As I always say to people, it would be a very boring world if we all liked the same things.
Except peace, obviously: everyone liking peace would probably be a good thing. And liking John Porcellino. If I just had to pick one I probably would go with peace, though.
Sorry, John…
– Jonathan on Treasury Of Mini Comics vol 1 h/c
The Encyclopedia Of Early Earth h/c (£16-99, Jonathan Cape) by Isabel Greenberg.
In the beginning 
there was a boy and a girl and they loved each other very much.
She lived at the South Pole, he came from the North, and they do say that opposites attract. Unfortunately due to a small, inexplicable quirk of physics they found they couldn’t touch. Even the wise Shaman of the south couldn’t explain it, but the girl believed so profoundly in the overwhelming power of their love – that it could conquer all – that they married all the same. They slept together yet kept apart, finding a way to feel the warmth of each other.
“Each morning they would get up and swap sides of the bed. That way they could lay their heads in the impression the other had made in the pillow. And for a few fleeting moments, until the pillows cooled and the warmth faded, it was almost as though they were holding each other.”
Have you ever read anything more romantic in your life? Isabel draws a ghost of the couple holding each other between the reality of their separately sleeping selves. It’s all right if you want to cry.
“So the days became weeks, and the weeks became years, and still the magnetic force did not relent. They spent hours staring into each other’s eyes. And yet still they could not so much as brush fingertips.”
So instead, during the freezing cold nights, they tell each other stories into small hours of the morning. And this is the story that the man tells his wife, beginning with the Three Sisters Of Summer Island…
Of course, that wasn’t the beginning at all. It was just how this story began and what follows is a series of stories within stories – some of which you may find strangely familiar – which explain how the world came to be, how the man came to the woman and, oh yes, that strange quirk of physics which proves no mere quirk at all!
The irony of it all is that the two genuine lovers find themselves if not poles apart then at least a good foot or two, whereas so much of what follows involves rival siblings who should love each other causing so much conflict through competition. Kid and Kiddo are the funniest. They’re the children of the Eagle God BirdMan who forbids them to interfere with mortals (so you know what inevitably happens) yet takes great delight himself in the plight of two brothers, Dag and Hal, which won’t end well at all – not for them or for an entire population for hundreds of years to come.
“We can have some fun with this.”
… says the Eagle God Birdman, staring down at the world through his scrying pool which happens to be one of several bathtubs.
It’s all so wonderfully absurd, like the agoraphobic Mapmaker who entrusts his cartography to monkeys. Also, Greenberg takes great delight in puncturing the solemnity of her epic storytelling with modern mischief, as when the Nords are invaded by pillaging, helmeted Strangers who high-five each other…
“Lads lads lads! Waaaay!”
… before repelling them…
“Oh bloody Hell! Run, lads!”
As to the art, it is a joy, joy, joy. Initially and instinctively I thought of EPILEPTIC’s David B, but it has a far lighter touch and its roots go much further back to the early days of print when naturalistic perspective had either been lost or abandoned and figures were far more representational. I wouldn’t have it any other way, for the landscapes here are bursting with folklore character and the quality cream stock does it all full justice. Also, I am big fan of water and there is water, water everywhere, either in inky darkness or washed in blue with some of the most beautiful ripples I have ever beheld. Overwhelmingly Isabel goes light on the colours so that when they’re deployed in deepest scarlet or a light, cornfield yellow they really make their presence felt.
This is an astonishing debut, and the best graphic novel I’ve read so far this year. Normally I pronounce this rather recklessly in March but hey, you know, it’s October.
In summary what you’re in for is an epic journey and a great many struggles in the wake of adversity – a lot of which come from on high: gods interfering with mortals as ever it was in the legends of Greek mythology, SANDMAN etc. You’ll read so many tall tales, some of which provide currency, others proving life-savers, each told with such charm, warmth, humour and authority that I believe every single one of them! Even those about Kid and Kiddo who, inadvertently, created the world we all live in.
“We’re so awesome I basically can’t cope!”
You wait until Dad finds out.
SLH
Buy The Encyclopedia Of Early Earth h/c and read the Page 45 review here
Tiny Pencil (£14-99, Tiny Empire Publishing) by Amber Hsu, Lizz Lunney, Kristyna Baczynski, Katie Green, Sarah McIntyre, Gary Northfield, many, many more.
Thrilling box of magical moments in the form of mini-comics, coloured pencils, dice “plus stickers, secrets and surprises!”
The three mini-comics ‘Mammals’, ‘Martians’ and ‘Monsters’ feature stories, ditties, puzzles, games, colour-by-command, pages to fold and primates to pimp. (Please note: Jordan Carter’s Tarsier may not be a primate – it’s one of those cute, cuddly little things which cling to trees at night – but it sure could use added bling.)
This is oh so much fun – and completely bananas!
There’s another science and philosophy lesson on energy particles and inky bloaters from Professor Lizz Lunney (PhD: Pudding). Also, top tips on human etiquette for Martian explorers of Earth and a similar set of recommendations / prohibitions should you rock the Red Planet yourself.
“Do: be friendly + polite.”
“Don’t: take them to your leader.”
You won’t thank yourself if you do.
You can marvel at Kristyna Baczynski’s ‘Menagerie of Mammals’ (then get stuck in with those colour crayons), and I loved Kate Hindley’s saga of the stolen sausage hidden amongst fairground felines. Gary Northfield starts out semi-serious on his Mud Larking expedition along the banks of the Thames (you can scavenge anything you like but not look under rocks; apparently you need a license for that), but quickly devolves into his trademark lunacy when challenging you to find six specific artefacts like a loose tooth or the Sword of Solomon. You’ll be looking for cloven babies next.
Finally for now (hey, there would be no secrets if I shared everything), Sarah McIntyre wades in with a ‘Design Your Own Monster’, suggesting possible skin features like spotty, hairy, scaly, oozy, leafy and tartan. Tattoos seem equally far-fetched but better to try them out on a monster first rather than head straight down to your local parlour blind-drunk.
If you want to explore this properly at the counter, please do so! Seeing is believing, and even then you won’t believe what you see!
SLH
Buy Tiny Pencil and read the Page 45 review here
Palookaville #21 (£16-99, Drawn & Quarterly) by Seth…
“When complaints arise, do I handle them cheerfully and quickly?”
Excellent triple-header from the creator of WIMBLEDON GREEN, GEORGE SPROTT and THE GREAT NORTHERN BROTHERHOOD OF CANADIAN CARTOONISTS, those latter two being Page 45 Comicbook Of The Months.
PALOOKAVILLE has always been Seth’s forum for public musing and showing off the contents of his sketchbook. Along the way the opener, Clyde Fans part four, has become a regular, portraying as it does the steady decline of a Abraham Matchcard and his business empire, both through the inevitable changes occurring in manufacturing industries and the retail sector, and also through the inability of Abraham to adapt. He knows he’s a dinosaur, he can see extinction coming, but he’s still going through the motions. It’s classic Seth, a master at spinning drama out of the downbeat, and even squeezing a little comedic relief out too, though usually at a protagonist’s expense.
Second up is a rather charming excerpt from his rubber stamp diary. Starting with about ten different designs, he now has at least thirty different rubber stamps which he lays out in a two-by-four grid, then embellishes with mainly inner dialogue to form his entries. Very cleverly done and I can see why, having suggested it as an idea to Ivan Brunetti, he instantly regretted it and claimed it for his own!
The closer is a nostalgic and unashamedly sentimental auto-biographical tale from his younger days, recalling a relatively difficult-at-times childhood, which the older Seth reflects upon, honest enough to explain for our benefit how those events went on to shape the man he is today. It is very much in the vein of IT’S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN and will probably leave you feeling a touch sad and wistful; I know it did me.
JR
Buy Palookaville #21 and read the Page 45 review here
Battling Boy (£10-99 s/c, £18-99 h/c, First Second) by Paul Pope…
“Regard, child. What 
do you see below?”
“… I see a humongous city under siege, father.”
“Indeed, yea… a city and a siege. How grim, they call this city Acropolis. Her vast city walls hugging mountain and glen from sea to sea. A city the size of the land itself! Grim for now a plague of monstrosities pours down upon her, battering her buttresses under abusive burden.”
“A monstrous city – overrun with monsters?”
“… AYE! Sadly, it is not the first.”
“What will become of them father?”
“… Oh, it is the old story… the humans will lose, their bloodlines reduced to dust… thirsty, weedy brambles will break the paving stones of smitten streets. The four horsemen will have their day.”
“GOSH.”
“That is unless you succeed.”
“Huh? Wait, you… you don’t mean… I… I…”
“AYE!!! I MEAN, AYE! AYE! This scattered scene of fervent calamity… is to be the theatre of your passing stage, aye!”
“But…!”
“Man is no match for the monsters, it is why we have come. Acropolis needs her hero. Thus, do your labours before you lie…”
“But… but when I woke up this morning I didn’t know that, and… I mean, I can’t stay here ‘cuz I don’t have any of my stuff with me.”
“Yes… we’ve seen to that.”
You will believe that a man can die. Gasp, no, please say it’s not true, not the invincible Haggard West, scourge of monsters and protector of the good folk of Acropolis! Who can possibly save them now?!! Enter a twelve old demigod whose parents have decided a little solo holiday to Acropolis might be just what’s required to toughen him up a bit. Packed off with nothing more than a few t-shirts, each bearing a design of a different animal… and being the secret source of his wondrous powers… he quickly finds himself battling the bad guys and lauded as the city’s new saviour. His name?
“ARCO-LAD!!? What’s this?! My name is Battling Boy!!”
“Yes… we’ve been meaning to talk to you about that… we’ve done some focused market research, and…
“Focused what?”
“… “Battling Boy” is perhaps a bit too drastic, too violent for your target demographic. Arco-Lad is a fine name! Distinguished, civic-minded, unique!”
“It’s a stupid name.”
“It’s catchy! It’ll look good on merchandise. You must consider these things now, Arco-Lad. You’re a public hero.”
Sheesh, Bruce Wayne never had to put up with being told what to call himself by local politicians and their attendant PR busy-bodies. And whilst having a thunder god for a father might at least prepare you a little in the smashing monsters department, dealing with bureaucracy and red tape is an entirely different matter! Ah, Paul Pope, I always forget he’s not just a brilliant artist, but a fantastic writer too. In fact I’m going to stick my neck out and make a bold statement now. I think, given BATTLING BOY is intended to be an ongoing work, if he can actually keep turning it out on at least a semi-regular basis (THB anyone?), this could well turn out to be his magnum opus. He’s clearly given a lot of thought to what his vision for it is, I just hope he can maintain his own interest, because he’s certainly going to capture everyone else’s. Near perfection.
JR
Buy Battling Boy s/c and read the Page 45 review here
Buy Battling Boy H/c and read the Page 45 review here
Courtney Crumrin vol 4: Monstrous Holiday h/c (£18-99, Oni) by Ted Naifeh.
Oh my days, just 
look at this beautiful burgundy cover! Swoon at the silver ink on the inside and out! Then cast your eyes back on the other the library editions of COURTNEY CRUMRIN’s impetuous exploits! The new designs are consistent and flawless, finally befitting the quality of what lies within.
You’ll find the previous three instalments reviewed at length and in depth. This deserves no less but I have Katie Green’s LIGHTER THAN MY SHADOW to read and review in the next week, I am a very slow reader, and it is as enormous as it looks beautiful.
I leave you then with the highest commendation you could possibly conjure in your own magnificent minds, and the words of our Tom when this fourth series first started:
“The first stop on Uncle Aloysius & Courtney’s jaunt around Europe finds them in Romania as the unexpected guests of Professor Alexi Markovic and her daughter, Magda. Embroiled in a love triangle between her betrothed – the boorish and rich Petru – and Jan, a warm-hearted gypsy violinist, Magda is a torn woman, fighting for her dignity in the day, while at night her suitors fight as hunter and… wolf? Ted Naifeh explores the classic horror motifs with a depth and originality rarely seen these days. This is a classic cautionary tale of romance and tragedy, using the folklore and myth of Eastern Europe to send a chill down your spine rather than a gore-splattered, plotless shock factor most comics pertaining to be horror rely on. Did I mention Naifeh’s beautiful art? Or that this, like all the COURTNEY CRUMRIN books, is suitable for children?”
SLH
Buy Courtney Crumrin vol 4: Monstrous Holiday h/c and read the Page 45 review here
The Shaolin Cowboy vol 2 #1 (£2-99, Dark Horse) by Geof Darrow.
There is something so moving about seeing a comicbook legend long-lost and lamented return at the very top of her or his game.
Geof (one ‘f’) Darrow was the artist on Frank Miller’s HARD BOILED, a series so ancient, pre-Page 45, that it was never reviewed. His clean line and detail rivals even that of the great George Pérez, but with far more gore and a much wider sense of space. I used one of the panels from HARD BOILED in the Page 45 15th Anniversary Booze Bash quiz, so high is my admiration for the man and so long has his art endured in my memory.
So what is this?
This is the comicbook equivalent of one those enormously enjoyable and equally improbable kung-fu classics starring the likes of Jackie Chan, and that ingenious acrobat is referenced here. I, however, would contend that any cinematic version of this virtually silent, stop-and-gawp slice-and-dice-athon is more likely to star the dour Beat Takeshi. It’s that left-field.
Forget the insane, two-page prose introduction (funny, though), and ignore the fact that an amphibian frog inherently quite partial to water is highly unlikely to be sitting on a menhir in the middle of an oh-so-arid dessert! Relish instead the resurrection of the Shaolin Cowboy who has literally clawed his way back through the earth from Hell, bringing with him woefully attendant and decidedly persistent, pugilistic zombies. Good job there’s a bamboo pole enhanced with a chainsaw at each end. Shame there’s a car full of carelessly bigoted wastrels heading in his direction. Or is it? *smirks*
Some of the best choreography ever in comics, and a concrete lesson warning you against using the word “gay” as a lazy pejorative. Seriously: don’t do it! The Shaolin Cowboy will show you why.
Please note: actual cover coloured differently. (Better, more naturalistic, in darker tones.)
SLH
Buy The Shaolin Cowboy vol 2 #1 and read the Page 45 review here
Death Sentence #1 of 6 (£2-99, Titan) by Montynero & Mike Dowling.
“Brilliant! Genuinely original.” – Mark Millar
Bang, bang, bang: dazzling debut from Montynero IF YOU ARE OVER 15! If you’re under 16 then please move along, nothing to see here, it was rubbish.
Three young, disparate individuals have just contract the G-Plus virus: Verity, Weasel and Monty.
There is currently no cure for the G-Plus virus and within six months they will all inevitably die. If there’s a silver lining to their situation it’s that, give or take extreme mood swings, the symptoms are a lot kinder than any other virus known to man: they will begin to experience increased energy, physical fitness and a variety of metahuman abilities. On the negative side, this makes them a target for both the British Intelligence and military.
Verity’s the most vulnerable because her readings are off the scale and nobody knows who she is. Oh, she’s a graphic designer – or she was (see mood swings; they’re terribly funny and her abusive boss gets the brunt of it) – but Monty is a smug-as-fuck media personality who knows how to play the game while Weasel is a talentless and so successful musician. Plus his PR people really know how to milk his wretched, risibly unproductive ass:
“How much is this sonic diarrhoea costing us?”
“Erm… £6000 a day.”
“Pull the plug.”
“OK… what do we do instead?”
“Well… we’ve done the supermodel… the blood stunts… prison… collaborations… a covers album… and reforming the old band. So the only fresh angle is the G+ virus.”
“He has developed some skills… though nothing reliable or useful yet.”
“Who cares! Just spin his ‘G+ Hell’ to the tabloids. How’s demand for the Valedictory Tour?”
“Strong. There’s an army of numpties buying into the ‘Misunderstood Genius’ crap who’d basically pay to watch him take a dump on the stage.”
“They have, actually.”
That’s about as much as I can quote and I will leave all the paranormal manifestations to surprise you. They certainly shock the hell out of everyone in attendance.
Mike Dowling lets rip with wild gesticulations like a young Duncan Fegredo, while Montynero packs every page with immaculately thought-through ramifications, far from gratuitous profanity but the most blasphemous use of a crucifix I can conceive of! Most impressive of all so far is the trajectory of libertine wastrel Weasel and his outrageous self-indulgence: boozing, reckless sex and – it transpires – some very dodgy connections. He is, however, deliciously undaunted even in the wake of extreme adversity.
A six-month death sentence during which you will feel better than ever, physically: what would you do?
SLH
Buy Death Sentence #1 and read the Page 45 review here
Treasury Of Mini Comics vol 1 h/c (£22-50, Fantagraphics) by various, edited by Michael Dowers…
Huge selection of minis which, being truthful, vary as much in quality as they do in style.
Arranged loosely by decade chronologically from 1969 through to the current day, there are some genuine nuggets of pure gold in there from the likes of John Porcellino, Roberta Gregory, Marc Bell, Ron Rege Jr. and Carrie McNinch, but also some stuff that I glossed over rather. As a potted history of mini comics it certainly works, mind you, which is probably the point, and Michael Dowers has done an excellent job editing it all together.
Possibly not the selection I would personally assemble to showcase that homespun segment of our industry in all its glory. But on the other hand mini-comics and self-published material is also probably the part of comics which most divides opinion over what is actually good and what is not. But as I always say to people, it would be a very boring world if we all liked the same things.
Except peace, obviously: everyone liking peace would probably be a good thing. And liking John Porcellino. If I just had to pick one I probably would go with peace, though.
Sorry, John…
JR
Buy Treasury Of Mini Comics vol 1 h/c and read the Page 45 review here
Gyo vol 1 New Edition (£7-50, Viz) by Junji Ito –
The walking fish of Okinawa have moved out of the city and are all over Japan and possibly the rest of the world. The parasite clenched to the underside of the fish, powered by the noxious gas that boils in their stomachs, wants new converts; it want human beings. This is the situation that Tadashi finds when he wakes up at the hospital. His beloved Kaori is dead but her bloated body still runs a strange, biomechanical machine. Somewhere out there, he hopes, is the answer to this terrible blight on the land. So he searches.
While not as beautifully constructed as UZUMAKI, this is still an excellent fix for gorehounds and lovers of twisted horror tales. The parasitic machines with their spines and insectoid legs clatter along in a quite disturbing manner and the gas-ridden near-corpses that fuel it look sickly to the touch.
The ending to the concluding GYO VOL 2 comes rather abruptly but Viz have rounded the series off with two short stories that reminded me why I was first attracted to Ito’s nasty little works (and why I’ve watched so many bad films based on his manga). ‘The Enigma Of Amigara Fault’ disturbed both Tom and myself. After an earthquake, a new side of Amigara mountain revealed itself. Lots of human shaped holes on the side of the mountain, each distinct from the next. Some have been drawn to the place after seeing a news report, believing that the shapes are meant for them. Then one boy enters one of the shapes and is never seen again. If you’re a tad claustrophobic, stay away from this story.
MS
Buy Gyo vol 1 and read the Page 45 review here
Fortunately, The Milk h/c (US Ed’n) (£10-99, Harper) by Neil Gaiman & Skottie Young.
“Do you like hard-hairy-wet-white-crunchers?” he asked.
“Coconuts?” I guessed.
“I named them first.”
This US edition of Neil’s new Young Adult prose comes with Skottie Young illustrations which you can compare and contrast with Chris Riddell’s on the UK edition of FORTUNATELY THE MILK. It is entirely up to you; we stock both.
I will only note that both versions are genius and enormously good fun, and that Chris Riddell anchors this wayward shaggy-dog story in urban England, whereas Skottie Young comes over all Jill Thompson and turns the family into a cast of crazee people: a literary ménage à quoi.
I would also note that the last paragraph was highly pretentious, written whilst drunk, and that Skottie Young has engaged with Neil Gaiman’s prose in the same way that Dave McKean did in CRAZY HAIR, embracing the lettering as part of the art.
Every double page comes with at least one of Skottie’s ebullient drawings, whether it be of the green, globular aliens (twin obsessions: abduction and art), Professor Steg and his Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier, the Eye of Splod, or the wumpires. Wumpires are a bit like nocturnal umpires only with a darker dress sense, sharper teeth, alternative diets and insatiable appetites: once they’ve made their decision, you’re out.
Mum has gone away for a conference. She has left the narrator, his sister and their dad with a set of instructions, along with the knowledge that they are almost out of milk.
Now they are out of milk.
Last night, you see, there were those mugs of hot chocolate to make up for their Missing Mum. And orange juice on cereal isn’t quite as tasty as milk. Dad pops down the corner shop to fetch them some milk, but he takes an awfully long time about it. Where on earth has he been?
SLH
Buy Fortunately, The Milk h/c (US Ed’n) and read the Page 45 review here
Lucifer Book 2 (£22-50, Vertigo) by Mike Carey & Peter Gross, Christopher Moeller, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ormston, Jon J. Muth…
Oh what a tangled web we weave…
Yes, the fallen angel from SANDMAN has his master plan, and its grandiosity in scope is quite staggering. Not that it is revealed to us yet but, when the time is right, everyone will know about it.
Rather hoping LUCIFER catches some more attention this time around as the volumes get condensed into these chunkier versions. It deserves to and anyone who is reading Mike Carey’s THE UNWRITTEN, but has yet to read this would absolutely love it.
JR
Buy Lucifer Book 2 and read the Page 45 review here
Avengers: Endless Wartime h/c (£18-99, Marvel) by Warren Ellis & Mike McKone…
“Meet the Avengers, it’s the Avengers. We’re here to entertain, as well as save the day!
“We’re the Avengers, the Mighty New Uncanny Avengers, here to make it all okay!” *
Well, I never thought I would live to see Avengers The Musical in comicbook form, and in truth, I haven’t yet, but this is one of the most peculiar graphic novels tone-wise that I have read in a long time. I would think it has, in part, been released as an ‘original graphic novel’ – i.e. not appeared before in single-issue format – primer for those people unfamiliar with Marvel’s premier superteam, who maybe saw the film and now want to read comics, but feel a little uncertain where to start. For whilst it is the usual top-notch Warren Ellis fare of speculative-fiction weirdness which always adds something to a superhero romp, it is also very much a jovial introduction to the various team members, which almost feels at times like it should be set to music. Maybe…
It works, however, because long-time readers will probably just breeze over the jarring narrative paste-overs and concentrate on the story, which is brilliant, vintage Ellis, and new readers will learn that Clint Barton is pure comedy gold and undoubtedly want to read HAWKEYE.
* Note: at no point are these words sung or indeed uttered during this graphic novel.
JR
Buy Avengers: Endless Wartime h/c and read the Page 45 review here
Thanos Rising s/c (£13-50, Marvel) by Jason Aaron & Simone Bianchi…
“Because no one can 
see me. No one ever has. No one but you, Thanos.”
Surprisingly dark tale, even by Thanos standards, which finally reveals (or further obscures, depending on your point of view) his obsession with death. Is the mysterious woman he sees encouraging and directing his murderous urges real? Or perhaps merely a figment of his imagination? Long-term Marvel readers will have always assumed that Death was real. But now, well, I’m not so sure…
Also, one particularly brutal infanticidal crusade is quite important with respect to the current INFINITY event…
JR
Buy Thanos Rising s/c and read the Page 45 review here
Star Wars vol 1: In The Shadow Of Yavin (£14-99, Dark Horse) by Brian Wood & Carlos D’Anda, Ryan Odagawa…
For those of you who like it old school, the gang are back. Yes, set immediately after the events of the first Star Wars film, this reprises all your old favourite characters, blasters a FRAP FRAP FRAPing and laying on the cheese thicker than a Bantha hide. Not sure yet how these stories fit continuity wise with all the old STAR WARS WEEKLY comics that ran for over a hundred issues (also featuring some glorious Marvel back-up reprint strips, being the first time I read Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos, Deathlok, Micronauts, Star Lord etc.), but even so, does it matter? Though I would love to see some of the other characters from that run such as Baron Tagge.
Anyway, just enjoy and let Brian Wood take you back to a galaxy far, far away…
JR
Buy Star Wars vol 1: In The Shadow Of Yavin and read the Page 45 review here
Arrived, Online & Ready To Buy
Reviews already online if they’re new formats of previous books. Otherwise the most interesting will come under the microscope next week, while the rest will remain with their Diamond previews acting in lieu of reviews.
We’re Out h/c (£11-99, My Cardboard Books) by Philippa Rice
Adventure Time With Fionna & Cake s/c (£14-99, Kaboom) by Natasha Allegri, Noelle Stevenson, Lucy Knisley, Kate Leth
The Fairy Tales Of Oscar Wilde vol 1 s/c (£7-50, NBM) by Oscar Wilde & P. Craig Russell
Fran h/c (£14-99, Fantagraphics) by Jim Woodring
The Hartlepool Monkey h/c (£12-99, Knockabout) by Wilfred Lupano & Jeremie Moreau
Love And Rockets: New Stories #6 (£10-99, Fantagraphics) by Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez
Moomin: Comic Strips vol 8 h/c (£14-99, Drawn & Quarterly) by Lars Jansson
The Spectral Engine h/c (£20-99, McClelland & Stewart) by Ray Fawkes
Uber Enhanced vol 1 h/c (£25-99, Avatar) by Kieron Gillen & Canaan White
The Weirdo Years h/c (£19-99, Knockabout) by Robert Crumb
Woman Rebel – The Margaret Sanger Story h/c (£16-50, Drawn & Quarterly) by Peter Bagge
Catwoman vol 3: Death Of The Family s/c (£12-99, DC) by Ann Nocenti & Rafael Sandoval, Adriana Melo, Emanuela Lupacchino
Green Lantern vol 2: The Revenge Of Black Hand s/c (£12-99, DC) by Geoff Johns & Doug Mahnke, various
Green Lantern vol 3: The End h/c (£18-99, DC) by Geoff Johns & Doug Mahnke, various
The Joker: Death Of The Family h/c (£22-50, DC) by Scott Snyder, various & Greg Capullo, various
Thor: The Dark World Prelude s/c (£10-99, Marvel) by Christos N. Gage, Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle & Lan Medina, Scot Eaton, Ron Lim
Wolverine Max vol 2: Escape To L.A. s/c (£13-50, Marvel) by Jason Starr & various
The Black Beetle: No Way Out vol 1 h/c (£14-99, Dark Horse) by Francesco Francavilla
Doctor Who: Chains Of Olympus (£13-99, Panini) by Scott Gray & Martin Geraghty, Mike Collins
Doctor Who: Hunter Of The Burning Stone (£14-99, Panini) by Scott Gray & Martin Geraghty, various
Judge Dredd Casefiles 21 (£19-99, Rebellion) by John Wagner, Dan Abnett, various & Carlos Ezquerra, Ian Gibson, various
Soul Eater vol 16 (£8-99, Yen) by Atsushi Ohkubo
Wild Honey (£9-99, June) by Sei Takenaka
ITEM! Page 45 appears in episode 1 of BBC ONE’s new Nottingham-based drama Truckers. And it’s bloody brilliant! 36 minutes in.
ITEM! Dark Horse announces new SERENITY: FIREFLY CLASS mini-series!
ITEM! Updates on Antony Johnston’s new UMBRAL epic! Please, please pre-order if you know you want it now.
ITEM! Page 45 Comicbook Of The Month is Gareth Brookes’ THE BLACK PROJECT. (Please click on the covers in the grid for reviews.) Read a brilliant blog by Nicola Streeten on Gareth Brookes and Sara Lucas.
ITEM! Alan Moore & Neil Gaiman’s MIRACLEMAN is finally coming back into print and will be completed! Begins January 2014!
ITEM! Geof Darrow’s SHAOLIN COWBOY #1 is reviewed above and Dark Horse have delivered a preview!
ITEM! Kate Brown and Paul Duffield have finally revealed their glorious animation of The Princes In The Tower! They’ve had to keep it under their regal hats for yonks!
ITEM! Remember PORCELAIN? We sold 100 copies in ten days! Page 45 can reveal we will be having limited edition signed bookplates once again for the next two Improper Books. Preview of BUTTERFLY GATE and KNIGHT & DRAGON here.
ITEM! We are beyond delighted to announce that artist Jodie Paterson has joined the Page 45 family to work alongside us part-time. Check out Page 45’s new line-up! You are almost guaranteed to meet this wonderful woman at the….
HELLBOY MIDNIGHT CIRCUS EXCLUSIVE PAGE 45 SIGNED BOOKPLATE AND LIVE LAUNCH SIGNING! ONE WEEK TO GO!
Kari and Katie at Dark Horse comics have been ridiculously generous in sending us so many exclusive freebies for the day – and they were very busy indeed with the New York Comic Con!
For example, we will be raffling off a complete set of all six HELLBOY LIBRARY EDITION hardcovers! Anyone who buys a HELLBOY MIDNIGHT CIRCUS from us and turns up for the signing will be asked to write their name and phone number on their receipt and Duncan himself will draw the winning receipt out of a hat. If we can find a hat. Failing that some other opaque receptacle.
That is, like, £250 (and several stone) of pure, comicbook brilliance!
I think we owe Dark Horse a link. Yeah, we do! http://www.darkhorse.com/
There are also Zelda bookmarks you probably won’t find anywhere else in the country, limited edition prints, HELLBOY comics, TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS FREE COMICBOOK DAY EDITIONS and stickers and Dark Horse Comics wrist tags we’ll be giving out free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Queue starts at the door as soon as you bloody well like.
WE ARE EXCITED!
– Stephen
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