Webcomics cartoonist Ru Xu has a News Prints new graphic novel out from Scholastic's Graphix imprint.  She was at Fantom Comics on Dupont Circle yesterday and I'm sure they still have signed copies.

The book is the start of a steampunk series about a young girl who pretends to be a boy to sell newspapers on the street after her family is killed in an ongoing war. She falls in with a crazed inventor and then gets involved with high-level hijinks about the conduct of the war, and also has to contend with what journalism and truth really mean.

The art is heavily-manga influenced, and I liked it quite a bit. Ms. Xu told me that one of her influences for this book is Miyazaki and one can certainly see that. She's working on the next book in the series now. Her webcomic, Saint for Rent is here.

Recommended for tweens (and aging men who like Miyazaki)

Fantom Comics is letting its Dupont Circle neighbors know that it'll be opening its new store (which it says will be three times bigger than its current Union Station location) on July 23. Here's a postcard picked up at a Dupont Circle eatery.

Fantom Comics and PollySue's Vintage Shop are hosting a Geek Chic Fashion show Saturday night at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church in D.C. “Think nerdy street style, casual cosplay, steampunk couture, Hogwarts riot grrls, high-fashion superheroes, tiny princess super villains, Carol and Kamala Corps, and more!” according to the Facebook event page.

Tickets are $5 and a percentage of the proceeds will go to Con or Bust, a non-profit that sends fans of color to SFF conventions, according to organizers.

Comics writer Greg Pak (Action Comics, Batman/Superman, Eternal Warrior and Turok Dinosaur Hunt) visits Fantom Comics Friday from 6-7 p.m.

Image courtesy of Greg Pak

The Fantom Comics Book Club will meet Jan. 30 for a discussion on the comic Saga, Vol. 1 and 2 at the Chinatown Coffee Co. on H Street NW.

Fantom Comics at Union Station will host an Intro to Comic Books and Graphic Novels at its next Ladies’ Night, Jan. 26, 6-8:30 p.m.

Fantom Comics is offering 20% off all graphic novels for government employees during the government shutdown. Just present a federal employee ID for the discount. Contractors with federal IDs are also eligible.

Come visit us at Fantom Comics on Saturday... May the 4th be with you. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Costume Contests Featuring cosplay chameleon Pastel Moon as a guest judge! DC Conspiracy Creators Troy-Jeffrey Allen & Matt Rawson: Members of local comics collective DC Conspiracy will talk with fans and hand out free copies of Magic Bullet #6. Glen Weldon Author of Superman The Unathorized Biography will be on hand to celebrate Free Comic Book Day with Fantom What? Did you say "Free Comics"???? That's right. Check out the schedule of events throughout the day to celebrate the greatest comic book holiday ever invented. Come visit Fantom Comics, walk away with a bunch of free comics, and take advantage of our fantastic sale!!! Save 10% on all Graphic Novels! (except Volume 1's of GN series - on those you save 20%!!!)  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Fantom Comics, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have supported Fantom Comics in the past by purchasing digital comics through our website. Our mailing address is: Fantom Comics 50 Massachusetts Ave NE Union Station - Mezzanine Level Washington, DC 20002

connect with us: SURPLUS COMICS AT AMAZING DISCOUNTS!!! visit FANTOM'S EBAY STORE Fantom's COMIC BOOK RESERVATION SERVICE now at pulllist.comixology.com   reserve your comics,          never miss an issue! Buying digital comics? Buy once, read anywhere!   Support Fantom by: 1) Skipping in-app purchases 2) Purchase on the web using our exclusive link, also available on our home page. 3) Download your purchased comics to any device using your comiXology account.     LIVE ON TWITTER Each New Comic Book Day From 1-2pm #ShopTalk Catch the pulse of your favorite comic book shop at the height of the weekly rush!   Not local to Washington DC? No problem! Sign up for the Fantom Comics Mail Order Service and we'll ship to you!!!   Ready to explore comics beyond superheroes?? Follow The Comics Journeyman on Twitter and via his e-newsletter   Each Sunday night, @CmxJourneyman calls out the best in non-superhero comics.   Twitter hashtag: #PrimeTimeCmx (8:00 pm EST)   Twitter account not required   Jonesing For The new January Previews? Fantom Comics is here to help!   Oh. Is it January, already?   (See what I did there?)   Join me in checking out the January Previews Available via FC Comic Book Reservation Service, powered by comiXology!   Now, on to the highlights...   DARK HORSE COMICS B.P.R.D HELL ON EARTH: THE PICKENS COUNTY HORROR #1 The ranks of The B.P.R.D. continue to be stretched even thinner as they're called to investigate the goings-on of a reclusive Southern vampire clan who simply want nothing more than to keep their secrets. Secrets covered in decades of death and blood. B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH: THE PICKENS COUNTY HORROR #1 (OF 2) is co-written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and B.P.R.D. regular Scott Allie and drawn beautifully by Loose Ends creator Jason Latour!   San Francisco is overrun with zombie/vampire hybrids so what's a vampire slayer to do? Regroup? Rest? Re-think this whole Slayer thing? Marry Spike? Yeah, read BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #7!   DMZ and Wolverine & The X-Men: Alpha & Omega writer Brian Wood's seminal work CHANNEL ZERO returns to print! Released in 1997 and drawn by his frequent collaborator Becky Cloonan (Demo, Conan The Barbarian), Channel Zero touches on themes such as mass media control and freedom of speech and remains more relevant than ever before. Featuring an introduction by Warren Ellis and loads of sketches, short stories and an all-new cover by Brian Wood.     DC COMICS SUPERMAN #7 Something big is happening in the DC Universe. Grifter and Voodoo continue to fight the Daemonite menace while Stormwatch and Demon Knights do so as well. In SUPERMAN #7, the series not only welcomes the new writing team of Keith Giffen (Justice League) and Dan Jurgens (The Death of Superman) but the return of one of the former Wildstorm Universe's greatest threats, Helspont!    Another DC title sees a new creative team come into the fold with GREEN ARROW #7! Writer Ann Nocenti (Daredevil) and Harvel Talibao (Psylocke) get together to put The Emerald Archer through the ringer having him face off against his one weakness: not one, not two but three deadly, intelligent blondes!   One of graphic designs greatest, Chip Kidd brings his considerable talents to Batman, writing the all-new hardcover graphic novel, BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN. Gotham City is going through an epic rejuvenation. Bright, new buildings are in various stages of completion, spurred on by the efforts of one Bruce Wayne. Suddenly, buildings are being torn apart and Bruce Wayne as Batman, of course, suspects foul play. Beautifully drawn by former Batman : Shadow Of The Bat artist Dave Taylor.   VERTIGO COMICS FAIREST #1 The universe of Fables expands with the new ongoing series FAIREST #1! Focusing on the secret tales of the women of Fables, Fairest will feature stories by some of comics best and greatest. First up, a tale of Briar Rose, not seen since her abduction by the Goblin Army in Fables #107. Written by Fables series creator Bill Willingham and masterfully drawn by Phil Jimenez with covers by Adam Hughes!   The United States of America is primed for a change. Arcadia Alvarado, the Mexican-American governor of New Mexico meets the challenge and emerges as the Democratic candidate for POTUS. On the eve of her accepting the nomination, in order to become President and possibly save the world, she decides she must make an announcement. She was abducted by aliens. SAUCER COUNTRY #1 is an all-new ongoing series written by the ever-brilliant Paul Cornell (Stormwatch, Doctor Who), featuring art by a personal favorite Ryan Kelly (New York Five).   Uppercrust Victorians have voluntarily turned themselves into vampires in order to escape the fates of the lower class; who've all been turned into zombies.When a young aristocrat's body is found dead upon the banks of the Thames, Detective George Suttle finds himself having to solve the murder of one who should already be dead in THE NEW DEADWARDIANS #1 (of 8) written by Annihilation and Resurrection Man's Dan Abnett!   In the wake of Katrina, many find hope in their faith. The Voodoo Queen has been found dead and all signs point to a young unsuspecting grad student as the sole suspect. Alliances will be made, faith will be crushed and truths exposed as lies in this all-new series, DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD #1 written by comics newcomer Selwyn Sefu Hinds with art by The Question artist Denys Cowan.     IMAGE COMICS SAGA#1   One of comics' best writers, Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) makes his long-awaited return to comics with the creator owned series, SAGA #1! In the middle of a war a child is born and two new parents will put their lives on the line to ensure this child's future.   Einstein utters the words, "Do you have any idea what we've done here?" The Manhattan Project was a front. Other deadly programs were in play and the world doesn't know just how much more it has to fear. That is THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1, a new series by FF and Fantastic Four writer Jonathan Hickman!   A generation ago, the first superheroes were born and the generation beind them fight to remake a world they had no hand in building and can barely understand in this all-new series HELL YEAH #1 by Eisner Award winning writer Joe Keatinge (Glory).   DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT   THE BIONIC WOMAN #1 From the pages of Kevin Smith's The Bionic Man comes the all-new ongoing BIONIC WOMAN #1 by writer Paul Tobin (Spider-Man)! OSI agent Jaime Summers is in pursuit of The Mission, a collective of surgeons who kill OSI agents to harvest their bionic prosthetics for billionaire patients and fetishists. Sounds crazy. I'm in.   BOOM! STUDIOS   What happens in a world of young superheroes are more aware of the cameras than self-aware? Find out in the new series, SUPURBIA #1 (of 4), written by rising star talent Grace Randolph.   IDW PUBLISHING   The Rocketeer is back in ROCKETEER ADVENTURES 2 #1 (of 4) and flying higher than ever! The second volume of the late Dave Stevens' greatest creation features all-new stories from the industry's best!   MARVEL COMICS AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley, the team behind the epic Ultimate Spider-Man run reunite to bring you the new ongoing series AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1! The Avengers of the upcoming movie come together in The Marvel Universe come together to do battle with one of their greatest villains!    One of Spider-Man's oldest villains, Doctor Octopus is near death and nearly in control of the entire world. Near death, Ock may finally have given Spider-Man the fight of his life in Part One of the new epic "Ends Of The Earth" storyline beginning in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682!   In America, supervillainy is a dime a dozen. All of the good spoils are taken and your every move is watched so you do what any good entrepeneurs would and diversify. Spain's about to get its own supervillains. Poor Spain. SUPER CROOKS #1 is brought to you by the superstar team who brought you Superior, writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) and drawn by Leinil Yu!   Scarlet Witch, the Avenger responsible for the genocide of the mutant race with the utterance of "No more mutants" is back and fully aware of the new mutant messiah and Uncanny X-Men member, Hope Summers. AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0 written by Brian Michael Bendis & Jason Aaron and drawn by Frank Cho is the prelude to the BLOCKBUSTER COMICS EVENT, Avengers Vs. X-Men!   As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Have a great one and...   BEST! Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-241-6498 www.fantomcomics.com

This came out on August 30th - note the beta testing for ComiXolgy, which may be interesting to try out (although I don't have an ipad or tablet).

Dear Fantom Fandom,   It's interesting times for Fantom Comics!   Firstly, www.fantomcomics.com and its sister site, www.subcultureforthecultured.com are in the final stages of being entirely redesigned, and will be re-launched in late September. These are just some of the new features: Professional, sleek design Digital comics section Vastly improved online store Timely reviews of new releases   Secondly, on the subject of digital comics, Fantom is one of a small number of retailers beta testing comiXolgy's new digital comics store! We're so excited about it that we couldn't wait for the site redesign and we've devoted our entire home page ( www.fantomcomics.com) to the digital comics experience. Not sure if digital comics are for you? Try downloading some of the free comics on offer, then make up your mind.   Important: your purchase of digital comics via the dedicated Fantom Comics web link ( https://comics.comixology.com/ret/231/Fantom_Comics_Digital_Store/#) will help support your local comic book store. Fantom Comics receives a percentage of each sale, as long as it's through our digital store URL, so please make sure you see the Fantom Comics logo when you first connect to the digital store (it will flash when the page is loading) and also when you are checking out.   Digital comics offer fans a great option for reading their books on their iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android devices, and right on your computer! They also offers lapsed comic book readers - and folks who have never even read a comic - a convenient way to join the party. Which, you have to admit, is awesome.   So no matter who you are, and what your past connection with comics, you owe it to yourself to give digital comics a try. At an initial investment as low as $1.99, how can you go wrong? And if you're a newbie, feel free to send us an email at FantomHQ@fantomcomics.com with some indication of your favorite movies and TV shows, and we'll be sure to respond with some choice comic book recommendations. Or connect to us on Facebook or Twitter, where the comic book conversation is always ongoing.   Happy comic book reading!   The Fantom Comics Team Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com

I'm writing to invite each of you to connect with me via one of the social media options that I use to communicate with the world at large about the comic books that I love.   Dear Fan Of Fantom, Who IS "The Comics Journeyman"? For starters, I am the host of SubcultureForTheCultured.com, a companion site to Fantom Comics. "SFTC" is dedicated to bringing you original thoughts on our favorite comic books and graphic novels that tend to be slightly "off the beaten path". And by "off the beaten path", I mean (mostly) non-superhero properties. As a Fantom Comics Subscriber, you are already connected to Fantom via the comiXology platform (and if not, you can easily sign up - just follow the link to the instructions for our COMIC BOOK RESERVATION SERVICE, powered by comiXology). Over the coming days, I will be reaching out to all of Fantom's subscribers with a "comiXology friend request". This will allow you to view my picks from each month's Previews catalog right on the comiXology website, and for me to view your picks as well. It's really an open invitation to read what I'm reading. Recognizing that not everyone has the same tastes, I've listed below the books that I subscribe to regularly, along with an indication of whether I read the comic or the trade paperback.   My goal is to use comiXology's features to their fullest to create an online community of comic book readers who share an enthusiasm for the stories and artwork in the pages of our favorite comics, and who can share recommendations for new comic book journeys to pursue.   Another way that you can connect with me is to follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/cmxjourneyman I will use Twitter to post updates and share interesting articles from time to time. Think of me as the Pied Piper of (mostly) non-superhero comics, inviting you to follow me on my journey through the best that comic books have to offer. I look forward to getting to know you and your tastes in comic books! Keep reading comics, may the journey never end. The Comics Journeyman Union Station - 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE | Washington, DC 20002 | 202-216-9478 www.fantomcomics.com