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.

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AUG120754 INJURY COMICS #4 $6.00
With this comics and the latest issues of Ethan Rilly's Pope Hats reaching shelves within days of one another, it allows us to think of a time when a comic book like those or even two were on the shelves just about every week. That was a whole freaking generation ago now, so we should probably pipe down about this. Still, I love the comic book form, and think it's a great way to discover new talent in bunches while seeing that they get some money, so I'll stay hopeful for a comeback. That price point has to freak out retailers, but what are you going to do?

SEP120018 47 RONIN #1 $3.99
Dark Horse has been carrying the classic indy-comics end of the serial comic book market for a while now. I'm a fiend for Stan Sakai's work, I find it very pleasurable, and I'm also fond of the 47 Ronin story -- particularly the fact that you can go three or four different directions with how it's presented, all of which are appealing, I think. So I'll look forward to seeing what they do with it.

JUL120050 BPRD PLAGUE OF FROGS HC VOL 04 $34.99
Dark Horse turns all of those series -- or nearly all of them -- into trades for an audience that one presume collects them that way and for another audience one presumes collects them all. I think the BPRD material is generally pretty strong, well-crafted mainstream comics work. This isn't exactly a groundbreaking opinion, I know. But I can imagine a 16-year-old version of me going to the comics shop solely for these comics and maybe a couple of others, were he to be in existence now rather than almost 30 years ago.

AUG121236 SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR HC VOL 02 $24.99
AUG121358 NAUSICAA O/T VALLEY O/T WIND BOX SET $60.00
JUL121337 GREAT SHOWDOWNS HC $14.95
JUN120275 SANDMAN SLIPCASE SET (MR) $199.99
JUL121392 ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS WHO COULD THAT BE AT THIS HOUR HC $15.99
There's no reason that these books all go together except one: this is all very much holiday-shopping material, with the possible exception of the Scott Pilgrim and then only because it's a second volume instead of a first. It's good to see comics orient itself to this kind of shopping though: collections of super solid work in a way that trumps a past presentation, stand-alone books of the widely appealing variety (the Campbell) and Seth illustrating a high-profile prose release. All of these should make this site's shopping guide.

JUL120052 RAGEMOOR HC $17.99
I didn't even know this Jan Strnad/Richard Corben collaboration. I'd check it out in hardcover form, and even see if I could pick up individual comic book issues at a discount. Picking up individual comic book issues at a discount is how people used to enrage retailers before they were able to scan bar codes and order stuff from Amazon.com.

SEP120201 ANIMAL MAN #14 (ROT) $2.99
I don't really buy any of these DC New 52 comics, but I do kind of know what's going on in this one plot-wise, which makes it stand out. I thought going in that DC might have a hard time maintaining story interest in some of these books when the shock of the new wore off. This comic seems to have some storyline interest, which is a positive for them.

SEP120489 BLACK KISS II #4 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
There's a time in the comics industry's history where this strange comic would be all we would have been talking about. I like how it looks.

SEP121123 UNDERWHERE HC $24.95
Mark Martin is another one of those creators like Stan Sakai and Roger Langridge and Richard Corben where I sort of automatically pay attention to what they're doing, at least enough to pick it up in a shop. Even a re-release. I don't have too many memories of this one, to be honest with you.

AUG121348 BAKUMAN TP VOL 16 $9.99
This strikes me as the best of the more accessible, traditional manga series in translation out this month.

SEP121334 GREATEST COMIC BOOK COVERS OF ALL TIME $8.99
I bet I disagree with a lot of this.

SEP121054 WAYSIDE HC $19.95
JUL121072 BLACKLUNG HC $24.99
Finally, here's the reason we go to the comics shop: stand-alone work from talent with which we're either completely unfamiliar or not totally comfortable. The Morstand in particular intrigues me, because I know very little about her work and think it mostly runs right up next to comics more than it's traditionally comics.

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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 failed to list your comic, that's on me. I apologize.

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