"MEDICAL RESEARCHER MISSING: New Book Alleges Conspiracy." So runs the front-page headline on our 2011 Top Shelf Tribune, the newspaper-style catalog we've been passing out all year long. What happened to microbiologist Laura Regan, and what does the federal government have to do with her disappearance? At last, the truth will begin to emerge this weekend, with the debut of Robert Venditti & Mike Huddleston's The Homeland Directive at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC!

Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) will be signing the debut copies of The Homeland Directive all weekend.

Also at the Top Shelf table is Owly creator Andy Runton, who drew the stunning poster artwork for Heroes Con's "Indie Island" zone! He'll have the new full-color Owly & Wormy picture book, as well as the full line of Owly books, merch, and even prints of the poster!

We're also happy to have writer/designer Eric Skillman in the house, promoting his awesome new book (with Jhomar Soriano), Liar's Kiss! Eric will be featured in a "Designing Comics" panel on Saturday with a lineup of other stellar designers.

Rounding out the crew are Top Shelf hero Duane Ballenger and friend of the family Van Jensen (author of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and more)! Don't forget to grab copies of the hot new books Chester 5000 (by Jess Fink), Lucille (by Ludovic Debeurme), and Gingerbread Girl (by Colleen Coover & Paul Tobin) as well!

Carolina, here we come!