Man, and Amethyst. At least three of these are over 500 pages of some of the best and most memorable stories.

If these become popular reads, I'm hoping to include a few more volumes that I found--maybe even make them a regular item. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy these monstrous anthologies!

Reading Tips:

• Take one at a time: They're BIG volumes, even for voracious readers, so plan to get comfy with a character for a while. 
• Careful turning those pages: The paper is cheap and tears easily (how else can you afford 500 pages of comics?)
• Get a book mark: You'd have to be SUPER HUMAN to read these in just one sitting!
• Return in good condition and help others enjoy these great stories.

Good Reading!