October 10, 2012
This Isn’t A Library: Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market
Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's no-doubt largely accurate list of books shipping from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. to comic book and hobby shops across North America.
I might not buy all of the works listed here. I might not buy any. You never know. I'd sure look at the following, though.
*****
JUL121170 CHRIS WARE BUILDING STORIES HC $50.00
By virtue of its size, scope, packaging and the creator involved, it's hard not to see
Building Stories as the publishing event of the year in comics. Strangely, I think this book has benefited from something that has been detrimental to other alt-comics releases: that there are so many good comics in that general realm of comics right now has kept people from over-anticipating Chris' work to the point of being bored with it before it comes out.
AUG121080 PIPPI LONGSTOCKING HC VOL 01 PIPPI MOVES IN $14.95
JUL121025 NEW YORK DRAWINGS ADRIAN TOMINE HC $29.95
AUG121083 MOOMIN COMPLETE LARS JANSSON COMIC STRIP HC VOL 07 $19.95
AUG121082 MOOMIN TURNS JUNGLE TP $9.95
AUG121081 MOOMIN WINTER FOLLIES TP $9.95
JUN128172 ROOKIE YEARBOOK ONE SC $29.95
I don't usually break down these lists by publisher, but you could very nearly spend an entire winter holed up just with books out from Drawn And Quarterly this week. The
Pippi Longstocking has a huge want-to-see factor among people I know, and that's what a comics shop does best in almost every circumstance. The Adrian book is fun, the
Moomin books are always class and insist on finding their way into almost any serious collection, and while the
Rookie Yearbook isn't comics the way we think about comics, there's some content in there of interest to comics fans and the publication itself should be on everyone's radar. with even a passing interest in publishing right now.
AUG121233 STUMPTOWN V2 #2 $3.99
AUG120290 PUNK ROCK JESUS #4 (MR) $2.99
AUG120337 POPEYE #6 [DIG/D+] $3.99
JUN120563 MORNING GLORIES #22 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
AUG120473 WALKING DEAD MICHONNE SPECIAL (MR) $2.99
I do tend to break these comics down into at least one chunk of classically-formatted comics and this week's selection is kind of odd. I think the clear belle of the ball is the latest in the
Stumptown series; that's a solid book with fine art from Matthew Southworth. The other stuff I would just want to sort of see, with the exception of the
Walking Dead thing, which gets a note here for the general hand-it-over-to-certain-folks savvy of its publication.
AUG120491 SAGA TP VOL 01 $9.99
That is one hell of a price point, and I'm curious to read how the science fiction adventure reads all in once place. As a serial it was surprisingly laconic, which is usually a good thing, although I also never got the sense of a wider, compelling world beyond that which I was seeing on the page. So I am very curious to see how that one goes.
JUN121131 BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA HC (MR) $22.99
This book advertises on this site, but there's no talent in comics exactly like Steve Weissman and this book is bound to hit at a key moment in history: Obama's win of a second term or his defeat at the polls.
JUL121226 BEETLE BAILEY HC DAILIES & SUNDAYS 1966 $19.95
Always worth a look. I very much enjoy how Walker's comics looked until about 1970 or so, which I assume has something to do with that special mix of advancing age, which assistants do what and the continuing shrinkage of the comics page.
AUG121178 BEST AMERICAN COMICS HC 2012 (MR) $25.00
I haven't looked at this one yet, and some of the grousing I heard about the series in general I honestly can't tell if it's a natural thing that was going to happen now that these are further along or if it's something that is unique to this volume.
MAY121275 GRAPHIC CANON TP VOL 02 $34.95
This will have a very prominent place in a lot of bookstores, I bet. I didn't think much of the first one beyond the contributions of a handful of first-rate talents, and I'm surprised the series has continued.
AUG121219 MONSTER CHRISTMAS HC $9.99
AUG121218 MONSTER TURKEY HC $9.99
These Monster books from Lewis Trondheim are lovely. I quite enjoyed that Christmas one, which bodes well for the one set in and around Thanksgiving.
JUL120903 ROGER LANGRIDGES SNARKED TP VOL 02 $14.99
I would almost recommend a Roger Langridge creator-owned work even if I knew it sucked balls, given Langridge's recent decision to focus on non-Big Two work because of his moral qualms regarding their longstanding and ingrained exploitation of artists. The great thing is that most Langridge books are really good, and I'm sure this one at the very least has its moments.
JAN121108 ROY CRANE BUZ SAWYER HC VOL 02 SULTRYS TIGER $35.00
Roy Crane never cheats. Killer cover, too.
JUL121334 ART OF DENIS MCLOUGHLIN LTD ED HC $79.99
I've come across some of this art on-line -- it's pulpy, accomplished and fun. I'm priced out of any desire to buy one of these, but your orientation may differ and it certainly looks handsome.
APR121097 NAKED CARTOONISTS SC (MR) $22.99
Not a big fan of novelty books, but seeing as it's from Fantagraphics means it would get a peek from me.
JUL121368 MARVEL COMICS THE UNTOLD STORY HC $26.99
The big book-about-comics release of this year, at least as far as I can remember (I have a hard time remembering stuff now, so bear with me if I'm punting on something obvious). Dan Nadel likes it a lot, and I'm greatly looking forward to it. Mr. Howe and I will talk for the Holiday Interview Series.
AUG121290 UNDERSTANDING MONSTER GN $21.95
This is the first in three volumes from Theo Ellsworth, one of the more inventive and skilled of the cartoonists to emerge over the last decade. This book is something to look at, and it's handsomely packaged. I'm not sure I undersand it, but I'm getting there.
*****
The full list of this week's releases, including some titles with multiple cover variations and a long, impressive list of toys and other stuff that isn't comics,
can be found here. Despite this official list there's no guarantee a comic will show up in the stores as promised, or in all of the stores as opposed to just a few. Also, stores choose what they carry and don't carry so your shop may not carry a specific publication. There are a lot of comics out there.
To find your local comic book store,
check this list; and for one I can personally recommend because I've shopped there, albeit a while back,
try this.
The above titles are listed with their Diamond order code in the first field, which may assist you in finding comics at your shop or having them order something for you they don't have in-stock. Ordering through a direct market shop can be a frustrating experience, so if you have a direct line to something -- you know another shop has it, you know a bookstore has it -- I'd urge you to consider all of your options.
If I failed to list your comic, that's on me. I apologize.
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posted 10:00 am PST |
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