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.

*****

AUG111018 HARK A VAGRANT HC (MR) $19.95
I may have already written this, but when I saw news that Kate Beaton's collection from D+Q was imminent, my first reaction that it was nice to see an alternative comics collection coming out where there was near 100 percent certainty that it would do really, really well. Beaton's funny and she draws with skill in a way that specifically supports what's best about her work. I've had two people e-mail me in the last 36 hours from completely different ends of the comics world wondering out loud how long until this became the best-selling book that D+Q has ever done, and I think they will be more right than wrong in making that assumption. Somewhere right now is a line forming for her signature. (That this actually came out last week and Diamond is a tiny bit late to the party is worth mentioning in that it seems to be happening again this week with Metamaus.)

JUN110034 AXE COP BAD GUY EARTH TP $12.99
I think this is the second book in this series, and worth a look if you missed the flurry of supportive press from its initial rise to first trade publication. A crowd-pleaser.

JUL110247 ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP $29.99
MAY110722 FANTASTIC FOUR 1234 PREM HC $19.99
I don't have the easy access to memories of past DC offerings to know if this All-Star Superman trade Diamond has listed is the first time they've offered the Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's mini-series under one cover, but if it is, that's a fine superhero comic and should be read in its entirety like that so I'm not sure what took them so long or why they didn't initially wait for full collection. Then again, they're walking around in solid gold shoes at DC right now, so I should probably shut up with any backseat-driving crabbiness. The Fantastic Four HC collects a mini-series from several years back -- maybe even a decade now -- that featured some really good-looking art from Jae Lee and was kind of first in line in a rambling reconsideration of modern Marvel's first characters. I liked what working for Marvel did to Grant Morrison in terms of having him take on characters that didn't scratch his specific hero-idea itches as easily as the DC catalog does, but I may be the only one. I do note with some curiosity that you can probably have all four issues of the series for under $8 from any of the major back-issues purveyors.

APR110013 MIGHTY SAMSON #4 $3.50
This is the first time I've ever noticed one of these Jim Shooter-spearheaded old Gold Key license comic books, and that's because I thought it was something else entirely.

AUG110289 SWEET TOOTH #26 (MR) $2.99
MAR110587 INVINCIBLE #83 $2.99
JUL110554 WALKING DEAD #89 (MR) $2.99
AUG110607 AVENGERS 1959 #1 (OF 5) $2.99
AUG110930 ROGER LANGRIDGES SNARKED #1 $3.99
This is what I might buy with $20 in my pocket and on a quest to buy traditional comic books only. That's Jeff Lemire's well-regarded Vertigo book, now about 10 issues past where I would have guessed has you asked me outside the funnybook shop, the latest from Robert Kirkman's pair of successful serials, an Avengers comic book from Howard Chaykin that looks like territory you think someone would have explored at some point in the company's past, and a Roger Langridge comic that puts Langridge's name where it belong: right in the title. I might only end up buying the Langridge, but I'd think about the others, for sure.

JUN110962 ROGER LANGRIDGE THE SHOW MUST GO ON TP $19.99
I'd spend the rest of that $20 and a bit more on this, damn the rules.

MAY110416 ARCHIE AMERICANA HC VOL 02 THE 50S $24.99
JUN110466 ARCHIE BEST OF HARRY LUCEY HC VOL 01 $24.99
I long ago surrendered ever figuring out the crush of Archie reprints currently pelting the stands, which means I would be looking at each individual volume in the store. I think a lot of that material is worth owning, but I'm not sure which volumes match what I've conceived of in my head as worthwhile. A Harry Lucey books sounds pretty good, though.

AUG111091 BEST AMERICAN COMICS HC 2011 $25.00
Holy guacamole, this year is hurtling towards its conclusion. There's a pretty nice range of stuff in this latest of the Madden/Abel/Special Guest Star (this year it's Alison Bechdel) series, including confidently-selected snippets from longer work.

JUL111265 NATSUMES BOOK OF FRIENDS TP VOL 09 $9.99
JUL111148 NEGIMA OMNIBUS GN VOL 02 (MR) $19.99
These strike me as the worthiest manga series with new volumes out.

MAY111268 TEZUKA BOOK OF HUMAN INSECTS HC (MR) $21.95
I enjoyed the heck out of this latest Vertical offering from its devotion to the cartooning legend incredible run of pulpy, serious and slightly overheated works from the beginning of his vaunted career's latter stages. I think it's a gas to read, and I even spent some time with the book after devouring it multiple times simply picking visual motifs and laughing my way through their clever employment.

*****

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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