Last Call for April Reservations
The April catalog yielded a manageable crop of picks (which is just as well, as I’m currently drowning in piles of unread material). I can highly recommend the first two new trades on the list, FATALE and THE ACTIVITY as I’ve been on board with both since inception. And there are several ongoing trades to look forward to, including MORNING GLORIES, SCALPED and LOCKE & KEY! And it’s a strong month for Graphic Novel picks, both on in the adult and kid-friendly categories.
Remember, all of these books can be held for you or shipped to you through the Comic Book Reservation Service!
TRADE PAPERBACK (TPB) – FIRST VOLUMES
Fatale Vol. 1: Death Chases Me TP (MR) - (W) Ed Brubaker (A/CA) Sean Phillips, Dave Stewart | First arc of noir meets Lovecraft, collected just in time for new readers to jump on board with issue 6! The Story: In present day, a man meets a woman who he becomes instantly obsessed with, and in the 1950s, this same woman destroys the lives of all those who cross her path, on a quest for… what? Collects FATALE #1-5 [$14.99]
Activity Vol. 1 TP - (W) Nathan Edmondson (A/CA) Mitch Gerads | The Story: The USA’s latest, most advanced and most secret special ops group is tasked with fixing botched operations, wielding bleeding-edge tech and planning and executing lethal action in the utmost secrecy. Collects THE ACTIVITY #1-5 [$12.99]
Riven TP - (W) Bo Hampton, Robert Tinnell (A/CA) Bo Hampton | The Story: Katya has been in a coma for five years, and when she awakes, she is a gorgeous teenager becoming aware of a growing, terrifying power inside her body, triggered by the touch of the full moon, eager to break free . . . Can Katy solve the mystery of her blood-drenched nightmares before they become reality? [$17.99]
Spellbinders Signs and Wonders TP - (W) Mike Carey (A/CA) Mike Perkins | I didn’t realize that THE UNWRITTEN’S Mike Carey was also writing for Marvel. The Story: 15-year-old Kim Vesco moves from Chicago to Salem, Massachusetts, and finds the local student body divided into rival factions of witches and non-witches, with both sides bidding for her allegiance. Collecting SPELLBINDERS #1-6. [$16.99]
NOTABLE REPRINTS & ONGOING TPBs
Morning Glories Vol. 3: P.e. TP - (W) Nick Spencer (A) Joe Eisma (CA) Rodin Esquejo | The critically acclaimed smash hit series rolls on with this collection of the blockbuster third arc, ‘P.E.!’ Collects MORNING GLORIES #13-19 [$14.99]
Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind TP (MR) - (W) Bill Willingham (A) Mark Buckingham & Various (CA) Joao Ruas | Bigby and Snow White’s cubs try to move forward after Mr. North gave up his kingdom in order to box up Mr. Dark. #108-113 of the acclaimed series. [$14.99]
Scalped Vol. 9: Knuckle Up TP (MR) - (W) Jason Aaron (A) R. M. Guera (CA) Jock | War breaks out on the rez as Red Crow loses his grip on the reins and Dash Bad Horse faces his toughest and fiercest foe yet. Collects SCALPED #50-55 [$14.99]
Locke & Key: Head Games Vol. 5: Clockworks HC - (W) Joe Hill (A/CA) Gabriel Rodriguez | The sprawling tale of the Locke family and their mastery of the whispering iron thunders to new heights as the true history of the family is revealed to Tyler and Kinsey. [$24.99]
Incognito Classified Edition HC (MR) - (W) Ed Brubaker (A/CA) Sean Phillips | From the best-selling award-winning creators of FATALE and CRIMINAL comes the classy deluxe hardback edition of their brutal ‘Super-Villain in Witness Protection’ saga… INCOGNITO! Collecting both INCOGNITO and its sequel BAD INFLUENCES along with many behind-the-scenes extras, previously unseen illustrations and even a few articles. [$44.99]
GRAPHIC NOVEL PICKS
Iron Or the War After HC - (W/A/CA) Shane-Michael Vidaurri | It is the aftermath of a long war, in a world of constant winter. An intelligence spy from the Resistance – the rabbit, Hardin – steals secret information from a military base of the Regime. His actions set off a chain of events that reverberates through the ranks of both sides, touching everyone from Pavel the crow to Giles the goat, from the highest-ranking officials to the smallest orphaned child. When the snow finally settles, who will be the true patriot and who the true traitor? A spellbinding, beautifully illustrated anthropomorphic tale. [$24.95]
Right State HC (MR) - (W) Mat Johnson (A) Andrea Mutti, Nessim Higson | Just in time for the fall presidential election, Mat Johnson, acclaimed writer of INCOGNEGRO, delivers a race-against-time political thriller about a militia group that’s plotting to assassinate the second African- American President of the U.S. [$24.99]
Anna and Froga Want A Gumball HC - (W/A/CA) Anouk Ricard | Anouk Ricard’s Anna and Froga features the adventures of a little girl named Anna and her gang of animal friends. Whether the conflict is driven by eating too many French fries or trying to beat a difficult video game, Anna, Froga, Bubu, Ron, and Christopher always come out all right in the end, which makes the layers of confusion they pile on one another all the funnier. Ricard’s characters are sweet without ever veering into preciousness, as they constantly find opportunities for a laugh at one another’s expense. [$14.95]
Birdseye Bristoe HC (MR) - (W/A/CA) Dan Zettwoch | It’s a storyline we know all too well: ‘A mysterious stranger comes to town.’ Only the town is not really a town and the stranger is a gigantic cell-phone tower. The town is Birdseye Bristoe – a portmanteau name created from an interstate sign that points to two real towns – and it has only one real permanent resident, an old-timer known as Uncle. His teenaged great-niece and -nephew visit occasionally, though the town doesn’t have much to offer apart from an adult superstore, a gas station, and a tackle shop. Birdseye Bristoe brims with larger-than-life personalities, hilarious anecdotes, references to midwestern/mid-southern pop culture, and diagrams of the cell-tower/cross-construction process. [$19.95]
Crackle of the Frost HC - (W) Lorenzo Mattotti, Jorge Zentner (A) Jorge Zentner, Lorenzo Mattotti | Following in the wake of Fantagraphics’ publication last year of the extraordinary Stigmata and The Raven, Lorenzo Mattotti ups the visual ante with The Crackle Of The Frost, a graphic novel masterpiece of love and loss featuring panel after panel of sumptuous full-color paintings, as if Edward Hopper had suddenly decided to jump into comics. [$19.99]
Beta Testing the Apocalypse - (W/A/CA) Tom Kaczynski | Kaczynki’s visual storytelling adds an architectural dimension that the written word alone lacks. Beta Testing The Apocalypse includes 10 short stories, depicting the immense political and technological structures and spaces we inhabit that subtly affect and define the limits of who we are and the freedoms we presume to enjoy. [$19.99]
COMICS – NEW ONGOING SERIES
The Massive #1 - (W) Brian Wood (A) Kristian Donaldson (CA) Brian Wood & Various | In a post-war, post-crash, post-disaster, post-everything world, the environmental-action trawler Kapital scours the earth’s oceans for its mysteriously missing sister ship, The Massive. Captain Callum Israel, a man who has dedicated his life to the ocean, now must ask himself-as our planet dies-what it means to be an environmentalist after the world’s ended. Callum and his crew will come up against pirates, rebels, murderers, and thieves as they struggle to remain noble toward their cause. Can you save a planet that’s already doomed? [$3.50]
Mars Attacks #1 - (W) John Layman (A) John McCrea (CA) Wally Wood & Various | The invasion begins! The first stories of an all-new MARS ATTACKS universe are here, bringing outrageous action and dark humor to the comics page. Eisner-winning writer John Layman (Chew) is joined by Eisner-winning artist John McCrea (Hitman) to sound the alarm. Beware! The Martians are coming! [$3.99]
Planetoid #1 - (W/A/CA) Ken Garing | story / art / cover KEN GARING Silas, an ex-soldier turned space pirate, finds himself stranded on a mysterious planet in alien territory. As he explores the long-abandoned industrial ruins of the planet’s surface he will have to fend off rogue mechanical creatures, roving cyborg militias, and a hostile alien military with a bounty on his head. Silas will have to rely on resourcefulness and bare-bones survival tactics in order to stay alive and ultimately unlock the secrets of a planet where survival is a luxury and escape an impossibility. [$2.99]
Creator Owned Heroes #1 (MR) - (W) Steve Niles & Various (A/CA) Phil Noto, Kevin Mellon | story STEVE NILES, JIMMY PALMIOTTI & JUSTIN GRAY art / cover PHIL NOTO & KEVIN MELLON ‘AMERICAN MUSCLE,’ Part One by STEVE NILES & KEVIN MELLON The world ended a long time ago. How it happened exactly and what exists in the wasteland have always been a mystery. Now Chloe, Gil and a gang of rebels have escaped the last human stronghold and are blazing across Post-Apocalypse America in search of paradise. [$3.99]
COMICS – NEW LIMITED SERIES
Fatima the Blood Spinners #1 (of 4) - (W/A/CA) Gilbert Hernandez | Comics luminary Gilbert Hernandez is the only creator who makes the limited series list outside of a Before Watchmen title! The Story: A drug called ‘spin’ offers the wildest trip imaginable, followed by its users’ inevitable, rapid deterioration into undead flesh eaters. Despite the side effect, the drug is so popular that the human population is dying out! With no cure to be found, the beautiful, lovesick Fatima may be the only thing standing between the survivors and the apocalypse. Get ready for four issues of zombies, drug lords, and gorgeous women! [$3.99]
Before Watchmen Minutemen #1 (of 6) (MR) - (W) Darwyn Cooke, Len Wein (A) Darwyn Cooke, John Higgins (CA) Darwyn Cooke | ‘Little did we know that poor boy would lead to the end of us all.’ Plus: Don’t miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue. [$3.99]
Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 (of 4) (MR) - (W) Darwyn Cooke & Various (A) Amanda Conner, John Higgins (CA) Amanda Conner | ‘Oh sweetie, you’re too young to hate. Wait until you’re older and the world gives you a good reason. Trust me, it won’t let you down.’ Plus: Don’t miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue. [$3.99]
Before Watchmen: Comedian #1 (of 6) (MR) - (W) Brian Azzarello, Len Wein (A) J. G. Jones, John Higgins (CA) J. G. Jones | ‘I’m a funny guy…’ Plus: Don’t miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue. [$3.99]
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1 (of 4) (MR) - (W) J. Michael Straczynski, Len Wein (A) Andy Kubert & Various (CA) Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert | ‘The hero known to the public only as Nite Owl announced his retirement today.’ Plus: Don’t miss the CRIMSON CORSAIR backup story by writer LEN WEIN and artist JOHN HIGGINS! This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue. [$3.99]
KID FRIENDLY – GNs and TPBs
Space Warped TP - (W) Hervé Bourhis (A/CA) Rudy Spiessert | Far away, in a land long ago, there was an orphaned farm kid with daddy issues trying to rescue an orphaned princess unaware of her daddy issues! In the tradition of Robot Chicken: Star Wars and Spaceballs comes a loving, affectionate parody of the greatest science fiction franchise of all time. This is a fan-pleasing romp that skewers the original trilogy of one of the greatest adventure stories ever. [$14.99]
Radioactive Man Vol. 1: Radioactive Repository HC - (W/A/CA) Matt Groening | Up and atom! Bart Simpson’s favorite comic hero, Radioactive Man, is here to save the day for superhero fans both old and new! Ever since his historic comic book debut in 1952 (in The Simpsons universe). Radioactive Man (otherwise known as layabout playboy Claude Kane III) and his faithful sidekick Fallout Boy (aka former juvenile delinquent Rod Runtledge) have been making Zenith City safe from insidious evil-doers such as Dr. Crab, Magmo the Lava Man, Hypno-Head, Larva Girl, Larceny Lass, and Richard Milhous Nixon, to name but a few. For decades, fans have clamored for a deluxe collection of Radioactive Man tales. Now, at last, the Atomic Avenger receives the treatment he deserves in this comprehensive and historic archival edition of his greatest adventures! [$25.99]
Zeus & the Rise of Olympians Campfire - (W) Ryan Foley (A/CA) K.P. JAYAKRISHNAN | From his throne high atop Mount Olympus, the mighty and powerful god Zeus reigned over ancient Greece with his fellow Olympians. Feared for his lightning bolt but loved for his compassion for humanity, Zeus presided over an era of peace and prosperity. But Zeus’s ascension to power was violently contested. In fact, he claimed power for his own by waging a horrible war that threatened to destroy the entire world. And to make matters worse, he was opposed in this battle for all existence by none other than his own father. See how Zeus takes power for himself as he picks up his famous sword of storms for the first time and leads the rise of the Olympians! [$9.99]
Earthling HC or Earthling - (W/A/CA) Mark Fearing | Every kid worries about making friends at a new school, but when 9-year-old Bud accidentally catches the wrong bus and finds himself launched into deep space, new friends are the least of his problems! At Cosmos Academy, Bud learns that Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy, and even Earth’s location has been hidden! With the help of his new friend, Gort, Bud goes undercover as a Tenarian exchange student. Unfortunately that means everyone thinks he’s a pro at anti-gravity Zero-Ball (even though he’s really only a pro at watching sports). And with paranoid Principal Lepton threatening to expel any Earthlings (into outer space) and only Gort’s hacked Blip computer to help them determine Earth’s co-ordinates, will Bud ever find his way home? [$22.99 or $12.99]
Monster Dinosaur HC - (W/A/CA) Lewis Trondheim | A competition of dinosaurs is organized in town, pitting dino versus dino to see who the most ferocious beast is. Peter and Jean draw a monster dinosaur to enter in the competition, and bring it to life using their magic paper. Meanwhile, their dad does the very same thing! When both monsters are entered into the competition, whose creation will reign supreme? [$9.99]
KID FRIENDLY – COMIC BOOKS
DC Comics Presents: Superman Adventures #1 - (W) Mark Millar (A) Aluir Amancio, Terry Austin (CA) Rick Burchett, Terry Austin | • All-ages tales from SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #16, 19, 22 and 23. • The Man of Steel faces Mr. Mxyzptlk, Brainiac and Livewire, and plays bodyguard to the president of the United States. [$7.99]
Atomic Robo Flying She Devils of the Pacific #1 (of 5) - (W) Brian Clevinger (A) Matt Speroni (CA) Scott Wegener | It’s called The Flying She-Devils of the Pacific. If there’s another combination of English words that could better sell you on a comic book than those, it probably involves ‘give you’ and ‘a million dollars.’ [$3.50]
