Christmas Covers - December 1

It's time once again for our annual Christmas Covers event: twenty-five more comic covers with a holiday theme, in our little virtual comic book advent calendar.

Hover over the image to reveal today's cover, and click on it to see the larger-sized version.

This year's first Christmas Cover is Carlo Barberi's cover to last year's Justice League Unlimited #16.

Come back tomorrow, and every day this month, for a new Christmas cover.

Just 24 more 'get-ups' until Santa!

(2005: Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #3)
(2004: Limited Collectors' Edition #C-34)
(Polite Dissent's 2006 Comic Book Cover Advent Calendar)

David Hahn Loves Mary Jane

Mercury Studios has the word that YACB-fave artist David Hahn will be the new regular artist on Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane as of issue #16. We were quite sad when we first heard that long-time Mary Jane artist Takashi Miyazawa was leaving the title, but we're now rather happy that Hahn has gotten the gig. Though his style is a bit different than Miyazawa's, I think that Hahn will make for a great match with Sean McKeever's stories.

YAMR: Christmas 2006

December is upon us, and that means it's Christmas time here at YACB!

To kick things off, it's our Annual Christmas Spectacular on Yet Another Music Radio. I've got the entire 2006 Christmas mix, plus the 2003 mix and the 2000 mix.

Tune in to hear over 100 songs by such artists as:

Adrienne Pierce, Aimee Mann, Alan Jackson, Ali Lohan, Alison Krauss, Aly & AJ, Ashanti, Asleep at the Wheel, Audio Adrenaline, Audra, Barenaked Ladies, BarlowGirl, Bianca Ryan, Billy Dean, Blondfire, Brad Paisley, Bruce Robison, c. basinet, Caedmon's Call, Carly Simon, Chasing Furies, Chely Wright, Chris Rice, Cindy Morgan, Coldplay, David Benoit & Take 6, Deana Carter, Dido, Elizabeth Elmore, Emily Richards, Enya, Erin Alden, Erin O'Donnell, Faith Hill, FFH, First Call, Five Iron Frenzy, Fountains of Wayne, Heyley Westenra, Hilary Duff, Hillsong, Iain Archer, Israel & New Breed, James Taylor, Jane Monheit, Jars of Clay, Jeff Black, Jesse Colin Young, Jewel, Jim Brickman & Kristy Starling, Joan Orborne, John Legend, Jump5, Keb' Mo', Kelly Willis, Kimberly Locke, Kutless, Laura Allan, Leigh Nash, Linda Rutherford & Celtic Fire, Lisa Ono, Liz Phair, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mary Karlzen, MercyMe, Michelle Malone, Miga, Mindy Wade, The Moody Blues, Natalie Grant, The Normals, The Nylons, Paul Overstreet, Pierce Pettis, Point of Grace, Rebecca St. James, Relient K, Rhonda Vincent, Rockapella, Sara Groves, Sarah Masen, Sarah McLachlan, Selah, Shawn Colvin, SHeDAISY, Sixpence None the Richer, Sonicflood, Starfield, Sufjan Stevens, Sugar Ray, Susan Graham White, Suzy Bogguss & Delbert McClinton, Third Day, Tift Merritt, TRALALA, Trifolkal, Venus Hum, Viva Voce, Vonda Shepard, ZOEgirl.

That's six and a half hours of Holiday Cheer for you this December. Please enjoy!

(Later today we'll continue the festivities with the kick off of our daily Christmas Covers feature; and later in the month will be the Third Annual CBLDF Fund Drive.)

Review: Wings

Wings
by Shinsuke Tanaka
Purple Bear Books, $14.95

There's just one word for Shinsuke Tanaka's silent manga Wings: adorable.

A farmer riding his bike finds a puppy abandoned in a box by the side of the road. But this is no ordinary puppy: he has wings! Farmer takes the puppy home, puppy grows up into a flying dog. Various adventures are had, some humorous, some harrowing.

There are no words in Wings; the story is completely carried by Tanaka's excellent artwork, done entirely in grayscale pencil. Quiet scenes, exciting flying scenes, and everything in between works. At an average of about one panel per page (some have two, otehres are 2-page spreads) it reads quickly. Some may bristle at paying $15 for a 5-10 min. read; but this resembles a good hardcover picture book as much as it does a graphic novel, and in that company it's not too expensive at all. Wings will also appeal to fans of Owly (though I'd say that Wings is more sophisticated).

If you're looking for a charming, delightful manga that's quite different from the norm, give Wings a look.

Rating: 4 (0f 5)

New This Week: November 29, 2006

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 the collected edition (plus new material!) of Rob Walton's Ragmop. It's a political/religious/science satire with conspiracy theories, talking dinosaurs, and Richard Feynman, all done in a style like Chuck Jones-era Warner Bros. cartoons. If that sounds interesting to you at all, you'll want to fork over the $30 for this large (464 pages!) collection.


In other comics:

Boom! have the final issue of Talent (#4) and the first issue of the reimagined Whisper.

Carroll & Graf have the Mammoth Book of Best New Manga.

Dark Horse have the Dark Horse Book of Monsters anthology, and a new Goon collection: vol. 5, Wicked Inclinations.

DC have the Batman/The Spirit crossover; a fourth Ex Machina collection; the first issue of Howard Chaykin's Guy Gardner mini; and new issues of 52 (week 30) and Batman (#659).

Drawn & Quarterly have a new volume of Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library.

Fantagraphics have a new issue of Castle Waiting (#3), and a new Comics Journal too (#279).

Image have new issues of The Emissary (#6) and Negative Burn (#6), plus the sixth Noble Causes collection. (hmmm, 6-6-6...)

Marvel collect the Barracuda story from Punisher Max; and have new issues of Captain America (#24), Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (#14), Nextwave (#10), Powers (#21), Punisher (#41), and Ultimate Power (#2).

TokyoPop have the sixth volume of Beck.


Enjoy your new comics!

New Library Comics: Week of November 20, 2006

Here are the comics we added to our library collection last week:


Bieri, Sean. Jumbo jape : a massive miniature collection one full decade in the making! : thrill to these comical masterworks /Hamtramck, Mich. : Sean Bieri, c2003.

Bieri, Sean. Overtime for business chimp /Hamtramck, Mich. : Sean Bieri, [200-?]

Boiled owl /[San Francisco] : [Boiled Owl], [1977?]

Broersma, Matt. Insomnia /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books ; [Bologna, Italy?] : Coconino Press, c2005- no. 2

Campbell, J. Chris. Quitter /Greenville, SC : Wide Awake Press, c2003.

Cater, Donovan. Chucky : a 24 hour comic /Eastland, Muskegon, Mich. : Powernut Comics, c2004.

Cater, Donovan. Reg Maximum : inter-galactic real estate agent : a 24 hour comic /Muskegon, Mich. : Donovan Cater, [2005]

Cicerone, Michelangelo. Ozone Jones comics /[Dearborn, Mich.?] : M. Cicerone, c2003.

Espinosa, Rod. The courageous princess /San Antonio, Tex. : Antartic Press, 2000- vols. 2-3

Frost, Sean. A yearly treat /Manchester, MI : Hula Cat Comics, c2004.

Hiti, Samuel. The gallows noose /United States : La Luz Comics, c2004.

Miller, Jordan. Vikings are the new pirates /Ann Arbor, Mich. : Vikings Are the New Pirates, c2006.

Rebecca. Housewives and hot moms at play /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 2002.

Speed tunnel. /[United States?] : [s.n.], [200-?]

Starr, Chelsea. Weird Bob /S[an] F[rancisco] : Kapow!, c2001.

Dave Cockrum, 1943-2006

As most of you have no doubt already read on other blogs, Dave Cockrum passed away over the weekend. (Tom Spurgeon unsurprisingly has the best rundown of his career.)

Most will remember Cockrum as the co-creator of the "All-New, All-Different X-Men," but I'll always best remember his work on the 70s-era Legion of Super-Heroes, and especially those funky costumes--why wouldn't teenage super-heroes of the future run around in their swimsuits? He also drew one of the greatest super-hero weddings ever, that of Bouncing Boy & Duo Damsel.