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Giant Days #1
Lots to say about all kinds of things this week, so much so that some of it is getting broken out into a separate post. For the time being let’s talk about all the comics coming out this week, as well as all the debuts that are going to make me super broke this May – see I’m going to this little known thing called the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF)
Reading List
Giant Days #1 – John Allison is the creator responsible for webcomics the likes of Bad Machinery, Bobbins, and of course Giant Days, which is sadly no longer available online, but physical copies can still be purchased here and here. Why am I providing all of this information? Because while this new series will be new-reader friendly (“If you’re new to the series, the first Boom! Box issue will not leave you high and dry.“), it is also a continuation of those three original issues (says so right here). So if you want to be in the know, you should probably track them down! That said, this new series is positioned to be the next big thing from BOOM! Box. Exciting webcomic creator – check! Awesome artist along to illustrate, namely Lissa Treiman – check! Humor, slice of life, relatable characters, and friendship – check, check, check, and check! Basically you should be giving this a try. Whether you’ve heard of Giant Days before, or not, it should be well worth your time! Easily what I’m most excited for this week!
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Tuki: Save the Humans #3
Tuki: Save the Humans #3 – Jeff Smith‘s latest comic continues to chug along, both online and in print. As with his previous work it’s the sort of thing that walks a thin line between cartoony and grim, between cute and serious, and which uses that interplay to tell a powerful and poignant story. Few creators have as good of an understanding of the medium, and it easily shows in his previous works Bone & RASL. This is only the third issue, and if you’re not reading this series, you should be! Absolutely well worth picking up!
Strange Sports Stories #1 (of 4) – I almost missed out on this series (darn your poor marketing Vertigo!), which is a darn shame because it’s some of my favorite things in one place strange stories, and sports! Never mind that it’s from an all-star cast of creators, new and old, Brian Azzarello, CM Punk, Paul Pope, Gilbert Hernandez, Lauren Beukes, Ben McCool, Ivan Brandon, Monica Gallagher, Lee Loughridge, Nick Dragotta, Christopher Mitten, Darick Robertson, Mark Finn, John Lucas, Gabe Soria, Ronald Wimberly, Michael DiMotta, Tim Fish, Rael Lyra and somehow more besides! If you enjoy anthologies, there’s no reason why you should be skipping this, and even if you don’t how can you say no to such a selection of creative power?
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Usagi Yojimbo Saga Vol. 2
Usagi Yojimbo Saga Vol. 2 – I’ve fallen for Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, and I’ve fallen hard. Fortunately, now is a good time to catch up, and do so without going totally broke (only partially). While the first seven volumes (offered by Fantagraphics) have yet to be collected in any sort of omnibus collection, Dark Horse‘s deluxe reissues are coming along just fine, and for a fine price point of $24.99. Much like the aforementioned Jeff Smith, Sakai is a creator with an excellent understanding of the medium. His storytelling is succinct and powerful, full of both fantasy and a deep respect for history. If you are a fan of comics, do yourself a favor and start reading this title!
Batgirl #40 – I had dropped this title, not going to lie. Something about its portrayal of Barbara seemed at odds with how she’d been portrayed in the past (notably while being Oracle in the pre-New 52). Where was the mature woman? Where had this younger, brasher character come from? Why were we turning the clock on so much character development? But then Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr did something that clicked, and allowed me to accept this newer version. See the villain who’s been pestering Batgirl all along is actually none other than Barbara Gordon, or rather the digital copy of her brain after she was paralyzed. While this doesn’t bring back the more mature Barbara, it does potentially allow for Oracle to exist once more. For now consider me intrigued!
My Growing List of Comics For TCAF
First it was Kathryn & Stuart Immonen‘s Russian Olive To The Red King, then I saw Geoff Berner & Tin Can Forest‘s We are Going to Bremen to Be Musicians, and finally I found out that Andrew MacLean might be debuting ApocalyptiGirl at TCAF as well. Because I clearly don’t value my savings, and because a trip to Canada won’t be depleting enough funds already, I decided to swing by the list of debuts and see if there was anything else. Yes, yes there were several – excitement ensued!
- Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu
- SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
- Mighty Star and the Castle of the Cancatervater by A. Degen
- Golemchik by William Exley
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Ty Templeton Once More On Point
About the sad passing of Leonard Nimoy, and specifically how we should remember him.
Image may be NSFW.
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Cool Art From Suze Art!
That is all, via tumblr.
