Original Graphic Novels
These are OGNs that are not part of any series.
DC
Image
Marvel
MINX
Oni Press
Vertigo
The Architect (Big Head Press; w Mike Baron; a Andie Tong). 
Ascend (Image; w Keith Arem and Scott Cuthbertson; a Christopher Shy). [From Image Comics: Set in a near-future metropolis, Ascend tells the dark, intriguing and seductive story of three banished angels waging an epic war on Earth. Sebastian, Gideon and Seraphine are exiled from Heaven and forced to live among mortals. The three angels soon separate and seek a new path to return them home. Still bound by their angelic instincts, the three find they are still drawn to humans about to ascend. Longing to become human, Sebastian rejects his former existence, and falls in love with a mortal, Rebeka. Fascinated by his newfound power over mortals, Gideon soon shows an aptitude for taking human souls and finds himself ruler of a new army, poised to storm the gates of their former empire. Seraphine struggles to live amongst humans and foresees that her fate is linked to her fallen siblings. As Gideon¹s powers grow, Sebastian and Seraphine realize they must deny their new life and confront their brother, fuelling an epic struggle that threatens to destroy the universe.] 
Ascend: Special Edition (IDW; w Keith Arem and Scott Cuthbertson; a Christopher Shy). [From IDW: Welcome to the post-apocalyptic Purgatory Wars, where the battle over "harvested" human souls has destroyed Heaven and Hell. Sebastian, a young human, who is tragically killed and unwillingly drafted into the war. He is reunited with his deceased brother, Gideon, the most powerful angel in the Legions of Heaven, who plans to lead a coup to regain power and restore order. Realizing he holds the key to ending the war, Sebastian must face his brother, before Gideon destroys the cycle of life on Earth. Ascend: Special Edition features 70 added pages, and a completely re-written story taking the reader further into the post-apocalyptic Purgatory Wars.] 
Birth
of a Nation (Crown Books; w Aaron McGruder & Reginald Hudlin;
a Kyle Baker). [From Crown Books: This scathingly
hilarious political satire—produced from a collaboration of three of
our funniest humorists—answers the burning question: Would anyone care
if East St. Louis seceded from the Union? East St. Louis, Illinois (“the
inner city without an outer city”), is an impoverished town, so poor
that Fred Fredericks, its idealistic mayor, starts off Election Day by collecting
the city’s trash in his own minivan. But the mayor believes in the
power of democracy and rallies his fellow citizens to the polls for the
presidential election, only to find hundreds of them turned away for trumped-up
reasons. Even sweet old Miss Jackson—not to mention the mayor himself—is
denied the vote because her name turns up on a bogus list of felons. The
national election hinges on Illinois’s electoral votes and, as a result
of the mass disenfranchisement of East St. Louis, a radical right-wing junta
led by a dim-witted Texas governor seizes the Oval Office. Prodded by shady
black billionaire and old friend John Roberts, Fredericks devises a radical
plan of protest: East St. Louis will secede from the Union. Roberts opens
an “offshore” bank (albeit in the heart of the U.S.) to finance
the newly liberated country, and suddenly East St. Louis becomes the Switzerland
of the American heartland, flush with money. It also begins to attract a
motley circus of idealistic young militants, OPEC-funded hitmen, CIA operatives,
tabloid reporters, and AWOL black servicemen eager to protect and serve
the new nation. Problems set in almost immediately: Controversies rage over
the name and national anthem of the new country (they decide on the Republic
of Blackland with an anthem sung to the tune of the theme from Good Times),
and local thug Roscoe becomes a warlord and turns his gang into a paramilitary
force. When the U.S. military begins to move in, Fredericks is forced to
decide whether his protest is worth taking all the way. Birth of a Nation
starts with a scenario drawn from the botched election of 2000 and spins
it into a brilliantly absurd work of sharply pointed satire. Along the way
the authors lay into a host of hot social and cultural issues—skewering
white supremacists, black nationalists, and everyone in between—drawing
real blood and real laughs in equal measure in this riotous send-up of American
politics.] GNR
review.
Blankets
(Top Shelf; w & a Craig Thompson). [From Top Shelf:
From the author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling graphic novel,
GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE comes Craig Thompson's all-new masterpiece. BLANKETS
-- the most anticipated graphic novel of the year -- is already being regarded
as THE defining moment of this comix generation. … Wrapped in the landscape
of a blustery Wisconsin winter, BLANKETS explores the sibling rivalry of
two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance
of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness
and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and
utterly beautiful work.] Old Book of the Week 9/1/04
Breaking Up (Graphix/Scholastic; w Aimee Friedman; a Christine Norrie). [From Top Shelf: There's a fine line between a friend and an enemy. One minute there's all this trust, and laughter, and love. And the next… there's hurt. And cruelty. And betrayal. Meet Chloe Sacks: Thoughtful, artistic, and a junior at Georgia O'Keeffe School for the Arts, nicknamed "Fashion High" for its trendy student body. Along with her best friends, Erika, Isabel, and MacKenzie, she's looking forward to a year of romance, parties, and adventure.
And it is an eventful year... but not in the way she expected. Falling in love turns out to be a complete disaster. And friendship - well, friendship is the hardest thing of all to keep.
Breaking up. Messing up. Growing up. Welcome to junior year.] 
Carnet de Voyage (Top Shelf; w & a Craig Thompson). [From Top Shelf: Craig Thompson - the award-winning creator of Blankets and Good-bye, Chunky Rice - traveled for three months through France, Barcelona, and the Alps, as well as Morocco, where he spent time researching his next graphic novel, Habibi. Spontaneous sketches and a travelogue diary document his adventures and quiet moments, creating a raw and intimate portrait of countries, culture and the wandering artist.] 
Charley's War Vol. 1: 2 June-1 August 1916 (Titan Books; w Pat Mills; a Joe Colquhoun). [From Titan: 1 July 1916: 20,000 British soldiers are killed and 38,000 wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Private Charley Bourne, 16 years old and fresh off the boat from England, survives; now all he has to do is make it through the rest of the war. From writer Pat Mills (Marshal Law; Slaine) and artist Joe Colquhoun comes a World War I epic graphic novel, justly celebrated for its unparalleled realism and authenticity, telling the story of a raw recruit caught up in the bloody reality of life in the trenches of the Western Front. Collected for the first time in a handsome hardcover, this eagerly awaited new edition will include an introduction and 'director's commentary' from creator Pat Mills; a cultural history of Charley's War; and a brief history of the Battle of the Somme.] 
Charley's War Vol. 2: 1 August-17 October 1916 (Titan Books; w Pat Mills;
a Joe Colquhoun). [From Titan: The second volume of the universally popular First World War comic strip arrives! It is now the late summer of 1916. Though Charley has survived the early days of the Somme, treachery on both sides of the wire means tragedy lies in store for him as he desperately tries to survive... Rich in the terror-punctuated existence of a 'Tommy', this new volume of Charley's War features a brand new introduction and 'director's commentary' by Pat Mills, plus exclusive extra content!] 
Charley's War Vol. 3: October 1916-February 1917 (Titan Books; w Pat Mills; a Joe Colquhoun). [From Titan: From renowned UK comics writer Pat Mills (Marshal Law, Slaine) and legendary artist Joe Colquhuon (Johnny Red) comes a truly classic piece of British comics history, by turns thrilling, humorous and horrifying. In 1916, Charley Bourne lies about his age to enlist and fight on the battlefields of France. He has survived four months on the lines so far, but is facing the most dedicated German counter-offensive yet: the attack of the "Judgement Troopers." Both textually and artistically detailed, mixing weary insight and breathless action, this third volume of Charley's War also includes a feature on the Zeppelin-launched air raids of World War One, a rare interview with artist Joe Colquhoun, and a commentary on the strips from co-creator Pat Mills.] 
Charley's War Vol. 4: Blue's Story (Titan Books; w Pat Mills; a Joe Colquhoun). [From Titan: Renowned UK comics writer Pat Mills (Marshal Law, Sláine) and legendary artist Joe Colquhoun (Johnny Red) continue the thrilling, humorous and horrifying story of World War One soldier Charley Bourne.
Home from the war thanks to an injury, Charley escapes from a terrifying air-raid, only to run into a deserter from the Foreign Legion — who tells him of the awful siege of Fort Vaux, even as both men run for their lives from the Military Police!
Rich in the detailed minutiae of the terror-punctuated existence of a “Tommy”, this fourth volume of Charley’s War features an introduction and director’s commentary by Pat Mills, plus bonus content on the historical background to the story.] 
Chiaroscuro: Patchwork, Book 1 (IDW; w & a Troy Little). [From Pantheon: Chiaroscuro is the story of Steven Patch, an unemployed artist with a single blank canvas. Steven's busy living the introspective, angst-ridden life of your average twenty-something; drinking too much and complaining about his situation while doing little to improve it. A case of mistaken identity pushes Steven into a flow of events that bring him places he'd never imagined and forces him to make a choice between art and mere existence.] 
Chocolate
Thunder (Speakeasy Comics; w & a Jeremy, Maurice and Robert
Love). [From Speakeasy Comics: KEVIN KING, a government
agent presumed dead, returns to his city of origin and finds a barren wasteland
of drugs, poverty and crime. Using the skills he learned as a government
operative, he takes on the persona of a soulful street avenger. The local
graffiti artists pay tribute to him in their murals. They call him CHOCOLATE
THUNDER. Old school '70s action collides with hip-hop attitude in this brutal,
funny and action packed Blaxploitation Epic. Employing their encyclopedic
knowledge of '70s Blaxploitation films, the Love Brothers have crafted the
ultimate tribute to the genre.] Lost in the demise of Speakeasy... 
City of Glass (Picador; story Paul Auster; adaptation Paul Karasik
& David Mazzucchelli). [From Picador: New York
was a labyrinth of endless steps, and no matter how far he walked, it always
left hiim with the feeling of being lost. Each time he took a walk, he felt
he was leaving himself behind. All places became equal, and on his best
walks, he was able to feel that he was nowhere. This was all he ever asked
of things: to be nowhere.] 
Chicken With Plums (Pantheon; w & a Marjane Satrapi). [From Pantheon: From the acclaimed author of the best-selling Persepolis books, here is Marjane Satrapi's most accomplished and emotionally powerful work yet — the story of her great-uncle, a celebrated Iranian musician who gave up his life for music and love. We are in Tehran in 1958, and Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran's most revered tar players, discovers his beloved instrument to be irreparably damaged. Though he tries, he cannot find one good enough to replace it. Brokenhearted, he takes to bed, renouncing the world and its pleasures. Over the course of the week that follows, as his loved ones gather at his bedside, we are treated to flashbacks and flashforwards that reveal Nasser Ali's entire life and beyond—from his own childhood through his children's futures. And as the pieces of his story slowly fall into place, we begin to understand the breadth of his decision to give up life.] 
The Claws Come Out (IDW; w & a Pat Lewis). [From IDW: An apathetic scientist works late defrosting the Abominable Snowman; a naive blood donor dates a rageaholic vampire; a two-bit fortuneteller inadvertently sparks a zombie epidemic... and it's all played for laughs. Martians, werewolves, serial killers, and B-movie monsters square off against a variety of tough women in this slam-bang hardcover collection of comedy/adventure stories by acclaimed indie cartoonist Pat Lewis who has been nominated for multiple awards, including an Ignatz and the Howard E. Day Prize.] 
Club
Zero-G (Mad Yak Press; w Douglas Rushkoff; a Steph Dumais).
[From Mad Yak Press: What if you discovered your dreams were actually
portals to another world? What if all your friends were there in this other
world, too? What if no one could remember the nights spent together in this
alternate dimension – except you? What if the possibilities for our
reality were limited only by your ability to ask “what if?” From
the literary imagination of Douglas Rushkoff and the drawing table of indie
comic book artist Steph Dumais comes a strange new tale that takes place
on the front lines of the thought wars. This mind-expanding graphic novel
offers an allegory for today’s highly managed collective psyche, and
a hint at the power available to anyone willing to step out of the story
in which we are living.]
Colère
Noire (Humanoids Publishing; a Philippe Marcelé; w Thierry
Smolderen). [Translated omnibus collection of three French
BDs: 1, Un après-midi de plomb; 2, Le Duc De Fer; 3, La Main D'acier.
From Humanoid Publishing: A visit to the supermarket goes horrifically
wrong when masked robbers open fire and murder unsuspecting customers. After
witnessing the deaths of their respective loved ones, Marielle and Stella
join together. As the two victims find support in their shred experiences,
a new quest is set in front of them: revenge against those who have taken
their loved ones from them. What follows is a tale of murder, grief, and
violence as the two women extract their brutal revenge.] 
Containment (IDW; w Eric Red; a Nick Stakal).
[From IDW: Screenwriter Eric Red (The Hitcher, Near Dark) offers
up a zombie story set in space. On a manned NASA space ship millions of
miles from Earth, a terrifying malfunction occurs in the cryogenic hypersleep
pods containing the hibernating astronauts, turning most of the crew into
the violently brain-dead. In this debut issue by Red and artist Nick Stakal
(Hyde), a handful of outnumbered astronauts awaken intact from their artificial
slumber to find themselves pitted against murderous zombies running amok
on the ship.] 
Continuity (AiT/PlanetLar; w Jason McNamara; a Tony Talbert). [From AiT/PlanetLar: Alicia’s life as a typical suburban misfit takes a horrific turn as her dreams begin to alter reality. She quickly finds herself orphaned, pregnant and on the run from a pharmaceutical police state. Now she’s fighting to stay awake and restore the world she once knew. But when a lonely doctor offers Alicia redemption, will she take it? Or will her dreams tear reality apart?] Book of the Week 6/21/06: This is an odd, but oddly rewarding, story about a girl whose dreams and desires reshape the world—not always in a positive way—when she sleeps. Pregnant and alienated, she falls in with a group of punker street people, and her desire to preserve their strange world conflicts with her need for sleep. Both story and art are rough, but in a way that suits it well. (The art also seems extremely uneven, but that may just be the quality of the pdf preview copy I read.) I'm not entirely sure to make of everything that happens, but again, that fits in with the dreamlike quality of a world that is subject to the subconscious whims of a frightened and angry girl. In the end, I enjoyed the book somewhat, admired it greatly, and thought about it a lot. And while the ending disgusted me, upon reflection I realized that it was perfect. So I highly recommend this book in a very ambivalent way. 
Creature Tech (Top Shelf; w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Top Shelf: Good battles Evil, and the world hangs in the balance! Resurrected by
the Shroud of Turin, the zombified Dr. Jameson intends to finish what
he started 150 years ago - destroying the earth with a giant space eel.
Standing in his way is Dr. Ong, a would-be pastor turned scientist who
now works in a government research facility infamously known as
"Creature Tech." Aided by an unlikely cast of rednecks, symbiotic aliens, and a CIA-trained mantid, Dr. Ong embarks on a journey of faith, love, and self-discovery. All in a day's work at Creature Tech!] Old Book of the Week 3/15/06: 
Dead Samurai (iBooks; a & a Aron Lusen). [From IDW: Who - or what - is killing the local samurai? Kyuzomo is a man without a memory. Long presumed dead, and wanted for murder, Kyuzomo wanders home after a mysterious eleven year absence, only to find his former life in shambles and his village in the grip of fear. The bodies of local samurai are found mutilated in the fields, and no one knows who is responsible. Reluctant to become involved, Kyuzomo is conflicted by his duty to defend and his deep desire to re-forge a life and love that he once had. With the specter of his dark history looming, Kyuzomo must fight to destroy an evil menace that is ravaging a village he once called home and piece together the mystery of his missing years.] 
Dead West (Gigantic Graphic Novels; w Rick Spears; a Rob G). [From Gigantic: During the westward expansion, a small Indian village is wiped out. Years later, the single surviving Indian returns to get his revenge. He places an ancient curse on the town in which the dead rise from their graves to prey upon the living. Into this inferno wanders a bounty killer on the hunt for a fugitive. He’s no hero - he couldn’t care less about this dusty town or its rotting problems. He has men to kill, even if he has to raze the town to do it.] 
Delicate Creatures (Top Cow; prose story by J. Michael Straczynski;
a Michael Zulli). [From Top Cow: Prepare to enter
a fairy tale world like none other as acclaimed Rising Stars and Midnight
Nation creator and writer J. Michael Straczynski introduces you to the wonders
of Delicate Creatures. A modern day fable complete with a beautiful castle
and eclectic cast filled with extraordinary characters, Delicate Creatures
will once again show why J. Michael Straczynski continues to shine as one
of today's top writers. With illustrations provided by the amazing Michael
Zulli and Steve Firchow, this special edition hardcover is sure to leave
you craving for more and wondering just how much of a fairy tale it actually
is!] 
Doot
Doot Garden (Top Shelf; w & a Craig Thompson).
[From Top Shelf: DOOT DOOT collects the early mini-comics work of
Craig Thompson, including the first ever appearance of Chunky Rice. DOOT
DOOT also includes tales of crack-smoking cockroaches and fuzzy animal slaughter,
and a never before printed "24-Hour Comic." Weed your way through
this lush tangle of moss and ferns and twinkling little flowers. ]
Embroideries
(Pantheon; w & a Marjane Satrapi). [From Pantheon:
From the best-selling author of Persepolis comes this gloriously entertaining
and enlightening look into the sex lives of Iranian women. Embroideries
gathers together Marjane’s tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother,
glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors for an afternoon
of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and
the vagaries of men. As the afternoon progresses, these vibrant women share
their secrets, their regrets and their often outrageous stories about, among
other things, how to fake one’s virginity, how to escape an arranged
marriage, how to enjoy the miracles of plastic surgery and how to delight
in being a mistress. By turns revealing and hilarious, these are stories
about the lengths to which some women will go to find a man, keep a man
or, most importantly, keep up appearances. Full of surprises, this introduction
to the private lives of some fascinating women, whose life stories and lovers
and will strike us as at once deeply familiar and profoundly different from
our own, is sure to bring smiles of recognition to the faces of women everywhere–and
to teach us all a thing or two.] 
First
Lady (Mad Yak Press; w Patrick Neighly; a Stephen Buell).
[From Mad Yak Press: Sixteen-year-old Julia Platt wakes up to discover
she is president of the United States. Something has gone terribly wrong
with the computerized WOTAN electoral system following the previous president’s
shock suicide. Newly appointed leader of the free world, Julia finds herself
next in line to die…] Mad Yak seems to have gone under... 
Flight Volume 1 (Image Comics; w & a Bengal, Bill Mudron, Catia Chien, Clio Chiang, Chris Appelhans, Derek Kirk Kim, Dylan Meconis, Enrico Casarosa, Erika Moen, Hope Larson, Jacob Magraw, Jake Parker, Jen Wang, Joel Carroll, Kazu Kibuishi, Kean Soo, Khang Le, Neil Babra, Phil Craven, Rad Sechrist, Vera Brosgol). [From Image Comics: FLIGHT is a collection of comic short stories created by some of the finest talents in the comics and animation industries. Inspired by storytellers such as Hayao Miyazaki and Moebius, these artists have come together to celebrate the graphic narrative medium. Volume one of FLIGHT features stories by professionals and non-professionals alike, all playing on the theme of flight in its many incarnations. From the maiden voyage of a home-built plane to the adventures of a young courier and his flying whale to a handful of stories about coming of age and letting things go, this first volume of FLIGHT is full of memorable tales that will both amaze and inspire.] Book of the Week 8/11/04
Flight Volume 2 (Image Comics; w & a Becky Cloonan, Chris Appelhans, Christian Schellawald, Clio Chiang, Don Hertzfeldt, Doug Tennapel, Enrico Casarosa, Hope Larson, Jake Parker, Jeff Smith, Jen Wang, Johane Matte, Kean Soo, Khang Le, Matt Rhodes, Michel Gagne, Neil Babra, Phil Craven, Rad Sechrist, Rodolphe Guenoden, Sonny Liew, Vera Brosgol). [From Image Comics: The second volume of the widely acclaimed Flight anthology. Featuring new stories by up-and-coming creators, established comics professionals and the original crew, Flight Volume Two continues the tradition of celebrating the graphic narrative medium. From the fantasy of a fading childhood romance in a small seaside town to the tale of a pair of monster hunters looking to make a quick buck to the allegory of a young robot finding meaning in his disposal, this new volume once again features stories for readers of all ages and tastes.] 
Flight Volume 3 (Ballantine Books; w & a Michel Gagné, Tony Cliff, Ben Hatke, Rad Sechrist, Johane Matte, Kean Soo, Phil Craven, Joey Weiser, Israel Sanchez, Bill Plympton, Yoko Tanaka, Azad, Neil Babra, Kazu Kibuishi, Rodolphe Guenoden, Bannister, Chuck BB, Matthew Forsythe, Becky Cloonan, Reagan Lodge, Alex Fuentes, Paul Harmon, Steve Hamaker, Dave Roman, Matthew Armstrong, Khang Le). 
Flight Volume 4 (Ballantine Books; w & a unknown). 
Full Moon Fever (AiT/PlanetLar; w Joe Casey; a Caleb Gerard, Damian Couceiro). [From AiT/PlanetLar: Zeke Kirby knew being a lunar waste disposal technician wasn't a perfect job, but it paid his bills. The downside was it took him away from his little girl, but the upside was he got to go into space. The positive was he got to play real-life astronaut, but the negative was that sewer pipes clog up faster in one-sixth gravity. So when he and his crew make a routine maintenace call to the Intercorp lunar sci-station and find it disturbingly empty, Zeke finds out fast that crap flows downhill... even on the moon. Where'd everybody go? And why are there werewolves everywhere?] 
Fun Home (Houghton Mifflin; w & a Alison Bechdel). [From Houghton Mifflin: A fresh and brilliantly told memoir from a cult favorite comic artist, marked by gothic twists, a family funeral home, sexual angst, and great books
This breakout book by Alison Bechdel is a darkly funny family tale, pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings. Like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, it's a story exhilirating suited to graphic memoir form.
Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian home, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with his male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets as the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescence, the denouement is swift, graphic - and redemptive.] 
Gemma
Bovery (Pantheon; w & a Posy Simmonds). [From
Pantheon: Is it a coincidence that Gemma Bovery has a name rather like
Flaubert's notorious heroine? Is it by chance that, like Madame Bovary,
Gemma is bored, adulterous, and a bad credit risk? Is she inevitably doomed?
Gemma is the pretty second wife of Charlie Bovery, the reluctant stepmother
of his children, and the bête noire of his ex-wife. A sudden windfall
and Gemma's distaste for London take them across the Channel to Normandy,
where the charms of French country living soon wear off. Gemma's neighbor,
the intellectual baker Joubert, is consumed by fascination for her. Denying
voyeurism but nonetheless noting every change in the fit of Gemma’s
jeans, every addition to her wardrobe, all of her love bites and lovers,
Joubert—with the help of the heroine’s diaries—follows her
path toward ruin. Adultery and its consequences. Disappointment and deception.
Fat and slim. Then and now. Familiar ingredients of the novel are given
new life in Gemma Bovery's unique graphic form.] Book of
the Week 2/9/05: [While decidedly literary in its subject
matter and tone (leavened by perhaps just a hint of trashiness), Gemma
Bovery, the latest Pantheon import, is a very entertaining read. The
story is fairly simple: Gemma, a young artist who wants without quite knowing
what, in the aftermath of a bad relationship ends up settling for Charlie
Bovery, a very nice if rather dull fellow. She abandons her own career in
a fit of senseless optimism about her marriage, and faced with the pressures
of dealing with Charlie’s ex-wife and children, she forces a move to
Normandy. There, she falls victim to inevitable boredom and disappointment,
which push her into some bad decisions with tragic consequences. Gemma is
not the most likable character, yet somehow we sympathize with her anyway,
a tribute to Simmonds’ skill. The story is told in flashback after
her death, narrated by her Norman neighbor who seems to have played some
role in her downfall. The format of the book is interesting; traditional
comic book panels are interspersed with blocks of text (typeset when the
narrator is speaking; hand-written when he is reading from her diaries).
The art style is pleasant, rather as if one of the better New Yorker cartoonists
had a good sense of comic book storytelling, and the blocks of text, while
considerably more extensive than traditional comics, are not so large as
to be intrusive. So if you’re looking for something a little different
than the usual comic book fare, or if your interest in literary comics has
been piqued by recent Pantheon offerings such as Persepolis or Epileptic,
give Gemma a try. I think you’ll find her good company.]
Gene
Pool (IDW; w Marv Wolfman & Len Wein; a Steven Cummings). [From
IDW: Two masters of superhero comics, together again for their first
new superhero creation in years. Marv Wolfman and Len Wein have created
Wolverine, Blade, Swamp Thing, and many others. Now there's Gene Pool -
genetically altered teens who don't know each other, but are all in danger
from sinister forces!]
Goodbye,
Chunky Rice (Top Shelf; w & a Craig Thompson).
[From Top Shelf: One of the most acclaimed and emotionally charged
graphic novels of all time! Alan Moore says "Both funny and genuinely
touching ..." Jeff Smith says "I loved it! ..." Eddie Campbell
says "An eloquent journey! ..." and SPIN Magazine calls it "The
comic debut of the year." With these kinds of endorsements, how can
you go wrong!? GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE, the stunning graphic novel debut from
Craig Thompson, is quite simply, an absolutely essential tome for every
graphic novel reader. This book will dazzle your senses with its Seuss-ian
cast of characters and lush cartoon-y brushwork.... A quiet picture novella
of a small turtle, Chunky Rice, leaving his home and his mouse friend, Dandel.
His is the classic journey to find one's self, and the deeper meaning of
life. A quirky, fervent tale of human loss and connection.] 
Gunpowder Girl and the Outlaw Squaw (Active Images; w & a Don Hudson). [From Active Images: Three women in the wild west forsake men and seek their fortune as
outlaws. When their leader is shot by a vengeful marshal, the other
girls become fugitives and must overcome their mistrust, prejudice and
fears to survive!] 
Half Dead (Dabel Brothers/Marvel; w Barb Lien-Cooper & Park Cooper; a Jimmy Bott). [From Marvel: London. Now. Terrorism is rife, but after today, your life may never be the same again. A ballerina, Romany, gets on a train in the London Underground, a strange gas attack turns her into a half-dead vampire. During the contaiment and cleanup of this attack, she's captured by a government agency formed to battle the vampire threat, PASA (the Bureau of ParaHuman and Supernatural Affairs). Romany's a remarkable subject, and after some training she is paired with her handler, Ian, also one of a very few survivors of a vampire attack. Ian turns her into a force to be reckoned with... The cogs of an evil machine are turning within the winding streets of London; disaster looms on the horizon; they can strike anywhere at any time. What is PASA willing to do to stop them?] 
Hellcity (Gigantic Graphic Novels; w Macon Blair; a Joe Flood). [From Gigantic: Hellcity, Hell. Population infinity. A nightmare metropolis where cursed human souls go about their dreary "lives" as second-class citizens endlessly tormented by the cruel, demonic upper crust. Tension simmers as social unrest verges on civil war: human revolutionaries vs. the demon fascists. The Devil himself is losing control of the government . . . and perhaps his sanity. Whispers of a coup are in the works. Enter Bill Tankerslee: former private eye, now a kitchen slave and damned by suicide. He's approached by the mysterious she-demon Mary, who blackmails him into undertaking a top-secret mission: to spy on the Devil to determine the cause of his meltdown and to stop it. The future of Hell may depend on it, but Bill's not so sure when he sees Lucifer sneaking a visit to Bill's dead wife! Set in a garish noir netherworld, this over-the-topic graphic novel showcases two new stars in the field.] 
Hench
(AiT/PlanetLar; w Adam Beechen; a Manny Bello). [From
AiT/PlanetLar: The fine line between hero and villain is just another
of longtime super-villain henchman Mike Fulton's many scars. Now, faced
with a terrible choice that could mean life and death for heroes, villains,
his family, and himself, Mike ponders just how his normal life went so crazy.
Gripping adventure, powerful biography and loving homage to superhero comics,
HENCH is a new graphic novel from writer Adam Beechen, artist Manny Bello,
and publisher AiT/PlaNet Lar.] 
Hero
(Boom Studios; w & a Yoshitaka Amano). [From
Boom: Now, at last, HERO is ready to be released! One of the most acclaimed and award-winning artists of his time, Yoshitaka Amano debuts his first American comics project since Sandman: The Dream Hunters and Elektra-Wolverine: The Redeemer. One of the original concept artists for the Final Fantasy series of video games, along with creation and design of characters such as Vampire Hunter D and Gatachman (known as G-Force, or Battle of the Planets in the United States), Amano now focuses his creative vision on his own creation Hero! In Hero Chapter One: From New York to Paris, he searches for the woman whose love he has never doubted, Hero crosses history and continents. Hero needs to know the reasons why his beloved Lady begs his forgiveness, and only by following her from Parisian cemeteries, to the Las Vegas strip and to Kyoto, can he hope to discover the truth - not only of his own love story but also of his Lady's betrayal. Accompanied by Victor Noir, an assassinated Napoleonic truth-teller, and tormented at every turn by Rudra, a shape-shifting mischievous demon, Hero seeks out his forgotten past. Featuring lavish, full-page illustrations, accompanied by text by writer Jessie Horstig, Hero is at last complete and ready to debut, appealing to comic fans, fiction readers, and manga enthusiasts alike.] 
A History of Violence (DC/Paradox; w John Wagner; a Vince Locke). [From DC: In the suspenseful noir crime story A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, Tom McKenna is a simple family man who instantly becomes a media celebrity when he takes down a couple of wanted murderers who attempt to rob his diner. But his newfound fame draws the attention of a group of merciless mobsters who have been looking to settle a score with McKenna for over twenty years. Now as the killers descend upon his small town in Middle America, the Brooklyn native must face the actions of his youth and relive his past history of violence as he attempts to salvage the life he has built. ] Old Book of the Week 1/25/06: The crime comic is almost dead in America; it is ironic that this famous exception to the rule, a very American story, is told by Brits. Tom McKenna is a small-town shopkeeper, whose violent past suddenly and violently catches up with him. And although violence is a major part of the book, for the most part the story is told in a quiet, restrained style, aided immensely by the refined, illustrative art of Vince Locke. This is a fascinating glance at what comics could have become if something other than super-heroes had come to dominate the industry. 
Houdini: The Handcuff King (Hyperion; w Jason Lutes; a Nick Bertozzi). [From Hyperion: Important. Notice. "I have escaped out of more handcuffs, manacles, and leg shackles than any other human being living." See Houdini prepare for his most death-defying jump! Hear him speak the words he spoke 100 years ago! Meet his wife, Bess, and witness her deception! Learn the stunning secret of his escape! In the most pictorial and elucidating form, this book will reveal to readers the story behind the great Houdini, the Handcuff King. In bold graphics, and drawing on the most respected sources, author and artist formulate a living picture of this greatest of Americans and show how time and morals shaped him and his art!] 
How to Make Money Like a Porn Star (HarperCollins; w Neil Strauss; a Bernard Chang). [From HarperCollins: Sin City meets How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, in this graphic novel by the bestselling co-author of Jenna Jameson's autobiography. Claudia Corvette. From her tousled bedroom hair to her name-all the
porn stars in this world take their names from supermodels and sports
cars-she is adult entertainment's prototypical femme fatale. Her life
is the collision of countless troubled-childhood clichés and grown-up wet dreams, projected onto her as surely as her videos project their blue light onto lonely men around the world.
From its first panel, How to Make Money Like a Porn Star draws the reader into the dark world of girls like Claudia, the men who fantasize about them, and the monsters who control them. In the hands of Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss and illustrator Bernard Chang, this adult graphic novel weaves together black humor and blacker reality. Like all great American stories, it features humble beginnings, life-changing tragedy, stripping, abuse, implants, fame, addiction, bigger implants, abduction, gunplay, downfall, and even bigger implants. Not to mention a thousand shades of latex and L'Oreal.
Part parody, part morality tale, here is the truth about the porn life, its outsized visual splendor captured in a comic parade of doe-eyed centerfolds, its essence distilled in a story that will haunt every reader who has ever wondered where his next fantasy is coming from.] 
I
Am Legend (IDW [originally 4 graphic novels by Eclipse]; w Steve
Niles; a Elman Brown). [From IDW: Robert Neville
is the last of his kind, seemingly the only human survivor in a world overrun
by vampires. Neville rules the days, when he can hunt with impugnity. But
the vampires rule the night, when Neville must remain barricaded in his
house, protected by garlic and mirrors. How long can one man hold out, though,
when everyone else on Earth wants his blood? And what is the price he must
pay for his survival? I Am Legend, Richard Matheson's classic tale of terror
and vampirism, lives again in graphic novel form, through this faithful
and chilling adaptation by Steve Niles and Elman Brown.] Old Book
of the Week 4/7/04
In
the Shadow of No Towers (Pantheon; w & a Art Spiegelman).
[From Pantheon: For Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author
of Maus, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were both highly personal
and intensely political. In the Shadow of No Towers, his first new book
of comics since the groundbreaking Maus, is a masterful and moving account
of the events and aftermath of that tragic day. Spiegelman and his family
bore witness to the attacks in their lower Manhattan neighborhood: his teenage
daughter had started school directly below the towers days earlier, and
they had lived in the area for years. But the horrors they survived that
morning were only the beginning for Spiegelman, as his anguish was quickly
displaced by fury at the U.S. government, which shamelessly co-opted the
events for its own preconceived agenda. He responded in the way he knows
best. In an oversized, two-page-spread format that echoes the scale of the
earliest newspaper comics (which Spiegelman says brought him solace after
the attacks), he relates his experience of the national tragedy in drawings
and text that convey—with his singular artistry and his characteristic
provocation, outrage, and wit—the unfathomable enormity
of the event itself, the obvious and insidious effects it had on his life,
and the extraordinary, often hidden changes that have been enacted in the
name of post-9/11 national security and that have begun to undermine the
very foundation of American democracy.]
ArtBomb review 
The Interman
(Octopus; w & a Jeff Parker). [From Octopus:
What if you could adapt to any environment? Like the Arctic Sea? What if
you were secluded deep within a volcanic cave so that you could learn any
language in hours? Chances are, you would be the type of person that could
take on dangerous jobs that pay very well. But the international alliance
that created you might eventually decide that you're a threat to world security.
This happens to Van Meach. As hitmen pursue him around the globe, he must
learn the secrets of his origin. The origin of Interman!]
ArtBomb review
Invasion
'55 (Series Apple, trade IDW; 3-issue mini; w Chuck Dixon; a Lito
Fernández). [From IDW: It's Halloween 1955
and the town of Hidalgo Falls, New Mexico is about to receive a real scare
- an invasion by aliens. The fate of the world rests in the hands of a down-and-out
Air Force lieutenant, a tough biker, a nervy reporter, and a six-year old
boy! Take a step back into the days when sci-fi adventures had low-tech
solutions and high-octane adventure.]
James Sturm's America (Drawn & Quarterly; w & a James Sturm). [From D&Q: Focusing on less sensational times in U.S. history (non-war and pre-Depression) James Sturm’s America draws a portrait of the people and their dreams that make up this country. Comprised of three chapters—“The Revival,” “Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight,” and “The Golem’s Mighty Swing”—the stories grow as the country grows: from pioneers searching for a place to call home to ghost towns gutted by greed and racism to the distractions and fantasies of popular entertainment.]
Jew Gangster: A Father's Admonition (iBooks; w & a Joe Kubert). [From iBooks: With his father’s words, "Don’t be a jew gangster," still ringing in his head, a young man finds himself doing just that, as no other path in life opens for him. Easy money and easier women lure him into doing the dirty work of the local gang; it’s not a pretty life, but he can eat well, and his mother’s apartment continues to get heat all through the cold winter. But what he has to pay—in flesh, in pride, in honor—may not be worth all he earns. With the same intensity and eye for detail that he put into Yossel, Joe Kubert recreates a time when even the most innocent person was caught up in the dark underbelly of society.] 
Johnny Caronte: Zombie Detective/The Revolver (Alias; w Jaime Roman Collado, Tony Sandoval; a Tony Sandoval). [From Alias: Johnny Caronte: Zombie Detective: This is the story of Johnny Caronte… a story of mobsters, hitmen, and femme fatales. However, the characters in this dark tale have a peculiar trait - they are all zombies! It's like a Bogart flick meets Night of the Living Dead! Johnny Caronte, zombie police dectective, investigates the mysterious assassination of the mayor's daughter. The more he uncovers in the case, the more he finds himself enshrouded in deeper mystery. The Revolver: The revolver of one of the most ancient and powerful creatures of Hell has been stolen, and the thief is using it to kill demons in order to collect and sell their souls. This new weapon yields great power, but Hell has sent a renegade demon to recover the stolen gun and bring it back. The fight is on!] 
Johnny Repeat 1.0: The End of the Way that Was (Citizen Press; w Jason James; a Paul Azaceta, Fabio Cobiaco, Bruno D'Angelo, Mark Dos Santos, Geof Isherwood, Noel Tuazon). [From Citizen Press: A sexaholic with a grudge. An immortal femme fatale. And a cowardly bum who may have played a game of Dungeons & Dragons too many. They have been handpicked, blackmailed and cajoled by a could-be prophet known only as Johnny Repeat to kill the future. And the clock is ticking.] 
Killing
Demons (Engine Press; w Peter Siegel; a Brent White). [From
Engine Press: Homicide Detective Sarah Bentley is trying to stop a serial
killer with a penchant for mutilation. When her superiors try to sweep the
killings under the rug, she turns to a walking anachronism who calls himself
a "Demon Hunter." Sarah doesn't believe in demons, but as he's
the only one willing to help her, it's a point she doesn't have time to
argue. The killer has chosen his next victim, and Sarah will take whatever
works. Debuting this summer from Engine Press, KILLING DEMONS is an experiment
in urban horror written by Peter Siegel and illustrated by Brent White,
based on a collaboration that began in 2000. "I always thought my first
comics project would be something more serious than the bastard son of Se7en
and Resident Evil," commented Siegel. "But advocating genre writing
in comics has been the focus of my work at the graphic novel commentary
site ARTBOMB.NET, and diversity is something I strongly believe is necessary
to attract new readers. So I took a stab at it, and out came KILLING DEMONS.
It's a hard-R splattercore book for people that love to hate demons."
KILLING DEMONS will be made available this summer for both readers and retailers
as an 84-page graphic novel affordably priced at $8.95 from the Engine Press
website found at either enginepress.com or killingdemons.com. Generous terms
will be offered to retailers who wish to support the book, including a complimentary
free copy program, giving retailers the ability to sample before they buy.
A complete thirteen page prelude story, set twenty-five years before the
main events of KILLING DEMONS, is currently available on the website, free
of charge. "This was the first piece that Brent and I collaborated
on, which was based on a television pitch I was working on at the time.
Brent was the lead conceptual artist on an unrelated animated series and
we hit it off. Eighteen months later, we had a complete graphic novel."
Siegel added that more pages will undoubtedly make their way to the web.
"We finished the book earlier this year and are working on the print
production as we speak. I was never very good at keeping surprises and love
to share, so I'll be leaking more pages as we approach the book release
in August. We've also got a number of other projects in the fire that we'll
be announcing between now and then." KILLING DEMONS is an experiment
in urban horror written by Peter Siegel, illustrated by Brent White, designed
for print by Matt Fraction and edited by Kelly Sue DeConnick. You don't
need to believe, just don't turn your back to the door.] 
El
Largo Tren Oscuro — The Long Dark Train (La Luz Comics; w &
a Sam Hiti). [From Sam Hiti: About a Hell bent Train
and the passengers it carries. This book is a newly expanded version of
the original mini. Reformatted with 95% new art!]
Last
of the Independents (AiT/PlanetLar; w Matt Fraction; a Kieron Dwyer).
[From AiT/PlanetLar: "Dude… We're robbing
the bank." A good man, a bad move, and then all hell breaks loose:
Cole Caudle was just one big score away from his happily-ever-after when
everything went off the rails, and fast. Now, one man's last shot at the
American Dream becomes the first shotgun blast in a mob war halfway between
Vegas and nowhere.] ArtBomb
review
Less Than Heroes (Top Shelf; collects 2-shots Threshhold: 18th & Market Streets, Threshhold: The Stamp Collector, and a story from Son of Rampage; w & a David Yurkovich). [From Top Shelf: In the city of Philadelphia there is a tall building at 18th and Market Street, atop of which lives four individuals. They are the official protectors of the city. Their job is to be around when traditional law enforcement fails. But are they really heroes? Meet Philadelphia's contracted super-hero team, Threshold. A quartet more interested in milk and cookies than crime and punishment. A team more concerned with battling indigestion than their arch enemies. Sure, they have super-powers. They can leap tall buildings, fly, and do all the stuff other heroes do. More than human? Probably. Less than heroes? Without a doubt.] 
Death by Chocolate: Redux (A Less
Than HeroesAdventure Story) (Top Shelf; apparently collects revised editions of three one-shots + new material; w & a David Yurkovich). [From Top Shelf:
Agent Swete -- an unlikely hero comprised of organic chocolate and a member of the FBI's Food Crimes Division -- and his sharp-tongued partner, Anderson, investigate a series of bizarre, food-inspired crimes. Along they way they encounter a variety of characters including an extraterrestrial canine named Geoffrey, writer Ernest Hemingway, an organized crime lord intent upon finding the life-enabling 'eternity pasta,' and an eerie, all-devouring trio known as The Metabolators. This collection includes the Xeric-grant awarded origin tale of Agent Swete, a never-before published Death By Chocolate tale, and an essay by Yurkovich on the creation of the series. Every page has been reworked by Yurkovich, making Redux the definitive edition of these stories.] 
Lifelike (IDW; w Dara Naraghi; a Irapuan Luiz, Shom Bhuiya, Marvin Mann. Neil Errar, Jason Scott Jones, Jerry Lange. Tom Williams, Steven Spenser Ledford, Adrian Barbu, Steve Black, Andy Bennett, & Tim McClurg). [From Speakeasy: Lifelike is a diverse collection of slice-of-life stories... and beyond. Each vignette, illustrated by a different artist, presents a glimpse into a different corner of the world outside our window. From the sentimental to the shocking, the familiar to the unknown, it's all here. Lifelike’s stories are not limited to the clichéd autobiographic tales so often associated with the genre. Instead, the stories range in content from noir crime to love stories to war memoirs to humorous conversation pieces. A multicultural, multiethnic cast of characters infuses the book with a realism often missing from today’s comics. All the stories are written by Dara Naraghi (Cory Doctorow’s Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now) with the art provided by a variety of award-winning artists, including Marvin Mann, 2006 Day Prize winner, 3-time Harvey Award nominee, Forward Magazine Honorary Mention, Glyph Award nominee, and YALSA nominee; Tom Williams, 2002 Day Prize winner; Adrian Barbu, 2003 L. Ron Hubbard “Illustrators of the Future” Achievement Award winner.]
Living and the Dead (Speakeasy; w
Todd Livingston & Robert Tinnell; a Micah Farritor).
[From Speakeasy: You are a simple, country doctor in a small village. You have a
beautiful wife and a wonderful son -- the perfect life. Only they don't
know that in your past -that you did a very bad thing! People died
because of it, and you were forced to flee and live incognito. Now, in
an opportunity to redeem yourself, you unwittingly unleash a brutal and
perverse murderer, a deviant sociopath hell-bent on using innocent
people in a Grand Guignol of flesh and blood – a veritable nineteenth-century snuff theater. You alone can end his reign of sick terror -- but at the risk of revealing your secret past and losing everything you love. Only you don't know what's worse - what you've created -- or what you have to do to stop him!]
Mail
Order Bride (Fantagraphics; w & a Mark Kalesniko).
[From Fantagraphics: Mark Kalesniko's third graphic novel is his
most ambitious work yet. Kyung Seo, the mail order bride, is more fully
human than her Canadian suitor, Monty Wheeler, ever anticipated. Neither
party to the arrangement is satisfied by their new life together, and what
appears initially to be a matter of unrealized expectations colliding with
reality evolves into a complex struggle to reconcile conflicting moral values
and emotional needs that culminates in an incendiary self-scrutiny and a
humbling reconciliation. Rarely has a cartoon narrative so deftly juggled
such polarizing moral and emotional issues with such bewildering ambiguities.]
ArtBomb review Old Book of the Week 2/9/05: [Another
rather literary graphic novel, although somewhat more challenging than Gemma,
is Mark Kalesniko’s Mail Order Bride, from Fantagraphics a few
years back. Monty, a middle-aged loser, arranges a mail-order marriage to
Kyung, an ambitious but unfocused Korean woman. Their relationship quickly
becomes a battle of wills, and neither of them fights fair. This is a difficult
read, because both main characters are ultimately unsympathetic, and the
book is laced with fairly graphic scenes of sex and sexuality (it is published
by Fantagraphics’ erotic label, Eros). But neither character is a caricature;
they are both fully realized, and disturbing as their interactions are,
they also ring true. This is a very nasty book, in the best sense of the
word.]
Monster Attack Network (AiT/PlanetLar; w Marc Bernadin & Adam Freeman; a Nima Sorat). [From AiT/Planet Lar: MARVEL! At the Pacific island of Lapuatu, perfect in every way…except for the giant monsters. THRILL! As Nate Klinger and his daring team of first-responders at the Monster Attack Network expertly deal with the frequent rampaging-beast-related crises. WONDER! If the shady American industrialist who comes to the island bearing "gifts" and the mysterious, gorgeous Lapuatuan ex-patriate are up to no good. ENJOY! The hair-raising adventures of the noble men and the drop-dead sexy women of the MONSTER ATTACK NETWORK!] 
Night Fisher (Fantagraphics; w & a Kikuo Johnson). [From Fantagraphics:In what we predict will be the most impressive comics debut of 2005,
Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling graphic
novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood. First-rate prep school, S.U.V., and a dream house in the heights: This was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has grown distant. The rumors say it's hard drugs, and Loren suspects that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends. At home, an unprecedented "B" on Loren's typically straight "A" report card has his father concerned. Dad's interrogation, however, is stemmed by an unexpected telephone invitation that Loren can't resist. Loren accompanies Shane to a weathered house in the harbor shadows. With the friends he meets there, he endures a night of drug deals, petty theft, crystal meth, porn and a stray punch in the face. The pressures of high school seem suddenly inconsequential in the morning. No longer seeking approval from anyone, Loren's strong work ethic becomes self-imposed, further veiling his escalating drug use. Loren is strung along late one night as the boys break into a construction site and drag some valuable equipment into the trunk of his S.U.V. A police chase ends with Loren in handcuffs as his baffled father struggles to understand what the hell is going on. At school, Shane's acceptance to MIT makes the front page of the campus paper. When Loren offers his congratulations, Shane coldly suggests that they should keep their distance from each other until a court date is decided. Loren is once again left behind. What sets Kikuo's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which he explores the relationships of his characters. It is at once an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things- a mature depiction of immature lives. Visually, Johnson captures the languid tropical climate and strip mall tackiness of Hawaii in a rich chiaroscuro style reminiscent of Milton Caniff combined with the sensual ink work of Paul Pope or Jessica Abel.] 
Nightmarist (Active Images; w & a Duncan Rouleau). [From Active Images: They know why you pull the covers around your shoulders. Why you make sure the closet door stays closed. Why you don't let your feet dangle over the edge of the bed when you sleep... and they know none of it matters. They know who you are. They've already crawled inside of you. They're already hollowing out your soul... When an entity calling himself the Nightmarist appears in Beth Sorrenson's dreams, claiming to protect her from forces plotting to twist her will, Beth's reality begins to crack. With horrors closing in around her in both the waking and dreaming worlds, Beth must decide -- has she gone mad? Or have her dreams become ground zero in a battle for the future of mankind?] 
1000
Steps to World Domination (AiT/PlanetLar; w & a Rob Osborne).
[From AiT/Planet Lar: Award-winning writer/artist Rob Osborne wants
to conquer the world, and he wants to do it through comics. Seriously. Delusions
of grandeur or tyrannical genius? His wife just rolls her eyes. God provides
divine insight. A monkey chimes in with unwanted feedback. Resistance is
futile!] 
Parting
Ways (Speakeasy Comics; w Andrew Foley; a Scott Mooney, Nick Craine).
[From Speakeasy Comics: Peter Orbach wants to live. It's unfortunate
he didn't realize this earlier; it isn't going to do him much good now that
he's in Hell. Peter isn't the first person to believe he shouldn't be damned,
but he may be the first that's objectively correct in the assessment. Somehow,
his soulless body still lives...and from all appearances, it's doing great
without him...] 
Palestine (Fantagraphics; w & a Joe Sacco). [From Fantagraphics: Joe Sacco's breakthrough novel of graphic journalism is widely hailed
as one of the great graphic novels of all-time. Since its original
publication in the mid-1990s, it has won an American Book Award (1996),
sold over 50,000 copies, been added to university curriculums
worldwide, led to a Guggenheim Fellowship for Sacco, and firmly
ensconced Sacco in the pantheon of great cartoonists. Despite this, the
book has never been published in hardcover. Until now.
Fantagraphics Books is pleased to present, for the first time, the definitive, expanded, hardcover collection of Sacco's landmark of comics journalism. Palestine: The Special Edition is more than a new edition: consider it the "Criterion" Palestine. In addition to the original, 288-page graphic novel and introduction by the late Edward Said, The Special Edition includes a host of unique supplemental material never-before-published, including many of Sacco's original background notes, sketches, photographic reference, and much more. The book also includes a new, introductory interview with Sacco about the making of the book as well as a new cover and design. Palestine: The Special Edition will be a cornerstone of any serious comic collection.
With the Middle East's role in contemporary world politics, Sacco's Palestine has never been more relevant or more valuable to a country desperate to understand this long-running conflict. Based on several months of research and an extended visit to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the early 1990s (where he conducted over 100 interviews with Palestinians andJews), Palestine was the first major comics work of political and historical nonfiction by Sacco, whose name has since become synonymous with this graphic form of New Journalism.
Sacco's insightful reportage takes place at the front lines, where busy marketplaces are spoiled by shootings and tear gas, soldiers beat civilians with reckless abandon, and roadblocks go up before reporters can leave. Sacco interviewed and encountered prisoners, refugees, protesters, wounded children, farmers who had lost their land, and families who had been torn apart by the Palestinian conflict.] 
Passenger
(Cyberosia; w Marc Bryant; a Malcolm Jones). [From Cyberosia:
The Passenger is the story of superstar director Finch Jenkins, a man who
has it all: fame, fortune, women…and the ghost of a convicted murderer
named Gary Divine using him in a redemption scam.] 
Past Lies (Oni Comics; w Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir; a Christopher Mitten). [From Oni Comics: A taut suspense thriller! Trevor Schalk was an eccentric millionaire
obssessed with reincarnation right up to his murder in 1980. Now Tim
Gilbraight is having weird dreams in which he's a bitter, rich
man--despised by everyone around him. It's up to PI Amy Devlin to
determine if Schalk is a past life or a past lie.] 
Persepolis:
The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon; w & a Marjane Satrapi).
[From Pantheon: Originally published to wide critical acclaim in
France, where it elicited comparisons to Art Spiegelman's Maus, Persepolis
is Marjane Satrapi's wise, funny, and heartbreaking memoir of growing up
in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic
strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six
to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph
of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq.
The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter
of one of Iran's last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely
entwined with the history of her country. Persepolis paints an unforgettable
portrait of daily life in Iran: of the bewildering contradictions between
home life and public life and of the enormous toll repressive regimes exact
on the individual spirit. Marjane's child's-eye-view of dethroned emperors,
state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn
as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary
family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis
is at once a story of growing up and a stunning reminder of the human cost
of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, through laughter
and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an
irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.]
ArtBomb review 
Persepolis
2: The Story of a Return (Pantheon; w & a Marjane Satrapi).
[From Pantheon: In Persepolis, heralded by the Los Angeles Times
as "one of the freshest and most original memoirs of our day,"
Marjane Satrapi dazzled us with her heartrending memoir-in-comic-strips
about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Here is the continuation
of her fascinating story. In 1984, Marjane flees fundamentalism and the
war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there, she faces the trials
of adolescence far from her friends and family, and while she soon carves
out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders, she continues
to struggle for a sense of belonging. Finding that she misses her home more
than she can stand, Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult
homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have
undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure
in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds
some like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university.
However, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead
her to question whether she can have a future in Iran. As funny and poignant
as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation
of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of
growing up—here compounded by Marjane's status as an outsider both
abroad and at home—it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.]
Book of the Week 9/1/04
Pistolwhip
(Top Shelf; w Jason Hall; a Matt Kindt). [From Top Shelf:
Tune-in your dial to the smashing Top Shelf debut of two young upstarts
and witness with wonder as the lives of morally ambiguous characters collide
in a train wreck of a graphic novel called PISTOLWHIP! A naïve bellhop's
struggle towards a life's ambition?an expatriate musician on the run?a young
woman's battle with her paranoia and her past?and the mysterious figure
who wants to control their lives. Set in an exotic atmosphere of a by-gone
era, PISTOLWHIP is a marvelous tale crafted with a crime noir feel and an
artistic style reminiscent of the best European graphic novelists. We promise
you will be rewarded with each re-reading of this elaborate narrative.]
Pistolwhip:
The Yellow Menace (Top Shelf; w Jason Hall; a Matt Kindt).
[From Top Shelf: The Pistolwhip boys are back with the highly anticipated
and thrilling new narrative that's really going to make your Pistolwhip
machine hum! Jack Peril is the beloved hero of radio, comics, and the silver-screen,
but is his existence merely fictional? What does a series of grisly murders
and a new lecture series condemning the pulse-pounding parables of said
Mr. Peril have to do with it all? And just who is The Yellow Menace? Mitch
and Charlie, along with Ray (the luckless cop) and Isla (the inquisitive
maid), plan to find out in this clever (and probably first ever) parody
of "Seduction of the Innocent"!] 
Planet of the Capes (AiT/PlanetLar; w Larry Young; a Brandon McKinney). [From AiT/PlanetLar: A strange visitor from another planet, a dark and brooding super-patriot, a rampaging monster of destruction, and an interdimensional princess cross over from their world to ours. It's what happens when they find themselves in need of the sort of help that only superheroes can provide; it’s a stab at the presently-ingrained superhero archetypes without any of the intrigue of corporate intercession. Each one of the main characters represents one of the familiar superhero archetypes, but they also represent certain factions of the comic book industry, too. It's allegory and adventure from the writer of ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE and the artist of SWITCHBLADE HONEY.] 
Prey: Origin of the Species (Dabel Brothers/Marvel; w Michael Lent & Mike Raicht; a Alex Sanchez, Bong Dazo).
[From Marvel: The Prometheus Corporation has unearthed something ancient and dangerous in its underwater excavations, and now it’s come to the surface to make humanity its prey. Their solution? To lure the thing back in the sea and kill everything within a five mile radius, effectively covering the corporation’s tracks. And so a disgraced marine biologist must race against the clock and find a way to keep the ocean from being destroyed by the corporation before something even more dangerous is unleashed on mankind…
Written by screen-writing guru Michael Lent (SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS), Prey is a roller-coaster ride in the style of a summer popcorn movie that fans of SURFACE are sure to love!] 
Proof of Concept (w Larry Young; a Damian Couceiro, John Flynn, Steven Sanders, Jeff Johns, Paul Tucker, John Heebink, Kieron Dwyer). [From AiT/Planet Lar: A collection of short adventure stories by the writer of ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE and PLANET OF THE CAPES! A young clone of Abraham Lincoln discovers the secrets of his past in EMANCIPATING LINCOLN! A reluctant vampire flees mobilized vanhelsing units in a future he never thought he’d see. This time, they’re out for his blood, in HEMOGOBLIN! A rag-tag group of time-travellers chase their insane captain through every moment of eternity in FOR THE TIME BEING! Soldiers versus undead monsters in ZOMBIE DINOSAUR! A Hollywood starlet gets even more famous once she turns invisible, in THE BOD!] 
Ravenous
(Speakeasy Comics; w & a Dawn Brown). [From Speakeasy
Comics: Classic Tales of Mystery, Horror and Suspense by Edgar Allan
Poe inspire Ravenous! "Something bad is happening in Good Fortune.
A serial killer is ravaging this sleepy little town, leaving his victims
sliced in two. A young detective races to piece together this puzzle before
the killer can strike again." Inspired by the classic works of Edgar
Allan Poe, writer, artist and creator Dawn Brown presents "Ravenous"
-- a new work that draws from the master while offering a startling new
mystery of its own. The title story, "Ravenous" is a fully illustrated
100-pages of suspense and mystery. Also presented in this 152-page collection
are select offerings by Poe (The Pit & The Pendulum, William Wilson,
The Mask of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven), reprinted in
their entirety and featuring accompanying illustrations by Brown. These
pieces inspired Brown's story and complete Ravenous as an introduction to
Brown's work, as well as Poe's classic tales.] 
Rock Bottom (AiT/PlanetLar; w Joe Casey; a Charlie Adlard). [From AiT/Planet Lar: What would you do if you discovered you were turning to stone? What would that extraordinary circumstance do to your life? Writer Joe Casey (Wildcats Version 3.0) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Charlie Adlard (Walking Dead) answer these questions and more in this long-awaited, gut-wrenching original graphic novel drama. Thomas Dare was an ordinary man with ordinary problems, until fate stepped in to turn his life upside-down. Make no mistake, this is no superhero origin story. Rock Bottom is an epic of human proportions!]
Safe Area Gorazde (Fantagraphics; w & a Joe Sacco). [From Fantagraphics: A landmark work of New Journalism is now available in softcover.Safe Area Gorazde is Joe Sacco's 240-page opus about the war in the former Yugoslavia. Sacco spent four months in Bosnia in 1995-1996, immersing himself in the human side of life during wartime, researching stories rarely found in conventional news coverage. The book focuses on the Muslim enclave of Gorazde, which was besieged by Bosnian Serbs during the war. Sacco spent four weeks in Gorazde, entering before the Muslims trapped inside had access to the outside world, electricity or running water. The hardcover edition of Safe Area Gorazde put Sacco on the map as one of the pre-eminent journalists of his time, and the softcover edition will present his work to a wider audience. The book has been prominently featured in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Time, Utne Reader, Spin, The London Times, The Washington Post, Brill's Content, several NPR programs, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Economist, The Atlantic Monthly, and other media. The book also led to Sacco being named a recipient of a 2001 Guggenheim Fellowship. Safe Area Gorazde features an introduction by Christopher Hitchens, political columnist for The Nation and Vanity Fair.] 
Sallyanders (IDW; w & a Ashley Wood. [From IDW:Award-winning writer/artist/designer Ashley Wood presents his latest tour de force, in the form of Sallyanders. What is Sallyanders, you ask? Well, it’s a nice town, one in which everything and everyone finds its place. But sometimes that place isn’t always a proper one… This off-beat, self-contained tale is presented in landscape format 11” x 8.5” with four-inch cover flaps. Sure to be a comic book classic courtesy of Popbot’s Wood.]
Seven Sons (AiT/PlanetLar; w Alex Grecian; a Riley Rossmo). [From AiT/PlanetLar: The fine line between hero and villain is just another of longtime super-villain henchman Mike Fulton's many scars. Now, faced with a terrible choice that could mean life and death for heroes, villains, his family, and himself, Mike ponders just how his normal life went so crazy. Gripping adventure, powerful biography and loving homage to superhero comics, HENCH is a new graphic novel from writer Adam Beechen, artist Manny Bello, and publisher AiT/PlaNet Lar.] 
Smoke and Guns (AiT/PlanetLar; w Kirsten Baldock; a Fabio Moon). [From AiT/Planet Lar: When Scarlett, an overly ambitious cigarette girl — quick to break the rules and even quicker to pull the trigger — starts selling cigarettes outside of her district, tensions rise and the seeds of an all-out cigarette girl gang war are sown. When you're out on the street in the middle of the night wearing your little French Maid outfit, with the short skirt and the off-the-shoulder top, Jack Daniels isn't just your friend, it's your coat. And the 9mm in your tray isn't just your protection — it's the compass that points you the way home.]
The Spider: Scavengers of the Slaughtered Sacrifices (Vanguard; w Don McGregor; a Gene Colan). [From Vanguard: The Spider, star of 118 pulp novels and numerous adaptations, is back! Writer Don McGregor (Zorro) and artist Gene Colan (Daredevil) have collaborated previously on a number of sterling projects including Detectives, Inc., Nathaniel Dusk, Private Investigator, and Ragamuffins, so it's not as if the smashing success of this team-up should come as any surprise. With McGregor's flair for capturing the flavor of any scene he's working on and Colan's dynamic work reproduced straight from the pencils, the energy these creators put into this volume is readily present in this new story that brings the venerable hero into a present day setting. It's available in both hardcover and soft cover versions.] 
Sub-Atomic
(Mad Yak Press; w Patrick Neighly; a Jorge Heufemann). [From
Mad Yak: What happens when agents of the US government decide that the
greatest threat to America is its own population? As the war on terror escalates,
super-secret spy agency ATOM finds itself at a crossroads! But after one
of their own unexpectedly resigns, ATOM becomes trapped at the center of
a generational crisis that threatens to undo everything America's spy agencies
have fought to accomplish. The new paradigm starts here.] Old Book
of the Week 4/6/05: [Patrick Neighly has self-published a series of astonishing
OGNs through his Mad Yak imprint, which have little in common except intelligence
and a thorough-going disregard for comic book conventions. Sub-Atomic
(like Invincible) is the story of a young man with a genetic destiny
that seems cool at first, but has a darker side. Mark was virtually born
into a SHIELD-like organization of super-spies, and Sub-Atomic tells
the story of his increasing disillusionment and rebellion. I've never been
let down by one of Neighly's books, and if you like Sub-Atomic (his
first), you're in for a treat—because he just keeps getting better.]
Sunset City (AiT/PlanetLar; w & a Rob Osborne). [From AiT/Planet Lar: Sunset City is a typical retirement community. Its residents enjoy golf
and gossip and they all seem content to fritter away their golden
years. Except Frank McDonald. A retired widower, he wrestles witht he
question: why am I here? Reading the newspaper, Frank keeps up on the
minutia of the day; it provides a buzz to an otherwise humdrum life.
One morning, Frank is overcome by a startling story, and he does
something extraordinary: he takes life by the balls.] 
The
Supernaturalists (Mad Yak Press; w Patrick Nighly; a Jorge Heufemann).
[From Mad Yak Press: Flappers, speakeasies and … the living
dead? A killer stalks the streets of 1926 Manhattan. But as detective Edgar
Drake races against time to solve an impossible crime, he finds himself
on the wrong side of the law. Unusual suspects, unforeseen allies and a
mysterious socialite eventually point to a truth more horrifying than anything
he could have imagined.] 
Super Spy (Top Shelf; w & a Matt Kindt). [From Top Shelf: Super Spy is 52 interwoven short stories about cyanide, pen-guns, heartbreak and betrayal. Each story follows the life of a spy during World War II. Spanning the globe from Spain to France and Germany, this book takes the reader on a tour of the everyday life of the spy. From the small lies and deceptions to the larger secrets that everyone hides, Super Spy reveals the nature of espionage and how an individual can be lost and also find redemption. A children's book is something more than it seems... a woman swims the English Channel to deliver a deadly secret... a German spy desperately seeks escape for herself and her daughter... and a spy continues to serve his country even beyond death.] 
Tex (Strip Art Features; w Claudio Nizzi; a Joe Kubert). [From Dark Horse Comics: Tex Willer, known as Night Eagle amongst the Navajo, is a Texas Ranger and a forthright defender of the downtrodden and oppressed. His job is as hard as the Texas plains: to uphold the law where there is no law, in the vast, violent territories of the Old West. In The Four Killers, Tex takes the trail of a quartet of ruthless outlaws who have taken the lives of a family close to Tex, a family to whom the Ranger can now provide only retribution. Created in 1948 by Gian Luigi Bonelli and designed by Aurelio Galleppini, more than half a billion Tex graphic albums have been sold worldwide, illustrated by a who's who of top artists. And now, American comics icon Joe Kubert takes up the reins as illustrator, providing his signature grace, grit, and power to this legendary graphic-fiction series. The Four Killers, written by Claudio Nizzi, is another essential Venture graphic album, featuring the finest comics the world has to offer, available in limited quantities and for the first time in an English-language edition.]
Texarkana (Mad Yak Press; w Patrick Neighly; a Donny Hadiwidjaja). [From Mad Yak Press: In a North America scarred by civil war, Texarkana shines as a beacon of civilized order. But deep within its seedy underbelly, Adjudicators patrol the streets, elite police squads meting out instant justice. Fresh from the bright lights of the Dallas Adjudication Academy, rookie Simon Hills soon finds himself thrust into the dark corners of the city, struggling with the gulf between the law he studied and the law of the streets.]
Therefore, Repent
(IDW; w Jim Munroe; a Salgood Sam). [From Mad Yak Press: Therefore Repent! is a graphic novel set in a Chicago neighborhood after the Rapture. Once the Christians have floated bodily into the sky, life goes on pretty much as usual for the immoral majority... except that magic works, if you're willing to risk demonic mutations. CNN reports that Mr. Christ and Mr. Bush are on a speaking tour of the red states. And an angelic army appears to have been deployed to mop up the sinners. But through it all, outsiders Raven and Mummy face the possibility of a bigger problem than the end of the world: the end of their relationship.
In the tradition of The Book of Revelations, Therefore Repent! is a lurid, dark fantasy tale. By taking the apocryphal scripture as literal truth -- as the American powers-that-be claim to do -- the story also explores the political and spiritual ramifications of God abandoning humanity.]
Tiempos
Finales — End Times Vol. 1: Tripas Sangrientas de los Demonios
(La Luz Comics; w & a Sam Hiti). [From Sam Hiti:
For the price of a townsperson's prayers, Mario Roman {the Chilean} hunts
down Demons in the five towns of San Pablo. But It will take the whole town
supporting Him, that he may rid this Hispanic village of them all.]
2
Sisters (Top Shelf; w & a Matt Kindt). [From
Top Shelf: From the artist and co-creator of Pistolwhip and Mephisto,
comes an all-new World War II spy thriller that spans both continents and
centuries. From England to Spain, from ancient Rome through the era of Pirates
and Buccaneers, this is the backdrop for the unique tale of two sisters,
their relationship, and the secrets they share. Welcome to a world of shady
gypsies, mysterious rockets, buried treasure, pen-guns, cyanide teeth, and
romance.] 
The
Vanishers (IDW; w Chuck Dixon; a Andrés Klacik). [From
IDW: Andy's friends begin to disappear and only he remembers that they
ever existed. When Andy discovers another student, Arvis Voltoz, has noticed
that disappearances, he follows Arvis home and begins an adventure that
takes him and Arvis through time. From the turn of the 20th century, to
medival England, and into the far-flung furture, Andy and Arvis must escape
their pursuers, rescue their friends, and return to their own time.]
Wargod
(Speakeasy Comics; w George T. Singley; a Freddie E. Williams III).
[From Speakeasy Comics: As Curt Corey accepts his obligation to protect
an ancient Egyptian artifact, he inadvertently begins an epic adventure
that will decide his destiny and the fate of the planet. Wargod, the avenging
son of Osiris, is resurrected and sent to Earth to continue his age old
conflict with the nefarious god Sutekh and protect all of mankind from his
impending evil. Wargod is our last hope...can he stop Sutekh and his army
of soulless minions? Will the great beast Apep devour all of humanity? One
thing is for sure - the Gods are coming!] Lost in the demise of Speakeasy... 
Werewolf (Catalan; new edition Del Rey; collects various short stories; color and B&W; w & a Richard Corben). [From Del Rey: The legend of the lycanthrope - a human turned feral by a blood curse and transformed into the most savage of predatory beasts - is as old as recorded history… and as tantalizing as it is terrifying. Internationally acclaimed artist and illustrator Richard Corben has been bringing his dark and viscerally brilliant vision to comics, graphic novels, and other art forms for more than four decades. And now legend meets legend as Corben turns his masterly hand and gut-wrenching signature style to this bloodcurdling collection of tales devoted to the monster that walks like a man, howls like a hellhound, and hungers for the hunt.] 
Yossel:
April 19, 1943 (iBooks; w & a Joe Kubert). [From
iBooks: His name is Yossel. In another time, in another place, this
fifteen-year-old boy could have grown to be a great artist. But in Nazi-occupied
Poland during World War II, Yossel, a Jew, is an untermensch and thus has
no rights‹and no future. When the Nazis confiscate his family¹s
home and force them to live in the overcrowded tenements of the Warsaw ghetto,
it appears that Yossel¹s artistic gift will be shattered. Instead,
the awful suffering of his family, the terrible conditions of the ghetto,
and the increasingly barbaric treatment inspire him. Yossel: April 19, 1943
is his story, told through his sketches. It is a compelling account of increasing
horror depicted by an artist whose soul drives him to bear witness through
his art. And it is a tale of inspiring triumph; of how people deprived of
everything rise above the horror and degradation that is their existence
and, in a final act of defiance and humanity, turn on their oppressors and
launch the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943.]
ArtBomb review
Zoe
(Mad Yak Press; w Patrick Neighly; a Donny Hadiwidjaja).
[From Mad Yak Press: With the discovery of a long-lost uncle, young
Zoe moves out of an orphanage and into a fantastic lighthouse. But pirate
neighbors, supernatural schoolchildren and a miniature dragon pale in comparison
to the seemingly criminal machinations of her newfound family. Can Zoe and
her friends get to the bottom of a mystery that threatens to end in robot
domination of the world?] Mad Yak seems to have gone under... 
Alice in Sunderland (w & a Bryan Talbot). [From Dark Horse Comics: Sunderland! Thirteen hundred years ago it was the greatest center of learning in the whole of Christendom and the very cradle of English consciousness. In the time of Lewis Carroll it was the greatest shipbuilding port in the world. To this city that gave the world the electric light bulb, the stars and stripes, the millennium, the Liberty Ships and the greatest British dragon legend came Carroll in the years preceding his most famous book, Alice in Wonderland, and here are buried the roots of his surreal masterpiece. Enter the famous Edwardian palace of varieties, The Sunderland Empire, for a unique experience: an entertaining and epic meditation on myth, history and storytelling then decide for yourself -- does Sunderland really exist? From Bryan Talbot, the acclaimed creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and The Tale of One Bad Rat, comes Alice in Sunderland, a graphic novel unlike any before. Funny and poignant, thought-provoking and entertaining, traditional and experimental, whimsical and polemical, Alice in Sunderland is a heady cocktail of fact and fiction, a sumptuous and multi-layered journey that will leave you wondering about the magic that's waiting to be unlocked in the place where you live.] 
Autobiographix
(w & a Frank Miller, Matt Wagner, Will Eisner, Sergio Aragonés,
Stan Sakai, Paul Chadwick, et al.) [From Dark Horse
Comics: Dedicated readers have long known that the medium of comics
and graphic novels isn't all about caped superheroes. In fact, the combination
of words and pictures can be the perfect vehicle for telling all kinds of
stories. This collection of short stories illustrates, quite literally,
the effectiveness of the medium for telling the most personal of stories
-- the autobiography -- and does so by showcasing some of the first published
autobiographical stories from living-legend artists, mainstream greats,
and young "indie" up-and-comers.] Book of the Week 12/3/03: One of the best anthologies I've ever read, the stories range from silly to sublime. Some are hilarious, some are deeply touching, and (astonishingly for an anthology) all are worthwhile. Contributors include Frank Miller, Paul Chadwick, Will Eisner, Eddie Campbell, and a host of indy stars. 
Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities (4-issue mini; w Eric Powell; a Kyle Hotz). [From Dark Horse Comics: Billy The Kid's Old Timey Oddities starts with Billy the Kid free to roam America, having faked his own death. Free, that is, until Fineas Spoule, AKA. The Human Spider, discovers his secret. Now, afraid of being exposed, Billy finds himself in the service of a caravan of carnival sideshow performers who have unfinished business with a mad scientist none other than Victor Frankenstein himself! This twisted love child of spaghetti westerns and Hammer horror flicks combines Powell's humorous fast-paced storytelling and Hotz's quirky macabre visuals for a story that the whole family will love...if they're the kind of family that love alligator men and miniature boys fighting monstrous mistakes of science with the help of the fastest gunslinger in the West!] 
Cravan (w Mike Richardson & Rick Geary, a Rick Geary). [From Dark Horse Comics: This is a true story about the most interesting person you've never heard of: Arthur Cravan, major figure in pre-WWI cutting-edge art circles, was among the greatest mysterious figures of the Twentieth Century. A self-confessed thief, forger, and con artist, he used a roster of assumed names and false identities. He was known, at various times, as a novelist, poet, painter, art critic, lecturer, publisher, and French Boxing Champion. Always a rebellious, restless spirit, this dedicated rule-breaker was a political radical whose friendship with Leon Trotsky earned him the surveillance of the U.S. government--even through his immigration to Mexico with his wife, the poet Mina Loy. In 1918, at the age of thirty-one, the fascinating physical giant vanished without a trace, and--despite several supposed sightings over the years--was never seen again. Is it possible that he became the mysterious, reclusive novelist B. Traven, who wrote The Treasure of the Sierra Madre?] 
Creatures of the Night (w Neil Gaiman; a Michael Zulli). [From Dark Horse Comics: From the New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman comes a brand new hardcover collection, featuring two magical and disturbing stories lushly adapted to comics by veteran painter Michael Zulli. Newly rewritten by Gaiman for this graphic novel, these two ominous stories from the author¹s award-winning prose, Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions, feature animals and people not being quite what they seem. In "The Price," a black cat like a small panther arrives at a country home and is soon beset by mysterious and vicious wounds. What is he fighting every night that could do this, and why does he persist? "The Daughter of Owls" recounts an eerie old tale of a foundling girl who was left‹with an owl pellet‹as a newborn on the steps of the Dymton Church. She was soon cloistered away in a local convent, but by her fourteenth year word of her beauty had spread‹and those who would prey upon her faced unforeseen consequences.] 
Cut (w Mike Richardson; a Todd Herman).
[From Dark Horse Comics: The latest addition to the Dark Horse horror line is this chilling original graphic novel from writer and publisher Mike Richardson (The Secret, Cravan). Twentysomething Meagan Walters regains consciousness and finds herself locked in an empty room of an old house. She's bleeding from the back of her head, and has no memory of where the wound came from -- she'd been at a club with some friends . . . left angrily . . . was she abducted? When Meagan peers through the door's keyhole, she starts to suspect that her captor isn't quite human . . .] 
Damn Nation (w Andrew Cosby; a Jason Alexander). [From Dark Horse Comics: From the creator of UPN's Haunted and the Sci-Fi network original series Eureka comes one of the most ambitious and horrifying tales ever committed to the comics page, Writer Andrew Cosby has imagined a United States shut off from the world by concrete barricades and barbed wire--not because of what might get in, but what might get out. A vampire plague has spread from sea to shining sea and when a small holdout of scientists trapped outside of Buffalo, N.Y. discover a cure, it's up to a Special Ops team from the President's current offices in London to go in and get it. Yet, not everyone in the world wants to see America back in the saddle again ...] 
Dark
Horse Book of the Dead (Mike Mignola, Pat McEown, Kelley Jones, Eric Powell, Bob Fingerman, Robert E. Howard, Evan Dorkin, Jamie S. Rich, Scott Allie, David Crouse, Paul Lee, Jill Thompson, Guy Davis, Gary Gianni, Todd Herman, Brian Horton, Roger Langridge). [From
Dark Horse Comics: Mike Mignola presents a Hellboy yarn combining Shakespeare
and graverobbing in this followup to Dark Horse's Eisner-nominated Books
of Hauntings and Witchcraft. Also returning this volume are Jill Thompson,
who won a 2004 Eisner for her painted work in Hauntings, and her collaborator
Evan Dorkin, with another occult canine adventure. New additions for this
volume include Goon creator Eric Powell, celebrated B.P.R.D. artist Guy
Davis, and the artist who spent the last twenty years making superhero comics
more scary-Kelley Jones. Cover artist Gary Gianni also returns, mixing prose
with comics, with a rare tale by the man ultimately responsible for Dark
Horse's biggest hit in years-Conan creator Robert E. Howard.] 
Dark
Horse Book of Hauntings (w Mike Richardson, Mike Mignola, Perceval
Landon, Scott Allie, Uli Oesterle, Milton Freeman Jr., Randy Stradley, Evan
Dorkin; a P. Craig Russell, Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Paul Lee, Brian
Horton, Lucas Marangon, Paul Chadwick, Jill Thompson). [From
Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse's horror line launches its new prestige
format with this hardcover book filled with original short stories by some
of the most respected names in comics. The longest story in The Dark Horse
Book of Hauntings is also Mike Mignola's only new Hellboy adventure in 2003!
Come along as Hellboy investigates a haunted house and discovers his own
unexpected connection to the spirits within. P. Craig Russell (Sandman,
Murder Mysteries) adapts Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson's story about
a child who leads friends and family into an abandoned house, and Paul Chadwick
and his longtime Concrete editor Randy Stradley team up for a creepy short
about a haunted suit. In the strangest entry in the book, Jill Thompson
(Scary Godmother) and Evan Dorkin (Hectic Planet) recount the legend of
a haunted doghouse. With a Victorian ghost story illustrated by Gary Gianni,
and an interview with real-life séance medium L.L. Dreller, plus
a new Devil's Footprints story and outstanding contributions from international
artists Uli Oesterle (Germany) and Lucas Maragnon (Mexico), this is the
ultimate book for horror-comics enthusiasts and fans of fantastic artwork.
] Old Book of the Week 6/30/04
Dark Horse Book of Monsters (Mike Mignola, Kurt Busiek, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Leah Moore, John Reppion, Scott Allie, William Hope Hodgson, Keith Giffen, Timothy Green II, Jill Thompson, Paul Lee, Gary Gianni, Arvid Nelson, Juan Ferreyra, Brian Horton). [From Dark Horse Comics: Mike Mignola takes Hellboy on a monster-crunching mission and Gary Gianni provides illustrations for a classic tale of South Seas horror by William Hope Hodgson in this fourth addition to Dark Horse's Eisner-nominated books of Hauntings, Witchcraft, and The Dead. Along with Mignola and Gianni, Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson -- who won Eisners in both 2004 and 2005 for their stories in Hauntings and Witchcraft -- return to unveil a new painted story starring everyone's favorite evil-fighting strays. Also included is an homage to the great creature comics of Jack Kirby, by Kurt Busiek and Keith Giffen, and many more terrifying yarns by some of the most talented folks in comics!] 
Dark
Horse Book of Witchcraft (Scott Morse, Tony Millionaire, Mike Mignola, Jim Keegan, Ruth Keegan, Evan Dorkin, Mark Ricketts, Scott Allie, William Shakespeare, Clark Ashton Smith, Paul Lee, Sean Phillips, Jill Thompson, Gary Gianni, Brian Horton). [From
Dark Horse Comics: Following the success of The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings,
Dark Horse returns with another collection of bizarre tales by Eisner Award-winning
artists Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Evan Dorkin, Jill Thompson, and Scott
Morse. Mignola returns with another Hellboy story, and Thompson (Scary Godmother)
and Dorkin (The Thing, Dork) return to the characters in their stunning
“Stray”story, the surprise hit of the first volume in this series.
Morse (Ancient Joe, Sam and Twitch) presents a haunting tale of old Salem,
digging into the madness of the accusations leveled there, which ended more
than thirty lives in a few short months. Filled with other stellar comics
offerings, as well as a classic witch tale by Clark Ashton Smith and illustrated
by cover artist Gianni, The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft conjures up weird
tales of horror and magic the likes of which one seldom sees in the comics
medium.] Book of the Week 6/30/04
Dead
Memory (w & a Marc-Antoine Mathieu). [From
Dark Horse Comics: A haunting and powerful look at modern society and
our reliance on structures--both physical and suggested -- Dead Memory represents
some of the best published work of one of France's most highly acclaimed
graphic novelists, Marc-Antoine Mathieu. Beautifully illustrated in high-contrast
black-and-white, and published in an oversize, hardcover format, Dead Memory
is both an allegorical study of a Kafka-esque society under the control
of real-time information and a thoughtful treatise on cities, walls, languages,
and other elements that both define and confine humanity. Dead Memory marks
the first English-language publication of the work of this multi-award-winning
French cartoonist.] 
De: Tales (w & a Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba). [From Dark Horse Comics: Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are Brazilian twins who share an award-winning talent for comics and an abiding love of the medium. Following in the wake of brothers Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez and Tomer & Asaf Hanuka, Moon & Bá bring their considerable skills to Dark Horse in De:Tales, their first major American release! This collection of short stories features the pair working together, in tandem, or separately‹trading off on the roles of writing and illustrating, sharing those roles, or flying solo. Brimming with all the details of human life, their charming tales move from the urban reality of their home in São Paulo to the magical realism of their Latin American background, living up to the twins' critical acclaim and proving that they are a talented pair to watch out for.] 
Empowered 1 (w & a Adam Warren). [From Dark Horse Comics: Not only is costumed crimefighter "Empowered" saddled with a less-than-ideal superhero name, but she wears a skintight and cruelly revealing "supersuit" that only magnifies her body-image insecurities. Worse yet, the suit's unreliable powers are prone to failure, repeatedly leaving her in appallingly distressing situations . . . and giving her a shameful reputation as the lamest "cape" in the masks-and-tights business. Nonetheless, she pluckily braves the ordeals of her bottom-rung superheroic life with the help of her "thugalicious" boyfriend (and former Witless Minion) and her hard-drinking ninja girlfriend, not to mention the supervillainous advice from the caged alien demonlord watching DVDs from atop her coffee table . . . From Adam Warren-writer/artist of the English-language Dirty Pair comics (the original "Original English-Language Manga" before OEL was cool), and writer of Livewires, Gen13, and Iron Man: Hypervelocity-comes Empowered, a butt-kicking, bootylicious superhero lampoon that raises the bar for long-john lust and low-brow laughs. Remove all previous notions of superhero entertainment from your puny mind . . . and prepare to be Empowered!] 
Empowered 2 (w & a Adam Warren). [From Dark Horse Comics: Empowered returns for further misadventures, as a distress-prone girl wonder struggles with life on the superheroic C-list! Clad -- or unclad, as fate would too often have it -- in her embarrassingly revealing and maddeningly unreliable supersuit, she fights a neverending battle against overly sensitive supervillains, irrationally envious superheroines, and her own body-image issues! Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Thugboy, plays with fire when he foolhardily attempts to compliment his profoundly insecure sweetheart on the awe-inspiring power of her . . . well, booty. And her often-inebriated gal-pal, Ninjette, pursues a drunken and ultimately disastrous mission to acquire Empowered some respect -- by force if necessary! All this, plus crossword-obsessed goons, speech-impaired superbeasts, "Ninjas Gone Wild," and even a few self-help hints from nigh-omnipotent cosmic overlords! You know, the usual.] 
Empowered 3 (w & a Adam Warren). [From Dark Horse Comics: As if life as an often-struggling superheroine weren't already hard enough, now costumed crimefighter "Empowered" discovers that another female superhero is ripping off her distress-prone persona -- and cashing in, big-time! Even worse, her relationship with live-in boyfriend (and semi-reformed Witless Minion) Thugboy has run afoul of an extremely literal set of "power issues" ! Worse yet, a singularly bloodthirsty and ruthless ninja clan is gunning -- no, make that shurikening -- for Emp's best friend and karaoke partner, Ninjette! Can our unlucky but still plucky heroine prevail over all these obstacles as well as the further threats posed by foreign fanfiction outrages, her own supersuit's attempts to manipulate her self-esteem, and the revelation of her real name?] 
The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch (w Neil Gaiman; a Michael Zulli). [From Dark Horse Comics: Come, come and hear of the strange and terrible tale of Miss Finch, an exacting woman befallen by mystery and abduction deep under the streets of London! This is the first comics adaptation of Gaiman's story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," which saw print only in the U.K. edition of Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions and was recently interpreted for his Speaking in Tongues CD. The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch is a "mostly true story" that combines the author's trademark magic realism with Zulli's sumptuous paintings, and has been newly rewritten for this hardcover. Join a group of friends, with the stern Miss Finch in tow, as they enter musty caverns for a subterranean circus spectacle called "The Theatre of Night's Dreaming." Come inside, get out of the pounding rain, and witness this strange world of vampires, ringmasters, illusions, and the Cabinet of Wishes Fulfill'd.] 
Favole: Stone Tears 1 (w & a Victoria Francés). [From Dark Horse Comics: Victoria Francés creates in her first book a gothic romantic fantasy reminiscent of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, filled with tales of vampires, magic, and the undying spirit of lovers which reaches across the centuries. Lushly illustrated, Favole: Stone Tears is the first book in an ongoing series by an emerging new talent in the illustration field.] 
The Fog (w Scott Allie; a Todd Herman & Andy Owens). [From Dark Horse Comics: This October, John Carpenter brings one of his most original nightmares back to the big screen with a remake of The Fog, starring Smallville's Superboy Tom Welling. Carpenter and director Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) team with Dark Horse Comics to flesh out the story of doomed travelers and the supernatural devastation of a small coastal town, in this original graphic novel. Scott Allie, writer of The Devil's Footprints and Star Wars: Empire worked with the director to craft a bizarre story about a Chinese curse and a town plunged into a walking-dead nightmare. A group of Shanghai traders have come to America hoping to escape a string of weird deaths at the claws of unseen monsters. The arrival of a strange yet familiar fog reveals that the curse has found them, but even they don't know what that has to do with a pyromaniac refugee from the Civil War, the disappearance of one of their sons, or the terrible change coming over the Americans in this small seaside town. With a cover by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and haunting art by Todd Herman (The Dark Horse Book of the Dead) and Dave Stewart (Conan, Hellboy), this original graphic novel is an essential intro to the new film.] 
Gear School (w Adam Gallardo; a Núria Peris). [From Dark Horse Comics: In the future, humanity is in a seemingly endless war with an alien race. The struggle is dominated by giant war machines called Gear. Only the best and the brightest are allowed to drive these behemoths. The process of elimination begins in junior high. Thirteen-year-old Teresa Gottlieb has just entered the most prestigious military academy, known to all as Gear School, to try and become one of those elite. But on top of all the usual troubles that a seventh-grader has to put up with—boys, social cliques, hellish instructors—she also has to deal with three-story-tall robots and alien invasions!
Teresa needs to learn that when the bell rings, the adventure starts.] 
Harlequin
Valentine (w Neil Gaiman; a John Bolton). [From
Dark Horse: In this modern hardcover retelling of a classic commedia
dell' arte legend of tomfoolery and hopeless, fawning love, creators Neil
Gaiman (Sandman) and John Bolton (Manbat) update the relation of Harlequin
and Columbine. A buffoon burdened with a brimming heart, Harlequin chases
his sensible, oblivious Columbine around the city streets, having given
his heart freely. Consumed with love, the impulsive clown sees his heart
dragged about town, with a charming surprise to bend the tale in a modern
direction. Gaiman's writing is poetic and as heartfelt as the subject matter.
Bolton's art, a combination of digitally enhanced photorealism and dynamic
painting provides sensational depth with bright characters over fittingly
muted backgrounds. Those who have spent Valentine's Day alone are aware
that the cold February holiday can be hard to swallow. Gaiman and Bolton
want you to know that all it takes is a steak knife, a fork, and a bottle
of quality ketchup! Contains an additional eight-page backup feature on
the commedia dell' arte, written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by John
Bolton!]
ArtBomb review
The
Irregulars (w Steven-Elliot Altman and Michael Reaves; a Bong Dazo).
[From Dark Horse Comics: A madman stalks the streets of London's
Whitechapel slum, leaving a trail of grisly murders in his wake. The police
have only one suspect: a prominent and respected physician named John Watson!
The master detective Sherlock Holmes, in order to solve the most fantastic
mystery of his career and save his greatest friend from the gallows, employs
a band of young street urchins to infiltrate the alleys of Whitechapel.
They can go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone. They are the
Baker Street Irregulars. Join the Irregulars in the most fantastic and terrifying
adventure of their lives, as they uncover an evil unlike anything Sherlock
Holmes has ever faced.] 
Isolation & Illusion: Collected Short Stories, 1977-1997 (w & a P. Craig Russell; stories reprinted from a variety of sources).
[From Dark Horse: Since the 1970s, P. Craig Russell
(Murder Mysteries, The Ring of the Nibelung) has created some of the most
sophisticated and lavishly drawn stories ever to hit comics shops. Dark
Horse is proud to present a rare sampling of the work spread over his long
career, including early masterpieces like "Dance on the Razor's Edge"
and "The Starship Remembrance," along with more recent adaptations
of H.P. Lovecraft's "From Beyond" and O. Henry's "Gift of
the Magi." If you're a lover of fine illustration and masterful storytelling,
these long out-of-print stories are an essential addition to your comics
collection.] 
Kickback (w & a David Lloyd). [From Dark Horse Comics: Joe Canelli is a crooked cop working in a corrupt police force. Joe is haunted by nightmares of powerlessness. When his partner is brutally murdered and he's betrayed by his colleagues, it appears that Joe's nightmares are coming true. With his back against the wall there's only one thing he can do -- turn against the criminal network that he once embraced.] 
Lazarus
Jack (w Mark Ricketts; a Horacio Domingues).
[From Dark Horse Comics: Mark Ricketts presents a spellbinding new
tale blending reality and imagination, comedy and terror. Plagued by an
incident that cost him his family, magician Jackson Pierce struggles to
reclaim them by embarking on a terrifying, nonstop, dimension-hopping thrill
ride. On this journey through fantastic worlds both seduced and devastated
by black magic, Jackson undergoes disturbing transformations, falls prey
to an insane sorcerer, defies zero gravity, and ultimately confronts the
demons from his past.] 
Maxwell Strangewell (w & a Matt & Shawn Fillbach). [From Dark Horse Comics: The Fillbach Brothers present their most ambitious work to date! After putting their sci-fi skills to the ultimate test in six volumes of the best-selling series Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Matt and Shawn up the ante with a novella-length tale of aliens, amnesia, and the galaxy itself in peril. Photographer Anna Gilmour discovers a ten-foot-tall being immediately after his fall to Earth. He can't speak, but communicates through telepathic empathy, and Anna introduces him to her father as "Max." Their home is soon beset by a sea of beatific Tibetan monks, alien assassins in disguise, and heavy weapon fire! Max might not know who he is, but a lot of others sure as heck seem to. A galactic free-for-all is about to go down and Earth is ground zero. Before the final act, Anna and Max encounter a prophecy, the man in the moon, an entire race of alien accountants, and the Revolver -- an innocuous-looking jogger responsible for keeping the world spinning. This massive tome is a page-turner you won't be able to put down, and prove that these brothers are a pair to watch!] 
The Messengers (w Jason Hall; a Kelley Jones). [From Dark Horse Comics: An unspeakable secret turns an idyllic North Dakota farm into a living nightmare in The Messengers, the upcoming U.S. debut by Thai filmmakers The Pang Brothers (The Eye). Sam Raimi's production company Ghost House has teamed with Dark Horse Comics to create this unique interpretation. Written by Jason Hall and drawn by Kelley Jones, The Messengers tells the haunting tale of the Solomon family from a whole new perspective, turning the film on its ear and combining the events of the movie with chilling new scenes and details about the mysterious drifter who comes to help a troubled family farm, and the dark secret that he's running from...] 
Mother,
Come Home (w & a Paul Hornschemeier).
[From Dark Horse Comics: With his clean, distinctive art style and
poignant storytelling, up-and-coming indie comics sensation Paul Hornschemeier
has earned comparisons to and accolades from today's top graphic novelists.
Mother, Come Home is Hornschemeier's graphic novel debut -- the quietly
stunning tale of a father and son struggling, by varying degrees of escapism
and fantasy, to come to terms with the death of the family's mother. The
story seamlessly weaves through the surreal and the painfully factual, guided
by the careful, somber colors and inventive pacing unique to Hornschemeier's
storytelling. Mother, Come Home extracts almost tangible drama from the
most tranquil of moments, making that which is unspoken in each panel easily
audible, and almost uncomfortably experienced.] 
Murder
Mysteries (w Neil Gaiman; a P. Craig Russell). [From
Dark Horse: One of the most celebrated writers in the history of comics
teams up once again with one of the industry's most accomplished artists!
For the first time in nine years, since the award-winning 50th issue of
Sandman, Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell once again venture into the world
of myth and angels. Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth
is an immense task, which God has divided up amongst the various ranks and
stations of angels. As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be
casualties. This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation,
as well as one lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story
of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise! P. Craig Russell adapts
Neil Gaiman's poignant short story with the subtlety and grace which earned
him two Eisner Awards last year for his work on Dark Horse's Ring of the
Nibelung series. The reunion of these two legendary comics creators is a
guaranteed masterpiece.]
ArtBomb review
Pathfinder (w Laeta Kalogridis; a Christopher Shy). [From Dark Horse: Five hundred years before Columbus, barbaric Viking invasions ravaged North America. Pathfinder is the story of a young Viking boy left behind as the only survivor of a shipwrecked expedition. A stranger in a strange land, the boy is raised by a tribe of American Indians‹the very people the Vikings had sworn to destroy. When Vikings again storm the eastern shores, waging another barbaric campaign, they slaughter the tribe that adopted the young man. Now he wages a violent personal war to stop the Viking's trail of death and destruction.] 
Rocco Vargas (w & a Daniel Torres). [From Dark Horse Comics: Farmers, lock up your daughters! That intergalactic gadabout, the
astronautical inamorato, Roco Vargas is coming! Daniel Torres, European
comics giant, brings his man of mystery to the States. Now American
readers will be able to experience the adventures of Torres' popular
casanova crimefighter in this new, hardcover collection which features
four of the Roco Vargas stories -- "Triton," "The Mystery of Whisper," "Saxxon," and "The Far Star," plus a short, introductory story and 40 pages of new illustrations and roughs in color. Co-published with Barcelona-based NORMA Editorial.] 
Rocco Vargas: The Dark Forest (w & a Daniel Torres). [From Dark Horse Comics: He's back! Rocco Vargas: writer, bon vivant, man of mystery, and
fearless hero of the future! Created by international comics superstar
Daniel Torres, Rocco Vargas' adventures blend heady science-fiction and
ironic humor with avant-garde graphics and retro-modern design to form
a one-of-a-kind treasure of graphic fiction as cool as the ultra-suave
Vargas himself! Available for the first time in an English-language
edition, The Dark Forest follows Rocco and his gal-pal, the brilliant Doctor Jill Covalsky, as they track a cryptic computer message that could well be the key to unlocking a shocking plan to turn the future evolution of mankind upside-down! Vargas is on the case, and a gang of bizarre adversaries are onto Vargas! Co-published with NORMA Editorial, Spain.] 
Rocco Vargas: A Game of Gods (w & a Daniel Torres). [From Dark Horse Comics: Daniel Torres is back with another exciting Rocco Vargas space mystery! The clever, hunky hero, Rocco Vargas, is a writer, explorer, man of mystery, and fearless hero for the future. Rocco Vargas: A Game of Gods is Dark Horse’s latest English-language addition to the thrilling Rocco Vargas library. When a gambling ring unleashes reprogrammed, fighting robots onto a defenseless population, it’s up to Rocco Vargas to save humanity—whether he means to or not! Thinking that he’s researching an angle for an upcoming novel, Vargas inadvertently digs himself deep into the robotics-gambling community. Add to this the religious fervor of an anti-robotics cult and a missing family robot, and Vargas is once again neck-high in mystery, danger, and unexpected humor. Co-published with NORMA Editorial of Spain.] 
Rocco Vargas: Walking with Monsters (w & a Daniel Torres). [From Dark Horse Comics: Shape-shifting robots! An interstellar conspiracy! Who can be trusted? Rocco Vargas betrayed! In the world of the future, the solar-system's most renowned science-fiction writer is but the alter-ego of the galaxy's greatest adventurer, the suave swashbuckler Rocco Vargas. Coming to the aid of embattled shape-changing "biomecs," Rocco finds himself at the center of mayhem on Mars, with the fate of the mecs--and his own freedom--hanging in the balance. Created by legendary cartoonist Daniel Torres, Rocco Vargas is stylish, rousing graphic fiction that is sure to be all the rage on the most exclusive space stations and off-world colonies.] 
Samurai: Heaven and Earth (w Ron Marz; a Luke Ross). [From Dark Horse Comics: Beginning in feudal Japan of 1704, Samurai: Heaven & Earth follows Shiro, a lone samurai warrior sworn to be reunited with the love of his life who has been spirited away by his enemies. His pursuit of Yoshiko will carry him farther than he could have imagined ---from his native Japan to the sprawling empire of China, across Europe, and finally to Paris itself. There, in the fabled halls of King Louis XIV's Versailles, he must cross blades with the greatest swordsmen ever known if he is to reclaim his love. Ron Marz and artist Luke Ross, fresh off their triumphant finale on Green Lantern, have turned their skills to a historical epic in the tradition of Lone Wolf and Cub and Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers. Joined by Eisner-nominated colorist Jason Keith, they have produced a lushly illustrated tale of devotion and high adventure.] 
Scarlet
Traces (w Ian Edginton; a D'Israeli). [From Dark
Horse Comics: A decade after the Martians abortive assault on the Earth
and their attempt to establish an invasion bridgehead on the British Isles;
the industrious Victorians have assimilated the Martian technologies into
their everyday lives. Hansom cabs now scuttle along the Capital's streets
on multi-limbed crab legs and the terrible monopoly of the Martian heat-ray
has assured the dominance of the British Empire over two-thirds of the Earth's
surface, and whose benign tyranny looks to continue to do so far into the
next century. However, there is something rotten at the heart of the Empire...
When the bodies of several young women are found washed up on the Thames,
drained of blood, enter Captain Robert Autumn (retired soldier turned gentleman
adventurer) and his former Sergeant Major now manservant Archie Currie.
Together they are drawn into the mystery which leads them from the gin palaces
of the East End, and the grinding poverty of North, to Whitehall's corridors
of power and the very Hall of the Martian King! A scientific adventure by
Messrs Ian Edginton & D'Israeli, purveyors of fantastic fiction for
young gentlefolk and the mentally deficient.]
ArtBomb review
Sexy Chix (w & a Joyce Carol Oates, Jill Thompson, Colleen Doran, Gail Simone, Roberta Gregory, Carla Speed McNeil, Sarah Grace McCandless, Joelle Jones, Laurenn McCubbin, Colleen Coover, et al.). [From Dark Horse Comics: Don’t let the title fool you—this isn’t your average collection of comics featuring impossibly proportioned vixens in spandex. This time around the sexy chix in question are the writers and artists behind the comics, respresenting some of the best and brightest talent contributing to the medium of comics and graphic novels today. With stories ranging from mainstream adventures to hilarious comic shorts to heart-wrenching autobiography, Sexy Chix is devoted to the under-recognized contingent of female cartoonists in an overwhelmingly male-oriented industry. It’s about time these divinely talented creators get to tell the stories they want to, and the result is an exquisite variety of artistic visions and styles.] 
Shadow Rock (w Jeremy Love; a Robert
Love & Jeremy Love). [From Dark Horse Comics:
After his mother's death, young Timothy London moves from the big city to
the small New England fishing town of Shadow Rock to live with his father.
His new home is up the hill from a legendary haunted lighthouse where Timothy
discovers the ghost of Kendahl Fog, a little boy who died under mysterious
circumstances. Timothy and his new ghostly companion set out to explore
the dark underbelly of Shadow Rock and the mystery of Kendahl's death. Harrowing
thrills and chills ensue in this classic boy's adventure with a horror twist
from Jeremy and Robert Love, the creators of Fierce.] 
Signal
to Noise (w Neil Gaiman; a Dave McKean). [From
Dark Horse: Originally serialized in The Face, Signal to Noise is the
story of a film director dying of cancer. His life's crowning achievement,
his greatest film, would have told the story of a European village as the
last hour of 999 A.D. approached -- the midnight that the villagers were
convinced would bring with it Armageddon. Now that story will never be told.
But he's still working it out in his head, making a film that no one will
ever see. No one but us. Signal to Noise is a poignant story, rich in humanity,
depth, and communications theory. A beautifully designed and printed book,
showcasing McKean's stunning artwork and Gaiman's story, Signal to Noise
will make you re-evaluate your thinking about the potential of the medium
and a book you will be proud to share with your friends. They will thank
you for it!] 
Sudden Gravity (w & a Greg Ruth). [From Dark Horse Comics: Built on a site of great and forgotten power, the mammoth Bentham
International Hospital was to be the very definition of modern medical
science at its best. But over the years, the spectres and dark secrets
of the Hospital began to bore away at its heart, leaving its
foundations cracked and vulnerable to the oldest of horrors and
nightmares. When a prominent Commissioner of the City's Housing and
Urban Development Department is brought in for evaluation after
murdering her family, the haunted secrets of the hospital begin to
unravel, leaving no one untouched. Julius, the prosthetic boy in room
13 is waking up. The black eggs are found. The lines between the
patients and the doctors is blurring. This is where the end begins.
Every cure is paid with a curse and every sin is birthed anew as the
once brilliant light of modern medicine forsakes the world for the
shadows it can no longer hide.] 
2112
(w & a John Byrne). [From
Dark Horse Comics: 2112 introduces readers to the Next Men, a group
of strange people battling for the future of the world -- and what a world
it is! Mutated "halflings" are in open revolt, led by the sinister
Sathanas, and it's up to the agents of Safeguard, Inc. to sort out the mess!
Don't miss the future beyond the Next Men in 2112!] 
Violent
Cases (w Neil Gaiman; a Dave McKean). [From Dark
Horse: An exploration of the trappings of violence and the failings
of memory, Violent Cases marks the beginning of the astonishing and award-winning
collaboration between author Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, offered
again in its original softcover format.] 
War of the Worlds (w Ian Edginton; a D'Israeli). [From Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse Comics presents Ian Edginton and D'Israeli's adaptation of the most famous science fiction novel of all time‹The War of the Worlds. In the closing years of the nineteenth century, the genteel tranquility of Victorian England is shattered by the arrival of an invasion force from the red planet‹Mars! Methodical and merciless, the Martians are intent on nothing less than the conquest and subjugation of the human race. Told from the point of view of an ordinary man caught up in the carnage and chaos, we witness firsthand how the then-greatest empire in the world is brought to its knees by the Martians' cool alien intellect and the implacable heat ray.] 
Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution (DC; w Howard Chaykin & John
Francis Moore; a Mike Mignola & P. Craig Russell). [From
DC Comics: He renounced his royal heritage to fight with the Triad revolutionaries
against the decadent Empire Galaktika. In a drug-tainted conspiracy, the
aristocratic despots crippled him and left him for dead in their desperate
bid to hold onto the feudal past. But not even the Empress's fierce Blood
Legion can stop him from bringing them his future. Ironwolf. Old heroes
never die...and some of them live forever.] 
Mighty
Love (DC; w & a Howard Chaykin). [From DC Comics:
Can two people leading double lives find enough time for romance and crimefighting?
Find out in MIGHTY LOVE, a 96-page original hardcover graphic novel suggested
for mature readers. MIGHTY LOVE is both written and illustrated by Howard
Chaykin (American Flagg, SON OF SUPERMAN), one of comics’ most acclaimed
and influential voices. Mixing elements of high adventure and romantic comedy,
MIGHTY LOVE explores the relationship between crusading public defender
Delaney Pope and hard-boiled cop Lincoln Reinhardt. By day, they’re
courtroom adversaries. By night, they become Skylark and Iron Angel, super-heroes
with differing crimefighting methods but an undeniable romantic attraction.
Can they find a way to balance their double lives…and still have room
for a relationship? Don’t miss Chaykin’s return to the drawing
board for his first solo original work in years!] Book of the Week
3/17/04
Saga
of Seven Suns: Veiled Alliances (DC/Wildstorm; w Kevin J. Anderson;
a Robert Teranishi). [From DC Comics: Popular novelist
Kevin J. Anderson (Dune novels, Star Wars: Champions of the Force, Star
Wars: Dark Empire) brings his sprawling science fiction series to the comics
world in THE SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS: VEILED ALLIANCES, an original hardcover
graphic novel that serves as a prequel to the Saga novels Hidden Empire
and A Forest of Stars. THE SAGA OF SEVEN SUNS: VEILED ALLIANCES, written
by Anderson with breathtaking art by Robert Teranishi and a cover by renowned
fantasy artist Steven Youll, is a complex and vast story told on a cosmic
scale. As the human race expands into the stars, they find themselves caught
up in the politics and long-standing feuds of several powerful alien races.
It’s a tale of galactic empire building, filled with political and
familial intrigue, love and war, and a host of alien lifeforms, all competing
to be the supreme force in the universe!] 
Viking Glory: The Viking Prince (DC Comics; w Lee Marrs; a Bo
Hampton).
1 Star Raiders (w Elliot S! Maggin; a José Luis García-López).
2 Warlords (w Steve Skeates; a David Wenzel).
3 The Medusa Chain (w & a Ernie Colón).
4 Hunger Dogs (w & a Jack Kirby).
5 Me and Joe Priest (w Greg Potter; a Ron Randall).
6 Metalzoic (w Pat Mills; a Kevin O'Neill).
7 Space Clusters (w Arthur Byron Cover; a Alex Niño).
1 Hell on Earth (w Robert Loren Fleming; a Keith Giffen; adapted
from Robert Bloch story).
2 Nightwings (w Cary Bates; a Gene Colan & Neal McPheeters;
adapted from Robert Silverberg story).
3 Frost and Fire (w & a Klaus Janson; adapted from Ray Bradbury
story). 
4 Merchants of Venus (w Neal McPheeters & Victoria Peterson;
a Neal McPheeters; adapted from Frederick Pohl story). 
5 Demon with a Glass Hand (w & a Marshall Rogers; adapted from
Harlan Ellison story).
6 The Magic Goes Away (w Paul Kupperberg; a Jan Duursema; adapted
from Larry Niven story).
7 Sandkings (w Doug Moench; a Pat Broderick & Neal McPheeters;
adapted from George R. R. Martin story).
Abandoned (w James Pruett; a Michael Gaydos). [From Image Comics: Presented for the first time in full color, this deluxe hardcover edition of the critically-acclaimed long out-of-print graphic novella, "Apparition: Abandoned", features beautifully rendered painted artwork by fan-favorite Michael Gaydos. A sketchbook section and a gallery are also added bonuses. In this thematic story of physical and spiritual abandonment, the archangel Adriel becomes involved in a lost child's plight, where he must surmount temptation and overwhelming danger to reunite a forsaken child with his estranged mother.] Solicited, never released. 
Avigon: Gods and Demons (w Ché Gilson; a Jimmie Robinson). [From Image Comics: Avigon has to escape. Her mechanical world ruled by political clockwork
masters is killing her soul. But can she hide in a surreal world of
machines where she herself is one?
This complete volume unveils the full story of Avigon's journey. A clockwork creation pushed beyond the dark world binding her soul where her true destiny is unlocked. A must for fans of gothic fiction!
Collects the original AVIGON novella, plus over 100 pages of all-new original art.]
Bedlam (w Keith Giffen & Shannon Denton; a Matt Jacobs). [From Image Comics: A young minister has a crisis of faith when he finds out he's God's sleeper agent and it's up to him to stop the apocalypse. It's Blade meets The DaVinci Code in this bold new graphic novella!] 
Black Cherry (w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Image Comics: Down-on-his-luck Mafioso, Eddie Paretti is so desperate for cash he's agreed to steal a dead body from his own mob boss! Things only get worse when he discovers the body isn't human! With few options and fewer people he can trust, Eddie calls on the man who raised him, Father McHugh. The priest tells Eddie that the body was stolen from his monastery by the Mafia. Father McHugh is accompanied by a beautiful woman Eddie swears looks just like a stripper he once fell in love with named Black Cherry.]
The Black Forest (w Robert Tinnell, Todd Livingston; a Neil Vokes). [From Image Comics: World War I. The Germans are developing a mysterious weapon to break
through the trenches. American pilot Jack Shannon and Archie Caldwell,
Britain's greatest stage magician, are sent behind enemy lines, into
the heart of the supernatural vortex that is The Black Forest. There,
in a remote castle, they match wits with evil occultist Avery Dye, who
aims to use the Frankenstein Monster as a template to create an army of
unstoppable re-animated dead! In order to thwart the forces of evil,
Jack and Archie will be forced to battle Nosferatu, werewolves, a
sorcerer, and the Frankenstein Monster himself.] 
The Black Forest 2: Castle of Shadows (w Robert Tinnell, Todd Livingston; a Neil Vokes). [From Image Comics: The follow-up graphic novel to the Rondo Award-winning best seller for best horror comic has pilot Jack Shannon and mystic Archie Caldwell held prisoner in the mysterious Castle of Shadows by a scientist who is creating super-soldiers out of apes - and plans to use our heroes as subjects of an equally monstrous experiment! Also included is an 11-page back-up story of The Wicked West, plus other fun extras!]
Blood River (w Mike Avon Oeming & Daniel Berman; a Brian Quinn). [From Image Comics: Sex, Drugs and Zeppelin! In the 1970s four life-long friends plan their escape from a small town in New Jersey. Unfortunately they find that fate, nature, or some monstrous power has other plans for them… based on a true story.] 
Cloudburst (w Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; a Christopher Shy
and Eliseu Gouveia). [From Image Comics: An experimental
weather machine, a transport ship filled with hundreds of families and a
troop of hired killers converge on a derelict colony world only to discover
it's not abandoned. Lauren Moore is a brilliant young scientist and the
creator of Cloudburst: a massive satellite designed to control rainfall
on dry planets. Onboard a new colony ship carrying several hundred families,
soldiers and cryogenically stored animal embryos, Lauren has been commissioned
to use Cloudburst to terraform the planet. What Lauren doesn't know is the
soldiers escorting the ship have been sent to remove the existing colonists
to make room for the new ones. The corporate term is eviction. The human
term is mass murder. The only man who can help her is a mysterious drifter
who some say is only a myth, an invention of desert nomads and lunatics.]
The Cobbler's Monster (w Jeff Amano; a Craig Rousseau, Wayne Faugher, Giulia Brusco). [From Image Comics: Grieving over the death of his only son, Gepetto mixes the new science of DNA with the age-old magic of the golem to resurrect his son. But in truth, he was never very close to Victor. And the anger that burns within the heart of the monster he birthed and created, destroys everything and everyone around him. Now, Gepetto must hunt his own son. The story of a man and a monster who through unspeakable horror find their way to becoming father and son for the very first time.] 
The Covenant (w Aron Coleite; a Tone Rodriguez). [From Image: It’s summertime. Kids go off to slumber camp to learn, grow and play. However, when 13-year-olds Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Miller’s parents send them to Camp Iwahanee for the summer, it isn’t for bonfires and canoeing. The boys discover they’re next in line to become the Covenant, the most powerful Warlocks in the world. Unfortunately, 13-year-old boys with unlimited powers are bound to experiment. Four years later, when an evil haunts their old campground, the Covenant fear their childhood mistakes have come back…to haunt them.] 
Crimeland (w
Felipe Ferreira, Ivan Brandon; a Rafael Albuquerque). [From Image: Drug dealing, prostitution, and illegal fights are just ordinary things in La Rambla. But when one of the biggest crime lords is killed, the top criminals are going to start hell on earth to rule the city.] 
Dioramas, a Love Story (w Mark Ricketts, a Dario Brizuela).
[From Image: The disturbing portrait of a serial killer and his muse.It's
no wonder ex-cop Charlotte Ramage's life is spinning out of control. She's
surrounded by inept cops, malicious sorority sisters, a love-starved detective,
theatrically displayed corpses, and an obsessive artist with a penchant
for murder.] GNR
review.
Dodge's Bullets (w Jay Faerber; a James Francis).
[From Image Comics: All Webster Dodge wants is to make a living playing
music, but his band doesn't get many paying gigs, so he can't quit his day
job. His father, a police sergeant, pushed him to take a job on the force,
but Dodge just couldn't stand working for "The Man," and dropped
out of the Academy the day before graduation. Now, using a booth at the
local cyber café as his "office," Dodge works as a Private
Eye, prowling the rainy streets of Seattle on the trail of cheating spouses,
deadbeat dads and runaway teenagers.] 
The Drowned (w Laini Taylor-Di Bartolo; a Jim Di Bartolo).
[From Image Comics: Paris, 1800. Theophile has been moldering in
an asylum for five years with no clear memory of how he came to be there.
He wavers in and out of madness until the day that unseen forces compel
him to escape and make his way back home to the haunted Breton coast. As
he follows the tatters of memory back to the ungodly events of his childhood,
striving to wring sense out of madness, he is pursued in turn by furious
crows, drowned witches, a loved one long believed dead, a secret cabal of
priests and a damaged orphan. Each carries pieces of a secret that emerges
into two distinct but intertwining tales of supernatural vengeance. As the
ravages of Theophile¹s buried past catch up with him at last, a battle
for power begins, and the stakes are no less than the fate of the lost souls
in hell.]
Earthboy Jacobus (w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Image Comics:Chief Edwards retires from the Modesto Police Department, doomed to
face a life of loneliness and insignificance. Everything changes when
Chief hits a flying whale with his car. When he opens the beast's
mouth, he finds a boy from a parallel universe named Jacobus...
]
86 Voltz: Dead Girl (w Bryan J.L. Glass & Michael Avon Oeming;
a Michael Avon Oeming). [From Image Comics: 86 volts.
That's all this little powerhouse needs to spring to life. 86 volts of pure
energy to perk her up and wake the dead. Who is 86 Volts? Where does she
come from? What does she want? These questions lead to shocking answers,
but don't tell 86, because she knows even less than you do. She awakes in
a world of dreams from some previous unknown adventure that left her lifeless
upon a gravestone awaiting a bolt of lightning to bring her back to life.
What will happen when little 86 throws down and mixes it up against a witch
and her evil fetus? When black science and white magic clash in a spiritual
free-for-all, the only result is pure chaos. Teaming up once again following
their novel Quixote, writer Bryan J.L. Glass and artist Michael Avon Oeming
have concocted one super-charged little fairy tale that leaves no one standing
following its no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-out brawl of the living
dead. This 56-page one-shot is chock full of action, poetry, darkness and
redemption. What more could you ask for?] 
The Faceless: A Terry Sharp Story (w Robert Tinnell;
a Adrian Salmon). [From Image Comics: Once upon a
time in England, 1962. By day, Terry Sharp is a successful director of horror
films, consumer of cocktails and chaser of skirts. By night, the horror
is real as he battles tirelessly against a Satanic conspiracy that reaches
the highest levels of government. Sharp's willing to go to hell...so you
won't have to.]
Five Fists of Science (w Matt Fraction; a Steven Sanders). [From Image Comics: True story: in 1899, Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla decided to end war forever. With Twain's connections and Tesla's inventions, they went into business, selling world peace. So what happened? Only now can the tale be told-- in which Twain and Tesla collided with Edison and Morgan, an evil science cabal merging the Black Arts and the Industrial Age. Turn of the century New York City sets the stage for a titanic battle over the very fate of the mankind.] 
Flink (w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Image Comics: An all-new graphic novel from the creator of EARTHWORM JIM, TOMMYSAURUS REX and CREATURE TECH!
A boy survives a plane crash and is rescued by a Bigfoot named Flink. They form a close bond by learning about the loss of each other’s family members.]
Four-Letter Worlds (w Amber Benson, Joe Casey, Chynna Clugston-Major,
Jay Faerber, Matt Fraction, Antony Johnston, Robert Kirkman, Steve Lieber,
Jim Mahfood, B. Clay Moore, Scott Morse, Jeff Parker, Jamie S. Rich, Mark
Ricketts, Eric Stephenson & J. Torres; a John Bernales, Chynna Clugston-Major,
Steven Griffin, Mike Hawthorne, Mike Huddleston, Phil Hester, Steve Lieber,
Jim Mahfood, Jamie McKelvie, B. Clay Moore, Scott Morse, Mike Norton, Jeff
Parker, Matt Roberts, Steve Rolston, J. Torres & Andi Watson).
[From Image Comics: Love. Hate. Fear. Fate. Four words that define
our lives in different ways. Four words that lie at the heart of all our
experiences. Four words that have long inspired artists to craft their most
resonant work. FOUR-LETTER WORLDS examines how these four little words define
our individual worlds in very big ways. This brand new anthology features
sixteen original short stories by twenty-six renowned creators.]
Freak Show (w Bruce Jones; a Bernie Wrightson; serial from Heavy
Metal magazine, August 1982-January 1983, + 3 short stories by Wrightson
from the early 70s). [From Image Comics: A humble
man, lonely at heart, seeks out the world's rejected souls, taking these
misbegotten outcasts under his wing in a traveling show of oddities. In
his kind yet lonely journey, this man of compassion also seeks something
else: someone to love, someone willing to return all the kindness he's shown
his less-fortunate troupe of oddities. When he finds that someone, his life
is complete...until her pregnancy. When she gives birth to the couple's
very own oddity, the new father's fury at God and the world for such a betrayal
drive him to a state of revenge and hatred that reveals his true inner self‹a
self his traveling troupe wreaks its own twisted revenge upon.] 
Full Color (w & a Mark Haven Britt). [From Image Comics: A lifetime marked with Napoleonic bosses has generated a rage in Boom that she can't contain anymore -- only aim. Her target? Her boss. That same day, Boom comes home to find an old friend standing on her fire escape. David's double-crossed a drug dealer and he's looking for help. Boom tells him, "I can't. I've given myself one day to make it all right or I'm just going to kill myself. What do you think of that?" David smiles, "Chaos it is then. We'll need coffee." Full Color is an action-packed odyssey through New York. Fast-paced and thoughtful, compelling and funny, Full Color is a revenge-fueled morality tale for a post-September 11th world.] 
Gear (w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Image Comics: TenNapel's epic graphic novel is now reprinted for the first time in beautifully crafted full color. GEAR was optioned by Nickelodeon and has became the award winning cartoon Catscratch...but now you can see where it all began. TenNapel's epic depicts stupid cats hi-jacking giant robots to fight in a war against insects and dogs. Pin up art by MIKE MIGNOLA and ROB SCHRAB.] 
Hazed (w Mark Sable; a Robbi Rodriguez). [From Image Comics: Casual sex. Eating Disorders. Bizarre hazing rituals. All horrible, slanderous stereotypes associated with sorority sisters. And all sadly true. Modern sorority life deserves a serious, sensitive and mature depiction. Thankfully, that's not what Hazed is about. Hazed is a dark comedy about three young girls' perilous journey through the world of sororities and eating disorders.] 
Heaven, LLC (w Wayne Chinsang; a Dave Crosland).
[From Image Comics: Heaven is not all puffy clouds, harps, and angels.
Like most things, it's all about business. When Heaven, LLC's CEO (that's
God) turns up missing, all Hell breaks loose! The Board of Trustees sets
out to find him... even though no one likes him. Hijinks ensue! Huzzah!
Written by Wayne Chinsang -- the editor of the humor and entertainment publication,
tastes like chicken -- and drawn by Dave Crosland also of tastes like chicken
and Puffed fame and starring a cast of characters like John the Baptist,
The Holy Spirit, Lucifer and Jesus, this is one graphic novel destined to
entertain. Or at least that's what my pastor tells me.] 
Heaven's War (w Micah Harris; a Michael Gaydos).
[From Image Comics: 1938: As the world moves toward global war, a
secret angelic battle is waged in the heavenly realms to determine mankind's
fate. The infamous Aleister Crowley plans to manipulate those angelic struggles
and thus shape the world according to his will. Only "The Inklings"
-- fantasy authors J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams -- oppose
him. They must decipher a landscape of sacred geometry to intercept Crowley
at the threshold of heaven. And, for one of the Inklings, the pursuit will
reach outside time itself.]
Houdini: The Man from Beyond (w Brian Haberlin & Jeff Philips;
a Gilbert Monsanto & Brian Haberlin). [From Image
Comics: Celebrate the anniversary of the death of a legend with his
greatest escape of all! On the eve of the Wall Street collapse of 1929,
Harry Houdini makes the ultimate escape: He returns from the dead in the
guise of a young stockbroker and partners with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to
prevent his wife Bess from being murdered. Their search calls into question
Houdini's own demise and brings them into contact with such period luminaries
as Aleister Crowley and Charles Lindbergh as they uncover a cult that threatens
to unlock the secrets of eternity.] 
Image Comics (w & a Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri & Jim Valentino). [From Image Comics: At last! After years of waiting, the much-anticipated IMAGE COMICS HC is here! The four remaining Image founders return to the characters that made them sensations for a celebration of the creation of Image. The never-before-seen origin of Savage Dragon! A turning point in the life of Spawn - featuring TODD McFARLANE's first full-length comics work in nearly 10 years! The final fate of CyberForce! The future of ShadowHawk! Plus: an introduction by former Image Executive Director and legendary Beanworld creator LARRY MARDER and a quartet of special features by each of the founders covering Image - past, present and future!] 
Indigo Vertigo (w Katiejane Garside; a Dan Schaffer).
[From Image Comics: Described as the comic equivalent of a David
Lynch movie written by Sylvia Plath, this hallucinatory spectacle of one
woman's experience on the brink of reality is the result of an unconventional,
intuitive creative process developed by Katiejane Garside (vocalist with
extreme UK rock band Queenadreena) and Dan Schaffer (creator of cult comic
book series, Dogwitch). Told with poetic, fragmented dialogue and beautifully
textured art, Indigo Vertigo explores the love/hate relationship between
people and their demons in a disturbing nightmare journey through the cracks
in the tiles.] 
Industry of War (w Jordan Raskin & Andrew Lelling; a Jordan Raskin). [From Image Comics: Two undercover military agents are charged with the responsibility of hunting down missing malfunctioning experimental weaponry created for the foot soldier, which mistakenly gets into the hands of the general public. All hell breaks loose when the agents discover that not only has the latest weapon on their list been found by a recently paroled ex-gang member, it was programmed with an assassination mission before being shelved for its malfunctioning design. The agents must stop him from completing his mission, unravel the details of the assassination plot - all while uncovering the conspiracy behind a Gulf War cover up. Writer/Illustrator Jordan Raskin marks his return to comics with this intense sci-fi political action thriller.] 
Innocents (w David Wohl; a Bing Cansino). [From Image Comics: THE INNOCENTS ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL is here!!!! Young, smart and beautiful, Grace Stokes had the perfect life. By a young age, she'd already accomplished what most people could only dream of. First as a multiple-record-setting X-Games champion, and most recently as sole designer and president of her own clothing company, Grace was an icon for a generation. But on a fateful trip to Japan, Grace discovered that she was no ordinary person, but one of THE INNOCENTS. Blessed with unbelievable abilities, the Innocents are living embodiments of Yin and Yang and, unfortunately for Grace, somebody wants them DEAD. Written by Witchblade, Darkness and Aphrodite IX co-creator David Wohl and featuring the art of Bing Cansino and Haberlin Studios, THE INNOCENTS OGN features 80 pages of story, as well as special Bonus Materials only available in this format--including character bios, background information, behind-the-scenes coverage and a host of other features that truly makes this a totally new graphic novel experience.] 
Iron West (w & a Doug TenNapel). [From Image Comics: Preston Struck is an incompetent outlaw with a heart of fool's gold. He discovers an army of metal men bent on destroying central California. While Struck avoids any form of heroism, he gets a little help from a magical old shaman and his sidekick Sasquatch. Struck is going to need all the help he can get because he's deputized just as the mechanical men have take over the railroad and are mutating the train into a giant demonic iron monster.]
Krash Bastards (w Joe Casey; a Axel#13). [From Image Comics: An original manga adventure. They weld the dreaded shredders -- shining atomic shark teeth biting through the scum of society! Their name is acid on the tongue of Kau Death! Cruising into the metro-sprawl via the grand ol' Melody Maker, the Krash Bastards take no stick -- and give no quarter!]
The Last Winter (w Larry Fessenden & Robert Leaver; a Brahm Revel). [From Image Comics: Based on director Larry Fessenden's chilling eco-horror film starring Ron Perlman, James Le Gros and Connie Britton, The Last Winter tells the story of an oil company's advance team struggling to establish a drilling base in the Arctic that will forever alter the pristine land of Northern Alaska. After one team member is found dead, a mania slowly claims the sanity of the others as each of them succumbs to a mysterious fear...]
Lex Talionis: A Jungle Tale (w & a Aneruin Wright).
[From Image Comics: Jungle action and a tale of vengeance are combined
in this unique tale of metaphysical justice featuring lush color and dazzling
artwork of a style not seen before in comics.Gorillas have long been known
as the gentle giants of the Jungle. Gorillas don¹t attack unless threatened
and are so shy as to be rarely seen outside zoos. Yet in the heart of the
African wilderness, a safari guide is witness to the grisly murder of a
fellow guide by a gorilla. In order to make sense of the irrational, he
must find out why.] 
Long Hot Summer (w Eric Stephenson; a Jamie McElvie). [From Image Comics: Alone amidst a crowd of Southern California mods obsessed with scooters, soul and style, nobody takes Ken seriously. He mooches everything from rides to cigarettes to meals - usually from his best friend, Steve. But that's all about to change. Ken has just met the girl of his dreams. Too bad she only has eyes for Steve. It's going to be a long, hot summer.]
The Messenger (w & a Jerry Ordway). [From Image Comics: Privacy an issue for you? In this age of electronic eavesdropping,
hackers who steal your identity as easily as your credit card
information, and "big brother" satellites covering every inch of the planet, beware the touch of THE MESSENGER, for he can "see" into your mind - and read your deepest thoughts - your deepest secrets. If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear, but if you are guilty, he will make you pay - with your life! The Messenger, an ex-covert government agent, uses his unique "gift" to punish criminals who have fallen through the cracks of our judicial system. But what happens when he discovers that his "gift" wasn't infallible - and that he may have the blood of innocents on his hands? Fans of the X-Files and The Fugitive will enjoy author Jerry Ordway's tales of man on the run, one step ahead of his past, who's drawn deeper and deeper into a dark conspiracy by his former Agency boss and a little girl who wants him dead!] 
M.I.T.H. (w Jennifer Brandes Hepler & Chris Hepler; a Stephen Segovia). [From Image Comics: "Operation Smoking Jaguar" is the exciting adventure of Army Ranger Hamilton Crow, invited to cross-train with the CIA, who is unexpectedly recruited into the real secret behind America's military might. But when a nuclear weapon gets out of the White Sands Launch Facility, it is the soldiers of M.I.T.H. who must find a way to protect the nation against an apocalyptic conspiracy which takes them up against the Mayan shaman in the lost city and into the very heart of...] The title "Operation Smoking Jaguar" appears only in the indicia. 
Nightfall (w Scott O. Brown; a Ferran Xalabarder). [From Image Comics: When industrious, right-wing survivalist David Paxton is sent to a tough Texas prison, he has no idea that it's secretly run by vampires, who use the inmates to feed on. Now, Paxton's one hope of escape is a desperate prison riot and an uneasy alliance with a ruthless killer named Robbart.] 
Night Trippers (w Mark Ricketts; a Micah Farritor). [From Image Comics: Once upon a time in swinging London, around 1966, there was a serial killer who loved Elvis, a fab foursome that worshipped Satan, trendy vampires looking for kicks, an ancient and hungry evil, young and hungry love and...there was revolution in the air. Get your trip together, baby. Tune in, turn on and FANG out!] 
Nixon's Pals (w Joe Casey; a Chris Burnham). [From Image Comics: What's worse than being a super-villain in Los Angeles County? Being their parole officer, of course! Meet Nixon Cooper and his colorful cast of parolees at large, hanging on by their fingernails in the morally ambiguous underbelly of L.A. But who's got it worse -- the criminals who're struggling (and often failing) to live the straight life? Or Nixon himself, struggling to keep up with all of them? And who the hell is sleeping with Nixon's wife?! A crime story like you've never seen before! Loaded with extra features!] 
Oversight: Collected Short Stories 1990-2005 (w & a Phil Hester). [From Image Comics: From the creator of The Atheist, The Coffin, Deep Sleeper and the artist of Green Arrow and Nightwing comes a complete collection of this talent's short story work from the last decade and a half! See why this hardworking and prolific writer/artist is considered by his peers as one of the top talents in the industry today and why he's Hollywood's new Golden Boy.] 
Pacify (w & a Steven Perkins). [From Image Comics: A world-famous actor with a gigantic fly's head. A sexy product endorsement team with brown paper bags on their heads. A militant baglady. A Tobacco/News/Oil/Fast Food/Entertainment/Condiment mogul. What do they have in common? They are all part of Steven Perkins' PACIFY - a bold and bizarre absurdist satire of the complicated times we live in, taking dead aim on American pop culture with a biting wit and acidic art style.] 
Parliament of Justice (w Michael Avon Oeming; a Neil Vokes). [From Image Comics: What can convince a man that he is pure enough to put on a mask and
cast judgement on other men? This is the unanswered riddle of the comic
book vigilante, a question addressed in Parliament of Justice by Michael Avon Oeming and Neil D. Vokes. Every man believes in justice, whether it be by society's rule or God's law. For each judge, there is either redemption or absolution... but none of them is innocent.] 
Popgun 1 (w & a Mike Allred, Chuck BB, Mike Bullock, Benito Cereno, Dave Crosland, Toby Cypress, Brandon Graham, Shepherd Hendrix, Jonathan Hickman, Eva Hopkins, Joe Keatinge, Erik Larsen, Jason Latour, Corey Lewis, Joseph Michael Linsner, Jim Mahfood, Derek McCulloch, Chris Moreno, Moritat, Khary Randolph, Rick Remender, Jamie S. Rich, Mark Sable, Tim Seeley, M. Zachary Sherman, Mark Andrew Smith, Richard Starkings, James Stokoe, Nick Stakal, Doug Wagner). [From Image Comics: Featuring the work an all-star line-up that includes MIKE ALLRED, ERIK LARSEN, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JIM MAHFOOD and more, POPGUN acts as the ultimate graphic mixtape by combining big name creators doing work fans never expected and an array of the industry’s rising stars. The anthology crosses the protected borders of every genre, fulfilling the desires of anyone hungry for the pungent taste of creativity.]
The Pro (w Garth Ennis; a Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti).
[From Image Comics: Just when you think Garth Ennis
has gone too far...just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets...just
when you thought no one would go near the idea of the world's first superhero
prostitute...comes the Pro! An intergalactic bet is taken and superpowers
are bestowed upon the most unlikely person on Earth. By day, she is a
waitress at a local Denny's, but by night...uh, well...she’s a chain-smoking
hooker who's pissed off at the world and she’s got the mouth and
the backside to prove it! No need for protection when the League of Honor
is on the case. Join Speedo, The Saint, The Squire, The Lime, The Lady,
and the Knight Asthey enlist The Pro in their fight against evil.]
The Pro (Oversized Hardcover Edition; w Garth Ennis; a Amanda Conner
& Jimmy Palmiotti). [From Image Comics: Just
when you think Garth Ennis has gone too far...just when you thought it was
safe to walk the streets...just when you thought no one would go near the
idea of the world's first superhero prostitute...comes the Pro! An intergalactic
bet is taken and superpowers are bestowed upon the most unlikely person
on Earth. By day, she is a waitress at a local Denny's, but by night...uh,
well...she’s a chain-smoking hooker who's pissed off at the world and
she’s got the mouth and the backside to prove it! No need for protection
when the League of Honor is on the case. Join Speedo, The Saint, The Squire,
The Lime, The Lady, and the Knight Asthey enlist The Pro in their fight
against evil.] 
Proximity Effect (w Scott Tucker; a David Nakayama).
[From Image Comics: Throughout history, beings of great power have
walked the earth, for the most part unknown and detected. Some have become
historic figures, but few knew where their power came from. This is the
story of one such being, Lisa. But her power only works when she's near
Caleb, who is her "Source." Caleb has the ability to give superhuman
powers to those who are compatible and standing within 30 feet of him--The
"Proximity Effect." Separated, Lisa and Caleb are merely human.
But together, they can change the world.] 
Reaper (w Robert Kirkman; a Cliff Rathburn). [From
Image Comics: Lord Shirak, with the power of his ancient gem, is the
ruler of the known world. All live in fear of this brutal tyrant, and it
is rumored that he is indestructible and has lived for over four-hundred
years. The people of his kingdom have come to live with the fact that he
may never be defeated. Reaper is the deadliest assassin in all the land.
His price is high, but his blade is unmatched and worth twice the cost.
For reasons unknown, a mysterious figure has hired Reaper to assassinate
Lord Shirak so that he may rule. Dark forces are at work here as Reaper
becomes a pawn in a game that could very well mean the end of all life as
we know it.] 
Red Warrior: Assassin for the Thieves World (w Jeff Amano; a Andy MacDonald). [From Image Comics: Agent Tolik Kalinichenko convinces Elena - a Russian Mafia leader's daughter to seduce an old flame that may be connected to a secret combat system called, "Bespredel" (Russian for "without limits"). Elena risks her life for her country, Mother Russia, the world, but most of all, for Tolik. In a race against the clock, Tolik must destroy Bespredel's Red Warriors in time to save Elena who has been discovered as an informant. But when war has no limits, where can love hide?] 
Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai (w Jeff Amano; a Craig Rousseau & Wayne Faucher). [From Image Comics: Masterless after his Lord falls prey to treachery, samurai Oishi of the 47 Ronin leads his faithful few to vengeance. The time has come to defend their honor and raise their swords one final time.] 
The Scribbler (w & a Dan Schaffer). [From Image Comics: We're all part Yin and part Yang, but Suki's Yang is trying to get out!
Witness the Siamese Burn, an experimental machine designed to eliminate multiple personalities. And it works! Suki is down to her last unwanted identity. But now she's losing time, and the machine is changing, doing something new … something that's going to turn her world inside out. And that unwanted identity… what do you do when it turns out to be you?] 
Shangri-La (w Marc Bryant; a Shepherd Hendrix).
[From Image Comics: When a burned out assassin backs out of a hit
on a has-been rock star, the two are set on a wild chase across America,
forced to do their best not to kill each other before they can turn the
tables on the record label that wants them dead.] 
Sight Unseen (w Bob Tinnell; a Bo Hampton). [From Image Comics: The tension can be cut with a straight-razor in this brooding tale of supernatural terror penned by Robert Tinnell (The Black Forest) and drawn by Bo Hampton (Castle of the Bat). This book marks Hampton's return to the Graphic Novel medium after eight years.] 
The Silence (w & a Bruce Mutard).
[From Image Comics: What is this thing called art? Does it have value
or only a price? Is it interior decoration or the conduit through which
the values and meaning of society are communicated? These questions face
Choosy McBride, a gallery manager, and her partner Dmitri, a painter, when
they visit remote Northern Queensland to find a mysterious, anonymous artist
whose work possesses a power neither has seen before. Choosy is intent on
representing him in her gallery and Dmitri, who is in the throes of artist's
block, is simply looking for a reason to make art at all. Art, philosophy,
God and love are put through the ringer, and Choosy and Dmitri are about
to discover that silence speaks loudest.] Solicited but apparently never released. 
SOCOM: SEAL Team Seven (w M. Zachary Sherman; a Robert de la Torre). [From Image Comics: When a submarine is mysteriously downed in the Persian Gulf, CIA tactician Douglas Griffin is reactivated into his former SEAL team to investigate. Simultaneously, a string of mystifying attacks pits the U.S. Navy against the underwater Kingdom of Atlantis in a full-blown war against humanity's extinction. With the threat of global devastation imminent, twisting realities lead the SEALs from Atlantis' 5000 fathoms to the even deeper political waters of our government. A Spy-Fi action thriller from newcomers M. Zachary Sherman and Roberto de la Torre.] 
Stagger Lee (w Derek McCulloch; a Shepherd Hendrix). [From Image Comics: Image Comics takes a trip into American folk history and mixes blues music with the graphic medium for a retelling of the violent story behind a classic song in its Stagger Lee GN. Based on a story widely believed to be true, the blues/folk standard "Stagger Lee" delivers the narrative of a barroom murder carried out in cold blood through song. Popular in blues circles and among the African American communities of the Southern United States, "Stagger Lee" has been recorded over and over again by such artists as Mississippi John Hurt, Lloyd Price, Duke Ellington, The Grateful Dead, The Isley Brothers and The Clash. Now Image joins in with this 205-page, black-and-white graphic novel from writer Derek McCulloch and artist Shepherd Hendrix that looks to tell a definitive version of the story and delight both music and comic fans alike. On Christmas Eve 1895, shots rang out in a St. Louis barroom. A hundred years and a thousand songs later, this ordinary little murder had become a legend. This is the true story of what happened after Stagger Lee shot Billy.] Old Book of the Week 6/7/06: For the Old BotW, I reach back through the mists of time to the bygone days of last week. In my defense, when I heard about this book I had no clue how good it was going to be. Maybe it's my training as a conceptual historian, but this blend of history, fiction, and mythography blew me away. The book juggles its components into a cohesive and powerful narrative that simultaneously sheds light on an American folk legend and how that legend came to be, while also telling a moving story with a fascinating protagonist who quietly slips in from left field to take over the book. And it's topped off with a bibliography and historical notes. This is simply a wonderful book. 
Tales of Colossus (w & a Mark Andrews). [From Image: A knight, whose soul is trapped inside a metal monster called Colossus, lives out an immortal existence slaying evil creatures. Until one day a twisted, evil paladin wielding enchanted weapons arrives in the Kingdom with his own agenda. Their paths cross in a steel pounding, armor glinting no holds barred battle that will change a Kingdom forever. Mark Andrews is the director of the upcoming Pixar animated short One Man Band.]
Tommysaurus Rex (w & a Doug TenNapel).
[From Image Comics: From the creator of Creature Tech comes a story about a boy and his T-Rex. Ely is an everyboy trying to cope with the death of his dog Tommy. When he finds a live, 40-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex trapped in a cave behind his grandfather's house, Ely embarks on an adventure to tame this seemingly friendly giant, convince the town his new pet isn't a threat and keep his dinosaur safe from the jealous town bully. With Tommysaurus Rex at his side, Ely discovers what it takes to be a man... and what it costs.] Old Book of the Week 7/20/05: [Invincible is the story of a kid with super-powers; Tommysaurus is the story of a kid with a dinosaur. Shamelessly sentimental and utterly devoid of logic, this fable nonetheless somehow works. When a little boy's dog is killed by a car, he is inconsolable—until he finds a pet Tyrannosaur. Doug TenNapel is a singular voice, and Tommysaurus Rex is a wonderful introduction.]
The Tourist (w Brian Wood; a Toby Cypress). [From Image Comics: When Moss arrives in a remote coastal village on the North Sea, he is accepted as what he appears to be: a somewhat grubby American backpacker on holiday. He gets contract work on the offshore oil rig and courts Julie Tucker, a local café owner and single mother. Gradually the town begins to realize just who it is they're harboring: a Special Forces soldier turned drugs smuggler, and, if that wasn't bad enough, he has a lot of really rough bastards riding into town after him. The safety of the town and the woman he loves vs. the successful conclusion of a very lucrative drug deal... which will Moss choose?] 
Unusual Suspects (w Dan Wickline; a Ben Templesmith, Tone Rodriguez, Nat Jones, Chris Moreno, et al.). [From Image Comics: From the demented mind of writer Dan Wickline (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) comes…the UNUSUAL SUSPECTS! See the imagination of a writer run amok as he rolls out story after hilarious story in a dizzying array of genres with an all-star cast of artists! A whopping 16 short stories include art by such fan-faves as Nat Jones (SPAWN), Ben Templesmith (FELL), Tone Rodriguez (VIOLENT MESSIAHS), Chris Moreno (SIDEKICK), and many more!] 
Watchdogs (w Fred Van Lente; a Brian Churilla). [From Image Comics: After Sam Garrison and his pregnant wife move into a rough inner-city neighborhood plagued by gangs and drugs, Sam and his neighbor Mark Buchanan decide to bring their own brand of justice to the streets as masked vigilantes called the Watchdogs. But Sam learns that Mark has a darker agenda... and finds himself accused of murder.] 
Wicked West (w Todd Livingston, Robert Tinnell; a Neil Vokes). [From Image Comics: The Black Forest was this spring's sleeper horror masterpiece, selling out in mere weeks while garnering rave reviews. Now TBF's creators are back, and this time they're bringing you Hell on horseback. Imagine the Outlaw Josey Wales riding into 'Salem's Lot and that'll get you to the core of The Wicked West. The year is 1870, the place is the Texas frontier town of Javer's Tanks. Cotton Coleridge is a man running from his past. And being new in town, he's the one the locals blame when folks start dyin' mysteriously. By the time the truth gets out, half the town has diedŠand come back. Cotton's quick with a gun, but guns don't work on vampires.] 
Wicked West 2: Abomination & Other Tales (w Todd Livingston, Robert Tinnell; a Neil Vokes).
[From Image Comics: Last we saw Cotton Coleridge, he'd traded in his six-guns for stakes when he fought a frontier town full of vampires. This time around the lightning rod for the supernatural" faces zombies, ghosts, resurrectionists, giant flies, carnivorous slugs, demons and lots o' pure evil! Anchored by the Vokes-drawn novella, Abomination, the book features stories from the likes of Mike Baron, J.K. Snyder III, Mike Oeming, David Michael Beck, Mark Ricketts, Mike Hawthore, Tommy Castillo and more.] 
Wings of Anansi (w Michael Avon Oeming; a Greg Titus).
[From Image Comics: This is the story of a loser, a stripper, a drug
lord and a spider. It's urban crime noir, it's a fairy tale, it's mythology.
It's also the story of a mother who went through a lot in life, a woman
who gained and lost, hated and loved, but never once gave up on life. Deep
inside, she was golden, and her inner strength ultimately set her free.
No matter what bonds hold a person back, be it a bad marriage, prison, a
small town or a gang-infested city, there's away a way. The story of Anansi
is an African folk tale, told by people who songs and stories carried the
spirits of men and women throughout the centuries, though good times and
bad.] 
Wonderland (w Derek Watson; a Kit Wallis). [From
Image Comics: In a future torn apart by conventional, chemical and biological
warfare, three teenagers struggle to retain their humanity and survive against
seemingly overwhelming odds. Brought up in isolation by a father intent
on protecting them from the hostile environment that threatens their very
existence, they face a danger more horrifying than anything they have faced
before: a flesh-deforming plague of epic proportions. When their father
fails to return from a routine foraging mission, the teenagers find their
lives thrown into turmoil and uncertainty by the alarming increase in attacks
from cannibalistic, mutated humans. Although frightened to leave the relative
security of their home and fully aware of the disturbing possibility that
he may already be dead, the group risks everything to find their missing
father.] 
Zombee (w Mike Gunter; a Victor Santos). [From Image Comics: A dutiful Samurai, a madcap Ninja and a bizarro Zen Monk team up to battle the undead in Feudal Japan. Can these unlikely allies stay friends long enough to stop the zombees from taking over their homeland? Zombee is a full throttle blend of action, comedy, friendship and horror. You'll laugh until you cry and maybe throw up in your mouth a little.] 
Combat Zone: True Tales of GIs in Iraq (w Karl Linsmeister;
a Dan Jurgens). [From Marvel Comics: Longtime embedded
journalist Karl Zinsmeister ("Boots on the Ground: A Month with the
82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq") and penciler Dan Jurgens (THOR,
Superman) chronicle three months in the lives of the 82nd Airborne in the
Battle for Iraq in this groundbreaking series.] 
Halo (w Lee Hammock, Jay Faerber, Tsutomu Nihei, Brett Lewis; a Simon Bisley, Andrew Robinson, Ed Lee, Tsutomu Nihei, Moebius). [From Marvel Comics: Bungie Studios, part of Microsoft Game Studios, has joined forces with Marvel Comics to release a highly-anticipated graphic novel inspired by one of the most popular franchises in the history of the video game industry. The Halo Graphic Novel (HGN) brings the Halo universe to life for the first time in the sequential art medium. The HGN is a 128-page, full color, high quality, jacketed, hardcover graphic novel. It features an anthology of original stories, including one lengthy story, and three shorter tales.] 
1 The Death of Captain Marvel (w & a Jim Starlin). Trade Paperback List 1000th Cover contest winner, chosen by njerry: "It was one of Marvel's first OGNs, and it represented the kind of stories that Marvel initially used that format for -- special stories with major impact, that deserved something more than the standard 32-page "floppy" format. The story was also the Coda of Jim Starlin's long-spanning space saga featuring Thanos, Moondragon, and the magnificent cast that he developed over the course of those early Mar-Vell and Warlock stories."
2 Elric: The Dreaming City (w Roy Thomas; a P. Craig Russell).
3 Dreadstar (w & a Jim Starlin).
4 New Mutants: Renewal (w Chris Claremont; a Bob McLeod).
5 X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (w Chris Claremont; a Brent Anderson).
6 Star Slammers (w & a Walt Simonson; 1983).
7 Killraven: Warrior of the Worlds (w Don McGregor; a P. Craig Russell). 
8 Super Boxers (w John Byrne; a Ron Wilson; 1984).
9 Futurians (w & a Dave Cockrum; 1984).
10 Heartburst (w & a Rick Veitch; 1984).
11 Void Indigo: Prelude to a Revenge (w Steve Gerber; a Val Mayerik; 1984). 
12 Dazzler: The Movie (w Jim Shooter; a Frank Springer). 
13 Starstruck (w Elaine Lee; a Michael Wm. Kaluta; 1985).
14 Swords of the Swashbucklers (w Bill Mantlo; a Jackson Guice). 
15 The Raven Banner (w Alan Zelenetz; a Charles Vess; 1985).
16 The Aladdin Effect (She-Hulk, Storm, Tigra, Wasp; w Jim Shooter; a Greg LaRoque). 
17 Revenge Of The Living Monolith
(Spider-Man, Avengers, FF; w David Michelinie; a Marc Silvestri).
18 The Sensational She-Hulk (w & a John Byrne). 
19 Conan: The Witch Queen Of Acheron (w Don Kraar; a Gary Kwapisz).
20 Greenberg the Vampire (w J. M. DeMatteis; a Mark Badger; 1985).
21 Marada the She-Wolf (w Chris Claremont; a John Bolton). 
22 The Amazing Spider-Man: Hooky (w Susan K. Putney; a Bernie Wrightson).
23 Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa (w J. M. DeMatteis; a Dan Green).
24 Daredevil: Love and War (w Frank Miller; a Bill Sienkiewicz). 
25 Alien Legion: A Grey Day to Die (w Alan Zelenetz, Carl Potts; a Frank Cirocco; 1986). 
26 Dracula:
A Symphony in Moonlight and Nightmares (w & a John J. Muth).
27 Avengers: Emperor Doom (w David Michelinie; a Bob Hall).
28 Conan the Reaver (w Don Kraar; a John Severin). 
29 Incredible Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change (w Jim Starlin; a Berni Wrightson).
30 A Sailor's Story 1 (w & a Sam Glanzman; 1987).
31 Wolfpack (w Larry Hama; a Ron Wilson; 1988).
32 The Death Of Groo (w Mark Evanier; a Sergio Aragones).
33 Thor: I, Whom the Gods Would Destroy (James C. Owsley; a Paul Ryan).
34 Cloak and Dagger: Predator and Prey (w Bill Mantlo; a Larry Stroman).
35 The Shadow: Hitler's Astrologer (w Denny O'Neil; a Michael Wm. Kaluta; 1988).
36 Willow: Movie Adaptation (w Mary Jo Duffy; a Bob Hall).
37 Hercules: Full Circle (w & a Bob McLeod; 1988).
38 Silver Surfer: Judgement Day (Tom DeFalco, Stan Lee; a John Buscema).
Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer (w
Steve Moore; a Steve Dillon).
Arena (w & a Bruce Jones). 
Avengers: Death Trap, the Vault (w Danny Fingeroth; a Ron Lim).
Ax (w & a Ernie Colon). 
Black Widow: The Coldest War (w Gerry Conway; a George Freeman).
Black Widow/Punisher: Spinning Doomsday's Web (w
Dan G. Chichester; a Larry Stroman).
Conan of the Isles (w Roy Thomas; a John Buscema). 
Conan: The Horn of Azoth (w Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas; a Michael Docherty).
Conan: The Ravagers Out of Time (w Roy Thomas; a Michael Docherty).
Conan the Rogue (w Roy Thomas; a John Buscema). 
Conan: The Skull of Set (w
Doug Moench; a Paul Gulacy).
Daredevil/Back Widow: Abattoir (w Jim Starlin; a Joe Chiodo).
Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment (w Roger Stern; a Mike Mignola).
Dreamwalker (w
Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer; a Gray Morrow).
Excalibur: Weird War III (w Michael Higgins; a Tom Morgan, Justin Thyme).
The Inhumans (w Ann Nocenti; a Brett Blevins).
Iron Man: Crash (w & a Mike Saenz).
Ka-Zar: Guns of the Savage Land (w Archie Goodwin; a Howard Chaykin).
Kull: The Vale of Shadow (w
Alan Zelenetz; a Tony DeZuniga).
The Last of the Dragons (w
Dennis O'Neil, Carl Potts; a Terry Austin).
Neuromancer (w
Tom DeHaven, William Gibson; a Bruce Jensen).
Night Raven: The Collected Stories (w Jamie Delano; a David Lloyd).
Night Raven: House of Cards (w
Jamie Delano; a David Lloyd).
Power Pack/Cloak and Dagger: Shelter From the Storm (w
Bill Mantlo; a Sal Velluto).
Punisher: Assassin's Guild (w Jo Duffy; a Jorge Zaffino).
Punisher: Blood on the Moors (w Alan Grant & John Wagner; a Cam Kennedy). 
Punisher: Intruder (w Mike Baron; a Bill Reinhold).
Punisher: Kingdom Gone (w Chuck Dixon; a Jorge Zaffino).
The Punisher: Return to Big Nothing (w Steven Grant; a Mike Zeck). 
Rick Mason: The Agent (w James D. Hudnall; a John Ridgway). 
Rio Rides Again (w & a Doug Wildey). 
A Sailor's Story 2: Winds, Dreams, and Dragons (w & a Sam Glanzman).
Silver Surfer: Homecoming (w Jim Starlin; a Bill Reinhold). 
Someplace Strange (w Jo Duffy; a John Bolton). 
Spider-Man: Fear Itself (w Gerry Conway & Stan Lee; a Ross Andru).
Spider-Man: Parallel Lives (w Gerry Conway; a Alex Saviuk).
Spider-Man: Spirits of the Earth (w & a Charles Vess).
Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (one-shot; w Mark Gruenwald; a Paul Ryan).
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (w
Don Ferguson, Daan Jippes; a Dan Spiegle).
Roger Rabbit: Resurrection of Doom (w Bob Foster; a Dan Spiegle). 
Wolverine: Bloodlust (w & a Alan Davis).
Wolverine: Bloody Choices (w Tom DeFalco; a John Buscema).
Wolverine/Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection (w Archie Goodwin; a Howard Chaykin).
Armageddon and Son (w John Layman; a Dave Dumeer). [From Oni Press: Welcome to the world of international intrigue, Doon Feeney, courtesy of your long lost dad -- an evil spy with plans to destroy the world. Yesterday, your biggest problem was how to pay for a pizza. Today, you're defending against assassins and trying to prevent a nuclear apocalypse.] 
The
Awakening (w Neal Shaffer; a Luca Genovese). [From
Oni Press: Francesca, the only child of an affluent family, is excited
to be attending one of the most prestigious boarding schools in New England.
Unfortunately, things go horribly wrong when shortly after her arrival,
she finds one of her classmates brutally murdered, sending her into a deep
shock, rendering her mute. Even worse, immediately following the tragic
incident, Francesca begins to have visions of which girl will be slain next,
and she is unable to tell anyone about it. Is this a new horror being visited
on the longstanding institution, or is it something much more, going to
the core of the school itself, to an evil that defies description?]
Capote in Kansas (Ande Parks, Chris Samnee). [From Oni Press: Murder. Not intricately plotted “whodunit.” Not fiery passionate fury. But dirty, sad, disturbing actions from real people. That’s what Truman Capote decided to use for IN COLD BLOOD—his bold experiment in the realm of the non-fiction “novel.” Following in that legacy is CAPOTE IN KANSAS, a fictionalized tale of Capote’s time in Middle America researching his classic book. Capote’s struggles with the town, the betrayal, and his own troubled past make this book a compelling portrait of one of the greatest literary talents of the 20th century.]
Cheat
(w & a Christine Norrie). [From Oni Press: The
debut graphic novel from the artist of HOPELESS SAVAGES! Continuing the
tradition of DUMPED, Christine Norrie’s CHEAT is a modern tale of romance
and the failure of love in NYC. Janey and Marc live a hectic lifestyle that
constantly keeps them apart. Then Janey ends up in the arms of another man,
and the façade of a happy relationship the couple has built begins
to crumble around them.] 
Closer
(w Antony Johnston; a Mike Norton). [From Oni Press:
Thirty years ago an experiment went horribly wrong, leaving one dead and
several injured. Project Hermes should have signaled a triumph -- true quantum
teleportation. Instead it was deemed a failure, covered up, and forgotten
by everyone except Graham Butcher. Tonight, Butcher has invited six people
to his home, each with a different connection to his failed trial. Together
they will unleash a darkness, born of a past they all would rather forget.]
Days
Like This (w J. Torres; a Scott Chantler). [From
Oni Press: J. Torres, who used memory to great effect in The Copybook
Tales, now casts his eye back to the early '60s, when pop music ruled the
airwaves. Days Like This follows the formation of "Tina & the Tiaras,"
a new girl group, as they rise up the charts and overcome personal obstacles
to become stars. Featuring stunning art by newcomer Scott Chantler that's
reminiscent of the clean lines of vintage graphic design from the period.]
Dumped
(Andi Watson). [From Oni Press: A brand-new one-shot
graphic novel by the Eisner-nominated creator of Breakfast After Noon. A
girl who collects vintage closes and a boy who loves old books attend the
same party. When he catches her throwing out a box of her possessions, he
discovers she is discarding a book that was one of his favorites as a child.
It becomes a catalyst for them to start talking, but will true love ensue?
Andi Watson brings us a poignant story about things abandoned, feelings
rejected, and what we just can't leave behind. Produced in partnership with
Oni Press and the Turin Biennial, an Italian festival of the arts where
Dumped features as part of the month-long exhibition.] 
Filler
(w Rick Spears; a Rob G). [From Oni Press: John
Dough isn't real. He doesn't matter. He's just the background in other people's
lives. He's just FILLER. John Survives the gritty city on the margins, filling
out police line-ups and selling his plasma to pay his bills. That is, until
Debra Cross (a hooker with a black eye and a sad story) struts into his
life. Before he knows it, John is off, his brass-knuckled fist gleaming,
into a tangled, twisted web of boot-kicking, limb-chopping, triple-crossing
murder!] Book of the Week 4/27/05: [A blind
recommendation, but it comes from the creators of Teenagers From Mars,
so I feel confident.]
F-Stop
(w Antony Johnston; a Matthew Loux). [From Oni Press:
Nick Stoppard is a struggling photographer who just can't seem to make it
in his chosen profession. He's lousy behind the camera and not much of a
businessman. His studio bleeds more money every day and his empty appointment
book isn't helping matters. One night, while trying to soften his harsh
reality with some hard drinking, Nick spots her--Chantel, a Latina goddess
with a bar tab better suited to a table full of sailors than a stunning
beauty. Before Nick even has a chance to lay on his pathetic sob story,
something strange happens. His buddies start talking him up. Before he knows
it, he's no longer a failing photog, but the hottest shutterbug in the City
of Angels and the darling of the L.A. fashion world. It's an impressive,
if not accurate résumé, especially to Chantel, who happens
to be an up-and-coming runway model in need of a flashy film-slinger. What
starts as a harmless barroom exaggeration steamrolls into a series of comedic
and romantic misadventures through the fast-paced, vain, and more than a
little bitchy world of fashion. In a world where image is everything and
models' egos are even bigger than their billboards, does Nick have what
it takes to live up to his legend or is he destined to be exposed, losing
both his career and his girl in the process?]
Gray Horses (w & a Hope Larson). [From Oni Press: Noémie has left her home in France to study abroad. In Onion City there are new friends, new environments, and new loves. There are also vivid visions of life in a different time and in a different place, but more than that, of a different existence. In Noemie's sleep she's not a woman, but a horse.] 
Hysteria
(w & a Mike Hawthorne). [From Oni Press: The
artist of QUEEN & COUNTRY and RUULE busts out in his own action-packed
short story collection! HYSTERIA is just as manic as the name implies. Hawthorne
tells tales of malicious madmen, courageous cops, charming chupa cabras,
and the peculiar Port Asteria they all call home! Featuring pin-ups by Steve
Rolston, Mike Oeming, and more!] 
Hysteria 2: One Man Gang (w & a Mike Hawthorne). [From Oni Press: The city of Port Asteria has its share of problems. Gangs blanket the city with their criminal activities. The Eggs Gang. The Giant Midgets. God’s Thugs. But perhaps the most dangerous of them all is Bruce Lopez. A strange name for crew, it’s true, but “The One Man Gang” is as ruthless and cunning as they come. Can the heroes of P.A. possibly stop him? ] 
Julius
(w Antony Johnston; a Brett Weldele). [From Oni Press:
Julius is the gangster king of the East End and his public persona is
as beloved as it would be were he true royalty. But in private, his generals
conspire to remove Julius for their own selfish gain. This reworking of
Shakespeare's classic tale of betrayal, corruption, narcissism, and violence
gives the play a new power and modern relevance. Expertly updated and skillfully
rendered, JULIUS is a precise stab into the dark heart of comics.]
Last
Exit Before Toll (w Neal Shaffer; a Christopher Mitten & Dawn
Pietrusko). [From Oni Press: Written by Neal Shaffer,
author of ONE PLUS ONE, the 96-page comic book revolves around Charles Pierce,
a man with an average life, including an average family and an average job.
Little does he know that his latest business trip is going to take that
life and shove it to the side. Breaking down in a small town in the middle
of nowhere, he finds himself stranded in a place where no one knows him,
and more importantly, where no one knows he is at. Could this be the break
he was looking for?]
ArtBomb review
Long
Haul (w Antony Johnston; a Eduardo Barretto). [From
Oni Press: It's 1871 and Cody Plummer's prison time is behind him, and
he's having a hard time staying legit. But when Cody hears about a train
carrying $100,000 making its way west, old habits die hard. When he finds
out that the same agent that put him away is in charge of security, he just
can't resist. With the help of some old friends, Cody assembles a crack
team of aging professionals for one last score.] 
Lost
at Sea (w & a Bryan Lee O'Malley). [From
Oni Press: Raleigh doesn't have a soul. A cat stole it. Or that's what
she'd tell people if she told people anything. How did such a shy, weird
girl end up in a car with three hooligans on a cross-country trip? The answer
isn't important, but maybe this crazy caravan will show her what is. From
the artist of HOPELESS SAVAGES: GROUND ZERO.] 
Maria's
Wedding (w Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir; a Jose Garibaldi).
[From Oni Press: Few events exude as much joy as
a wedding, and for the Pirellis these ceremonies mean even more. Pirelli
weddings are about tradition and family - or at least they used to be. When
Joseph Pirelli married Matthew it rocked the clan to its knees. Now a year
later, the tensions between different family factions have turned Maria's
special day into a powder keg. And poor Frankie, Joseph's outspoken brother,
is holding the match.] 
Midnight
Mover (w Gary Phillips; a Jeremy Love, Jeff Wasson).
[From Oni Press: Danny's a washed-up war hero turned escort bodyguard.
Cynthia spends her days wearing a badge and her nights draped in chains
and leather. Her pious partner's a family man with faith. And one murder
is about to send the three of them on a rollercoaster ride through L.A.'s
seedy underbelly!] 
Off-Road (w & a Sean Murphy). [From Oni Press: What do you get when you mix 3 guys, 1 brand new Jeep, and a whole day of trouble? Go OFF ROAD and find out! Greg’s just been given a brand new yellow Jeep by his father, and his best friends Brad and Trent couldn’t be happier. Well, they would be happier if Trent hadn’t just gotten his heart broken, and if Brad hadn’t gotten in a fist fight with his father. Those concerns slip away, however, when they decide to take the Jeep on an off-roading adventure. As they careen through the hills and rivers they feel manly! Powerful! That is, until they get the Jeep hopelessly stuck in a swamp. The story then becomes a desperate struggle to free the Jeep and get out of this swamp that is filled with marauding rednecks, drunken parents, ex-girlfriends, mosquitoes, a looming forest fire, and a crazy mechanic named Joe.] 
One
Bad Day (w & a Steve Rolston). [From Oni
Press: Marie’s had bad days before. You know, just woke up on the
wrong side of the bed. Well, those days are nothing compared to today. She’s
about to be chased, shot at, sexually harassed, and manipulated, and she
doesn’t even know why! Join Marie as she gets to the bottom of her
bad day in the graphic novel from Eisner Award-winner Steve Rolston!]
One
Plus One (w Neal Shaffer; a Daniel Krall). [From
Oni Press: David Coulson has an interesting job. If you're a bad dude,
he makes sure you take the proper fall for your evil deeds. So when he breezes
into a young card sharp's life, know that there are some bad times around
the corner. An impressive debut by two new talents, with chapter art by
POWERS co-creator Mike Oeming.] 
1 Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (w & a Bryan Lee O'Malley). [From Oni Press: Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, in a rock
band, "between jobs," AND dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. Will Scott's awesome life get turned upside-down? Will he have to face Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle? Short answer: yes. Long answer: SCOTT PILGRIM, VOLUME 1.] 
2 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
(w & a Bryan Lee O'Malley). [From Oni Press: Does Scott and Ramona's burgeoning relationship have a future? Isn't
Scott still supposedly dating Knives Chau? Who is Ramona's second evil
ex-boyfriend, and why is he in Toronto? Who are The Clash At Demonhead,
and what kind of bizarre art-punky music do they play? Who's their hot
girl keyboardist, and what is Scott's relation to her? Why are they
Knives Chau's new favourite band? Fights! Drama! Secrets revealed! The
answers to all these questions and more!] 
3 Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness (w & a Bryan Lee O'Malley). [From Oni Press: Ramona’s 3rd evil ex-boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is currently dating the former love of Scott Pilgrim’s life! Envy Adams broke Scott’s heart a year and a half ago. Now she and her evil art-rock band are back, and they’re getting Scott’s band to open a show two days from now! That’s just enough time for Scott to fight Todd, keep Ramona happy, fend off demented ex-girlfriends, and practice that new setlist. Right??] Book of the Week 5/24/06: Is Scott Pilgrim as good as they say? Of course not; how could it be. It's merely very, very good. The premise of this wild, loopy manga-influenced book is simple: over-achieving slacker would-be rock star Scott has a new girlfriend, Ramona. He must battle her Seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends. There's lots of combat. There's lots of rocking. There's even a fair amount of slacking. There's also an ex-girlfriend named Knives. What guy in his right mind would dump a girl named Knives?!? It's all a high-octane, low-danger blast. The perfect comic book? Nope. But it might just be the perfect Scott Pilgrim comic book. 
4 Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (w & a Bryan Lee O'Malley). [From Oni Press: That's right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you're ready because Bryan Lee O'Malley and Scott Pilgrim are back! Well, a couple months have passed since the last time we caught up with our intrepid hero, but what can change in a few short months? Well, not much has... Scott's still living with his roommate Wallace Wells. He's still playing in a mediocre rock band named Sex Bob-omb. And most importantly, he's still dating the lovely Ramona Flowers while working his way through the gaggle of superpowered, superstylish, superevil ex-boyfriends determined to take him down. But something is different. Don't look now, but Scott Pilgrim may actually be getting it together. And it's a good thing, too, because Scott is about to confront Ramona's most intimidating ex yet!] 
Sharknife 1 (w & a Corey Lewis). [From Oni Press: The Guandong Factory isn’t like other restaurants. It’s five stories tall, for one. For two, it’s produces more peach dumplings per day than most eateries do in a decade. For three, it’s the home of Sharknife—a mystical protector charged with protecting the establishment from those who would do it harm! Once just a simple busboy, now Caesar Ives is something more—a crazy red rocket hero destined for greatness! But can Caesar juggle both lives? Nabbing both the girl (the supersexy Chieko Plumbheart) *and* stopping the baddies? Find out in the first fist-pounding volume by Udon Studio’s Corey Lewis (STREET FIGHTER, CANNON BUSTERS #0)!] 
Sharknife 2: Double Z (w & a Corey Lewis). [From Oni Press: Ceasar Hallelujah and friends return in this epic sequel to 2005's Sharknife: Stage First!
Sharknife has fought 100 battles and its time to level up! But at what cost? Will he face
defeat at the hands of his nemesis, Ombra the Orcasword? Who is Daring Hallelujah?
And who are the Scars of Reximus?] 
Spaghetti
Western (w & a Scott Morse). [From Oni Press:
Sometimes in life, you have to go for broke. And when you have nothing to
lose, it can make for some strange bedfellows. Take the modern-day bank
robbers of Spaghetti Western. One is an old man whose clock is ticking under
the weight of a terminal illness. The other is a younger man with no direction,
nowhere to go. The two of them decide that maybe the problem isn't them,
but the life of modern convenience that they live. Where have the cowboys
gone, where are the rebels? Why can't their existence be like those old
Clint Eastwood movies they both love? Armed with vintage outfits and antique
guns bought off the internet, and riding horses stolen from a local Equestrian
center, the duo descend upon a Californian savings and loan ready to take
the rich fatcats for all they're worth. And then the fun begins...]
Spooked
(w Antony Johnson; a Ross Campbell). [From Oni Press:
Emily Spook should be thrilled about her artistic acclaim, but she's terrified.
You see, Emily's head has long played host to ghosts, and the specters would
inspire her to paint. Unfortunately, her guests have disappeared, leaving
her unable to create. Relief comes as she hoped, but is Emily prepared for
a guest sent to an early grave?] 
Three Strikes (w Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir; a Brian Hurtt). [From Oni Press: From the writers of NEW MUTANTS! Every action has an equal reaction. Or that's what we're taught. Rey just learned different. Noah already knew. Rey's a good kid whose made a terrible mistake. Noah's an ex-cop who became a bondsman in a failed attempt to salvage his marriage. One choice is about to send both their lives into chaos.] 
The
Tomb (w Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir; a Christopher Mitten).
[From Oni Press: In 1922, Lord Earl Carnarvon financed
the Egyptian expedition that unearthed King Tut's tomb. While the fact that
the dig gained a reputation for being "cursed" is well known,
Mathias Fowler slipped away into anonymity. Fowler, an American on the team,
had grown obsessed with the Ancient Egyptians and when he returned to the
States it was with several stolen artifacts in tow. Fowler had become so
consumed by the era that when he died, he killed all of his household staff
and had them buried in his mansion with him — a modern day Pharaoh's
Tomb. Almost 60 years after Fowler's death, Jessica Parrish, archeologist
and would-be-Indiana Jones, has been hired to assemble and lead a team into
the house to take back the missing pieces and disable the booby traps that
have already cost one unfortunate group their lives. Can Parrish and her
comrades navigate the elaborate deathtraps with their persons intact or
will the curse of Tut's tomb just add to its mounting body count?
Union
Station (w Ande Parks; a Eduardo Barretto). [From
Oni Press: Kansas City, 1933. Frank Nash is a petty criminal being escort
back into town by train. FBI agent Vetterli heads to Union Station to meet
the convoy, expecting a routine job. Neither does Charles Thompson, a reporter
sent to see what the fuss is for. Unfortunately, what they get is a massacre,
with no one knowing who pulled the trigger first! A true crime story in
the tradition of TORSO and ROAD TO PERDITION.] 
Visitations
(Scott Morse). [From Oni Press: The classic Scott
Morse (SOULWIND) graphic novel finally returns to print! When a woman having
a crisis of conscience enters a church seeking guidance, a kindly priest
uses a newspaper to show her examples of a divine hand guiding our lives.
Only he discovers that humanity is more connected than even he realized,
as her terrible secret comes to light. Presented in sepia-tones, VISITATIONS
is a must-have for any graphic connoisseur.] 
Wet
Moon 1: Feeble Wanderings (Ross Campbell). [From
Oni Press: An unusually usual day-to-day story in the Deep South, set
in the gothic, swampy southern town of Wet Moon, a place fraught with lousy
love lives, teen angst, and shadowy rednecks. As Cleo Lovedrop heads off
for college at the local art school, she's haunted by her melancholic past:
a lost love, a lost child. Friends and enemies live their lives around her,
as trouble and dissent brews amongst them: an unseen social assailant spreads
slander about Cleo, she is forced to deal with her two brusque roommates,
and discovers unsolved mysteries about the girl who lived in her room previously.
Elsewhere, Trilby deals with unsettled emotional and sexual issues, and
keeping her secret habits hidden from everyone. And Audrey comes to the
realization that, despite all her efforts, she always causes her friends
distress, while Fern, a peculiar, deformed girl who lives in an isolated
mansion in the bayous, begins to notice Cleo and her friends. As the moon
grows full and lunar rays shine down, lunacy and moon-calves run free. Goths,
friendship, romance, sex, betrayal, gossip, cats, murder, guilt, a squirrel
monkey, and all the terrible and wonderful things people do to each other.]
Barnum!
In Secret Service to the USA (w Howard Chaykin & David Tischman;
a Niko Henrichon). [From DC Comics: When P.T. Barnum
foils an attempt on the life of President Grover Cleveland, the world's
greatest impresario becomes America's first Secret Agent. Mad genius Nikola
Tesla and a secret cadre of the world's richest men are conspiring to bring
the U.S.A. to its knees. To save the Union, Barnum handpicks a team from
his legendary CONGRESS OF ANOMALIES. SPAN: a teenaged human fly, COL. DYNA-MITE:
a midget strongman, HYPNOSIA: a man-hating mesmerist, PLASTINO: a sword-swallowing
rubber man, PRIMEVA: a Brazilian animal empath, and the legendary Siamese
twins CHANG and ENG. Barnum and his sideshow are America's only hope - in
a three-ring circus of adventure that scorches across the continent!]
Bigg Time (w & a Ty Templeton). [From DC Comics: What do you do when your "guardian angel" just happens to hate you and is determined to ruin your life? That's what happens to Lester Bigg in BIGG TIME, an original graphic novel from VERTIGO. It's a hilarious dark comedy from the twisted mind of cartoonist Ty Templeton! For more information, see the feature article.] Cool Book that Rob's Pimping Just Because 8/14/04
Cairo (w G. Willow Wilson; a M. K. Perker). [From DC Comics:
Written by breakout talent G. Willow Wilson, a Cairo-based journalist, and drawn by renowned illustrator M.K. Perker, the original hardcover graphic novel CAIRO is action-adventure that brings the ancient and modern Middle East together with a Vertigo twist! A stolen hookah, a spiritual underworld, and a genie on the run change the lives of five strangers forever in this modern fable set on the streets of the Middle East's largest metropolis!
This magical-realism thriller interweaves the fates of a drug runner, a down-on-his luck journalist, an American expatriate, a young activist, and an Israeli soldier as they race through bustling present-day Cairo to find an artifact of unimaginable power, one protected by a dignified jinn and sought by a wrathful gangster-magician. But the vastness of Africa's legendary City of Victory extends into a spiritual realm - the Undernile - and even darker powers lurk there?] 
Can't Get No (w & a Rick Veitch). [From DC Comics: Corporate exec Chad Roe had the "perfect" modern life. But the trophy wife, the prestigious job and the pills have always threatened to overwhelm him, and things go from bad to ugly when one night of debauchery hits the sobering light of September 11, 2001. Comics iconoclast Rick Veitch writes and illustrates a graphic novel as singular in its execution as it is in the events it portrays. Half the height of a standard comic, told in landscape format with over 350 pages of story, Can't Get No features Veitch inventing a poetry unique to the medium to tell the story of a man and nation torn by tragedy. Reeling from the financial collapse of his business, Chad Roe descends into a night of depravity, only to wake up a "marked" man literally his body covered in a permanent tattoo. But Chad will be only one of the many whose lives are forever changed after that Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001. Instead of picking up the pieces, he takes to the road, heading straight into the shell-shocked heart of America on a desperate search for salvation.] Other Book of the Week 6/14/06: I don't know enough about this to recommend it unreservedly. The preview that has been released consists entirely of people reacting to 9/11. Given that Rick Veitch is one of the more interesting writer-artists out there, I assume there is a whole lot more to it than that, and wish that the preview had given a better sense of the book's nature. But while Veitch is sometimes just too far out there for me, I've often admired the quirky intelligence of his work, and strongly suspect that this book (which, from the preview, seems less irreverent than his usual mode) will kick serious butt.
The Cowboy Wally Show (w & a Kyle Baker). [From DC Comics: Kyle Baker's 1988 cult classic is re-presented in a handsome softcover edition. THE COWBOY WALLY SHOW examines the career of TV and film's most notorious figure, a man who gleefully foists all manner of unscrupulous, unwholesome and downright unhealthy diversions upon his audience.
] 
Dog Moon (w Robert Hunter; a Timothy Truman). [From
DC Comics: Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and artist Timothy Truman (JONAH HEX: TWO GUN MOJO, RIDERS OF THE WORM AND SUCH) join forces to execute haunting work of staggering emotional power and artistic excellence in DOG MOON, a Prestige Format VERTIGO one-shot. DOG MOON is at once a horror story, a love story and a lyrical epic — the account of a truck driver who, like the mythic Charon on the river Styx, transports the "just dead" to the place awaiting them. On one such run, the trucker spots a dead woman named Tess and falls inexplicably in love with her. Tormented by his sadistic friend Red Jack, menaced by vicious winged creatures, witness to the Blind Sea disgorging a legion of dead souls upon the Beach of Bones, the trucker narrates his strange ordeal with an eerie yet eloquent voice — the same one that helped make the Grateful Dead one of the most hypnotic and enduring rock bands in history. Perfectly mated to Truman's haunting painted visuals and the lettering of SANDMAN calligrapher Todd Klein, DOG MOON is a startling, exquisite work as moving as it is disturbing.] 
The Fountain (w Darren Aronofsky; a Kent Williams).
[From DC Comics: Darren Aronofsky proved himself
a filmmaker to watch with his provocative debut, Pi. His follow-up, Requiem
for a Dream, continued the accolades, receiving Golden Globe and Academy
Award nominations. His latest accomplishment, however, comes straight to
comics in the form of The Fountain, a gorgeously painted, oversized original
graphic novel about the timeless truths of life, love and death. Working
with acclaimed painter Kent Williams (Blood: A Tale, Destiny: A Chronicle
of Deaths Foretold), The Fountain crisscrosses through three distinct time
periods: in 1535, during an ancient Mayan war; the present day, following
one doctor’s desperate search for the cure for cancer; and the far
future, through the vast exotic reaches of space. Interweaving these three
periods, THE FOUNTAIN follows Tomas — warrior, doctor, explorer —
as he feverishly tries to beat death and prolong the life of the woman he
loves. A story so grand, one medium couldn’t contain it, Aronofsky
is also shooting a feature film version of the story for New Regency and
Warner Bros. Pictures starring Tony award- winning actor Hugh Jackman (The
Boy from Oz, X-Men, Van Helsing) and acclaimed actress Rachel Weisz (Constantine,
The Mummy, The Constant Gardener). But before he did, the filmmaker wanted
The Fountain to be realized in the unique storytelling power and artistic
beauty of the graphic novel. Together, Aronofsky and Williams deliver what
might be considered the ultimate director’s cut.] 
God Save the Queen (w Mike Carey; a John Bolton). [From DC Comics: GOD SAVE THE QUEEN is a new hardcover that reunites acclaimed writer
Mike Carey (CROSSING MIDNIGHT, LUCIFER) with renowned fantasy painter
John Bolton (FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL, THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: THE
FURIES). Bolton’s lush palette perfectly captures both the lurid underbelly of modern London and the haunting elegance of Faerie in a dark, compelling tale of decadence and desire that echoes the epic scope of BOOKS OF MAGIC and THE SANDMAN.
Set in both North London and the Faerie kingdom, GOD SAVE THE QUEEN tells the story of a rebellious teenager who falls in with a group of slacker faeries. She discovers that for faeries, the ultimate rush is Red Horse, a drug made from heroin and human blood. It’s a dangerous high, and when she gets hooked she’s drawn into a civil war that becomes a struggle to the death between Queen Titania and her predecessor, Queen Mab.
Don’t miss this imaginitave, thought-provoking collaboration from two acclaimed creators!] 
Hell Eternal (w Jamie Delano; a Sean Phillips). [From
DC Comics: A goth. A gun. A femme fatale. A white supremacist commando
wannabe. What sick twist of fate brings them all together, turning three
intelligent young Brits into neo-Nazi sociopaths on the run and shot to
death in heartland U.S.A.? An ugly tale of brutal obsession, Hell Eternal
charts this disaffected trio's spiraling descent from a sordid love triangle,
through paramilitary internet intrigue, and into a conspiratorial and dangerous
world from which there is not way out, alive.] 
House on the Borderland (w Richard Corben & Simon Revelstroke; a Richard Corben). [From DC Comics: A timeless classic oft-read and reread since its initial publication in London in 1908, The House on the Borderland , by William Hope Hodgson, blends science fiction, fantasy and occult horror in a potent mix. Now comics legend Richard Corben, long recognized in the field as an innovator and delineator of cosmic horror, and long-time collaborator Simon Revelstroke bring their considerable passion and graphic expertise to this stunning adaptation of this ageless horror classic. Featuring an introduction by comics legend Alan Moore that offers an appreciation of Hodgson's contribution to the horror pantheon, and an original framing sequence that taps a contemporary vein, The House on the Borderland is a must-read for true connoisseurs of the horror genre - offering a phantasmagoric tour of the razor-thin line between fantasy and reality, life and sleep, hope and death.] 
I Die at Midnight (w & a Kyle Baker). [From
DC Comics: On New Year's Eve, a would-be suicide reconsiders and must
find an antidote and rebuild his failing romantic relationship before the
ball drops at midnight, courtesy of Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Kyle
Baker.] 
I,
Paparazzi (w Pat McGreal; a Stephen John Phillips & Steven Parke).
[From DC Comics: This hallucinatory, psychological
thriller recounts one night in the life of "Monster" McGowran,
one of New York City's paparazzi. A night that takes a left turn into weirdness
when he's beaten to a pulp by the bodyguards of an inscrutable young movie
star. But when Monster plans his revenge, he accidentally uncovers something
strange, horrifying and not meant to be discovered.] 
In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe (w Jonathan Scott Fuqua; a Stephen John Phillips & Steven Parke). [From DC Comics: When a journal purported to be written by Edgar Allan Poe falls into the hands of Poe scholar Sterling Tuttle, the voice of the long-dead author reaches out from beyond the grave to give a chilling account of his tortured life. Haunted by the ghosts of his tragic past and the burden of relentless alcoholism, Poe soon finds that his creativity may depend on actual demons that have an unsavory agenda of their own…] 
Incognegro (w Mat Johnson; a Warren Pleece). [From DC Comics: Writer Mat Johnson (HELLBLAZER: PAPA MIDNITE), winner of the prestigious Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction, constructs a fearless graphic novel that is both a page-turning mystery and a disturbing exploration of race and self-image in America, masterfully illustrated with rich period detail by Wareen Pleece (THE INVISIBLES, HELLBLAZER).
In the early 20th Century, when lynchings were commonplace throughout the American South, a few courageous reporters from the North risked their lives to expose these atrocities. They were African-American men who, due to their light skin color, could "pass" among the white folks. They called this dangerous assignment going "incognegro."
Zane Pinchback, a reporter for the New York-based New Holland Herald barely escapes with his life after his latest "incognegro" story goes bad. But when he returns to the sanctuary of Harlem, he's sent to investigate the arrest of his own brother, charged with the brutal murder of a white woman in Mississippi.
With a lynch mob already swarming, Zane must stay "incognegro" long enough to uncover the truth behind the murder in order to save his brother - and himself. He finds that the answers are buried beneath layers of shifting identities, forbidden passions and secrets that run far deeper than skin color.] 2/6/08 
Kill Your Boyfriend (w Grant Morrison; a Philip Bond & D'Israeli).
ArtBomb review
King
David (w & a Kyle Baker). [From DC Comics:
A simple farmer's son, David begins his ascension to greatness by murdering
wild animals that threaten his father's herd and defeating the aptly named
Goliath in a fight to the death. Jealous of David's growing popularity,
King Saul continually attempts to have the upstart assassinated to no avail.
When Saul dies heirless, David is suddenly handed the crown. But he soon
learns that with his great power comes great temptation. This accurate and
irreverent retelling of the biblical tale of the boy who grows into a king
shines a bright light on some very dark secrets in the life of David.]
Lovecraft
(w Hans Rodionoff, Keith Giffen; a Enriqué Breccia).
[From DC Comics: The Necronomicon. Cthulu. A town called Arkham populated
by bizarre and insane monstrosities. These icons of horror were envisioned
by one man: Howard Philips Lovecraft. But were these visions of horror only
in his mind, or could he see into a world that couldn’t be seen? His
story is told in February’s LOVECRAFT, an original VERTIGO hardcover
graphic novel penned by screenwriter Hans Rodionoff (Clive Barker Presents
Saint Sinner), adapted by comics legend Keith Giffen, and exquisitely painted
by acclaimed Argentinian artist Enriqué Breccia (BATMAN: BLACK AND
WHITE). From his bizarre childhood, when his mother would dress him as a
girl, to his adult days, when he would meet Harry Houdini, Lovecraft was
haunted by grotesque visions. He dedicated his life to writing blood-boiling
“fictional” tales, all in an attempt to appease his living nightmares.
But that obsession would take its toll. His parents both sent to asylums
and his loving wife driven away, Lovecraft would spend most of his life
as a recluse, his only company being his demons and the occasional visit
to his publisher. Some called him insane. Some called him a genius. Either
way, the story of America’s greatest horror writer is a tale as haunting
as the demons that plagued him.] 
Menz Insana (w Christopher Fowler; a John Bolton).
Mr.
Punch (w Neil Gaiman; a Dave McKean). [From DC Comics:
A young boy confronts family secrets, strange puppets, and a world of violence
and betrayal at a seaside arcade.] 
Mystery
Play (w Grant Morrison; a Jon J. Muth). [From
DC Comics: When the actor portraying God in a Renaissance festival is
murdered, the prime suspect is the actor playing Satan, and a small English
village is slowly torn apart from within. Into this turbulent situation
comes a detective who isn't what he seems.] Old Book of the Week
5/2/04
ArtBomb review
Orbiter
(w Warren Ellis; a Colleen Doran). [From DC Comics:
Renowned writer Warren Ellis (THE AUTHORITY, PLANETARY) teams up with indie
fave Collen Doran (A Distant Soil) to produce a hardcover graphic novel
that explores man's relationship with the last unexplored frontier: space.
When a space shuttle missing for a decade zooms back to Earth with seemingly
alien modifications and a missing crew, three specialists cheated out of
their dreams of spaceflight are the only ones who can unravel the mysteries
behind the bizarre situation.] Old Book of the Week 2/23/05:
[Another Ellis space-travel geek-out, this one drawn by
the under-rated and over-talented Colleen Doran, about a space shuttle that
disappeared a decade ago, and has now mysteriously returned. If the thought
of getting in a rocket and heading away from Earth—for real—makes
you weak in the knees, both of these books (Orbiter and Ministry
of Space) are a must for you.]
The
Originals (w & a Dave Gibbons). [From DC Comics:
THE ORIGINALS. When they walk, they look cool. When they ride, they drive
fast. And when they hate, they fight — brutally. One of comics’
most esteemed names, Dave Gibbons (co-creator and artist of WATCHMEN and
Give Me Liberty) arrives at VERTIGO to deliver an original hardcover graphic
novel he’s been waiting his entire life to write and draw. Lel and
Bok — two best friends — want nothing more than to join the Originals,
the top gang on the streets. Through them, they'll meet the high-speed world
of hover scooters, all-night clubs, and, for Lel, the girl of his dreams.
But with the fast life comes tough foes, and tribal loyalty will teach them
the unforgettable meaning of unforgivable loss. Neither a science-fiction
story nor set in a mundane reality, THE ORIGINALS takes place in a world
both familiar and strange, where the young are angry, loyal and fight for
what they believe in. And the only thing more important than who your friends
are is who your friends hate.] Book of the Week 10/27/04
Pride of Bagdad (w Brian K. Vaughan; a Niko Henrichon). [From DC Comics: From one of America's most acclaimed comics writers - a startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War inspired by true events.
In his award-winning work on Y: THE LAST MAN and EX MACHINA (one of Entertainment Weekly's 2005 Ten Best Fiction titles), writer Brian K. Vaughan has displayed an understanding of both the cost of survival and the political nuances of the modern world. Now, in this provocative graphic novel, Vaughan examines life on the streets of war-torn Iraq. The experience is made all the more evocative by the lush, spectacular artwork of Niko Henrichon (BARNUM!).
In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives. In documenting the plight of the lions, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD raises questions about the true meaning of liberation - can it be given, or is it earned only through self-determination and sacrifice? And in the end, is it truly better to die free than to live life in captivity?
Based on a true story, Vaughan and Henrichon have created a unique and heartbreaking window into the nature of life during wartime, illuminating this struggle as only the graphic novel can.] 
Sentences (w Percy Carey; a Ronald Wimberly). [From DC Comics: Underground rap icon Percy Carey tells the true story of his life in the “Hip-Hop Game” — the dizzying heights and heartbreaking losses — in the raw and brutally honest hardcover graphic novel memoir SENTENCES: THE LIFE OF M.F. GRIMM. In SENTENCES, Carey chronicles his life in the sometimes glamorous, and often violent, hip-hop industry; from the first time he picked up a microphone at a block party as a youngster, to the day he lost the use of his legs to gang violence, to his incarceration, and eventually, to his self-reinvention and rise back to the top of his game, becoming a Hip-Hop Grand Master and being placed among the pantheon of the culture. No questions are left unanswered and no apologies are made, resulting in what’s sure to be a groundbreaking graphic novel.
Joining Carey is up-and-coming artist Ronald Wimberly (LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER: PAPA MIDNITE covers), who breathtakingly illustrates this gritty tale of righteous redemption. If what you know about hip-hop is the flashy cars and voluptuous women that music videos try to sell, be prepared to experience the real side of the industry that only someone who has survived the rise, fall, and rise again, can tell. ] 
Silverfish (w & a David Lapham). [From DC Comics: Multiple Eisner Award winner David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Murder Me Dead, DETECTIVE COMICS) brings his unique brand of stark crime noir and dark, gritty realism to SILVERFISH, an original hardcover graphic novel replete with betrayal, double lives and family annihilators that will plunge itself into your gut and keep twisting until its bloody conclusion.
What starts as a childish prank for her father's affection turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse for 16-year-old Mia when she discovers her beautiful new stepmom Suzanne's secret possessions: an address book, a stash of money and a knife caked in blood.
Mia makes the fateful mistake of phoning Daniel, a murderer from Suzanne's past, who believes he's possessed by a demonic silverfish. And at midnight, on the boardwalk of a sleepy seaside town, Mia's survival will depend not only on whether Suzanne is good or evil, but whether Mia can find out which before Daniel reaches them...] 
Sloth (w & a Gilbert Hernandez). [From DC Comics: From Gilbert Hernandez, the award-winning co-creator of Love & Rockets — the series that defined alternative comics — comes SLOTH, Hernandez's first original graphic novel, presented in breathtaking black and white by Vertigo.
Troubled teenager Miguel Serra becomes a walking urban legend after he wills himself into a coma and wakes up one year later virtually unchanged — except for his sloth-like pace.
Discover how a haunted lemon orchard, a mysterious goatman and murder collide as Miguel, his girlfriend Lita and their friend Romeo take on the teenage wasteland of suburbia.
Will it be love or rock-and-roll suicide? Find out in SLOTH, a surrealistic romantic drama in the spirit of David Lynch that takes the art of sequential storytelling to new heights in its use of light and shadow.] 
Stardust (w Neil Gaiman; a Charles Vess). [From DC Comics: In a Victorian-era tale of magic and romance, young Tristran Thorn falls in love with the town beauty and must go on an incredible coming-of-age journey in order to capture her heart. Living in the small countryside town of Wall, one night Tristran vows to his beloved to retrieve a fallen star that they witnessed crashing down from the heavens. Now to gain his love's hand, he must leave behind his home and embark on a journey that will define the meaning of true love. Told through breathtaking painted illustrations, this fairytale for adults is a true masterpiece in storytelling.] 
Tell
Me, Dark (w Karl Wagner, John Ney Rieber; a Kent Williams). [From
DC Comics: Michael Sands' lover has disappeared without a warning or
an explanation. Now he searches for his missing lover to discover the reason
behind their separation and the mysterious last night they spent together.]
Toxic Gumbo (w Lydia Lunch; a Ted McKeever).
Undercover Genie (w & a Kyle Baker). [From DC Comics: A one-of-a-kind collection of Kyle Baker's musings and ruminations on the pitfalls of relationships, the absurdity of cultural assimilation, and much, much more.
] 
Veils
(w Pat McGreal; photographs Stephen John Phillips; Digital art José
Villarrubia; painted art Rebecca Guay). [From DC Comics:
Brimming with eroticism and intrigue, VEILS incorporates computer-manipulated
photography and lushly painted art to tell the story of Vivian Pearse-Packard,
who, newly married to the abusive, alcoholic son of a British ambassador,
finds herself in an exotic land thousands of miles from her home and family.
Vivian embarks on a sensual journey of self-discovery as she visits the
Sultan's palace and is invited to enter that most forbidden of places: the
harem. Is the lure of the forbidden worth the ultimate price?] 
Vertical (w Steven T. Seagle; a Mike Allred & Philip Bond).
[From DC Comics: Get ready for the special that’s half the width
of a normal comic, but double the excitement — VERTICAL, the final
book in VERTIGO's tenth anniversary in a special format. Taking the comics'
format into VERTIGO territory, VERTICAL measures 3 1/4” wide by 10
1/4” tall, and — to heighten the "falling" nature of
the story, opens vertically. A groovy script by Steven T. Seagle (SUPERMAN,
HOUSE OF SECRETS, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE) falls perfectly in line with
the fabulous pop art of Mike Allred (X-Statix, Madman, THE SANDMAN) and
Philip Bond (VERTIGO POP: LONDON, THE INVISIBLES). Creatively and thematically,
VERTICAL encapsulates the VERTIGO ideal from its gutsy, anarchic subject
matter to its experimental format. In an era of free love where everyone
was looking to get horizontal, VERTICAL tells the story of Brando Bale,
Zilly Kane and…Andy Warhol? Brando is a handsome 21-year-old daredevil
riddled with cuts and bruises, and a mysterious past that compels him to
leap off the world's tallest structures in an attempt to find answers to
the big questions. Zilly Kane is a young, white-haired fashionista climbing
the celebrity ladder of 1960s Manhattan to find fame and fortune. Their
paths cross one wild week in 1965 at Andy Warhol's infamous Factory studio.
Will Brando pull Zilly down as he falls toward his fate, or will Zilly lift
Brando up as she ascends to hers? Political and social commentary of 1960s
America juxtapose with not-so-dissimilar contemporary issues: global regional
conflicts, nations in unpopular wars, racial conflicts, declining economies,
fascination with fame, and art in upheaval are woven into VERTICAL. Two
wild hearts…one crazy format…and a story about falling in love
from very high places.] 
Why
I Hate Saturn (w & a Kyle Baker). [From DC
Comics: Cranky Columnist Anne Merkel is only happy when she's complaining...about
her editors, about being single in New York City, about running out of Scotch.
But when her long-lost sister shows up claiming to be Queen of the Leather
Astro-Girls of Saturn, Anne's going to wish she'd never complained about
anything...] 
You
Are Here (w & a Kyle Baker). [From DC Comics:
Noel Coleman's got it made. He has a successful career, a house in the country,
and a wonderful girlfriend. He's also been lying like crazy about his secret
past. Until now. Within a day of returning to New York City to sell his
apartment, Noel's being chased by the cops and stalked by a serial Killer.
To top it off, his unsupecting fiancee's followed him to the city with a
big suprise. Will he finally tell her the truth? And will eiher of them
survive the experience? This critically-praised, visually dazzling graphic
novel earned Writer/Artist Kyle Baker a Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist
- Humor.] 