On this batch we have the history of Image Comics, a new entry from the Nib, the next installment of the inclusive magazine Mutiny, a treasure trove of fascinating and revelatory comics history for scholars and fans, plus an anthology showcasing a mix of established and emerging artists from the UK comics scene.
OFFICIAL IMAGE TIMELINE (ONE-SHOT)
(W) Jim Valentino
Just in time to celebrate Image Comics' 30th anniversary, Image archivist and co-founder JIM VALENTINO details the company's history (warts and all) in the single most comprehensive chronology of the company ever published. Featuring rarely seen covers, photos, milestones, and behind-the-scenes events from the company's Marvel-ous beginnings to the present, this is the chronicle all future histories will be judged against.
Featuring an introduction by Image Publisher ERIC STEPHENSON and a chronicle of historic Image accolades, and printed in beautiful 64-page prestige format.
DEC210077
Why this caught my eye:
64 pages seems somewhat short (especially with a $7.99 price tag), so I'm curious as to how densely packed this package will be. Also, while the phrase 'this is the chronicle all future histories will be judged against' makes me slightly queasy, I am still genuinely interested in the history of Image post the first wave launch. I'm just worried that a lot of the book will be a bit of a circle jerk regarding the founding members.
NIB NATURE
(W) Matt Bors (A) Various (CA) Jesse Jacobs
From the smallest microorganism to the outer limits of our atmosphere, The Nib heads outside to explore our natural world and report on the beauty, power, and majesty of nature. Featuring over 30 cartoonists including Sarah Glidden, Melanie Gillman, Matt Bors, Whit Taylor, and Gemma Correll.
DEC211665
Why this caught my eye:
The Nib books are always an engaging package considering how many artists are involved. Plus I'll just always appreciate it for this Amazon/Starship Troopers mashup.
MUTINY #2
(W) Various (A) VARIOUS (CA) VARIOUS
Mainstream and Indie Comics, together again for the first time in ONE inclusive magazine.
For its second issue, MUTINY MAGAZINE sees double! Yes, in this issue, we conduct all our interviews with at least two creators. More high profile and indie creators for you to discover.
50+ pages of original comic stories from the finest writers and artists you probably never heard about, including sensational Brazilian artist Lissa, illustrating the "Shakespeare's Vampires" story and providing a variant for this future hit (cover C).
Celebrate with us the art and memory of comic book legend MOEBIUS, a decade after his passing. RED SONJA artist MORITAT added his elegance to this feature with a fantastic homage cover.
Speaking of covers, how about we speak about the fabulous women of comics? This year, International Women's Day is March 8th and we thought it'd be a great idea to let three incredible female creators take the lead as cover artists: ALITHA MARTINEZ (NUBIA, MOON GIRL,...), JOYCE CHIN (RED SONJA, VAMPIRELLA,...) and LISSA.
But that's not all.
We have one more surprise in store.
A MYSTERY COVER from ARTHUR ADAMS! And this one will be limited to 1:10. All our covers are original and exclusive
JAN221433 (Cvr A-Martinez), JAN221434 (Cvr B-Chin), JAN221435 (Cvr C-Lissa), JAN221436 (Cvr D-Moritat)
Why this caught my eye:
Overall this title caught my interest with the first issue solicit, but the heavy Moebius focus doesn't hurt with this issue. Those original and exclusive covers are gonna be evil.
TOPS COMP CHARLES BIRO HC
From their inception in 1935, comic books - starring Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel - had been primarily written for and aimed at adolescents. There were always the occasional outlier artists who pushed back against the commercial constraints of comic books and envisioned the next evolutionary artistic leap in the artform: Charles Biro was one of those artists.
In 1949, the ambitious Biro - who had previously co-created the realistically brutal comic Crime Does Not Pay- edited and wrote an oversized comic aimed at adults, called Tops. Like several other radical adult comics projects that would follow, it proved to be a commercial failure and lasted only two Life magazine-sized issues. The original comics have since become a legendary holy grail among comics fans and historians, fetching as much as $6,000 on the collector's market: written about but rarely seen and never reprinted. Until now.
Fantagraphics' Tops collects both issues of these oversized experimental comics in their entirety. Some of the best craftsmen working in comics at that time drew these pulpy, sexy, and melodramatic stories: Dan Barry, George Tuska, and others. It includes two stunning pre-EC crime tales illustrated by Reed Crandall, reminiscent of his Crime SuspenStories work. Actor Melvyn Douglas (believe it or not) takes the reader on a tour of utopia, entitled "How Would You Live Under A World Government?" - a positive spin on global Socialism!
A treasure trove of fascinating and revelatory comics history for scholars and fans, this compilation includes an introduction by the editor, the historian and cartoonist Michael T. Gilbert, as well as several other essays providing background on the creation of the series and the publisher, editors, and cartoonists who realized it. It includes a chronicle in essay form of experimental, adult comics endeavors throughout the first half of the 20th century. Tops is a landmark work of historical importance and a mind-boggling reading experience from a bygone era meticulously restored and reproduced in a deluxe hardcover in its originally published dimensions.
JAN221418
Why this caught my eye:
Besides just sounding like a fascinating bit of obscure comic history, I would expect the quality and design of the book to look great as well as this is a Fantagraphics production.
CATALYST GN
(W) Asia Alfasi, Catherine Anyango Grunewald, Woodrow Phoenix (A) Sonia Leong, Woodrow Phoenix
Catalyst, a collection of short stories from established artists such as Asia Alfasi, Catherine Anyango Grünewald, Sonia Leong, and Woodrow Phoenix, aims to reflect up-and-coming new voices and the diversity and wealth of talent in the UK comics scene. United by a single theme-"catalyst"-the contributors have each written and drawn an eight-page story that explores ideas of reaction and transformation.
Collecting stories from a range of artists of color across the UK, this comics anthology unites their voices under a single theme: 'catalyst'. In one story, the accidental witnessing of a horrific scene turns a regular day into a nightmare; in another, the truth of what it really took to put a man on the moon is revealed. From tales of misplaced memories to battles with the id, Catalyst offers a look at the consequences of big and small acts alike.
Showcasing a mix of established and emerging artists, this collection imagines the myriad ways in which a chain of events might end in either euphoria or catastrophe. Sometimes both.
Edited by Ayoola Solarin, this provocative, intriguing and revelatory anthology invites readers to consider the situations, people and events that might accelerate change in their own lives and in our society as a whole.
JAN221639
Why this caught my eye:
This just sounds like it could be an amazing showcase to discover some new talents, plus the theme allows for a pretty wide range of conceptual exploration that should make for some interesting stories. Also, I know I say this all the time, but SelfMadeHero just puts out a lot of quality projects so I have high hopes for this book.
That's it for this batch, we'll hit up some all-ages material on the next round!