News, events, and information about Comix Experience and the Graphic Novel of the Month Clubs.
Wednesday is Christmas, therefore New Comics Day is THURSDAY this week. It's short, but sweet! Image's CRIMINAL #11 and the return of EAST OF WEST top the bill, but certainly there will also be love for Marvel's DR STRANGE #1, INCOMING #1, or SPIDER-HAM #1, and IDW's KILL LOCK looks interesting too. Fuller details under the cut! What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreIt is seriously the biggest shipment week of periodicals that I've seen in.... well, several years! So big I'm going to forgo the usual Reading of the Number Ones, and just point you to the list itself. You WILL find one or more comics to buy this week under the cut, by crikey! WHAT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU?
The first wave of huge-weeks-right-before-Christmas starts now (my pull list was 40% larger than usual!) with a massive incoming week! The winner of the Intriguing New Launches contest this week goes to DKR: THE GOLDEN CHILD, with RED MOTHER #1 close behind. And why not LUCY CLAIRE: REDEMPTION #1 behind that? On the Book side of the world, the huge winner must be HOUSE OF X / POWERS OF X in HC, but the "huger" winner goes to the treasury format version of SILVER SURFER: BLACK. Don't want a recent Marvel book? The pick up the KABUKI OMNIBUS for some yummy David Mack work. So so so so SO much more below the cut -- what looks good to you?
Read MoreIt is a pretty small week for new releases. Jonathan Luna's 20XX from Image looks like the most interesting of the batch. I also like the look of THE BUTCHER OF PARIS, and for that pop-culture crossover action you've got POWER RANGERS/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. On the book front, here's the softcover of Brubaker & Phillips' MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, a neat looking Gary Panter sketchbook WILDEST DREAM, and Pak & Milonogiannis' RONIN ISLAND. Lots more is coming out this week too -- all under the cut — what looks good to YOU?
Possibly the darkest set of first issues I've ever seen -- especially the week before Thanksgiving -- but you play the hand you're dealt, I suppose. The nicest looking debut is probably KILLADELPHIA, but I also know a ton of people crazy-excited for a new SPACE RIDERS, and also for HELLBLAZER #1. On the book side we're doing a bit lighter -- nice looking Auto bio in PLATE TECTONICS, or, mm, "classic action", maybe? with finally-in-print editions of SECTION ZERO or DOC FRANKENSTEIN. There's lots of other things, too, behind the jump -- what looks good to YOU?
Read MoreInteresting looking week, filled with many diverse things! I'm probably most excited about QUESTION: THE DEATHS OF VIC SAGE with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, but Maria Llovet's HEARTBEAT also looks keen, and does a new Umbrella Academy story with HAZEL & CHA CHA SAVE CHRISTMAS. On the book side, the clear winners are LITTLE BIRD (our December GN Club selection) and COURAGEOUS PRINCESS (our January Kids GNC pick!), and I also sense a fair amount of anticipation for the first trade of BLADE RUNNER 2019. SO much more under the jump: what looks good to YOU?
Read MoreA very fine and strong week of comics! My pick for the week will be FAR SECTOR by N.K. Jemisin & Jamal Campbell, with Brian K Vaughan & Marco Martin's LCSD WALKING DEAD (on sale on Saturday!) close behind. Plus Garth Ennis returns to PUNISHER: SOVIET? Yes please! On the book side of the universe, we've got THE HOUSE by Paco Roca in English *and* Spanish releases -- that is our Nov selection for the Graphic Novel of the Month Club (www.graphicnovelclub.com/start) -- and WONDER TWINS (Our, er, January selection), and for something not a club pick, let's go with the FIREFLY: STING original GN? Like I said, great week, and soooooo much more under the cut -- what looks good to you?
Read MoreWhat an outrageously interesting week of comic books! So many so, that we’re focusing exclusively on them this week! The big corporate book of the week is probably the relaunch of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, but many would also claim NEW MUTANTS (or maybe X-FORCE) claiming that. In the creator-owned vein, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY is the big book, but B.B. FREE also looks pretty great, and I am psyched to get DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN (nee THE WRONG EARTH) back on the shelf. And for a neat licensed comic, here’s more of THE MAGICIANS. See? No room for books, and I didn’t even mention the DC acetate covers, or…. well, there is a LOT under the jump. What looks good to YOU?!??!?
Read MoreIt's a fine looking week of pre-Halloween comics! The "Big book" is probably EXCALIBUR #1, but we're also looking forward to A BASKETFUL OF HEADS, and that PINK LEMONADE sure looks pretty interesting, no? On the book side is the imported Moebius book 40 DAYS SANS LA DESERT B, but it's chased closely by BLACK MAGE (We've got the Signing on Saturday), ooh and 260 pages of collected STREET ANGEL for $20? Count me in! So so much more under the jump — What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreNot a lot of big obvious hits this week, which leaves some more room for some smaller books. I am most excited by a new Gabrielle Bell in MY DOG IVY, but a new "jumping on" point for KAIJUMAX SEASON 5 is always welcome. COUNT CROWLEY, RELUCTANT MONSTER HUNTER has a nice cover, and I thought MONEY SHOT was a good giggle. And we have the first real post-HoX/PoX test with MARAUDERS #1. On the book side, I think everyone should own at least one classic Lee/Kirby story, so maybe BEHOLD GALACTUS is the one? Otherwise, I thought that the Chip Zdarsky SPIDER-MAN LIFE STORY was a fine read. Much more under the cut — what looks good to you?
Read MoreThe main periodical this week has to be the launch of the ongoing X-MEN #1 by Hickman -- how many folks will continue to follow the post-HoX/PoX material? But I'm just as excited for SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN as well as MARKED from Image. On the book side, I think the big excitement for several people is CRITICAL ROLE v1, while we also can spotlight local artist Ken Garing and GOGOR, and who doesn't love a new issue of MAD? Much more under the cut! What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreA week a bit light on the book format material, so we'll lean on periodicals to spotlight here at the top. I am most excited by a new Craig (BLANKETS) Thompson comic -- GINSENG ROOTS #1, but the book most of comics will be talking about is probably the wrap up of Hickman's X-Men mini series with POWERS OF X #6. On the DC side, THE AUTHORITY team of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch bring you THE BATMAN'S GRAVE #1, and there's also a post-movie JOKER comic by John Carpenter (!). I also like the title of SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE LIQUIDATED, but then I work retail. In the book corner, I think the most exciting thing is Gilbert Hernandez's MARIA M finally completing. SO much more under the cut — What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreInterestingly-shaped week of comics this time, with the big lead comic being Matt and Brennan Wagner's GRENDEL: DEVIL'S ODYSSEY #1. Then Gail Simone tries to fix the Lion Forge superhero universe with CATALYST PRIME: SEVEN DAYS #1, while Charlie Adlard rolls on to his next post-WALKING DEAD project with VAMPIRE STATE BUILDING. Speaking of TWD, the fourth and final WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM ships this week, along with the last volume of THE WICKED & THE DIVINE, and for those long-time waiters, the HC collection of the first year of IMMORTAL HULK. And there is a TON more under the jump! What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreSorry I missed last week's post, but we're back with a giant list of diverse comics! From the periodicals, the big book is probably HARLEEN #1, but I also have an eye on SFSX #1 and, oof, Sienkiewicz returning to NEW MUTANTS: WAR CHILDREN. On the book side, the clear winner is the Jillian Tamaki edited BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2019, followed closely by the final PAPER GIRLS volume, and for the younger THE SECRET SPIRAL OF SWAMP KID. All-in-all a PACKED week of funny books! So much more under the jump — what looks good to YOU?
Read MoreOddly shaped week. Usually I recommend three new debuts, but it was really hard this time -- two of those are essentially just re-numberings of older series they are trying to spike numbers higher on. First, the epilogue to Jason Aaron's run with KING THOR, followed by the return of TREES: THREE FATES, and finally, I haven't read it, but the cover art of VAMP from Mythos Press looked nice. On the book front, the clear front-runner is FREE SHIT by Charles Burns, but I also like the look of ONCE UPON A TIME IN FRANCE which won "best series" at Angoulême. Bringing up the back? A high-end version of UMBRELLA ACADEMY, oversized and with extras. So much more under the cut! What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreNot as big as last week, but this is still a pretty titanic ship week with things like DOOMSDAY CLOCK and SPAWN #300. For new launches, we're pretty excited about the return of PRETTY DEADLY, for the launch of SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN and for the return of the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES MILLENNIUM. On the book side, absolutely every human should read the new version of THE NAO OF BROWN, while people also seem excited about BATMAN: DAMNED, and we like the classic reprints of MS TREE! Much much more after the jump — What looks good to YOU?
Read MoreI just realized I forgot to link to these recent columns published at the Beat — I’ve been writing about retailing comics for the better part of three decades, and here are the most recent additions!
TILTING #275: Discussing how the “Direct Market” is changing in light of more graphic novels being distributed by “real book” distributors. Read it here!
TILTING #276: Why weekly-produced periodical comics really suck — even when they succeed! Read it here!
GNC members Rusteen Honardoost & Nicole McKeon did a pretty amazing ranking of how THEY liked the first fifty selections of the Graphic Novel Club. My list would look different than theirs, but that’s the fun of it! Go and read thier breakdown over at Medium!
The last two weeks were on the smaller side, but this week is ABSOLUTELY PACKED WITH COMICY GOODNESS! For comic debuts worth your eyes, I'd lean towards BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as BUFFY: CHOSEN ONES and MARVEL COMICS #1000, while on the book side, HARLEY QUINN: BREAKING GLASS is probably the big book, while others might think the HC of BATMAN WHO LAUGHS wins that nod. I also think GREASE BATS looks intriguing. But what looks good to YOU? Check under the jump for SO many more comics!
Read MoreInteresting week of funny books! On the comics side, I think the best-looking debut is ADVENTURE FINDERS, with MARVEL ACTION CAPTAIN MARVEL and STRAYED not far behind. On the book side the clear winner is the SAGA COMPENDIUM v1 (the *first half* for $60? Wow!), but that cover on MAD MAGAZINE is close behind. Oooh, and DEBIAN PERL, DIGITAL DETECTIVE is actually our kids GN club pick for September, so hooray for that! TONS more under the jump! What looks good to YOU?
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