Travis Pelkie returns with his regular [Ha!-Matt] monthly selection for Cerebus fans of comics and books featured in the latest Diamond Previews catalog. Travis is co-founder of the Atomic Junk Shop, a site about comics and other fun pop culture. To see your comics featured here or at the Atomic Junk Shop feel free to send an email to Travis at: atomicjunkshoptravis [at] outlook [dot] com.
Diamond Preview Picks: September 2018
 |
| Aw jeez, not another "Aardvark Pride" parade... |
(W) Dave Sim, Benjamin Hobbs, Sandeep Atwal (A) Dave Sim, Gustave Dore (CA) Benjamin Hobbs
Dead Cerebus balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Shock Surprise Ending!; Dead Cerebus Writes His Memoirs; Dead Cerebus Out-Trumps Trump; Betty the Aardvark-Molesting-Nursing-Assistant Bird; Pretzel-Pecker Salt; The Legion of Cerebus-Balloon-Handlers; Ben-Cooper-Cerebus-Halloween-Costume Cerebus; GAG ME WAYTMI Un-beddable Vark; Unbeddable Vark's Big, Big Rubber; Legion of Cerebus Balloon-Handlers' Massacre; Myths and Legends 101; Snake or Duck a l'Orange for dinner; politically-correct pronouns for Cerberus' three heads; Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics; Fidel Castro in Hell?; Preliminary Infernal Roadways Disaster Report; Appealing to God; Why you should never call the Whore of Babylon a whore; Donald Trump gets a bikini wax.
JUL181427
(W) Terry Moore (A/CA) Terry Moore
Katchoo and Francine's happy family is in danger when a Parker Girl threatens to expose Katchoo's shady past before congress, then goes into hiding. The chase is on as Katchoo begins an international hunt for her elusive pred-ator in a race against time!Travis sez: The first trade of the new series of Terry Moore's classic characters. The first issue was pretty good.
JUL180943
(W) Rick Veitch (A/CA) Rick Veitch
Advance solicited for November release!
Completely remastered with new scans and updated color-all overseen by Veitch himself.
Introduction by Alan Moore!
Travis sez: The Veitchmonster tells an apocalyptic superhero story, newly recolored and collected from IDW.
FROM HELL MASTER EDITION #1 CVR A CAMPBELL
JUL180935
(W) Alan Moore (A/CA) Eddie Campbell
Experience FROM HELL as never seen before: fully restored and in color for the first time!Five unsolved murders. Two of the greatest creators in the history of comics. One sprawling conspiracy, one metropolis on the brink of the 20th century, and one bloody-minded Ripper ushering London into the modern age of terror. The award-winning bestseller FROM HELL, often ranked among the greatest graphic novels of all time, takes on haunting new dimensions in FROM HELL: The Master Edition, enhanced with impressionistic hues by Eddie Campbell himself.
Travis sez: Eddie Campbell restores and colors the classic graphic novel. Perhaps this time he'll remember the head of that one guy near the end, as told of in the From Hell dialogue between Dave and Alan Moore.
DICK TRACY DEAD OR ALIVE #1 (OF 4) CVR A ALLRED
JUL180850
(W) Lee Allred, Michael Allred (A) Rich Tommaso (A/CA) Michael Allred
IDW Publishing proudly presents the rebirth of one the most iconic comic-strip heroes of all time, Dick Tracy! The All-American detective just made the biggest collar of his career, and it only cost him his job! But now the honest cop has packed his bags for "the city by the lake," and its criminals better watch out! Reimagined for the 21st century through a retro lens by the superstar team of Michael Allred, Lee Allred, Rich Tommaso and Laura Allred, Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive is a lock to be the pop-art event of 2018! *Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.
Bizarre villains! Crooked cops! Gunfights galore!
Cover art and co-written by Eisner Award-winning superstar Michael Allred (Madman, iZombie, Silver Surfer, Batman '66)!
Illustrated by Rich Tommaso (Spy Seal, Dry County) with Michael Allred inks!
Travis sez: The great Mike Allred (friend of glamourpuss) co-writes and inks and does some covers for this update of the classic Chester Gould character.
WAR BEARS #1 (OF 3)
JUL180436
(W) Margaret Atwood (A/CA) Ken Steacy
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid's Tale, comes this historical fiction graphic novel tracing the Golden Age of comic books. Oursonette, a fictional Nazi-fighting superheroine, is created at the peak of World War II by comic book creator Al Zurakowski who dreams of making it big in the early world of comics publishing.
A story that follows the early days of comics in Toronto, a brutal war that greatly strains Al personally and professionally, and how the rise of post-war American comics puts an end to his dreams.
Travis sez: Historical fiction about Golden Age Canadian comics, by Margaret Atwood and Ken Steacy. It's bound to be interesting!
DIRTY PLOTTE GN BOX SET COMPLETE JULIE DOUCET (MR)
JUL181775
(W) Julie Doucet (A/CA) Julie Doucet
Julie Doucet's comic book series Dirty Plotte is one of the most iconic to have ever been created, a visionary work both for the medium and for storytelling. Her stories are candid, funny, and intimate, plumbing the depths of the female psyche while charting the fragility of the men around her. Her artwork is dense and confident, never wavering in the wit and humour of its owner. Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet collects the entire comic book series, including the acclaimed My New York Diary, rare comics and previously unpublished material, in a deluxe two volume box set.
Travis sez: A collection of Julie Doucet's comics from the '80s and '90s. A version of her character made a memorable cameo in Latter Days.
SUPERNATURAL LAW TP GRANDFATHERED IN
JUL181856
(W) Batton Lash (A/CA) Batton Lash
The first new Supernatural Law graphic novel in 5 years! The law firm of Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre has a unique practice: defending monsters and the supernaturally afflicted! In this full-color original graphic novel, Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd take on a case in which a ghost is literally "grandfathered in" to a home inheritance: Grandpa has died but his ghost won't leave the house, much to the chagrin of his son and daughter-in-law. Meanwhile at the law offices, that landlord wants Wolff & Byrd to leave because their clients are disturbing the other tenants.
Travis sez: A brand new GN of the delightful Batton Lash comic about lawyers for supernatural creatures. Fun stuff!
SILENT INVASION GN VOL 01 SECRET AFFAIRS & RED SHADOWS
JUL182036
(W) Michael Cherkas, Larry Hancock
The paranoid cult-classic science fiction mystery of the early days of indie comics returns! The series will begin with two books reprinting the original volumes, followed by the never before collected third album and concluding with an all-new fourth book of this epic series of conspiracy and paranoia. Set against the background of a nightmarish 1950s crawling with communist spies, corrupt FBI agents, McCarthyites, Stalinists, cold warriors, flying saucers, mysterious government organizations, The Silent Invasion weaves a byzantine tale of mystery and deceit as a bewildered investigative reporter Matt Sinkage pursues the truth behind an apparent alien invasion of earth that points to involvement at the highest levels of American government officials.
Travis sez: Sweet. The stylish story of UFOs and conspiracies in the 1950s, originally released through Renegade Press, is being collected and eventually concluded with this GN series. It's a great comic if you haven't read it.
BAREFOOT GEN GN VOL 01 (CURR PTG) (MR)
JUL182001
(W) Keiji Nakazawa (A/CA) Keiji Nakazawa
Barefoot Gen is the powerful, tragic, and autobiographical story of the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath, seen through the eyes of the artist as a young boy growing up in Japan. The honest portrayal of emotions and experiences speaks to children and adults everywhere. Featuring a sleek new cover design, this landmark ten-part series returns to print in this 45th anniversary year of the series' debut.
Travis sez: A new printing of the classic autobiographical manga about the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath, in time for the 45th anniversary of the release of the comic.
HIGH HEAVEN #1 (MR)
JUL181525
(W) Tom Peyer, Grant Morrison (A) Greg Scott, Chris Giarrusso, Rick Geary, Shannon Wheeler (CA) Richard Williams
Chronic malcontent David Weathers dies and goes to Heaven-where everything is terrible, and everybody hates a complainer. A savage satire by writer Tom Peyer (Hourman, Batman '66) with art by Greg Scott (Black Hood, X-Files). And! The socially awkward science-adventurers known as Hashtag: Danger kill a dinosaur! Backup story by Tom Peyer, art by Chris Giarrusso (G-Man, Mini-Marvels). And And! A cartoon by Shannon Wheeler, and an all-new text story by comics legend Grant Morrison: "Festive Funtimes At The New World's Fair," illustrated by Rick Geary! Painted cover by Richard Williams (MAD).
WRONG EARTH #1
JUL181526
(W) Tom Peyer, Paul Constant, Grant Morrison (A) Juan Castro, Shannon Wheeler (A/CA) Jamal Igle
AHOY Comics launches with a biting superhero satire! On one world, Dragonflyman and his sidekick Stinger enjoy a life of adventure. On another Earth, the Dragonfly hunts criminal parasites like a lethal exterminator. But what happens when these two heroes change places? By Tom Peyer (Captain Kid, Hourman) and Jamal Igle (Black, Supergirl)! And, a "Golden Age" Stinger solo story, by Paul Constant and Frank Cammuso! Plus: An all-new text story by comics legend Grant Morrison: "'Hud' Hornet's Holiday In Hell," illustrated by Rob Steen! All this plus a cartoon by Shannon Wheeler!
Travis sez: New small publisher Ahoy debuts with these two books written by Tom Peyer, one about a man trying to escape a disappointing heaven, and the other about a Silver Age superhero who trades places with his modern counterpart. Also, there are cartoons by Shannon Wheeler in there too.
JUL181159
(W) Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, More (A) Barry Windsor-Smith, Gil Kane, John Buscema
THE ORIGINAL MARVEL CONAN IS BACK!The greatest saga in sword-and-sorcery history begins - the saga of Conan! Born on a battlefield in the frozen lands of Cimmeria, Conan fights his way through the untamed Hyborian kingdoms, sparing no man, woman or wizard his wrath. His adventures will become legend. He will become king. Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith brought Robert E. Howard's iconic creation to four-color life with work that set new standards for comic book storytelling. Marvel is honored to present each story, each cover and each letters page - all painstakingly restored to match the majesty of the original editions. In these early exploits, Conan ventures from his homeland for the first time, honing his skills as a thief, mercenary, pirate and above all, warrior!
Collecting CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1970) #1-26 and material from SAVAGE TALES (1971) #1 and #4, CHAMBER OF DARKNESS #4 and CONAN CLASSIC #1-11.
Travis sez: Conan is going back to Marvel after years at Dark Horse, and here is a collection of the original Marvel comics, featuring Barry Windsor-Smith art that influenced the early Cerebus issues. Approach with caution, though, as I'm not sure which coloring they're using for this one.
DOCTOR STRANGE EPIC COLLECTION TP MASTER OF THE MYSTIC ARTS
JUL181205
(W) Stan Lee, Steve Ditko (A/CA) Steve Ditko
A vain man driven by greed and hubris, Dr. Stephen Strange was a world-renowned surgeon until the night a car accident crippled his hands. Broken and destitute, he journeyed to Tibet to seek a cure from a legendary healer. There he found not a man of medicine, but the venerable Ancient One - and the path to the mystic arts! From Doctor Strange's eerie Greenwich Village home, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created new dimensions and otherworldly terrors unlike anything seen before. These classic first stories remain as influential today as they were to 1960s counterculture. In this premiere volume, experience the debut of iconic characters including Baron Mordo, Eternity, Dormammu and the Mindless Ones - as well as Strange's faithful servant Wong and the mystic mistress Clea! Collecting material from STRANGE TALES (1951) #110-111 and #114-146 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #2.Travis sez: Pay tribute to the memory of Steve Ditko with this new version of the entire (I think) Ditko run of Doctor Strange. I need more money so I can get things like this!
JUL180795
(W) Len Wein (A) Bernie Wrightson, Nestor Redondo (CA) Karl Kerschl
Swamp Thing's early adventures are collected in paperback with SWAMP THING: THE BRONZE AGE VOL. 1. Deep in the bayou of Louisiana, far from civilization's grasp, a shadowed creature seen only in fleeting glimpses roils the black waters...a twisted, vegetative mockery of a man...a Swamp Thing! These are the tales that introduced Alec and Linda Holland, Anton Arcane, Abigail Cable, the Patchwork Man, the Un-Men, plus an appearance by Batman! Collects THE HOUSE OF SECRETS #92 and SWAMP THING #1-13.Travis sez: The early Swamp Thing stuff in a trade, featuring some sweet Bernie Wrightson art.
Next Time: Whenever he gets it to me, more previews...
Hi, Everybody!
Next Time is NOW!!!
Diamond Preview Picks: October 2018
 |
| That's a nice looking codpiece you got there... |
(W) Dave Sim, Benjamin Hobbs, Sandeep Atwal (A) Dave Sim, Gustave Dore (CA) Benjamin Hobbs
"Cash On Delivery Penis in Every Canadian Expresspost"; Super Cerebus hoaxes Satan; Cerebus appoints the Whore of Babylon Governor of the Bank of Canada; Electric cars a city-block long made of woven hemp powered by wind turbines on the roof; million-dollar banknotes; Francis suspects Super-Cerebus of being as "gay as the song the fairies sing"; "Foresworn & Sven Yeargan, Gol"; the computers are eating our pens; Count Ugolino and his sons and grandsons starve to death; "Bohemian Rhapsody" "on-hold" music; what it means when a Muslim calls you a "whore"; The 31 Gender Pronouns; "We're All Doomed"; The Whore of Babylon vs. Virgil;Clinton Supporters of the Damned.
Travis sez: This guy again. You should have already ordered this, you know!
 |
| Hey look! It's AMOC Special Friend Jimmy Gownley, That's why his book gets a full sized picture... |
AMELIA RULES TP VOL 01 WHOLE WORLDS CRAZY NEW PTG
FEB171240
(W) Jimmy Gownley (A/CA) Jimmy Gownley
Meet Amelia Louise McBride. She's been forced to move out of Manhattan after her parents decided to get divorced, and is now living in a small town (who cares which one) with her mom and her aunt, Tanner. Not to mention the fact that she's dealing with being the new kid in school, many trips to the principal's office, first kisses, etc. But you know what? She's got her friends Reggie, Rhonda, and Pajamaman, and everything's going to be okay. Except, of course, when it isn't.
Travis sez: A new printing of our pal Jimmy Gownley's excellent Amelia Rules comic!
SILVER AGE CLASSICS TALES OF MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER HC VOL 01
JUN181938
(A) Rocco Mastroserio, Bill Molno, Charles Nicholas, Steve Ditko, Dick Giordano, Paul Reinman, Tony Tallarico, Maurice Whitman, Howard Boughner
Courtesy of the Traveler's creator, Steve Ditko, this title beat pretty much everything else on the creaking metal comic book spinners. What it may have lacked in the comicbook equivalent of $100M FX budgets, the Mysterious Traveler made up for it with sheer class, style and out 'n out pizzazz and charm. A clear inspiration to the hugely popular Amazing Adult Fantasy, the Mysterious Traveler is surely the original "adult" comic and the one that's still, with these sumptuous hardcover four-color volumes, worth a deep read. Collects Tales of the Mysterious Traveler #1-5 (August 1956 to January 1957).
Travis sez: A collection of the Steve Ditko comic from the '50s. The PS Artbooks line is pretty good from what I've seen.
FURTHER ADVENTURES RED SONJA TP VOL 01
JUN181062
(W) Andy Diggle (A/CA) Luca Casalanguida
Featuring a collection of issues from the original Marvel Comics series "The Savage Sword of Conan," with each page painstakingly re-mastered for this volume! Plus, legendary Red Sonja writer and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Roy Thomas provides an introduction!
Travis sez: Stories of the inspiration for Red Sophia, by Frank Thorne et al.
HEY KIDS COMICS #1 (MR)
JUN180055
(W) Howard Chaykin (A) Howard Chaykin (CA) Don Cameron
SERIES PREMIERE! HEY KIDS! COMICS! takes its cue from nearly a century of turbulence and triumph, despair and drama in the comic book racket. Artists and writers, con men and clowns, ganefs and gangsters, create the foundations of today's biggest entertainment business-or at least the tail that wags the dog. Some of it really happened, and the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty... although in the end, everyone was guilty of something.
Travis sez: A new series from Howard Chaykin, telling tales out of school about the shenanigans behind the scenes involved in making comics. Should be interesting.
LEVIATHAN #1 CVR A PITTARA & GARLAND (MR)
JUN180012
(W) John Layman (A/CA) Nick Pittara
SERIES PREMIERE! Poor Ryan DeLuca didn't buy enough beer for his party, and while he was out on a beer run his idiot buddies busted out some mystical arcana and performed a summoning ceremony-a ceremony that summoned a giant monster from hell!Join multiple Eisner-winning writer JOHN LAYMAN (CHEW) and Eisner-nominated artist NICK PITARRA (THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS), along with soon-to-be-nominated-for-best-colorist MICHAEL GARLAND (THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS) for an eye-popping, face-melting, reality-defying, nonstop rush of pure adrenaline.
Travis sez: Cerebus superfan John Layman is back with his first creator owned comic after the end of Chew (I believe), with art by the great Nick Pitarra and colors by Michael Garland. It's about a party that gets out of hand when a demon is summoned. Whom amongst us, amirite?
BERLIN HC COMPLETE EDITION (MR)
JUN181666
(W) Jason Lutes (A/CA) Jason Lutes
During the past two decades, Jason Lutes has quietly created one of the masterworks of the graphic novel golden age. Serialized in twenty-two issues, collected in two volumes, with a third to be co-released at the time of this omnibus, Berlin has over 100,000 copies in print. An intricate look at the fall of the Weimar Republic through the eyes of its citizens, Berlin will be one of the high-water marks of the medium: rich in its researched historical detail; compassionate in its character studies; and as timely as ever in its depiction of a society slowly awakening to the stranglehold of fascism.
Travis sez: Jason Lutes has finally completed the long-running Berlin comic, which lasted almost as long as Cerebus did but only got 22 issues out of it. Oops. Anyway, it's very good from what I've read, a look at the period of the late 1920s/early 1930s Germany.
IRON MAN 2020 TP NEW PTG
JUN180993
(W) Ken McDonald, Fred Schiller, Various (A) Mark Beachum, Herb Trimpe, Various (CA) Bob Wiacek
The armor is familiar, but the man inside isn't who you'd expect! He's Arno Stark, the cold and hard-hitting Iron Man of the future - and Tony Stark's descendant has quite a legacy to live up to. Catch all the futuristic action as Arno battles Spider-Man and Blizzard in a time-traveling adventure to stop a nuclear terrorist; faces Machine Man at the behest of Tony's old foe Sunset Bain; and clashes with the original Death's Head, industrial saboteur Marcus Wellington and the high-flying Commodore Q! Can Arno overcome his foes - and himself - to become the hero he's modeled himself after? Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #20, MACHINE MAN (1984) #1-4, DEATH'S HEAD #10, IRON MAN 2020 #1, ASTONISHING TALES: IRON MAN 2020 #1-6 and material from WHAT IF? (1989) #53. Rated T
Travis sez: I think that there is Barry Windsor-Smith art in this collection, but I'm not completely sure.
MARVEL UNIVERSE BY FRANK MILLER OMNIBUS HC
JUN180959
(W) Frank Miller, Chris Claremont, Dennis O'Neil, Various (A) Herb Trimpe (A/CA) Frank Miller
Frank Miller took the comics industry by storm, redefining iconic characters, obliterating creative boundaries and inspiring a generation of readers and creators. While most know Miller as the man who remade Daredevil and created Elektra, he contributed his talents to many Marvel titles - and this incomparable Omnibus brings those stories together in one complete collection! From Miller's first Marvel work to his extensive array of covers and rare pinups, this painstakingly restored collection is the Millerphile's be-all and end-all. Featuring Miller's iconoclastic takes on Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, the Thing, Doc Samson, Captain Marvel, Karma, Power Man and Iron Fist and more! Collecting PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) #27-28; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #51; MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1979) #8; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #14-15; MARVEL TEAM-UP ANNUAL #4; WOLVERINE (1982) #1-4; MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #18 - and material from MARVEL PREVIEW #23; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #100; POWER MAN AND IRON FIST (1978) #76; INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #11; and OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE (1983) #2-6, #8 and #10. Rated T +
Travis sez: Frank Miller on Marvel characters. Of course it's cool.
Next Time: Sunday: JESUS-TIME!
4 comments:
You know, I "discovered" a slight marketing issue with all the "one-shot" CIH? comics. I almost never go into comix shops any more, so I don't special-order stuff. I visited one last week and thought I'd see if they had any of the "#1"s in stock, so naturally I looked under the "C"s (for "Cerebus in Hell?"). Finding nothing, I left; only later did I remember that every issue has a different title, and one has to remember the titles in order to find the issue on the shelf (if it's even there.)
The punch line is, pretty much the *only* people buying these already know about them, and have ordered them in advance. Perhaps the additional sales from comic shops browsers would be negligible, but as it is right now they're almost certainly zero. I don't know what the fix would be, other than to use a consistent title so each new issue can be found, and of course that would be the end of the cover-parody scheme. I'm not sure how large a problem this is, but I'm also not sure there's a solution, but I just thought I'd put it out there for consideration.
Well, one solution could be to have, in tiny type up top, "Cerebus in Hell" (maybe with "Presents" added or something) and then the parody title. But it would lead to clutter and to make the parody less obvious.
FYI, too, I did get your email, Eddie!
Post a Comment