This Isn’t A Library: New And Notable Releases To The 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. But if I were anywhere near a comic shop, I would certainly create for myself a shopping experience that included opening and shutting various titles of interest.

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AUG100025 BEASTS OF BURDEN HELLBOY ONE SHOT JILL THOMPSON CVR $3.50
SEP100106 USAGI YOJIMBO #132 TAIKO PT 1 (OF 2) $3.50
AUG100475 BULLETPROOF COFFIN #5 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
APR100475 WEIRD WORLD OF JACK STAFF #5 $3.50
AUG100577 CAPTAIN AMERICA #611 $3.99
JUL100652 INCOGNITO BAD INFLUENCES #1 (MR) $3.50
These are the standard-sized, traditional comic books that attract my attention on today's list. Standard-sized, traditional comic books are the lifeblood of the Direct Market and the special thing they offer that places like Amazon.com tend not to, so they get a special mention. The Beasts of Burden one-shot seems like it would be pretty fun, at least as fun as previous offerings in the Dorkin/Thompson series have been. The Incognito book is the latest Brubaker/Phillips collaboration, which I love reading in serial comic book form.

JUN100127 SUPERMAN EARTH ONE HC $19.99
This book isn't for me, although now that I think about it I'm not sure there's been a Superman book for me (outside of the wonderful Tales Of the Bizarro World) collection since Alan Moore stopped writing them. I did like a lot of All Star Superman, I suppose. Anyway, this modern reboot of the Superman concept fascinates me because it seems like it's hitting the market without tremendous hype -- say at best a .3 on the Millar Scale -- and I thought they were going to flog this one a lot harder. Plus "Hoodie Superman" is fun to say.

AUG100379 FALLING FOR LIONHEART GN $19.99
Superhero by day, emotionally overwrought mini-comics artist by night. Fun concept; I'd at least pick it up and give it a once-over.

AUG100594 FANTASTIC FOUR #584 THREE $2.99
AUG100686 FANTASTIC FOUR BY JONATHAN HICKMAN PREM HC VOL 03 $19.99
The latest issue of Fantastic Four, which I guess is shipping in a plastic bag to protect against spoilage of the plot-point variety, and a hardcover of recent work in this current run by writer Jonathan Hickman. I've enjoyed the Fantastic Four comics I've read from Hickman.

JUL100729 DUNCAN THE WONDER DOG TP VOL 01 (OF 9) SHOW ONE (MR) $24.95
This is a giant book that came from nowhere about (I think) the relationship between humans and animals using the science-fictiony conceit of the animals gaining speech and a more human-like sentience as a hook for the cartoonist's examination. It's an impressive-looking thing, but I'm only about halfway through and I don't want to say anything else. But yeah -- if you're in a full-service comic book store where you can place your hands on one, check it out.

JUL101071 DUNGEON MONSTRES GN VOL 03 HEARTBREAKER $12.99
The latest in the consistently strong NBM translation of the various Donjon series. I have a feeling that five years from now there won't just be one book series on this list.

SEP101065 HENRY AND GLENN FOREVER GN (MR) $6.00
If you're a fan of Tom Neely, you probably already have one. I enjoyed reading mine. If you haven't already read about it 10,000 times, the publisher's description of the book seems fair enough.

SEP100918 XKCD TP VOL 00 (MR) $18.00
I imagine this is a repeat of the first XKCD trade from the second half of 2009, although it occurs to me it could be a second trade and its creator is numbering them with double zeroes just to make me feel really old and out of touch. That's why comics shops are awesome; you don't have to guess, you can see the damn things.

JUL101011 ZABIME SISTERS GN $16.99
This is the entry that had me blinking, because I didn't know it was coming out. This is an English translation of Les Soeurs Zabime by the late European alt-comics giant Aristophane Boulon, and I can't imagine it being anything other than very, very worth every comics fan's time. I'm very excited to see it, and I'm jealous of all of you that will get to touch one tomorrow.

APR100938 WRONG PLACE GN (MR) $24.95
Brecht Evans has a very potent visual style, and I'm dying to read one of his works. This is the first of a couple of recent releases to make it to North American publishers.

SEP101104 H DAY HC $30.00
A book of loosely constructed comics/tightly wound imagery from the always-to-be-treasured twisted mind and talented wrists of Renee French.

SEP100742 LONE PINE GN (MR) $15.00
A debut graphic novel from a cartoonist named Jed McGowan -- you can read a preview here, and I think a preview will communicate most of what you'll need to know before you decide if it's for you or not.

SEP101290 DOONESBURY AND THE ART OF G B TRUDEAU HC $49.95
The other prestige Doonesbury-related book of the fall, this one an art book-type presentation edited by the reliable Brian Walker.

SEP101251 FOUNDERS OF COMIC FANDOM PROFILES OF 90 LUMINARIES $35.00
One of my favorite comics historians, Bill Schelly, returns with a book focusing on his great strength: the 1950s and 1960s wave of fandom that took over the comics industry from the World War II generation. This should be a blast.


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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 didn't list your comic here, that's because the devil made me do it.

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