Creativity
Regular readers will remember your knowing narrator's notice of the heat in our last newsletter. Well, July 2023 was the hottest month on record...everywhere. At this writing it is still hot and will be that way for a while. What better reason to stay inside and catch up on some reading?  
 
We often look at the content of the pages for a theme, but what about the people who make them? In a few weeks, Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) will be upon us, so let's take a look at items in our collection by Latino authors and artists. We'll have a mix of sleuths and sorcerers, capes and capers, while we highlight the efforts of the writers or artists behind the scenes, without which we would have a blank page. 
 
Stay cool and hydrated, and hopefully we'll have nicer weather when we meet again in October. (And we'll have manga next time, I promise.)
Nubia, Queen of the Amazons / : Queen of the Amazons
by Stephanie Williams

"After the events of Trial of the Amazons, a new era for these warriors has dawned. Amazons from around the world have come to Themyscira to witness history and the crowning of their new leader. She stood between Man's World and the dangers of Doom's Doorway for centuries; when she was called upon to serve her people, she stood strong and clear-eyed, unafraid to look certain death in the face; she has united peoples on the brink of war."
Dead weight : murder at Camp Bloom
by Terry Blas

A group of teens at Camp Blood find themselves in a real-life murder mystery when they witness the murder of a beloved counselor
Star wars, the High Republic : trail of shadows
by Daniel José Older

"A Jedi Master is dead. Another is in a state of complete shock. It's a murder the likes of which the Jedi Order has never seen before. There are no leads. There are no suspects. There is no motive. But Jedi Investigator EMERICK CAPHTOR must solve the case before it's too late. The fate of the Jedi, the Hutts, the Nihil and everyone in the galaxy, hangs by this tangled thread of lies and deceit. Emerick will need to dive into the darkness, testing himself and his Jedi ideals like never before. He'll needhelp. Luckily, Private Eye SIAN HOLT lives in the dark. Together, they'll follow this trail of shadows wherever it leads. If they can work together, that is"
Spider-Woman : king in black
by Karla Pacheco

"After learning some startling secrets about her family, Jessica Drew goes on a mission to find the one person who might know more: the High Evolutionary! But she's going to need her BFF by her side--and that means it's Captain Marvel team-up time! Before long, though, Spider-Woman will be abandoned by those closest to her--and only one person will come to her aid--Octavia Vermis! Octavia has a cure for Jessica, and the prescription is: crime! Is Jess willing to resort to theft to gather all the tools needed to fix what's wrong? In the shadow of Knull's invasion, Spider-Woman must put everything on the line--and then cross it! Even if Jess can find the cure for what ails her, will she still have a life worth saving?"
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy
by Jody Houser

"During the catastrophic events of Tom King's Heroes in Crisis, Poison Ivy was killed, and Harley Quinn holds herself responsible. But when Poison Ivy is resurrected, Harley decides to take care of her best friend, who is now evolving into a creature whois as much flora as she is fauna. Bad-girl BFFs Harley Quinn and Poision Ivy are back togther--but what happens when a newly reformed Harley discovers that Ivy has gone full-on evil? Harley has also been pardoned from the Suicide Squad, so even if the killings at Sanctuary during the events of Heroes in Crisis hadn't already inspired her to be better, the need to stay out of Belle Reve gives her added incentive to stay on the straight and narrow. What, then, is she to do when Poison Ivy reveals she's hadenough of the humans who not only killed her, but are destroying the environment day by day? Can Poison Ivy entice Harley to join her in the plant world, or will Harley have to prove herself by stopping whatever plot Ivy is cooking up?"
America Chavez : made in the USA
by Kalinda Vazquez

"America Chavez is incredible--her origins, her strength, her dimension-shattering star portals! But when the foundation of everything that she believes is shaken, America must stand up and confront the parts of herself she's been running from. Her life is about to be shattered into a million pieces by a mysterious adversary. When her tormentor is revealed, their face will be shocking, to say the least--but it's what they reveal that will rock the foundations of all that America knows"
Strange Academy : first class
by Skottie Young

Doctor Strange establishes the first academy for the mystic arts, and young people from around the universe with an aptitude for magic are brought together to study under such mages as Magik, the Scarlet Witch, Brother Voodoo, and Daimon Hellstrom
New mutants. Vol. 1
by Vita Ayala

"On the edge of Krakoan society, the New Mutants let loose in the Wild Hunt! Going big, blowing things up, and combining powers to see who can be crowned king of the mountain. But something lurks in the trees. Something old...and hungry. And its favoriteprey is young mutants! As Karma and Dani delve deeper into their nightmares, a spider sets his eyes on the most vulnerable among the team. And as the Wild Hunt goes on, someone vanishes without a trace, plans long in motion begin to unfurl -- and children who play at being adults must now prepare for the fight of their lives"

Links
Comics Plus: Library Edition

Comics Plus is our digital comics subscription service. Read thousands of comics on your computer, tablet or mobile device. All you need is your Houston Public Library card and a wireless connection!  
Image Comics

Image is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by seven of Marvel Comics’ best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become the third largest comics publisher in the United States.
 
Viz Media

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation.
Marvel 

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.
DC Comics

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. 
First Second

Is it first? Or second?
First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh.
Pressing the reset button. A clean slate. A fresh start.
Everything begins with the First Second. . . .
Yen Press

Yen Press is a US-based graphic novel publisher that releases a wide range of Japanese and Korean comics and well as a number of original English-language properties.
Otaku USA

Otaku USA is a thick, full-color magazine featuring comprehensive coverage of manga, anime, videogames and Japanese pop culture written from an American point of view. Otaku USA also publishes 32 pages of the hottest manga previews from the top publishers. Because Otaku USA is an independent US magazine, not a licensed product owned by those with an vested interest in a particular line of comics, anime, manga, games or movies, it presents the reader with objective coverage. 
ICv2

For the people on the front lines of the pop culture business, staying ahead of the trends isn’t something that can be left to chance—it’s a basic necessity for being successful. That’s why ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the buyers, gatekeepers, and tastemakers on the front lines. ICv2 is where trend-watching has become a science.