Weekly Treats!

In a quick and violent burst of Weekly Treatary may I present to you this week's delivery starring a great issue of Batman #5 as Batman is caught in a nightmare maze and Scott Snyder brings us a 360 degree comic (stick that in your digital download pipe).  Wonder Woman #5 finds our heroine in London - we know this because she visits London bridge and it's raining.  Daredevil #7 continues the Spider-Man crossover from Amazing Spider-Man #677 and in Avenging Spider-Man #3 Red Hulk has been brushed aside leaving Spidey alone against the subterranean invasion.

Weekly Treats-Wednesday 11th January

Here's a howdy do!

It's Batwoman #5 week, I know that's hardly impartial but once upon a time you really could count on

books shipping on the same week year in year out.

Honestly does anyone know what week Daredevil ships on?-Marvel take note please.

Right that's out the way, lets take a gander at the kaleidoscopic pleasures that await you upon our humble acrylic shelves.

DC brings us a Darwyn (Watchmen 2?) Cooke drawn Shade #4 and another lovely issue of Frankenstein Agent of Shade.

Marvel's quintet of X is joined by Scarlet Spider #1 (be kind to it one fears it may not be long for this cruel world of creeping attrition.)

Lobster Johnson The Burning Hand #1 looks a handsome addition to this weeks booty to me.

Whispers #1 comes from the Midas womb of Mrs Luna.

Flying solo from his brother, Joshua graces us with the most intriguing new release of the week.

'A mentally troubled man is suddenly empowered with the ability to leave his physical body in "ghost" form and manipulate people in strange and disturbing ways. With this incredible power, will he control his demons...or discover even more?'

Batman's flirtation with the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson reaches an unholy climax this very day as 'Batman Through the Looking Glass H/C' reaches the sunny South Coast .

Sam (why isn't there an omnibus of the Maxx) Keith

daubs his way down the rabbit hole.Got to be honest I've only given it a flick and it looks like 'Nonsense' in the finest Carroll and Lear manner.In this original graphic novel Batman meets his foe The Mad Hatter for the very first time – landing The Dark Knight in Wonderland. Is it real or some strange lazy dream from a balmy afternoon? Only Sam and Bruce Jones know for sure.

Like the mottled headstone of a dearly departed leprechaun Pannini have dropped Marvel's Epic of 2011 on our door this very day.Fear Itself is BACK! Come back, come back calm down it wasn't that bad was it?

Bow thy head in mock solemnity and witness the darkest day in the 616 Universe!

Some heroes battle some villains and by the beard on Odin's chinny chin chin the stakes are way high!

To accompany the parent title meet the siblings- Alpha Flight, Ghost Rider & Avengers umbilical y tied to the narrative.

Inside the tummy of Dark Horse lives the Mignola-verse which gives birth to beautiful twins in the shape of Witchfinder vol 2 Lost and Gone Forever and B.P.R.D Hell on Earth vol 2.

Over at Image Mr Shaky (Bullet Proof Coffin vol 2 shipping soon!) Kane kindly allows his 'Monster Truck' to become road worthy once more-Awesome stuff!

Other notables include Invincible vol 15, Jim Hensons Dark Crystal H/C Vol and the Unwritten Vol 5.

Well that will just have to do this week kind reader.

More next week x

Weekly Treats -Thursday 5th January

Hello everybody 

 Together let us trample the freshly fallen year and shake the soggy disappointment of belated deliveries asunder for this is New Comic Day Eve a precious time to contemplate purchases to come...

So then... 

If only Marvel could unofficially brand the shipping weeks like the reborn DC...

So this is 'Action, Animal Man, Swamp Thing Week-corking!

Alternately it's probably Green Arrow, Detective Comics, Justice League International Week to someone...

Marvel are celebrating the fledgeling January with the second round of Avengers X-Sanction!

The Cable Captan America collision cascades into THE BIG EVENT OF 2012 AVENGERS VS X-MEN

so don't be left out.

  Dragging its knuckles along the shelves this week is the inaugural edition of  the Avengers Annual featuring Beast buddy Simon Williams going doolally  with Bendis providing his usual ventriloquism.

Matt 'parrying' Fraction serves up second helping's of the Defenders and our House of Ideas spotlight quartet is topped off with the second title for Wolverine and the X-Men Alpha Omega by the versatile Brian Wood.

This week see's master Criminal's  Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips' Fatale from Image.

“The overwhelming positive response to FATALE from retailers and fans has been a bit shocking, but a great way to start the new year,” said Brubaker. “Keep it up, and we’ll keep putting out the best book we can.”

FATALE tells the story of a reporter in 2012 who stumbles on a secret that leads him down the darkest path imaginable… to a seductive woman who’s been on the run since 1935, a mobster who may be an immortal demon monster, and the stories of all the doomed men who’ve been caught in their decades-long struggle. FATALE blends noir and horror to tell a riveting epic unlike anything readers have ever seen before.

By the way we have piles of it coming in so don't let bully boy Brubaker  frighten you.

Forgetting to take his shoes off at the door is Mudman #2 from always reliable Paul (St Swithin's Day) Grist

Issue one is still available for all you late sleepers.

Dark Horse unleashes the Goon, Boom offer up more Betrayal on The Planet of the Apes and The Boys march once more to their brutal tune.

Lots more delicacies but why spoil it here?

Pop in tomorrow but PLEASE not until 1PM-these comics need a jolly good counting before presenting themselves for your approval.

On the New Book front its Grant Morrison's going all soft on us with Seven Soldiers Vol 1 soft cover and Batman:The Return of Bruce Wayne soft cover.

David Finch has let his Batman out the cave with The Dark Knight Golden Dawn hardcover.

The Annotated Sandman Vol 1 hits the store just in time for Christmas 2012, thanks DC.

Other notables Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol 2!!!!!
Hope to see you all tomorrow Thursday 5th January (after 1pm)

Swoon Now! An Anthology of Graphic Fiction...

Just wanted to drawn your attention to a great end of year opportunity.  Ivan Brunetti may be known to many as author of the wonderfully transgressional comedy titles such as Misery Loves Comedy, but behind that there's a quietly spoken, well-read and thoughtful commentator on comics (its worth reading his book Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice).  Which brings me to the two book series An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories (Yale University Press) collecting a comprehensive who's-who of the best in contemporary illustration carefully selected by Brunetti.  These hard-cover books are wonderful reference points showcasing artists who have pushed at the conventions of the medium.

Released in 2008, the reason I'm drawing it to your attention is that we have a limited supply of volume two retailing for only £7.50 (usually £17). 

Looking for further incentive?

Good grief, what a book this is – a hyperactive, periodically insane dive into the archaeology of alternative comics; the sort of book you long to present to people with no interest in the medium and watch as it removes the top of their heads and gives their brains a good stir. More or less everything is here, from Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo" strips, begun in 1905, to the work of Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Chester Hines... you name it. Each page has something new, upsetting, wonderful on it,which makes it, along with the equally gigantic vol. 1, pretty much unbeatable.

                                                                  The Independent (see here)

Here Brunetti picks up with further examples of many of the creators he focuses on in his first volume, as well as introducing some lesser-known artists and a range of archival material from the early days of Sunday comics. There is no clear logic to the way the comics are ordered here, but instead Brunetti lets the selection and the order take shape organically, based, as he puts it, on the same kind of creative intuition he would bring to the creation of one of his own comics. And the result is truly something special. So many of our favorites were here, and in almost every case Brunetti honed in on just the right selection not just to represent that given creator’s work, but to speak to the other selections in this volume. In its own terms it work wonderfully—arguably even surpassing Ware’s McSweeney volume as the best anthology of its kind. 

                                                                Guttergeek.com (see here)

I leave the last word to Ivan Brunetti himself.

 

 

Weekly Treats! Chase & House of Mystery

The important thing to be aware of this week is that the delivery will be later.  It's actually going to be arriving on Thursday morning so it won't be on sale until lunchtime.  With that said, let's take a very quick look at what exactly those naughty Bank Holiday gremlins are making us wait an extra day and few hours for.

Chase (DC) is written by D. Curtis Johnson and one JH Williams III and has the added attraction of showcasing a heavy dose of Williams' early illustration work.  Released in 1997/8 this book collects the entire run about Cameron Chase who carries a loathing for super-powered folk due to a personal history with them and works as an Agent for the Department of Extranormal Operations who just happen to have jurisdiction over superheroes.  Think Alias meets Gotham central but pre-dating them both by a few years and we have one of those ground-level, outside-the-circle titles that always go down well.

Also worth noting is the release of House of Mystery vol. 7 (DC) the nicely balanced series featuring short stories as well as a larger narrative.  This volume features work by writers including Matthew Sturgess (of course), Peter Milligan and Mike Carey and artists include David Lloyd, Michael Allred and Darwyn Cooke.






For the Weekly Treats there's quite a decent spread (see full list under the Features tab above).  Marvel have managed to find themselves releasing two issues of Captain America #5 & 6 but with Alan Davis joining the gang who can say no?  No chance of the same double-shipping ever happening on a Mark Millar title as Kick-Ass 2 #6 hits the shelves on a rocket.  And excellent, high-concept, done-in-one superhero/sci-fi in the shape of Secret Avengers #20 which spotlights Black Widow this issue.  The DC 52 Juggernaut rolls on with David Finch's muscular Batman: Dark Knight #4 and Superman #4 promises not only the origin of Supes' new foes but - get this - their link to Action Comics.  Finally Spaceman #3 featuring space pirates and drugs - don't deny they weren't on your Christmas list.

Weekly Treats! Walking Dead vol 15

Just in time for Christmas this Wednesday...

We also stock Zombie-proof* lunch-boxes

*zombie-proofing not actually confirmed...yet.

Swoon Now! The Sigh

 

Originally published three years ago to high acclaim in France and Spain, The Sigh (Archaia) is the new book by Persepolis author Marjane Satrapi.

Unlike Persepolis and Embroideries, The Sigh is a fairy story: When a Merchant is unable to bring home a gift for Rose, one of his three daughters, she heaves a sigh that attracts Ah the Sigh, a mysterious, ethereal character who provides the Merchant with the requested gift.  But, as with all the classic fairy tales, every gift has a price and a year later the Sigh returns and the payment must be Rose herself.
 

 

The story is filled with classical fairy tale elements from Princes, to lost love and labours on the road to redemption that, along with Satrapi's charmingly simple, flowing illustrations with a multi-cultural choice of colours and design, make for a comfortable and heart-warming read.

The book itself is in an under-sized hard-cover format with a beautifully designed cover making it a lovely gift book.  Highly recommended.

Books of the Year - Daytripper

I don't want to say too much about Daytripper (DC) by brothers Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba except that it's a story of an ordinary life. Whatever 'ordinary' means of course..

It's wise, affecting and touching and it won an Eisner award for Best Limited Series and a Harvey award for Best Single Issue or Story.

You can follow the brothers on their blog (see here).

2012 - Avengers vs. X-Men

Those of us who have been reading comics for a little while know that in the comic industry the present is only prologue to the future and this week Marvel could barely contain themselves with the news of the big event of 2012.  Avengers vs X-Men did, at first I'm afraid, fill me "how dumb" - I mean we're talking about The House of Ideas and that's the best they could come up with?  But then I thought about it; maybe it's just really canny.  As with Civil War, as with World War Hulk, as with Secret Invasion, as with Fea- well maybe not Fear Itself, but Marvel do have a good tradition of events that have an instantly recognisable hook to non-regular readers. Turn to the person sat next to you on the bus and tell them the title of Marvel's next event and (assuming they don't move seat) they'll probably know what and who you're referring to.  Let's face it, it's the summer movie event we'll be looking forward to in 2015 (if they ever sort out the split rights ownership).

Now the question is can the mighty minds of co-writers Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Jason Aaron and Jonathan Hickman make the damn thing make sense to us regulars.  Apparently it all starts with Hope, Scarlet Witch and the Phoenix force...

For further reading try the USA Today article (see here) or the watch the official Marvel broadcast (see here).

Weekly Treats! Criminal

 

We're very busy elves this time of year but I'll try to keep some semblance of a post going.  The biggest graphic novel release this week is Criminal vol. 6 (Icon) another crime tale from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.  Along with Scalped (Icon) it's probably the best ongoing crime series out being published.  Follow the Criminal blog for more (see here).  Striking cover ta boot.










For the Weekly Treats, well it's starting to become clear what the success stories are from the DC52 line and this week we have four of them: Action Comics #4 was always going to be a strong showing thanks to Grant Morrison's name although it also became the 'love it/hate it' title of the batch. Detective Comics #4 was also an obvious title to back but Tony S. Daniel has seen his stock rise rapidly of late. Also proving to be popular are Animal Man #4 and Swamp Thing #4; both true success stories from the re-boot as you'd wonder how well they would have sold as new launches on a regular week. The re-boot got the attention, the quality kept the sales up. Marvel have a big new launch this week with Defenders #1 with a great set of characters and the pages feature those curious little messages that used to pop up on comics in the seventies (hinting at future story lines, other comics and the old "continued on the second page" before an advert). Plus there's Avenging Spider-Man #2.