64-page full-color 9" x 12.5" hardcover • $18.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-320-0
Last week at Comics Alliance Douglas Wolk wrote "I don't know whether this handsome translated-from-the-French hardcover, the first of a three-volume series, owes parts of its aesthetic directly to Charles Burns' 'Black Hole' or whether creators Mezzo & Pirus are just coming from a similar dark place, but what I've seen so far looks pretty great — a totally creepy, coolly rendered set of linked stories about adolescents, drugs, sex and half-unreal violence." Also last week, J. Caleb Mozzocco described the artwork as "incredible."
144-page two-color 7.5" x 9" softcover • $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-321-7
Comics Comics' Joe McCulloch describes it as "a young woman rides with death herself." At Robot 6 Chris Mautner calls it a "horror-tinged, modern update on the Celtic Banshee myth. Lots of kinky sex and blood in this one. If you need the incentive."
120-page color/b&w 7" x 9" softcover • $14.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-302-6
At Comics Comics Joe McCulloch says "Fantagraphics’ house anthology continues to circle the atmosphere tonally." Robot 6's Chris Mautner says it contains "the usual amount of snazzy high-brow tales..."
As you know we have plentiful previews, more reviews and other information at the links above, so there's no excuse not to know what you're getting when you head to your local shop (after confirming availability first, of course).
416-page two-color 5.75" x 5.75" hardcover • $22.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-314-9
Being the second and final installment of the hilarious and humiliating adventures of high school misfit Tammy Pierce. In their weekly recommendations new Comics Comics correspondent Joe McCulloch admits "I didn’t read the first one, but it seems to have been well-received for its gangling verisimilitude" and Robot 6's Chris Mautner calls it "Poignant, cringe-inducing comics, to be sure."
Catch up with more info and extensive previews here, and verify availability with your local shop.
304-page black & white/duotone 6.5" x 8.75" hardcover • $24.99 ISBN: 978-1-60699-315-6
Douglas Wolk recommends it at Comics Alliance: "A $25 collection of four early books by the dry-witted Norwegian cartoonist Jason, involving animal-faced people, Frankenstein, true love, and Earth being overtaken by zombies..." Newsarama says "This should look fine sitting next to Low Moon on a bookshelf." (Yes it does.) Jog says it contains Jason's "secret masterpiece, You Can't Get There from Here, a beautifully paced, quietly experimental slash of emotional agony by way of vintage Frankenstein imagery, and my choice for best comic of 2004" and calls it "A good overall sampler of an excellent stylist in the mature form..." Robot 6's Chris Mautner says "as the title suggests these are mostly wordless stories, apart from the occasional word balloon. They're also all very good and if you haven't had a chance to encounter Jason's work yet this is a fine place to do so," which is so nice we can forgive them for using the preliminary cover art.
UPDATE: I shoulda checked Twitter before posting this! Meltdown Comics made it a pick of the week, Atomic Books didn't get theirs yet, and UGO blurbed it: "Pretty decent week for books, folks, and I say that just because I'm psyched for the Jason collection from Fantagraphics... he works magic."
We're a bit late with this update but perhaps your comics will be too, due to East Coast Snowpocalypse '010? It's a big day for Fantagraphics releases at comic shops across the land today, with the following titles scheduled to ship:
Newsarama calls it "adorably dark — or perhaps darkly adorable," Robot 6's Chris Mautner asserts "If you like the Our Gang comics or Archie or the general 'kids pal around, go on adventures and make each other miserable' type of comic, chances are you'll really like this," The Stranger's Paul Constant called it "a doozy of a book," somebody at Austin Books & Comics "is raving about the latest @fantagraphics 'Yikes' collection. Something about most warped kids since Garbage Pail Kids" and webcomic character Lydia Park declares "Weissman is a genius."
Most importantly, Steven says "When you get yours, post a pic to YIKES! friendship and we'll mail you a FREE GIFT!" It's for real!
Robot 6's Chris Mautner declares "See Dennis bother the barber! Pester the construction workers! Annoy Margaret! Confuse Joey! And generally drive Mr. Wilson and his parents up a frickin' wall. All in the name of fun. And adorableness."
Robot 6's Chris Mautner again: "I'm a sucker for discovering unexplored corners of comics history, and this collection of mini-comics from the Reagan era... seems to do just that." The Comics Reporter's Tom Spurgeon says "A really good book and quite effective as raw" and then forgets to finish his sentence but be sure to read his full rave review. Jog predicts "the real fun will likely be in editor Michael Dowers' selection -- honed in on life signs of the older 'underground' period -- of now-obscure period talents..." There's also a nice plug from Gosh! Comics.
All right, your local shop can let you know if they got 'em (or order 'em for you if they didn't) and of course you can get your fill of previews and info at the links above.
The Comics Reporter says: "A boon for fans of a certain kind of energetic, restless, profane comic book making — for the rest of us it's an exquisitely curated, controlled visit to that particular comics world." Jog calls it "a distinctly old-fashioned scattershot alternative comics production" and "a louder, more comedic, more visually-driven" sibling to Mome.
We're kicking off 2010 right with the following books scheduled to arrive at comics shops across the nation this week:
The Troublemakers by Gilbert Hernandez — Newsarama says "Girls! Guns! Gilbert Hernandez!" Jog says "Oh shit, here's how you start 2010 off right." Robot 6 says "it's very hard to imagine this not being fantastic." It's the second of the "Fritz filmography" series of standalone graphic novels. Pulpy goodness!
The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D. by Dash Shaw — by some accounts this was at some shops a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn't on the official list until now. The companion to the breathlessly-received IFC.com animated shorts, with Shaw's wildly inventive Mome short stories and more, all in a cleverly designed hardcover. Jog says "Definitely flip through this one; Shaw's fleshy, emotive, color-seared approach isn't quite like anyone else's." Robot 6 says "This is really stellar work overall and just underscores why Shaw is one of the more notable new cartoonists."
As always, we recommend poring over our previews, reviews and other info at the links above and touching base with your local shop to confirm availability.
As most Wednesday Warriors are aware, this is a bye week in the Diamond Comics shipping schedule, so no new comics from us or other publishers distributed by Diamond will be arriving in shops. Some enterprising folks have declared this Indy Comic Book Week, seizing the opportunity to promote independent, local, and small press publishers and creators. While we won't be participating directly, by gosh do we ever support this effort in spirit, so visit the website for the list of participating shops and more information, and go support the independent spirit with your wallet — Fantagraphics readers tend to be the adventurous sort, and you never know what you might discover.
It's not on the official Diamond Comics Distributors shipping list for this week, but many sources (including but not limited to, um, our own publicity department) are reporting that The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D. by Dash Shaw is also arriving in comic shops this week. We usually recommend checking with your local shop to confirm availability, but especially so in this case.
Gahan Wilson: Fifty Years of Playboy Cartoons (Collectors Edition) — just when you thought this collection couldn't get more deluxe! Includes an exclusive signed glow-in-the-dark letterpress print and a nifty box of facsimile Christmas cards Gahan sent to Hef, never before reprinted (not pictured).
The Great Anti-War Cartoons — A stunning collection from editor Craig Yoe. Newsarama calls its arrival "quite welcome."
Sublife Vol. 2 by John Pham — Newsarama says "do yourself a favor and check it out (and be sure to stroke the back cover)"... that's good advice!
Peruse plenty of previews at the preceding links prior to patronizing your preferred purveyor and purchasing these pretty publications. Pow!
Arriving in comics shops across the USA this week:
Gahan Wilson: Fifty Years of Playboy Cartoons. 3 volumes. Deluxe presentation. 11 pounds. The ultimate holiday gift for any lover of good cartooning. Chris Mautner of Robot 6 makes it his Pick of the Week and says "I've been perusing the thing over the past week and it's really a sumptuous package, exquisitely designed and full of great, great work from one of the finest (and sadly, often ignored) cartoonists of the modern era." Jog sums it up more succinctly: "I mean, c'mon." Couldn't have said it better myself.
The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion. The title says it all. Chris Mautner says Val fans will "go ga-ga for this book." Due to distribution vagaries, only the hardcover edition arrives this week, with the softcover to follow shortly.
And last but not least two freshly reprinted volumes of The Complete Crumb Comics.Vol. 7: "Hot 'n' Heavy!" features several Mr. Natural tales and some of Crumb's wildest sex comix and much more; and Vol. 12: "We're Livin' in the Lap o' Luxury!" spotlights Crumb's American Splendor collaborations with Harvey Pekar (as seen in the movie) and other diverse works. Classics!
As always we have informative and entertaining previews and other information about these books at the links above, so you can look before you leap.
