If you didn’t ever expect to see comics writing star Garth Ennis launching a Kickstarter program, you surely never expected to see him do it…for a kids’ book. But that’s exactly what is happening for a project calledERF, a sort of Finding Amoeba, featuring four lovable creatures plucked from the primordial ooze to find a better way of life:

ERF is the story of four friends at the dawn of time; Figwillop, KWAAAH!, the Booper, and Erf himself, and their adventures in the primordial world of long ago. The four take their first nervous steps out of the ocean and onto the shore, and are soon exploring the exciting new lands beyond. But danger lurks in the prehistoric jungle, and soon our heroes come face to face with the mighty and terrifying Colossux . . . An evolutionary tale of love and loyalty for children aged four and up.

The book is drawn by Rob Steen, illustrator of Rickey Gervais’s children’s series Flanimals, winner of the UK’s Galaxy Award for Best Children’s Book. Obviously, working with both Gervais and Ennis makes Steen the go-to-guy for making children’s fantasies that include dwarf kicking and exploding heads palatable.

We kid. In an email, Steen explained that although the book has some publisher interest they wanted to keep creative control, hence the move to self publishing.

ERF’s funding goal is $12,000 and it’s already up to nearly $2k, so go get in on some premiums.

DC has released it’s book schedule for Vertigo for the fall, including two originals, one yet to be announced

– THE PRINCE OF CATS by Ron Wimberly. Judging by his tumblr for the project, it an updated take on Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET starring Tybalt.

– FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND by Bill Willingham, Jim Fern, Craig Hamilton and Ray Snyder. This was originally announced in 2009 and delayed from 2011 for a year. The story involves Bigby Wolf’s quest for a new location for Fabletown.

Other exciting elements: SPACEMAN deluxe, DEATH deluxe and the first collections of the newish ongoings SAUCER COUNTRY and DOMINIQUE LAVEAU.

Vertigo titles coming in September 2012:

100 BULLETS BOOK THREE HC
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Collects: 100 BULLETS #27-37
$49.99 US, 512 pg

AMERICAN VAMPIRE VOL. 3 TP
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Rafael Albuquerque, Sean Murphy and Danijel Zezelj
Collects: AMERICAN VAMPIRE #12-18 and AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST #1-5
$16.99 US, 288 pg

AMERICAN VAMPIRE VOL. 4 HC
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Jordi Bernet and Rafael Albuquerque
Collects: AMERICAN VAMPIRE #19-27
$24.99 US, 208 pg

THE PRINCE OF CATS HC
Writer/Artist: Ronald Wimberly
Original graphic novel
$22.99 US, 144 pg

SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING BOOK 2 TP
Writer: Alan Moore
Artists: Shawn McManus, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben and Ron Randall
Collects: SWAMP THING #28-34 and SWAMP THING ANNUAL #2
$19.99 US, 224 pg

SCALPED VOL. 10: TRAIL’S END TP
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: R.M. Guera
Collects: SCALPED #56-60
$14.99 US, 128 pg

Vertigo titles coming in October 2012:

DEATH DELUXE EDITION HC
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Chris Bachalo, Mark Buckingham, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran, Dave McKean, P. Craig Russell, Jeffrey Jones and others
Collects: DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING #1-3, DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE #1-3, THE SANDMAN #8 and 20, DEATH TALKS ABOUT LIFE, THE DEATH GALLERY, and stories from THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS, VERTIGO: WINTER’S EDGE #2 and SEPTEMBER 11 VOL. 2
$29.99 US, 320 pg

HELLBLAZER: THE DEVIL’S TRENCHCOAT TP
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artists: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Landini and Gael Bertrand
Collects: HELLBLAZER #283-291
$16.99 US, 200 pg

SPACEMAN DELUXE EDITION HC
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Collects: SPACEMAN #1-9 and a story from STRANGE ADVENTURES #1
$24.99 US, 224 pg

SWEET TOOTH VOL. 5: UNNATURAL HABITATS TP
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt
Collects: SWEET TOOTH #26-32
$14.99 US, 160 pg

THE UNWRITTEN VOL. 6: TOMMY TAYLOR AND THE WAR OF WORDS TP
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Peter Gross, M.K. Perker, Vince Locke, Dean Ormston, Gary Erskine, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Rick Geary, Bryan Talbot and Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Collects: THE UNWRITTEN #31-35 and 31.5-35.5
$16.99 US, 240 pg

Vertigo titles coming in November 2012:

THE ANNOTATED SANDMAN VOL. 2 HC
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Annotations: Leslie S. Klinger
Artists: Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Kelley Jones, P. Craig Russell, Matt Wagner, George Pratt, Dick Giordano, Stan Woch, Bryan Talbot, Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Duncan Eagleson, Vince Locke and John Watkiss
Collects: THE SANDMAN #21-39
$49.99 US, 616 pg

FABLES DELUXE EDITION BOOK 6 HC
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Jim Fern, Mark Buckingham, Shawn McManus, Jimmy Palmiotti, Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy
Collects: FABLES #46-51
$29.99 US, 224 pg

FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND HC
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Jim Fern, Craig Hamilton and Ray Snyder
Original graphic novel
$22.99 US, 144 pg

FAIREST VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning
Collects: FAIREST #1-6
$14.99 US, 144 pg

A FLIGHT OF ANGELS TP
Writers: Holly Black, Bill Willingham, Alisa Kwitney, Louise Hawes and T.D. Mitchell
Artist: Rebecca Guay
Original graphic novel
$17.99 US, 128 pg

HELLBLAZER VOL. 4: FAMILY MAN TP NEW EDITION
Writers: Jamie Delano, Dick Foreman, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman
Artists: Ron Tiner, David Lloyd, Dave McKean, Kevin Walker, Mark Buckingham, Sean Phillips, Steve Pugh, Dean Motter and Mark Pennington
Collects: HELLBLAZER #23-33
$19.99 US, 288 pg

RETURN TO PERDITION TP
Writer: Max Allan Collins
Artist: Terry Beatty
Original graphic novel
$14.99 US, 192 pg

THE SANDMAN VOL. 10: THE WAKE TP NEW EDITION
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Michael Zulli, Jon J Muth and Charles Vess
Collects: THE SANDMAN #70-75
$19.99 US, 192 pg

SAUCER COUNTRY VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artists: Ryan Kelly and Goran Sudzuka
Collects: SAUCER COUNTRY #1-6 and a story from STRANGE ADVENTURES #1
$14.99 US, 144 pg
Vertigo titles coming in December 2012:

DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
Artists: Denys Cowan, Don Hudson and John Floyd
Collects: DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD #1-6 and a story from THE UNEXPECTED #1
$14.99 US, 144 pg

iZOMBIE VOL. 4: REPOSSESSION TP
Writer: Chris Roberson
Artists: Michael Allred and J. Bone
Collects: iZOMBIE #19-28
$19.99 US, 224 pg

NORTHLANDERS VOL. 7: THE ICELANDIC TRILOGY TP
Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Paul Azaceta, Declan Shalvey and Danijel Zezelj
Collects: NORTHLANDERS #42-50
$16.99 US, 200 pg

SMILE! is the new WATCHMEN.

I said it.

Raina Telgemeier’s tale of middle school self-esteem continues to sell and sell and it’s a beloved story to the kids who read it. It’s been on the NY Times Best Seller list for 12 weeks, on and off.

2012 sees Telgemeier’s next book, DRAMA and it’s another bullseye to the interests of middle-schoolers, dealing with the ever popular school play. On her blog, she just released the cover and it looks like another winner.

DRAMA comes out in September.

Vertigo has confirmed the details of the graphic novel version of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy: as previously leaked, Denise Mina will write the adaptation, with art by Leonardo Manco and Andrea Mutti. The cover is by Lee Bermejo — definitely in the style of the Vertigo crime line.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO graphic novel will arrive in November. The book has already been adapted into a Swedish film/TV series and a US film. All three existing versions have various story tics, and very different takes on Lisbeth Salander, the enigmatic heroine who loves Billy’s pan pizza and computer hacking. Mina’s take is worth watching as she’s a veteran crime writer on her own as well as a comics reader (and writer). We’re curious to see how she tweaks the story.

“We’re thrilled to be adapting this incredible story into a series of graphic novels,” stated Karen Berger, executive editor, Vertigo. “Denise, Lee, Leonardo and Andrea have such great passion for the material and stylistically they’re a perfect match to bring it to comics life. Their beautifully dark and visceral work will certainly blow us all away.”
 
Scottish writer Denise Mina is the acclaimed author of DECEPTION and FIELD OF BLOOD, and is considered a leading international crime fiction novelist. Mina has also written for Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER series and most recently, she wrote A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY graphic novel, also for Vertigo. 
 
Lee Bermejo is fresh off the critical and sales success of graphic novel BATMAN: NOEL, a New York Times best-seller and follow-up to the 2008 hit JOKER. Bermejo has also worked numerous comic series including Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER and the Vertigo Crime graphic novels, among others.
 
Argentinean artist Leonardo Manco has worked extensively on Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER comic, while Italian artist Andrea Mutti first worked with Vertigo on graphic novel THE EXECUTOR, and then worked on the imprint’s popular DMZ comic series. 

Courtesy of Diamond, we’ve been posting their top sales charts for 2011 today (more are coming) — but one question keeps coming up. Diamond releases charts for both “Indie” publishers and “Small” publishers. What is the difference? When you see Random House — the world’s biggest publisher — on Diamond’s “Small” chart, it seems paradoxical. Well, Diamond has provided us with some definitions.

“Independent” means a non-premier publisher, so anything outside Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image or IDW would be on these charts. These five publishers are all in the front of Diamond’s catalog and enjoy many other privileges.

“Small Press” is defined by Diamond as publishers outside the top-10 bestselling publishers over the previous six months. “By offering these breakdowns of the bestselling small press comics and graphic novels, a spotlight is shown on these publishers, affording them recognition for their strong sales in a crowded marketplace,” explained a Diamond spokesman.

If you noted the Top Ten publishers list we posted earlier, you’ll see that “Small” would include D&Q, Fantagraphics, Pantheon, Oni, Legendary…publishers who all had bestsellers in 2011. Comparing the top 500 to the top 250 chart is an interesting business.

As we’ve mentioned here several times, there have been no more important graphic novels published in this century than PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi and FUN HOME by Alison Bechdel. Both found large audiences well beyond the traditional ones for comics, and both have become oft-imitated — but never duplicated — by book publishers trying to cash in on the “graphic novel” trend. (The number of graphic autobiographies exploring ethnic roots alone is staggering.)

2012 will see the debut of Bechdel’s followup — ARE YOU MY MOTHER. As FUN HOME dealt with Bechdel’s difficult relationship with her closeted father, ARE YOU MY MOTHER is about, well, her mom. Here’s the blurb:

Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel’s childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter goodnight, forever, when she was seven. Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers concerning the mother-daughter gulf. It’s a richly layered search that leads readers from the fascinating life and work of iconic twentieth-century psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, to one explosively illuminating Dr. Seuss illustration, to Bechdel’s own (serially monogamous) adult love life. And, finally, back to Mother—to a truce, fragile and real-time, that will move and astonish all adult children of gifted mothers

.
While this book has received scant attention in the online comics world, while we were working on another project we noticed that it has a 100,000 print run planned by publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. That’s a pretty daring number for a sophomore literary writer, and one of the biggest ever for a GN. Dark Horse famously had a 100,000 print run for their Janet Evanovich project — a number that didn’t turn out so well and resulted in tons of returns. Dav Pilkey’s OOK ‘N’ GLUK had a print run of 1 million, however, and that did just fine. We’re sure that Torsten will be along in the comments presently to supply any examples we have forgotten.

Whatever happens, it’s an impressive number for a graphic novel and shows a lot of faith in Bechdel’s ability and readership. Of course, given her evocative writing style and clean, keenly-observed cartoons, it’s a faith that should be merited.

“I think a solid core of high-selling mainstream-y genre comics would be nice, but it really hasn’t happened (except for arguably the manga phenomenon, and I don’t get the impression that the success of manga has bled back into non-manga comics) and “art comics” have achieved enough big successes now (Persepolis in particular) that we may be stuck with the image of book-sized graphic novels as being serious literary work… or archival collections of initially mainstream work that have since acquired the patina of art. (It’s weird to see the Onion AV Club list reprints of comic strips like Peanuts and Popeye in their “art comics” review section given that these strips were originally read by an audience two or three orders of magnitude larger than whoever is reading the “mainstream” comics. But that’s one of the paradoxes of culture for you.) I don’t think American comics will ever have a Stieg Larsson or Stephen King. I know even Art Spiegelman is now pining for more vulgar, populist fare to shake out some of the graphic novel stuffiness (which he realizes he himself is to a large degree responsible for!) but it may just not be in the cards. We may be stuck with comics as art.”
–Fantagraphics co-publisher Kim Thompson in a thorough, similarly frank, and informed interview at The Comics Reporter

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Lots of odds and ends, worth a look!  These are titles which are either from small publishers, or from the outer reaches of the graphic novel universe!  For simplicity’s sake, all links direct to BarnesAndNoble.com.  [This is where I invoke the Fight Club rule, where I can not talk about where I work, nor talk for where I work.  Move along, nothing to see, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, that's not the droid you're looking for.]

Click on the titles for more information, and tell us what you like!

__________________________________________________________________________

Chicken Fighter Pocket Manga

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Driver for the Dead, Volume 1

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Dark Swan: Storm Born, Volume 1

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Boondock Saints, Volume 1: In Nomine Patris

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Holy Terror

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Jake the Dreaming

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Happiness Is a Warm Puppy: The Deluxe Edition

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Red Rascal’s War: A Doonesbury Book

[e-book available]
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100 Sexiest Women in Comics

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Matthew Thurber: 1-800-MICE

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After Twilight: Issue #1

[A new publisher, their website is here.]
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Beaucoup Arlo and Janis: Selections from 25 years of a unique American comic Strip

[A new publisher.  Authors' website is here.]
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James Jarvis: De Profundis

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Yuichi Yokoyama: Color Engineering

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Bully!: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt: Illustrated with More Than 250 Vintage Political Cartoons

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Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods (TP)

Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods (HC)

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The Best of Action [delayed?]

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Miss Don’t Touch Me: Complete Set

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The Wild Swans

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The Graphic Novel Classroom: POWerful Teaching and Learning with Images

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Dorse and Doose Book 1

[New publisher.]
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C.F.: Sediment

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TOXICITY, Volume 1: Welcome to Eleven City

[New publisher.]
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Romeo and Juliet: The War

[New publisher, debuted at New York Comic Con.]
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Germ Warfare

[New publisher!]
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Billy Tucci’s A Child Is Born

[New publisher!]  [iBook edition available.]
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Picket Line

[New publisher! Xeric Award winner!]
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The Pendulum

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Tech Watch

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Jane’s World, 10th Anniversary Edition

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Wayward Sons: Holiday Special 2011

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Plight of the Wild Geese

[E-book available.]  [A publisher of Irish history graphic novels.  Previews available.]
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Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword

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Careers in Focus: Comic Books and Graphic Novels

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RASL, Romance at the Speed of Light

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Phoney Bone Plush Doll

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Smiley Bone Plush Doll

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Fone Bone Plush Doll

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Bone: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Edition (Slipcase)

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Bone: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Edition (Collectors Set)

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The Blue Dragon

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HIV Stand Up for Human Rights

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Sherman’s Lagoon   e-book editions!

$0.99!  For a month’s worth of comic strips!  January 2001 – June 2001 issues are available, as EPUB editions.  I suspect these are wholesale editions, available to content providers to format and sell on their websites.  I couldn’t find any information at the King Features website.
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Heaven All Day

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The Justice League of America 100 Project (TP)

Justice League Of America 100 Project (HC)

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Robin Hood: People’s Outlaw and Forest Hero: A Graphic Guide

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HABIBI is definitely one of the year’s most puzzling books — despite being the followup to a beloved classic from a favorite creator, the reception has been quite mixed. Matthias Wivel is one of a trio of reviewers — Domingos Isabelinho and Ng Suat Tong are the other two — known for applying the most stringent possible personal standards to comics in their criticism. Thus, seeing Wivel come to the defense of HABIBI at The Hooded Utilitarian is a bit of a surprise — but he makes an unexpected point. Running down a host of critical beatdowns administered on that site over stereotypes and gender issues, he says that “parts of the comics intelligentsia seem to be developing an unhealthy obsession with ideological readings of comics.”:

I am not necessarily denying that the works in question, or indeed comics history more broadly, are haunted by such issues, nor am I arguing against choosing them as an avenue of criticism — Nadim Damluji’s examination of Habibi is a good example of a considerate approach, while Noah’s obliteration of certain recent DC books offers righteous polemic. The problem, rather, is that such criticism is often informed by a kind of ideological Puritanism that has gained traction in our current culture of taking offense — a Puritanism often blind to aesthetic quality, resistant to uncomfortable discourse, and prone to censorious action.

In the case of Habibi, it seems to me facile and unproductive to harp for too long on its sexism and Orientalism. Yes, it offers both and it suffers from it, but why does that have to be the full story? It is simultaneously, and obviously, a book so generous in intent and so voracious of ambition, that such criticism risks coming off as petty and, more importantly, ends up lacking in resonance.

But that’s as far as the defense goes, as he also takes HABIBI to task for the one thing that everyone seemed to like: even though the tropes were irksome and the storytelling was labored at times…GODDAM IT WAS BEAUTIUFLLY DRAWN — at least in the sense of Craig Thompson’s incredible mastery of line and pacing.

That isn’t enough for Wivel for the book to overcome its inherent melodrama:

The implied complexity of her emotion as she finally proposes a sexual union with her former charge Zam, after many years of separation, is for example undermined entirely by a banal progression from surprise to pity and doubt that simultaneously overstates and flattens the plea for redemption we are supposed to feel. Doughboy Zam’s evasive maneuvers and flitting baby eyes — supposedly a reckoning after years of denying his sexuality to the extent of self-castration — is not any more persuasive.

I would throw back at Wivel that an artist who is able to draw a succession of emotions like surprise, pity and doubt has something on the ball, but I get his argument. I found HABIBI amazing but flawed — the doubling back in time and space felt more like slack plotting. But the visual splendor — and emotional resonance from this splendor — has an undeniable power. as I read the book, almost every panel seemed to be the very incarnation of the things shown — as if there were no other way to draw it. Thompson is the master of the sympathetic line.

I’m not certain how much Wivel wanders from the path of comics intelligentsia into the forest of comics blogs and newssites, but should he ever decide to go pick some flowers on the way to his grandmother’s house, he’ll find that ideological criticism growing like kudzu. Is this an obsession or focus? The best comics are no longer looked at just as “junk entertainment.” They’re expected to contribute to the cultural dialogue—and sometimes they do. Telling the story of HABIBI with crappy drawing would have made it slow going, indeed. It’s the art that elevated it to be worthy of higher discussion.

Amazon has the deets on GET JIRO!, the graphic novel brainstormed by master chef Anthony Bourdain, co-written with Joel Rose and drawn by Langdon Foss. it sounds a little like our dream of an American version of IRON WOK JAN has finally come true.

In a not-too-distant future L.A. where master chefs rule the town like crime lords and people literally kill for a seat at the best restaurants, a bloody culinary war is raging.

On one side, the Internationalists, who blend foods from all over the world into exotic delights. On the other, the “Vertical Farm,” who prepare nothing but organic, vegetarian, macrobiotic dishes. Into this maelstrom steps Jiro, a renegade and ruthless sushi chef, known to decapitate patrons who dare request a California Roll, or who stir wasabi into their soy sauce. Both sides want Jiro to join their factions. Jiro, however has bigger ideas, and in the end, no chef may be left alive!

Anthony Bourdain, top chef, acclaimed writer (Kitchen Confidential, Medium Raw) and star of the hit travel show, No Reservations, co-writes with Joel Rose (Kill Kill Faster Faster, The Blackest Bird) this stylized send-up of food culture and society, with detailed and dynamic art by Langdon Foss.

The past decade may have been the graphic novel decade but some comics observers dreamed of the crowning moment of comics PR as Oprah Winfrey holding up a copy of Gilbert Hernandez’s LUBA as a selection of her book club—a Winfrey book club pick rountinely meant mllions of copies sold, so you can see why it would have been the crowning moment of mainstream acceptance for comics. Sadly, that moment never came, as Oprah canceled her syndicated show to focus on her own network. But while comics might not get that instantaneous boost, at least Oprah.com has picked a few GNs as part of an article entitled
11 Books You Never Thought You’d Read (but Will Fall in Love with Instantly):

Like most of us, you’ve probably heard of graphic novels—but haven’t read too many. Here are 10 new titles (plus one classic) that make you think, feel and daydream just like any other book.

The list includes works by Lynda Barry, “Andres Nilsen” (BIG QUESTIONS— good pick, Oprah!) and FEYNMAN by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick. But as Johanna Draper Carlson (who we got this item from) pointed out the rest of the list wasn’t even graphic novels:

The rest tend towards illustrated poetry (several volumes), a travelogue, art inspired by a novel, and illustrated Craigslist personal ads. There’s a distinct lack of story in these selections, as though a comic, a fully integrated combination of words and images, is still scary. I know that the audience for this list is very different from the usual comic reader, but I get the feeling someone thought it was better to stick with familiar subjects with illustrations than include too many “real” comic works.

The commentary on each book is equally “beginner friendly”:

Graphic biographies are different from regular biographies. They don’t list as many specific details or facts. They don’t go into as much depth or history. But they are, in general, easier and more fun. This quality encourages you to pick them up, even when they’re about people many readers haven’t heard of…like Richard Feynman, a genius in the field of quantum electrodynamics who worked with Einstein and Oppenheimer.

Okay that was an easy one. So now write up Lynda Barry:

One of the most moving and emotionally direct forms of the whole graphic genre is the memoir⎯in part because it allows for all kinds of inventive approaches to telling life stories, such as using the drawings to show how people look and feel to the writer (a huge, tall, monstery dad, for example). It also helps to have thoughtful, deeply poignant writing, which is exactly what you’ll find in Lynda Barry’s What It Is.

Okay you passed. Now BIG QUESTIONS, a 500 page book about talking birds:

Big Questions is just what a novel should be, if by novel we mean a very long story that creates an entire imaginary universe that involves us so deeply that we begin to think of ourselves as characters within it. The book is 585 pages long (not including appendixes), a number that might seem overwhelming in a traditional format. In this case, you’ll finish in two days, not only because graphic novels contain a lot less text but also because you’ll race through the first time, desperate to figure out the big stuff, only to turn around and reread it in order to figure out all the little stuff you missed.

The writers seem to be on firmer ground with the non-graphic novels, where they don’t have to explain why these genres work at all.
Although the whole well-meaning list smacks of an intern on her lunch break, it does make The View look like Newsarama where comics are concerned.

Scottish novelist/playwright Denise Mina has been chosen to adapt the Millennium Trilogy into comics, it was revealed in The Scotsman. Known as a purveyor of “Tartan Noir,” Mina already has solid comics cred, having written a year’s worth of HELLBLAZER and A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY for the Vertigo Crime line.

The GN adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s hugely successful books, starring investigator/hacker Lisbeth Salander, were announced back in October — to be published by DC’s Vertigo imprint — but no further details have been released. The first book in the comics adaptation will be out in March — each novel will be split into two GNs for a total of six books.

Mina said she was “delighted” to have been chosen to refashion the books for a new audience. “There are going to be six graphic novels, two for each book. It will take two to three years and it just means I will be writing comics when I’m not writing novels.”

[snip] Mina is the author of nine novels with strong female characters, including Field of Blood, which was recently adapted into a television drama by the BBC, and she is also a bestseller in Sweden. She said she was a great admirer of the Larsson novels but planned to make the character of Salander tougher and less attractive.

Well, that should be interesting!

The late author Larsson was apparently a comics readers, and one of his family members said he would have approved of the adaptation.

Larsson’s books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. A Swedish film trilogy based on the books was an international hit; the US version, directed by David Fincher and starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig, is due to open on December 21.

By Todd Allen

Back in August, DC released the “TALES OF BATMAN: GENE COLAN VOL. 1” hardcover book. This book reprints Batman #340, 343-345, 348-351 and Detective Comics #510, 512, 517, 528 and 529. As we see a trend towards naming collections of a title by the creator(s),we come across a little glitch.  When collecting the a run exclusively by artist, the story sometime suffers.

That’s not to say this book is mislabeled.  Batman by Gene Colan is exactly what it is.  The thing is, this is an art book.  The time period collected in the book, roughly late 1981 through 1983 is an interesting period in the history of DC.  Marv Wolfman and George Perez had already struck gold with New Teen Titans.  Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen started their collaboration on Legion of Super-Heroes.  Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo launched Batman and the Outsiders.  Things were starting to turn around a little.  Marvel creators were starting to come over.  Gerry Conway had been at DC for a while.  Roy Thomas had arrived and was doing things like All-Star Squadron and Arak (which never captured the Conan audience it was intended to).  Doug Moench would arrive at the end of this period.  And, of course Gene Colan.

Colan’s initial batch of work included some Batman, Wonder Woman, The Phantom Zone (a Superman mini-series with Steve Gerber) and Night Force (a horror series with Marv Wolfman that never captured their Tomb of Dracula audience).  This book is a collection of Colan’s Batman.  The thing is, it isn’t a linear collection.  Possibly some of the skipping around was due to the variety of books Colan worked on for DC.  Possibly some of it being his work coming out in blocks.

For the most part, this book collects the Gerry Conway era of Batman.  In that time frame, Conway wrote both Batman and Detective Comics.  The art chores were a little bit of a bullpen.  You had Don Newton, Gene Colan, some Irv Novick, Dan Jurgens, Dan Day, Curt Swan and so forth.  Don Newton was really the most constant and artists would swap between books.

Storywise, sometimes you’d have stories that stayed in Detective or Batman.  Sometimes they ran through both books.  Regardless, the plentiful subplots ran through both.

In many ways, Batman of this era was similar to how Spider-Man has been run in recent years.  And this makes picking up just the Gene Colan issues a strange thing to read.  The second story in the book is a Poison Ivy tale from Batman #344.  It wraps up a story that started in Batman #339 (a Conway story drawn by Novick) and had been running in the background for 4 issues in between.  Subplots jump around.  First there’s a mayoral election, which gets partially resolved in what’s reprinted.  Suddenly Commissioner Gordon is pushed out of office outside the scope of these stories.  There’s a subplot of the Human Target taking Bruce Wayne’s place as Deadshot stalks Wayne that is resolved in issues not reprinted.  The introductions of Harvey Bullock and Jason Todd are events that take place in between reprinted issues.  The final issue is the beginning of Doug Moench’s Thief of the Night and Nocturna cycle, which probably has enough material for a collection of it’s own.

It’s not as though you’re getting unresolved main plots.  You also get a 4-part Conway/Levitz collaboration reworking the Monk villain from the very early days of Detective Comics and involving voodoo and vampires.  You also get a lot of Gene Colan art under a variety of inkers like Alfredo Acala, Dick Giordano and Tony DeZuniga.  It has a slightly different flavor to it than the Tom Palmer inks Colan is so strongly associated with.

If you look at this as an art book, as a Gene Colan sampler, this book is exactly what you’re looking for and you’re likely to be pretty happy with it.  If you pick this up looking for a complete story, you’re likely to be scratching your head a little.  A story collection would be Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway with a lot of Don Netwon art added, among others.

Ironically, the upcoming Tales of the Batman: Don Newton looks to sidestep this reading order problem, opting for a self-contained earlier run from Detective (with some League of Assassins material that has some historical resonance, pending whether it exists post-New 52 reboot) and some Brave and the Bold Material.

Our review copy of THE NEW 52, the $150, 1216-page collection of EVERY SINGLE NEW 52 #1 issue has arrived. Future uses: pressing flowers, anchoring papers during hurricane. This thing is HEAVY. And big. We’ve shown it here next to a cup of coffee for size reference.

Meanwhile, James Robinson is on Twitter drumming up support for the non-New 52 SHADE which is selling badly and in danger of cancellation. Which, if it had been a New 52 book, would probably be selling as well as BATWING or OMAC.

The Graphic Classics line of comics anthologies has been around for over a decade without getting much attention the comics world — but in libraries, they love these thoughtfully produced collections of comics adaptations of single authors or themes. And here’s a neat idea that comics haven’t really covered before: early black authors such as Florence Lewis Bently, Charles Chestnutt, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. Editor Lance Tooks has rounded up a fine slate of cartoonists for the adaptations, including Kyle Baker, Afua Richardson, Christopher Priest and Trevor von Eeden.

Worth a look:

Eureka Productions is pleased to announce the release of African-American Classics: Graphic Classics Volume 22, the newest volume in the Graphic Classics® series of comics adaptations of great literature.

African-American Classics presents comics adaptations of great stories and poems by America’s earliest black authors, illustrated by contemporary black artists. The volume is co-edited by Tom Pomplun and Lance Tooks, a longtime contributing artist to the series. “This is an unprecedented opportunity to expose young readers of all races to a group of brilliant American authors who’ve never been adapted into the comics medium, interpreted by some of our industry’s top talent,” states Lance.

This volume presents stories including “Two Americans” by Florence Lewis Bentley, “The Goophered Grapevine” by Charles W. Chesnutt, “Becky” by Jean Toomer, two short plays by Zora Neale Hurston, and six more tales of humor and tragedy. Also featured are graphic interpretations of eleven poems, including Langston Hughes’ “The Negro,” Claude McKay’s “America,” and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Sympathy.”

The comics adaptations and illustrations are by some of the best black talent in the comics and illustration fields today, including Kyle Baker, Alex Simmons, Christopher Priest, Afua Richardson, Trevor Von Eeden, Jeremy Love and Milton Knight.

The Graphic Classics series presents the works of great authors in comics adaptations and heavily-illustrated text. The adaptations are written at an adult level, and utilize as much of the author’s original language as possible. Our goal is to create books that are enjoyable for adults, yet accessible to children ages twelve and up. Graphic Classics are available in bookstores and comics shops nationally, or direct from the publisher, Eureka Productions at http: ⁄ ⁄ www.graphicclassics.com. Libraries and schools can order from Diamond Book Distributors, Baker & Taylor, Ingram, Follett or other distributors.  

The Graphic Classics series:
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: EDGAR ALLAN POE  (978-0-9825630-0-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (978-0-9746648-5-9)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.G. WELLS  (978-0-9746648-3-5)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: H.P. LOVECRAFT  (978-0-9746648-9-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: JACK LONDON  (978-0-9746648-8-0)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AMBROSE BIERCE  (978-0-9787919-5-7)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: BRAM STOKER  (978-0-9787919-1-9)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: MARK TWAIN  (978-0-9787919-2-6)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON  (978-0-9746648-0-4)
HORROR CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Ten  (978-0-9746648-1-1)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: O. HENRY  (978-0-9746648-2-8)
ADVENTURE CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Twelve  (978-0-9746648-4-2)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: RAFAEL SABATINI  (978-0-9746648-6-6)
GOTHIC CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fourteen  (978-0-9787919-0-2)
FANTASY CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Fifteen  (978-0-9787919-3-3)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: OSCAR WILDE (978-0-9787919-6-4)
SCIENCE FICTION CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Seventeen  (978-0-9787919-7-1)
GRAPHIC CLASSICS: LOUISA MAY ALCOTT (978-0-9787919-8-8)
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Nineteen (978-0-9825630-1-4)
WESTERN CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume Twenty (978-0-9787919-9-5)
EDGAR ALLAN POE’S TALES OF MYSTERY: Graphic Classics Volume 21 (978-0-9825630-2-1)
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CLASSICS: Graphic Classics Volume 22 (978-0-9825630-4-5)