We’ve included the review of DARK RAIN this week because it was so long since the hardcover. Same goes for the BLANKETS actually, which Mark reviewed however many years ago it was! Check out either link at the end to read it with sexy new cover and interior art, then check out the link right at the end of this blog for news on Craig Thompson’s HABABI.
Blankets new edition (£22-50 s/c, £29-99 h/c, Top Shelf) by Craig Thompson –
Growing up in the Wisconsin countryside, Craig and his brother seem to be the only friends for each other but even then Craig, the older one, doesn’t keep his sibling safe as he should. The father is overbearing, occasionally violent and when the winter is around them the only sanctuary they have is a blank sheet of paper for their imaginations to go wild on. College and Christian winter camp prove to be problematic; Craig is too weak a flower amongst the sports-heads but there’s a chink of light in the form of Raina, a poet who turns to be his muse.
The art is just stunning. He’s studied Will Eisner and pushed it a little further, at times reminding me of a looser version of David B.’s THE EPILEPTIC with all the fantastic metaphors coming to the surface and interacting with the characters. The blankets turn up as physical objects (the one the brothers sleep under, a gift from Raina, the snow that obliterates the landscape) and as the safety of religion, family and love.
A few pull quotes for you:
“I thought it was moving, tender, beautifully drawn, painfully honest, and probably the most important graphic novel since JIMMY CORRIGAN.” – Neil Gaiman
“Blankets officially confirms Craig Thompson’s place in the world of graphic novels as one of the true greats.” – Brian Michael Bendis
“In this book, Craig Thompson emerges as a young comics master. In the purest narrative form he tells a highly charged personal story, crammed with pain, discovery, hi-jinx, penance, religious conviction and its loss … and along comes self-loathing. In this story of family and first love, that which goes awry in life, goes well as art. Mr. Thompson is slyly self-effacing as he bowls us over with his mix of skills. His expert blending of words and pictures and resonant silences makes for a transcendent kind of story-telling that grabs you as you read it and stays with you after you put it down. I’d call that literature.” – Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-Winner
“Craig has documented his youth in the most honest of ways. Not too warm and fuzzy nor too harsh and cold, showing us the insecurities of growing up in what is often a strange and sometimes painful world. The perfect marriage of words and pictures. It’s as if Francios Truffaut had written and drawn his own comic with the artistry Will Eisner. His sense of timing is impeccable, always knowing when not to hit you with a heavy hand. It’s the genuine article.” – Bob Schreck, former Group Editor, DC Comics
s/c LINK
h/c LINK
MAS
A History Of Violence s/c (£10-99, Vertigo) by John Wagner & Vince Locke.
“What did you do to them? What did you do to bring this down on us? My God — All these years and I don’t even know you… Who are you, Tom?”
A domesticated family man’s criminal past finally catches up with him in small town America where he’s built for himself a perfect life of tranquil bliss. Grisly stuff which I relished when first released a dozen or so years ago. Fans of Guy Davis (the equally grisly SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE, HONOUR AMONGST PUNKS, THE MARQUIS, BPRD) will love the art.
[Contains the most personally disturbing single panel I have seen in comics ever. Forget Cronenberg’s immensely disappointing film which deviated massively from the Wagner’s story in the most ridiculously contrived and typically bastardising Hollywood manner, this is infinitely superior. Not for the faint-hearted. – asst. ed.]
SLH
Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story s/c (£14-99, Vertigo) by Mat Johnson & Simon Gane.
“But….she’s dead.”
“Well, at least she has company.”
“This is unbelievable.”
“It’s not unbelievable. I saw stuff like this in Korea. I just never seen anything like this here. Usually when we fail this big, we do it on the other side of an ocean. You pay into society, pay taxes and fight for your country, and you don’t think it’ll be like this. But just because the country is treating us like we don’t matter, doesn’t mean we have to treat ourselves that way.”
Rarely do I start a review with a cover: you can’t judge a book by it, especially if it’s not from the interior artist. But you have got to hold this one in your hands: the city’s former grid mapped over the rising flood in spot-varnish Braille. Yes, even the softcover!
Nor will the interior art take long to impress and the double-page spread after young, pregnant Sarah battles her way through the roof of a dead friend’s house just in time to avoid being drowned will take your breath away: a blue flood of Biblical proportions stretching as far the white horizon, the stark black telegraphs poles listing in lines like crosses in a watery graveyard.
Plenty of politics here, as seen from the frontline when Hurricane Katrina struck several years ago and the poor, largely black population of New Orleans was left to fend for itself when the levees broke, 80% of the city was submerged, and “too little too late” became synonymous with the Bush administration. However, there’s lots of comedy too in this convoluted crime heist in which two minor ex-convicts seek to avail themselves of the contents of a bank from which one of them was summarily ejected then sent to prison for larceny. Unfortunately Dark Rain, one of the now-infamous American ‘security’ companies hired for the likes of Iraq, gets to the bank first and Emmit and Dabny show no signs of getting anywhere close. One of them is a loser and the other has a conscience, determined to rescue Sarah and co. even if the local law enforcement agencies are equally determined to keep the population contained in their crime-ridden, waterlogged ghetto. Will anyone be a winner and salvage so much as a single sodden bank note, or will man’s innate selfishness on full display here (along with a few epiphanies) lead to mutual destruction?
“He’s going to try and blow my black ass up.”
“Really, man, I don’t think it’s a race thing. My white ass is specifically threatened too.”
From one of my favourite artists (ALL FLEE! and Andi Watson’s PARIS) who has here forsaken his crinkle-cut, pinking-shears style in favour of something more rounded, and the author of Vertigo’s INCOGNEGRO. Mat gives you a far more involved tale than you might expect from its initial premise, and I wager you’ll enjoy each and every one of his myriad detours as much as I did – along with their attendant frustrations.
LINK
SLH
Echo: The Complete Collection (£29-99, Abstract) by Terry Moore.
“Think of Alloy 618 as a key, a harmless tool… capable of unlocking the universe itself. There are even early indications of medical benefits to mankind. The future is limitless. Alloy 618 opens many doors, gentlemen. Today the bead in your hand will open a black hole and hold it open… for as long as we dare to play chicken with nature.”
Six hundred pages of weapons-grade thriller in which one poor woman’s body has bonded with the remains of a brand-new bomb: an alloy now semi-sentient, housing the consciousness of physicist Annie who’d been test-piloting the beta suit only to be betrayed by its developers. They shot it clean out of the sky. One explosion later and the sky hails down a biting rain of tiny metallic beads which stick to Julie’s bare skin and won’t come off. Instead they merge like mercury into a chestplate which doesn’t react kindly to anyone else’s touch.
Now those same developers allied with US military want their Phi Project back, and they’re not the only ones hot on Julie’s trail: there’s a vicious old man with the Bible in his mouth, and a piece of the same puzzle on his hands, determined to destroy the metal on Julie’s chest — and her along with it.
“Ivy, what’s your take on Cain?”
“I think he’s a crazy guy with a tattoo on his face. And if you’re looking for a Biblical link, you’re out of luck.”
“Because…”
“Because our Cain is white.”
“So?”
“Adam and Eve were black.”
“What?! The Bible doesn’t say that.”
“I know. Doesn’t say they weren’t, either. Which is a point in its favour, actually. But, if you’re going to claim all the people on the planet came from one pair, then simple genetics dictates that pair had to be black. No other combination can produce the variations we have today, but a black pair can produce all the basic types in just seven generations.”
“You’re talking about race?”
“I’m talking about science. Race is an offensive 18th Century idea.”
With the help of Annie’s boyfriend Dillon and his band of bikers, Julie has successfully evaded everyone, but now it just gets hot – 109 degrees in the Nevada desert – and uglier than Dillon may be prepared to put up with. Their last chance is Ivy Raven, the field agent with formidable tracking power originally hired by HeNRI, who’s growing increasingly disillusioned with her employers’ deception, but there’s absolutely no guarantee that her guarantees of safety are genuine or even practicable.
As they slowly begin to learn the true extent of corporate intent and the mathematics behind it, those in the know and willing to speak out about the lethal ramifications of Alloy 618 are being silenced – and we’re not talking about gagging orders. Boyfriend will kill boyfriend if he knows too much, and a new monster arises to seek retribution, its lower jaw missing.
I don’t know why anyone should be surprised at the violence here – the things Terry put Katchoo and co. through in STRANGERS IN PARADISE were pretty damn harsh. He also has a great grasp of forensics when it comes to Ivy Raven, as tender a line as ever when it comes to Julie’s traumatised face, and the thick-set build of his lead biker Dan is so well captured that I wished he’d once done a portrait of Mark!
Two last words, SiP readers: Tambi, Casey. It’s the same world, yes.
Black and white cover gallery with sketches in the back.
SLH
Madame Xanadu vol 4: Extra-Sensory (£13-50, Vertigo) by Matt Wagner & Marley Zarcone, Laurenn McCubbin, Chrissie Zullo, Celia Calle, Marian Churchland, Amy Reeder, Richard Friend, Guy Major…
If only the preceding three volumes had been as excellent as this concluding collection of shorts set in the 1960s, then this title wouldn’t have been cancelled. The overarching storyline regarding Madam Xanadu herself just wasn’t strong enough to carry things along, perhaps. It had its moments, particularly when focusing on the stories of unfortunate individuals seeking a reading, but anyway it’s not the last we’ll see of the good lady, as the Phantom Stranger neatly alludes in his final guest appearance, as she’s shortly to join Zatanna, Constantine, Shade et al as part of Justice League Dark. That’s certainly the most intriguing of the forthcoming DC Reboot titles, given it’s written by Peter Milligan, though as I don’t have a crystal ball, I’ve no way of knowing whether it’ll actually be any good.
LINK
JR
Gunnerkrigg Court vol 3: Reason h/c (£19-99, Archaia) by Thomas Siddell >
[Just a quick note: there is no UK version of the second or third volumes. Now, here’s what my friend, the wonderfully wilful Miss Tassja Willsher, made of volume one – ed.]
Steampunk, technowhizz, myth, magic, political intrigue are woven together to form the backdrop of Gunnerkrigg Court. Although sometimes a bit clunky and heavy handed in its execution, the ensemble cast protagonist Antimony, her friends, her second shadow, her pet robot and a demon trapped in a little stuffed wolf toy are charming and affecting enough to pick up any slack. Essentially a coming of age story for the children attending Gunnerkrigg Court boarding school, the story is refreshing in that for once the main character is not the only one who is interesting. Sometimes clichéd, the overarching plot is nonetheless engaging and beautifully threaded through with one shots and neat side plots that range from hilarious to heart breaking. The artwork is pure eye candy the manipulation of angles, perspectives and effects, and the variation from classrooms to forests to space stations ensures it’s always stimulating.
LINK
TW
Stevens: Complete Sketches & Studies h/c (£37-99, IDW) by Dave Stevens.
Best known for creating the Rocketeer, Dave Stevens long harboured a love of Bettie Page which shines through on so many of these pages devoted to period glamour. Exuberant and erotic, naughty but nice, they come in the form of loose pencil sketches (hello, Vampirella!), delicate inks (and kinks, with a nurse’s uniform), unfinished colour studies, and charcoal and chalk on tanned paper. There’s even the occasional, full-blown diner ad.
It’s not just about the ladies, though. It’s mostly about the ladies, but there are swashbuckling adventure sequences, E.C. grotesques, a comicbook basketball advert for Wheaties, portraits of the likes of Bruce Lee and Nosferatu, and some preliminary Rocketeer work to keep those customers happy too. 250 pages.
LINK
SLH
Batman: Impostors s/c (£10-99, DC) by David Hine & Scott McDaniel.
“Arm yourselves, citizens of Gotham! It’s time to take back the streets!”
Ever wonder what’s in the Joker Venom, the bright green gas that morphs its victims into spasming facsimiles of the mad mass murderer before killing them stone dead?
Well, there’s a new Joker Juice in town, with most of the same ingredients: the strychnodine which causes the muscle convulsions that produce the hallmark grin, the rictus sardonicus; plus methamphetamine, MDMA and nitrous oxide inducing euphoria, mild hallucinations, increased energy levels and uncontrolled hilarity. Psychologically it’s addictive after a single dose. There are just two elements missing from Formula Five: hydrogen cyanide and The Joker. This version’s non-lethal. Why?
When Oracle alerts Batman to a Mad Mob event – a gang of rampaging Joker clones – he fails to take it seriously enough in time, leaving the door open for a televised broadcast by someone impersonating Batman himself, exhorting the citizens of Gotham to rise up and defend their city.
“All it takes is a little imagination… and a very big gun.”
It proves inspirational. With enough Formula Five in production to satisfy the cravings of every man, woman and child in Gotham and an equal and opposite eruption of “community spirit” taking to the streets dressed as Batman with lethal force their first resort, the city descends into chaos, violence and fear.
From frequent Batman artist Scott McDaniel (Bruce Wayne, Murderer? etc.) and the writer of STRANGE EMBRACE, BULLETPROOF COFFIN and Daredevil Redemption, it’s a nightmare scenario catalysed by one man’s rescue many moons ago, and Batman’s failure to understand the garbled words that remained choked by the rictus sardonicus.
“You were lucky. Most don’t survive the Joker’s Venom.”
“Lucky?! Don’t make me laugh!”
LINK
SLH
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors h/c (£16-99, DC) by Peter J. Tomasi & Fernando Pasarin…
Guy Gardner, surely the veritable marmite of the DC Universe no? You either love him or hate him. Way back when he first appeared, frothing angrily at the mouth like a rabid dog, he was good amusement value if nothing else, particularly as he was sporting the worst haircut in the history of comicbook superherodom. Doesn’t matter if you’re the toughest, meanest, most bad-ass superhero on the block, if you have a haircut that looks like it was done by your mum with the aid of a bowl, you’re still going to look like a dick. Literally as well as metaphorically.
Over the years, he’s mellowed slightly in character from objectionable tosspot to hardman-with-a-heart, I guess. But here he’s back in eye-bulging, snarling, alpha-dog mode, not least because he’s still infected with Red Lantern rage, causing him to literally spew acidic, scarlet bile when something gets his dander up. I did think this title was going to be a classic example of unnecessary proliferation of a successful theme, but in fact I found EMERALD WARRIORS to be considerably more entertaining than GREEN LANTERN CORPS, which never really seems to add up to the sum of its parts to me. Odd given this is penned by former GL CORPS writer Peter Tomasi, but he’s got a really strong storyline here as Guy gets sent on a covert mission to investigate strange goings-on in the “Unknown Sectors”. Obviously no one ever gets up to anything positive in the “Unknown Sectors”, in fact there’s some rather complex unpleasantness going on, surprising no one. Cue much mouth-frothing…
LINK
JR
Cloak & Dagger #1 of 3 (£2-25, Marvel) by Nick Spencer & Emma Rios.
Ah, Emma, what a beautiful transformation you have wrought on this couple!
Dagger is now a beautiful, vulnerable young woman with eyes tired from study and the relentless adversity of dealing with city officials. Her hands are as expressive as Becky Cloonan’s, her hair all wispy and, thanks to colourist Javier Rodriguez, she’s constantly dusted with faint sparkles of light. The last thing she wants to do is join any fray today.
Cloak is… internalised. His semi-sentient, voluminous blue robes tumble over him almost comically now. You’d never manage to drape them over a clothes horse. But there’s a softness there too, in the gentleness, poise and mouth. I do wish he’d listen. Or ask. He’s so protective; and jealous.
Bravo, Nick Spencer. I had zero interest in this, but it’s deft and funny and tender, with brief snatches of thought counterposed in captions against reactions or dialogue. There is a thriller plot attached with Dagger seemingly destined to kill Mister Negative (don’t worry, you don’t need to have read AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) when in fact she needs to catch up at college, but it’s more about the relationship… and keeping a roof over their heads.
“Tandy Bowen?”
“Um. Yeah. We met before, you were just here last week – “
“Got a Vacate Order on the building.”
“Our lawyer said – “
“You got a Stay?”
“Well, no…”
“Got a Vacate Order on the building.”
“Why do you want us out of here so badly anyway?”
“Is there a second means of egress in this place?”
“Egress?”
“An exit. Is there a second exit.”
“Um… my partner can teleport.”
“Yeah. Got a Vacate Order on the building.”
Gentrification.
SLH
Shadowland: Daredevil s/c (£10-99, Marvel) by Andy Diggle, Antony Johnston & Roberto De La Torre.
“We always have choices, Foggy. And Matt just threw all of his away.”
The final few issues to Andy Diggle and Antony Johnston’s stint on DAREDEVIL which run in parallel with Shadowland itself.
It kicks off straight after the Shadowland’s opening shocker as Foggy Nelson, Dakota North and Becky witness CCTV footage of their best friend doing the unthinkable, albeit to his worst enemy. Desperately Foggy flails around, trying to find something – anything – that would at least explain if not excuse Matt’s actions. The man has faith and no friend could ask for more; but for the others it may prove too much.
Recap: Matt Murdock sought leadership of the ninja-stuffed Hand in order to prevent the Kingpin from seizing control and to subvert the organisation from within: to bring light to its less than jocular fist. Unfortunately the reaction was equal and opposite. A demon has seized control of both Daredevil and Hell’s Kitchen’s residents. A riot erupts, Foggy Nelson and Dakota North are caught in its centre and poor Becky Blake, bound to a wheelchair, is trapped in a brownstone in flames.
This is the view from street level, just as it should be, and as such the book as a whole – its perspective, dialogue and art – is so much more in keeping with Bendis’ and Brubaker’s contribution. It’s about the impact on Matt’s nearest and dearest, and the most extraordinary thing is that this too can be read with complete coherence on its own. Its ingenuity is astonishing: the CCTV footage was exactly right, whilst the mystery left in the wake of the climax and Matt’s subsequent fate, unseen here, is perfect. They’re lost, they’re bewildered and they’re battered beyond belief. They have taken such a bloody knocking and this is the final straw. All that remains is for Ben Urich, the reporter whom Murdock first made privy to his secret, to hear Matt’s final confession.
Crucially you’ll discover exactly how Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Master Izo, Elektra and even Typhoid Mary came to be where they were during the big bust-up. Meanwhile, once more, the artists have done ‘em proud. Some scenes are truly haunting, like the mist-enshrouded, moonlit Japanese castle in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen towering up in the midnight sky as glimpsed between the confines of hard metal railings below; or the toxic double-page spread of the fallen heroes, worthy of Alex Maleev himself.
In all honesty, how brave would it have been simply to print this book on its own, so that you never do know like the protagonists here, exactly what finally befell the man without fear? That would have been enormously cool.
Please read this first. Reprinting SHADOWLANDS: AFTER THE FALL one-shot, it is also the final word on a title that has now ceased to be.
LINK
SLH
Hulk Visionaries: Peter David vol 8 s/c (£22-50, Marvel) by Peter David & Dale Keown, Herb Trimpe, Andrew Wildman, Kevin Maguire, Tom Raney, Travis Charest, Kevin West.
An alternative title would be X-Factor Visionaries: Peter David vol 2, since this reprints not only THE INCREDIBLE HULK #390-396 (and ANNUAL #18) but X-FACTOR # 76 from 1992 wherein Rick Jones and the Hulk as part of The Pantheon (a family/organisation embarking on rescue missions and tackling injustices around the globe long before Mark Millar took over writing THE AUTHORITY) touch down in Trans-Sabal to take on the dictator there. Unfortunately that also means taking on the C.I.A., S.H.I.E.L.D. and X-Factor, all of whom work for the U.S. government which is supporting the oil-rich regime including supplying it with weapons used on the country’s own people. Hmmmm…..
For the above I applaud it. There’s also a shocking if unsatisfying simplistic and out-of-character solution, but along the way there are some genuine laughs, lovely art from Keown, and the sight of The Hulk wielding two enormous hand-held cannons whilst wearing pink bunny slippers.
Val Cooper: “Okay, no problem. We can handle The Hulk.”
Quicksilver: “Absolutely. We’ll use his stupidity against him.”
CIA guy: “Actually, he’s extremely smart and crafty now.”
Havok: “Oh, right. I heard. But he’s smaller, grey, and weaker than before.”
CIA guy: “Actually, he’s bigger, greener, and stronger than ever.”
Guido: “Ah, but we’re pure of heart, and so must always win.”
CIA Guy: “There you go.”
Also included: the 30th Anniversary issue, an early example of Travis Charest art during a comedy arm wrestling contest with The Thing, plus a two-part return for Joe Fixit to Las Vegas, guest-starring the Punisher. Meanwhile Rick Jones receives a visit from someone claiming to be his mother. Is she?
SLH
Spider-Man: The Fantastic Spider-Man h/c (£18-99, Marvel) by Dan Slott, Fred Van Lente, Christos Gage, Rob Williams, Paul Benjamin, Frank Tieri & Stefano Caselli, Javier Pulido, Reilly Brown, Mike McKone, Lee Garbett, Javier Rodriguez.
With Spider-Man now filling Johnny Storm’s flame-flecked cowboy boots in the new FF (Future Foundation) the other three pay a reciprocal visit to boost sales here, and the cover made me smile when we had it on our wall: Franklin aping his hero; Valeria stretching Daddy’s patience (and face) to the limit.
So yes, the black and white costume is very much in evidence, and around the world they go. If nothing else, the family atmosphere is a boost to Peter’s morale. A second story co-stars Hank Pym and his Avengers Academy, while Ghost Rider guests in a third. Wasn’t really fussed, either way.
SLH
Infestation vol 1 s/c (£14-99, IDW) by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Mike Raicht & David Messina, Nick Roche, Giovanni Timpano.
I had an infestation once, and it was very embarrassing. Took me all sorts of creams and remedies to remove. Oooh, it weren’t half scratchy.
I’d settle for that any day over this contrived “because-we-own-the-licences” drivel. But do what you must, my lovelies, and if a zombie Star Trek, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Ghostbusters crossover is your nettle of needs, then rub it on all over and we will happily dock you for it.
That’s me with Alan Titchmarsh in the long-leaved shrubbery then.
“Ooh, you can snatch a good cutting from that!”
SLH
Review We Think We Lost
Don’t know what happened here.
I Am Legion by Fabien Nury & John Cassady.
London, December 1942 and, in the extensive wine cellar of an expensive house, an important man called Wilkes sits tied to the chair. He’s on the inner circle of the war effort fighting the Nazis. A second man stands imperiously above him, drinking Cognac, then slits the belly of his own forearm, right down the length. Some time later the mansion is pulverised by an explosion from within, but the man who walks away looks uncommonly like Wilkes.
Romania, December 1942, and there’s a young girl overlooking the snow-crested mountains, recalling a battle between the Ottomans and her brother, during which her brother gathered all his prisoners – all 28,000 of them – and had them impaled on the ridge of one of those mountains. That took the wind out of the Sultan’s sails, and Ottomans fell back in retreat.
“And you were there?”
“Of course… I was there, beside the Sultan.”
There’s a war going on. Or are there two? Abroad there’s a resistance on one side, and a series of horrific experiments on the other. Back at home there’s an investigation into the body found in the burnt out mansion. It’s all connected, but the team sent to unravel the puzzle are only just beginning to scratch the sinister surface, and they have troubles within. Who knew that a safe combination could be so poignant?
Every time I review PLANETARY I keep meaning to include Laura in the credits because her colouring contributes so much to the beauty of the books, and does so equally here. Great script, well balanced, and the remarkable art of John Cassady.
SLH
Ancient Reviews New To Website
Eh, things get lost!
Sand Land (£5-99, Viz) by Akira Toriyama ~
This is what the DRAGONBALL creator has to say about his latest work:
“This was supposed to be a short, simple manga about an old man and a tank which I made for my own enjoyment. But the tank was harder to draw than I expected, and I stubbornly insisted on drawing it all myself, so I came to regret ever getting involved with it. But the story was already plotted out to the end, so I couldn’t change anything, and I went through hell drawing the whole thing.”
The old man is Sheriff Rao (who looks like John Cleese in cricket gear and a safari hat) and he’s on a mission save the people of post-apocalyptic Earth from the King’s extortionate water. Which is only available in plastic bottles, and probably tastes as bad as Evian. Enlisting the help of Beelzebub, by bribing him with the last Playstation in existence, they steal a tank and go in search of the mystery lake in order to once again bring peace to the world.
LINK
TR
Also Available To Buy Right Now:
Reviews to follow or up right now if softcovers of previous hardcovers .Those will be linked to below.
Transmetropolitan vol 10: One More Time (£14-99, Vertigo) by Warren Ellis & Darick Robertson
Mouse Guard Roleplaying Game Box Set (£52-99) by Luke Crane, David Petersen
Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge h/c (£24-99, Titan) by Roman Dirge
Peanuts, Complete: vol 16 1981-1982 (£21-99, Fantagraphics) by Charles Schultz
WE3: The Deluxe Edition h/c (£18-99, Vertigo) by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely
The Chronicles Of Conan vol 21: Blood Of The Titan And Other Stories (£13-50, Dark Horse) by Robert E. Howard, Michael Fleisher, Larry Yakata, Roy Thomas & Bob Camp, Armando Gil, John Buscema, Charles Vess, Gary Kwapisz, Geof Isherwood, Dave Simons, Danny Bulanadi, Ricardo Villamonte
99 Days h/c (£14-99, Vertigo) by Matteo Casali & Kristian Donaldson
Spirit Of Hope (£14-99, Comic Book Alliance) by various
Castro (£14-99, Self Made Hero) by Reinhard Kleist
Vertigo Resurrected: Jonny Double (£5-99, Vertigo) by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso
Resident Evil (£14-99, DC) by Ricardo Sanchez & Jheremy Raapack, Kevin Sharpe, Al Barrionuevo
BPRD Hell On Earth vol 1 – New World (£14-99, Dark Horse) by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi & Guy Davis
Hellblazer: Bloody Carnations (£14-99, Vertigo) by Peter Milligan & Giuseppe Camuncoli & Stefano Landini, Simon Bisley
Superman/Batman vol 9: Night And Day s/c (£13-50, DC) by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Peter Johnson, Matt Chernis, Scott Kolins & Francis Manapul, Rafael Albuquerque, more
Gotham City Sirens vol 3: Strange Fruit h/c (£16-99, DC) by Tony Bedard, Peter Calloway & Lorenzo Ruggiero, Jeremy Haun, Walden Wong
Gotham Central Book 1: In The Line Of Duty s/c (£14-99, DC) by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka & Michael Lark
Captain America: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection (£18-99, Marvel) by Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Michael Lark, John Paul Leon
New Avengers vol 2 h/c (£18-99, Marvel) by Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen, Daniel Acuna, Mike Deodato, Howard Chaykin
Avengers Academy vol 2: Will We Use This In The Real World? h/c (£18-99, Marvel) by Christos Gage & Mike McKone, Sean Chen, Tom Raney
X-Men: Curse Of The Mutants s/c (£14-99, Marvel) by Victor Gischler & Paco Medina
X-Men: Curse Of The Mutants: Mutants vs. Vampires s/c (£14-99. Marvel) by Chuck Kim, Simon Spurrier, Duane Swierczynski, James Asmus, Christopher Sequeira, Peter David, Rob Williams, Mike Benson, Howard Chaykin, Mike W. Barr, Chris Claremont & Chris Bachalo, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Tim Green, Tom Raney, Sana Takeda, Mick Bertilorenzi, Doug Braithwaite, Mark Texeira, Howard Chaykin, Agustin Padilla, Bill Sienkiewicz
Avengers Academy: Arcade – Death Game s/c (£10-99, Marvel) by Paul Tobin, Terry Kavanagh, Chris Claremont & David Baldeon, Chris Marrinan, Michael Nasser, Rich Buckler
Invincible Iron Man vol 6: Stark Resilient Book 2 s/c (£11-99, Marvel) by Matt Fraction & Salvador Larroca
Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man: Friendly Neighbourhood (£7-50, Marvel) by Paul Tobin & Rob Di Salvo
Tegami Bachi – Letter Bee vol 6 (£6-99, Viz) by Hiroyuki Asada
Have you seen the new website dedicated to Craig Thompson’s new book, HABIBI? It’s going to be massive! http://www.habibibook.com/about/
Get your pre-orders in now!
– Stephen
