Highlights from the past week, with commentary from the NFNT gang:
Batman: Lil’ Gotham (DC Comics, 9781401244941)
Marcela: I’ve heard a lot of great things about Lil Gotham, primarily that it contains some pre-New 52 characters that everyone misses. I’d initially dismissed reading it, thinking it was purely kid-oriented, but then I heard Oracle was in it and I’ve been dying to check it out ever since!
Thomas: Lil Gotham is a delight whether you want cute versions of the DC Universe bouncing around making puns or lots of embedded references to DC’s history. Definitely a standout example of “all ages” appeal.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (Bloomsbury, 9781608199617)
Saeyong: I’m interested in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, because I remember there was a lot of content packed into a relatively short novel. I think it would look good as a graphic novel, but might get a lot bulkier.
Gail: Also looking forward to this.
Diesel Sweeties Volume 2: Bacon is a Vegetable, Coffee is a Vitamin (Oni, 9781620100912)
Mark: I enjoyed the first Diesel Sweeties collection, though it did get repetitive towards the end. I’m wondering if the second volume is more of the same or if he takes it in some different directions.
Dinosaurs Attack (IDW, 9781613778623)
Anna: “Dinosaurs Attack” was super campy and great! The only problem: my comic book store stopped getting it halfway through its run. I must know whether the psychic scientist frees himself from the control of the evil cosmic dinosaur and SAVES THE WORLD. Or not!
Down Set Fight (Oni, 9781620101162)
Thomas: Down Set Fight is all the escapist fun of comics a football player (or fan) could want. “Football fan” includes “anyone who wants to watch a melee of mascots.”
FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Volume 1 (DC Comics, 9781401245108)
Mark: I started reading the Federal Bureau of Physics and found it to be pretty interesting, so I’m looking forward to finishing that up in trade form.
Hidamari Sketch Season 1 – Complete Collection (Sentai)
Saeyong: Hidamari Sketch! Yay! On the one hand, the very obvious pandering to a specific type of male gaze is highly disturbing, especially when it resides in non-plot-related content such as eyecatches. On the other hand, those girls are too sweet and cute to be true… Which, on my third hand, kind of adds to the creepy factor (were they designed to be this cute and innocent and then watched?! Ewww). Since the episodes are not in chronological order, having the whole set is nice; you can watch them in order of airing or order of the events happening.
On Loving Women (Drawn & Quarterly, 9781770461406)
Gail: Looking forward to this.
Red Sonja Volume 1: Queen of the Plagues (Dynamite, 9781606904817)
Thomas: Gail Simone’s handling of Red Sonja caused me to appreciate the character, as well as barbarian tales in general. Viva La Sonja Rouge!
Anna: Really want to read “Red Sonja” too. If anyone could pull make readers look past the character’s history and getup, it’s Gail Simone.
WE3 (New Edition) (DC Comics, 9781401243029)
Thomas: WE3 is probably my favorite non-superhero story from Grant Morrison.
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:
Arcana
- 10TH MUSE TP VOL 04 CROSSOVERS
Bloomsbury
- CONNECTICUT YANKEE KING ARTHURS COURT GN
BOOM! Studios
- JOYNERS IN 3D HC
Cinebook
- LADY S GN VOL 04 MOLE IN DC
- LONG JOHN SILVER GN VOL 04 GUIANA CAPAC
- LUCKY LUKE TP VOL 44 LUCKY LUKE VS PAT POKER
- SCORPION GN VOL 05 IN NAME OF FATHER
Dark Horse
- BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT TP VOL 05
- BLOOD C GN VOL 03
DC Comics
- BATMAN LIL GOTHAM TP VOL 01
- FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS TP VOL 01
- GREEN LANTERN WRATH OF THE FIRST LANTERN HC
- MARTIAN MANHUNTER SON OF MARS TP
- WE3 TP NEW ED
Drawn & Quarterly
- ON LOVING WOMEN GN
Dynamite
- RED SONJA TP VOL 01 QUEEN OF PLAGUES
- SHADOW MASTER SERIES TP VOL 01
- VAMPIRELLA THE ESSENTIAL WARREN YEARS TP
Epicenter
- MAGIC WIND GN VOL 03
Fantagraphics
- PERFECT NONSENSE GEORGE CARLSON HC
IDW
- CROW MIDNIGHT LEGENDS TP VOL 06 TOUCH OF EVIL
- DINOSAURS ATTACK TP
Image
- REVIVAL TP VOL 03 A FARAWAY PLACE
- SPAWN ORIGINS TP VOL 20
- ZERO TP VOL 01 AN EMERGENCY
Kodansha
- CAGE OF EDEN GN VOL 13
- NO 6 GN VOL 05
Marvel
- CAPTAIN AMERICA EPIC COLLECTION TP DAWNS EARLY LIGHT TP
- GOLDEN AGE CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNI HC VOL 01 WEEKS CVR
- JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY BY GILLEN TP VOL 01 COMPLETE COLL
- NOVA TP VOL 01 ORIGIN NOW
- ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN BY BRIAN WOOD TP VOL 03
Oni
- DIESEL SWEETIES GN VOL 02 BACON VEGETABLE
- DOWN SET FIGHT GN
Seven Seas Entertainment
- STRIKE WITCHES MAIDENS I/T SKY GN VOL 01
- TORADORA GN VOL 06
- WORLD WAR BLUE GN VOL 04
Yen
- BLOOD LAD OMNIBUS GN VOL 04
- BTOOOM GN VOL 05
- DISAPPEARANCE OF NAGATO YUKI CHAN GN VOL 05
- NO MATTER HOW I LOOK AT IT, IT’S YOU GUYS’FAULT IM NOT POPULAR VOL 02
- IS THIS A ZOMBIE GN VOL 07
- JACK FROST TP VOL 09
- JUDGE GN VOL 03
- PANDORA HEARTS GN VOL 20
- PUELLA MAGI KAZUMI MAGICA GN VOL 04 INNOCENT MALICE
Zenescope
- GFT WONDERLAND THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS TP
Anime
Funimation
- Jormungand – the Complete First Season
- Jormungand – the Complete Second Season
- Robotics;Notes – Part 1
Sentai
- Hidamari Sketch: Season 1 – Complete Collection
- Time Bokan: Royal Revival
Viz
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison
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!
