Comics and More

Combing through the massive Previews Catalogue this month, here are the titles that I think could get overlooked, or that I'm just plain excited about, shipping to comic shops in July... Kamandi, The Last Boy On Earth Omnibus (Volume 1) HC - The beloved series from Jack Kirby is collected in a format deserving of the material, to match DC's other Jack Kirby collections. Tezuka's Book of Human Insects HC - More Osamu Tezuka goodness! Walter Simonson's The Mighty Thor: Artist's Edition - What's sure to be the first of many projects from IDW featuring classic Marvel runs, this book will feature the original art, as close to Simonson's drawings as humanly possible, complete with corrections and blue pencils, showcasing the artist's incredible pencils. Amazing Mysteries: The Bill Everett Archives (Volume 1) HC - Collects over 200 pages of stories from the master artist.  A companion to Fire and Water , this is also edited by Blake Bell. The League...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday... Love From the Shadows HC - The latest Gilbert Hernandez graphic novel from his series of Fritz B-movie adaptations. Other Noteworthy Releases Action Comics #900 Black Butler (Volume 5) Bulletproof Coffin TP Doctor Solar: Man of the Atom (Volume 1) TP Eerie Archives (Volume 7) HC Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman (Volume 4) HC Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth HC House of Five Leaves (Volume 3) Maximum Ride (Volume 4) Mighty Thor #1 Page by Paige GN Red Sonja Omnibus (Volume 2) Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne (Volume 1) TP Showcase Presents: Green Lantern (Volume 5) TP Spike (Volume 1) HC Sleepyheads GN X-Men Omnibus (Volume 2) HC Y the Last Man Deluxe Edition (Volume 5) HC

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow! Dan Clowes' Mister Wonderful: A Love Story TP  - The collection of Daniel Clowes' story that was serialized in The New York Times . Other Noteworthy Releases Amity Blamity (Book 1) GN Archie: Seven Decades of America's Favorite Teenager HC Astro City: Shining Stars HC Bullet To the Head TP Dark Horse Presents #1 Darkwing Duck (Volume 2): Crisis On Infinite Darkwings TP The Girl & the Gorilla GN Jack Kirby's Galactic Bounty Hunters HC The Klondike GN Legion of Super Heroes (Volume 1): The Choice HC Little Lulu's Pal Tubby (Volume 3): Frog Boy & Other Stories Nexus Archives (Volume 12) HC Replica (Volume 1) S.H.I.E.L.D.: Architects of Forever HC Suicide Girls #1 (of 4) Thunderbolts Classics (Volume 1) TP Zombies vs. Robots: Undercity #1 (of 4)

With Tokyopop closing its LA-based publishing division in North America (a nice article on the development here ), I thought I would take the time to look back on some of my favorite titles over the years from the groundbreaking manga publisher.  They will be missed, as they put out many titles that readers love, such as Fruits Basket , Chibi Vampire and early printings of Sailor Moon .  Here are five of my favorites... 1. Paradise Kiss ( Ai Yazawa ) - Following an eclectic group of art students creating a fashion label, and the student who's drawn into their circle as a model, is this beautifully-illustrated shojo manga from Ai Yazawa, who would go on to enchant audiences with Nana .  After the first chapter of Nana was serialized in the very first issue of Shojo Beat in America, I ran out and purchased this series, as I was instantly enamored with Yazawa, and this earlier work from her is every bit as funny and engaging as her later work, and is ea...

Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente & Neil Edwards I was a big fan of the Incredible Hercules series, so I was happy to see the title return, with series writers Pak and Van Lente included.  This new incarnation of the book does see a new direction for the hero, however, but one that has a lot of potential.  Hercules is now on Earth, stripped of his godhood and title, and must fight for man as one of them.  But he does boast some pretty great weapons, and of course, he's still strong.  The opening scene perfectly sets up this new series, as Herc utilizes Greek weapons, each of their histories explained in footnotes, to stop a group of thugs.  And while he may not have the support of the gods at his back, he's still the same old Herc that we have come to know and love, with a weakness for women and a little dim.  There's also a mystery afoot in the new series that's squeezed in between the action, and some other new elements, like how when people pray ...

Sorry this is a little late this time around...here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops today!  Light week... Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus HC - A movie is always a good excuse to reprint great comics in deluxe formats, and this is one pretty exciting collection of Thor comics, all in one thick nearly-1200-pages book for $125. Other Noteworthy Releases The Complete Wendel SC Ex Machina Deluxe Edition (Volume 5) HC Flash Gordon Comic Book Archives (Volume 3) HC Justice League: Generation Lost (Volume 1) HC Salt Water Taffy (Volume 4): Caldera's Revenge GN Wolverine: The Best There Is - Contagion #1 X-Force: Under the Gun HC

Blue Exorcist (Volume 1) Kazue Kato Rin has daddy issues.  His father is Satan.  In a universe where demons exist and can possess or infect mortals, twins Rin and Yukio are born into the world via a human female.  Since Yukio's body was frail, Rin inherited his father's demonic powers and now sports a tail and a wicked sword, and some great powers.  But with this power comes a desire to see his father shut down, especially after Satan kills the man who raised him as his own, Fujimoto Shiro.  In order to defeat his father, Rin must learn the way of the exorcist, and so joins the True Cross Academy Exorcist School, where his own brother Yukio instructs him and rooms with him.  Being a short-tempered sort of guy who's always getting into fights and slacking off, he needs a lot of looking after, but Rin has the potential to perhaps carry out what he's set out to do. Overall, I was kind of bored with this book.  It's very over-the-top, violent and...

The first book in my Hunters of the Dark series is available now through Barnes & Noble digitally for just $0.99, following a group of monster hunters. Think City of Bones or Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you'll have a good idea of what this book is like. Official synopsis: . Teenager Shanna Hunt has been hunting demons since her parents were murdered by them. She’s used to doing things alone, her own way, but one fateful night throws her into the company of a team of hunters, each specializing in a particular kind of monster: vampires, werewolves, witches, shape-shifters… This newly-formed team should be an unstoppable force for whatever is out there picking off individual hunters across the globe, but their first battle together against the monsters of the night could be their last. . And here's a taste of the book: . Prologue Becca hated herself as she tentatively pushed the strap of her camisole back up over her bare shoulder. Picking up her red high heels, s...

Here's the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops on Wednesday... Fear Itself #1 (of 7) - The latest mega crossover event from Marvel launches this week with Fear Itself , involving many of the the big guns from the Marvel Universe (and highlighting those with films out this Summer).  The promising team of Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen are producing the main seven-issue mini-series, with plenty of satellite series soon to come. Other Noteworthy Releases 51 Delta GN Aaron and Ahmed HC Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo (Volume 2) HC Avengers: Prime HC BPRD: Dead Remembered #1 (of 3) But I Can't Do Anything Else...The Art of Rob Schrab HC Butterfly (Volume 1) Fables (Volume 15): Rose Red TP Herc #1 Peanuts: Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown HC Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack HC Poseurs GN Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura (Volume 1) Skaar: King of the Savage Land #1 (of 5) Solomon Kane: Red Shadows #1 (of 4) Vanguard Fr...

Totally Captivated (Volumes 1-3) Hajin Yoo Totally Captivated is a yaoi manhwa about college student Ewon, who's forced to work for the mafia as an errand boy, including some unpleasant duties such as collecting money from clients.  He's put into this position, without pay, thanks to an ex-boyfriend he cheated on, who is now the lover of the local mafia boss, the handsome man Mookyul, who can be very cruel and bites people when he's drunk.  Despite the unsavory qualities of his new position, Ewon manages to fit in quite nicely, making fast friends with most of the mafia, who admire his cooking and cleaning abilities.  It becomes apparent before long that they would be lost without him.  Mookyul begins to notice Ewon as well, and makes constant passes at him, despite his protests.  Totally Captivated is a fun title, full of amusing characters and some pretty tense, and violent, action scenes.  But it's really the romance that works the best in ...

The first two mini-series to launch through Marvel' s Crossgen imprint are Ruse and Sigil , the first issue of each having already arrived in comic shops over the past few weeks.  These titles resurrect two more well-known books from the company Crossgen  from before they went bankrupt years ago, and their catalogue was purchased by Disney .  When Marvel was purchased by Disney as well, Marvel had access to their material, and have begun to reimagine these titles enough to satisfy long-time fans, but different enough to make them seem fresh and attractive to new readers. Sigil #1 (of 4) Mike Carey & Leonard Kirk The first title to ship was Sigil , originally a science fiction title that saw a seasoned soldier partake in pulse-pounding galactic battle with his sentient spaceship.  The new Sigil wipes that slate clean, the only ties to that former title seemingly the symbol, or sigil, that the main character wears that ...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... The Complete Peanuts (Volume 15): 1979-1980 HC - The latest volume of Fantagraphics ' excellent Complete Peanuts reprint project dips into material from the 80's, and includes an introduction from Al Roker. Other Noteworthy Releases Age of X Universe #1 (of 2) Best of Dick Tracy (Volume 1) TP Chimo GN Dollhouse: Epitaphs One-Shot Fish Police (Volume 1) TP Godzilla: King of Monsters #1 James Patterson's Witch & Wizard (Volume 2): Operation Zero HC Jimmy Olsen #1 Kid K-OS (Volume 1): Agents of Doom GN Mome (Volume 21) GN Strange Tales II HC Superman: The Black Ring HC Tenken GN Vanguard Frazetta Classics (Volume 1): Johnny Comet HC Vanguard Frazetta Classics (Volume 2): White Indian HC

Jonathan Hickman & Steve Epting Fantastic Four relaunched this week as FF in wake of team member Human Torch's death, FF standing for Future Foundation, something that Hickman introduced earlier in his run on the series. The first issue of this new direction for the team continues the grieving process for the team, as seen through the eyes of Spider-Man, the latest person to join the Future Foundation. We see Ben's guilt for not being the one to have died in Johnny's place, Franklin's reluctance to enjoy things he otherwise would have, making it clear to Peter in an awkward scene that his uncle can not be replaced. The Human Torch's death certainly had to be addressed at the beginning of this series, but it really made for a downer of a first issue, although Hickman did interject a little action into the issue through a breakout attempt initiated by A.I.M. to bring one of the Fantastic Four's villains back into the picture. Also, there was a really neat ...

Many of you may not be aware that I write fiction, but my first YA novel, Twice Bitten has just become available through Barnes & Noble digitally for just $1.99!  It's a gay paranormal romance with the following official synopsis: Jesse Hartwick is a teen celebrity, recently out of the closet, and just beginning to take off as the next big thing in Hollywood. Distanced from his only family, Jesse puts his all into his career, leading a lonely life in the spotlight. Everything changes one day when he meets Kurt, a cute mysterious stranger who saves him from a mob of fans, beginning a romance that will change things forever, but is Jesse's celebrity status the only thing that Kurt is interested in? When Lane comes into the picture, it just confuses Jesse more, but he can hardly deny the strong feelings he has for him, especially since he didn't even know that Jesse was a celebrity when he met him, making him all the more appealing. Shortly after meeting these tw...

A little later than usual this month, here are some choice books from Previews Catalogue that I think may get overlooked or are just plain exciting to me, due in comic shops in May... Captain Britain (Volume 1): Birth of a Legend HC - Finally, the early adventures of Captain Britain are being collected in the US (for the first time), featuring talent such as Chris Claremont and John Buscema. Courtney Crumrin Tales #2: The League of Ordinary Gentlemen - Finally, Courtney Crumrin returns!!  This is a sequel to Portrait of the Warlock As a Young Man , featuring Uncle Aloysius. Jack Kirby Omnibus (Volume 1) Starring Green Arrow HC - Yep, collecting odds and ends from around the DC universe to headd to the Jack Kirby experience. Barks' Bear Book HC -  From Yoe! Books comes a collection of Carl Barks comedy series, collected for the first time, featuring a bear and a burro. Yeah! SC - Collecting a series that was a collaboration between Peter Bagge and Gilbert Hern...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... Stumptown (Volume 1) HC  - Stumptown was a mini-series published by Oni Press last year, from Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth.  It was kind of an overlooked title, but it wound up on several best-of-the-year lists for 2010, and deservedly so.  This is one of the best outputs from Greg Rucka period.   Stumptown features a witty protagonist in the fully-realized Private Investigator Dex, who doesn't have the best of luck, but is good at what she does.  If you missed it the first time around, pick up this collection. Other Noteworthy Releases Arctic Marauder HC Cardboard Valise GN FF #1 Finder Library (Volume 1) TP Invincible Ultimate Collection (Volume 6) HC New Character Parade GN Phoenix Without Ashes HC Savage Dragon: Emperor Dragon TP Showcase Presents: The Witching Hour (Volume 1) TP The Story of Lee (Volume 1) GN Thing Classic (Volume 1) TP

Goong: The Royal Palace (Volume 1) Park So Hee I just got back from C2E2, but I'll probably talk more about that later.  While I was in Chicago, I scored some good manga, and had enough down-time to squeeze in a manga for today.  Goong: The Royal Palace is a book I've been eyeing for awhile now, just because I love the elaborate clothing and backgrounds on the beautiful covers, and I couldn't resist picking up the first volume when I saw it on sale.  This title is actually manhwa, from Korean creator Park So Hee, and sees a sort of Cinderella story with a reluctant heroine.  It takes place in a parallel world, where the monarchy still thrives in Korea, when it actually ended a long time ago.  It's sort of a what-if that sees the royals living in the palaces of Korea, and treated like celebrities, with their own breed of paprazzi following them around, the media going crazy over every little incident.  Chae-Kyung is drawn into this world when she is chos...

Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops tomorrow... Ruse #1 (of 4) - Another book from Marvel's Crossgen imprint debuts this week, the first issue in a four issue mini-series.  This was one of Crossgen's best titles, a Victorian mystery, and former Crossgen creator Mark Waid is writing, with Mirco Pierfederici on pencils.  Also, note that another comic company's resurrection is taking place this week (and not just as an imprint), as many Atlas Comics make their debut this week, including Grim Ghost and Phoenix . Other Noteworthy Releases Classic Jurassic Park (Volume 2): Raptors' Revenge TP Deadpool Max: History of Violence #1 Grim Ghost #1 IZombie (Volume 1): Dead To the World TP Krazy & Ignatz 1912-1921: Benevolent Brick TP Phoenix #1 Sea Ghost #1: Sea Ghost In the Machine Spider #1 Suddenly Something Happened GN Xombi #1

Amnesia Labyrinth (Volume 1) Nagaru Tanigawa & Natsumi Kohane Souji Kushiki returns home from going to school afar to live with his family and attend high school with people he grew up with.  He's good at everything he does, from sports to his high grades to his popularity, and he definitely leaves an impression on the female population.  In fact when he left to go to high school elsewhere, he left plenty of broken hearts in his wake.  But not Sasai, a girl from his class who's pretty blunt (and proud) about not having had feelings for him.  She's a strong-headed young woman who's really persistent in getting Souji to help her with a murder investigation.  During the summer, three students from their high school have been murdered and she thinks with his wits, and his father who works for the police, she can help solve the case and find out why one of the students, whom she had a crush on, was murdered.  The only thing each victim had in co...

Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Tan Eng Huat & Timothy Green II I'm a pretty big fan of the cosmic stuff that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have done over the past few years at Marvel, particularly with Annihilation , War of Kings and Guardians of the Galaxy .  I was not a fan of The Thanos Imperative , which I dropped after giving it a few issues when it didn't click with me.  It appears quite a bit of stuff went down at the end of that series, since in the new mini-series Annihilators , we see that the Guardians of the Galaxy have either been killed or scattered across the universe, and a new team of mega heroes, consisting of powerful cosmic characters, have risen from the ashes of The Thanos Imperative to form a new team of heroes to stop any new threat to the universe before it reaches such a critical level.  And right from the first page of Annihilators , it's pretty clear that if you haven't kept up with the cosmic goings-on at Marvel, the story isn'...