What’s New for June 19, 2008 (The last day of Spring!)

Hello everyone! Here's our update for Thursday, June 19, 2008.

This Saturday, June 21st, is FREE RPG DAY!  We'll be giving away samples from over a dozen different publishers.  Look in UPCOMING EVENTS for more details.

We also have our usual sections for this week's NEW COMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING  arrivals, UPCOMING EVENTS both in the store and in the larger community, what's ON eBAY (including info on some beautiful used graphic novels), and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game.



New COMICS This Week:

ALIENS OMNIBUS TP VOL 04 $24.95
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 557 $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 563 $2.99
AMERICAN DREAM 4 (OF 5) $2.99
ANGEL AFTER THE FALL 9 $3.99
ANITA BLAKE VH GUILTY PLEASURES 12 (OF 12) $2.99
ANNA MERCURY 2 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99

ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 04 UNSTOPPABLE $19.99
-The X-Men are off to protect the Earth from its destruction at the hands of the Breakworld, and one of them won't be coming back. When it's all over, nothing will ever be quite the same. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's final arc on Astonishing X-Men.

ATOMIC ROBO TP VOL 01 $18.95
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS 8 $2.99
BATTLE ROYALE ULTIMATE ED HC VOL 03 (OF 5) (MR) $24.99
BATTLE VIXENS GN VOL 13 (OF 13) (MR) $9.99
BETTY & VERONICA 236 $2.25
BIRDS OF PREY 119 $2.99
BLOOD BOWL 1 (OF 5) KILLER CONTRACT CVR A $3.99
BOMB QUEEN V 2 (OF 6) (MR) $3.50
BRAVE AND THE BOLD 14 $2.99
CATWOMAN 80 $2.99
CHECKMATE 27 $2.99
CONAN BORN ON THE BATTLEFIELD SC $17.95
CTHULHU TALES 3 CVR A $3.99
DAN DARE OVERSIZED UK HC VOL 01 $13.99
DARKNESS VS EVA 4 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
DC SPECIAL CYBORG 2 (OF 5) $2.99
DC WILDSTORM DREAMWAR 3 (OF 6) $2.99
DEAD SPACE 4 (OF 6) $2.99
DMZ 32 (MR) $2.99
DOCK WALLOPER 5 (OF 5) $2.99
DUST TP VOL 01 (MR) $9.99
DYNAMO 5 TP VOL 02 MOMENTS OF TRUTH $14.99
ETERNALS BY NEIL GAIMAN TP $24.99
EVERYBODYS DEAD 4 $3.99
EX MACHINA 37 (MR) $2.99
FALLEN ANGEL IDW 27 (MR) $3.99
FALLEN MOON DATEN NO TSUKI GN (MR) $12.99
FIRST BORN AFTERMATH (ONE SHOT) $3.99
FLASH 241 $2.99
FRUITS BASKET ULTIMATE EDITION VOL 03 (OF 4) $14.99
GEORGE R R MARTINS WILD CARDS 3 (OF 6) HARD CALL $2.99
GHOST RIDER 24 $2.99
GOTHIC AND LOLITA BIBLE VOL 02 (OF 6) $19.99
GREEN LANTERN HC VOL 02 THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR $24.99
GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL 8 (OF 8) $3.50
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY 2 $2.99
HELLBLAZER 245 (MR) $2.99
HERCULES 2 (OF 5) (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $2.99
INCREDIBLE HERCULES 118 SI $2.99
IRON MAN DIRECTOR OF SHIELD 30 $2.99
IRON MAN TP HAUNTED $26.99
JOHN WOOS SEVEN BROTHERS TP VOL 01 HICKMAN CVR (MR $14.99
JUNJO ROMANTICA GN VOL 06 (OF 9) (A) $12.99
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA 22 $2.99
KICK ASS 1 DIRECTORS CUT (MR) $3.99
LOVE AND CAPES 7 $3.95
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS 25 $2.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS TP VOL 06 MIGHTY DIGEST $7.99
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD 7 (OF 8) $2.99
MEGAS 4 (OF 4) (MR) $2.99
MMW SGT FURY HC VOL 02 $54.99
MY INNER BIMBO 5 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
NAOKI URASAWAS MONSTER TP VOL 15 $9.99
PET SHOP OF HORRORS TOKYO GN VOL 02 (MR) $9.99

POCKET FULL OF RAIN SC $19.99
 -This multifaceted anthology collects over 25 stories from the first decade of Jason's career, including his remarkable calling card, the novella-length thriller "Pocket Full of Rain," which has never before been published in English. This book reveals a young cartoonist experimenting with styles and paying tribute to his cartooning heroes, croquet-playing nuns, sentient cacti, autobiographical drunken escapades, lists of people who deserve to die, and a color gallery featuring God cheating at Trivial Pursuit.

POSTAGE STAMP FUNNIES HC $9.95
PROJECT KALKI 2 (OF 4) (MR) $2.99
PS238 32 $2.99
PUNISHER 58 (MR) $2.99
PVP TP VOL 05 PVP TREKS ON $14.99
RAMAYAN 3392 AD RELOADED 6 (OF 7) (RES) $2.99

RASL 2 $3.50
-Jeff Smith's cool new SF series continues.  Rasl, the hard-drinking, dimension-hopping art thief, discovers that he's in a lot more trouble than he realized.

RED SONJA 34 $2.99
REICH 3 (MR) $3.00
REX MUNDI DH ED 12 $2.99
SAFEST PLACE GN $12.99
SAIYUKI RELOAD GN VOL 08 (OF 8) (MR) $9.99
SCALPED 18 (MR) $2.99
SCOOBY DOO 133 $2.25
SECRET INVASION FANTASTIC FOUR 2 (OF 3) SI $2.99
SHADOWPACT TP VOL 03 DARKNESS AND LIGHT $14.99
SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE FLASH TP VOL 02 $16.99
SIMPSONS COMICS 143 $2.99
SPARKS 1 (OF 8) $2.99
SPIRIT 18 $2.99
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC 30 EXALTED PART $2.99
STAR WARS LEGACY 25 $2.99
STAR WARS LEGACY TP VOL 03 $17.95
STREETS OF GLORY 5 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
SUNSHINE SKETCH TP VOL 01 $10.99
SUPER FRIENDS 4 $2.25
SUPERMAN BATMAN 49 $2.99
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN 4 (OF 12) $2.99
TEEN TITANS YEAR ONE 5 (OF 6) $2.99
TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED TP VOL 03 $7.99
TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT CYCLONUS $3.99
TRINITY 3 $2.99
TRINITY BLOOD RAGE AGAINST THE MOONS NOVEL VOL 03 $9.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR 55 $2.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR TP VOL 10 GHOSTS $15.99
ULTIMATE X-MEN 95 $2.99

UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE TP $17.95
-In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was,"To save the world."  These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. This volume collects the first six-issue series, as well as out-of-print short stories, and an expanded sketchbook section featuring work by Gabriel Bá, James Jean, and Gerard Way.

UN-MEN 11 (MR) $2.99
WAR IS HELL FIRST FLIGHT PHANTOM EAGLE MAX 4 (OF $3.99
WARHAMMER CONDEMNED BY FIRE 2 (OF 5) CVR A $3.99
WELCOME TO NHK GN VOL 07 (OF 8) (MR) $9.99
WIZARD ANIME INSIDER 58 OURAN HS HOST CLUB CVR $4.99
WOLVERINE 66 DWS $2.99
WORLD OF WARCRAFT 8 $2.99
X-FACTOR 32 DWS $2.99

Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES (MR) $14.99
 -Yorick Brown's long journey through an Earth populated only by women comes to a dramatic, unexpected conclusion in this final volume, by Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra.

YOSHITAKA AMANOS MATEKI THE MAGIC FLUTE HC $29.95


New GAMES this week:
Classic Battletech: Blake Ascending $ 34.99
 - Blake Ascending: A Jihad Compilation is an omnibus reprint of the Dawn of the Jihad and Jihad Hot Spots: 3070; the first two source books in the seminal Jihad plot line.

Horus $34.99
-Horus uses a unique combination of tile and card play to create a delightfully casual yet engaging game with surprising strategic and tactical depth. Players attempt to guide the flow of the mighty Nile, and expand their influence so they can one day unite Egypt. Beautifully designed tiles feature ancient hieroglyphics, and the playing pieces evoke the deities of this fascinating culture. Horus is easy to learn and play, but is full of intrigue and player interaction.

Still in stock: Changeling:Lords Of Summer, Savage Worlds Sundered Skies RPG, the new Mongoose edition of Traveller, the pulp/horror RPG Trail of Cthulhu, as well as the Stunning Eldritch Tales supplement, and for White Wolf's Exalted RPG, Dreams Of The First Age BOX SETand The Underworld.  We have also got the new versions of ACQUIRE and Risk2210 A.D. Resized.

We have boosters, fat packs, theme decks and tournament packs for the brand new Magic The Gathering expansion set Shadowmoor, first of two in a series. We also have boosters and theme decks for  Tenth Edition,  Lorwynand  Morningtide, as well as boosters for Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight, and Coldsnap. We still have starters and boosters for D&D minis new Dungeon of Dread set, as well as the older War Drums, Angel Fire, Underdark, Night Below, Unhallowed and Desert of Desolation sets. We have boosters, starters and box sets for Heroclix, including DC Crisis, DC Icons, Justice League, Mutants & Marvels, Avengers, Hellboy, Invincible and Sentinels.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition:
Player's Handbook $34.95
Dungeon Master's Guide $34.95
Monster Manual $34.95
GIFT SET (all three books in one slipcase) $104.95
H1 Keep On The Shadowfell $29.95

Sticking with 3.5? We will continue to carry the D&D 3.5 core books for as long as they remain available. We will also gladly special order any and all 3.5 expansions (Complete Books, Monster Manuals, etc.) for as long as we can get them.  Also, Paizo publishing will continue to publish and support rules and supplements using the OGL 3.5 rules system through their Pathfinder RPG line.


EVENTS:
FREE RPG DAY:  This Saturday, June 21, here in the store, we'll be trying all kinds of cool RPGs here in the store, with lots of cool stuff to give away, including a new Fourth Edition D&D adventure from Wizards of the Coast.  Sick of hearing about the new D&D?  Come in and try something different, including Traveller, Hollow Earth Expeditions, Trail of Cthulhu, and more. Everyone who comes in may take home one of our free sample games. Take part in one of our game demos, and you can take home more. We'll be running game demos at Noon & 7:00 PM.

Modern Myths Book Club: On the last Thursday of every month at 7 PM, we host a comics discussion group. NEXT WEEK, we'll be reading and talking about The Rabbi's Cat, Joann Sfar's quirky tale of a cat who wants to become Jewish.Refreshments will be served. Thursday, June 26, 2008, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Art Class:Cartooning & Anime--two week long summer classes, one for ages 6-10 and the other ages 11 and up, taught by Lahri Bond. July 7-11, 2008, at the Amherst Community Arts Center. Scholarships available through a Xeric Foundation grant. For more information, call 413-253-9265 or click on the ACAC website.

Board Game Night every Saturday: Join us for a wide range of European-style board and card strategy games. Newcomers welcome! We'll provide the games and teach the rules, but you can also bring your favorites. Every Saturday from 7:00 - 11:00 PM.

Western Mass Comics Creators Group: 1st Tuesday night of every month. Join other local comics creators, amateur and professional, for an informal roundtable of ideas, tips, and hopefully, inspiration! Newcomers (published and non-) always welcome. Meetings usually begin at 7 PM.Next meeting: July 1st

Looking further ahead, our next Bargain Comics Sale will begin on July 24 with the Northampton Sidewalk Sale, we'll be setting up a big booth once again this year at Connecticon August 1-3, 2008, and we'll be celebrating our sixth anniversary on September 12.


Current eBay Listings:

No auctions for the CBLDF on our eBay Storethis week, but we also have sets of used graphicnovels, used RPGs, and sets of comics & manga, up at our store, as well. We have over a hundred newly acquired graphic novels on the shelf in our Used Section. Two particular highlights, which are also up on eBay: Absolute Dark Knight and Absolute Sandman Volume 1, both in beautiful condition, both available for only $69.99.


Featured REVIEW:

Girl Genius, by Phil & Kaja Foglio, 6 volumes so far, $10.00 to $21.99, published by Studio Foglio. RECOMMENDED.

Girl Genius is a story of adventure, romance, and mad science, played mostly for laughs. The heroine of this ongoing webcomic, Agatha Heterodyne, is the long lost heir to a great house of heroes and mad scientists (called Sparks). Since her parents disappeared, Europe has fallen into chaos, with civil war held back only by the armies of Baron Von Wulfenbach, a one-time Heterodyne loyalist. She's grown up in a small town, and nothing extraordinary has ever happened to her, until the day the Wulfenbach armies take over. Then Agatha's on the run through the wilderness, leaping from one exciting frying pan into the next fire.

Phil Foglio has been drawing funny and interesting comics for over 20 years now, from the old gaming strip What's New, to several mini-series for DC, including Plastic Man, Stanley & His Monster, and Angel & The Ape, to his own Buck Godot: Zap Gun For Hire stories. Girl Genius shares with those series a fantasy adventure sensibility that's mostly a light-hearted romp with lots of humor, but that has serious undercurrents adding engaging depth to the characters.This is a great series for anyone who enjoys Order Of The Stick, Fables, A Distant Soil, or Strangers In Paradise.

--Michael D.


As always, please let us know if you have questions or we can help with anything, just e-mail us at modernmyths(at)aol.com, or feel free to IM if you see us online at AOL.
 
Thanks, and see you in the store!

-Michael Dow
Modern Myths, LLC

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What’s New for June 12, 2008
Current mood: accomplished

Hello everyone!  Here's our update for Thursday, June 12, 2008.  

Our Friday Release Party and Saturday Game Day to celebrate therelease of D&D's FOURTH EDITION were both big successes.  Thanks to the hardy souls who came by for cake and adventure!

We're following up this big gaming event with another: FREE RPG DAY on Saturday, June 21 (the week after next.)  Look in UPCOMING EVENTS for more details.

We have just picked up a huge haul of used GNs, which we'll be putting out on the shelves over the next few days.  Come by the store or check out what's ON eBAY to get some great deals on some sweet books.  

We also have our usual sections for this week's NEW COMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING arrivals, UPCOMING EVENTS both in the store and in the larger community, and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game.  


( New Comics )


( New Games )


( Upcoming Events )


( eBay/Used )


( Featured Review )


As always, please let us know if you have questions or we can help with anything, just e-mail us at modernmyths(at)aol.com, or feel free to IM if you see us online at AOL.

Thanks, and see you in the store!

-Michael Dow
Modern Myths, LLC

11:54 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

What’s New On May 29, 2008

Hello everyone!  Here's our update for Thursday, May 29, 2008.  

New comics for this week shipped today.  New comics for next week will ship on Wednesday as usual.

 We are throwing a Release Party for D&D's new Fourth Edition when it goes on sale, Friday June 6--Only EIGHT DAYS from now!

World Wide D&D Day is Saturday, June 7, now only NINE DAYS away. We will run a new adventure, INTO THE SHADOWHAUNT, fo rcustomers here in the store.  

Check out the  UPCOMING EVENTS section for more info.

We also have our usual sections for this week's NEWCOMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING arrivals, what we have ON eBAY currently,and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game.  


New COMICS This Week:

ACTION COMICS 865 $2.99
ALL NEW ATOM TP VOL 03 THE HUNT FOR RAY PALMER $14.99
ALL STAR SUPERMAN 11 $2.99
APPLESEED TP NEW PTG VOL 02 PROMETHEAN UNBOUND (RE $14.95
ARCHIE 585 $2.25
ARMY OF DARKNESS XENA WHY NOT 3 (OF 4) $3.50
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN 6 $2.99
BATMAN 677 RIP $2.99
BATMAN GOTHAM AFTER MIDNITE 1 (OF 12) $2.99
BERSERK TP VOL 23 (MR) $13.95
BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST 161 $3.69

BEYOND 1 (OF 5) $2.99
    -Acclaimed writer Ron Marz adapts Deepak Chopra's original story of an American businessman who is propelled across dimensions and into an adventure like no other.  While traveling in India with his family, his wife disappears, he will stop at nothing – and go literally anywhere – to save her.

BLACK ADAM THE DARK AGE TP $17.99
BLUE BEETLE 27 $2.99
BONEYARD COLOR ED TP VOL 04 (MR) $13.95
CALIBER 2 (OF 5) (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $2.99
COMICS JOURNAL 290 $11.99
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS TP VOL 01 $19.99
CRAWL SPACE TP VOL 01 XXXOMBIES (MR) $12.99
DAN DARE 6 (OF 7) $2.99
DAREDEVIL 107 $2.99
DARKNESS VS EVA 3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
DRAFTED 7 $3.50
DRAGON BALL VIZBIG ED GN VOL 01 $17.99
DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES VOL 3 11 (OF 12) ROBERTS C $3.50
ESSENTIAL RAMPAGING HULK TP VOL 01 $16.99
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC TP VOL 5 $24.99
FABLES 73 (MR) $2.99

FINAL CRISIS 1 (OF 7) $3.99
    -Witness the historic start of the final chapter in the Crisis trilogy that could only spring from the mind of Grant Morrison — Final Crisis, featuring stunning art by J.G. Jones (52 Covers)! Worlds will live and heroes will die in this epic tale spanning the beginning and end of the DC Universe!  The entire Multiverse is threatened as the mysterious Libra assembles an army of the DCU's most terrifying super villains. But what is the ultimate plan, and who will live to find out?

FUTURAMA COMICS 37 $2.99
GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE 35 $3.50
GIANT SIZE ASTONISHING X-MEN 1 $4.99
GREEN LANTERN 31 $2.99
HELEN KILLER 2 (OF 4) $2.99

HELLBOY TP VOL 08 DARKNESS CALLS $19.95
    -Hellboy has made many enemies in his work for the BPRD over the years.  Now, one of the worst of them, Baba Yaga, takes her revenge.

HEROES SC $19.99
HOUSE OF MYSTERY 1 (MR) $2.99
HULK WWH TP FRONT LINE $16.99
HUNTRESS YEAR ONE 2 (OF 6) $2.99
IMMORTAL IRON FIST 15 $2.99
INDIA AUTHENTIC 13 LAKSHMI $2.99
JACK KIRBYS OMAC ONE MAN ARMY CORPS HC $24.99
JENNA JAMESONS SHADOW HUNTER 3 HORN CVR (RES) (MR) $2.99
JOHNNY BOO HC VOL 01 BEST LITTLE GHOST IN THE WORLD $9.95
JSA CLASSIFIED 38 $2.99

JUDENHASS GN (MR) $4.00
    -Dave Sim writes and draws a compelling and affecting examination of "Jew hatred", and how it was warped European and American culture.  A must read for for more than just comics fans, Neil Gaiman said "I don't remember the last comic I read that made me cry, but this did."

JUGHEAD 189 $2.25
JUSTICE TP VOL 01 $14.99
KING SIZE HULK 1 $4.99
LA PERDIDA TP $14.00
LAST FANTASY GN VOL 05 (OF 5) $9.99
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES 42 $2.99
MARVEL 1985 1 (OF 6) $3.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR 36 $2.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN 13 $2.99
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS 9 $3.99
MS MARVEL 27 SI $2.99
NEARLY COMPLETE ESSENTIAL HEMBECK ARCHIVES OMNIBUS $24.99
NEW AVENGERS 41 SI $2.99
NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SEASON ZERO 8 $2.99
NEW WARRIORS 12 $2.99
NIGHTMARES AND FAIRY TALES 23 (MR) $3.50
NO PASARAN GN VOL 02 (O/A) $11.95
NO PASARAN GN VOL 03 $14.95
NORTHLANDERS 6 (MR) $2.99
ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS GN VOL 04 (RES) $10.99
PREVIEWS VOL XVIII 6 (NET) $4.50
PRISM COMICS LGBT GUIDE TO COMICS MAG 2008 (MR) (C $7.95
PROLIFERATING COMICULTURE (RES) $9.99
PROOF 8 (MR) $2.99
PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS 96 $5.95
RESURRECTION 5 (MR) $3.50
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 03 $19.95
SECRET HISTORY THE AUTHORITY HAWKSMOOR 3 (OF 6) $2.99
SHADOWPACT 25 $2.99
SHE-HULK 2 29 $2.99
SIMPSONS SUMMER SHINDIG 2 $4.99
SKETCH MAGAZINE 35 $5.95
SNAKEWOMAN CURSE OF THE 68 4 (OF 4) (MR) $2.99
SONIC X 33 $2.25
SORROW TP $12.99
SPEAK O/T DEVIL 6 (OF 6) $3.50
STAR WARS DARK TIMES 11 VECTOR PART 5 $2.99
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC 29 EXALTED PART $2.99

STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 $49.99
    -At last — the hit series created by James Robinson (BATMAN: FACE THE FACE) and Tony Harris (EX MACHINA) of the 1990s is collected in a series of six spectacular hardcover editions. This inaugural volume features a new cover by Harris and collects STARMAN 0-16, originally published from 1994 to 1996.

STUDIO SPACE SC $29.99
SUPERNATURAL RISING SON 2 (OF 6) $2.99
SWORD 8 (MR) $2.99
TALES FROM THE CRYPT 6 $3.95
TALES OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 46 $3.25
TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE 50 (MR) $2.95
TEEN TITANS 59 $2.99
TEEN TITANS GO 55 $2.25
THOR 9 $2.99
THUNDERBOLTS REASON IN MADNESS $2.99
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 122 $2.99
UNCANNY X-MEN 498 DWS $2.99
USAGI YOJIMBO 112 $2.99
WIZARD MAGAZINE 201 SUMMER PREVIEW CVR $5.99
WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS 3 $2.99
WOLVERINE ORIGINS TP VOL 04 OUR WAR $14.99
X-FORCE 4 DWS $2.99
X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 12 $2.99
X-MEN LEGACY 212 DWS $2.99
X-MEN TP VOL 02 COMPLETE ONSLAUGHT EPIC $29.99
YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS 5 (OF 6) $2.99
ZOMBIE TALES 1 CVR A $3.99


New GAMES this week:
    We didn't receive any new games this week, in the lull before the storm of Dungeons and Dragons next week, so I'll take this moment to mention that we have recently been mulling over carrying the Warhammer minis game here in the store.  If any of you would like to weigh in and encourage us to do so, leave a comment on this post and let us know.

Still in stock: We do still have the new Savage Worlds Sundered Skies RPG, the new Mongoose edition of Traveller, the pulp/horror RPG Trail of Cthulhu, and White Wolf's World of Darkness Innocents RPG, and their Exalted Dreams Of The First Age BOX SET which is currently sold out and unavailable for re-order.  We have boosters, fat packs, theme decks and tournament packs for the brand new Magic The Gathering expansion set Shadowmoor, first of two in a series.  We also have boosters & theme decks for Tenth Edition, Lorwynand Morningtide, as well as boosters for Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight, and Coldsnap.  We still have starters and boosters for D&D minis new Dungeon of Dread set, as well as the older War Drums, Blood War, Night Below, Unhallowed and Desert of Desolation sets.   We have boosters, starters and box sets for Heroclix, including DC Crisis, DC Icons, Justice League, Mutants & Marvels, Avengers, Hellboy, Invincible and Sentinels.

Dungeons& Dragons4th Edition:
JUST ONE WEEK until the premiere of D&D 4E.  We have had a chance to take a real look at the nuts and bolts of the new edition, and it we're all very excited.  We'll be throwing Launch Party on June 6 to celebrate and, on June 7, World Wide D&D Day, we'll be running several parties through the special adventure Into The Shadowhaunt. Check out our EVENTSsection for more info.  If you can't wait until then, pick up a copy of H1Keep On The Shadowfell, check out the quick-start rules and start adventuring with the five pre-generated characters included.  I have played some of this adventure, and it's a well done intro in the vein of Keep On The Borderlands, back in the day.  (No sign of any mad hermits yet, though.)

Also, in response to a number of customer inquiries: we will continue to carry the D&D 3.5 core books for as long as they remain available.  We will also gladly special order any and all 3.5 expansion books (Complete Books, Monster Manuals, etc.) for as long as we can get them. Also, we're cool with folks who are running games in the store playing third edition, or older, versions of D&D or other games that we carry.


EVENTS:
Fourth Edition of D&D Release Party: NEXT FRIDAY, June 6, 2008.  This is the release date for the new Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual.  We are taking orders now.  Get them in to us sooner rather than later, so we can be sure to get your books for you on the day itself.  To celebrate, we'll be throwing an exclusive party to celebrate this excellent new version of the classic RPG.   We'll be serving drinks & snacks and, of course, playing D&D.  Admission is $10.00, or free with the purchase of a 4th edition D&D book.  Space is limited, so sign up now.

World Wide D&D Day:  NEXT SATURDAY, June 7, 2008.  This is the day after the new edition premieres and we'll be running people through a brand new adventure created just for the occasion Into The Shadowhaunt; with two sessions at Noon and another two at 7:00 PM.  These games are free, we will provide all materials needed to play, and space is limited.  (Please note that I named a different adventure last week.  I was wrong. This information is correct.)

Art Classes:
    1) Workshop in Basic Cartooning: E.J. Barnes, staff cartoonist for the Recorder, will teach a non-credit workshop on the basics of cartooning from June 4 to July 9, 2008 through the UMass Continuing Education department.  For more information, click here.

    2) Fantasy Illustration Master Class: a team of the best fantasy illustrators in the business, including Rebecca Guay, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, and others will be offering an intensive, hands-on class for fantasy artists June 16-22, 2008 at Amherst College.  Space is still available, but sign up ends May 31, 2008.  Check their website for further details. 

    3)Cartooning & Anime: two week long summer classes, one for ages 6-10 and the other ages 11 and up, taught by Lahri Bond.  July 7-11, 2008, at the Amherst Community Arts Center.  Scholarships available through a Xeric Foundation grant.  For more information, call 413-253-9265 or click on the ACAC website.

Modern Myths Book Club:  New for 2008, we will be hosting a comics discussion group on the last Thursday of every month at 7 PM.  This month's meeting is TONIGHT.  We'll be reading and talking about With The Light, Keiko Tobe's touching story about a young mother raising an autistic son in modern Japan.  Refreshments will be served.  Thursday,May 29, 2008, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Board Game Night every Saturday: Join us for a wide range of European-style board and card strategy games. Newcomer welcome! We'll provide the games and teach the rules, but you can also bring your favorites. Every Saturday from 7:00 - 11:00 PM.

Western Mass Comics Creators Group: 1st Tuesday night of every month.  Join other local comics creators, amateur and professional, for an informal round table of ideas, tips, and hopefully, inspiration! Newcomers (published and non-) always welcome.  Meetings usually begin at 7 PM.  Next meeting: June 3rd

Looking further ahead, our next Bargain Comics Sale will begin on July 24 with the Northampton Sidewalk Sale, we'll be setting up a big booth once again this year at Connecticon August 1-3,2008, and we'll be celebrating our sixth anniversary on September 12.


Current eBay Listings:

No auctions for the CBLDF on our eBay Store this week, but  we have just put up a set of Dawn comics by Joseph Michael Linsner.  We also have sets of used graphic novels, used RPGs, and sets of comics & manga, up at our store, as well.



Featured REVIEW:

Shadows Over Camelot, board game, created by Serge Laget & Bruno Cathala, $49.99,published by Days of Wonder.  RECOMMENDED.

Shadows Over Camelot is a cooperative board game for 3-7 players.  Each player takes on the role of one of the Knights of the Round Table, struggling to save Camelot from the forces that beset it on all sides.  Game play runs fairly simply: the Knights start off at the Round Table itself and then move off to complete one of several quests, including retrieving Excalibur, finding the Holy Grail, defeating the Black Knight, and beating back invading Saxons and Picts.  

As with other cooperative games, the game itself acts the opponent that the players must defeat.  (On their turn, a player must either play a "Dark Forces"card or else add another catapult to the army that besieges Camelot before they may take any heroic actions.)  Each player makes his or her own choices,but the Knights must combine their efforts if they are to prevail.  The big twist from other coop games is that one of the Knights might secretly be a traitor.  Before the first turn, each player takes a loyalty card. There are eight in all, so no matter how few or how many Knights there are, one can never be certain one way or another.  The challenge, and fun, of the game lies in balancing in working together, but not trusting too much.  

Michael D.


As always, please let us know if you have questions or we can help with anything, just e-mail us at modernmyths(at)aol.com, or feel free to IM if you see us online at AOL.
Thanks, and see you in the store!

-Michael Dow
Modern Myths, LLC

2:28 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

What’s New for April 24, 2008
Current mood: full

Hello everyone!  Here's our update for Thursday, April 24, 2008.

We have our usual sections for this week's NEW COMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING arrivals, current and UPCOMING EVENTS, what we have ON eBAY currently, and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game. 


New COMICS This Week:

ARMY OF DARKNESS XENA WHY NOT 2 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
AVENGERS TP KREE SKRULL WAR NEW PTG $24.99
BART SIMPSON COMICS 41 $2.99
BATMAN 675 $2.99
BATMAN CHRONICLES TP VOL 05 $14.99
BEST OF WRITE NOW TP VOL 01 $19.95
BETTY & VERONICA 235 $2.25
BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST 160 $3.69
BIRDS OF PREY 117 $2.99
BOY WHO MADE SILENCE 2 $3.50
CHECKMATE 25 $2.99
COMPLETE TERRY AND THE PIRATES HC VOL 03 1939-1940 $49.99

COUNTDOWNTO FINAL CRISIS 1 $2.99
    -The big showdown with Darkseid has come and gone. Now everyone who's left has to pick up the pieces.

DAREDEVIL TP VOL 02 HELL TO PAY $15.99
DARKNESS VS EVA 2 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 1 $29.99
DEADPOOL VS MARVEL UNIVERSE TP $24.99
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS 8 (OF 8) $3.50
DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES VOL 3 ROBERTS CVR A 10 (OF $3.50
DYNAMO 5 12 $3.50
EVERYBODYS DEAD 2 $3.99
EVIL DEAD 4 (OF 4) $2.99
FABLES 72 (MR) $2.99
FALL OF CTHULHU 11 CVR A $3.99
FALLEN ANGEL IDW 26 (MR) $3.99
FORTEAN TIMES 235 $11.25
GEEK MONTHLY VOL 2 4 $5.99
GENE SIMMONS ZIPPER 5 $3.99
GODLAND 22 $2.99
HACK SLASH SERIES 11 SEELEY CVR A (MR) $3.50

HULK 3$2.99
    -The new Red Hulk moves on to the next target on his list:Bruce Banner. 

INDIA AUTHENTIC 12 ANDHAKA $2.99
JACK STAFF 15 $3.50
JONAH HEX TP VOL 04 ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG $12.99
JSA HC VOL 02 THY KINGDOM COME PART 1 $19.99
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA 20 $2.99
LIVING WITH THE DEAD TP $9.95
MAC BOLAN THE EXECUTIONER DEVILS TOOLS 1 (OF 5) $3.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR 35 $2.99
METRONOME HC (MR) $13.95
MICE TEMPLAR 4 $2.99

MIGHTYAVENGERS 12 SI $2.99
    -Now that the Secret Invasion has begun in earnest, BrianBendis takes us back in time to when Nick Fury disappeared and his plans forstopping the Skrulls.

MODERN MASTERS SC VOL 16 MIKE ALLRED $14.95
MS MARVEL 26 SII $2.99
NEPHILIM GN $10.95
NEW EXILES 5 $2.99

NORTHLANDERS 5 (MR) $2.99
    -Brian Wood's cool new story of an 11th century Viking princereclaiming his heritage continues.  This issue reveals Sven's early life,and how he wound up cut off from his home.

PIQ MAGAZINE MAY 2008 $6.99
PREVIEWS VOL XVIII 5 (NET) $4.50

QUEEN &COUNTRY DEFINITIVE EDITION TP VOL 02 $19.95
    -The critically lauded espionage series from GregRucka & co. receives its second DEFINITIVE collection!  In this newedition, SIS agent Tara Chase is put through the ringer as she must contend withindustrial espionage, ghosts from her director's past, and politicians eager touse the service to their own ends!

RETURN O/T GREMLINS 2 (OF 3) (RES) $2.99
SADHU WHEEL OF DESTINY 1 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
SAY PLEASE GN $12.95
SCOOBY DOO 131 $2.25
SECRET HISTORY THE AUTHORITY HAWKSMOOR 2 (OF 6) $2.99
SEDUCE ME AFTER THE SHOW GN $12.95
SHADOWPACT 24 $2.99
SHE-HULK 2 28 $2.99
SIMPSONS CLASSICS 16 $3.99
SIMPSONS COMICS 141 $2.99
SIMPSONS COMICS TP DOLLARS TO DONUTS $14.95
SONIC X 32 $2.25
SPAWN 177 $2.95
SPAWN GODSLAYER 8 $2.99
SPIRIT 16 $2.99
ST TNG INTELLIGENCE GATHERING 4 (OF 5) $3.99
STAR TREK NEW FRONTIER 2 $3.99
STAR WARS DARK TIMES 10 $2.99
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC 27 VECTOR PART $2.99
STAR WARS LEGACY 22 $2.99
SUPER FRIENDS 2 $2.25
SUPERMAN BATMAN 47 $2.99
SUPERNATURAL RISING SON 1 (OF 6) $2.99
TALES FROM WONDERLAND QUEEN OF HEARTS 1 (MR) $2.99
TALES OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 45 $3.25
THIRSTY FOR LOVE GN (MR) $12.95
THOR 8 $2.99
TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT GRIMLOCK $3.99
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR 53 $2.99
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 121 $2.99
UNCANNY X-MEN 497 DWS $2.99
WARHAMMER 40K BLOOD & THUNDER TP $16.99
WITCHBLADE 117 SEJIC CVR A $2.99
WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS 2 $2.99
WORMWOOD CALAMARI RISING 4 $3.99
X-FORCE 3 BLOODY VAR $2.99
X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 11 $2.99
X-MEN TP EMPEROR VULCAN $13.99
YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS 4 (OF 6) $2.99





New GAMES this week:

This week, the Games Manufacturers Association of America is holding their annual trade show in Las Vegas, and manager Jim Crocker is spending a week in the desert getting an inside look at all the new and upcoming releases.  We'll probably be seeing a number of cool new games shipping out to stores like us in the next few weeks--including, of course, D&D 4th Edition, which goes on sale in only six weeks.  We still plan to celebrate the release that weekend.  Check the EVENTS section for more info. Also, in response to a number of customer inquiries: we will continue to carry the D&D 3.5 core books for as long as they remain available.  We will also gladly special order any and all 3.5 expansion books (Complete Books, Monster Manuals, etc.) for as long as we can get them.

We have starters and boosters for D&D minis new Dungeon of Dreadset, as well as the older War Drums, War of the Dragon Queen, Blood War, Night Below, Unhallowed and Desert of Desolation sets.  We also have theme decks for Magic: the Gathering Tenth Edition and the Lorwyn & Morningtide expansions, boosters for Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, and Future Sight, and also boosters, starters and box sets for Heroclix, including DC Crisis, DC Icons, Justice League, Mutants & Marvels, Avengers, Hellboy, Invincible and Sentinels.





EVENTS:

Art Exhibitions: There are two noteworthy ongoing art exhibitions, both of which I should have mentioned before now. 
    1) Accounts of Events: Narrative Works by Connecticut Valley Artists: This is a group show by several local artists, including E. J. Barnes, Mark Martin, Mark Stacy, and Colin Tedford.  The show is at the Greenfield Community College Downtown Center, 270 Main Street in Greenfield, Mon - Thu 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, through May 29, 2008.
    2) Lit Graphic: The World of the Graphic Novel: This exhibition features the work of over a dozen major comics creators, including Will Eisner, Jessica Abel, Howard Cruse, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman, R. Crumb, and many others. This show is at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA through May 26, 2008.

Modern Myths Book Club:  New for 2008, we will be hosting a comics discussion group on the last Thursday of every month at 7 PM.  Unforeseen circumstances have forced us to postpone the book announced in our last news update, so at our next meeting we will be discussing Fun Home, Alison Bechdel's award winning memoir about her childhood, her relationship with her father, and coming to terms with his sudden death.  We have plenty of signed copies in stock,  thanks to Alison's graciousness after her recent lecture at Amherst College.  Refreshments will be served.  TONIGHT, April 24, 2008, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

FreeComic Book Day is coming on May 3rd, 2008, now less than three weeks away.  It looks like we'll have a great bunch of comics this year, and if previous years are any indication, we'll run out despite ordering many, many copies, so come on by and get yours while our supplies last.

Board Game Night every Saturday: Join us for a wide range of European-style board and card strategy games. Newcomers welcome! We'll provide the games and teach the rules, but you can also bring your favorites. Every Saturday from 7:00 - 11:00 PM.

Western Mass Comics Creators Group: 1st Tuesday night ofevery month: Join other local comics creators, amateur and professional, for an informal roundtable of ideas, tips, and hopefully, inspiration! Newcomers (published and non-) always welcome.  Meetings usually begin at 7 PM.

Looking further ahead, we'll be throwing a big party to celebrate the Fourth Edition of D&D when it goes on sale on June 6th (six weeks from tomorrow!), our next Bargain Comics Sale will begin on July 24 with the Northampton Sidewalk Sale, and we'll be setting up a big booth once again this year at Connecticon August 1-3, 2008.





Current eBay Listings:

Our recent back-issue acquisitions are bearing fruit. Check out our eBay Store for some great new sets, used graphic novels and RPGs.  This week, we have added Frank Miller's 300 and the XCrawl source book a pro-wrestling style D&D campaign.





Featured REVIEW:

STUCKRUBBER BABY, written and illustrated by Howard Cruse, blackand white, 210 pages, paperback $14.95.  RECOMMENDED.

Stuck Rubber Baby is the story of Toland Polk, a white man growing up inthe late 1950s and early 60s in the Deep South. The growing furor of the Civil Rights Movement as blacks fight to be recognized as people deserving equal rights shapes his life, especially as he comes to realize that he has a secret that makes him just as much of an outcast as his African-American friends: he's gay.

Inspired by, though not based upon, Cruse's own early life, Stuck RubberBaby is a compelling vision of the human drama of that era.  The simple assertion of human dignity (both by African American and gay characters) and the violence white Southern society used to deny it, make this a gripping read.  In fact, the pervasive brutality of Toland's world may shock readers, like myself, too young to remember those days, but the police beatings, the attack dogs, the church bombings, the lynchings—all the cruelty that enforced Jim Crow—form a tense underpinning to the story.  Neither Toland nor his friends know when they may suddenly beattacked for being Black, or Gay, or a race traitor or queer lover. None of them are safe, and they all know it.

There's more to this story, though, than a noble cause or a movement, and moreto these characters than brave ideals.  Thisis not a dull book with a 'message'.  Toland and his friends are conflicted, fallible people. Toland hurts some of his closest friends because he's afraid to seemgay, and other characters blurt out secrets that ruin reputations and, in onecase, get someone killed.  It's also a story about the simple beauty of love, and how, for everyone, it makes life worth living, even in a world where a dear friend may be suddenly blown to pieces.

Cruse's distinctive cartooning style renders the characters and setting in alevel of detail that is both immersive and yet clearly stylized. The flow from panel to panel is always smooth as silk, and not one line is wasted. Readers in search of a great story and devotees of the comics medium both will find much to savor in sadly overlooked classic.

See you at the store!

MSD.


As always, please let us know if you have questions or we can help with anything, just e-mail us at modernmyths(at)aol.com, or feel free to IM if you see us online at AOL.

Thanks, and see you in the store!

3:07 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

News for April 20, 2008

Hello everyone! Here's our update for Sunday, April 20, 2008.

We have our usual sections for this week's NEW COMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING arrivals, current and UPCOMING EVENTS, what we have ON eBAY currently, and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game.


New COMICS This Week:

100 BULLETS 90 (MR) $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 557 $2.99
ANNIHILATION CONQUEST 6 (OF 6) $3.99
ARMY OF DARKNESS 8 LONG ROAD HOME $3.50
ATOMIC ROBO 1 (OF 6) 3RD PTG (PP 807) $2.95
ATOMIC ROBO 2 (OF 6) 2ND PTG (PP 807) $2.95
ATOMIC ROBO 3 (OF 6) 2ND PTG (PP 807) $2.95
ATOMIC ROBO 5 (OF 6) 2ND PTG (PP 807) $2.95
AVENGERS INITIATIVE 11 $2.99
BADGER SAVES THE WORLD 5 (OF 5) $3.99
BAT LASH 5 (OF 6) $2.99
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS 6 $2.99
BATMAN STRIKES 44 $2.25
BRAVE AND THE BOLD 12 $2.99
CAPTAIN AMERICA 37 $2.99
CAPTAIN MARVEL 5 (OF 5) SII $2.99
CATWOMAN 78 $2.99
COMICS JOURNAL 289 $11.95

COMPLETE PEANUTS HC VOL 09 1967-1968 $28.95
-John Waters introduces the latest complete collection of Charles Schulz's classic comic strip.

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 2 $2.99
CTHULHU TALES 1 CVR A $3.99
DARKNESS 3 KEOWN CVR A (MR) $2.99
DC WILDSTORM DREAMWAR 1 (OF 6) $2.99
DMZ 30 (MR) $2.99
DOCTOR WHO 3 $3.99
DRIFTING CLASSROOM TP VOL 11 (MR) $9.99

FAKER TP (MR) $14.99
-Mike Carey spins a strange tale of a man who isn't there, except when he is.

FEAR AGENT 20 HATCHET JOB (PT 4 OF 5) $2.99
FLASH 239 $2.99
GHOST RIDER 22 $2.99
GOTHAM UNDERGROUND 7 (OF 9) $2.99
GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE HC $24.99
GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL 6 (OF 8) $3.50
GRIMM FAIRY TALES 26 (MR) $2.99
HANA KIMI GN VOL 23 $9.99
HELLBLAZER 243 (MR) $2.99

HELLBOY LIBRARY ED HC VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION & WAKE THE DEVIL $49.95
-The first two Hellboy graphic novels, Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil, are collected in a beautiful, large-sized hard cover collection, along with the first two Hellboy short stories and a Mike Mignola sketchbook.

INCREDIBLE HERCULES 116 $2.99
INFINITE HORIZON 3 (OF 6) $2.99
IRON MAN 28 $3.99
IRON MAN LEGACY OF DOOM 1 (OF 4) $2.99
JESSICA FARM GN $14.95
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE 138 $4.99
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY 13 $2.25
LONE RANGER 11 (RES) (MR) $2.99
MAD MAGAZINE 489 $4.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS 23 $2.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS TP VOL 05 DIGEST $7.99
NAOKI URASAWAS MONSTER TP VOL 14 $9.99
NIXONS PALS GN (MR) $12.99
NOBLE CAUSES 32 $3.50
PERHAPANAUTS 1 $3.50
PIGEONS FROM HELL 1 $2.99

POWERS ANNUAL 2008 (MR) $4.95
-Detective Walker handles a murder that calls up memories from his ancient past.

PROGRAMME 10 (OF 12) $2.99
PS238 TP VOL 05 EXTRATERRESTRIAL CREDIT $15.99
RAMAYAN 3392 AD TP VOL 02 RELOADED (RES) $14.99
RED SONJA 32 $2.99
RED SONJA TRAVELS TP (RES) $19.99
REX MUNDI DH ED 11 $2.99
ROBIN 173 $2.99
SADHU TP VOL 02 SILENT ONES (RES) (MR) $14.99
SALVATION RUN 6 (OF 7) $2.99
SCHOOL RUMBLE GN VOL 09 (MR) $10.95
SHOWCASE PRESENTS LEGION OF SUPER HEROES TP VOL 02 $16.99

STAR TREK YEAR FOUR ENTERPRISE EXPERIMENT 1 $3.99
-Legendary original series writer D. C. Fontana writes her first comic ever, a sequel to her classic episode, the Enterprise Incident.  When the Federation attempts to improve upon the cloaking device Kirk and Spock stole from the Romulans the previous year, things go very
wrong.

STUPID COMICS PHOENIX ED GN (MR) $9.99
SUICIDE SQUAD RAISE THE FLAG 8 (OF 8) $2.99
SUPERMAN 675 (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
SWORD 7 (MR) $2.99
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN 2 (OF 12) $2.99
TOYFARE 130 INDIANA JONES CVR $4.99
UN-MEN TP VOL 01 GET YOUR FREAK ON (MR) $9.99
UNCLE SCROOGE 374 $7.99
WALDOS HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY GN $19.95
WALLFLOWER GN VOL 15 (MR) $10.95
WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES 689 $7.99
WAR IS HELL FIRST FLIGHT PHANTOM EAGLE MAX 2 (OF $3.99
WARHAMMER TP FORGE OF WAR $14.99
WE LOVE COSPLAY GIRLS MORE LIVE ANIMATION HEROINES $19.95
WILLOW CREEK 1 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
WIZARD ANIME INSIDER 56 DEATH NOTE CVR $4.99
WOLVERINE ORIGINS 24 $2.99
WORLD OF WARCRAFT 6 $2.99
WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH WARBOUND 5 (OF 5) $2.99
X-FACTOR 30 DWS $2.99
X-MEN DIVIDED WE STAND 1 (OF 2) DWS $3.99

New GAMES this week:

Hero Games:
PS 238 RPG  $31.99
 -An RPG based on the hilarious Aaron Williams comic.  Enroll now for the adventures of the teachers and students at a secret elementary  school for super-powered children.

White Wolf:
Exalted:Scroll of Kings
-If there is one surety in the Time of Tumult, it is that there will be war. As nation struggles against nation, as the death knights ride forth from the shadowlands, as the Realm slips closer and closer to civil war, as the Solars return to reclaim the Mandate of Heaven, wars engulf Creation. And if you're going to fight a war, fight to win. From the frozen steppes of the North to the burning wastes of the South, from the mysterious
forests of the East to the savage islands of the West, from all four corners of the world to the heart of Creation, master the combat styles of all nations and wield them against your foes on the field of battle. The tools to do so are contained within.

EXALTED: Compass of Celestial Directions: Yu-Shan
-The third of five books dedicated to the supernatural locales of the Exalted setting, this supplement focuses on the Celestial City of
Yu-Shan, home of the gods.

Vampire The Requiem: Ventrue Lords Over The Damned
-The Ventrue — ancient kings and cutting-edge moguls —have a simple reputation: they win. They always win. They are known as Lords,
and across all the World of Darkness, wherever you find vampires, you'll find Ventrue behind them, pulling the strings.

Wizards of the Coast:
D&D Minis: Dungeon of Dread   $14.99
-The first set with Fourth Edition stats, and brand new starters!

We will be throwing a party to celebrate the release of D&D 4th Edition when it goes on sale.  Check the EVENTS
section for more info. Also, in response to a number of customer inquiries: we will continue to carry the D&D 3.5 core books for as long as they remain available.  We will also gladly special order any and all 3.5 expansion books (Complete Books, Monster Manuals, etc.) for as long as we can get them.



We still have boosters and theme decks available for Magic: the Gathering Tenth Edition and the Lorwyn & Morningtide expansions, as well as some boosters remaining for Time Spiral,
Planar Chaos, and Future Sight.  We also have boosters (including a
full brick) of the new Heroclix DC Crisis set, and some boosters from the Justice League, Mutants & Marvels, and Avengers sets.

EVENTS:

Art Exhibitions: There are two noteworthy ongoing art exhibitions, both of which I should have mentioned before now.

1) Accounts of Events: Narrative Works by Connecticut Valley Artists: This is a group show by several local artists, including E. J. Barnes, Mark Martin, Mark Stacy, and Colin Tedford.  The show is at the Greenfield Community College Downtown Center, 270 Main Street in Greenfield, Mon - Thu 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM,
through May 29, 2008.

2) Lit Graphic: The World of the Graphic Novel:This exhibition features the work of over a dozen major comics creators, including Will Eisner, Jessica Abel, Howard Cruse, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman, R. Crumb, and many others. This show is at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA through May 26, 2008.

OurCon Gaming Convention:
The Game Hobbyist League of UMass Amherst is hosting its annual gaming convention this coming weekend. Admission is $5.00 for students, $7.00 for everyone else.  April 18-20, 2008, at the UMass Campus Center.  Contact cbrostow AT student DOT umass DOT edu for more information.

Modern Myths Book Club: New for 2008, we will be hosting a comics discussion group on the last Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM.   Unforeseen circumstances have forced us to postpone the book announced in our last news update, so at our next meeting we will be
discussing Fun Home, Alison Bechdel's award winning memoir about her childhood, her relationship with her father, and coming to terms with his sudden death.  We have plenty of signed copies in stock, thanks to Alison's graciousness after her recent lecture at Amherst College.  Refreshments will be served.  April 24, 2008, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Free Comic Book Day is coming on May 3rd, 2008, now less than three weeks away.  It looks like we'll have a great bunch of comics this year, and if previous years are any indication, we'll run out despite ordering many, many copies, so come on by and get yours while our supplies last.

Board Game Night every Saturday: Join us for a wide range of European-style board and card strategy games. Newcomers welcome! We'll provide the games and teach the rules, but you can also bring your favorites. Every Saturday from 7:00 - 11:00 PM.

Western Mass Comics Creators Group: 1st Tuesday night of
every month: Join other local comics creators, amateur and professional, for an informal roundtable of ideas, tips, and hopefully, inspiration! Newcomers (published and non-) always welcome.  Meetings usually begin at 7 PM.



Looking further ahead, we'll be throwing a big party to celebrate the Fourth Edition of D&D when it goes on sale on June 6th, our next Bargain Comics Sale will begin on July 24 with the Northampton Sidewalk Sale, and we'll be setting up a big booth once again this year
at Connecticon August 1-3, 2008.

Current eBay Listings:

Our recent back-issue acquisitions are bearing fruit. Check out our eBay Store for some great new sets, including the first 50 issues of the
Punisher and all 8 issues of Garth Ennis's War Story.; We have also put out several newly arrived used books, including a gorgeous photo book on the making of Superman Returns, and a complete set of the Samurai Executioner manga series.

Featured REVIEW:

READING COMICS, written by Douglas Wolk, prose with over 100 sample illustrations, 405 pages with index and notes, hard cover, $22.99.  RECOMMENDED.  Paperback edition due in June.

In Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean, critic Douglas Wolk lays the some essential groundwork for the emerging field of serious criticism about comics.  He does this by assimilating the excellent work of Will Eisner and Scott McCloud discussing what comics (or graphic novels) are and how they function as a medium, and then moving beyond to discuss specific creators and their work.  Which is to say, he briefly discusses the epistemology of comics before getting down to reviewing them as good art and fun stories.

Wolk has an advantage over many others who have taken a stab at comics criticism, in that not only is he a thoughtful observer of the art, able to appreciate the new possibilities for the medium that creators like Chris Ware or Alison Bechdel open up for everyone else, but he is also a fanboy, who gets it when Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men echoes a bit from the Claremont/Byrne "Dark Phoenix Saga".  This means that he has something interesting to say about the Bendis/Maleev run on Daredevil, as well as about Love & Rockets.


Wolk is a good critic: he has some axes to grind and makes no bones about it; he writes engagingly, and presents his ideas clearly, even emphatically; and when praising or slamming a book, he explains why. 
All of this makes it very easy to grasp what Wolk thinks and why he
thinks it, which makes it easy, whether one agrees or disagrees with his ideas, to start talking about them—which is all that one can ask of any commentator, especially one writing in a field as little discussed as comics have been.  I anticipate re-reading, and talking about, this book for years to come.


See you at the store!


MSD.

As always, please let us know if you have questions or we can help with anything, just e-mail us at modernmyths(at)aol.com, or feel free to IM if you see us online at AOL.


Thanks, and see you in the store!

-Michael Dow
Modern Myths, LLC

3:16 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Fun Home and Stuck Rubber Baby
Current mood: thoughtful

A couple of weeks ago I met Alison Bechdel when she spoke at Amherst College about her comic Fun Home and I asked her about her influences and inspirations as a cartoonist.  (Looking at Fun Home, I don't see any signs of influence by, say, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby or John Romita.) She mentioned a few people, in particular Howard Cruse, one of the first openly gay cartoonists, and his mid-90s graphic novel Stuck Rubber Baby.  I was surprised by how few of the people, who were there to listen to this gay cartoonist talk about a comic she had written and drawn about a formative period in her life, had read, or even heard of, Howard or his book.

Stuck Rubber Baby differs from Fun Home in several ways.  It is entirely black and white, without the color wash Bechdel uses.  The art is more modeled, with Cruse working to evoke the third dimension in a way that Bechdel does not.  Most centrally, though, Bechdel presents her story as a memoir, narrated by an unnamed and invisible author explicitly reconstructing her past and presenting it to the reader, perhaps as much for her own benefit as for ours.  Cruse, on the other hand, disclaims autobiography.  While his book reads as a roman a clef, and was apparently inspired by his own lived experience, the story itself is presented by a fictional narrator, who appears as a character in the story.

One of the main appeals of Fun Home, one shared by other autobiographical comics such as Pekar's American Splendor or Kochalka's American Elf, is the immediacy Bechdel's confessional approach generates—this story is something personal that she has chosen to bare publicly.  Moreover, her book does not run chronologically.  Instead, she circles around the mysteries of her childhood and her family's secrets.

Stuck Rubber Baby's strengths, however, are those of a discrete narrative, both in that it is separated from its author and thus maintains his privacy, and also in that it is a distinct story.  It flows from beginning through to the end, carrying us along in the lives of its characters.  It immerses us not only in the personal drama of a young man coming to terms with his gay identity, but also of his milieu, Mississippi in the early sixties as he and his friends become involved in the civil rights movement.  The convenience of fiction allows Cruse present a true picture not just of a man, but of a moment in history, without having to limit himself strictly to his own experiences.  It is true to life because it is not true to a life.

One reason Fun Home has garnered so much attention is that people who are interested in good stories about gay experiences, or in engaging autobiographies, or in well-crafted comics can all read and enjoy it.  Stuck Rubber Baby, with its gripping subject matter, gorgeous art, and rich characters, casts a similarly wide net.  People who loved reading Bechdel's book owe it to themselves to discover Cruse's neglected classic.

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News for April 14, 2008

Hello everyone! Here's our update for Thursday, April 10, 2008. (only four days late....)

We have recently heard about a number of interesting events either going on now or coming up soon here in the Valley. Check our EVENTS section for the latest info.

We have our usual sections for this week's NEW COMICS and Graphic Novels, recent GAMING arrivals, what we have ON eBAY currently, and an in-depth REVIEW of a favorite comic or game.

Hero Games:

PS 238 RPG   $31.99

    -An RPG based on the hilarious Aaron Williams comic.  Enroll now for the adventures of the teachers and students at a secret elementary school for super-powered children.

White Wolf:
Exalted: Scroll of Kings

    -If there is one surety in the Time of Tumult, it is that there will be war. As nation struggles against nation, as the deathknights ride forth from the shadowlands, as the Realm slips closer and closer to civil war, as the Solars return to reclaim the Mandate of Heaven, wars engulf Creation. And if you're going to fight a war, fight to win. From the frozen steppes of the North to the burning wastes of the South, from the mysterious
forests of the East to the savage islands of the West, from all four corners of the world to the heart of Creation, master the combat styles of all nations and wield them against your foes on the field of battle. The tools to do so are contained within.

Exalted: Compass of Celestial Directions: Yu-Sh