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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OCT101012 FREEWAY GN (RES) $28.99
In a week dominated by republished works and more recent books once again offered through Diamond, cartoonist Mark Kalesniko gets a prize for releasing a gaint book of brand new work. It's an extended meditation on changes in the way we live and work, structured around an excruciating commute.

JAN111259 ISAAC THE PIRATE GN VOL 01 TO EXOTIC LANDS (O/A) $14.95
JAN111339 NIGHT ANIMALS (ONE SHOT) (MR) $7.95
JAN110317 VERTIGO RESURRECTED FINALS #1 (MR) $7.99
NOV100043 COMICS ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF COMIC STRIP ART HC $39.99
Here's four such projects with a previous-publishing pedigree, all of which I'd like to own. You can't do too much better in terms of interesting-looking comics than those first two, the third is awfully cute and that fourth is the Jerry Robinson history book. I'm sure I've missed one or two. You could have a good week at the comics shop just picking up older work.

SEP100110 SUPERSIZED STRANGE TALES FROM FAST FOOD CULTURE GN (RES) $12.99
I know almost nothing about this comics spin-off from maybe the most famous of this still-ongoing cycle of food culture critical films, so I would definitely pick it up and take a look at it even though it's hard for me to imagine it a book I'd be dying to have.

JAN110089 BPRD HELL ON EARTH GODS #3 (OF 3) $3.50
NOV100164 BATMAN INCORPORATED #3 $2.99
DEC100958 COMIC BOOK COMICS #5 (RES) $3.95
DEC100494 WALKING DEAD #82 (MR) $2.99
A light week in terms of lauded, traditional comic book offerings. The BPRD machine marches on, a model for all publishers to follow. The Batman Incorporated book is the latest Grant Morrison pajamas date with the Cape Crusader. And Walking Dead has just added an extra dose of zombies for your reading pleasure.

JAN110271 BATMAN AND ROBIN #21 $2.99
This is one of the former Grant Morrison Batman titles. I'm sure this could be very good work, but it can't be a good thing marketing-wise for the basic branding here to be "no longer the Grant Morrison comic."

JAN110855 GIRL COMICS TP $15.99
JAN110840 THOR MIGHTY AVENGER GN TP VOL 02 $14.99
Two from Marvel I'd check out in the store, although I have to say that if I wanted to purchase these I'd almost certainly scrounge the individual back-issues up in a back-issues bin. I have almost no idea what's in Girl Comics at all.

DEC101076 DETROIT METAL CITY GN VOL 08 (MR) $12.99
JAN111387 TWIN SPICA GN VOL 06 $10.95
Two solid manga series offerings, about as far removed one from the other as you can imagine. I've lost track of both, which might mean more in the case of the latter as much distance as that series traveled in volumes one through three. And while I'm still sore about Cromartie fading away before its last few volumes could be published, DMC is as close to that experience as comics offers right now.

DEC100934 JOHN STANLEY MELVIN MONSTER HC VOL 03 $24.95
NOV100922 PRINCE VALIANT HC VOL 03 1941-1942 $29.99
Let's face it, these nuke just about every other comic you're going to buy at the store this year, so having them both come out on the same week is kind of silly. I was greatly surprised by how entertaining the Prince Valiant was.

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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 on me. I apologize.

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