In the wake of the just-released Serenity: Float Out one-shot, we are now pleased to begin taking orders for Dark Horse’s Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale graphic novel. This November, one of the greatest mysteries of Firefly/Serenity is finally revealed as the life’s journey of one of the show’s most beloved characters, Shepherd Book is finally told.

Who was Book before meeting Mal and the rest of the Serenity crew, how did he become one of their most trusted allies, and how did he find God in a bowl of soup? Answers to these and more questions about Book’s past are uncovered in this original 56-page, $14.95 hardcover graphic novel by Zack Whedon (Dr. Horrible and Joss’ brother) and Chris Samnee (Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps). Order now to guarantee availability. Get your holiday shopping done early with this one!

Click here for an article on the making of the Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale Hardcover

We will be open our regular Sunday Store hours on Sunday, July 4th from 12 noon – 5pm

We invite you to click over to the Westfield Blog and enjoy an informative Fourth of July salutation from Westfield’s Roger Ash and THE MUPPETS!

Enjoy the fireworks and have a safe and happy holiday!

From the Staff of Westfield Comics

John Kovalic has announced plans for the return of Dork Tower both in comics and collections in the Spring of 2011.

Mouse Guard Volume 3: The Black Axe is to be released as a bi-monthly six issue mini-series launching in September.

We’ve got a new face for the upcoming redo of the Spider-Man Movie franchise, actor Andrew Garfield.

With everybody poo-pooing Jim Lee’s new costume design for Wonder Woman, someone who knows fashion, Project Runway’s Tim Gunn gives it a thumbs up!

Mark Millar, by now, has pitched Marvel his outline for an Old Man Logan sequel.

Comic Highlights This Week: critically-acclaimed writer Paul Cornell scribes Lex Luthor’s quest of Avarice in Action Comics #890; with a return to original numbering, J. Michael Straczynski begins his run on Wonder Woman #600; an original Pilot Season winner arrives after much delay– Velocity #1 is brought to you by Ron Marz & Kenneth Rocafort; Warren Ellis & Phil Jimenez’s long-delayed Astonishing X-Men #34 ships; Matt Fraction finally writes long-time Iron Man adversary The Mandarin in the Invincible Iron Man Annual #1; IDW’s highly anticipated Dragon Age #2 ships; Ellis‘ “Electrical Romance of a Pirate Utopia Thwarted,” Captain Swing #2 ships; World War Z author Max Brooks continues his collaboration with Howard Chaykin in GI Joe Hearts And Minds #2 (and we’ve also restocked Brooks‘ Zombie Survival Guide Recorded Attacks graphic novel, too!); be sure to click for the rest!

If you’re one of many fans that participated in Dan Didio’s recent postcard campaign, your efforts pay off this week with the release of Wonder Woman #600!

The 56-page issue celebrates the occasion with the talents of Wonder Woman creators past and present including Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Gail Simone, Joe Madureira, a special introduction by TV’s Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, all along with the return to the title’s original numbering.

Plus, like Superman #700 last week, you’ll get a look at the all-new direction the Wonder Woman universe is taking thanks again to the Amazon Princess’ new regular writer J. Michael Straczynski.

It’s getting easier, and cheaper, to check out a variety of comics thanks to recent programs from four of the leading publishers.

Last year DC Comics began a program called What’s Next? which re-released popular issues like Transmetropolitan #1 for only $1. They’ve also recently released first issues of new Vertigo series such as Joe The Barbarian for the same price. Marvel then began its Marvel’s Greatest Comics (MGC) program with titles like the recent Deadpool #1 and New X-Men #114 (Grant Morrison’s 1st ish).

In addition, Image Comics now has their Image Firsts $1 line, and Dark Horse will be debuting its 1 for $1 program this August beginning with such titles as Usagi Yojimbo #1 and Sin City #1. In September they’ll release 6 more titles including the original Magnus Robot Fighter #1 from 1963. Overstreet has the original priced at over $400!

Looking for something new? Come in soon and check out our display in the front of the store of these new $1 comics!

We currently have a limited supply of Black Widow #1 and X-23 #1 (Women of Marvel one shot) graciously signed by New York Times-bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu for sale! There is no extra charge (3.99 cover price) for these signed copies!

Many of you may also recognize Liu’s name from the recent Dark Wolverine series she co-writes with Daniel Way, which will soon to transition into the new Daken series. She’ll also be writing a new ongoing X-23 series following up on the Women of Marvel one shot.

Before all of that, though, Liu was a regular customer of Westfield Comics earlier this decade while she attended law school at the University of Wisconsin here in Madison! After deciding she didn’t like being a lawyer, she began writing. Her non-comics work includes the Dirk & Steele and Hunter Kiss novel series and the X-Men: Dark Mirror novel, her first work with Marvel.

Liu went on to write the NYX: No Way Home mini-series with art by Kalman Andrasovsky (iCandy, Legion of Monsters: Satana), available in hard cover (24.99), and softcover (19.99). If you’re interested in them and we don’t have these in stock the next time you’re in, please don’t hesitate to ask us when we’ll have them back in stock! Give us heck!

For more information, be sure to check http://marjoriemliu.com/

To coincide with, and take advantage of, the DVD release of the Kick Ass Movie on August 3, Marvel Comics has snuck in a quick solicitation for the sequel comic Kick Ass: Balls to the Wall #1.

Currently scheduled for release by Marvel on August 4, the announcement of the comic’s sequel has gone strangely unnoticed by the industry, and as we go to press the title can’t even be found on Marvel’s website! We don’t know much other than it’s by the original creative team of Mark Millar & John Romita, Jr. and that Kick-Ass is being trained by the 11-year-old Hit Girl while the Red Mist gathers a team of super-villains to take them down!

Needless to say, we’re still taking orders for this sure-to-be-a-hit comic whenever its released. Remember how many reprints they did when the first series kept selling out? Tell us to add it to your pullbag today! ‘Nuff ‘Said!

Todd McFarlane has finally commented on the lateness of Spawn , Haunted and Image United.

Marvel’s Hercules returns from the dead already this October along with a new “God Squad” in the 5- issue Chaos War mini-series.

See what you think of the Green Hornet Movie trailer and then also the trailer for the film adaptation of Warren Ellis’ Red mini-series starring Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren.

Comic Highlights This Week: Fans of good girl art will want to nab Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes Hardcover. The best of Hughes’ DC work plus commentary; JMS begins writing everybody’s favorite Krytponian with the anniversary issue Superman #700; Sam Keith (The Maxx) invites you to spend 24 hours with the inmates in his all-new Batman: Arkham Asylum – Madness Hardcover Graphic Novel; we’re supposed to find out the Origin of the Red Hulk in Hulk #23; Robert Kirkman writes a special prose origin story in Ryan Ottley and Jason Howard’s Sea Bear & Grizzle Shark #1; the Emerald Archer is being relaunched with a brand-new Green Arrow #1; - Click here for more cool stuff!