Indies Preview Review for January Part 2 of 3

ONTO PART 2

Fantagraphics Books
Boody: Bizare Comics of Boody Rogers GN Edited by Craig Yoe
You've met Fletcher Hanks. Now meet Boody Rogers. Bizarre, wacky, weird, wild and sexy -just a few adjectives describing the cartooning of Boody Rogers. It all begins with a career spanning fun and fascinating interview with the late Rogers, by editor Craig Yoe. Here at last is a single book devoted to this cult comics hero, collecting Roger's best Sparky Watts, Babe and Dudley stories, as well as much more. A short history of Rogers here and a complete story from 1949 here. Pages: 124, 8 1/2 x 11, SC, FC, $19.99
Lee: This is going to be a great companion book to the Fletcher Hanks collection. I’ve seen Rogers art and it’s great. If memory serves, most of the Sparky Watts stories are twisted Archie tales. Very funny stuff.
Jim: I loved the Fletcher Hanks book it was so outrageous and madcap as to be a joy. This type of collections are a lot of fun.

Supermen! First Wave of Heroes (1939-41) GN Edited by Greg Sadowski; Introduction by Jonathan Lethem
Of the 22 stories appearing in SUPERMEN! the vast majority haven't seen print since first publication, including the notorious 1939 Wonder Man debut by Will Eisner. Wonder Man lasted one issue after a successful DC Comics lawsuit cited the similarity to its son of Krypton. This lawsuit inspired more individual and offbeat approaches, and it's on these mavericks and oddballs we focus this collection. The roster features such notables as Basil Wolverton, Jack Kirby, Jack Cole, Fletcher Hanks, Ogden Whitney, Lou Fine, Charles Biro, Fred Guardineer, and Dick Briefer. Fighting villainy is hard work and in SUPERMEN! it's downright ruthless.
Pages: 176, 8 1/2 x 11, SC, FC, $24.99
Lee: I love that Fantagraphics is reprinting this type of GA material. This is a who’s-who collection of GA artists and I’m sure they are doing some very strange material. I can’t wait.
Jim: This is another collection that is hard to resist and certainly we will not see this type of material anywhere else. While I would not want my entire collection full of this material this actual collection will be a nice addition to my bookcase.

Mother Come Home HC by Paul Hornschemeier
Mother, Come Home is Paul Hornschemeier's piercing graphic-novel debut: it secured the cartoonist's place as one of his generation's most skillful and ambitious practitioners, and proved a harbinger of the subject matter that the artist would go on to explore most consistently in later work: the nuclear family.Mother, Come Home quietly studies the inner lives of recently widowed David and his 7-year-old son, Thomas; both are unable to deal with their grief directly. Thomas, protected by a lion's mask that his mother gave him, constructs an identity for himself as "the groundskeeper": ritual and routine, already important to children that age, become paramount to him. He struggles desperately to keep up appearances while his father, a professor of symbolic logic, becomes lost in abstractions. Father and son begin to retreat into their fantasies, but only one emerges.Mother, Come Home is masterfully drawn: Eisner-, Harvey-, and Ignatz-Award-nominated Hornschemeier's controlled brushwork is clean, and his nine-panel page layouts pace David's inexorable descent into utter despair. Hornschemeier is equally precise when it comes to Mother, Come Home's color palette: subdued but warm, which suits the story's melancholy and contemplative mode. Mother, Come Home is a powerful work, and, because of its universal themes of anguish and loss, has resonance beyond its core audience of alternative-comics readers.
Pages: 128, 7 x 9, FC, $22.99
Lee: Hummm, this is really a odd little book for me. I picked up Hornschemeier other collection “Let Us Be Perfectly Clear” and alternately loved every other story in it. This is a longer form single story which makes me wonder if I’ll like it or love it. His art is fantastic so most likely I’ll get it.
Jim: This does sound interesting, but will be a pass for me.

Luba HC by Gilbert Hernandez
When Gilbert Hernandez climaxed his award-winning "Palomar" series at the end of Love and Rockets' original run by leveling the tiny Central American hamlet, many disappointed readers thought he had written off those beloved characters for good. Not so. Hernandez soon picked up the story of Luba (who had not only been one of the dominant characters of the "Palomar" series but had also starred in its prequel "Poison River"): Now older but perhaps not so very much wiser, the hammer-wielding matriarch had relocated to the United States of America, where she continued to contend not only, as an immigrant, with a brand new and not always welcoming culture but also her tempestuous extended family - her eccentric sisters Fritz and Petra, her nurturing but often disapproving cousin Ofelia, her many children ranging from the fully grown (Guadalupe and Doralis) to the latest brood sired by her husband Khamo (Casimira, Socorro, Joselito, and Conchita) - many of them in turn each with her own network of family members, lovers, and friends (including a number of other escapees from Palomar).These "America" stories - over 80 of them, ranging from quick one-page blackout sketches to bona fide graphic novellas - were originally published in a number of different comics and reprinted in a trilogy of oversized paperbacks. Luba finally collects in one compact, affordable hardcover the entirety of these tales, showcasing Gilbert Hernandez's wicked wit, great compassion, and uncanny understanding of how human beings love, squabble, and ultimately find a way to make it through this life. Tales of sex, violence and rock and roll rub elbows with stories of love, sensitivity, and understanding - and thanks to the miraculous alchemy of Hernandez's peerless storytelling, what emerges is a coherent, exciting, funny portrait of one of the richest group of fictional characters ever to spring from a cartoonist's mind.
Pages: 608, 9 x 12, B&W, $39.99
Lee: Check it out ! Love and Rockets gets an omnibus. Now I wish that they would issue the L&R hc’s again. But until then I will settle for this. L&R, and Luba by extension, are comic book classics. If you’ve never read either, then this is a great place to start.
Jim: I have tried this material a couple of times and I never was interested enough to continue. One of those books that I know about, but have just never felt compelled to force myself to read it enough of it to see if matches the hype.


Gemstone Publishing
Life and Times of Scrooge Mcduck Vol. 01: 2nd Ptg SC by Don Rosa
All twelve chapters of Don Rosa's celebrated Eisner Award-winning The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck series, detailing the biography of the World's Richest Duck, are presented in an affordable trade paperback edition! Also available is The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion, presenting the pre-chapters and in-between chapters of Rosa's sprawling epic!
Pages: 256, 7x10, SC, FC, $17.99
Lee: IT’S A SECOND PRINT!!! I CAN HYPE SECOND PRINTINGS!!! Our agreement was I couldn’t talk about FIRST PRINTS of the ducks anymore. So I’m not talking FIRST PRINTS! But, this is a SECOND PRINT. LONG LIVE THE DUCKS!!!!
Jim: Quack, quack, quack. Lee and his darn ducks. We get it already, you like this stuff.


Harper Collins Publishers
Faerie Path: Lamias Revenge Vol. 01: Serpent Awakes by Frewin Jones & Alison Acton
The successful Faerie Path series is now magical in manga! This is the first book in the Faerie Path manga trilogy, featuring a brand new adventure for Tania, the long-lost princess of Faerie. Tania has finally gotten the hang of balancing her Mortal and Faerie families. But a dark force threatens Tania's two worlds - and it's up to her to stop it! This all-new, action-packed fantasy manga trilogy picks up after the events of Frewin Jones' best-selling Faerie Path series. Readers who loved the novels, as well as those new to Tania's worlds, will revel in the magic and romance of the Faerie realm, and will be swept along as the stakes get higher, the villains get nastier, and Tania fully embraces her power as a Faerie princess. Pages: 192, 5x7, SC, B&W, $7.99
Lee: When trolling through the indy offerings, I always have an eye out for good kids material and humor books. I don’t often notice girl-power books because I’m not all that familiar with it. Not to mention, I’m not a girl. ANYWAY, I felt I should try to pick something for everyone and I started here. BUT, what I did see what a cover that had both Toykpop AND Harper Collins on the spine as a publisher. Did I miss something? Was Tokyopop bought out? What am I missing because the T-P never had that on them before.
Jim: They way you cry about stuff makes me think you are a girl sometimes. Didn't TP recently did a cut back and cut a bunch of stuff, maybe that is how Harper Collin got involved.

IDW Publishing
Angora Napkin GN by Troy Little (W & A)
Halloween is upon us. Historically this ancient event has been identified as the day in which the boundary between the living and the dead becomes unstable. It is on this fateful night that we find Beatrice, Molly and Mallory, the pop music group known as Angora Napkin, crossing paths with the wandering dead. That's how they meet Dennis, the zombie boy, who agrees to eradicate all life on Earth. Now, the girls of Angora Napkin must stop the horror they've unwittingly released (and make it to their gig on time)! Visit the official page here and Troy’s hilarious blog here. Pages: 152, 7 x 9.5, HC, FC, $19.99
Lee: I’m a huge animation fan and this screams animation. It looks great and seems to walk that fine line between adult humor and glorious kiddy entertainment. If Troy’s blog is any indication about the humorous nature of this book I am sold.
Jim: I think Lee likes it for the music tie-in.

Classic G.I. Joe Vol. 01 SC by Larry Hama, Herb Trimpe, Steven Grant (W) Herb Trimpe, Don Perlin, Mike Vosburg (A) J. Scott Cam
The classic Marvel Comics G.I. Joe gets new life in this first collection of must-have Joe stories! This action-packed volume collects the classic G.I. Joe issues #1 to 10. Writer Larry Hama, the man irrevocably linked to G.I. Joe, guided the team for over ten years (and he returns to the characters next month in an all-new series!). Here, he is joined by an array of artists, including Herb Trimpe, Mike Vosburg, and Don Perlin. Pages: 240, FC, $19.99
Lee: I lived through (survived?) these books the first time they were published. This isn’t classic by any stretch. I probably shouldn’t throw stones because I read golden age reprints but let it never be said that ComicsAnd.. was fair! AND, I wonder how Marvel feels about seeing it’s material back in print????
Jim: The license deals are funny because Marvel has seen all of the Conan stuff they produced now published by Dark Horse. I wonder what is the royalty deal on that stuff.

G.I. Joe #1 by Chuck Dixon (W) Robert Atkins (A) Dell’Otto, Atkins, Johnson (C)
A new beginning and a new world of threats for the fighting men and women of the elite military force known as G.I. Joe - Freedom's last hope and the first-to-fight in battle with a hidden enemy and a secret war that's already won! The world's terror underworld whispers of Cobra. Who or what is Cobra and what can the Joes do to stop an enemy they can't identify or find. Think you know Joe? Think again. Chuck Dixon and Robert Atkins begin a whole new era, with superstar artist Gabriele Dell'Otto and Dave Johnson supplying amazing cover images, too. Ask your retailer how to get a special 16-page Jeff Campbell cover gallery, too! 3 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
Pages: 32, FC, $3.99
Lee: Now, as much as I don’t care about “classic” GI Joe, I am very interested in this. I think the Joe concept is very good and could be very interesting if aimed at people older than 8. And, Chuck Dixon could be just the guy to do it. I’ll probably give the first issue or two a try because Dixon’s name is attached.
Jim: Chuck Dixon can write action/adventure better then anyone. This is a great fit, I'm passing because GI Joe has never been a concept I cared about, but Dixon will make it shine.

Dark Delicacies #1 by F. Paul Wilson, Steve Niles, Joe R. Lansdale, Neal Barrett, Jr. (W) Douglas Draper, Jr., Jerry Bec
Presenting an all-new anthology comic featuring tales of terror torn from the pages of the Bram Stoker Award-winning series of the same name. Producer/Writer Steve Niles and Editor Del Howison bring together some of the biggest names in the genre to celebrate horror in this quarterly anthology of all things gruesome and macabre. Publisher's Weekly called the anthologies a fulfilling feast of fear and the Los Angeles Times proclaimed it ...an anthology that can be described only as horrifying." 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
Pages: 32, FC, $3.99
Jim: Any company willing to step into the anthology ring I have to give credit to. Anthologies are a form of the past and I believe 90% of the fans walk away without every looking at these, but I still love the idea because it gives us a chance to sample various creators and not have to invest in an entire mini-series to see it they fit our taste. Of course this says they are going to get big names, but I’m still guessing we will have other lesser known names.
Lee: I might have to disagree about anthologies being a form of the part. It seems that a lot of smaller publishers are using them to enter the market (Boom!). But, it’s a good way to get creators experience without dealing with full time books. That said, I’m still surprised IDW is producing one.


Journey Vol. 02 SC by Messner-Loebs (W & A)
The classic adventure series from Eisner nominee William Messner-Loebs concludes in this second collection of Journey, including issues #17-27. Follow Joshua "Wolverine" McAlistaire as his adventures lead him throughout the wild, unpopulated Michigan Territory, crossing paths with a barrage of both real-life and fictional characters.
Pages: 288, 6.625 x 10.187, B&W, $19.99
Lee: I mentioned Journey Vol 1, so I must mention Journey Vol 2. I can’t wait to get these books. This was a such an incredible series! Very, very good.
Jim: This is one of those books I have filed under I must read it someday.


Locke & Key: Head Games #1 by Joe Hill (W) Gabriel Rodriguez (A & C)
New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with an all-new series that adds to the L&K mythos. In the first issue of Locke & Key: Head Games, Professor Joe Ridgeway has one look at Lovecraft Academy's newest transfer student, the charismatic Zack Wells, and is seized with an unsettling notion: that young Wells is in fact the ghost of Lucas Caravaggio, a teenager who disappeared over twenty years before, along with several other students, and who has long been presumed dead. Joe soon sets out to dig up the truth on the new kid... with no idea how far Zack Wells is willing to go to keep his secrets buried.
Pages: 32, FC, $3.99
Lee: Locke & Key was a great mini-series and I am very glad to see it still going. If you missed it the first time then jump on now because it’s a great ride.
Jim: Locke and Key was an excellent mini-series and one of the best written comics on the market. If you missed it, get the trade and jump on this mini-series.

PART 3 FRIDAY OR SATURDAY - IT'S GWEN'S CALL