New This Week: January 31, 2007

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop later today:


The Pick of the Week is Richard Sala's new graphic novella, The Grave Robber's Daughter, from Fantagraphics. Sala's stories are nearly always fun-spooky, and worth both your $$$ and your reading time.


In other comics:


Asbtract have the latest Strangers in Paradise (#87)

Antarctic bring the GD love with three comics: Gold Digger #81, GD Sourcebook #2, and Gold Digger 15 Year Anniversary Special #2. There are also new issues of Ninja High School (#146) and Dinowars (#2).

Archie have a new issue of Sabrina (#82).

Dark Horse have the 100th issue of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo.

DC have the 5th collection of Grant Morrison's classic Doom Patrol, and well as the final volume of Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory (vol. 4). There are also new issues of 52 (week 39), Blue Beetle (#11), Ex Machina (#26), Hawkgirl (#60), Jack of Fables (#7), and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (#7).

Image have new issues of Elephentmen (#6), Negative Burn (#8), and The Walking Dead (#34).

Marvel have the third collection of Whedon & Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men; a collection of the very fun Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire Defenders; and new issues of Daredevil (#93) & Kabuki (#8).

Meisha Merlin have the second collection of Robert Asprin & Phil Foglio's Myth Adventures.

Plus Del Rey, TokyoPop & Viz all have tons of manga volumes dropping this week. I know that Diamond doesn't care about the manga that much, but couldn't they try a little to spread things out a bit more?

Cliff Chiang Totally Rules

Cliff Chiang Totally Rules



That is all
 

New Library Comics: Week of January 22, 2007

Here's a list of the comics we added to our library collection last week:



Amano, Shiro. Kingdom hearts /Los Angeles, CA : Tokyopop, 2005-2006. vols. 2-3

Attitude 3 : the new subversive online cartoonists /New York : Nantier, Beall, Minoustchine, c2006.

Bernet, Jordi. The best of Jordi Bernet's Clara /San Francisco, CA : Big Wow Art and Auad Publishing, 2006.

Busch, H. The adventures of Edgar Mudd and Elaine /[Port St. Luci, FL] : Wet Earth, 2001- vols. 1-2

Calt, Stephen. R. Crumb's heroes of blues, jazz, & country /New York : Abrams, 2006.

Castells, Ricard, 1955- Poco /Madrid : Sinsentido, c1999- vol. 2

Cordoba, Sergio. Malas tierras /Bilbao : Astiberri, 2004- vol. 2

Crane, Jordan, 1973- The last lonely Saturday /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, c2000.

Crumb, R. The sweeter side of R. Crumb : being a delightful collection of adorable heart-warming and lovingly rendered drawings which, I promise, will not make you feel threatened in any way, and will put you in a state of warm and fuzzy and cuddly towards the artist and life in general. /London : MQ, c2006.

Dimona. /[Tel-Aviv : Dimona Comix Group, 2003-] vol. 3

Duran, Luis. Antoine de las tormentas /[Spain?] : Astiberri Ediciones, [2003?]

Gaiman, Neil. The absolute sandman /New York : DC Comics, 2006- vol. 1

Garcia, Camille Rose, 1970- The magic bottle /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, 2006.

Gerber, Steve, 1947- Hard time : 50 to life /New York, NY : DC Comics, c2004.

Griffith, Bill, 1944- Are we having fun yet? : Zippy the Pinhead's 29 day guide to random activities and arbitrary donuts /Seattle : Fantagraphics Books, 1994.

Henderson, Sam. Magic whistle /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, 1998- vol. 2 no. 10

Hickee /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, [2003]- vol. 3 nos. 1-2

Howard, Josh. Josh Howard's Dead@17 : The complete first series /Dallas, TX : Viper Comics, c2004- vol. 1

Inguine mah!gazine. /Roma : Coniglio editore, 2003- no. 3

Ito, Junji. Museum of terror /Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse, 2006- vol. 3

Kotegawa, Yua. Line /Houston, Tex. : ADV Manga, 2006.

Kramers ergot. /Corte Madera, Calif. : Gingko Press, 1999- vol. 6

Lanza en astillero : el caballero don Quijote y otras sus tristes figuras /Toledo : Junta de Castilla-La Mancha, c2005.

Max. Espiasuenos ; Chasseur de Reves ; Dream Spy (1973-2003) /Barcelona : La Cupula, Ediciones, c2003.

Meathaus. /New York, N.Y. : Meathaus Press, [2000- no. 8

Millionaire, Tony. Premillennial Maakies : the first five years /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, 2006.

Odgers, Chris. Mule /Cornwall, Great Britain : Sawhorse Books, 2005.

Remender, Rick. Black heart Billy /San Francisco, CA : AIT/Planetlar, 2002.

Rubber frame. Strips, toons, and bluesies : essays in comics and culture /New York : Princeton Architectural Press ; St. Louis : Washington University, [2006], c2004.

Stathis, Pete. Evenfall /San Jose, CA : SLG Pub., 2004- vol. 1

Takahashi, Rumiko, 1957- Ranma 1/2 /San Francisco, CA : Viz Communications, c2003- vol. 36

Tezuka, Osamu, 1928-1989. Ode to Kirihito /New York : Vertical, c2006.

Tomine, Adrian, 1974- Optic nerve. /Montreal, Que. : Drawn & Quarterly Publications, 1995- nos. 2, 4, 8-10

Vance, Steve. Simpsons comics extravaganza /New York : HarperPerennial, c1994.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Beefcake and bones on Alfredo Alcala's 1976 cover to Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #9!

(Standard disclaimer about damn dirty gun-toting apes not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

"Why Aren't You Ladies Reading Supergirl?!"

Perhaps the most funny/sad thing I've read in a while is this week's DC Nation. In it, editor Eddie Berganza implores female readers to please please please read the current Supergirl comic.

I can understand why Berganza would be worried. Once one of DC's top selling titles, sales on Supergirl have recently begun to plummet. This corresponds with a perceived change in direction for the title, with Berganza, writer Joe Kelly, artist Ian Churchill, and asst. editor Jeanine Schaefer trying to make Supergirl more girl-friendly. But their plans seem to be backfiring, as apparently many of those previously buying the title are leaving.

If Berganza & DC are serious about creating a Supergirl comic that appeals to females, they need to completely change direction. A good start would be hiring the team behind the "Supergirl Adventures" issue of Superman Adventures: Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, & Brett Blevins. (Actually, a good artist capable of an animated and/or manga-influenced style would be perfect if Blevins isn't available.) They must also be prepared for the book to sell far less in the direct market, more in the realm of a Johnny DC book. Because most of the fanboys who bought the early issues won't buy it, and most of the ladies will prefer to buy it in bookstores.

If DC wants a Supergirl comic that appeals to teenage boys (and creepy middle-aged men...) then fine. But don't expect the same comic to appeal to female readers in any great number.

Monkeys in Space!

Oni's James Lucas Jones sent along this promotional piece for James Vining's upcoming First in Space GN:




Normally I don't post such blatant ads, but how can I resist monkeys in space?

Yet Another Music Moment: Best of Bootie

I'm a casual fan of the mash-ups; I don't care enough to go seeking out the latest, but I enjoy a clever bootleg mash-up when I come across it.

If you're like me then, you'll want to DL the Best of Bootie 2006, a compilation of 21 mash-ups from the past year (+10 bonus mash-ups). As with all mash-ups your mileage may vary, but for my taste they're an interesting batch. My favorite is the Chemical Brothers vs. Velvet Underground vs. U2 vs. Sugababes vs. MARRS track "Don't Hold Back, Sweet Jane."

(via Digital Music Weblog)