Friday, February 24, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
2 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
3 (+2). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
4 (-1). Big Nate Out Loud (Kindle)
5 (-1). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
6 (-). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
7 (-). Big Nate and Friends (Kindle)
8 (-). The Walking Dead Volume 15
9 (+7). The Walking Dead, Book 1
10 (+2). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
11 (-2). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
12 (+2). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle)
13 (+6). The Walking Dead, Book 2
14 (+13). The Walking Dead, Book 7
15 (+11). Batman: The Killing Joke
16 (+2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
17 (+11). Batman: Year One
18 (-3). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
19 (-6). Watchmen
20 (+13). Invincible Ultimate Collection Volume 7 *
21 (+3). The Walking Dead, Book 5
22 (-12). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
23 (+9). The Walking Dead, Book 3
24 (+5). The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out
25 (-2). V for Vendetta
26 (+4). The Walking Dead, Book 6
27 (-16). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books (1-5)
28 (-6). Batman: The Black Mirror
29 (R). Hark! A Vagrant
30 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
31 (-5). Habibi
32 (-7). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It's Necessary, How It Works
33 (-13). Batman: Gates of Gotham
34 (+10). The Walking Dead, Book 4
35 (-18). American Vampire Vol. 3
36 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain
37 (+5). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
38 (+3). Ninjago Graphic Novels #1: The Challenge of Samukai
39 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 6: This Sorrowful Life
40 (-6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
41 (-6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 12
42 (-4). Batman: Hush
43 (N). Jim Henson's Tale of Sand
44 (+1). The Walking Dead, Vol. 13
45 (R). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2
46 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 7: The Calm Before
47 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 5: The Best Defense
48 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
49 (R). Watchmen (Kindle)
50 (N). Sailor Moon 4 *


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

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* Pretty boring at the top of the list this week, with just a minor re-arranging of the chairs. Cabin Fever is at #55 on the overall list; The Walking Dead Compendium moves up to #181 on the overall list.

* Only two debuts this week, both at the bottom of the list: Jim Henson's Tale of Sand, and the upcoming latest Sailor Moon.

* Dead Watch: The Walking Dead takes an unprecedented eighteen slots in the Amazon Top 50. Where last week favored the hardcovers, there was a surge this week in the paperback collections.

* Add in the Invincible hardcover, and Robert Kirkman has 38% of the top fifty. Now if only we could get some of these people to buy Super Dinosaur...

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Monkey Covers

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


Apes (and monkeys) are on the rampage on the cover of Tibor #69 (ca. 1966).

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

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

Friday, February 17, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
2 (+11). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
3 (+1). Big Nate Out Loud (Kindle)
4 (-1). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
5 (-3). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
6 (-1). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
7 (-1). Big Nate and Friends (Kindle)
8 (+3). The Walking Dead Volume 15
9 (-1). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
10 (-3). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
11 (+4). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books (1-5)
12 (-2). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
13 (+16). Watchmen
14 (-2). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle)
15 (-6). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
16 (+29). The Walking Dead, Book 1
17 (+2). American Vampire Vol. 3
18 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
19 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 2
20 (+15). Batman: Gates of Gotham
21 (N). Fever Moon *
22 (-6). Batman: The Black Mirror
23 (-5). V for Vendetta
24 (+22). The Walking Dead, Book 5
25 (-11). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It's Necessary, How It Works
26 (+8). Batman: The Killing Joke
27 (+11). The Walking Dead, Book 7
28 (-6). Batman: Year One
29 (R). The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out
30 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 6
31 (N). Ice Cage (Kindle)
32 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 3
33 (N). Invincible Ultimate Collection Volume 7 *
34 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
35 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 12
36 (-13). Habibi
37 (R). Dork Diaries 3 ½: How to Dork Your Diary
38 (-8). Batman: Hush
39 (R). Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star (Dork Diaries #3)
40 (-16). Big Nate Out Loud
41 (R). Ninjago Graphic Novels #1: The Challenge of Samukai
42 (+1). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
43 (-23). Sailor Moon 3
44 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 4
45 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 13
46 (N). Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies
47 (-16). The Complete Persepolis
48 (-6). Dork Diaries 3 ½ (Kindle)
49 (R). The Walking Dead Volume 11: Fear The Hunters
50 (R). Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: The Battle of Tull


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

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* Cabin Fever takes a bit of a fall on the overall list to #57. Still well ahead of the #2 book, The Walking Dead Compendium, which weighs in at #264 overall.

* Dead Watch: Speaking of the Walking Dead, its return to television also marks its big return to the graphic novel chart: There are fourteen different Walking Dead collections on the chart this week, way up from just five last week.

* Despite the Walking Dead surge, several new titles make the list this week. The top debut is Fever Moon, a supernatural romance OGN written by romance author Karen Marie Moning and drawn by the late Al Rio. Also debuting this week are Ice Cage (A yaoi manga on the Kindle), a new Invincible hardcover, and a new Dragonbreath comic.

* Pushed off the list this week: Tintin.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Monkey Covers

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


Gorilla Grodd compels Flash and Vixen to fight on the cover of Flash #46 (1991) by Greg LaRocque and José Marzan, Jr.

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

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

Friday, February 10, 2012

Mini-Comics Are Great!

Earlier this week I stopped by Jerzy Drozd's Comics Are Great! podcast to plug the upcoming Second Annual Mini-Comics Day at the Dude (Saturday March 10!) and talk mini-comics:



(my bit starts at about the 48 min. mark)

There's also an audio only version on iTunes.

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
2 (+4). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
3 (+4). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
4 (+1). Big Nate Out Loud (Kindle)
5 (-2). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
6 (-2). Big Nate and Friends (Kindle)
7 (-5). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
8 (+4). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
9 (+1). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
10 (-2). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
11 (-2). The Walking Dead Volume 15
12 (-1). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle)
13 (+6). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
14 (+6). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It's Necessary, How It Works
15 (+15). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books (1-5)
16 (-11). Batman: The Black Mirror
17 (-). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
18 (-5). V for Vendetta
19 (+25). American Vampire Vol. 3
20 (-6). Sailor Moon 3
21 (-6). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
22 (-1). Batman: Year One
23 (+3). Habibi
24 (+10). Big Nate Out Loud
25 (-3). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2
26 (N). Pitch Black
27 (+4). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 3
28 (+12). Fables Vol. 16: Super Team
29 (-13). Watchmen
30 (+17). Batman: Hush
31 (-6). The Complete Persepolis
32 (-4). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
33 (-15). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
34 (-10). Batman: The Killing Joke
35 (N). Batman: Gates of Gotham
36 (R). The Indispensable Calvin And Hobbes
37 (R). Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 2
38 (+4). The Walking Dead, Book 7
39 (R). Amulet #4: The Last Council
40 (-7). X-Men: Schism
41 (-18). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
42 (-7). Dork Diaries 3 ½ (Kindle)
43 (R). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
44 (-3). Dilbert: 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar
45 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
46 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 5
47 (R). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
48 (N). Irredeemable Vol. 8
49 (R). Big Nate From the Top
50 (-11). Daredevil, vol. 1


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

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* Cabin Fever slips a bit more to #35 on the overall list, but that is more than enough to maintain its grip on the comics bestseller list.

* The top debut this week is Pitch Black by Youme Landowne & Anthony Horton; earlier in the week it peaked at #2 on the list, but now Amazon is out of stock—surprise demand due to mainstream coverage of the death of Horton, I presume—which just goes to show the inaccuracy of these one-weekly shapshots that I take.

* Much news was made earlier this week about DC taking the top ten slots in the January sales figures from Diamond. The top ten slots on the Amazon list are all taken up by properties aimed at kids, only one of which is from a traditional comics publisher (Avatar, from Dark Horse). The first DC book doesn't show up until #16; the first Marvel book at #40.

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Monkey Covers

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



Brainiac 5 is becoming a gorilla on the cover of Adventure Comics #330 (1965) by Curt Swan and George Klein.


(Standard disclaimer about shape-changing teen-age super-heroes not really being monkeys applies.)

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

Friday, February 03, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
2 (-). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
3 (+2). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
4 (-1). Big Nate and Friends (Kindle)
5 (+2). Big Nate Out Loud (Kindle)
6 (-1). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
7 (+4). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
8 (-). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
9 (-). The Walking Dead Volume 15
10 (+8). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
11 (-1). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle)
12 (+1). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
13 (+9). V for Vendetta
14 (+3). Sailor Moon 3
15 (-9). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
16 (+13). Watchmen
17 (-3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
18 (-6). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
19 (+6). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
20 (-1). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It's Necessary, How It Works
21 (+5). Batman: Year One
22 (+16). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2
23 (-3). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
24 (+8). Batman: The Killing Joke
25 (-10). The Complete Persepolis
26 (+5). Habibi
27 (-11). Batman: The Black Mirror
28 (-5). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
29 (N). Batman & Robin: Dark Knight, White Knight
30 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books (1-5)
31 (+8). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 3
32 (R). Ninjago Graphic Novels #1: The Challenge of Samukai
33 (-). X-Men: Schism
34 (R). Big Nate Out Loud
35 (-1). Dork Diaries 3 ½ (Kindle)
36 (-6). American Born Chinese
37 (-18). Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 2 - The Promise Part 2 *
38 (R). Sailor Moon 1
39 (N). Daredevil, vol. 1 *
40 (+7). Fables Vol. 16: Super Team
41 (R). Dilbert: 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar
42 (-6). The Walking Dead, Book 7
43 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 2
44 (N). American Vampire Vol. 3 *
45 (R). The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out
46 (R). Hark! A Vagrant
47 (R). Batman: Hush
48 (-21). The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 1
49 (R). Sailor Moon 2
50 (-4). Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: The Battle of Tull


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

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:

* Cabin Fever falls a bit to #31 on the overall chart, but that's more than enough to keep it ahead of #2 Airbender, which tumbles to #129 on the overall list.

* Watchmen sees a bit of an uptick with the prequel announcement this week. It had risen as high as #11 but this morning has settled down at #16. Still V for Vendetta is charting higher.

* New titles this week are collections of Batman & Robin, Daredevil, and American Vampire.

* Marvel chart three books this week, including two super-hero titles.

* Bat-watch: Six Batman titles on the chart this week.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Thoughts on Before Watchmen

Early this morning DC announced Before Watchmen, a series of mini-series prequels to one of the best regarded (and best-selling) comic stories of all time. (And under previous regimes an area deemed as untouchable as far as spin-off projects went.)

Some initial thoughts:
  • Watchmen doesn't really need prequels or sequels, as it is complete unto itself. However, these days such things are an anathema to comic companies. But if you don't like the idea of the prequels, it still leaves the original intact; it's not like they're going and doing a 3-D Special Edition of the original Moore & Gibbons collection or anything.
  • DC needed something big to recapture the comics and mainstream media's attention now that the excitement over the New 52 has wound down.
  • The creative teams are top-notch, creators from whom I would take a serious consideration of buying if they were producing a 'regular' comic series unrelated to Watchmen. I'm particularly looking forward to Minutemen by Darwyn Cooke and Silk Spectre by Cooke and Amanda Conner.
  • While original series artist Dave Gibbons has apparently given his blessing to the prequels, I'm surprised he isn't involved in any of the series. I would have thought maybe they'd have him do the covers or something? (Maybe there will be variant covers by Gibbons?
  • If you were wondering why some of DC's top creators have been absent from the New 52, well here you go. I wonder how far in advance they've been working on this?
  • The original Watchmen series was twelve issues; the prequels in total will consist of thirty-five issues. Of course, each Watchmen issue was 32 pages of story: 28 story pages and a 4 page text feature. Will the prequel minis be the standard 20 pages that is the norm for DC these days?
  • I wonder if sales of the Watchmen collection will spike after the announcement of the prequels? Tune in back here on Friday when we do the Amazon Top 50 to find out...