Highlights from the past week, with commentary from the NFNT gang:
Adventure Time: Mathematical Edition Volume 3 (BOOM! Studios, 9781608863471)
Jessikah: I am looking forward to anything related to Adventure Time. I have to say I am continuously surprised by how in depth that series is.
Marissa: I’ve been meaning to start reading the Adventure Time graphic novels, as I love the show.
Thomas: There’s a great interview with Adventure Time comic artists Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb over at ComicsAlliance if anyone is interested.
Anna: I agree that “Adventure Time” is consistently surprising in the best way possible. Can’t wait. Mathematical!
Andrew S: Adventure Time will always top my list of comics to buy/collect. Just like the cartoon it’s based upon, it continues to surprise me with the depth to its characters and stories that they tell. They keep recruiting some of my favorite writers and artists to create the world that it’s always a pleasure to catch up on the stories that they’ve shared.
Elizabeth: Adventure Time is one I underordered on the first go around and reordered extra copies of. Our patrons love it and can not get enough! As a librarian, I appreciate the hardcover bindings that (so far) seem to be holding up really well to the repeated uses by elementary and middle school youth. (And some adults too if we’re being honest).
Garrett: I just saw this the other day re: Adventure Time. When the first season of Adventure Time hit Netflix, I had to convince my wife to watch it with me. She’s normally suspicious of my tastes in media but willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. After mainlining 5 or 6 episodes in a row, she understood. I’ve gotta get my mitts on those comics now.
Jessikah: I read that about the Adventure Time toys. My blood was BOILING! And how can you have AT toys without the many awesome female characters?
Jenny: Oh, Adventure Time. Hee hee heeeeee. What was McDonald’s thinking??
Jennifer W: That’s…really stupid. I’m not an Adventure Time fan – I tried it and couldn’t get into it at all – but it’s extremely non-gender in its appeal from what I’ve seen in the library, judging from who reads the comics and watches the movies. If anything, I see more girls than boys check it out.
Abby: How is there no Lumpy Space Princess? She is, by far, the best character. Aside from Peppermint Butler, of course.
Avengers Arena Volume 3: Boss Level (Marvel, 9780785189282)
Mark: Avengers Arena has been great. I didn’t expect the character development there, but that was the focus and it worked.
Avengers Volume 4: Infinity (Marvel, 9780785184140)
Mark: I’ve stayed away from the Infinity storyline in the Marvel books, but I’m curious now that they are starting to come out in trades, so I’ll probably check that out.
Case Closed Volume 49 (Viz, 9781421555065)
Marissa: I am always excited to see anything related to Case Closed. The fact that the series-both the anime and manga- are still going strong in Japan after so many years is a testament to the show’s characters, writing, and general appeal.
Digimon: Digital Monsters – The Official Second Season Volume 5 (New Video Group)
Jessikah: The second season of Digimon has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a while.
Excel Saga Volume 27 (Viz, 9781421552347)
Jessikah: I am kind of attached to Excel Saga. The series is over the top, but that’s sort of the appeal.
Jenny: I’ve only read the first few volumes of Excel Saga, but I snicker happily at its slightly-unhinged, put-upon evil genius and his incompetent minions (and the latter’s emergency rations). I should pick it up again!
Thomas: I still need to catch up to the volumes of Excel Saga through the 20s. It has easily been one of the funniest manga I’ve ever read, with each volume containing at least one joke so out of left field that I have to put the book down and laugh for several minutes before continuing.
His Favorite Volume 6 (Viz, 9781421543499)
Jenny: His Favorite has been an enjoyably ridiculous bit of yaoi fluff with a lot more emphasis on the comedy than the romance.
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic – Set 1 (Aniplex)
Jessikah: Magi has been on my radar for quite some time, so seeing it make its way to the states is exciting.
Monsters! & Other Stories (Dark Horse, 9781616553098)
Garrett: I’ve got an eyeball on Monsters and Other Stories from Dark Horse. I clicked through a preview on the Dark Horse website and it looked delightful!
Superior Spider-Man Volume 4: Necessary Evil (Marvel, 9780785184737)
Thomas: As a follower of collected editions of comics, I can’t wait to see how Superior Spider-Man begins to wind down in light of what Marvel has planned next for Spider-Man. [Spoilers avoided despite Marvel announcing it to the world at large well in advance.]
AND NOW FOR THE COMPLETE LIST
The following list of new releases is compiled from Diamond Comic Distributors’ complete weekly shipping list and Anime News Network’s Releases encyclopedia
Graphic Novels
AC Comics
- GOLDEN AGE GREATS SPOTLIGHT VOL 14
BOOM! Studios
- ADVENTURE TIME MATHEMATICAL ED HC VOL 03
- GARFIELD TP VOL 03
- HYPERNATURALS TP VOL 03
Dark Horse
- MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES TP
- X TP VOL 01 BIG BAD
DC Comics
- BATMAN DARK KNIGHT HC VOL 03 MAD
- CREATURE COMMANDOS TP
IDW
- GI JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS TP VOL 02
- KISS KIDS TP
- RIO COMPLETE COLLECTION TP
- TIM BRADSTREET SKETCHBOOK TP VOL 01
- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ANNUAL DLX HC
- TORPEDO TP VOL 05
Image
- I LOVE TROUBLE TP
- SAVAGE DRAGON ARCHIVES TP VOL 03
- TEN GRAND TP VOL 01
Marvel
- AVENGERS ARENA TP VOL 03 BOSS LEVEL
- AVENGERS PREM HC VOL 04 INFINITY
- DEXTER PREM HC
- FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION TP ALL IN FAMILY
- MARVEL MASTERWORKS SUB MARINER HC VOL 05
- SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 04 NECESSARY EVIL
- THOR GOD OF THUNDER TP VOL 01 GOD BUTCHER
NBM
- FAIRY TALES OF OSCAR WILDE SC VOL 03
Papercutz
- ANNOYING ORANGE VOL 04 TALES FROM CRISPER
PS Artbooks
- ROY THOMAS PRESENTS CLASSIC PHANTOM LADY TP VOL 03
- ROY THOMAS PRESENTS PLANET COMICS SLIPCASE ED VOL 02
TOON Books
- HEARTS GN
Viz
- 07 GHOST GN VOL 08
- CASE CLOSED GN VOL 49
- EXCEL SAGA TP VOL 27
- HIS FAVORITE GN VOL 06
- NIGHTS GN
Anime
Aniplex
- Magi: the Labyrinth of Magic – Set 1
Discotek Media
- Unico Double Feature
Funimation
- One Piece – Season 5 Part 5
New Video Group
- Digimon: Digital Monsters – The Official Second Season Volume 5
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 3 Volume 1
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 3 Volume 2
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Official Third Season
Sentai
- Taisho Baseball Girls – Complete Collection
Viz
- Naruto Shippuden Volume 17
Keep in mind that titles are not always available from book vendors on the same dates as they are released in comic book stores, so not all of these will be available everywhere at the same time. Check with your vendors, just to be sure!
