SPOTLIGHT ON NEW RELEASES :: JUNE 27
It’s only been a few days since we wrapped up our huge HeroesCon 30th Anniversary, but rest assured, there are plenty of great new books hitting shelves this week. We’ve been humbled by the many kind words so many of you (attendees, vendors and creators) have shared with us about your HeroesCon experiences this year. We hope you had a great time, and hope you’re already looking forward to HeroesCon 2013 (June 7-9, 2013) as much as we are!
1) David Mazzucchelli Daredevil Born Again Artist Edition HC
IDW has repeatedly blown us away with their amazing Artist Editions, and this week’s Born Again may be one of the best. If you haven’t yet seen these books, they reprint the original artist’s pages in their actual dimensions, so you’re not only able to see specific techniques they used, but can really appreciate the skill that goes into the creation of these classic stories. It’s yet another reminder of how incredible a cartoonist David Mazzucchelli was and still remains.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ horror-noir story finally sees its first collection this week. The single issues represented here have all gone to multiple printings, and for good reason. This book continues to be a fine addition to the duo’s catalogue of quality crime comics. If you missed any of the single issues, it’s well worth picking this one up.
This new hardcover collects several stories from cartoonist Kevin Huizenga. Most of these previously appeared in Huizenga comics like Or Else, but there are some extras in here as well. Huizenga is an interesting cartoonist who manages to combine philosophical musings on the mundane with an art style that is both accesible and complex at different points.
4) The Lovely Horrible Stuff HC
Most of you know cartoonist Eddie Campbell for his work on From Hell and his groundbreaking autobiographical Alec comics. In recent years he’s continued to expand his already extensive catalogue with books like The Playwright and The Fate of the Artist. In this new book from Top Shelf, Campbell examines money, how it has worked in different societies, and how it changes for people over time. It should be another solid comic from an always thought-provoking cartoonist.
5) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III Century #3: 2009
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill offer up their latest League story this week. It’s definitely worth a look, if for no other reason than to see how the creators bring the League into more recent history. Sure, Alan Moore is controversial at times, but it’s hard to deny the storytelling employed in the League books.
> Bonus Picks of the Week: Spider-men #2, Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1, Superman Family Adventures #2, Batman Incorporated #2, Star Wars: Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead #3, Joe Sacco’s Journalism HC.
This past round of League books, 1910,1969, and 2009, has been extraordinary. This volume has come across as Moore’s statement on the nature of fiction; how fiction is shaped by the environment, the notion of dreamspace, etc. It’s been a really good ride and I think this is easily one of Moore’s best and most accessible books in a long while. Well worth the read.