Friday Night Fights: Leiko vs. War-Yore

From Master of Kung-Fu #57 (1977). Art by Jim Craig. Inks by John Tartag. Letters by Denise Wohl. Color by Phil Rache. Story by Doug Moench. (click pics for larger)

Ka-Pow? Frak! Bwok! Chunt!

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
2 (-). Watchmen
3 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
4 (-1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
5 (N). Barack Obama Amazing Spider-Man #583 Flag Cover Variant Third Printing
6 (-). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
7 (+8). Batman: The Killing Joke
8 (N). Amazing Spider-Man #583 2nd Printing Yellow Cover Obama Variant
9 (+2). The Joker
10 (+2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain
11 (-3). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
12 (-3). Watchmen (hardcover)
13 (-8). Amazing Spider-Man #583 Barack Obama Variant
14 (-7). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
15 (+2). Crown Of Horns (Bone)
16 (-6). The Complete Persepolis
17 (+2). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
18 (-4). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
19 (+8). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
20 (-7). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
21 (-5). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
22 (+16). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
23 (-3). V for Vendetta
24 (-2). Secret Invasion *
25 (N). Amazing Spider-Man #583 1st Printing Obama Variant (Blue Cover)
26 (-). Batman: Year One
27 (-9). Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son *
28 (-). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
29 (-8). Naruto, Volume 35 *
30 (N). The Marvel Encyclopedia
31 (-6). Naruto, Volume 36 *
32 (-1). Batman: The Long Halloween
33 (+4). Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces
34 (-10). Naruto, Volume 37 *
35 (N). Berserk Volume 27
36 (N). Coraline Graphic Novel
37 (N). Star Wars: Vector Volume 1
38 (-9). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 1)
39 (N). The Arrival
40 (+8). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
41 (-2). American Born Chinese
42 (-8). Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs The Universe *
43 (-2). The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle
44 (N). The Dangerous Alphabet
45 (-10). Alliance (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 4)
46 (-10). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
47 (-15). Watchmen (Absolute Edition)
48 (-18). Batman: R.I.P. *
49 (+1). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
50 (N). Angel: After the Fall: First Night Volume 2

Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

Comments:

* People are still going to Amazon to pick up the Obama Spider-Man comic through third-party sellers.

* Upward movement on Neil Gaiman items; perhaps the result of his winning the Newbery this week?

Shameless Friend Promotion: Steve Lieber on The Erika Moen Show

Here's pal & cartoonist extraordinaire Steve Lieber being interviewed by cartoonist Erika Moen on The Erika Moen Show:

Live Videos by Ustream

Monkey Covers

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

Everybody's going ape on the cover of Richie Rich & Jackie Jokers #19 (1975).

(Standard disclaimer about King Kong-wannabe apes not really being monkeys applies.)


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

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.

1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
2 (+1). Watchmen (paperback)
3 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
4 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
5 (-3). Amazing Spider-Man #583 Barack Obama Variant
6 (+2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
7 (-1). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
8 (+3). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
9 (+3). Watchmen (hardcover)
10 (+3). The Complete Persepolis
11 (-4). The Joker
12 (-2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain
13 (+4). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
14 (-). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
15 (-6). Batman: The Killing Joke
16 (-). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
17 (+10). Crown Of Horns (Bone)
18 (N). Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son *
19 (-4). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
20 (+6). V for Vendetta
21 (N). Naruto, Volume 35 *
22 (+3). Secret Invasion *
23 (N). Naruto, Volume 34 *
24 (N). Naruto, Volume 37 *
25 (N). Naruto, Volume 36 *
26 (-7). Batman: Year One
27 (-5). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
28 (-7). Batman: Arkham Asylum
29 (+16). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 1)
30 (+2). Batman: R.I.P. *
31 (-). Batman: The Long Halloween
32 (-3). Watchmen (Absolute Edition)
33 (N). Ultimate Origins *
34 (N). Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs The Universe *
35 (+3). Alliance (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 4)
36 (-2). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
37 (-19). Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces
38 (-15). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
39 (-15). American Born Chinese
40 (-10). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
41 (-8). The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle
42 (-22). Serenity, Vol. 1: Those Left Behind
43 (+4). What It Is
44 (-2). Secret Invasion, Book 2 (New Avengers, Vol. 9)
45 (N). Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
46 (N). Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores
47 (N). Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2: Cycles
48 (+1). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
49 (-12). Escape from the Forest (Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha, No. 2)
50 (-11). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)

Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

Comments:

* Four Naruto pre-orders make the list for the fist time; I suspect maybe they were just added to Amazon this past week?

* The fifth Scott Pilgrim also make a pre-order appearance; and interestingly it brings the first volume with it to the rankings.

* The top half of the list shows reasonable stability, while the bottom half shows some pretty wild swings.

You know it would sell a fortune!

Marvel should put out a Spider-Man & Barack Obama mini-series. At this point it would be like printing money. C'mon, you know it would have at least as much legs as Marvel Zombies.

Wait, hold on... Presidential Zombies!

I'm running off to file a trademark application right now...

GN Discussion Group

Our Graphic Narrative Discussion Group met last week to choose our texts for the coming year. After a couple hours of deliberation, here's the schedule we decided upon:

• February: The Arrival by Shaun Tan
• April: Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw
• June: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
• August: Bookhunter and Fleep by Jason Shiga
• October: The Will Eisner Reader and The Best of the Spirit by Will Eisner
• December: Journey, vol. 1 by William Messner-Loebs

Looks like another good slate of comics!

Monkey Covers

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

The monkey shows how to use a tail when ice skating on the cover of Monkeyshines Comics #19 (1946).


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

Friday Night Fights: Cordelia & Doyle vs. Mind-Controlled Dudes

From Angel #3 (2000). Art by Christian Zanier & Andy Owens & friends. Letters by Clem Robins. Story by Christopher Golden. (click pic for larger)

Ka-Pow? Bzzztt! Krakk!

Amazon Top 50

It's been a while since I've looked at the Amazon top sellers in Comics & Graphic Novels. I'm going to try to do this every Friday afternoon for the next little bit. All the previous caveats apply.

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
2. Amazing Spider-Man #583 Barack Obama Variant
3. Watchmen (paperback)
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
6. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
7. The Joker
8. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
9. Batman: The Killing Joke
10. The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain
11. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
12. Watchmen (hardcover)
13. The Complete Persepolis
14. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
15. Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
16. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
17. Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
18. Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces
19. Batman: Year One
20. Serenity, Vol. 1: Those Left Behind
21. Batman: Arkham Asylum
22. Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
23. The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
24. American Born Chinese
25. Secret Invasion *
26. V for Vendetta
27. Crown Of Horns (Bone)
28. The Arrival
29. Watchmen (Absolute Edition)
30. The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
31. Batman: The Long Halloween
32. Batman: R.I.P. *
33. The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle
34. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
35. Dream Country (The Sandman, Vol. 3)
36. The Complete Persepolis (Kindle edition)
37. Escape from the Forest (Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha, No. 2)
38. Alliance (Star Wars: Legacy, Vol. 4)
39. No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
40. The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 4
41. The Book of Bunny Suicides
42. Secret Invasion, Book 2 (New Avengers, Vol. 9) *
43. Dark Tower: The Long Road Home (Exclusive Amazon.com Cover)
44. The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in America / Cigars of the Pharaoh / The Blue Lotus (3 Complete Adventures in One Volume, Vol. 1)
45. The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 1)
46. Bone: One Volume Edition
47. What It Is
48. American Born Chinese (bargain price)
49. The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
50. The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)

Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

Comments:
* No, Amazon doens't have copies of the Obama Spider-Man cover for sale; those are all from 3rd party Marketplace sellers. (Prices are going from $6.49 to $200.00)
* Jeff Kinney seems to have a license to print money, doesn't he?
* The Dark Knight halo effect is still in full force.

Monkey Covers

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

This week we have a two-fer: Gil Kane's cover to Strange Adventures #64 (1956), and the recolored version from the new Showcase Presents Strange Adventures vol. 1 (2009).

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


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

Friday Night Fights: The Goon vs. The Great Zombie Chimp

From The Goon #1 (1999) by Eric Powell. (click pics for larger)

Ka-Pow? Plop!

DC Quick Hits

* I haven't read a panel of it, but I think that Superman and Batman vs. Vampires and Werewolves is one of the most awesome titles for a comic ever, because it tells you exactly what to expect: Superman and Batman fighting vampires and werewolves!

* I like that the abbreviation for the "Faces of Evil" quasi-event is 'FOE'.

* Judging by the last page of Justice League of America #28, it looks like the team will finally combat a threat to the Earth. IMHO, the biggest weakness of this title since the relaunch has been that this group of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes has mostly battled internal threats. The JLA should be bigger than that.

* While I thought that the "One World, Under Gog" story from Justice Society ran on way too long, I found the conclusion in issue #22 to be satisfying, especially the fate of Gog and the Ross-illustrated denouement.

Glut?

Here's the Mighty Marvel Checklist for a month in late 1981:



Thirty-four titles for the whole month.

Now in early 2009, Marvel is releasing thirty-one new titles this week (19 comics, 12 collections, not counting multiple cover editions).

Monkey Covers

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

Popeye eats his favorite vegetable to put the smack-down on a gorilla on Bud Sagendorf's cover to Popeye #42 (1957).

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


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