This Isn’t A Library: Notable Comics Releases To The 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.

*****

JAN131166 WAKE UP PERCY GLOOM HC $28.99
Cathy Malkasian's third stand-alone book with Fantagraphics and a return to her Percy Gloom character and milieu from the first book. I hope people pay attention to this book because if you want accomplished stand-alone comics, talent coming in from other fields, super-talented female creators and new, not-franchised work -- it's all here.

DEC120502 COMPLETE LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE HC VOL 09 $49.99
I love Little Orphan Annie to an almost unreasonable degree, and these books are hitting the prime material right now -- granted, LOA had a huge run of prime material. Introduction by Jeet Heer, which I will skip because it's likely so good I will feel super-jealous. But seriously, like the Fantagraphics Popeye books, this is something of which I want every last volume.

FEB130031 BLACK BEETLE #4 NO WAY OUT $3.99
APR130012 TRUE LIVES O/T FABULOUS KILLJOYS #1 $3.99
APR130184 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #21 $2.99
APR130107 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1 $4.99
APR130109 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1 COMBO PACK $5.99
MAR130565 A DISTANT SOIL #40 [DIG] $3.50
APR138110 INVINCIBLE #101 2ND PTG $2.99
APR130577 WALKING DEAD #111 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
APR130933 SIX GUN GORILLA #1 [DIG] $3.99
A strange week for serial comic-book format of the adventure and superhero variety. No Mignola-verse I could see (I probably missed something) but that Black Beetle material is very handsome and the Killjoys material pairs Gerard Way with Becky Cloonan. The post-Johns era Green Lantern comics roll-out continues. The Superman Unchained book is the Scott Snyder/Jim Lee comic that's out in time to give comic shop owners something to which they might direct anyone that comes in off of the street. A Distant Soil is Colleen Doran's long-running independent comic book and getting to 40 issues in this run is quite the achievement. Finally, two Kirkmans and a gorilla.

APR130748 CAPTAIN MARVEL BY MANARA POSTER $8.99
APR130749 WASP BY MANARA POSTER $8.99
Milo Manara is a strange maker of images, which is something you very much see when he's doing work for Marvel. I wouldn't want to own either of these, but I sure want to see them.

JAN131240 ASTERIX OMNIBUS SC VOL 05 $19.95
I don't know anything about this particular collection of that material. I also have no idea where a volume five might stand in that context. I only know that every library should have at least a little bit of it.

MAR130780 GET FUZZY TP BIRTH OF CANIS $12.99
Darby Conley's strip strikes me as one of the few that could have some traction in comics shops. I read it chunks occasionally, and would run it in my newspaper if I had one.

DEC121235 SIMON & KIRBY HC LIBRARY SCIENCE FICTION (RES) $49.95
This is another hardcover collection of classic Jack Kirby/Joe Simon material by genre. Tons of interesting graphic flourishes in there, whether or not it's a necessary or vital book is likely up to you and your orientation towards comics.

FEB131028 THE END HC $19.99
What is perhaps Anders Nilsen's most affecting work -- and one that's completely impossible to find -- gets a gathering-up, slight-fleshing out and bookstore ready hardcover trade dress.

FEB130980 ATOMCAT GN $12.95
I want to own as much Osamu Tezuka as I can, and this work from the 1980s qualifies but probably at the "pick it up at some future date" level. It's a fun work at times, though, I'm told. It's great to have enough Tezuka out there to have a stratified buying strategy, that's for sure.

*****

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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