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.

*****

NOV100684 GLAMOURPUSS #17 $3.00
It's weird that many of the people that 20 years ago starting visiting their local comics shop solely for the reason of purchasing the latest Cerebus are still going to the comics store primarily to purchase the latest Glamourpuss. Every new issue feels like a statement to me, and not just for what's within the covers.

NOV100262 NEW YORK FIVE #1 (MR) $2.99
You can read about this one here. This isn't a comic book series for me, but something makes me wish that a sharply-designed book that don't sell itself on a supernatural, movie-ready hook was a common occurrence on the stands instead of this oddball anomaly.

NOV100150 SHAZAM #1 $2.99
This is a one-shot from DC's continuing attempts to drag the Marvel Family into the mainstream as represented by the shared universe of DC Comics superheroes. I'm sure comics like this have an audience that loves them and that some of the creators do a very nice job, but these always seem wrong to me on a fundamental level, like trying to work Big Bird into episodes of Mad Men just because of an accident that gives them shared ownership.

NOV100442 WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 $100.00
NOV100443 WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 03 S/N LTD ED $150.00
NOV100413 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #4 (MR) $2.99
One thing Robert Kirkman and Image have done well in terms of his most successful comics is releasing them on multiple tracks for different kinds of consumers. I prefer the original comic book over the reprints and the giant hardcovers, but I can understand people engaging the series in each way.

NOV108259 FANTASTIC FOUR #583 3RD PTG EPTING VAR (THREE) $2.99
NOV108260 FANTASTIC FOUR #584 2ND PTG EPTING VAR (THREE) $2.99
NOV108261 FANTASTIC FOUR #585 2ND PTG EPTING VAR $2.99
NOV108262 FANTASTIC FOUR #586 2ND PTG EPTING VAR $2.99
NOV100584 FANTASTIC FOUR #587 THREE $3.99
This chunk of books ending in today's release of a comic book that kills one of the team's members indicates definite interest in comics shops, but perhaps expressed in a way where initial orders did not rise to meet this overall demand. If you can't have initial orders re-orders will do, I suppose.

NOV100401 LAST UNICORN HC $24.99
I never saw this comic. I enjoyed the book as a kid, and some of the art I've seen looks pretty. It seems like the kind of book that might make for a pretty good comic book. It caught my interest here, though, because I imagine that the trade has a chance of finding an audience that might have been resistant to the work in serial comic book form.

OCT101018 STIGMATA HC $19.99
OCT101014 BLECKY YUCKERELLA GN VOL 04 $$$$ YOU A-HOLE $11.99
SEP101024 KING OF FLIES HC VOL 02 $18.99
Lorenzo Mattotti is one of the great artists doing comics, period, and I can't imagine not snatching up everything he does. While this isn't the major work we're all still waiting for, it's obviously beautifully drawn and contains sequences reminiscent of the early 1990s works through which the Italian artist made his name. The other two are Fantagraphics books similarly left off of last week's shipping lists. They're all worth your time. The first volume of King Of Flies is showing up on a lot of folks' "under-appreciated" lists.

OCT100768 KILLER HC VOL 03 MODUS VIVENDI (MR) $24.95
I like the look of these paeans to 1970s hard-man-in-a-harder world movies; all that's missing is Charles Bronson. This one ends rather abruptly, though, and folds right into the next series. If you liked the first two that's not likely to harsh your buzz, but it's worth noting.

NOV101119 ALTER EGO #99 $7.95
NOV101120 BACK ISSUE #46 $7.95
I'm not sure I pulled these out, as I'm a haphazard buyer of these publications. Alter Ego being close to its 100th issue seems worth noting, though.

*****

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.
 
posted 10:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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