While we were at Comic-Con and then I was on vacation a gazillion of our books came out in comic shops because of course they did!
Read on to see what comics-blog commentators are saying these latest releases about (more to be added as they appear), check out our previews at the links, and contact your local shop to confirm availability.
The Adventures of Venus
by Gilbert Hernandez
96-page 7.75" x 7.75" black & white hardcover • $9.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-540-2
"I think children's comics benefit from stand-alone collection more than most because it enables you to get on the wavelength being offered a bit more fully than in a serial comic book. So while I'll miss this Gilbert Hernandez work appearing next to back-up shorts featuring slightly inappropriate Rick Altergott comics, I think this book works super-well. I forgot how charming those comics are. This is also a good one to buy in anticipation of his forthcoming autobiographically-oriented work. Price point kills, too. Yeah, buy that one." – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
"…my first grab would be The Adventures of Venus, a collection of all-ages comics starring Luba’s young, American niece, Venus. Originally serialized in Gilbert’s short-lived kids anthology Marbles, these are really charming stories about everyday kid activities like reading comic books, playing soccer, getting sick and just generally having an active imagination." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"Gilbert Hernandez’s completely delightful kids’ comics from the pages of Measles are collected in The Adventures of Venus…, along with a new piece…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Dungeon Quest Book 3
by Joe Daly
288-page black & white 6" x 8.25" softcover • $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-544-0
"…an enormous 288-page return to Joe Daly’s humorous fantasy quest narrative/gaming spoof…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
God and Science: Return of the Ti-Girls
by Jaime Hernandez
136-page black & white/color 8.75" x 11.25" hardcover • $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-539-6
"If I was looking to splurge, I’d add Jaime Hernandez’ God and Science: Return of The Ti-Girls collection (Fantagraphics, $19.99) to my take-home stash, because … well, it’s Jaime and it’s glorious. I’ve already read it in the Love and Rockets serialization, but $19.99 for a collected hardcover? I am splurging, after all!" – Graeme McMillan, Robot 6
"Even though I read the story when it was serialized in Love and Rockets New Stories, I’m tempted to pick up God and Science: Return of the Ti-Girls by Jaime Hernandez, as it’s got a new coda and because, hey, new Jaime Hernandez book." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"…the new Jaime Hernandez release God and Science: Return of the Ti-Girls, a 136-page hardcover collection/expansion of his superhero serial from the newest incarnation of Love and Rockets…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture – A Career Retrospective (2nd Printing)
by Jack Davis
208-page full-color 10.25" x 13.25" hardcover • $49.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-447-4
Busted! "Mike Baehr said in casual conversation — which I think means, 'Oh yeah, use this on the site as if I gave you an actual quote' — that this book did extremely well for Fantagraphics at SDCC. Really handsomely mounted book featuring a great cartoonist." – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
"I was a big Mad Magazine junkie in my youth, so I’d likely go for Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture, a coffee-table sized retrospective honoring the master cartoonist behind so many great EC stories and Mad parodies, not to mention album covers, movie posters, magazine illustrations, etc." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"…Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture provides 208 pages of stuff from the humorist, illustrator and Mad contributor…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Jewish Images in the Comics
by Fredrik Strömberg
424-page black & white 6" x 6" hardcover • $26.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-528-0
"…the latest (424-page!) Fredrik Strömberg sampler of annotated iconographies…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Significant Objects
edited by Joshua Glenn & Rob Walker
242-page full-color 6" x 8.25" flexibound softcover • $24.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-525-9
"Significant Objects is not a comic — not an awful lot of comics this week caught my eye — but a potentially interesting prose compilation culling the ‘best of’ Joshua Glenn’s and Rob Walker’s online effort at selling knickknacks through eBay by commissioning writers to create short stories for the item descriptions, with comics folk Gary Panter, Ben Katchor and Ann(ie) Nocente (along with frequent writer-on-comics Douglas Wolk) joining the likes of William Gibson(!), Jonathan Lethem and Neil LaBute as contributors; $24.99." – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
"Not comics: a book featuring the essay/object pairings organized by Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker, which you can read about here." – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8
by Michael Kupperman
32-page full-color 6.75" x 9.5" comic book • $4.95
"I can't imagine there's a better single-issue buy out there; Michael Kupperman is one of comics' funniest people, and probably its most consistent right now." – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
"…my first pick would easily be the latest issue of Michael Kupperman’s Tales Designed to Thrizzle, featuring a thrilling moon caper, a Murder, She Wrote parody and a truly strange coloring book about trains. If you’ve a yen for idiosyncratic, absurdist humor — and who doesn’t? — this is your meal ticket right here." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"…the final issue of Michael Kupperman’s hugely-admired comedy showcase…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: Only a Poor Old Man
by Carl Barks
248-page full-color 7.5" x 10.25" hardcover • $28.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-535-8
"Fantagraphics continues to be the gold standard for reprinting old comics material. This collection of Carl Barks' splendid Scrooge stories continues the formula of the Donald Duck volume from a few months ago: four long stories (including 'Back to the Klondike'!), then a handful of shorter stories and one-page gags." – Douglas Wolk, ComicsAlliance
"My big splurge purchase this week is Only a Poor Old Man, the second volume in Fantagraphics ongoing Carl Barks collection. I’m so happy that an affordable version of Barks’ duck stories is finally available, I can’t resist snatching it up." – Chris Mautner, Robot 6
"…another 248 pages of re-colored vintage Carl Barks… Just collect the change from between your couch cushions and go to town, little angels. " – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal
Wandering Son Vol. 3
by Shimura Takako
224-page black & white/color 7" x 9.5" hardcover • $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-533-4
"…[A] solid manga offering…" – Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
"Shimura Takako’s soft ‘n delicate story of transgender sexual identity among adolescents continues…" – Joe McCulloch, The Comics Journal