This Week’s Great Works Of Comics Literature
June 1st, 2006 | comics talk
Newly published comics and graphic novels ship once a week to specialty comics stores and better bookstores, in the English speaking-world. It’s usually Wednesday in North America and Thursday here in the UK and elsewhere. Due to the US and UK having holidays on Monday, comics only shipped in Canada on Wednesday this week. I grabbed the list of what’s shipping, and there’s a few things worth drawing your attention to. In the US, you can apparently find your local comics store by dialling 1-800-comic-book. Online, you can use http://www.the-master-list.com/, for US, Canadian and international locations.
FELL #4 2nd Prtg $1.99. Yeah. So don’t let your local comics pusher tell you it’s just too hard to get copies of FELL. Image Comics.
Five Fists Of Science GN $12.99 - this comes with my Highest Possible Recommendation. I have read it and it is wonderful. The book is full colour, but here’s a black-and-white preview.
Night Trippers GN $16.99 - beautiful-looking book that appears to be about the Beatles, a teddy-boy serial killer, and sharp teeth. Website. Image Comics.
Stagger Lee GN $17.99 - this is, as the title says, a graphic novel about the legend of Stagger Lee. I never got a chance to do more than skim the preview I was sent, due to lack of time, which I regret: it’s a fascinating ride between documentary and fiction, a word of education and ambition. Massive preview here. Image Comics.
Apocalypse Nerd #3 $2.99 - apparently, this is Peter Bagge’s new series. I had no idea it even existed. Way to go, Dark Horse PR team. Some details here. Dark Horse Comics.
Skyscrapers Of The Midwest #3 $5.00 - this is one odd fucking book. See for yourself - wonderful preview material here. AdHouse Books.
Artesia Besieged #1 $3.95 - I’ve never, ever been able to find any of Mark Smylie’s ARTESIA books available for purchase. Which might not bode well for you, if you decide to search this out. But these books look so richly beautiful, shining darkly like the best European comics art, that I try again, every damn time. Take a look for yourself — big preview here. Archaia Studio Press
BLACKGAS #3 - just go and buy it, you little bastards. Avatar Press
Hotel California GN $14.99 - this prison comic from Korea just looks kind of odd. It’s a Netcomics release, which means you can also purchase a copy to download.
Local #5 $2.99 - Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly’s essential serial. This is the LOCAL workblog. This is the publisher’s page for LOCAL, including preview material. Oni Press.
Never Made To Last: Stories Of Suburban Folklore GN $10.00 - I’m guessing this is collecting the material detailed on this website, which I’ve only just discovered. I like the short comic here. Worth taking a look at if you see it on a shelf, I think. Ourobor Books
Middleman Vol 2 #4 $2.95 - this book, by LOST writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, is always good for a laugh. Viper Comics.
– W
is the award-winning creator of graphic novels such as 
my shop doesn’t CARRY blackgas, damn it.
Burn it down.
with the shopkeep inside it, yes?
smash their window wit a brick wraped in a note. you want them to get the message not close down
Fire is a lot of fun, though, the smell of smoke and the screams… and i’ve got a friend in the fire department! it’d give him something to DO. and I’m all about that.
The flickr plugin seems to be doing odd things to the individual post layout under IE. Seems okay under Firefox.
Will force puny customers to buy all of those, oh mighty internet bejesus.
Five Fists Of Science *does* look fantastic.
Thanks for the heads up.
Nice to see you recommending books again. I am curious about a few of these. I hope you do this again when you find some comicky goodness to recommend.
is blackgas 2 sold out? my shop up at college carried it, but i came home for the summer just when issue 2 came out and i asked my shop here to order it for me but i haven’t heard back from him about it. i’ll definitely be getting number 3 in my box, which could make it even worse if i never find 2.
With all of the variant covers that Avatar puts out, you should be able to track down BLACKGAS #2! But if worst comes to worst, you can usually order most Avatar back-issues directly from
I’m sure you can find enough other Warren Ellis rarities to defray your shipping costs.
ARGH. The link didn’t show up.
http://www.comiccavalcade.com carries all of the back-issues of Avatar stuff, including BLACKGAS #2.
Wow, that’s a pretty long span between #2 and #3 for the APOC NERD.
Pretty things what to be buying and reading, what with my copious amounts of free time…. Meh. I suppose they’ll make better covers than newspapers when I’m a hobo. I’ll be a stylish, full color hobo with a two-page spread.
i can’t thank you enough for the kind words - much appreciated!
Night Trippers looks quite worthy! Glad to see you give it a push. Mark Ricketts’ stuff is good, so if you like this book look for his other books. My fave is probablly Nowheresville.
(sigh) I miss Nowheresville. It was like Matt Wagner writing Maynard G. Krebs from the Dobie Gillis show.
…is that too much American-pop-culture-ism?
so whats with the “warren ellis don’t surf” have you been watching Apocalypse Now or something because i used to write on all my high school desk “charlie don’t surf”
peace
M.
Thanks for all the tips– I knew no Brian Wood outside of DMZ.
Your power is mighty Warren. Went to my local comic shop last night, and they’d sold out of Five Fists of Science that -morning-. The owner is heartily cursing you for clearing out his stock.
The first volume of Artesia is being re-released in hardcover and is solicited in this month’s Previews.
I didn’t realize that the Artesia books were getting that hard to find. It really is a unique and exceptional series.
EM