This Isn’t A Library: Notable Releases Into Comics’ Direct Market



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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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JUN151197 LEONARD STARRS MARY PERKINS ON STAGE TP VOL 14 $25.95
I like this work from the late Leonard Starr and I admire this publshing project. I've worked in comics for more than two decades now and I'm not sure I know anyone who's buying these comics, worthy as they are. I'm grateful for how much of comics publishing is willful denial, in the service of beauty.

JUL150569 WALKING DEAD #146 (MR) $2.99
FEB150593 BITCH PLANET #5 (MR) $3.99
JUL150064 ABE SAPIEN #26 $3.50
JUN150542 DEADLY CLASS #16 (MR) $3.50
JUL150561 INJECTION #5 CVR A SHALVEY & BELLAIRE (MR) $2.99
JUL150562 INJECTION #5 CVR B SHALVEY & BELLAIRE (MR) $2.99
JUN150572 OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #12 (MR) $2.99
JUL150564 PHONOGRAM THE IMMATERIAL GIRL #2 (MR) $3.99
JUL150570 WICKED & DIVINE #14 CVR A MCKELVIE & WILSON (MR) $3.50
JUL150571 WICKED & DIVINE #14 CVR B GRIMES (MR) $3.50
Strong week in serial comics for Image. One of the underappreciated aspects of The Walking Dead is that it offers multiple ways to read the story. Two of them are getting play right now: 1) a permutation of the zombie genre forumula in the form of new bad guys, 2) fans expecting something big and likely awful to happen because we're nearing issue #150. Bitch Planet is another one of the mega-books to hit this week; it's one of the few Image titles at the $3.99 price point, too. From there you get a little Mignola-verse, Rick Remender's teenage years-informed Deadly Class (drawn by Wes Craig), another Warren Ellis series playing out its initial and introductory storyline this time with Declan Shalvey, a book with Robert Kirkman's involvement heading into TV territory soon, and then two from the Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie pairing. I can't make sweeping statements about Image because I'm naturally inclined to look at the worlds in a creator-first way, which eliminates a lot of what makes certain books popular at places like DC and Marvel. It does seem they do pretty well in terms of issue to issue sales for a number of their titles right now.

MAY150488 CHRONONAUTS TP VOL 01 (MR) $9.99
JUL150554 DESCENDER TP VOL 01 TIN STARS (MR) $9.99
JUL150565 SAGA TP VOL 05 (MR) $14.99
MAY150505 SKULLKICKERS TP VOL 06 INFINITE ICONS O/T ENDLESS EPIC $16.99
Note that this strong group of Image trades features first trades at a less than $10 price point, which is a general publishing strategy for that line. That's the most recent Mark Millar (with Sean Gordon Murphy) and Jeff Lemire (with Dustin Nguyen). Saga is one of Image's top-tier books and I imagine does well in trade: Skullkickers is more of a middle-tier book for them, but this is the last issue of the current run so I though I'd note it here.

JUL151359 LITTLE ROBOT GN $16.99
This is the new Ben Hatke, and I think makes for a third potential series? Hatke works for the all-ages market, and his books have a direct appeal to younger readers I haven't been able to totally figure out.

APR151235 LUMBERJANES #12 ECCC EXC $9.99
JUL151135 LUMBERJANES #13 DENVER COMIC CON EXC $9.99
There is something wise to be said about selling con-exclusive cover printing via the regular direct market, but I'm certainly not the one to articulate it. It is one of the odd signs of the moder variant cover apocalypse.

JUN151314 NIJIGAHARA HOLOGRAPH HC $29.99
This is both your book back in print and your mana work of the week: I think it's been out of print for a reasonably long time by this point, so I'm happy to see it return to the marketplace.

APR151308 JON SABLE FREELANCE OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $39.95
This is another kind of a book where I wonder after its audience, but with that price point it's almost certainly older, nostalgic fans. Mike Grell's John Sable was a distracting action-adventure series thorugh much of the 1980s, targeted at thos ethat loved gene work just not fantasy-genre work.

MAY151850 HOGANS ALLEY #20 $6.95
Finally, all hail the comic strip (mostly) focused magazine of southern comics leisure making it to twenty issues in print. I'll always read an interview with Patrick McDonnell, at that phase in his career some 21 years in with Mutts where he's due a boost from critics and readers alike.

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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 because I hate you.

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posted 11:55 pm PST | Permalink
 

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