January 14, 2014
This Isn’t A Library: Notable Releases To The 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.
*****
NOV131243 HEARTS TOON BOOKS YR HC GN $12.95
I don't usually spotlight the Toon Books here, and I have no idea why. I'm a big Geoffrey Hayes fan, and I enjoy a lot of individual books from the line. This looks like something for young readers, and looks very self-conscious in its design -- I don't mean that as a criticism, I mean that it's the kind of book where people are almost guaranteed to note its look. Anyway, I'd certainly take a look, and I have a feeling I'd find a way to work it into my library.
NOV130622 MIRACLEMAN #1 $5.99
NOV130012 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #115 $3.50
NOV130265 ASTRO CITY #8 $3.99
AUG130706 PROPHET #42 [DIG] $3.99
JUL130311 BLACK DYNAMITE #1 [DIG/P+] $3.99
NOV130873 3 GUNS #6 [DIG] $3.99
NOV130913 ADVENTURE TIME #24 MAIN CVRS $3.99
NOV131169 SIXTH GUN #37 $3.99
I'm still not all the way clear why Marvel is so hot on giving us more
Miracleman. It could be that it's a seminal work for this generation of Marvel creative higher-ups, it could be that they see potential in a Captain Marvel doppelganger that comes pre-packaged in terms of having a gritty, ready-for-filming take. It could be the creative people involved. I'm not sure. For an entirely different reason I can't comment on the technical aspects of this version because I have no eye for color, I am caveman-simple when it comes to noting changes in production. The rest of the comic-book comics this week are an odd bunch. There's a Mignola and the latest issue of Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson's superhero saga.
Prophet #42 is a Ron Wimberly issue, so that's bound to be super good-looking. The rest are books I'm just curious to see for a single factor as opposed to thinking that this will be something I buy. I would have thought that
Sixth Gun was in the mid-twenties issue-wise, or at best at #30 or #31, so that one is in there mostly because I have a child's fascination with bigger numbers. At some point I'll catch up to it in large gulps.
NOV130131 CONSTANTINE #10 (EVIL) $2.99
I can't imagine buying an issue of a comic starring DC's odd Sexy Constantine character, but if they had put "Evil" next to comic book solicitations in the 1980s, that would have worked on high-school me
every time.
OCT130763 THOR GOD OF THUNDER TP VOL 01 GOD BUTCHER $19.99
This was the best-looking first few issues of the previous run of Marvel Comics' debuts, and I remember the story being entertaining -- drawing on the both the "Thor standing around with Viking in the olden days" and "Thor flying around in space and meeting other space-gods" thing. If you had the Absorbing Man or Mr. Hyde, that would be pretty much all three sides of Thor.
NOV130405 RIO COMPLETE COLLECTION TP $29.99
NOV130406 TORPEDO TP VOL 05 [DIG] $17.99
Two very, very handsome works out by admirable cartoonists. I want them both. I'm not sure what I already have of the Doug Wildey
Rio work and what I don't, but I still want this. I like Wildey's comic when I come across them randomly. Really, if you bought just these volumes that sounds like a really good day at the comic shop to me. The only reason I'm not giving them a bigger place in this column is I think both of these book have been out in some form for a while now. That shouldn't matter if you don't have them.
OCT131440 100 ILLUSTRATORS SLIPCASE ED $59.99
I would guess this is the Taschen book previewed
here. If your local comic book store carries this book, you are a lucky person and I urge you to consider buying a copy -- if you're buying a copy -- from that fine retailer. I'd certainly look at the thing were I to come across it unannounced, and if it's nice I might work it into end-of-the-year holiday shopping or something similar.
SEP130056 MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES TP $12.99
Finally, here's a wordless stand-alone from Dark Horse, my favorite place these days for stand-alone genre comics and series I wasn't really expecting to enjoy.
This looked super-cute when it was announced.
*****
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 because I hate you.
*****
*****
*****
posted 3:25 pm PST |
Permalink
Daily Blog Archives
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
Full Archives