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.
*****
MAR110489 BARKS BEAR BOOK HC $34.99
A collection of relatively obscure Carl Barks comic book material. It features an introduction by Jeff Smith. I like to imagine Smith has original copies of this material just sitting around the house.
JUN111064 OPTIC NERVE #12 $5.95
Book of the week. You don't see too many real-live alternative comic books in the wild, these days. I like to imagine all those fans with the title from the beginning hitting the comics shops with their baby carriages. Previewed here.
JUL110211 BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 $2.99 JUL110213 BATWOMAN #1 $2.99 JUL110233 DEATHSTROKE #1 $2.99 JUL110229 DEMON KNIGHTS #1 $2.99 JUL110226 FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1 $2.99 JUL110218 GREEN LANTERN #1 $2.99 JUL110232 GRIFTER #1 $2.99 JUL110244 LEGION LOST #1 $2.99 JUL110199 MISTER TERRIFIC #1 $2.99 JUL110222 RED LANTERNS #1 $2.99 JUL110228 RESURRECTION MAN #1 $2.99 JUL110234 SUICIDE SQUAD #1 $2.99 JUL110204 SUPERBOY #1 $2.99
I think this is all of this week's DC's number ones; it's at least most of them. I'm not sure that I'd look at any of them real closely, but the JH Williams III art on Batwoman sure is pretty, and I enjoyed the Grant Morrison-directed Frankenstein revamp on which this new series was based -- although I enjoyed it in a way that didn't really leave me wanting more. Peter Milligan is writing the Red Lanterns book, which means there may be more substance to it than the sort-of desperate concept implies. I guess the Grifter book might be interesting if you're a devoted thinker about superheroes. That was a pretty dependable character for Wildstorm that would seem, theoretically, to have the most difficult transition into a DC-style universe in terms of keeping what made it work -- the Detective John Munch of the comic book world.
JAN110334 SUGAR AND SPIKE ARCHIVES HC VOL 01 $59.99
The real sauce from DC this month: the beginning of a reprint series featuring Sheldon Mayer's long-running kid series, after literally decades of fans asking. This may not be an ideal format in that it's really expensive and can be a bit overproduced-looking -- something like what D+Q does with the John Stanley material would be ideal -- but it's nice to have this material out there in some form.
APR110042 ARCHIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 02 $49.99 MAY110044 COMPLETE MAJOR BUMMER SUPER SLACKTACULAR TP $29.99
A quick snapshot of the slightly more complicated reprints market of today (as opposed to a few years back): Dark Horse publishing two collection of other publishers' original material, one a archival presentation of classic Archie material, the other a reprint of a late '90s, comedic superhero featuring a slacker-turned-superhero. Wasn't Major Bummer supposed to be called Major Fuck-Up at one time?
MAY110532 SUPER DINOSAUR #4 $2.99
Robert Kirkman and John Howard are doing a modern kids book here, with all that implies, but it's professionally executed and it's hard not to nod your head in the direction of the "I can't believe that hadn't been done" nature of the concept.
JUL110732 NEW X-MEN BY GRANT MORRISON GN TP BOOK 05 $14.99
Is this material not all in print in trade form? I can't believe that's the case. Anyway, Morrison's X-Men comics were pretty fun although I don't think he stuck the landing.
JUL111123 AMULET SC VOL 04 LAST COUNCIL $10.99
Most comic shops will probably miss out on selling this successful kids series, and it will sell a kabillion copies anyway.
JUN110822 AWAKENINGS GN $19.95
I was hoping for an adaptation of the treacly Robin Williams/Robert De Niro movie -- now an astonishing 21 years in the rear view mirror -- but this is a handsomely packaged and produced zombie tale.
JUL111240 KORGI GN VOL 03 A HOLLOW BEGINNING $9.95
I read the first one of these and it sort of gave me the creeps, but I imagine there are tons of fans. The dogs are very meticulously drawn. This is the kind of book I imagine friends and loved ones of hardcore comics fans latching onto to the slight frustration of those hardcore comics fans.
JUL111271 ONE PIECE TP VOL 58 $9.99 JUL111260 TWIN SPICA GN VOL 09 $10.95
I'm not a huge fan of One Piece, but that's a series that sure doesn't miss my patronage, plus you have to love any series with 58 volumes to its name. That's like two shelves in a comics store. I'm more of a fan of Twin Spica, and I'm relieved to see that the Vertical series has continued on despite worries that it might be truncated at an earlier point.
JUN110785 YIDDISHKEIT JEWISH VERNACULAR & THE NEW LAND HC $29.95
This is the Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle-edited anthology about, well, Yiddish. Its existence in comic shops is as wonderfully odd and potentially jarring in its own way as some of the weirder and more depressing stuff that shops offer up. Let me see if I can find an example of what I mean...
JUN112071 BOO BERRY AD ICON PLUSHIE $12.99
... here you go. I'll leave it up to you to decide which one your shop is more likely to carry. By the way, every single person in the United States between the ages of 35 and 45 either vomited after eating a bowl of cereal with Boo Berry on the box, or knows a kid that did.
JUL111236 BENJAMIN BEAR IN FUZZY THINKING HC $12.95
A new Toon book and I think brand-new series, from BD (usually with his brother, I think) and kids book veteran Philippe Coudray. It's appealing-looking, that's for sure.
JUN110988 MAD FOLD IN COLLECTION 1964 - 2010 HC $125.00
I like a title where just the title is enough to sell it, or at least make you want it.
*****
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.
JAN110334 SUGAR AND SPIKE ARCHIVES HC VOL 01 $59.99
