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 and his fellow secret villains defend against an attack by Captain Comet on the cover of Secret Society of Super-Villains #11 (1977) by Rich Buckler.

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

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

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (+6). Vader's Little Princess
2 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #15 (Kindle)
3 (+1). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
4 (+1). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
5 (+1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7) (Kindle)
6 (R). The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
7 (+11). Darth Vader and Son
8 (+2). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7)
9 (+5). Big Nate: Game On! (Kindle)
10 (+1). Saga Volume 1
11 (N). The Wolves in the Walls
12 (+5). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
13 (-5). Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 (Kindle)
14 (+2). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
15 (+10). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
16 (+20). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After *
17 (R). Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8
18 (+20). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
19 (+10). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
20 (+10). Dork Diaries 5 (Kindle)
21 (+7). Big Nate: Game On!
22 (R). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
23 (+10). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) (Kindle)
24 (+10). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
25 (+6). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
26 (-14). Injustice: Gods Among Us #2 (Kindle)
27 (+8). Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2) (Kindle)
28 (+11). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
29 (+12). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5) (Kindle)
30 (+10). Big Nate Makes the Grade (Kindle)
31 (R). Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set
32 (-17). Injustice: Gods Among Us #3 (Kindle)
33 (+10). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5)
34 (+11). Watchmen
35 (R). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
36 (-17). Injustice: Gods Among Us #4 (Kindle)
37 (R). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
38 (-36). Injustice: Gods Among Us - Bonus Premium (Kindle)
39 (+11). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
40 (-31). Injustice: Gods Among Us #12 (Kindle)
41 (-14). Injustice: Gods Among Us #6 (Kindle)
42 (+7). Superman: Red Son
43 (-17). Injustice: Gods Among Us #5 (Kindle)
44 (R). Avatar: The Last Airbender- The Search, Part 2 *
45 (-13). The Walking Dead vol. 1 (Kindle)
46 (-33). Injustice: Gods Among Us #13 (Kindle)
47 (-26). Injustice: Gods Among Us #7 (Kindle)
48 (-). The Walking Dead, Book 1
49 (R). Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
50 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye


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:

• Another new #1, as Jeffrey Brown's Vader's Little Princess is released and hits #57 on the overall chart. Last week's #1, the bargain-fueled Kindle edition of Wolverine, falls off the chart entirely.
• Injustice Watch: The latest digital issue debuts at #2 on the chart, but predictably the rest of the issues fall precipitously now that the game's release is a week and a half past. There are eleven on the chart this week, down four from last week.
• A few head-scratchers on the chart this week: Both the The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Box Set return to the chart, and Gaiman & McKean's ten-year-old The Wolves in the Walls makes it first appearance. I can maybe see that last week's events in Boston fueled interest in The 9/11 Report, but I can see no reason for the other two (though they are both quality comics).
• Dead Watch: There are seven Walking Dead collections on the chart this week, the same as last week.
• Diary Watch: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries franchises between them take up eleven of the slots on the chart this week, down two from last week.
• Kindle Watch: Twenty-one of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, down seven from last week.

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 Man charges on the variant cover of Agents of Atlas #1 (2009) by Ed McGuinness.

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

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

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (N). Wolverine by Claremont and Miller (Kindle)
2 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us - Bonus Premium (Kindle)
3 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #14 (Kindle)
4 (-3). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
5 (-3). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
6 (-3). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7) (Kindle)
7 (-3). Vader's Little Princess *
8 (+6). Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 (Kindle)
9 (-3). Injustice: Gods Among Us #12 (Kindle)
10 (-2). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7)
11 (+1). Saga Volume 1
12 (+8). Injustice: Gods Among Us #2 (Kindle)
13 (-8). Injustice: Gods Among Us #13 (Kindle)
14 (N). Big Nate: Game On! (Kindle)
15 (+14). Injustice: Gods Among Us #3 (Kindle)
16 (-9). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
17 (-7). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
18 (-9). Darth Vader and Son
19 (+13). Injustice: Gods Among Us #4 (Kindle)
20 (-2). Injustice: Gods Among Us #11 (Kindle)
21 (+23). Injustice: Gods Among Us #7 (Kindle)
22 (+21). Injustice: Gods Among Us #8 (Kindle)
23 (+12). Injustice: Gods Among Us #10 (Kindle)
24 (+14). Injustice: Gods Among Us #5 (Kindle)
25 (-12). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
26 (+10). Injustice: Gods Among Us #9 (Kindle)
27 (+10). Injustice: Gods Among Us #6 (Kindle)
28 (R). Big Nate: Game On!
29 (-6). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
30 (-14). Dork Diaries 5 (Kindle)
31 (-1). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
32 (-21). The Walking Dead vol. 1 (Kindle)
33 (-16). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) (Kindle)
34 (-6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
35 (-16). Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2) (Kindle)
36 (+14). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After *
37 (-16). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1 (Kindle)
38 (-16). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
39 (-12). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
40 (-7). Big Nate Makes the Grade (Kindle)
41 (-10). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5) (Kindle)
42 (-27). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
43 (-2). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5)
44 (+4). The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3) (Kindle)
45 (R). Watchmen
46 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 2
47 (N). The Manhattan Projects, Vol. 2 *
48 (-24). The Walking Dead, Book 1
49 (N). Superman: Red Son
50 (R). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)


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:

• We have a new #1! The Kindle edition of Wolverine by Claremont and Miller, a collection of the highly-regarded 80s mini-series, was the Kindle Daily Deal earlier in the week, and the residual effects keep it at the top of the Comics chart. It is also reportedly the basis for the upcoming Wolverine movie, so the high profile from the Daily Deal promotion may keep it on the charts for a while.
• The Injustice: Gods Among Us video game debuted this week, and the comics tie-ins see a substantial boost in their chart positions. Debuting at #2 is a "bonus premium" edition that collects issues 4, 5, 6 & 9; it was apparently included as a pre-order bonus for the game, and it's unclear to me how much of the chart position is due to people who bought the game redeeming their digital copies. Every extant Injustice comic makes the chart, with four in the top ten and all fifteen in the top thirty.
• This is the first time ever since I've been keeping track of these charts that we've had the top three books all be debuts. Also debuting this week is the Kindle edition of the latest Big Nate strip collection; the second volume of The Manhattan Projects; and the collection of the classic Elseworlds story Superman: Red Son.
• Despite this week being the 75th Anniversary of Superman, and The Man of Steel movie release being just two months away, Red Son is the only Superman comic on the top fifty comics chart.
• Dead Watch: We're back to seven Walking Dead collections on the chart this week, down from ten last week. The boost from the season finale was short-lived this go-around.
• Diary Watch: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries franchises between them take up thirteen of the slots on the chart this week, down two from last week.
• Kindle Watch: Twenty-eight of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, up three from last week.

Superman 75

Happy 75th Anniversary to the Man of Steel!

 

Action Comics #75 (1944) by Wayne Boring
Superman #75 (1952) by Al Plastino
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #75 (1964) by Curt Swan
Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #75 (1967) by Kurt Schaffenberger
Superman #75 (1993) by Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding
Superman: The Man of Steel #75 (1998) by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke
Superman/Batman #75 (2010) by Frank Quitely

Summer 2013 Comic Book Movies

Here are the movies releasing Summer 2013 in North America based on (in one way or another) comic book properties:

May 3: Iron Man 3

June 14: Man of Steel

July 19: RED 2
July 19: R.I.P.D.

July 26: The Wolverine

July 31: The Smurfs 2

August 2: 2 Guns
August 2: 300: Rise of an Empire

August 16: Kick-Ass 2

(Release dates subject to change, of course.)

Amazon Top 50

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


1 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
2 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
3 (+1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7) (Kindle)
4 (+17). Vader's Little Princess *
5 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #13 (Kindle)
6 (+4). Injustice: Gods Among Us #12 (Kindle)
7 (-2). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
8 (-2). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7)
9 (+8). Darth Vader and Son
10 (-3). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
11 (-8). The Walking Dead vol. 1 (Kindle)
12 (-). Saga Volume 1
13 (-). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
14 (+16). Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 (Kindle)
15 (+28). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
16 (-5). Dork Diaries 5 (Kindle)
17 (+3). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) (Kindle)
18 (+4). Injustice: Gods Among Us #11 (Kindle)
19 (+13). Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2) (Kindle)
20 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #2 (Kindle)
21 (+6). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1 (Kindle)
22 (+23). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
23 (-). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
24 (-16). The Walking Dead, Book 1
25 (+17). My Dog: The Paradox *
26 (-17). The Walking Dead vol. 2 (Kindle)
27 (-1). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
28 (-9). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
29 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #3 (Kindle)
30 (-12). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
31 (-3). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5) (Kindle)
32 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #4 (Kindle)
33 (+5). Big Nate Makes the Grade (Kindle)
34 (-). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2 *
35 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #10 (Kindle)
36 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #9 (Kindle)
37 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #6 (Kindle)
38 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #5 (Kindle)
39 (N). Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 8 *
40 (-25). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
41 (-2). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5)
42 (-17). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4) (Kindle)
43 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #8 (Kindle)
44 (R). Injustice: Gods Among Us #7 (Kindle)
45 (-4). Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
46 (-32). The Walking Dead vol. 3 (Kindle)
47 (+2). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
48 (-11). The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3) (Kindle)
49 (-18). The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
50 (-21). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After *


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:

• Dead Watch: The Walking Dead Compendia retain the top two chart positions, but the rest of the WD surge from last week dissipates. Following double digit position drop for most of the remain collections, there are ten total this week, down seven from last week.
• Jeffrey Brown's Vader's Little Princess surges this week head of its release in eleven days, bringing Darth Vader and Son along with it into the top ten. Meaning there are now two
  Jeffrey Brown books in the top ten. Jeffrey Brown + Star Wars = Sales.
• Injustice Watch: With The Walking Dead sliding, Injustice: Gods Among Us rebounds and twelve of the thirteen extant Kindle issues hitting the charts, two in the top ten, and the latest issue is once again the top debut.
• The only other debut is Book 8 in the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Which isn't due out until November. Start your holiday shopping early!
• Diary Watch: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries franchises between them take up fifteen of the slots on the chart this week, the same as last week.
• Kindle Watch: Twenty-five of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, up six from last week.

Monkey Covers

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

Jerry is afraid to fight a gorilla on the cover of The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #69 (1962) by Bob Oksner.

(Standard disclaimer about boxing gorillas 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 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
2 (+1). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
3 (+9). The Walking Dead vol. 1 (Kindle)
4 (+1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7) (Kindle)
5 (-1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
6 (+1). The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 7)
7 (-1). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52) *
8 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
9 (+26). The Walking Dead vol. 2 (Kindle)
10 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #12 (Kindle)
11 (+2). Dork Diaries 5 (Kindle)
12 (+3). Saga Volume 1
13 (-5). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
14 (R). The Walking Dead vol. 3 (Kindle)
15 (+13). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
16 (+27). The Walking Dead, Book 2
17 (+2). Darth Vader and Son
18 (-7). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
19 (-5). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
20 (-2). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6) (Kindle)
21 (+4). Vader's Little Princess *
22 (-12). Injustice: Gods Among Us #11 (Kindle)
23 (-7). Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 6)
24 (-). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
25 (+7). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4) (Kindle)
26 (-). Dork Diaries 4 (Kindle)
27 (-6). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1 (Kindle)
28 (+1). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5) (Kindle)
29 (-7). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After *
30 (+4). Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 (Kindle)
31 (+15). The Walking Dead, Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us
32 (-5). Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2) (Kindle)
33 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars
34 (-25). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2 *
35 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 3
36 (R). The Walking Dead vol. 4 (Kindle)
37 (-7). The Last Straw (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3) (Kindle)
38 (-7). Big Nate Makes the Grade (Kindle)
39 (R). The Ugly Truth (Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5)
40 (+8). Watchmen
41 (N). Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
42 (-40). My Dog: The Paradox *
43 (R). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
44 (R). The Walking Dead vol. 5 (Kindle)
45 (-25). The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (revised and expanded edition)
46 (+1). Dork Diaries 3 (Kindle)
47 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 5: The Best Defense
48 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire
49 (-11). Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4)
50 (-33). Sailor Moon 10


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:

• No surprise to find the first Walking Dead Compendium at the top of the chart this week following the season finale of the television show. Currently at #11 on the overall Amazon book chart, it was all the way up at #2 earlier in the week.
• Dead Watch: Walking Dead collections take the top three spots, five of the top ten, and seventeen slots overall, up eight from last week. It's not quite the overwhelming domination seen after the previous year's season finale, but it's not bad. One major change is that, after the compendia, the format of choice for Amazon buyers is shifting a lot more to Kindle over print. In fact, there are now four different formats/versions available for Walking Dead readers (five if you count the individual comics, or six if you also count the comiXology digital versions of the individual issues).
• Injustice Watch: The twelfth issue of Injustice: Gods Among Us debuts in the top ten, but only three of the issues make the comics chart this week. The weaker performance over the past two weeks is not necessarily a sign of decreased demand, but more likely due to the relative strength of The Walking Dead collections over that period.
• The only other debut this week is Lucy Knisley's graphic memoir Relish: My Life in the Kitchen.
• With only two months until Man of Steel opens at the theaters, there's no sign of Superman on the top fifty charts. A bad sign?
• Diary Watch: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries franchises between them take up fifteen of the slots on the chart this week, up one from last week. 
• Kindle Watch: Nineteen of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, up two from last week.