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

*****

MAR120032 SKELETON KEY COLOR SPECIAL ONE SHOT $3.50
Here's something I'd be delighted to buy in a comics shop where I in one today, and it was right at the top of the shipping list. Andi Watson is quietly having an extremely prolific comics-making career, and this property was one of his more beloved efforts. And it's a comic book, of the kind you buy at the comics shop and not think you might have picked it up elsewhere.

JAN121254 KIKI DE MONTPARNASSE GN (MR) $24.95
Reviewed here. This nicely fills the "work by artists with whom I'm not regularly familiar" and the "classy-looking, ambitious publishing endeavor from an admirable small house I owe a look-see just for those reasons" slots this week.

MAR120153 DIAL H #1 $2.99
MAR120145 EARTH 2 #1 $3.99
MAR120155 GI COMBAT #1 $3.99
MAR120147 WORLDS FINEST #1 $2.99
This looks like one of the next waves of New 52 comics to me. Nothing gets past this reporter. At any rate, I guess they bear watching just for that reason. I'm still confused why there needs to be a title called Earth 2.

MAR120530 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #3 (OF 12) AVX $3.99
MAR120550 HULK SMASH AVENGERS #1 (OF 5) $2.99
MAR120589 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #516 $3.99
Avengers Vs. X-Men should remind one of DC's New 52 initiative in everything but ambition: it's a good idea, it would seem to depend on precision execution (clear reasons the two superteams are fighting; fun and logical fight scenes), it would seem to not have this precision execution, it's selling like gangbusters anyway so people are reluctant to criticize its content. I just sort of like the title "Hulk Smash Avengers" and I always sort of enjoy those new Iron Man comics, although part of me always feels like I'm watching DVD outtakes from another comic being done out there somewhere.

NOV111101 BLANKETS GN (NEW PTG) (STAR19060) $29.95
MAR121268 INFLUENCING MACHINE SC $16.95
Two from the world of new printings. The Influencing Machine is one of those that might stealthily pick up a few awards over the next several months.

FEB120875 ROGER LANGRIDGES SNARKED TP VOL 01 $14.99
I will until the day I die pick up new Roger Langridge and at least check it out any time I'm in a comic store. This is the material he chooses to do rather than a gig he's happy to take on, so I'd support blindly.

FEB120895 TEEN BOAT HC GN $14.99
I was happy to see this book come out as it's one of those things about which I've heard things for year without totally catching up to anything more than a few pages here and there. This Dave Roman/John Green effort has an impressive webcomics and mini-comics legacy, and likely has potentially dire googling consequences.

SEP110190 SPIRIT WORLD HC $39.99
Your Kirby reprint of the month. If they could somehow publishing a Craig Yoe-designed book of Jack Kirby doing Warren-style Archie stories, the DM as it's currently constituted would collapse into a black hole and never be seen again. This is a reprint of one of Kirby's 1970s magazine projects and is about the occult, so you're sort of getting there with this one.

JAN121148 HEAVY METAL MAY 2012 (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $7.95
I had to go double-check with Jog's superior weekly comics listing, and it looks like this is indeed the anniversary issue and thus might be worth an extra check-out.

JAN121093 FALLEN WORDS GN (MR) $19.95
Comics has a lot of vital, classy, publishing endeavors right now; this is one of the classiest and most vital. What a joy it is to get to read this cartoonist's body of work.

*****

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 on me. I apologize.

*****



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