Join us to discuss Ed Brubaker's Sleeper

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EMPIRE'S COMICS GRAPHIC NOVEL DISCUSSION GROUP

 Date: Thursday, June 11 2015
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm, PST
Location: Empire’s Comics Vault
Just show up or, RSVP on Facebook

Sleeper: A Synopsis

In "Sleeper," a story that unfolds in the Wildstorm comics universe, Holden Carver, aka "The Conductor," is a covert operative whose encounter with an alien artifact has infused him with an impressive suite of powers: he's unaffected by physical pain, has the ability to heal rapidly and can store and weaponize any pain inflicted on him. Carver views these powers as a curse, but that hasn't stopped him from putting them to "good" use while working deep under cover to penetrate a potent criminal organization with a global reach, headed by a villainous mastermind named Tao.

But now Carver's International Operations handler is in a coma and no one knows that Carver is really a good guy. In fact, with all the really nasty, underhanded things he's had to do to rise as a trusted assassin within Tao's syndicate, Carver's not even that sure himself anymore.

Join us

Written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint, Sleeper melds noir, spy craft, and super humans.

Join us Thursday, June 11 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm to discuss. 



Transcend the Boundaries of Time and Space: Trillium

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Empire's Comics Graphic Novel Discussion Group

Date: Thursday, April 9, 2015
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm, PST
Location: Empire’s Comics Vault
Just show up! Or, RSVP on Facebook

Trillium: a synopsis

When a trippy, time-bending, otherworldly flower transports scientist Nika Tensmith from across dimensions from the year 3727 to 1921, she meets and forms a life/universe altering connection with shell-shocked, WWI veteran, William Pike.

Though the fabric of time is fraying all around them, their refusal to let each other go, combined with black holes, aliens, pyramids, warmongers and a sentient plague that threatens to wipeout humankind, spawns writer and artist Jeff Lemire's romantic space opera, Trillium.

Join our dizzying discussion through time and space as we talk all things Trillium on the night of March 12 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
  • Is the concept innovative or cribbed from various, superior sci-fi stories? 
  • Nika and William's relationship: Epic, cosmic, love story or flimsily contrived, drug-induced infatuation? 
  • Upside down panels: Mind-bendingly effective or simply annoying?
  • Did you take the time to decode the alien language? C'mon, be honest! Was the cipher an engaging element or a distracting gimmick?
  • Lemire's art: Sloppily ugly or beautifully weird?

Be part of the discussion.
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2015
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm, PST
Location: Here at Empire’s.

Get Tangled Up with The Wicked + The Divine

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The Wicked + The Divine
Empire's Comics Graphic Novel Discussion Group:
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2015
Time: 6:30 – 7:30pm, PST
Location: Empire’s Comics Vault

Just show up! Or, RSVP on Facebook.

The Wicked + The Divine: A Teaser


What if "gods were pop stars and pop stars were gods"? When does fandom become idolatry? Is burning twice as bright worth burning far less than half as long? Such are the thought-provoking questions stirred up by The Wicked + The Divine.

In this series, written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jamie McKelvie, set in 2014 London, you’ll meet the 12 members of The Pantheon. Once everyday teenagers, they’ve gained superhuman powers with just a few little catches: a life expectancy of a mere two years, a mandate not to harm humanity with their powers, and a chance to ‘recur’ (read: reincarnate) every 90 years. They’re also pop icons with all the trappings of fame, including obsessive fans, nasty haters, and for some, ambitions and vices that put them and, potentially, all of humanity at risk.

Join us as we bandy about the questions above and below, exploring the relationships between fame, idolatry and art, and the potentially sinister influence of pop culture as reflected through the pages of our February Graphic Novel Discussion Selection: The Wicked + The Divine.

Up For Discussion


  • How confusing was the beginning? Very or not at all?
  • This book has been lauded for its predominantly female and multi-racial cast. What did you think about the diversity of characters?
  • In today's culture, are celebrities just as, if not more, influential as religion?
  • Mythology: Is familiarity with mythology essential in order to fully enjoy and understand this story?
  • Is the bond between Laura and Luci realistic?


Be part of the discussion.
Date: Thursday, February 12, 2015
Time: 6:30 – 7:30pm, PST
Location: Here at Empire’s.