Comics and More

Roger Langridge & Chris Samnee With all of the buzz out there about how great this incarnation of Thor is, I decided to check this series out for myself.  Only after I ordered the first few issues, it was promptly cancelled by Marvel due to low sales, which is unfortunate since it hardly had much time to build word of mouth, but that's the way the industry works sometimes (and to be fair, its first issue sold over 20,000 copies (placing #104 for the month) while its latest sold about 8,400 (placing at #186), so it was bleeding readers).  My only real issue there is it seems that people who hear about a book tend to buy the collection rather than hunt back issues, so I kind of feel like a book like this, especially for young readers, should have had a chance in another format before it got the axe.  The last issue of Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard placed just ahead of Thor, the Mighty Avenger in November at #185, but its collection ranked #15 for t...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic stores tomorrow... Polly and Her Pals: The Complete Sunday Comics (Volume 1): 1925-1927 HC  - From IDW's Library of American Comics line comes Cliff Sterrett's Sundays in a full color 12" x 16" hardcover, bringing yet another classic back into print. Other Noteworthy Releases Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis (Volume 3) TP Fables #100 Kamisama Kiss (Volume 1) Little Lulu's Pal Tubby (Volume 2): Runaway Statue Magnus, Robot Fighter (Volume 1) TP Orc Stain (Volume 1) TP The Phantom: The Complete Dailies (Volume 2): 1938-1940 HC Stan Lee's Starborn #1 Thor the Mighty Avenger (Volume 1): The God Who Fell To Earth TP Who Will Comfort Toffle: A Tale of Moomin Valley HC Widowmaker #1 (of 4)

Wading through the phonebook that is Previews Catalogue so you don't have to...here are twenty choice books that you may have missed, or that I think are just noteworthy. Archie Archives (Volume 1) HC - That's right, collecting it all from the beginning. Cinderella: Fables Are Forever #1 (of 6) - I think everyone was surprised when the collection of Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love debuted as the number one graphic novel the month it came out, but this Fable/spy has always been a fan-favorite and is not to be underestimated in her new mini. Bone: Quest For the Spark (Volume 1) Novel - Not comics, but based on a comic, this prose novel is the first in a series written by Tom Sniegoski, with some art by Bone -creator Jeff Smith. Popeye: The Great Comic Book Tales of Bud Sagendorf HC - Popeye stories from Sagendorf published in the 40's and 50's - part of Craig Yoe's excellent Yoe Books! imprint of IDW . The Arctic Marauder HC - More Jacques Tardi good...

The Story of Saiunkoko (Volume 1) Kairi Yura & Sai Yukino The manga The Story of Saiunkoko is an adaptation of the Japanese light novel series of the same name written by Sai Yukino.  Kairi Yura, who did illustrations for the light novels also illustrates this manga based on those stories.  This is a historical story that follows the clans of Saiunkoko, a fictional land, with eight provinces named for the different colors of the rainbow and whose noble families are named after the provinces they rule.  Immediately, we are introduced to Shurei Hong (of the Crimson clan), who's down-on-her-luck.  All but one of her servants have left her and her father since they can't afford their salaries any longer, and they're lucky if they can get actual rice on their plates.  When Shurei is offered a chance to make a good deal of money for her clan, she jumps at the chance, only to learn that her duty is to become the new young emperor's consort, to teach him to rule...

Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Brad Walker The new incarnation of Heroes For Hire sees many heroes from the Marvel Universe take instructions from "control" to carry out missions to clean up the streets via an ear piece delivered to them.  Each of the heroes are recruited for something that each of them can provide to help the greater mission.  Among the heroes involved in this first adventure to crack down on a drug smuggling operation are Falcon (for tracking down the shipment), Black Widow (for stopping the shipment), Moon Knight (to take out the warehouse the shipment was going to), and Elektra (to infiltrate the stronghold of the man responsible for the drugs and assassinate him).  Misty Knight takes the role of "control," guiding the heroes through what they must achieve to collectively make this drug issue go away.  Something must have happened to Knight during Shadowland that I'm unaware of, since she now dons a cybernetic arm...among other thin...

Michel Gagne The beautifully illustrated The Saga of Rex collects the entire story that has been serialized through the  Flight anthologies (volumes 2 through 7) over the past few years, telling the story of a cute little fox named Rex who has been whisked away from his world by aliens, to find himself in an ever-shifting environment where there are surprises around every corner.  It's a fun fantasy, very lush and colorful, that reads quite cinematically, and is mostly wordless with the exception of a little setup for the circumstances that Rex finds himself in.  Gagne depicts the action clearly in the alien terrain that Rex maneuvers through, complete with some nice cartooning and creative alien designs.  He also demonstrates quite the imagination that steers readers through this world where anything can really happen, never once letting things slow down or get boring.  The 200 pages fly by rather quickly without many words to guide you, but I can hardly co...

It's already December in a few days!  Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, books will be in stores on Thursday this week.  Here's the book you should be paying attention to... Tezuka's Ayako GN - I know pretty much nothing about this new graphic novel being reprinted by Vertical , but it's Osamu Tezuka, so it's bound to be pretty awesome. Other Noteworthy Releases Achewood (Volume 3): Home For Scared People HC Brightest Day (Volume 1) HC Chaos War: God Squad #1 Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers #1 Creepy Archives (Volume 8) HC Fables (Volume 14): Witches TP Heroes For Hire #1 Lady Death #0 Marineman #1 Sky Doll: Space Ship HC Wolverine: Best There Is #1

Over the weekend, I had a chance to read a couple of books from DC's Batman universe: Knight and Squire and Batwoman . Knight and Squire #1-2 Paul Cornell & Jimmy Broxton Spinning out from their recent appearance in Grant Morrion's Batman and Robin are their England counterparts Knight and Squire, written by fan-favorite writer Paul Cornell.  Having had previous experience writing British superheroes on Marvel's Captain Britain and MI-13 , Knight and Squire is certainly a suitable first job for Cornell now that he's DC-exclusive.  Cornell hits the ground running in the first issue of the six-issue mini-series, introducing character after character in an enchanted pub where heroes and villains can hang out together without worry of injury, that is until someone finds a way around the magical system.  Included in the rowdy bunch are some odd characters, including a British counterpart to America's Joker, although England's version is a hero.  I won...

Lynda Barry Lynda Barry's follow-up to her book dedicated to the creative process, What It Is , focuses more on art than creation in general.  There are still some things in here for writers to use to get their creative juices flowing, but it's mostly for those who draw or paint, offering advice on how to prevent "writer's block," and keep being creative, with some inspiring words of wisdom and fun exercises.  Introduced in this book is The Near-Sighted Monkey, a kind of mascot for the book, but of course characters like Marlys are featured heavily throughout as well.  Lynda Barry once again does a great job of being able to identify and articulate what it is that gets in her way of being creative, and offers solutions to get past it.  Along with doodling and drawing for drawing's sake, there are exercises in coloring, tracing and some more crafty stuff to keep people inspired with art lessons. As more of a writer than an artist, I found that the focus shi...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow! Miss Don't Touch Me (Volume 2) GN - I loved the first Miss Don't Touch Me from French creators Hubert and Kerascoet, so I'm very much looking forward to the continuing adventures of Blanche in this follow-up. Other Noteworthy Releases The Acme Novelty Library (Volume 20) HC Archie: The Best of Stan Goldberg (Volume 1) HC Astonishing Thor #1 (of 5) Batwoman #0 Boy Commandos by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby HC Chew (Volume 3): Just Desserts TP Firebreather (Volume 3) #1 (of 4) Green Lantern Omnibus (Volume 1) HC Salimba GN Sasameke (Volume 1) Special Exits HC The Sword Complete Collection Deluxe HC Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man (Volume 2): Chameleons HC Vampirella #1 War Is Borings GN The Weird World of Eerie Publications HC

Natsumi Ando I was a little late for Manga Monday this week, but still wanted to talk about this manga that seems to be on a lot of people's radar right now.  Arisa is a new book being published by Del Rey , from Natsumi Ando, the creator of the excellent Kitchen Princess .  I enjoyed Ando's earlier series quite a bit, so I'm happy to see Arisa getting noticed, especially since it is also shaping up to be a well-executed book.  The story follows Tsubasa, a girl with only guy friends because she has a temper and scares her female classmates away.  She's never been the popular one, the one surrounded by people - that honor has gone to her twin sister Arisa, who goes to another school.  Arisa seems to have the perfect life, as Tsubasa sees first-hand as she takes Arisa up on her offer to go to her school in a wig to take her place for a day.  She's class representative, has a hot boyfriend, and everyone seems to love her, as she's alwa...

Grant Morrison & Yanick Paquette Grant Morrison's highly-anticipated new Batman series begins with a bang as he brings Jiro Kuwata's Lord Death Man to American comics (see the character's debut from the original Japanese comics in the Chip Kidd-edited Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan .)  In this new series, Morrison has Batman travel abroad to establish a Batman presence in different areas of the world, beginning with Japan, where he hopes to recruit and train Mr. Unknown in the way of the bat.  Catwoman is along for the ride, as he needs Selina's expertise in cat burglary to help him break into a vault.  Unfortunately for him, things don't go as planned when it comes to his new recruit, and Lord Death Man makes his ghoulish presence known.  I love the concept of the series, and Paquette draws a mean Batman book, with great action scenes, and he brings Morrison's pretty gruesome opening scene to life, setting the tone for t...

Holy crap it's a big week for comics this week!  A lot of high profile graphic novels come out from David B., Joann Sfar, Linda Medley, Chip Kidd, and Tony Millionarie, among others (not to mention Grant Morrison's new Batman title)!  It was hard to pick one out of the bunch, but with the holidays coming upon us... The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories HC - Craig Yoe edits this collection of classic Christmas comics from the Golden Age, including stories by Walt Kelly, John Stanley and Dan Noonan.  Pre-order it from Barnes & Noble right now, and you can get it for over 30% off ($23.61 instead of $34.99).  Christmas will be here before you know it, and what better way to lead up to it? Other Noteworthy Releases 75 Years of DC Comics HC Batman: The Return #1 Batman Incorporated #1 Best American Comics 2010 HC Captain America 1940s Daily Newspaper Strip TP Castle Waiting (Volume 2) HC Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Volume 5) HC Ex Machina De...

Chris Ware An impeccable design with thoughtfully-arranged panels and art, and complex characters, are pretty much guarantees when it comes to the work of Chris Ware, and are present in the latest volume of The Acme Novelty Library .  Continuing the epic Rusty Brown story, Ware gets sidetracked and delves into the life of Jordan Lint, a secondary character who bullied Rusty Brown in school in previous volumes, telling his life from birth to death.  I rather enjoyed watching Lint grow up, from the clever illustrations of his early memories, to his troubled childhood, to his latter years, where he reflects back on things we've seen earlier.  The reflecting back on things was the most riveting part of his story for me, as you see him make connections, and regret actions he took.  Lint is pretty much an asshole, but seeing him in his pathetic and cringe-worthy moments, it's hard not to sympathize, and you really get to see this one-note charac...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops Wednesday... The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (Volume 1) HC - This new translation of Jacques Tardi material from Fantagraphics is an action-comedy featuring mysterious circumstances that occur in pre-World War I Paris. Other Noteworthy Releases Angel: Ilyria #1 (of 4) Archie Firsts (Volume 1) HC Atomic Robo: The Deadly Art of Science #1 (of 5) The Awakening (Volume 2) HC Darkstar and The Winter Guard TP Darkwing Duck (Volume 1): The Duck Knight Returns TP Eerie Archives (Volume 5) HC Forgetless TP God Machine HC Grandville: Mon Amour HC Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee HC Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard HC The Smurfs (Volume 3): The Smurf King GN Superman vs. Muhammad Ali HC T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 Ultimatum HC Victorian Undead II: Holmes vs. Dracula #1 (of 5)

Kuro Zakuro (Volume 1) Yoshinori Natsume Kuro Zakuro is a new series from Viz that introduces readers to high schooler Mikito Sakurai, a boy who's always thinking of those around him, but is always on the radar of bullies.  When his best friend gets disgusted with him when he doesn't stand up for himself yet again, Mikito gets what he needs to turn his life around, just not in the way he expected.  While sleeping, Mikito swallows a demon seed and has a dream featuring a creepy sharp-toothed kid that grants him his wish to be able to stand up for himself.  When he wakes up, he finds that he's super-strong and has perfect vision, and when bullies come for him again, he fights back, amazed at how easily he defeats his adversaries.  While this should be good news, Mikito finds himself having strange cravings, and in time, sees the people around him as meat.  Then he meets a demon who recognizes him as one of his kind, and has an encounte...

Wading through the phonebook that is Previews Catalogue so you don't have to... Here are twenty choice books that you may have overlooked or that I'm just plain excited about, shipping to comic shops in January! Love From the Shadows HC - A new original graphic novel from Gilbert Hernandez is always cause for celebration.  More Fritz B-movie goodness. Pepper Penwell and the Land Creature of Monster Lake GN - This looks cute - a spunky teenage detective on the case in a comedy adventure. Cursed Pirate Girl (Volume 1) TP - This has been solicited so many times, I hate to get my hopes up, but I  loved Jeremy Bastian's contribution to Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard and it's renewed my interest in reading this series from him. Book of Lilah GN - Someone is after the Keepers, who protect the world's knowledge and its progress, and only one girl stands in their way. The Finder Library (Volume 1) TP - This is the first of two volumes collecting the acclaime...

Sorry, no Manga Monday this week, as I was too busy with horror movies leading up to Halloween to do any posting, let alone reading.  You'll see a new manga review next week however.  It's a big week for comic releases, but here is the book you should be paying attention to in comic shops this Wednesday... Xenozoic: The Complete Collection TP - This collects the complete run of Mark Schultz' post-apocalyptic Xenozoic Tales , that many will recognize as Cadillacs and Dinosaurs .  Beautifully illustrated and action-packed comics. Other Noteworthy Releases Absolute All-Star Superman HC Art of Jim Starlin: Life In Words & Pictures HC Bartimaeus (Book 1): The Amulet of Samarkand GN Batman and Robin (Volume 2): Batman vs. Robin HC Bent HC Classic Jurassic Park (Volume 1) TP Coffin: 10th Anniversary Edition HC Days Missing: Kestus #1 (of 5) Denys Wortman's New York TP Generation Hope #1 The Good Neighbors (Volume 3): Kind HC How To Understand Israel In 6...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to in comic shops tomorrow! H Day HC - I don't really know anything about this graphic novel, but it's Renee French, so it's bound to be a visual treat. Other Noteworthy Releases Avengers vs. Pet Avengers #1 (of 4) Beasts of Burden/Hellboy One-Shot Epic Chronicles of Hagar the Horrible: 1974-1975 HC Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman (Volume 3) HC Geronimo Stilton (Volume 6) HC Green Lantern Chronicles (Volume 3) TP JLA: The 99 #1 (of 6) The Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion HC Secret Avengers #6 Secret Warriors #21 Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor (Volume 1) TP

Ax: A Collection of Alternative Manga (Volume 1) GN Edited by Sean Michael Wilson Ax is an alternative manga magazine in Japan, a kind of go-to for exciting creators.  This new anthology from Top Shelf collects a sampling of stories that have been published in Ax since its debut in 1998.  As with most anthologies, I found myself drawn to some stories, while left cold to others, but you can't argue that this isn't a great showcase for some really great comics.  33 manga artists are sampled here, with biographies compiled in back and an introduction by Paul Gravett.  I feel like I've been waiting forever for this to come out, as it's seen a series of delays, but it has finally arrived. My Favorites Inside the Gourd by Ayuko Akiyama is a magical, gentle story told with soft lines, about a man misunderstood by those around him.  It was kind of refreshing to read a story like this in an anthology that offers a lot of sex and violence, illustrating that ...