New This Week: July 13, 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 is Banana Sunday from Oni Press. This all ages comic has talking monkeys and wonderful cartooning from Colleen Coover. How can you go wrong? You can't! Check out the online preview and see for yourself.

(Yeah yeah, I know, All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. Yes it's the biggest release of the week, if not of the year so far. But you already know if you're going to be getting it or not--you don't need me to tell you about it. Besides, I don't care how good you think Jim Lee can draw Batman, it can't compare to Colleen Coover drawing cute girls and talking monkeys!)


In other comics:

Alias have the second issue of Penny & Aggie. Yeah it's color reprints of the online strips, but if you haven't read those then it's all new for you.

Archie have a new issue of Sabrina (#68).

Dark Horse have the debut of the Serenity preview mini, a Too Much Coffee Man collection (How to be Happy), and a new issue of The Escapist (#7).

DC, in addition to the aforementioned All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #1, also have new issues of Action Comics (#829), Desolation Jones (#2), Fables (#39), JLA (#116), Majestic (#7), Rann/Thanagar War (#3), Seven Soldiers: Guardian (#3), and Wonder Woman (#218); plus a new Y, the Last Man collection (vol. 5: Ring of Truth.

Fantasgraphics have the special Shojo issue of The Comics Journal (#269).

Headless Shakespeare have the debut of the Xeric-winning The Brontes: Infernal Angria with art by Rick Geary.

IDW have the second issue of Angel: The Curse (didn't the first issue come out just a couple of weeks ago?)

Image have the debut of The Freshmen, a Small Gods Special, and new issues of Invincible (#24) and The Walking Dead (#20).

Marvel have new issues of Gravity (#2), New Thunderbolts (#10), and The Punisher (#23).

Too Hip Gotta Go have the debut issue of a new Wahoo Morris series.

Viper debut the Middleman mini.

W. W. Norton have Will Eisner's final graphic novel, The Plot.


As usual, comics for all tastes. And dude, don't forget: Talking Monkeys!

Cheap Manga Returns

DollarManga.com, the site which clearances out manga GNS from the company formerly known as ComicsOne, has returned (I previously blogged about them back in November). Most titles are available for $1, $2, or $3 (though some are higher). Crayon Shinchan for $1 each! Iron Wok Jan for $3 each! Crouching Tiger for $2 each! Shipping is $5 + $1/item, so for just one or two titles you won't save much, but if you order a lot you'll surely realize some substantial savings.

Quick GN Reviews

Sweaterweather
by Sara Varon

Sweaterweather is a collection of mostly wordless short stories about a bunch of little anthropomorphic animals (and a snowman) going about life in the city. Most of the stories take place during the cold months of late autumn to early spring, hence the title. It may not sound exciting, but the stories have a certain sweetness and Varon is an excellent storyteller. It many ways this comic reminds me of Andy Runton's Owly, although the stories in Sweaterweather have a bit more of an edge. Most of the book is in black and white (well, actually black and navy blue) but in the back there's a color section with cleaver paper dolls, stamps and postcards. This is a fun book that can be enjoyed by comic readers of all ages.
Rating: 4 (of 5)


Freaks of the Heartland
by Steve Niles and Greg Ruth

Several years ago in the small farming community of Gristlewood Valley, several gave birth to severly deformed--some would say unnatural--children. Some were killed, while others were locked away, living all of the existance in cellars or barns. Young Trevor knows that his younger brother Will is different, but he also knows that Will has a good heart and its not fair for Will to be locked away, never able to play in the sun. But this secret is eating away at the people of the valley, and when events build towards a violent head Trevor decides to break Will out and they make a run to escape the valley. Although there are monsters in the story (and not all of them are the deformed children) this isn't exactly a horror story; it falls into a traditio nof stories that I've always refered to as 'American Gothic'--tales of secrets and evil and things not quite right in small towns and rural communities. There is violence in Freaks of the Heartland, but it mostly occurs just off panel. Niles isn't going for shocks here, but rather trying to disturb. What really makes this work is the art of Ruth; detailed pen and ink drawings combine with the earthy computer color pallate to create an environment that evokes the warm heartland in which this disturbing tale is set. If you like your horror stories to be about events and characters and mood rather than blood and guts, you'll find Freaks of the Heartland quite to your liking.
Rating: 4 (of 5)