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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AUG151479 CLASS PHOTO GN $14.99
This one snuck up on me a bit, and I liked it a lot. Basically, it's a series of nasty, jokey, imaginary profiles from a found-object school picture that its creator, Robert Triptow, apparently obsessed over for decades. It feels like a comic that would have come out in 1974, so it's sort of doubly-dissonant in a sense. A real surprise.

AUG151798 CHI SWEET HOME GN VOL 12 $13.95
I don't pay enough attention to solid manga series like this one, which marks its conclusion here. I had a lot of fun with the first several volumes, and I hope to one day have them all including this one. I'll certainly think about snatching one up if I'm in the comics shop this week.

JUL150097 MISTER X RAZED TP $15.99
I don't know anything the new Mister X material -- that PR just hasn't penetrated me and I haven't seen the work itself -- but I like that character and I think it's vastly film-able and if I ever run across one I'll stand there in the store and check it out for sure.

JUN150041 USAGI YOJIMBO GALLERY EDITION $125.00
APR150415 MIRACLEMAN ARTIFACT ED HC PI
Two almost-Artist's Editions: one if the Dark Horse version of the IDW oversized, xeroxed in color original art series; the other IDW's own version of that kind of book when they can't find enough original art to make it work. I'm happy to look at both; I'm a significant fan of Mr. Sakai's, and it would be interesting to see his art at size.

SEP150505 INVINCIBLE HC VOL 10 ULTIMATE COLL $39.99
I'm still a fan of this superhero-revisionist series, mostly out of a healthy respect for hitting when so many similar efforts failed, as it's not a drama I'm particularly intrigued by or happy to consume. Its tone is consistent, and the "universe" feels pretty well-worn and comfortable. I think it delivers the goods in a way that is so, so hard to do with the kind of material, all of which is still Kirby's shadow.

MAY150812 AVENGERS BY BUSIEK AND PEREZ OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $125.00
I remember this being a quality run of superhero comics at a time when that particularly property -- now movie-famous -- was looked at as kind of tedious stinker. It's also one of those publishing format that Marvel does that I like, as it really seems a strong alternative to picking up individual comics. It's not a format I can afford for the kind of material, but it has to be really appealing to older fans looking for something in a store that they'll enjoy.

SEP150711 HERCULES #1 $3.99
SEP150773 HOWARD THE DUCK #1 $4.99
SEP150662 NOVA #1 $3.99
SEP150758 VISION #1 $3.99
Marvel continues to roll out its post-summer event comics, even while the Secret Wars comics are still coming out. I'm very intrigued by a market that has developed where this isn't an extinction event, but most shops I've talked to have a sense of what Marvel's doing and magnificent customers willing to roll with a little discombobulation for a while. I can't say as I'd be interested in most of these. I guess I'd try Howard The Duck but at five bucks I'm going to need a day where I feel financial confident. The other characters were all favorites of mine 35-40 years ago, all of whom I've since let go. Still, they're all solid concepts.

AUG150989 WINNERS GN (MR) $14.95
This one comes from Alternative having originated with Floating World -- the artist Anna Ehrlemark is Swedish, and I remember her unique visual approach from I believe Stripburger. One to look out for; definitely the kind of book you want to see and consider.

SEP151290 BLANKETS GN (D&Q ED) (MR) $29.95
SEP151291 BLANKETS HC (D&Q ED) (MR) $39.95
New Drawn & Quarterly editions of the seminal alt/indy book are out now; from what I can tell -- and I might be wrong -- there hasn't been a strong break in art direction terms. It's a seminal work at this point, and it's nice that D&Q is working with Thompson because they'll keep that work in print.
AUG151475 COMPLETE PEANUTS HC BOX SET 1995-1998 $49.99
AUG151474 COMPLETE PEANUTS HC VOL 24 1997-1998 $29.99

SEP151120 MOUSE GUARD LEGENDS OF GUARD HC VOL 03 $19.99
AUG151017 MUTTS TREASURY PLAYTIME SC $19.99
AUG151291 VALERIAN GN VOL 10 BROOKLYN LINE TERMINUS COSMOS $11.95
It's three of my favorite super under-appreciated works, all coming out the same week. The Valerian in particular seems criminally under-read in North America, and I enjoy every time I can place my hands on a volume.

JUN151376 SUNNY SIDE UP GN HC $23.99
Jennifer Holm + Matthew Holm + a break from their huge hit Babymouse series with Scholastic in full forced behind it = your big hit children's book and bookstore work of the week.

SEP150957 ZITS TREASURY TP ZITS APOCALYPSE ARE YOU READY $18.99
Speaking of bookstore works, I always like to mention the Zits books because there aren't a lot of comic-strip series that have rational book programs, or one that even have much of presence at all in comic shops.

AUG150988 TITAN #2 (MR) $4.95
SEP151100 KLAUS #1 MAIN CVRS $3.99
JUL150630 LAZARUS #20 (MR) $3.50
AUG150566 SEX #25 (MR) $2.99
FEB150644 VELVET #12 (MR) $3.50
SEP150517 WE STAND ON GUARD #5 (MR) $2.99
Let's end with the comics, so I can put up the Francois Vigneault image below rather than shrink it down for a middle-list placement. Comic book is how I've been following Titan, so I'm looking forward to that one. The Klaus book features Grant Morrison writing with Fraser Irving doing the cover art, so I'd be interested enough in that to pick it up. Lazarus, Sex and Velvet are all super-solid books and strong performers for the Image line. A lot of us picked We Stand On Guard to be a summer hit based on its creative pedigree and easy to parse science-fiction plot line. It sure had a lot of crowdpleasing moment, and this issue is no exception. The overall narrative? Well, I honestly don't remember if this one ended or not, which isn't a good sign. Still, I'm certain it sold very well.

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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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