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.

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FEB131250 IVAN BRUNETTI AESTHETICS MEMOIR HC $25.00
The happiest surprise of the year: an Ivan Brunetti volume that reminds us how much fun Brunetti is as a cartoonist and that he's done enough non-Schizo work to fill an entire book. This came out of left field for me.

MAR131353 SUNNY HC VOL 01 $22.99
Taiyo Matsumoto has hung around just a tiny notch below widespread, across-the-board acceptance and regular new-book anticipation in North America, and it'd be nice if he could be nudged into that place. I think every one of his books is worth one's consideration, and I'm dying to see this one. That's a nice-looking, striking cover, too.

MAR131426 DRAWN TO NEW YORK ILLUS CHRON OF 3 DECADES IN NYC $29.95
A new volume from the illustrator and occasional cartoonist Peter Kuper, about his city of residence. That sounds really good, and certainly something at that price point I would want to hold in my hands before buying.


FEB130274 STAR TREK JOHN BYRNE COLLECTION HC $49.99
I've always enjoyed the John Byrne Star Trek comics I've read, although I think I may have only read the Gary Seven stuff he's done. Still, there's a nice-looking cover for this one and 12-year-old me will rest easier the more John Byrne settles into a Lion In Winter run of quality comics gigs.

MAR130444 BOUNCE #1 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
MAR130589 SEX #3 (MR) [DIG] $2.99
MAR130907 OCCUPY COMICS #1 $3.50
MAR131253 SIXTH GUN #31 $3.99
MAR130050 LOBSTER JOHNSON SATAN SMELLS A RAT ONE SHOT $3.50
MAR130196 BATMAN INCORPORATED #11 $2.99
MAR130224 GREEN LANTERN #20 (WRATH) (NOTE PRICE) $7.99
MAR130017 MIND MGMT #11 $3.99
Two Joe Casey-written comics kick off the week in standard serial comic book format works. Casey is an interesting cat, and certainly doesn't waste time or aesthetic territory in exploring specific notions in adventure comics form. I assume the Occupy Comics work is what it is, and I imagine that there's a joke to be had about comics' usual timeliness. I'm including the Sixth Gun work because that's a solid title and has been slowly building its audience over a long period of time -- I wish that comics had a dozen more like it. The Lobster Johnson is Kevin Nowlan, so I will snap this one up the next time I'm in a comics shop: he's arguably the most interesting of all occasionally working mainstream comics artists. The Batman Incorporated is arguable DC's best regular series title -- I think it's leaps and bounds above most of what they put out, and I'm not the biggest fan of Batman. The Green Lantern is writer Geoff Johns' last issue on his near decade-long burst of writing on the character -- a major achievement in those circles in that he resuscitated the character as a top ten presence sales-wise. Finally, I'm astonished to see Mind MGMT on an 11th issue already.

MAR130159 GREEN TEAM #1 $2.99
A significant portion of me is glad that DC does books like this every now and then, but when I put on my cynical "Lord Of The Basement" hat and pontificate from a business sense development by staring in comics general direction with pieces of Hot Pocket in my bear, I have to say I don't get the strategy for something like this within the wider line in even the same way I see some of Marvel's shots at books off the beaten path in terms of a place for talent development and a way of generating character ideas to be employed up the line in certain team books. I guess it's about developing certain properties for viable use. I like the idea of money as a superpower, even if it's used as bluntly to mean that money is buying superpowers.

MAR130981 BLAKE & MORTIMER GN VOL 12 ATLANTIS MYSTERY $15.95
MAR130982 LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 29 GRAND DUKE $11.95
MAR130983 LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 30 DALTONS ESCAPE $11.95
I like that classic mainstream French-language album series seem to be showing up in comics shops on a regular basis now, although how many shops actually invest in a little BD corner of their stores I could not tell you. I would smother-hug with extra money if my store did, for sure.

JAN131224 SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR HC VOL 03 $24.99
This the latest in the color version of the Bryan Lee O'Malley decade-definer from the 00's. I know some young people that are picking these works up for the first time this way.

OCT121247 WALLY WOOD EERIE TALES OF CRIME & HORROR DLX SLIPCASED $69.95
OCT121246 WALLY WOOD EERIE TALES OF CRIME & HORROR HC $39.95
NOV121348 WALLY WOOD EERIE TALES OF CRIME & HORROR SC $24.95
I'll look at anything Wally Wood, one of the great visual artists working in comics in the 20th Century. And you really have to look at the stuff, too, because not all of it is of interest to every comics fans unless "Wally Wood" is the only organizing principle about which they care.

APR131204 KRAMERS ERGOT HC VOL 08 (OCT111193) (MR) $32.95
MAR130425 TORPEDO TP VOL 03 [DIG] $17.99
These are the two books that jumped out at me as already published -- I think the Torpedo is out in the form listed here -- books where if you don't have them already you should probably consider picking them up now. God bless your store if either is on its shelves.

MAR130992 MY DIRTY DUMB EYES GN (MR) $22.95
FEB130982 PROPERTY HC (MR) $24.95
There's been some significant turnover at Drawn and Quarterly the last few years, something that doesn't get tracked because of the general feeling that a certain kind of cartoonist is always at home there and a few other places. A new Rutu Modan book and a first major book from Lisa Hanawalt say a lot about the company's current state of being.

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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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