New Library Comics: Week of October 31, 2005

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



Brown, Jeffrey (Jeffrey David), 1975- Any easy intimacy /Marietta, Ga. : Top Shelf ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2005.

Cooper, Dennis, 1953- Horror hospital unplugged /New York : Juno Books ; St. Paul, Minn. : Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, c1996.

Dakin, Glenn. Abe : wrong for all the right reasons /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, c2001.

Feazell, Matt. The amazing Cynicalman /Hamtramck, Mich. : Not Available Books, c2003.

James, Dan. Mosquito /Marietta, Ga. : Top Shelf ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2005.

Madden, Matt. A fine mess /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, c2002- no. 2

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

Satrapi, Marjane, 1969- Persepolis 2 : the story of a return /New York : Pantheon Books, c2004.

Wilson, Gahan. "--and then we'll get him!" /New York : Richard Marek, c1978.

Wilson, Gahan. I paint what I see /New York : Simon and Schuster, c1971.

Witzel, Markus Mawil. Die Band /Berlin : Reprodukt, c2004.

Monkey Covers

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

Today's cover is from 1972's Superboy #183. Nick Cardy draws Superbaby putting the smack-down on a big ol' gorilla. That's right: Superbaby. Clark Kent as a toddler, with all his super powers. Can you imagine Ma & Pa Kent trying to give this one a time out?

(standard disclaimer about gorillas not really being monkeys applies)

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

Previews-o-Rama?

Does anyone reading this blog miss my Previews-o-Rama posts, where I would go through Previews and point out things that are either purchase-worthy or snark-worthy? I haven't done it for the past couple of months, and I'm wondering if I should bother resuming it? Did you find it useful? Entertaining? Annoying?

Please use the comments and let me know...

(Also, I'm not done with my SNAP round-up, it's just been delayed for a few days due to a busier than usual 'real life'...)

YAFL: Week 8 Results

Here are the results from week 8 of Yet Another Fantasy League:


Secret Six 52
Kickers Inc. 77

The Maxx Squad 12
The Inferior Five 32

Tomorrow Syndicate 50
www.rickgebhardt.net 78

Power Pack 76
Moon Knights 54

Inferior 5 plus 6 44
B.P.R.D. 65

Nine Pound Hammers 61
Danger Limited 83


Current Standings:

   Team                 W-L-T  Pct   Pts  Streak
   -------------------  -----  ----  ---  ------
1. Power Pack           7-1-0  .875  522  W-6
2. B.P.R.D.             6-2-0  .750  540  W-4
3. Inferior 5 plus 6    6-2-0  .750  535  L-2
4. Kickers Inc.         6-2-0  .750  495  W-3
5. Secret Six           4-4-0  .500  542  L-1
6. Nine Pound Hammers   4-4-0  .500  444  L-2
7. Tomorrow Syndicate   3-5-0  .375  500  L-3
8. www.rickgebhardt.net 3-5-0  .375  395  W-1
9. The Inferior Five    3-5-0  .375  385  W-2
10.Danger Limited       2-6-0  .250  467  W-2
11.The Maxx Squad       2-6-0  .250  419  L-3
12.Moon Knights         2-6-0  .250  416  L-4

Week 9 Games:

Danger Limited (2-6-0)
vs.
Kickers Inc. (6-2-0)

Secret Six (4-4-0)
vs.
The Inferior Five (3-5-0)

The Maxx Squad (2-6-0)
vs.
www.rickgebhardt.net (3-5-0)

Tomorrow Syndicate (3-5-0)
vs.
Moon Knights (2-6-0)

Power Pack (7-1-0)
vs.
B.P.R.D. (6-2-0)

Inferior 5 plus 6 (6-2-0)
vs.
Nine Pound Hammers (4-4-0)


In my other Fantasy Leagues, I was thrashed again, 97-50, in my friends & family league (2-5-1, ninth place); won 63-57 in my public league (4-4-0, still eighth place); and scored a disappointing 293.75 points in my Pass & Kick league, which brought me back up to third place.

YAMR: New Music

Playing this week on Yet Another Music Radio: New Music, fifty of my favorite tracks from the current year.


You'll hear music from: Annie; Beady Belle; Bebel Gilberto; Ben Folds; Bethany Dillon; Bettie Serveert; Bill Frisell & Petra Haden; Blue Merle; Brandi Carlile; Bruce Springsteen; Charlotte Hatherley; Christina Milian; Cities of Foam; The Click Five; Courtney Jaye; D'Nell; The Duhks; Emiliana Torrini; The Faders; Imogen Heap; Joy Williams; Kaci Brown; Kathleen Edwards; Laura Cantrell; The Like; Lori McKenna; Melissa Dori Dye; Michael Bublé; Missy Higgins; Plumb; Polly Paulasma; Rachael Yamagata; The Ravonettes; Regina Spektor; Sara Evans; Saving Jane; Shannon McNally; Shelby Lynne; Shooter Jennings & George Jones; Stars; Sugarland; Superchic[k]; Tori Amos; Tristan Prettyman; The Weekend.


That's 3 hours and 15 minutes of musical enjoyment. Give it a whirl!

New This Week: November 2, 2005

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 picks of the week are two of Matt Howarth's Keif Llama comics from Aeon: Keif Llama: Particle Dreams, a trade collection of past Keif Llama stories, and Keif Llama: Xenotech #1, the first issue of an all-new limited series. Get yourself some trippy Matt Howarth sci-fi comix, okay?


In other comics:

Abstact have a new Strangers in Paradise collection: Volume 17: Tattoo.

Alias have the first issue of a new Lullaby series, the third colorized issue of Opposite Forces, the delayed 75 cent first issue of Yenny, and the 75 cent #0 issue of Victoria's Secret Service, which is sure to be just as bad as you think, but still has a great pun for a title.

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor have the second librarian-action-filled issue of Rex Libris.

Antarctic have a new issue of Oz: The Manga (#5), and the fourth pocket manga collection of Rod Espinosa's Neotopia.

DC have the hardcover collection of Loeb & Sale's Catwoman: When in Rome; a softcover version of Dave Gibbons' The Originals; a softcover collection of ALan Moore & Zander Cannon's Smax; the debuts of Seven Soldiers: The Bulleteer and a new Jonah Hex series (along with a big thick b&w Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex collection); and new issues of Desolation Jones (#4), Detective Comics (#813), JSA (#79), and The Winter Men (#3).

El Capitan have a new issue of Stray Bullets (#40).

Fantagraphics have the latest Complete Peanuts: 1957-1958.

iBooks have a softcover of Joe Kubert's Yossel OGN.

Ice Kunion debut four manwha titles: 11th Cat, Angel Diary, Bring it On, and Chocolat.

Image have the fifth Invincible collection: Facts of Life.

Marvel have a big thick b&w Essential Marvel Two-in-One; a hardcover Young Avengers collection; new issues of Powers (#14), The Punisher (#27), Supreme Power: Nighthawk (#3), and Ultimate Spider-Man (#85); and finally conclude Mouse of Him (#8).

Speakeasy bring on the pretty with a new issue of Rocketo (#3).

Top Shelf have Conversation #2, featuring James Kochalka vs. Jeffrey Brown.

Viz have tonnes of stuff, including the debut of the improbably named BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo.


And finally, ACC Studios debut the much-discussed Liberality for All. I almost nearly pre-ordered this just for kicks-and-giggles, but when I saw that they were pledging to donate portions of the proceeds to like-minded interests, that put the kibosh on it for me.

Review: Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires

Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires
by Richard Sala
Fantagraphics, $9.95

Richard Sala has a wonderful way of combining spooky and fun, and in no place is this tendency on better display than with his stories staring Peculia.

In Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires, the title character falls in with a bunch of other teenage girls who are off to babysit for a family. But of course the family are vampires! What follows are a series of escapades of blood sucking and narrow escapes.

It's a testament to how well Sala develops Peculia's character that I didn't notice on a first read-through just how little dialogue she has. It's all in the reactions she has to the other characters.

How many times have I said 'spooky' and 'fun' in this review? Plenty of times, but here's one more: Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires is spooky fun, and an enjoyable read!

Rating: 4 (of 5)

SNAP! Pics

Phoebe Gloeckner has a photo set of pics she took at SNAP! on Satuday.

(No captions though, so except for a couple of pics I'm unsure as to who is who...)

New Library Comics: Week of October 24, 2005

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



Hernandez, Jaime. Locas : the Maggie and Hopey stories. /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2004.

Kim, Derek Kirk. Same difference and other stories /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, 2004.

Kochalka, James. The cute manifesto /Gainesville, Fla. : Alternative Comics ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2005.

Pictures and words : new comic art and narrative illustration /London : Laurence King, 2005.

Rosenkranz, Patrick. Rebel visions : the underground comix revolution, 1963-1975 /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2002.

Sabisch, Ingrid. Albrecht Durer : vom Handwerker zum Kunstler und Gelehrten /Heroldsberg : Verlag die Heldin, 2003.

Tezuka, Osamu, 1928-1989. Buddha /New York, NY : Vertical, 2003- v. 5-6

Tomorrow, Tom, 1961- Penguin soup for the soul /New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 1998.

Tomorrow, Tom, 1961- Tune in Tomorrow /New York : St. Martin's Press, 1994.

Tomorrow, Tom, 1961- When penguins attack! /New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 2000.

Tomorrow, Tom, 1961- The wrath of Sparky /New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 1996.

Vescovo, Matthew. The life and death of bling bling : a story of innovation, proliferation, regurgitation, commercialization and bastardization /[New York, NY : Instructoart Book Associates, c2004.]

Woodring, Jim. Seeing things /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2005.

SNAP! Day 2: Halloween

Continuing my week-long look at comics I picked up at Saturday's SNAP! With Halloween just a couple of days away, I couldn't resist picking up a few related minis:


When technical difficulties prevented Ben T. Steckler (aka BenT) from debuting a new mini-comic at the show, he came up with a new idea: he put together three quickie spooky-themed one-page fold-overs and packaged them into a Halloween treat bag as S.N.A.P. Decision. Short fun is to be had in Dead Man Walkin', Halloween Stinks!, and Bat Jam (excerpt below).





I already sang the praises of Pam Bliss yesterday, so it should be no surprised that her mini-comic Small Feather Bat was a lot of fun. It has dogs, cute little bats, and a werewolf librarian.


Finally, Sean Frost & Wendi Strang-Frost's A Yearly Treat is a six-page color chapbook ghost story of trick-or-treaters and that one house that no one goes up to, unless it's on a dare... Not only does the story do a good job at getting in and setting the mood and telling a story, but the art is quite accomplished too. This Hula Cat Comics production is a winner.


That's it for the Halloween-themed comics. More SNAP! finds tomorrow!

SNAP! Day 1: Monkey Covers

Over the next several days I'll be going over the various comics I picked up at SNAP!, which was held yesterday in Dearborn, MI.

Since it's Sunday, I thought I'd kick things off with comics with monkeys on the cover. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover!


First up we have Jungle Love, a chapbook by Joanna Estep. Monkeys don't play a prominent role in this adorable tale, but they hang around the edges and add a bit of metaphorical flavor. Estep's take is light on dialogue, but she is able to tell her story through largely through the visuals. She's providing the art for the upcoming TokyoPop OEL title Roadsong; the first volume is out in January (and in Previews now, so tell your LCS you want it!)


Next is Pam Bliss's Purple Gorilla. This 48-page mini-comic is chock full of fun, including the title story which is printed on purple paper in the middle. Bliss is one of the all-time greats in the mini-comic world, and Purple Gorilla continues the fun that she is known for. If you've never read anything by Pam Bliss, you owe it to yourself to do so immediately. (Her Dog & Pony Show collection is a good place to start.)



Finally there's From the Desk of Business Chimp, which is actually a tip-in comic by Sean Bieri included with his Jape vol. 2 #1 mini-comic. It's a short series of one-panel gags which are both funny and melancholy, and will be appreciated knowlingly by anyone who has worked in an office. Sean has been doing mini-comics for about fifteen years now, and is another creator with whom you should acquaint yourself.



(standard disclaimer about gorillas & chimps not really being monkeys applies)


Okay, that wraps things up for today. I'll be back tomorrow with more of my finds from the first ever SNAP!

Quick OEL Manga Reviews

War on Flesh, vol. 1
by Justin Boring, Greg Hildebrandy, & Tim Smith 3

The opening chapter of this GN--in which martial-arts monks take on a bunch of zombies--sounds like great high concept fun, but instead comes off as a pointless, confusing mess. Fortunately it gets a bit better in the later (mostly unrelated) chapters, as a desperate father make a deal with Evil Forces to bring his son back from the dead. The son, it turns out, is destined to become a key player in the enigmatic War on Flesh. It turns out to be a more-or-less competant story of voodoo zombies, and if that's your thing you may find War on Flesh enjoyable. But with other, better zombie comics out there, you can probably get your zombie fix elsewhere.

Rating: 2 (of 5)


I Luv Halloween, vol. 1
by Keith Giffen & Benjamin Roman

I Luv Halloween has a warped, twisted and dark sense of humor, centering around kids going trick-or-treating on Halloween and doing some Very Bad Things. There's Moochie, the young girl who dresses up as the Tooth Fairy, who finds a discarded brassiere and uses it as a slingshot and a garrote to kill two neighborhood bullies. She and her brother Finch live seemingly unsupervised in an abandoned house, with only the decaying corpses of the former occupants to keep them company. There's also Devil Boy, the kid who only shows up every Halloween to go trick-or-treating. And a zombie dog. Events spiral out of control into an evening of violence and blood and death. It's all rather well done, with appropriately twisted art from Roman and Giffen in his Lobo-esque ultrviolent humor mode, applied to kids who aren't quite old enough to understand the lack of morality of their actions. This book will definitely appeal to a certain type of reader, and if any of the events I described here sound interesting, then that type of reader is probably you. Conversely, if you're not that type of reader, you'll probably be best off staying far away.

Rating: 3 (of 5)

SNAP! is Saturday

A reminder that we in Southeast Michigan get our very own mini/indy/small press comic show this Saturday: SNAP! The Comic Arts Festival.

YAFL: Week 7 Results

Here are the results from week 7 of Yet Another Fantasy League:


The Maxx Squad 69
Kickers Inc. 75

Tomorrow Syndicate 48
The Inferior Five 60

Power Pack 63
www.rickgebhardt.net 37

B.P.R.D. 69
Moon Knights 68

Nine Pound Hammers 40
Secret Six 65

Inferior 5 plus 6 48
Danger Limited 62


Current Standings:

   Team                 W-L-T  Pct   Pts  Streak
   -------------------  -----  ----  ---  ------
1. Inferior 5 plus 6    6-1-0  .857  491  L-1
2. Power Pack           6-1-0  .857  447  W-5
3. B.P.R.D.             5-2-0  .714  475  W-3
4. Kickers Inc.         5-2-0  .714  418  W-2
5. Secret Six           4-3-0  .571  490  W-2
6. Nine Pound Hammers   4-3-0  .571  383  L-1
7. Tomorrow Syndicate   3-4-0  .429  450  L-2
8. The Maxx Squad       2-5-0  .286  407  L-2
9. Moon Knights         2-5-0  .286  362  L-3
10.The Inferior Five    2-5-0  .286  353  W-1
11.www.rickgebhardt.net 2-5-0  .286  317  L-2
12.Danger Limited       1-6-0  .143  384  W-1

Week 8 Games:

Secret Six (4-3-0)
vs.
Kickers Inc. (5-2-0)

The Maxx Squad (2-5-0)
vs.
The Inferior Five (2-5-0)

Tomorrow Syndicate (3-4-0)
vs.
www.rickgebhardt.net (2-5-0)

Power Pack (6-1-0)
vs.
Moon Knights (2-5-0)

Inferior 5 plus 6 (6-1-0)
vs.
B.P.R.D. (5-2-0)

Nine Pound Hammers (4-3-0)
vs.
Danger Limited (1-6-0)


Good luck to all!


In my other Fantasy Leagues, I was thrashed 121-65 in my friends & family league (2-4-1, eighth place); won a 69-68 squeaker in my public league (3-4-0, still eighth place); and scored a disappointing 260.95 points in my Pass & Kick league, which dropped me down to fouth place.

New This Week: October 26, 2005

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 first collection of Illusive Arts' Dorothy, a fascinating photo-art retelling of the Oz story in a modern (and not-for-kids) vein. Yes, it's vastly decompressed, but it sure looks pretty while getting along the Yellow Brick Road.


In other comics:

About Comics have their 24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2005 collection.

Abstract Studios have another issue of Strangers in Paradise (#77).

Amaze Ink debut their Disney license Haunted Mansion just in time for Halloween; and also the first issue of Andi Watson's Paris.

Antarctic Press have a new issue of Gold Digger (#68).

Dark Horse have the second Conan collection in paperback, and new issues of BPRD: The Black Flame (#3) and Usagi Yojimbo (#88).

DC weigh in with the debut of the Azzarello & Frusin's western Loveless; and new issues of JLA Classified (#13), JSA Classified (#4), Jack Cross (#3), Legion of Super-Heroes (#11), The Losers (#29), and Solo (#7--Mike Allred!).

Fantagraphics have Richard Sala's Mad Night Featuring Judy Drood Girl Detective, more spooky fun for your Halloween weekend.

iBooks have the long-delayed second Mister X collection.

IDW have the final issue of Angel: The Curse (#5).

Image have new issues of Age of Bronze (#21), Ferro City (#3), Noble Causes (#14), and Stardust Kid (#3).

Kenzer & Co. have a new issue of Knights of the Dinner Table (#108).

Mavel debut JMS & Colleen Doran's Book of Lost Souls, and heft up new issues of Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (#2), Captain America (#11), Daredevil (#78), Defenders (#4), Drax the Destroyer (#2), Kabuki (#5), and New Thunderbolts (#14).

Oni have the penultimate issue of Andi Watson's Little Star (#5).

Radio Comix have a collection fo the furry comic Ebin & May.

Speakeasy have the second issue of Hero at Large (#2).

TokyoPop have the second volume of Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, and the debuts of the OEL titles A Midnight Opera and Mark of the Succubus.


And finally, stuck way down in the Books sections is The Life of Groo as 'available again'--if this shows up at your LCS, grab it, because there are few things better than the Sergio Aragonés funny.

Review: John Constantine Hellblazer: All His Engines

John Constantine Hellblazer: All His Engines
by Mike Carey & Leonardo Manco
DC/Vertigo, $24.95


In the quintessential Hellblazer story, John Constatine encounters, stumbles across, or is brought into a situation of evil nefariousness. Constatine starts to tackle the problem with much of a plan, developing his strategy has he goes, which ultimately backfires. He then regroups, and through a combination of luck, skill and deviousness, triumphs, although often a hefty price must be paid by someone close to him.

All His Engines is pretty much a quintessential Hellblazer story: When his long-suffering friend Chas's granddaughter goes mysteriously ill, the family reluctantly brings John in to help. Of course there's some otherworldly cause, one that leads he and Chas to Los Angeles, where a hellspawn has brought a bit of Hell to Earth, and is looking to franchise. The demon blackmails John into helping his get rid of his rivals, and John complies, all the while looking for the angle that will successfully get Chas's granddaughter back.

Carey and Manco, currently the creative team on the regular Hellblazer comic, bring their A-Game to the table here. Carey crafts the story tightly, and keeps the familiar characters true to their past depictions while telling a big story with personal stakes. I've always appreciated Manco's art for its grittiness, but here he seems to add a touch of well-needed control and discipline, while at the same time pulling out some interesting visuals. This is a good, solid Hellblazer story, and if you like the character you'll probably like this.

The questions remains however as to why this perfectly good Hellblazer story needed the deluxe hardcover OGN treatment. Surely this story would have fit just fine within the normal comic? Undoubtedly it was created to tie into the perceived excitement around the Constantine movie, both to cash in to the potential windfall and to reward the creators. Is it a life-changing event in John Constatine's life that no true fan will want to go without reading? No; it's just solid entertainment. You'll have to decide if that's worth the deluxe treatment to you.

Rating: 3.5 (of 5)

New Library Comics: Week of October 17, 2005

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



Bertozzi, Nick. The masochists /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, 2001.

Brown, Jeffrey (Jeffrey David), 1975- Be a man : the 'Clumsy' you wanted to see! : a novella /Deerfield, Ill. : Jeffrey Brown, [2002]

Brown, Jeffrey (Jeffrey David), 1975- Jeffrey Brown loves you but he is not 'in' love with you /[S.l.] : Jeffrey Brown, 2002.

Brown, Jeffrey (Jeffrey David), 1975- Maybe we could just lie here naked holding each other for a while but not have sex /[Deerfield, Ill.] : Jeffrey Brown, 2003.

Gilbert, Eve. Tits, ass & real estate : an autobiographical road trip through the other America /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2003.

Greenberger, David. Bern and Edwina /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf Productions, 2001.

Hurd, Damon. The white elephant /Gainesville, FL : Alternative Comics, c2004.

Insidious tales #2 /Valley Stream, N. Y. : CFD Productions, 1995.

Kochalka, James. Fantastic butterflies /Brooklyn, NY : Highwater Books ; Gainsville, FL : Alternative Comics, c2002.

Koshi, Rikdo. Excel saga. 04 /San Francisco, CA : Viz, c2003.

Marcel, Swen. David : der Sexpertenbericht /Koln : Mattei Medien, 2003.

McKenney, Craig. The Brontes : infernal Angria Volume I : the great escape / Seattle : Headless Shakespeare Press, c1997.

Stromberg, Fredrik, 1968- Black images in the comics : a visual history /[Seattle, Wash.] : Fantagraphics, c2003.

Ueda, Hajime. FLCL /Los Angeles, Calif. : Tokyopop, c2003- v. 1

Willmarth, Susan. Prisoners of a hard life : women & their children /Northampton, MA : The Real Cost of Prisons Project, c2005.

Monkey Covers

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

"Welcome to buried Las Vegas! Once a playground for men—Now a sinister hunting ground for GORILLAS!"

God bless Jack Kirby, for giving us the cover of Kamandi #3 in 1978.

(standard disclaimer about gorillas not really being monkeys applies)

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

This Week on YAMB

Yes, after a long absence, I finally returned to posting on my other blog, Yet Another Media Blog. Here's what I was up to:

I discoverd what type of humor I have.

I looked at Time Magazine's Top 100 Novels list to see which of them I've read.

I found out about the Woodsongs Website, where there's lots of great free acoustic folk and Americana live performances to be viewed.

And I updated Yet Another Music Radio to a playlist especially for Halloween. Lots of good music to be heard, running over a large range of styles. Pop in sometime in the next week and give it a listen!

Linkblogging: Blogs That Love Comics

A handful of blogs I visit when I want a comic book blog pick-me-up:

Zilla and the Comics Junkies, where Zilla and the boys, recently returned to comics after a several-year absence, discover with amazement some of the things that we long-time comics readers take for granted.

Dial B for Blog, where everyday is a celebration of the joys of comics (with a strong emphasis on DC's Silver Age), like today's Ghost of the Giant Hand!

Redhead Fangirl, which is exactly as the title implies. She's a librarian too, so you know there's a lot of Batgirl/Oracle love.