New Library Comics: Week of August 21, 2006

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


Abrams, Pete. Is it not nifty? /Thomasville, NC : Plan Nine Pub., c1998.

B., David, 1959- Babel /Montreal, Quebec : Drawn & Quarterly, 2004- no. 2

Basset, Brian. Red and Rover : a boy, a dog, a time, a feeling : a comic strip /Kansas City : Andrews McMeel Pub., c2002.

Blegvad, Peter. The book of Leviathan /Woodstock, NY : Overlook Press, 2001.

Butler, P.M. Dawn's dirty little black book /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 2000.

Carney, Charles. The Acme catalog : quality is our #1 dream : from the makers of ACME products /San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c2006.

Clamp (Artistic group) X/1999 : prelude /San Francisco, Calif. : Viz Communications, c1996.

Coleman, Joe. The mystery of woolverine woo-bait /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2004, c1982.

Consiglio, Tony. Double cross : more or less /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf, c2002.

Defilippis, Nunzio. The tomb : a Jessica Parrish adventure /Portland, OR : Oni Press, 2004.

Dementia. Buffy /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 1997.

Emerson, Hunt. Citymouth /London : Knockabout Comics, c2000.

Ennis, Garth. Enemy ace, war in heaven /New York : DC Comics, c2003.

Espinosa, Rod. The courageous princess /San Antonio, Tex. : Antartic Press, 2000- vol. 1

Hall, Mike. Make your own comics : the small press primer /San Diego, CA : Ape Entertainment, 2004.

Hayes, Leah. Holy Moly /Seattle, WA : Frantagraphics, c2004.

Holbrook, Bill. Kevin & Kell : quest for content /Norcross, GA : Online Features Syndicate, c1997.

Hurd, Damon. A strange day /Gainesville, Fla. : Alternative Comics, c2005.

Kelso, Megan, 1968- The squirrel mother : stories /Seattle : Fantagraphics ; [New York] : Distributed by W.W. Norton, 2006.

Lansdale, Joe R., 1951- Red range /Dripping Springs, Tex. : Mojo Press, c1999.

Livingston, Todd. The Black Forest /Orange, CA : Image Comics, c2004.

Macklin, Ken. Dr. Watchstop : adventures in time and space /Forestville, Calif. : Eclipse Books, c1989.

McCloud, Scott, 1960- The new adventures of Abraham Lincoln /La Jolla, CA : Homage Comics, 1998.

McCorkindale, Bruce. Here come the Lovejoys /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 2001.

Metaphrog. Louis : lying to Clive /Glasgow : Metaphrog, c2001.

Mind riot : coming of age in comix /New York : Aladdin Paperbacks, 1997.

Moon, Fabio. De:tales : stories from urban Brazil /Milwaukee, OR : Dark Horse Comics, c2006.

Murphy, Mark, 1965- House of java : stories /New York : NBM, c1998- vol. 1

Mutard, Bruce. The bunker /Orange, CA : Image Comics, c2003.

Rubber necker. /Gainesville, Fla. : Alternative Comics, c2002- nos. 1-3

Sassaman, Gary. Is this the way to fiction? /Pittsburgh, PA : Ollie Ollie! Oxen Free Press, 1998.

Torres, Daniel, 1958- The art of Daniel Torres. /Barcelona : Norma Editorial, 1995.

Torres, J. Scandalous /Portland, OR : Oni Press, 2004.

Varon, Sara. Sweaterweather /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, 2003.

Vosburg, Mike. Lori Lovecraft /Tujunga, Calif. : AV Publications, c2000.

Watson, Andi. Geisha : out of tune /Portland, OR : Oni Press, 2000.

Weinstein, Jacob. Dirty boxes /Gainsville, FL : Alternative Comics, 2001.

Wilber, Ron. Domino lady /Seattle, WA. : Eros Comix, 1995.

Withrow, Steven. Webcomics /Hauppauge, N.Y. : Barrons Educational Series, 2005.

Young, Larry. Proof of concept /San Francisco, CA : AiT/Planet Lar, 2004.

Yuri monogatari /[United States] : ALC, c2004.

New This Week: August 30, 2006

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop later today:


The Pick of the Week is All Star Superman #5 by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. let's face it, this is probably going to be the pick of the week whenever it manages to come out. (And yeah, sure, it's late--but you were expecting it, and it's not like it's a massive crossover taking the whole line late along with it...)


In other comics:

Antarctic have a new issue of Gold Digger (#77).

Ape Entertainment resurrect the former Speakeasy title Athena Voltaire: Flight of the Falcon.

Boom! have the second issue of X Isle.

Comely Comix have the debut of a new Captain Canuck series: Captain Canuck: Legacy.

Dark Horse have the second volume of Path of the Assassin; the third collected volume of Rex Mundi; and a new issue of Usagi Yojimbo (#96).

DC have a big black and white Showcase Presents Batman volume; the final issue of Solo (#12); and new issues of 52 (week 17), Action Comics (#842), American Way (#7), and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (#2).

D.E. have the second issue (following the 25¢ #0) of Battlestar Galactica (#1).

Graphix have Baby Sitters Club vol. 1: Kristy's Great Idea, a graphic novel version of the popular tween book series with Raina Telgemeier on art.

Hill & Wang: If your store didn't get it last week, they should have the 9/11 Report Graphic Adaption this week.

IDW kill off Comics Intranet Rumormonger Rich Whatshisname in CSI: Dying in the Gutters #1; and have a new issue of Fallen Angel (#8).

Image have a new issue of Rocketo (#11).

Marvel have the first hardcover collection of the too-much-fun-for-Marvel Nextwave: Agents of HATE; a collection of Straczynski & Doran's Book of Lost Souls; and new issues of Kabuki (#7), She Hulk 2 (#11), and X-Factor (#10).

Thrud Comics have the second issue of Thrud the Barbarian.


Hmmm, at first I thought that this might be a light week, but looking at the list above I see that it isn't really. Enjoy All Star Superman #5 and the rest of your new comics!

Quick GN Reviews

The Ride
by a bunch of folk
Image, $9.99

Created by Keven Gardner, The Ride attempts to bring mindless action movies to the comics page, and in that it largely succeeds. The premise behind this anthology is that a particular 1968 Camero ends up being involved in a variety of high-octane situations: A high-octane Hong Kong gangster shoot-out, a police hunt gone bad, a deadly insurance scam, etc. The stories succeed or fail largely based on the artist; some, like Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze, are clearly at ease with this type of story, while others are not. For mindless action, it costs about the same as a movie ticket to a Hollywood action blockbuster, and will leave about as much of an impression.

Rating: 3 (of 5)



Dark Blue
by Warren Ellis & Jacen Burrows
Avatar, $8.95

Dark Blue begins like it's going to be another of Ellis's ultraviolent stories about one badass cop against the evil criminal that no one else can take down. Then about halfway through there's a big ol' plot twist, which mainly works because you're expecting this to be the standard Ellis story. As this is an Avatar comic, it has the expected R-rated disemboweling and whatnot, which of course Burrows is able to pull off. Told in just six economical ten-page chapters, this is Ellis & Burrows doing what they do well.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

Books on Writing Comics

I recently read a couple of books about writing comics. Not because I have a strong desire to be a comic writer, but just out of general interest.

In his book Writing for Comics with Peter David (Impact Books, $19.99), the prolific writer uses the opportunity as an introduction to basic creative writing, using comics as a foundation. The book is heavily weighted towards 'mainstream' comics because, as David says in the introduction, he's mainly known for his mainstream comics work and if you're buying a book called Writing for Comics with Peter David that's what you're expecting to get. David covers all of the bases from plot to character development to dialogue and illustrates with a multitude of examples from his work and from the work of others.


In Writers on Comics Scriptwriting 2 (Titan Books, $16.96), Tom Root & Andrew Kardon interview 17 comics writers about their craft. Most of the subjects are known primarily as mainstream writers--the exceptions being Dave Sim and possibly Jill Thompson--although most have also done work outside the DC-Marvel axis. Each interview is pnly about 15 pages long, so you won't get the sort of insight you might out of a good Comics Journal interview. It's best taken in short doses, one interview at a time, as despite the variety of responses from the interviewees it does all start to run together. Still, it does make for a variety of interesting looks into how different comics writers approach their work.

Taken together, these books serve well as a general introducitno to the craft of writing comics, though they won't turn you into a superstar writer over night. (And you'll have a couple of books on your shelf with really boring covers...)

Rating for both: 3 (of 5).

Minicomics Monday

I'm totally stealing the idea for Minicomics Monday from Johanna--I hope she doesn't mind. In fact, I think it would be great if many comics blogs decided to use Mondays to focus on mini comics!


Armitage Shanks, Arctic Pirate in "Exit Strategy" is a 24 hour comic by Kevin Cannon (part of Big Time Attic and one of the artists on BSC&TL). I normally don't care much for 24-hour comics; sure they're probably an interesting and illuminating exercise for the artist, but as comics they're generally sub-par. But while not up to the polish of his usual work, Cannon still manages to turn in an interesting story (with a plot and everything!) The titular Shanks is hired by a man to track down a pirate who has kidnapped his daughter. Complications ensue. Okay, so it's not a deep plot, but it still makes for a fun read. (read it online here)

Stick Daemonology is by Johane Matte, who brings to this collection of one-page gags the best facility with expressive stick figures I've seen this side of Matt Feazell. The little stick daemons may be the lowest-rung creatures in their hellish void, but that doesn't stop them from joking around and having fun. I chuckled many times reading this, and I suspect you will too.

days, by Karen Knighton, is one of the more original comics I've seen in a while, and is very hard to explain. But I'll try... Throughout this mini are a series of backgrounds, facing each other. in between each background are two translucent pages, each with a character drawn on it, either Yak the Bird or Scissors the Bunny. As you flip the translucent pages, the characters move from one background to the opther, thus reinterpreting the scene. Like I said, hard to describe, but fascinating. If like me you like it when your comics play around with formalism, you stand a good chance of enjoying this.



Mini comics can be notoriously hard to track down. Many artists sell them at conventions, and there are a few comic stores that will carry them. Your best bet is to try ordering them online, either from the artist directly, or from an online shop like Poopsheet.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

From 1951, Jungle Comics #140 gives us the perfetc jungle comics cover: Brawny raised-by-animals white man in a loincloth? Check! Woman in peril while wearing leopard-print bikini? Check! Menacing gorilla? Check!

(Standard disclaimer about menacing gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Quick Boom! Reviews

The Savage Brothers #1
by Andrew Cosby, Johanna Stokes, & Rafael Albuquerque
Boom! $3.99

Hey, do you like zombies? Do you want to read a story about a couple of good ol' boys hunting down zombies in a post-apocalyptic future? Well folks, Boom! certainly know their audience, and The Savage Brothers is the comic for you. There's not too much to say here, because if Boom! know anything it's how to produce a good, solid zombie comic. There's plenty of zombie-killing action, and artist Albuquerque delivers it well.

Rating: 3 (of 5)



Second Wave #4-5
by Michael Alan Nelson & Chee
Boom! $2.99 ea.

There are two curious things about the Second Wave comic: First, why they keep changing the name; the first couple of issues were War of the Worlds: Second Wave; then it was Second Wave: War of the Worlds; now with issue #5 it is simply Second Wave. Second, why with each issue the production values go down. These latest couple of issues are drawn as though Chee was expecting them to be computer colored, though instea they's black and white with scant or non-existing backgrounds; some panels shaded, others not. It's reaching a point where it is becoming distracting. I assume this is because of Boom!'s insistance that this remain a $2.99 title instead of the $3.99 they charge for their other comics in color; it seems a curious choice and, at this point a wrong one as it is adversely affecting the quality of the product. I'm also not terribly impressed with how the story is going, as the evil sheriff is just too unbelievably evil. All in all, this comic is just opportunity wasted.

Rating: 2 (of 5)



Talent #2
by Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, & Paul Azaceta
Boom! $3.99

The second issue of this mini continues the story of Nick Dane, the lone survivor of a downed aircraft who now has the skills and memories of everyone else on the doomed plane; and the secret organization that it out to get him. It's still packed with tension, excitement, action and drama. My only regret is that it is scheduled to end after four issues, as this premise could keep them going much longer. Talent is probably the best comic that Boom! is currently publishing.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)



(review copis of the above comics were provided by the publisher)

New This Week: August 23, 2006

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop later today:


The Pick of the Week is The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by veterans Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, who attempt to bring the dense and dry commission report to life as a comic (and potentially to many more readers as well).

However, if you're looking for something not quite as series, I'd recommend as an alternate Pick of the Week the second Middleman collection by Javier Grillo-Marxuach
and Les McClaine (from Viper Comics). You'll find plenty of fun packed within its pages.


In other comics:

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor have a new issue of Rex Libris (#5).

Awakening Comics have the Origin of Sparky one-shot jam.

DC have the paperback collection of Promethea book 5; the expensive Absolute Dark Knight hardcover; new issues of 52 (week 16), Batman (#656), Birds of Prey (#97), Blue Beetle (#5), DMZ (#10), Jack of Fables (#2), Justice League of America (#1), Supergirl and the Legion (#21), Wonder Woman (#2); and the final issue of Swamp Thing (#29).

Drawn & Quarterly have the second volume of Walt & Skeezix.

Evil Twin have the latest Action Philosophers: The People's Choice.

IDW have the trade collection of their first Fallen Angel arc; and the final issue of Supermarket (#4).

Image have the second issue of Elephantmen (#2).

Marvel collection Dan Slott's Thing series in a trade; debut the latest iteration of Heroes for Hire; and have new issues of Astonishing X-Men (#16), Daredevil (#88), Eternals (#3), Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane (#9), Ultimate Spider-Man (#99), and Ultimates Annual #2.

TokyoPop have a new volume of Beck (vol. 5).

Viz have the either volume of Tezuka's Phoenix.


If you cannot find anything to buy this week, you're just not trying hard enough!

Yet Another Fantasy League 2

It's that time of year again. Excitement is in the air as the battle of the gridiron begins!

Yet Another Fantasy League was a lot of fun last year, so I've decided to run it again this year.

It's a free Yahoo Fantasy Football league, where you are encouraged to join and name your fantasy team after a comic book team. (Once again I'm Kickers Inc.!)

To join follow this link. Registration will continue until all 12 team spots have been filled, or until August 31 (the date for our autopick draft) whichever comes first.

It should be grand.

New Library Comics: Week of August 14, 2006

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


Beard, George, 1966- The adventures of Super Diaper Baby : the first graphic novel /New York : Blue Sky Press, 2002.

Derf. Trashed : true tales from the back of a garbage truck /San Jose, Calif. : Slave Labor Graphics Pub., [2002]

Haupeur, J. H. Hot nights in Rangoon /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 1997.

Hooper, Terry. Maeve : 1 girl 4 women /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 1997.

Kleid, Neil. Ninety candles : a graphic novella /New York : Rant Comics, 2004.

Kuper, Peter, 1958- Eye of the beholder : [a collection of visual puzzles] /New York : NBM, c2000.

Mahfood, Jim. The further adventures of one page filler man /[Berkeley, Calif.] : Image Comics, c2006.

Mawil. Beach safari /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2003.

Morse, Scott. Littlegreyman /Fullerton, CA : Image Comics/Crazyfish, c1997.

Morse, Scott. Visitations : a graphic novella /Fullerton, CA : Image Comics/Crazyfish, c1998.

Paszkiewicz, Douglas. Arsenic lullaby : "the donut cometh" /[Milwaukee, Wis.] : Arsenic Lullaby Publishing, c2005.

Peterson, Cris. XXX files /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 2002.

Q-ray. Tha comic messiah /[Melb, Vic, Australia : Q-ray Comix, 1995-1997] vol. 1-2

Rolston, Steve. One bad day /Portland, Ore. : Oni Press, 2003.

Schmidt, J. Marc. Egg story /San Jose, CA : SLG Pub., c2004.

Smith, Ian. Emily & the intergalactic lemonade stand : a story of ponies, robots-- and world domination /San Jose, CA : AmazeInk, 2004.

Torres, J. Days like this /Portland, OR : Oni Press, c2003.

What's up underground! /Portland, OR : S.K. Josefsberg Studio, 1995.

Wood, Brian. Pounded : broken hearts, busted heads /Portland, OR : Oni Press, 2002.

Yohei, Kozo. Spunky knight /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 1999.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Joe Kubert draws the Challengers being chased off an island by a giant ape-beast on the cover of Challengers of the Unknown #79.

(Standard disclaimer about giant ape-beasts not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Dave's Dozen: Mainstream Comics

Each month (usually...) I go through Previews to highlight twelve items worthy of attention in three categories: Mainstream Comics, Indy Comics, and Collections/GNs.

First up for the August Previews (comics supposedly available in October) are the following dozen mainstream comics picks:


Seven Soldiers #1
(DC, $3.99, p. 87)
Finally Grant Morrison & J. H. Williams III bring the Seven Soldiers event to a close. Will it be worth the wait--I sure hope so. I just hope I can remember what happened in the previous 29 issues...



Tales of the Unexpected #1
(DC, $3.99, p. 89)
I really liked seeing Cliff Chiang's art on the recent Spectre mini. But he's drawing the Dr. Thirteen back-up feature here, not the main Spectre story. Still, anything that give Chiang work is good in my book.



The Authority #1
(DC/WildStorm, $2.99, p. 104)
Grant Morrison & Gene Ha on The Authority? Yes! Maybe finally DC can undo the damage they caused this once-top-selling title.



Gen13 #1
(DC/WildStorm, $2.99, p. 106)
Can a team with a character named 'Grunge' still seem fresh in the mid-aughts? Maybe, with writer Gail Simone at the helm.



Astro City: The Dark Age book 2 #1
(DC/WildStorm, $2.99, p. 109)
Another look at Astro City's dark 70s past from Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson.



Desolation Jones #7
(DC/WildStorm, $2.99, p. 112)
Warren Ellis is back with more Desolation Jones, and this time he's brough artist Danijel Zezelj along for the ride. Zezelj is an inspired choice; most American's are unfamiliar with his work, and hopefully this gig will expose him to more fans.



The Other Side #1
(DC/Vertigo, $2.99, p. 123)
I'm unfamiliar with writer Jason Aaron, but with Cameron Stewart drawing this war story is sure to at least look really good.



Gødland #13
(Image $2.99, p. 140)
The Kirby-Cosmic is back, as Joe Casey & Tom Scioli send Commander Adam Archer into The Negative Zone Dimension Z.



Ultimate Power #1
(Marvel, $2.99, p. M8)
Huh, whadoyaknow--The Supreme Power universe is actually the Utlimate version of the Squadron Supreme. Greg Land photo-references his way through a story by Bendis, Straczynski & Loeb that will probably be good reading when the trade comes out after this nine-issue series concludes.



The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1
(Marvel, $2.99, p. M23)
Will Ant-Man finally be the Marvel series by Robert Kirkman that fans actually want to buy? After the sleeper hit Marvel Zombies, maybe...



Dr. Strange: The Oath #1
(Marvel, $2.99, p. M35)
I have no real affinity to Dr. Strange as a character. But with Brian K. Vaughn & Marcos Martin on this mini and I'm there in a heartbeat!



Criminal #1
(Marvel/Icon, $2.99, p. M80)
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips get to do hard-boiled crime stories, sans and super-heroes or other such nonsense. This makes me happy.



Angel: Masks
(IDW, $7.49, p. 304)
Angel Puppet returns in one of four Halloween-themed stories in this anthology.



Look for the other two parts, Indy Comics & Collections/GNs, sometime next week.

New This Week: August 16, 2006

Sorry I'm a day late, but here are a few things to look for at your local comic shop this weekm, based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond:


The Pick of the Week is Adventures in Oz from IDW, collecting several of Eric Shanower's original Oz adventures from the 80s and 90s. Good stuff.


In other comics:

Boom! have the first issue of the zombie-bashing Savage Brothers.

Clib's Boy Comics have the final pre-Image issue of True Story, Swear to God (#17).

Dark Horse have a new issue of Conan (#31) and another expensive Nexus Archives volume (vol. 4).

DC have a trade collection of the 70s Justice Society revival; the debut of Ennis & Robertson's Boys; and new issues of 100 Bullets (#75), 52 (week 15), Catwoman (#58), Hellblazer (#223), Manhunter (#25--buy Manhunter!), Shadowpact (#4), and Testament (#9).

IDW have the final Angel Spotlight one-shot: Conner.

Image have the debut of Phonogram and a new issue of Casanova (#3).

Marvel have new issues of Nextwave (#7), Runaways (#19), and Thunderbolts (#105). They may also have the Marvel Zombies HC (it's not on the NCRL, but is in my DCBS shipping list...)

Oni have the second issue of Wasteland.

Scholastic have the fourth color volume of Bone.

TokyoPop have the Star Trek Manga anthology (if your store didn't get it last week...)


Many good things to look for. Enjoy your new comics!

100 Comics Contest Results

It's time to announce the winners in the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest.

First, let me thank everyone who entered and shared their picks for an Undiscovered Gem. This part was a lot of fun. I hope that everyone reading learned about a new-to-them comic that they'll seek out.

Now on to the winners:

All winners were chosen randomly; I printed out the names on little slips of paper and had people in my tv group draw them out of a cup last night.

I received 22 eligible entries, so that means there are two runners-up prizes of five comics each.

The first runner-up is Martin M. The five comics he will be getting are:

All the Wrong Places #1
Childhood's End #1
Elk's Run #1
Lenore #11
The Norm #1

The second runner-up in TangognaT. The five comics she will be getting are:

Aquarium #1
Emma Davenport #1
Feather #1
Leave it to Chance #1
Mermaid's Dream #1

And now what you've all been waiting for, the winner of the Grand Prize 100 Comics Prize Package. The winner is... Jeff G.! Jeff will be receiving the following 100 Comics:

Advent Rising #1
American Century #1
American Century #2
The American Way #1
Amy Racecar Color Special #2
Aphrodiye IX #1
Apollo Smile #1
Athena Voltaire #1
Babyhead #1
Batgirl #1
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88
Battlestar Galactica #0
Bio-Booster Armor Guyver #1
Boneyard #10
Cartoon Network Action Pack #2
Cartoon Network featuring Cow & Chicken
Creed: Utopia #1
The Creeper #1
Cursed #1
Cyber 7 #1
Cyberfrog #1
Deal with the Devil #1
Dear Julia #1
The Devil's Keeper #1
Dirtboy #1
Donald Duck Halloween Ashcan
The Exec #1
First World #1
Flare #1
The Flying Friar
Ghost Rider #1
The Ghouly Boys #1
Hack/Slash: Trailers
Happydale: Devils in the Desert #1
The Hoon #1
Imperial Dragons #1
The Invisibles v. 3 #7
Ion #1
Jack & Jack #1
John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles #1
Jubilee #1
Just Imagine Stan Lee with John Byrne creating Robin
Just Imagine Stan Lee with Scvott McDaniel creating Aquaman
Justice League Adventures #7
Kamikaze 1946 #3
Killer Stunts, Inc. #1
Lethal Instinct #1
Lost Stories #3
Lunar Donut #4
Magneto Rex #3
Marvel Nemesis: The Imperfects #1
Melby Comics #1
Mobile Police Patlabor #1
The New Avengers Annual #1
The New Invaders #0
The Next #1
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #1
Nick Landime #1
Occult Crimes Taskforce #1
OMAC #1
Pantheon #8
Paper & Binding #1
Planetary Brigade #2
Raven #1
The Remarkable Worlds of Professor Phineas B. Fuddle #1
Robyn of Sherwood #2
RQW #1
Rune #1
Sabretooth Classics #10
Saffire #1
Sam and Twitch #14
Satyr #1
Scion #7
Shonen Jump #0
The Silent Invasion #5
Sixgun Samurai #1
Sol Bianca #1
Spirit & Image #1
Spirit of the Amazon #1
Star Wars: Legacy #0
Star Wars: Republic #80
Stardust Kid #4
Stark Raven #1
Steampunk #1
Superboy #64
Supergirl #40
Superman: The Man of Steel #94
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #14
Superosity #7
Tron #1
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1
Ultimate X-Men #1 (FCBD edition)
The Warlord #1
The Warlord #2
The Warlord #3
Way of the Rat #1
What Were They Thinking: Some People Never Learn #1
Wilderemere #1
Wizard in Training #0
Xenon #1

With all that variety, I figure that there must be something in there that Jeff will like!

(I should have the prize packages mailed off by the end of the week.)

Thanks again to everyone who participated. If you didn't win this time, be sure to check back to this blog regularly as I often run contests for free comics, including my big Free Comic Book Month in May.

New Library Comics: Week of August 7, 2006

Here are the comics we got in for our library collection last week:


5 o'clock shadow. /Ann Arbor, MI : M. Madden,. nos. 20-22

Blackburn, John. Coley running wild /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, [1997]- vol. 4

Cadelo, Silvio. The romantic flower /New York : Catalan Communications, c1990.

Coe, Sue, 1951- Sheep of fools : --a song cycle for five voices /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, c2005.

Coleman, Joe. Muzzlers, guzzlers and good yeggs /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics, c2005.

Comics quarterly : CQ. /North Brighton, Vic. : Fine Art Comics,. 1999

Dirty stories. /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 1997- vols. 2-3

Fingerman, Bob. Finger filth /Seattle, WA : Eros, c1997.

Fonteriz. XXX women /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 1999.

Get bent! /York, PA : Ben T. Steckler,. no. 7

Hernandez, Gilbert. Birdland /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 1999, c1994.

Historietas de Walt Disney. /Mexico, D.F. : Organizacion Editorial Novaro. nos. 1013, 1014

Levis, Georges. Coffee, tea, or me? /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, 1998, c1991.

Linterna Verde. /Mexico : Editorial Novaro,. no. 1280

Love and rockets (Fantagraphics Books) Love and rockets. /Stamford, CT : Fantagraphics Books, 1982- vol. 2 no. 15

Olexa, Steve. War fix /New York : NBM ComicsLit, c2006.

Schulz, Charles M. The complete Peanuts /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, c2004- vol. 5

Solano Lopez, F. (Francisco), 1928- The young witches /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 2000.

Tarsis, Brian. City of dreams : a tale of erotic fantasy /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 1996.

Thorne, Frank. The complete Ghita /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 2001.

Ware, Chris, 1967- Rusty Brown /[Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics Books, 2005?]

Willingham, Bill. Ironwood /Seattle, Wash. : Eros Comix, c 1997- vol. 1

Wright, Paul. Smelling a rat /London : Jonathan Cape, 2005.

Yui, Toshiki. Hot tails /Seattle, WA : Eros Comix, 1998- vol. 1

Two Years!

Today marks my two year blogiversary with Yet Another Comics Blog.

Um, Yay?

Anyway, the big event, the 100 Comics Giveway Contest, is still going on; you have until 6pm EDT today to get your entries in. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Undiscovered Gems Day 6

Here is today's batch of recommendations/entries for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; undiscovered gems of which you may not have been aware:


From Joshua G.:

My pick is Talent, a miniseries from Boom that is currently on its second issue... I think. The premise is that a man is on a airplane that crashes into New York harbor, he wakes up with the memories and skills (Talents) of everyone who was on the plane. He is now wanted in connection with the crash, with people thinking he is a terrorist. Additionally, some sort of mysterious and powerful organization wants him eliminated for reasons unknown. The art is bold (I don't really explain art well) and the storytelling has been great so far. I got this recomended by the guy at my local shop and it is not getting nearly enough support. I am hoping that if we can get enough backing, they may agree to expand it, rather than finish it in the 4(6?)-book arc they currently have planned. You should be able to find the minis at most stores at this point. My friend on the West Coast just recently had issue #1 released there, so I think it varies regionally.

From Gordon D.:

I don't know why more people aren't reading Rocketo - it's one of those genre-mixing books that doesn't feel cliche. Strong art and unusual coloring that pulls you into a far-future world that you have never seen; twists and turns that occur naturally; and just a very unique premise. This is one of those books that, once I got started, I now can't stop reading...and it's all thanks to Yet Another Comics Blog

From TangognaT:

My undiscovered gem is Chikyu Misaki by Iwahara Yuji - Misaki moves to her grandfather's house in a remote town near lake Hohoro. Life quickly becomes complicated when she discovers a legendary lake monster and deals with her repressed childhood memories. The sleepy town quickly fills with intrigue due to a kidnapped heiress, missing gold, and an airplane crash. The characters lives intersect in interesting ways, and the art is very cute.

From Matthew R.:

I'm a bit of a comics newbie, so this may not be as "undiscovered" as I think it is, but I'll go with Daisy Kutter. This was a four-part series from 2004, written by Kazu Kibuishi. I think it's available in a trade paperback, but I recently picked up the four issues from the back issue boxes at the comics shop I frequent. It's a western, but there are robots (which may be enough recommendation already). The main character is a woman who has retired from robbing trains. She's getting bored in her new role as a small town shopkeeper when she receives an offer to do one last job. The plot keeps things moving along, and the characterization and the pacing are great. It's just plain fun, with some nice character moments, some humor, and a few surprises. Plus, there are killer robots in the wild west-- what else do you need? (And, if it's okay to plug the place I shop at-- many thanks to Paula at Spy Comics in Federal Way, WA, for the recommendation.)

From The Dane:

There are so many great books out there that just simply have never found an audience that it's difficult to choose what should be chosen. I've thought quite a bit about it and have narrowed my recommendations to two books (both published, incidentally, by SLG): Sparks by Lawrence Marvit; Mister Blank by Christopher Hicks. Both books accomplish their goals marvelously in my view. Sparks offers a unique and touching narrative through a very common and cliched framework. The art isn't grand or particularly special, but it serves the story - and if Sparks is about anything, it's the story. Mister Blank on the other hand, offers wonderfully playful illustrations with the kind of bold lines that can really make a black-and-white book sing. Hicks is an amazing visual storyteller and the tale he tells here is some of the most fun I've ever had reading a book. If you haven't read either of these, I highly recommend taking the time to enjoy them for what they are: good comics.

Thanks to everyone above for your recommendations; you have all been entered into the drawing for the 100 Comics Grand Prize. There's still time for you to enter, but be sure to do so before Tuesday at 6pm EDT!

Feazell Comics Online

I'm sure the rest of the comics blogosphere already knows this, but I just discovered that the World Famous Comics site is posting old Matt Feazell mini comics onine: Not Available Comics.

Matt makes up part of the holy trinity of midwest mini comics creators; so you should go take a look and be prepared to be entertained!

New Library Comics: Week of July 31, 2006

Here are the comics we got in for our library collection the week before last:


Adams, Jonathan. Truth serum /[San Francisco?] : City Cyclops, [2005?]

Cadelo, S. (Sylvio) Mark-of-the-dog /New York : Catalan Communications, 1991.

Foley, Dan. Critturs : hairballs from Hell /Seattle, WA : MU Press, 1992.

Heavy metal. /[New York : HM Communications] (various issues ca. 1998–1999)

Hernandez, Jaime. Ghost of Hoppers /Seattle : Fantagraphics, 2005.

Herriman, George, 1880-1944. Krazy & Ignatz : 1937–1938 /Seattle : Fantagraphics Books, c2002-

Hornschemeier, Paul. The collected Sequential /Richmond, Va. : Adhouse Books, c2004.

King, Frank, 1883-1969. Walt & Skeezix : 1921 & 1922 /Montreal : Drawn & Quarterly Books ; New York : Distributed in the United States and abroad by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.

Nunnemacher, John. Buffalo wings /San Antonio, Tex. : Antarctic Press, 1993.

Rege, Ron. The awake field /Montreal : Drawn & Quarterly ; New York : Distributed in the USA by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.

Turner, James. Nil /San Jose, Calif. : SLG Pub., c2005.

Undiscovered Gems Day 5

Here is today's batch of recommendations/entries for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; undiscovered gems of which you may not have been aware:


From Zoe H.:

My pick is Cromartie High School. I don't read any manga, so I was a little wary and unsure when a friend sent me a volume of this series, but I'm really glad they did. It's a completely strange book, about Japanese school boys trying to becoming "badasses" and win fights with other schools, but it's more about making everything ridiculous and out of the ordinary. It's just really, really bizarre. For example, one of the classmates is a robot, who then gets turned into a motorcycle. Another is Freddie Mercury. Yeah, that Freddie Mercury. It's a wonderful and funny series that's includes many things near and dear to my heart, like surreal humor and savage mockery of teenaged boys. Plus there's a gorilla.

From Wheeler Joseph Hall:

I recommend Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Parts 1-5 (1988; 27 issues) by Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's fantasy is groundbreaking and revolutionary. It was first published in 1982 in Japan and is even more relevant 24 years later. Honestly, could there be a topic more appropriate theme for today's world than a story about the attempt to create peace between kingdoms torn apart by war, battling over the last of the world's precious natural resources? A story that is at the same time haunting and heartwarming, disturbing and gentle deserves our attention once again.

From Martin Moretti:

My pick is the clever and classy autobiographical comic And Then One Day... by Rockin' Ryan Claytor (www.elephanteater.com). Ryan bares his soul for the reader with his frank and honest chronicling of his day-to-day life, and he manages to do it with a quirky sense of humor that endears him to the reader. His cute and cartoony art manages to convey his joy in creating the comics you are reading. Ryan is as interested in the production side of creating a comic, and puts a great deal of effort into designing an attractive package for his stories. His latest work, a daily sketchbook diary, is terrific but is sadly his only book currently in print, so hopefully we'll see a collection of his back-catalog in the future. And I am NOT just saying all this because Ryan is a good friend of mine and I occasionally appear in the books.

From Joshua R.:

Chynna Clugston and Ian Shaughnessy's Strangetown. It's basically Twin Peaks done in Rumiko Takahashi style, and the characters are fun and well realized in one issue (which, unfortunately, is all they've put out so far). So people should read it, and hope for more.

From Kate M.:

I'm going with Amanda and Gunn (by Jimmie Robinson), published via Image. This is in the same 'universe' as CyberZone, and involves a semi-distopic techno-future. I, meanwhile, have never read CyberZone, and liked Amanda & Gunn because it was funny at one moment and emotionally affecting the next. It had solid art, solid characterization, and surprised me in ways many comics don't. The fact that the protagonist is an African-American lesbian is just icing on the cake.

From Jeff G.:

My recommendation is the 2004 Veitch/Edwards Question mini series. It's a really interesting revamp of the character, making him a TV reporter with shamanistic powers who interacts with Superman and Lois Lane - I'm pretty disappointed that it's all being retconned by 52, but what are you gonna do.

Thanks to everyone for your recommendations; you have all been entered into the drawing for the 100 Comics Grand Prize. There's still time for you to enter, but be sure to do so before Tuesday at 6pm EDT!

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Dave Dorman paints the cover to 1999's Batman / Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman #2, featuring the dark knight and the lord of the jungle battling a big ol' mean gorilla.

(Standard disclaimer about a big ol' mean gorilla not really being a monkey applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Undiscovered Gems Day 4

I only received one recommendation/entry today for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; an undiscovered gem of which you may not have been aware:

From Stephen Frug:

My pick is Paul Auster's City of Glass, adapted (from Auster's novel) by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchielli, and superbly drawn by Mazzucchielli. It's an old graphic novel, but it's been reprinted, and I don't think it gets anything like the attention it deserves. It's neo-noir, but I think the best term for it would be "postmodern mystery". It's a bizarre, gripping story, with mysteries that lead into mysteries. The art is superb, not only in execution but conceptually, with all sorts of interesting and marvelous choices. I just gave a copy to my non-comics-reading father, and he loved it, but obviously current comics readers would like it too. It's a simply wonderful book; check it out.

Hey, wouldn't you like a chance to win 100 Comics? Then send me your pick for an undiscovered gem no later than Tuesday; details here.

And while I'm at it, let me thank the following blogs for their linkage to this contest: Precocious Curmudgeon; Redhead Fangirl; Crocodile Caucus; Comics Worth Reading; TangognaT. (Were there more? The link referer in Blogger seems to be spotty...)

Undiscovered Gems Day 3

Here is the next batch of recommendations/entries for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; undiscovered gems of which you may not have been aware:

From Christopher Coffey:

I nominate Corto Maltese in Siberia. This comic by the late European Comics great Hugo Pratt follows the adventures of his seafaring protagonist Corto Maltese as he searches for treasure and ends up getting involved in some of the conflicts shaking up Russia and China following World War I. Pratt exhaustively researched his historical facts and it shows as there is a mixture of real life and fictional characters that feels entirely plausible. It highlights a part of history that we ignore here in a America all to often choosing instead to focus on World War II. This was a very important time in history when the old colonial powers were breaking down and the new players on the world stage were coming into being. Smack dab in the middle is Corto Maltese, Everyone needs to read some more Hugo Pratt.

From Andrew Wales:

Gødland by Joe Casey and Tom Scioli (Image). Remember the days when a lot happened in a single comic issue? In this day of "decompressed" story telling one may marvel at the stunning artwork while waiting for something substantial to happend for several issues. You don't find that in Gødland. In this Kirbyesque tribute to the cosmic tales of the 70's, characters are introduced one right after another. World shaking events occur like wildfire. While nostalgic, it is more than pastiche. One finds humor and social commentary while enjoying an old-school comic style. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? 'Nuff said!

And from Daniel Taylor:

Girls, by The Luna Brothers. Because, jaded as I am from decades of reading comics, this one takes my breath away at least once in every issue. They're fifteen issues into the series (if it's limited, I haven't heard how many issues it's expected to run) and I still have no idea where this story's going. But it's full of characters I can't help but care about.

Thanks to Christopher, Andrew, and Daniel for their recommendations; all three have been entered into the drawing for the 100 Comics Grand Prize. For those of you keeping track, that makes 10 entires, which means there will be at least one runner-up prize as well. There's still time for you to enter!

Undiscovered Gems Day 2

Here are the latest recommendations/entries for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; undiscovered gems of which you may not have been aware:

From José Filipe:

The Push Man and Other Stories, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Set in post-war Japan, this book contains sixteen short-stories that deal with sex, death and loneliness in the private lifes of everyday people. Their anxieties, fears and dreams are analised through Tatsumi's careful eye. These characters are simple, common people who just can't seem to fit in. Alternative manga at its best.

From Michael Denton:

Strugglers (Poison Press) by Tim Fish, or any of Tim Fish's works (Cavalcade of Boys or the recently released Something Fishy This Way Comes). Strugglers is about people trying to make it after graduating from College - trying to find something meaningful in life and discovering themselves as people. It all takes place in the indie music scene in St. Louis, Missouri, where two women roommates are actively involved in bands. They take on a guy, out trying to find his place in the world and slowly discovering his sexual identity, as their roommate. I actually like Cavalcade better, but I think Strugglers will have broader appeal (Tighe actually continues on into Cavalcade). Fish has a fun, pleasing art style a little on the cartoony side (to put it in context of a realistic-to-symbolic/iconic continuum), reminiscent of Walt Simonson

From Robert Loy:

After much thought my choice for undiscovered gem goes to Supernatural Law. This may seem like an odd choice, because as a comic book it's been around since 1994, and actually as a comic strip in The National Law Journal it's been around since the early 80's. But it constantly amazes me how many fans have never heard of this book. And they are missing out on a lot of fun. Alana Wolff and Jeff Byrd are "counselors of the macabre" i.e. lawyers who specialize in defending witches, werewolves, vampires and other beasts that go bump in the night. Writer-artist Batton Lash draws maximum humor from having creatures in the courtroom, but he somehow manages to make it thought-provoking at the same time. He is a master satirist, poking fun at many elements of pop culture, and there is nobody who can pun better than he can. Check it out at http://www.exhibitapress.com/

And from Bill Burns:

Super Hero Happy Hour/Hero Happy Hour, Dan Taylor and Chris Faison. A "realistic" take on super-heroes that isn't grim and gritty. This black-and-white story of a bar where super-types hang out features some of the best dialogue around as well as appealing characters and conflicts (and occasional punching.)

Thanks to José, Michael, Robert and Bill for their recommendations. Michael, Robert & Bill have been entered into the Grand Prize drawing (José is from Portugal and thus is not elligible, but I thank him for sending his recoomendation to be shared). There's still time for you to enter!

Undiscovered Gems Day 1

Here are the recommendations I received as entries for the 100 Comics Giveaway Contest; undiscovered gems of which you may not have been aware:

Iris sends the following:

A comic that I would reccomend is a manga (Japanese styled comic, written in english) comic called Crimson Hero its about a 15 year year old girl named Nobara Sumiyoshi who is passionate about volleyball yet her family wants her to inheirt the role of "young mistess" serving rich patrons at her familys old- fashioned Japanese restaurant, instead she tranfers to Crimson Feild High School known for its top notch volley ball team..but her mother is willing to stoop to dirty tricks to keep her off court. Why I reccomend this book among others( which I will email you about) that they are mangas, its a very good book full of struggles, conflicts, and family drama.

Chris Laffoon's choice is:

My choice for a relative unknown but great comic would be, Adventure Comics' Rust #1. True, the comic follows a few cliches. The guy falls into a solution that covers him in metal and he can now control metal. What makes this one different is the fact that he tries to peel the metal off and it HURTS. The metal isn't all shiny and pretty, it's rusted and bent and turns him into more of a monster than say... Colossus or even the Thing made of rock. Also, it's not set in a city like New York or L.A. or Chicago or even some faux city like Gotham (which is just New York with a different name). Rust is set in Kansas City...who in the world would think to set a comic in KC. With all the rail yards and steel mills and pharmaceutical companies it really made sense. I could also be partial because I live in KC... but it's still a great comic.

From Kelly B. we get:

My favorite, underappreciated comic is Finder by Carla Speed McNeil. It's a beautiful piece of work on so many levels. Ms. McNeil has created an amazing, lush environment for her characters to live in and have their stories interlace. She is truly talented in her ability to draw, ink, write and self-publish such an epic series of books. Finder is an examination of modern life mingled with science-fiction and fantasy. I highly recommend it.

And from John Judge:

My pick is out of print, but I checked on eBay and there are stores listing individual issues and the collections of Wandering Star by Teri S. Wood. A black-and-white, self-published sci-fi series with memorable characters and lovely art, Teri completed her series where lesser talents gave up. She also offered excellent retailer support, but she seems to have gotten pushed out in the declining market before her second series, Darklight, really got on a roll. Definitely, she's a talented writer/artist whose work should have received a larger audience.

Thanks to Iris, Chris, Kelly and John for their recommendations; all four have them have been entered into the drawing for the 100 Comics Giveaway, which will be announced next Tuesday. There's still time for you to enter!