Sunday, July 29, 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!


I am not disturbed by the fact the Big Boy and his pals are marching down the street with a gorilla on the cover of Adventures of Big Boy #2 (1976), because that's the kind of awesome thing that should happen all of the time. No, I disturbed because the gorilla has very skinny legs, and he's wearing jeans. And shoes. That's just not right.

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

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

Friday, July 27, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Batman: Earth One
2 (+6). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
3 (+4). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1
4 (-2). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) *
5 (+5). Batman: The Killing Joke
6 (-2). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
7 (+18). Batman: Year One
8 (-5). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
9 (+5). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
10 (+8). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Kindle edition)
11 (+4). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2: Knightquest
12 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 2
13 (-1). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
14 (R). Batman: The Long Halloween
15 (+10). The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World
16 (-7). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
17 (+20). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
18 (+1). Darth Vader and Son
19 (+22). Batman: Year One (Kindle)
20 (N). Batman: Year One Deluxe Edition
21 (+25). Batman: Hush
22 (-9). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 *
23 (-17). Get Jiro!
24 (+7). Batman: Earth One (Kindle)
25 (-5). Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks *
26 (-9). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
27 (-11). Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
28 (N). The Underwater Welder *
29 (-7). Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind
30 (-9). Watchmen
31 (-8). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
32 (+6). The Walking Dead, Book 1
33 (+2). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
34 (-7). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
35 (+12). Superman: Earth One
36 (R). Fever Moon (Kindle)
37 (-3). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
38 (R). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
39 (R). Batman: The Black Mirror
40 (+5). Batman & Robin Vol. 1: Born to Kill (The New 52)
41 (R). Batman: Dark Victory
42 (+8). The Complete Persepolis
43 (N). Batman: A Death in the Family
44 (-16). The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves
45 (R). Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (The New 52)
46 (R). Parker: The Score
47 (-23). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 3 *
48 (R). Marvel Encyclopedia
49 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 7
50 (-18). Fever Moon

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:
  • For a third straight week, Batman: Earth One is at the top of the chart, and is #65 overall on Amazon. It spent most of the week wrapping places with The Dark Knight Returns and The Third Wheel, but when the wheel stopped on Friday morning it was Earth One in first place.
  • Bat Watch: An impressive eighteen Batman titles in the top fifty this week—up eight from last week—four of the top five and seven of the top ten. In case anyone is wondering, this is what it looks like when your popular movie is driving comic sales.
  • Two of those eighteen are new editions of old Batman material making their top fifty debut: A Death in the Family and a deluxe hardcover of Year One (in fact, there are three different editions of Batman: Year One on the chart). This only other debut this week is Jeff Lemire's OGN The Underwater Welder.
  • Dead Watch: There are just six Walking Dead collections on the chart this week, down ten from last week as Batman takes his toll against the zombies.

Sunday, July 22, 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!


Gorillas Attacks on Chris Jones' cover for Young Justice #18 (2012).

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

Image courtesy of the Comic Book DB. Click on the image for a larger version.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Batman: Earth One
2 (+5). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) *
3 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
4 (+2). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
5 (-1). The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World
6 (-4). Get Jiro!
7 (+10). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1
8 (+7). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
9 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
10 (-). Batman: The Killing Joke
11 (-6). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 2
12 (-4). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
13 (-2). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 *
14 (+4). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
15 (R). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2: Knightquest
16 (+8). Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
17 (+18). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
18 (+11). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Kindle edition)
19 (+1). Darth Vader and Son
20 (-6). Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks *
21 (+5). Watchmen
22 (-13). Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind
23 (+23). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
24 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 3 *
25 (-3). Batman: Year One
26 (+16). The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
27 (+17). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
28 (+2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves
29 (+11). The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
30 (-17). Sailor Moon 6
31 (-10). Batman: Earth One (Kindle)
32 (-20). Fever Moon
33 (+4). The Walking Dead, Book 3
34 (+5). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
35 (-12). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
36 (+11). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
37 (R). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
38 (-19). The Walking Dead, Book 1
39 (-8). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (Kindle)
40 (+8). The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire
41 (R). Batman: Year One (Kindle)
42 (-10). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century #3 2009
43 (N). Blacksad: A Silent Hell *
44 (R). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 1: Freefall
45 (-9). Batman & Robin Vol. 1: Born to Kill (The New 52)
46 (R). Batman: Hush
47 (R). Superman: Earth One
48 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
49 (R). Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "Only a Poor Old Man"
50 (R). The Complete Persepolis

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:
  • For the third week in a row, Batman: Earth One is at the top of the chart, though it slips some to #58 on the overall Amazon chart.
  • Bat Watch: Thirteen Batman titles on the chart this week, up three from last week, and four of those are in the top ten. Not quite the dominance that The Walking Dead had earlier in the year, but still pretty impressive.
  • Dead Watch: Speaking of WD, there are eleven collections on the chart this week as the post SDCC & issue #100 glow fades a bit. Don't worry, when the show resumes in a few months there will no doubt be another Dead surge.
  • The only debut title this week is the new Blacksad graphic novel, and it is way down at the bottom of the list.

Sunday, July 15, 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!

Mono on the Moon

A chimp drives the getaway car on Sergio Córdoba's cover for Mono on the Moon (2002).

(Standard disclaimer about flying car-driving chimpanzees not really being monkeys applies.)

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

Friday, July 13, 2012

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). Batman: Earth One
2 (+21). Get Jiro!
3 (+6). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
4 (-). The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World
5 (-3). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 2
6 (-3). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
7 (-1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) *
8 (-3). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
9 (+7). Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind
10 (-2). Batman: The Killing Joke
11 (N). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 *
12 (+23). Fever Moon
13 (+16). Sailor Moon 6 *
14 (N). Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks *
15 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
16 (-1). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
17 (-5). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1
18 (R). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
19 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
20 (-7). Darth Vader and Son
21 (N). Batman: Earth One (Kindle)
22 (+3). Batman: Year One
23 (-13). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 3 *
24 (-17). Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
25 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 2
26 (-9). Watchmen
27 (N). Parker: The Score *
28 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 7
29 (+10). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Kindle edition)
30 (-10). The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves
31 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (Kindle)
32 (-4). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century #3 2009
33 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 5
34 (-4). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
35 (-17). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
36 (N). Batman & Robin Vol. 1: Born to Kill (The New 52)
37 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 3
38 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
39 (-18). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
40 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
41 (R). Kick-Ass 2
42 (+6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
43 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 6
44 (-18). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
45 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 4
46 (-10). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
47 (-20). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
48 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire
49 (-4). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
50 (R). Batman: The Long Halloween

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:
  • Batman: Earth One remains at the top of the chart for a second week, and is currently #26 on the overall Amazon books chart. This is a perfect example of how to time a graphic novel release with an upcoming movie (Marvel and others should take note...)
  • More surprising is the sudden leap that Get Jiro! takes to the #2 slot (and #68 overall), very likely the cause of a non-comics media mention somewhere. 
  • The top debut this week is the second massive Walking Dead Compendium, now available for pre-order. Other debuts include a new Locke & Key volume; the Kindle edition of Batman: Earth One; Darwyn Cooke's new Parker adaptation; and the New 52 Batman & Robin hardcover collection.
  • Dead Watch: A surprising surge by The Walking Dead this week, as many titles return to the top fifty, including all of the hardcover collections. There as sixteen WD collections on the chart this week, way up from last week's four. Perhaps publicity surrounding the release of the the comic books 100th issue is the cause?
  • Bat Watch: Ten Batman titles on the list this week, up one from last week. Between Batman and The Walking Dead, that's half of this week's chart...

Sunday, July 08, 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!


Never take a chimp to the movies; they get mad when you throw popcorn at them, as on Ken Knudtsen's cover of My Monkey's Name is Jennifer #5 (2002).

(Standard disclaimer about movie-going chimpanzees not really being monkeys applies.)

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

Friday, July 06, 2012

Amazon Top 50

cover to Batman: Earth One
Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (+10). Batman: Earth One *
2 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 2
3 (-1). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
4 (-1). The Walking Dead, Vol. 16: A Larger World
5 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1
6 (-1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7) *
7 (-1). Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
8 (+6). Batman: The Killing Joke
9 (+4). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
10 (-3). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part 3 *
11 (N). Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "Only a Poor Old Man" *
12 (+9). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1
13 (-4). Darth Vader and Son
14 (-3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
15 (-7). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
16 (N). Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind *
17 (-2). Watchmen
18 (+8). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
19 (+14). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Kindle edition)
20 (-). The Walking Dead, Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves
21 (+4). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 5)
22 (+10). Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2 - Knightquest
23 (-13). Get Jiro!
24 (N). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 1: Freefall *
25 (+7). Batman: Year One
26 (-8). Dork Diaries 1 (Kindle)
27 (-5). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
28 (-12). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century #3 2009
29 (N). Sailor Moon 6 *
30 (R). Big Nate: From the Top (Kindle)
31 (N). Fever Moon (Kindle) *
32 (+3). Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
33 (+7). Big Nate Fun Blaster
34 (R). Marvel Encyclopedia
35 (R). Fever Moon *
36 (-8). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
37 (-8). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Lost Adventures
38 (-26). Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It's Necessary, How It Works
39 (+9). Batman: Hush
40 (+9). The Complete Persepolis
41 (-10). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
42 (R). V for Vendetta
43 (R). The Boys, Vol. 11: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men
44 (-25). Big Nate and Friends (Kindle)
45 (-9). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
46 (-16). Dork Diaries 2 (Kindle)
47 (R). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
48 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
49 (-3). Fatale Volume 1: Death Chases Me *
50 (R). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

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:
  • This week's new number one is Batman: Earth One, as the new OGN leaps over the top ten to land on the top of the Amazon comics chart. Which leads up right into...
  • Bat Watch: Nine Batman titles on the chart this week. Which is actually down one from last week, but of those that remain eight show significant jumps upward.
  • Batman sales are no doubt helped by the eminent release of the new Dark Knight movie in a couple of weeks. But compare that to Spider-Man, which despite being the current #1 movie at the box office doesn't show up on the comics chart even once. Clearly DC have a better idea on how to turn movie interest into comic sales than their chief competitor.
  • This week's top debut, the first volume in Fantagraphics' Uncle Scrooge stories by the legendary Carl Barks, narrowly misses the top ten. Other debuts include new volumes of Fables, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Sailor Moon; and the Kindle edition of the upcoming Fever Moon graphic novel.
  • Dead Watch: Only four Walking Dead collections on the chart this week, though two of those are still in the top ten.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

4th of July on the Beaches of Riverdale

This Independence Day, head down to the beaches of Riverdale and hang out with Archie and the gang!




Betty #114, cover by Stan Goldberg & Bob Smith
Betty and Veronica Double Digest Magazine #66, cover by Dan DeCarlo & Alison Flood
Katy Keene Comics Digest Magazine #7, cover by John Lucas

Sunday, July 01, 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!


The gorillas shoot to kill on the cover of Planet of the Apes #16 (1975) by Jack Kirby.

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

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