Monday 26 June 2017

Diamond Preview Picks: June 2017

Tim here, filling in for a poorly Travis Pelkie, with a selection of picks from the latest Diamond Previews catalog for the discerning Cerebus reader (or basically all the comics I would buy if I had an unlimited budget). I realise Travis would have done a much better job, so lets all wish him a speedy recovery for next time! Visit Travis at Atomic Junk Shop for a wider (and probably much better) selection of reading recommendations. To see your comics featured here or at the Atomic Junk Shop feel free to send an email to Travis at: atomicjunkshoptravis [at] outlook [dot] com. 


Batvark #1
by Dave Sim & Sandeep Atwal
Ardvark-Vanaheim, $4.00
In stores: 30 August 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN171076

The publisher says:
Two-part "Secret Origin of Batvark"; "Batvark's Credo" and finally an answer to "Is Batvark a Homophobe?" Plus reprints of the earliest Cerebus in Hell? online strips (6/24/16 to 6/30/16): first appearance of Fredric Nietzsche; King Solomon writes his lawyer; Literalistic Limbo; first appearance of Jingles, the world's greatest collector of CGC-graded Dog Comics; Avengers movies remade with an all-Kardashian sister cast; Life With Archie Civil War; and more! 


Border Worlds
by Don Simpson
Dover Books, $29.95
In stores: 16 August 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN171635

The publisher says:
With her life in chaos and nothing left to lose, Jenny Woodlore joins her brother's ramshackle trucking business on Chrysalis, a huge floating platform on the edge of the galaxy, only to find herself in the middle of a cosmic conflict that could alter the very fabric of the universe. A dark and visionary adventure, Don Simpson's epic Border Worlds is now available in a single, hardcover volume, gathering the back-up features first published by the Kitchen Sink Press in issues #6 to #10 of Megaton Man as well as its own self-titled series and the one-shot Border Worlds: Marooned. Simpson has also added an all-new chapter that finally brings his acclaimed work to a long-anticipated conclusion. Afterword by legendary comics artist, editor, and publisher Stephen R. Bissette. 

Stephen R. Bissette says in his afterword:
...Border Worlds was launched as a back-up series in Megaton Man 6-10 (October 1985-June 1986), and they were odd companions, to say the least: Megaton Man was a spry, flamboyant, playful, upbeat parody of the dominant comic book genre (superheroes), where as Border Worlds was aloof, adult, dark and often despairing in tenor, tone, and narrative, a definite change of pace. It was also where Simpson wanted to go with his work at the time. "I decided to test the waters with Border Worlds as a back-up feature," Simpson says, "especially when Marvel's lawyers sent us a threatening letter over the alleged unfair use of their trade marks (as if anyone would confuse a two-dollar comic with a sixty cent comic in those days!). Anyway, I found my bank of Megaton Man ideas depleted around the time Kitchen Sink Press decided to end Megaton Man with issue ten and continue Border Worlds as a moody black-and-white series"...


Howard The Duck
by Steve Gerber & many others
Marvel, $34.99
In stores: 20 September 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN171066

The publisher says:
Howard the Duck's classic adventures conclude in this riotous volume! First, Howie and Bev face the geriatric menace of the Grey Panther, and do that voodoo that they do so well! But will a Christmas miracle show Howard it's a wonderful life - or quite the opposite?! He'll win a fortune - and lose a fortune! There will be animal antics with the Gopher and...Spider-Ham?! And Howard will join She-Hulk as they wrap their heads around the Cosmic Squish Principle! Plus: Two Spider-Man team-ups for the price of one! But what the heck are the Elf with a Gun and the Circus of Crime doing here? Waaaugh! Collecting HOWARD THE DUCK MAGAZINE #8-9, MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #96, HOWARD THE DUCK (1976) #32-33 and SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK #14-17 - plus material from BIZARRE ADVENTURES #34, MARVEL TALES (1964) #237 and SPIDER-MAN TEAM-UP #5.

Tim says:
This collection features the infamous Spider-Man Team-Up where Howard The Duck creator, Steve Gerber, "kidnapped" his creation, leaving Marvel with a clone of Howard and a hollow trade mark. The fascinating full story is explained here...


The Visitor: How & Why He Stayed
by Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson & Paul Grist
Dark Horse, $19.99
In stores: 4 October 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN170030

The publisher says:
In 1944 Hellboy was conjured in a ceremony meant to give Hitler the ultimate occult weapon. Fortunately, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm was there to witness and to guide Hellboy to become the world's greatest paranormal detective. But Bruttenholm wasn't the only witness to Hellboy's arrival. This collection reveals the aliens who monitored Hellboy's arrival, and why the assassin they sent to Earth stayed his hand. Collects The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1-#5 and the The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed short story from Hellboy Winter Special 2017.

Paul Grist said:
...I really don't think people realise how much Dave Sim actually changed the way things are done in comics. Cerebus was the first comic (as far as I know) that collected single issues into trade paperbacks as a way of keeping the issues in print. A lot of other people producing their own comics are only there because Dave Sim showed that self publishing was not a vanity option, but a practical viable way for a creator to get their work out to their readers. Okay, so there's been an awful lot of rubbish produced in the name of self publishing over the last 20 years, that's not Dave's fault - but there's a lot of good stuff out there that wouldn't be there is Cerebus hadn't shown it was possible. I first saw Jim Valentino's work in the back of Cerebus. Without Cerebus there probably wouldn't be Bone. Or Strangers in Paradise. It's probably not stretching the point to say there wouldn't even be an Image...


Bernie Wrightson Artifact Edition
by Bernie Wrightson
IDW, $125.00
In stores: 18 October 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN170552

The publisher says:
Bernie Wrightson began his career in the late 1960s, just barely out of his teens, and within a decade rose to prominence as the preeminent horror artist of his generation. This loving tribute to comics' Master of the Macabre will showcase Wrightson's ground breaking work in the DC Comics Mystery books and his legendary artistic turn on Swamp Thing. Additionally, we have assemble a number of rarely seen and completely (until now) unseen treasures.


Sketch Magazine #47
featuring Colleen Doran
Blue Line Art, $6.95
In stores: 30 August 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN172325

The publisher says:
This issue of Sketch takes a look at comics creator Colleen Doran... from working on creator-owned projects like A Distant Soil, to working for mainstream publishers. Sketch continues to teach with numerous "how-to" instructionals from tried-and-true industry talents, and is packed with penciling, computer coloring, and marketing tips to help you become an artistic rising star. Great information, inspiration, and fun!

Colleen Doran said:
Cerebus was the most important book of the self publishing movement, and Dave Sim is the single most important person in the history of the creator rights movement. Everybody else who contributed is much appreciated, but no one was a more outspoken - or original - advocate.


Sartre
by Mathilde Ramadier & Anais Depommier
NBM, $27.97
In stores: 30 August 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN171803

The publisher says:
For some he was the philosopher of existentialism. For others the constant provocateur, the politically engaged author, the uncertain militant, the repenting bourgeois, the life companion of Simone de Beauvoir. From his first readings in the Luxembourg Garden to his refusal of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Jean Paul Sartre was all of this at the same time. 


Grosz
by Lars Fiske
Fantagraphics, $19.99
In stores: 6 September 2017
Diamond Order Code: JUN171681

The publisher says:
George Grosz (1893-1959) was a German fine artist, cartoonist, and teacher who drew from pop culture, was active in the Dada and New Objectivist movements in post WWI Berlin. Lars Fiske's graphic biography channels the exuberance and fascination with line that typified Grosz's work and is a far cry from the plodding pedantry of the graphic hagiographies that earnestly clutter library shelves; it's a work of art in its own right. 


 More Diamond Previews picks at Atomic Junk Shop's regular Flippin' Through Previews column.

8 comments:

A Moment Of Cerebus said...

...and I'm always eager to know what comics YOU would recommend here in the comments.

My top comics purchase this month (actually my only comics purchase this month) was the fantastic volume one of Munoz & Sampayo's "Alack Sinner" from IDW. It must be nearly 30 years since I first read this in RAW magazine, and now finally, IDW will collect it's entire run in a two volume set. The first volume is 380 pages of stunning, moody, back and white art depicting the seedy underbelly of New York life. The back cover blurb is from Tom Spurgeon: "One of the hundred great comics of the Twentiieth Century and one of the ten all time best drawn." Forget all those comics listed above -- buy this instead!... (apart from Batvark #1 of course).

Carson Grubaugh said...

The Sartre and Grosz ones look interesting!

Travis Pelkie said...

Looks like you did a good job, Tim (I'm not dead yet, and I better recover soon!).

Only thing I would point out further re: the Howard the Duck one is that if they include all the art, I believe that Dave did a frontispiece for one of the magazine issues included in this collection. So there's that.

Tony Dunlop said...

Well, I'm not one for being up on the latest releases, but my most recent trip to a comic shop resulted in two magnificent volumes from Fantagraphics:

"50 Girls 50 and other stories," a hardcover B&W volume of EC sci-fi stories drawn by Al Williamson;

Volume 3 (1941-42) of the hardcover, oversized Complete Prince Valiant.

Both are, as the saying goes, to kick the bucket for.

A Moment Of Cerebus said...

Re: Alack Sinner -- Don't take my word for it, here's TCJ.com today:

"Alack Sinner Vol. 1 (of 2): The Age of Innocence: WARNING – this may or may not show up at your local store this week, even if you know it’s coming. Diamond does not have it down for release, but Midtown Comics appears convinced that it’s coming to NYC, at least, which usually means it’s gonna show up in a fair number of stores. Keep your eyes peeled, because you *totally* do want to check this out if you can – the 1975 creation of the Argentina-born duo of artist José Muñoz and writer Carlos Sampayo, Alack Sinner enjoyed a profound creative development over the years, transforming from an elusive and stylish detective comic into an altogether expressive document of time, space and emotion. For a while, Muñoz exerted significant influence over North American artists like Frank Miller and Keith Giffen, while Sinner stories were notably published in the Fantagraphics anthology Prime Cuts (#4, 1987) and an eponymous oversized comic book series (five issues, 1987-90); however, much was left untranslated. This 8″ x 11″, 392-page IDW softcover will go a ways toward redressing that, its format based on a 2007-08 two–volume Casterman edition in France which organized the material by in-story chronology rather than production order, although my understanding is that the English translation is premised on a new Spanish-language edition from Salamandra Graphic released earlier this year. Many delays on this one, but it may well be worth it; $29.99."

http://www.tcj.com/this-week-in-comics-62817-booklets-are-my-beat/

Travis Pelkie said...

Diamond did update their list to include it for this week, apparently since that piece was written. But did you get it before this week, Tim? Interesting if it made it across the pond first....

"significant influence over...Keith Giffen". Yeah, that's one way of putting it....

Obviously they're going to promote themselves, but to not even mention RAW? Well.

A Moment Of Cerebus said...

Got it Monday via... umm... Amazon.

Sorry Page 45 and Gosh Comics.

A Moment Of Cerebus said...

And here's Tom at The Comics Reporter today:

"This strikes me as a smaller week in terms of title of interest, but a significant one in terms of the level of that interest. An Alack Sinner collection is about as good as surprise discoveries at the comics shop may get. Tight stories, funny and wise, magnificently drawn. I read them and then I go back and stare at them."

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/this_isnt_a_library_new_notable_releases_into_the_direct_market062817/