Hi there folks. Here are a few of the more interesting comics that are scheduled to ship to The Beguiling Books & Art in Toronto, Canada this week. These books may not show up at all retailers at the same time, but if you see a title here it’s probably at least worth asking your local retailer about. Oh, and the full list of what’s shipping is underneath the cut at the bottom of this post. There are like, 200+ line items this week! Yowzers.
APR074059Â DEATH NOTE VOL 12 TP (C: 1-0-0)Â 7.99
If you’re not so much a fan of the manga, you probably don’t differentiate the series DEATH NOTE–by creators Ohba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi and published under Viz’s Shonen Jump line–from the rest of the avalanche of titles that are dropped onto comic and book stores every week. No less than 42 brand new manga titles this week, speaking of which. But that really is a shame, as DEATH NOTE is a stand-out work in the field. It’s certainly not perfect, and no one is going to hold it up and compare it to NEW TALES OF OLD PALOMAR #2, also out this week, as a superior work. But DEATH NOTE is a sterling example of excellent comics for a mainstream audience, the middle ground that everyone and their dad is shouting from the rooftops that the comics industry needs more of. DEATH NOTE is what Warren Ellis has been talking about for years, and what Kim Thompson was getting at, in his way, in that little essay about “crap” he wrote a while back. The series has a great high-concept (a notebook which will kill anyone who’s name is written in it), just enough sci-fi fantasy to have widespread appeal, attractive young characters, beautiful art, and an actual considered aesthetic that’s carried throughout the project. Oh, and every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, making it as addictive as crack.
DEATH NOTE ends on volume 12 this week (there is a 13th volume which acts as a guidebook to the series, but the narrative wraps up here) and I think it will easily enter the pantheon of great, lasting series that will define manga as a category as appealing to more than the 12-18 set. Literally anyone I’ve introduced the series to at The Beguiling has come back for more, and if you want to add something really good to your stack of comics this week, see about picking up the first volume for yourself. You’ll curse me for it, 12 volumes and $96 later. 🙂
(Also of Note: Ever the opportunists, the Shonen Jump people had the smart idea of launching 2 new mature-themed series today, hoping to hook the readers who are buying their final Death Note’s. GIN TAMA is a considerably more supernatural version of BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, while STRAWBERRY 100% is… apparently about cute girls or something, I dunno. Out of my frame of expertise.)
JAN071929Â PHONOGRAM VOL 1 RUE BRITANNA TPÂ 14.99
I got lost on this series 3 issues in, partly because it started to hit some shipping delays and partly because, despite our best efforts, we kept selling out of the floppies on this supernatural exploration of britpop music. PHONOGRAM picked up readers seemingly with every issue, and our sales and sell-through just kept increasing as the series progressed. I’ve heard almost no word of the series’ overall quality, but at least in terms of sales, the customers–including many new faces–kept showing up right through to the end.
Next time though, guys? Any chance of a cover design where the logo is visible over the top half of the book? It kind of makes racking a bitch.
APR071850Â REPO #1 (OF 5)Â 3.50
After a detour into a zombie-filled old west, creators of TEENAGERS FROM MARS Rick Spears and Rob G. are back with a new limited series from Image Comics featuring an AKIRA-style setting and repo-men versus an army of sex-clones named Wendy. It sounds like a hoot, and promises lots of mayham and exploding set-pieces, which is both refreshingly honest and will look great, if their past work is anything to go by.
MAY073126Â YOTSUBA MANGA VOL 4 TPÂ 9.99
Hah, apparently fan-whinging does accomplish something. The much beloved children’s series gets a new lease on life, which is a victory for charming, funny comics everywhere. One hopes. A wierd little girl named Yotsuba moves into a new neighborhood, and is fascinated by everything she sees. It’s a little like My Neighbor Totoro, but instead of adorable plush animals, there’s an air-conditioner and some bewildered neighbors. Kids? Kids love it, we sell tons. But the grown-ups love it too, which is rare for any property, and it’s nice to see that ADV have wised up and decided to continue releasing it.
For more on the appeal of YOTSUBA, and this volume in particular, check out Tom Spurgeon’s review of this volume at ComicsReporter.com.
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