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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MAY151306 POETRY IS USELESS HC (MR) $29.95
It's a smaller week than usual for books that I like, I suspect because many of the books I read were frontloaded for Comic-Con International. This strikes me as one of the stronger releases this month: a massive collection of Anders Nilsen sketchbook pages, full of jokes and insight. It strikes me as the kind of thing you read over several summer days, perhaps in a central location.

MAY150516 ISLAND #1 (MR) $7.99
MAY150515 INVINCIBLE #121 $2.99
MAY150522 REVIVAL #31 (MR) $3.99
MAY150530 TREES #11 (MR) $2.99
MAY150082 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #133 $3.50
MAY150030 DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #12 $4.99
MAY150036 GROO FRIENDS AND FOES #7 $3.99
MAY150039 USAGI YOJIMBO #147 $3.50
MAY150313 GODZILLA IN HELL #1 $3.99
MAY151470 KAIJUMAX #4 $3.99
MAY151150 LUMBERJANES #16 $3.99
MAY150259 ASTRO CITY #25 $3.99
There seems a significant number of comic books this week, with a few headliners and a lot of strong performers. The answer to "what is Brandon Graham doing next?" is answered in part with the anthology he's editing and to which he's contributing, Island. It's also a sign of how flexible Image can be with a talent they'd like to support. Invincible is closing out some longrunning storylines before doing a well-publicized flashback effort this Fall. It's fairly remarkable how well that comic has aged when a lot of similar solo (or near solo) world building efforts can hardly sustain ten issues. Revival is a rare Image "mid-lister" solid-performing and with its fans although not in the rarified altitude shared by their most popular comics. Trees is the stately Warren Ellis/Jason Howard book, and it's rare to get this many issues from Ellis on anything right now. There's your Mignolaverse comic, followed by my wanting to check in on this latest iteration of DHP a dozen issues in. I always look at Sergio Aragones and Stan Sakai, and that would be the case here as well. Godzilla In Hell kicks off with a James Stokoe issue and I bet will do very, very well. Kaijumax is Zander Cannon's monster book. Lumberjanes puts out a sixteenth issue the week after winning a pair of Eisners, and Astro City puts out a 25th twenty or so years after winning a lot more.

MAR150083 ABE SAPIEN TP VOL 06 DARKNESS SO GREAT $19.99
This is your Mike Mignolaverse comic in trade paperback form. I'm a devoted floppy guy with the Mignolas, but I think I might have made the wrong choice.

MAR150344 SUPERMAN ATOMIC AGE SUNDAYS HC VOL 01 1949-1953 $49.99
I like that IDW has been supplementing its artier efforts with these superhero crowdpleasers, if only because comparing approaches in less brand-conscious days is a blast. I don't think this period has even been reprinted, and god knows the comics themselves were something of a blast during this time period.

APR151500 DORFLER HC $22.99
Here's a Fantagraphics standalone from a largely unknown talent, devoted Midwesterner Jeremy Baum. I have it but I haven't look at it yet; I was told about a year ago that Gary Groth was particularly interested in this work.

APR151745 INCREDIBLE HERB TRIMPE HC $34.95
Let the Herb Trimpe tributes begin! Some of you might be waiting for the Incredible Hulk-era Artists Edition, if only for how Trimpe's pages and covers looked when he was working in close proximity with Marie Severin. This is text and art, and a more standard way of remembering a big-time mainstream figure like the artist.

MAY151395 DIVINE GN $19.99
This the Brothers Hanuka working on a long form project together, and holy crap there are some stunning moments in there. I'm going to have to take a firmer read to get a handle on how good the story is, but it was hard not to push through the volume panting and salivating the first time around.

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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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