New This Week: June 2, 2005

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 tomorrow:


The Pick of the Week this week is a no-brainer: We3, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, was one of my picks for the best comics of 2004. This week the collected edition comes out, and you should buy it as quick as quick can.


In other comics:

AD Vision has the second volume of the satirical manga Cromartie High School.

Dark Horse has the final issue of Concrete: Human Dilema (#6).

DC has a Who Is Donna Troy? trade, collecting several Teen Titans stories relating to the ex-Wonder Girl, including the wedding issue (Tales of the Teen Titans #50) and "Who is Wonder Girl?" (from The New Teen Titans #38) which is imho the best Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson story ever written. All stories by Marv Wolfman & George Perez at the height of their partnership. They also have new issues of Detective Comics (#807), Firestorm (#14), The Intimates (#8), JSA (#74), Seven Soldiers: Zatana (#2), Superman (#218), Superman/Batman (#20), Swamp Thing (#16), Villains United (#2), and Y, the Last Man (#34).

Del Ray has the fifth volume of Clamp's xXxHOLiC.

I Box has a new issue of Thieves & Kings (#46).

Illusive Arts has the third issue of Dorothy.

Image has new issues of Invincible (#23), Mora (#3), Noble Causes (#10), and The Walking Dead (#19).

King Hell has a new edition of Rick Veitch's The Maximortal collection.

Marvel debuts their big summer event comic, The Mouse of H, plus a new issue of Incredible Hulk (#82--didn't #81 come out just last week?) and a trade collection of Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale's Hulk: Gray.

Oni has a new collection of Chynna Clugston's Blue Monday: Painted Moon.

Puffin releases three of their kid-targeted manga-sized new adaptations of classic literature: Red Badge of Courage, Frankenstein, and Black Beauty. That last one, adapted by June Brigman, could be the sleeper hit of the year...

Random House has a softcover collection of Birth of a Nation by Reginald Hudlin, Aaron McGruder & Kyle Baker.

Viz has the eigth volume of Banana Fish and the eleventh volume of the reissued Maison Ikkoku.


There's a lot of good stuff this week, so there's no excuse for coming home without something to read!

Free Comic Book Linkage

Feeling a Free Comic Book withdrawl? Fear not--on the Internet, there are always chances to win free comics!

Brian K. Vaughan wants you to read good non-super-hero comics; so much so that he may buy graphic novels for you via Amazon if you put certain things in your wishlist. Check out this forum post for the details. (link via rampage)

Laura Gjovaag wants you to donate to breast cancer research; so much so that for every $15 you pledge for her in the Seattle Breast Cancer walkathon she'll give you a chance at winning a bunch of cool comic swag. Check out her blog for the details.

Quick GN Reviews

2 Sisters: A Super-Spy Graphic Novel
by Matt Kindt
It seems unlikely that such a large tome (334 pages!) cold somehow fly under my radar, but 2 Sisters went unnoticed by me until I saw it on the shelf at the library. What I found was an excellent work of WWII-era spy fiction. Kindt tells the story of Elle, an young woman from the English countryside who by circunstance finds herself spying against the axis powers in the midst of the war. Through flashbacks, we get a look at Elle's upbringing, as well as brief glimpses into the backgrounds of other people she meets, and it all ties in somehow with ancient Greece and 19th-century pirates (though I won't ruin the story by telling you how). It's a taut thriller, and Kindt pulls out some nifty graphical storytelling techniques as well to visualize the hidden and unseen world of spycraft. He also shows a mastery of pacing, moving the reader along at just the right pace, pausing for flashbacks that can be either slow and melancholy or breif clips depending on the mood. If you want a glimpse at what the future of mainstream comics could be, look not to the latest super-hero mega-crossover, but instead pick up a copy of 2 Sisters.
Rating: 4 (of 5)


Spooked
by Antony Johnston & Ross Campbell
Emily Spook is gaining attention in the indy art world for her inspired yet disturbing paintings. Trouble is she only gets inspired when she's being possessed by ghosts. Her latest passenger is Simon, a recently deceased member of a secret mystical cult, and he wants the embodied Emily to help him make contact with his former mystic friends. You can pretty much guess where the plot is going to go and there are few surprises, but the characterizations are interesting and it's all wrapped up in some very nice moody art by Campbell, who shows quite a flair for inky gothic imagery and moves the story along with a palatte of well-placed blacks. Definitley worth a read if you're in the mood for a modern-day gothic mystery.
Rating: 3 (of 5)