This Isn't A Library: New And Notable Releases To The Comics Direct Market



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Here are the books that make an impression on me staring at this week's 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. But were I in a comic book shop tomorrow I would pick them up and hold them to the sun, checking for secret numbers and signs of the Illuminati.

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AUG090037 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #29 JEANTY CVR $2.99
AUG090106 BATMAN AND ROBIN #5 $2.99
AUG090039 WITCHFINDER IN THE SERVICE OF ANGELS #4 (OF 5) $2.99
AUG090356 JERSEY GODS #8 $3.50
AUG090454 X-MEN VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 (OF 2) $3.99
This is a random selection of books out that at least someone out there likes. Or books that they paid me to put here. I'll never tell.

JUN090027 GRANDVILLE HC $17.95
Bryan Talbot's hardcover stand-alone funny animal steampunk book, the kind of entry that gets film directors major points just because how different it is than other recent works on their IMDB page. I'd love to see it before I buy it -- it looks like it may be very pretty.

AUG090285 HAUNT #1 $2.99
This is the team-up between Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane, right?

JUL090399 KING CITY #2 $2.99
I enjoyed the first issue of this, an oversize-format, satirical science-fiction story drawn with a significant dollop of care and imagination.

AUG090463 DOCTOR VOODOO AVENGER OF SUPERNATURAL #1 $3.99
I've been reading comics for a lot of year, and never once in my life have I ever woken up with the desire to spend almost $5 on a Doctor Voodoo comic. That price point really kills it for me in terms of taking random chances on new comics -- what if it's one of those books that takes 11 seconds to read? -- and I'm not a guy that's ever thought of price points. I think this is Rick Remender, right? If so, it's likely pretty good.

MAR094248 A DISTANT NEIGHBORHOOD GN VOL 01 $23.00
APR090822 SUMMIT OF GODS GN VOL 01 (OF 5) $25.00
Two books from Jiro Taniguchi, so you'll know they'll at the very least be handsome. I could force a framework on this pair and say they represent two sides of the artist's career, but I think they're more like two sides of five.

AUG090908 BLOOM COUNTY COMPLETE LIBRARY HC VOL 01 $39.99
This is very, very handsome. If you're in a comic shop today that's carrying it, pick it up.

JUN090792 MUPPET ROBIN HOOD TP $9.99
This certainly passes my test for an easy to understand concept. I'm going to guess it's the muppets acting out the Robin Hood story.

JUN090687 MYTH OF 8 OPUS LABYRINTH GN $24.99
I like the publishing name "A-Okay" comics. This release celebrates 10 years of Thomas Scioli's self-directed work.

JUL091115 SLAM DUNK GN VOL 06 $9.99
There's a bunch of top-line boys adventure manga out this week, and while sports manga is in a slightly different category I still think this series is the belle of that other ball, too.

JUL090743 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #699 $2.99
Boom! begins its effort to re-jigger the Disney titles into actual little kids comic books. I hear that the downside to this plan is that they're drawing on some of the international material that's not all that fantastic, but I haven't seen the book yet to make my own judgment there.

JUL090985 CARTOON HISTORY MODERN WORLD TP VOL 02 BASTILLE TO BAGHDAD $18.99
Should we be making a much bigger deal of this? This is Larry Gonick's apparently final volume in his modern history efforts, one of the very enjoyable and sustained comics efforts of the last quarter-century. I'm looking forward to catching up to it.

JUL090846 MASTERPIECE COMICS HC (MR) $19.95
This book of Bob Sikoryak's literature/comics mash-ups is extremely pretty. Like if it were on TV, we'd talk about it by its initials.

JUL091220 DR SEUSS & CO GO TO WAR HC $29.95
This sounds promising, although I could have sworn there was a stand-alone work of the Seuss stuff already.

APR083869 EC ARCHIVES FRONTLINE COMBAT HC VOL 01 $49.95
That's it, I'm robbing banks until I catch up with all of the necessary comics buying programs.

JUL090583 CRIMINAL SINNERS #1 (MR) $3.50
New Brubaker and Phillips, on their best series.

AUG090509 STRANGE TALES #2 (OF 3) (MR) $4.99
More comedic/alternative takes on Marvel characters.

AUG090209 PLANETARY #27 $3.99
Finally, the end of the fine Warren Ellis and John Cassaday science fiction adventure series about 20th Century imagination. I'll miss the series, and I'll miss the "Planetary #27 is late" joke.

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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 didn't list your comic here, that's just the way it goes.

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