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Subject: [ComicBookNetwork E-Mag] CBEM 558.8 - January14, 2006



CBEM 558 concludes . . .

ROCKY: THE BIG PAYBACK by Martin Kellerman
96-page B&W softcover $12.95

Martin Kellerman is the Jane Austen of 21st century twenty-
something urban European slackers. Firmly in the tradition of
Fritz the Cat, Hate, and Clerks, Rocky is his mostly
autobiographical daily strip detailing the rudely hilarious
travails of a young cartoonist and his circle of layabout pals
and neurotic, indignant girlfriends. In this action-packed volume
collecting the first year of the smash-hit strip, Rocky gets
tossed out of his apartment, flies across the pond to visit a gay
African-American pal (not realizing he lives in deepest Harlem);
is ill-advisedly given the mission of euthanizing a friend's
beloved pet rabbit ("Tom, give this job to Clemenza."
"Yes, Godfather."); makes a spectacularly unsuccessful attempt to
trade in his girlfriend for her younger, more buxom sister; gets
a bowel inflammation and a colonoscopy; goes to a costume party
dressed as Tinky Winky; tries to get laid while camping out at a
rock festival - and basically drinks and fornicates (or tries to)
his way through Stockholm and New York, with hangover following
drunken binge and mortification following faux pas as night
follows day. What will probably be amazing to American readers is
how similar the day-to-day experiences of these Seinfeld-
watching, Big Mac-eating, hip-hop-listening Swedes is to theirs.
Rocky is a reminder as to how utterly global our culture has
become - and a reminder that laughter is truly universal.

THE ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #16 by Chris Ware
64-page full color hardcover $15.95

After four years of almost exclusively repackaging his
sophomoric early work for the book trade, the children's
entertainer and award-winning calligrapher F. C. Ware returns to
his groundbreaking 1990s cartoon series "The ACME Novelty
Library," a nearly decade-long publishing experiment which more
or less single-handedly demonstrated the redemptive power a fancy
paper stock or a little gold foil might exert over an otherwise
dull, dry visual narrative. Ware rejoins the proud, vital
esthetic forum of the American comic book with his ongoing serial
"Rusty Brown," a love story concerning the ambitions and mistakes
of seven consciousnesses at a private school in Omaha, Nebraska,
all revolving around a universally reviled child - and absolutely
certain to be a favorite with readers of all tastes and biases.
As told through the eyes of someone absentmindedly watching a
television sitcom circa 1975, this first installment begins one
January morning of that same year and describes everything of
importance right up to and including the ring of the first
period bell before eventually spiraling off into 1955, 2004, and
toward the planet Mars, amongst other interesting and exotic time
periods and locales. Though originally released by alternative
comics vanguard Fantagraphics Books, this new sixteenth issue is
the first to be entirely produced, printed and published by Mr.
Ware alone; limited to a single press  run, once it is sold out,
pulped, and/or burned, neither of these narratives will be
available again until  "Rusty Brown" and "Building Stories" are
eventually edited, collected and remaindered as hardcover books.

MOME FALL 2005 by Various
136-page color and B&W softcover $14.95

Written and Illustrated by Andrice Arp, Gabrielle Bell, Jonathan
Bennett, Jeffrey Brown, Sophie Crumb, David Heatley, Paul
Hornschemeier, Anders Nilsen, John Pham and Kurt Wolfgang.
Designed by Jordan Crane. Edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds.
This accessible, reasonably priced, quarterly anthology will run
approximately 136 pages per volume and spotlight a regular cast
of a dozen of today's most exciting cartoonists. Designed by
acclaimed designer and cartoonist Jordan Crane (The Clouds
Above), Mome will feature an iconic design and consistent format
that should quickly establish the anthology as the most
distinctive and accessible anthology of literary comics
available. Mome is the first all-comics literary anthology
designed to sit alongside publications like Granta, The Baffler,
McSweeney's, et. al., and is designed to appeal as much to fans
of contemporary literary fiction as longtime comics fans. Mome
will feature the same collective of artist s every issue,
allowing the artists and audience to grow together and build an
ongoing identity that is highly unusual for the world of
contemporary comics (where many authors publish sporadically by
literary standards, given the labor intensive nature of comics).

NIGHT FISHER by R. Kikuo Johnson (2nd Printing)
144-page black-and-white softcover $12.95

In what we predict will be the most impressive comics debut of
2005, Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling
graphic novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood.
First-rate prep school, S.U.V., and a dream house in the heights:
This was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved
to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of
high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has
grown distant. The rumors say it's hard drugs, and Loren suspects
that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends. At
home, an unprecedented "B" on Loren's typically straight "A"
report card has his father concerned. Dad's interrogation,
however, is stemmed by an unexpected telephone invitation that
Loren can't resist. Loren accompanies Shane to a weathered house
in the harbor shadows. With the friends he meets there, he
endures a night of drug deals, petty theft, crystal meth, porn
and a stray punch in the face. The pressures of high school seem
suddenly inconsequential in the morning. No longer seeking
approval from anyone, Loren's strong work ethic becomes self-
imposed, further veiling his escalating drug use. Loren is strung
along late one night as the boys break into a construction site
and drag some valuable equipment into the trunk of his S.U.V. A
police chase ends with Loren in handcuffs as his baffled father
struggles to understand what the hell is going on. At school,
Shane's acceptance to MIT makes the front page of the campus
paper. Whe n Loren offers his congratulations, Shane coldly
suggests that they should keep their distance from each other
until a court date is decided. Loren is once again left behind.
What sets Kikuo's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which
he explores the relationships of his characters. It is at once an
unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between
adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things - a
mature depiction of immature lives. Visually, Johnson captures
the languid tropical climate and strip mall tackiness of Hawaii
in a rich chiaroscuro style reminiscent of Milton Caniff combined
with the sensual ink work of Paul Pope or Jessica Abel.

THE GLAMOR GIRLS OF DON FLOWERS by Alex Chun & Jacob Covey
300-page B&W paperback, $19.95

When the life of Don Flowers was cut short in 1968, he left
behind a career in newspaper cartooning that spanned more than
four decades as well as one of the most fluid lines to grace the
comics page. His cartoons evoked the art of Russell Patterson and
Hank Ketcham, and nowhere was this more evident than in his
quintessential single-panel pin-up cartoon, the aptly named
Glamor Girls. Whether blondes or brunettes, showgirls or
housewives, Flowers rendered his comely protagonists with equal
aplomb. A close look at Flowers' body of work reveals that he was
really an illustrator playing cartoonist.  He was equally skilled
with the brush and the pen, and was also highly regarded by his
fellow artists for his expert spotting of blacks. Flowers boasted
"about the finest line ever to be bequeathed to a cartoonist,"
wrote Coulton Waugh in his classic history, The Comics. "It
dances; it snaps gracefully back and forth; the touches related."
; While Flowers spent nearly a quarter of a decade on Glamor
Girls, it wasn't until the 1960s that he finally broke free of
Russell Patterson's influence and established a more modern
style that was uniquely his own.  This volume collects the best
of those cartoons, and showcases Flowers at the height of his
skill. Don Flowers' Glamor Girls also features a foreward by
cartoon legend Sergio Aragones and an introductory essay by
editor Alex Chun.

MEOW, BABY! by Jason
144-page black-and-white softcover, $16.95

After seven books that have ranged from tragedy (Hey, Wait...)
to drama (Sshhhh!) to thriller melodrama  (The Iron Wagon, Why
Are You Doing This?), Jason unleashes his inner Scandinavian
goofball with this big collection of hilarious shorter pieces.
God, the Devil, mummies, vampires, zombies, werewolves,
reanimated skeletons, space invaders, Death, cavemen, Godzilla
and Elvis populate these most often wordless blackout gags, side
by side with Jason's usual Little Orphan Annie-eyed, rabbit-and-
bird-head protagonists - a "lighter side" of one of the best
cartoonists of the new millennium.

NEW COMICS:

SCHIZO #4 by Ivan Brunetti
32-page full color 11" x 15" comic, $9.95

America's most beloved depressed cartoonist is off the couch and
back to making us laugh at his misery! This long-awaited full-
color oversized comic brings you right into the action! This time
around Brunetti taps into his academic side with biographies of
Piet Mondrian, Soren Kierkegaard, Erik Satie, James Thurber,
Francoise Hardy, Louise Brooks, and J.K. Huysmans. And if that
weren't enough, there are tributes to Charles Schulz and the Marx
Brothers; a step-by-step guide on how to draw cartoons; and
strips on misogyny, 9-11, suicidal ideation, and abortive crushes
on waitresses PLUS so much more.

LUBA'S COMICS AND STORIES #6 by Gilbert Hernandez
32-page black and white comic $3.50

LUBA the comic may have concluded, but Gilbert still has tales of
her extended family to tell. In this, the first of three
concluding all-new issues of the series, Luba's adolescent half-
sisters Fritz and Petra get on that bumpy road to adulthood in a
story which will explain Scott the Hog's animosity toward Fritz,
and...Luba meets aliens!

LOVE & ROCKETS #15 by Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez
32-page black and white comic $4.50

Hopey goes on a picnic, to a rock 'n' roll show and the bathroom
in "Saturday is Shatter Day," the latest installment of "Day by
Day with Hopey." And on the Beto side of the book, "On a Gut
Level" features the return on Palomar's original heartbreaker
Pipo, trapped in a mysterious castle with Fritz, her ex Mark
Hererra, and his wife Mila...plus another Kid Stuff Kids"! VIVA
LOS BROS!

DEADPAN #1 by David Heatley
32-page full-color comic $5.95

Never before offered through Fantagraphics or Previews! Back to
the start with the first issue of David Heatley's
autobiographical work. Exploring his dreams with a childlike
adaptation, Heatley takes a peek into his own mind - which is
decidedly filled with a less-than-childlike nature. Colored
drawings, that resemble pictures drawn with crayons, tackle
homosexual and heterosexual fantasies, child rape, bestiality and
murder.

THE COMICS JOURNAL #272
Cover by Jeff Danzinger
192-page squarebound magazine, $9.95

This issue, take a journey through the world of editorial
cartooning with two masters of the form: American gadfly Jeff
Danzinger and Steve Bell of British newspaper The Guardian, both
interviewed of whom discuss art, craft and politics with critic
and scholar Kent Worcester. Also: Part two of Gary Groth's
definitive interview with legendary cartoonist (and Batman co-
creator) Jerry Robinson, a section of full-color "Thirteen"
strips from Little Lulu cartoonist John Stanley, and all the
comics, news, criticism and commentary you expect from America's
most respected magazine about the form, The Comics Journal!

NEW "IGNATZ" TITLES:
A brand new collection of internationally-produced comics
designed midway between comic book "pamphlets" and graphic
novels, at a very reasonable price, the "Ignatz" series will
offer a rotating collection of exciting new series, all produced
in a deluxe, oversize two-color format of jacketed saddle-
stitched comics on thick, deluxe stock. The following are the
fourth, fifth, and sixth volumes in the series.

INTERIORAE #1 (Ignatz Series) by Gabriella Giandelli
32-page  2-color saddlestitched 8 1/2" x 11" comic, $7.95

A high-rise apartment building in an unnamed European city. Its
inhabitants come and go, meet each other, talk, dream, regret,
hope... in short, live. A ghostly, shape-shifting
anthropomorphic white rabbit roams from apartment to apartment,
surveying and keeping track of all this humanity... and at the
end of every night, he floats down to the basement where he
delivers his report to the "great dark one." Lushly delineated in
penciled sepia halftones, this debut "Ignatz" by Gabriella
Giandelli offers a hauntingly unique vision and a tantalizingly
open-ended beginning to an ongoing series.

GANGES #1 (Ignatz Series) by Kevin Huizenga
32-page  2-color saddlestitched 8 1/2" x 11" comic, $7.95

Kevin Huizenga introduces his everyman Glenn Ganges (previously
seen in the acclaimed Drawn and Quarterly Showcase and Or Else)
to the "Ignatz" family with this suite of all-new stories. Ganges
tries to decide what to do when confronted with "The Litterer";
gets into an argument with his wife Wendy about The Beatles'
"She's Leaving Home"; indulges in some whimsical "Time Traveling"
while on a walk around his neighborhood; and more! Huizenga's
elegant neo-clear-line style brings a crispness and humor to
these low-key slice-of-life stories, and the gray-blue duotone he
has picked gives the art a new depth and complexity.

CHIMERA #1 (Ignatz Series) by Lorenzo Mattotti
32-page  black-and-white saddlestitched 8 1/2" x 11" comic, $7.95

Long a superstar in his native Italy, Lorenzo Mattotti has made
sporadic incursions into the U.S. via appearances in RAW
magazine, the classic Fires graphic novel, and the more recent,
2003 Eisner-winning Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptation from NBM.
(Not to mention regular gigs in The New Yorker.) All of these
previous works have showcased his full-color painter style, but
Chimera, with its intricate, hyper-expressive swirls of crisp
line work, shows that Mattotti's genius is bound by no single
technique. A wordless fantasia of birth, death, gods, monsters,
and humans, Chimera is the most astonishing visual narrative
you'll see all year.

Eric Reynolds
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115 USA
(206) 524-1967 x218 tel.
(206) 524-2104 fax
www.fantagraphics.com
 +++++
DARK HORSE COMICS FOR APRIL

  AEON FLUX TPB
  Written by Mike Kennedy, art by Timothy Green.
  Four hundred years in the future, the last of Humanity will
live behind the protective walls of Bregna, an idyllic utopia
built to shelter them from the deadly jungle growing beyond. Life
in Bregna is perfect, or as perfect as the government can make
the people believe. But not everyone is fooled by their mood-
altering propaganda--a small band of freedom fighters wish to see
things change, and they just might manage to pull off this
impossible dream with the help of their top secret agent, the
sexy, deadly Aeon Flux. As Bregnan authorities prepare a new
weapon to use against the jungle pounding at their walls, Aeon
prepares to turn their plans against them. But this time she is
not alone--she has been instructed to train a new agent, a fiery
young woman named Sithandra, who may not be all that she appears
. . . Collecting the four-issue mini-series.
  96 pages, $12.95, in stores on May 17.

  ARCHENEMIES #1
  Written by Drew Melbourne, penciled by Yvel Guichet, inked by
Joe Rubinstein, colored by Rick Hiltbrunner, lettered by Jim
Keplinger.
  Ethan has no idea that Vincent, his roommate, is the villainous
Underlord. Vincent has no clue that Ethan is the superhero called
Star Fighter. In their costumed identities, they're mortal
enemies, but as Ethan and Vincent they're the best of . . . wait,
NO, as Ethan and Vincent they still hate each other's guts. Can
comics' ultimate, super-powered odd couple keep their secrets
secret and learn to live together in peace? ArchEnemies is high-
concept superhero action comedy drama times eleven. In our debut
issue, it's a battle of wills as Ethan and Vincent try to drive
each other out of the apartment and off the lease. But, in a
moment of weakness, will one roommate go too far? [SPOILER ALERT:
Yes. Yes, he will.]
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 5.

  BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #112
  Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
  "On the Perfection of Anatomy," part 1 of 6. Yamada Asaemon,
the Shogun's executioner and sword tester, arrives at Burando's
request! Known as Kubikiri Asa, the legend of this historical
figure is explored in Dark Horse's Samurai Executioner series,
and his presence will certainly be felt in Blade of the Immortal!
Medical examiner Burando continues his studies on limb transfers
and Manji's immortal body, with the hope that Asaemon's deadly,
precise skills can quicken the pace! Hiroaki Samura's wild
samurai ride takes a darker turn, as his horrific "On the
Perfection of Anatomy" story arc begins! This issue also sports a
beautiful, wraparound Rin cover, painted by Samura.
  32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on April 12.

  B.P.R.D. THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #1
  Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis,
colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.
  After their catastrophic encounter with the monster-god Katha
Hem, the B.P.R.D. begin the work of trying to pick up the pieces
and rebuild the team. Kate Corrigan travels to rural France in
search of an ancient text that might undo the death of Roger,
while back at B.P.R.D. Headquarters, Captain Daimio finally
reveals the truth about his own death. Hellboy creator Mike
Mignola, with artist Guy Davis and co-writer John Arcudi, launch
the five-part series that will determine the future of the
B.P.R.D., while revealing key secrets about their past.
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 5.

  CONAN #27
  Written by Kurt Busiek, penciled by Tim Truman, colored by Dave
Stewart, cover by Tony Harris.
  Double-barreled action as two tales intertwine! In one, Conan
leads a daring raid in the high mountain ranges of the East for
the prize of a new-minted crown. Is this the beginning of Conan's
kingdom, or will treachery and guile bring him down? In the other
storyline, the Prince and his Wazir face turmoil on the empire's
border, and must punish a daring rebel--but is it justice? How
the two tales, set centuries apart, affect one another make for
surprise twists and a unique showdown that sets the stage for
serious trouble to come. Part two of a two-parter drawn by Tim
Truman. Two stories, two leads, and two fateful choices.
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 19.

  CONAN: BOOK OF THOTH #2
  Written by Kurt Busiek and Len Wein, art and cover by Kelley
Jones, colored by Michelle Madsen.
  The young acolyte Thoth-amon rises quickly through the priestly
ranks of Ibis as one by one his fellows fall victim to grisly
deaths by an unseen hand. Bewildered and powerless to halt the
carnage, one priest fears he has discovered the source of the
evil encroaching upon the city, only to learn that the truth is
far more horrifying than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile,
the citizens of Memphia are losing faith in the ability of Ibis
to protect them, and rumors are spreading of a far more powerful
and ancient deity--the snake-god Set.
  48 pages, $4.99, in stores on April 19.

  CONAN VOLUME 3: THE TOWER OF THE ELEPHANT AND OTHER STORIES TPB
& HC
  Written by Kurt Busiek, penciled by Cary Nord and Michael Wm.
Kaluta, colored by Dave Stewart.
  Continuing Dark Horse's best-selling Conan series with an
adaptation of one of Robert E. Howard's greatest Conan tales,
"The Tower of the Elephant." Fed up with both civilization and
mysticism, Conan travels to the infamous City of Thieves to take
out his frustrations. When a bar fight uncovers the legend of the
impregnable Tower of the Elephant, he becomes determined to rob
it, setting out on a quest unlike any he's undertaken--one that
will involve new comrades, sudden death, horrifying creatures,
and gruesome unsettling fates for both gods and men. Collecting
Conan #0, #16-17, #19-22.
  Hardcover, 168 pages, $24.95, in stores on May 17.
  Softcover, 168 pages, $15.95, in stores on June 21.

  CONCRETE VOLUME 5: THINK LIKE A MOUNTAIN TPB
  Written and art by Paul Chadwick.
  Celebrity has its benefits . . . and its costs. Due to his
status as the world's most unusual travel writer--being a
thousand pounds of walking, talking rock will do that--Concrete
is approached by a group of radical eco-warriors to see firsthand
and write about their efforts to save old-growth forest. What
begins as a lark soon turns into a harrowing struggle, and
Concrete must decide whether to dispassionately observe or to
join these people who would risk anything, even life itself, to
save the planet.
  Paul Chadwick's critically acclaimed Concrete is at once
rousing fantasy and grounded reality, as thought-provoking and
challenging as it is entertaining. Think Like a Mountain collects
the 1996 Parents' Choice Award winning series along with bonus
short stories, some collected here for the first time. This
volume collects Think Like a Mountain #1-6; short stories: "Like
Disneyland, Only Toxic," "Stay Tuned for Pearl Harbor," "A
Billion Conscious Decisions," "Objects of Value," "Steel Rain,"
various "A Sky of Heads" stories.
  208 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on May 24.

  THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON: TIME'S BLACK LAGOON NOVEL
  Written by Paul Di Filippo.
  In 1954, deep in the Amazon Jungle, an expedition found what
they assumed was one of those missing links in the chain of human
evolution: an immensely powerful amphibian creature that seemed
to step out of the mists of time. They tried to tame it, to break
its will, to change its very being with surgery and torture, but
the beast rebelled, killing almost all who stood in its way. But
was the creature truly a throwback, a survivor of some
prehistoric time before time . . . or was it something more?
  In the year 2015 one scientist will try to answer those
questions, using a time machine to pierce the veil of history and
journey back to the distant Devonian era. What he finds there
will not only splinter his vision of what the Creature might be,
but may very well change the history of the human race forever!
  Bending the conventions of what we feel we know about the
Creature from the Black Lagoon on its ear, critically praised
science fiction author Paul Di Filippo reinvents the classic
monster with a tale of time travel, horror, and mystery that
mixes the best elements of 1950s Cold War science-fiction with
today's cutting-edge cyberpunk in a vision of what terrors still
lurk . . . in the swamp.
  275 pages, $6.99, in stores on June 14.

  DREADFUL ED HC
  Written by Andrew Cosby, art by Troy Nixey, colored by Dave
Stewart.
  Poor Ed! What's a normal kid like him doing in a place like
Nocturnia? He's supposed to be the heir to the throne of his
dastardly dad--otherwise known as the Boogeyman himself, Silas
Grimm! But Ed just isn't cut out for the work. Quiet, gentle, and
altogether unspooky, it appears to everyone that Ed will never
have what it takes to rule the land of nightmares and dark deeds.
  Rather than giving up on his only heir, Silas ships Ed off to
fright school, hoping his woefully un-strange little boy will
learn the skills befitting of the next Boogeyman. Instead, Ed
ends up learning something about himself that will shock everyone
-- everyone, that is except the mother who switched him at birth!
  56 pages, $12.95, in stores on May 24.

  EDEN: IT'S AN ENDLESS WORLD! VOLUME 3 TPB
  Written and art by Hiroki Endo.
  The most action-filled Eden yet! In this shocking volume,
character revelations and intense battlefield decisions punctuate
a roller-coaster, book-length conflict. With new, cyber-augmented
Propater villains (the Aeon soldiers) making a vicious debut, the
mysterious Colonel tries to keep his ragtag group of freedom
fighters alive. Kenji cuts a path through armored soldiers, and
Cheribum and Sophia suffer serious setbacks. Kachua and Wycliffe
make their way through secret Incan tunnels, not knowing what
horrors lie in the daylight. If you thought that the previous
Eden volume had a cliffhanger ending, you'll be blown away by the
final pages of this thrilling ride! Hiroki Endo's Eden is a
garden of violence, pathos, and philosophy, where endearing
heroes face a constant struggle for survival and violent
surprises wait around every corner.
  224 pages, black and white, $12.95.

  GOON #17
  Written and art by Eric Powell.
  Things have taken a turn for the worst in the battle for
control of Lonely Street. The Zombie Priest's new army of
monstrosities is quickly overrunning the town, destroying
everything in sight. Their mission: destroy Goon and Buzzard. As
the pair struggle to survive the attack of these new nasty little
creatures, Goon begins to wonder if perhaps Buzzard isn't sharing
all he knows.
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 19.

  GUNGRAVE ARCHIVE ARTBOOK
  Based on the game created by Yasuhiro Nightow, created by
Softbank Editorial Division
  First a hit first-person-shooter video game in Japan, Gungrave
moved overseas to become an American Playstation 2 favorite as
well before finally making the move to become a popular anime in
both countries. Dark Horse is proud to bring America the works of
Yasuhiro Nightow, and the artbook Gungrave Archives offers a new
piece of the manga master's growing portfolio of works.
  And Nightow's additions are only a part of the wide range of
materials in this special, double-size artbook set. Already
available as separate, untranslated books, Archives brings them
together completely translated, at a more reasonable price, in
equally high-quality binding, and featuring two pull-out posters!
  And completely unavailable in either book--photographs of an
exclusive Grave figure, custom made by famed figure modeler
Takayuki Takeda! This is the only chance to see this model, as it
will never see production. Also included is a short interview
with Takeda about his challenges creating the exclusive custom
figure.
  256 pages, $19.95, in stores on June 14.

  JU-ON VOLUME 2 TPB
  Originally written by Takashi Shimizu. Manga adaptation by
Meimu,
  The bloody and vengeful grudge of Ju-On returns in this manga
sensation from Japan! The landmark horror film franchise is
captured in comics form, opening on a gruesome and tantalizing
series of images from an operating room, a lightning storm, gory
medical instruments, and a single witness to the scene and
whatever lies on the table.
  Cut to peaceful scenes of everyday life that are taking place
in and around a familiar apartment complex. But what eerie
presence sits just below the surface, itching to manifest itself
and take out its deep-seated rage on innocents? What could have
caused such hatred, and why is the spirit terrorizing again? The
chilling answer to these questions is found in the pages of Ju-On
Volume 2.
  136 pages, black and white, $9.99, in stores on May 24.

  NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 3 HC
  Written by Mike Baron, art by Steve Rude.
  This latest collection of the landmark sci-fi series re-
presents the original Nexus issues twelve through eighteen from
First Comics--an indispensable storyline in the history of
Horatio Hellpop's plagued existence. Wracked by inescapable,
visceral nightmares of the grave misdeeds of his next targets,
the executioner Nexus turns to the only solution he can--a life-
threatening procedure that places an implant in his brain! This
implant will prevent the dreams that Horatio has endured for
years, but at what price? His behavior changes, and the ensuing
emotional isolation pushes Sundra and her booming solar sailcraft
business back to Mars. Spy Ursula X. X. Imada resurfaces with
Horatio's twin daughters, and Clonezone the Hilariator is up to
his usual mischief and misadventures! This collection also
features a story about the Hammer, Judah Maccabee, illustrated by
the famed Oz artist Eric Shanower. Collects issues #12-18 from
Volume 3 (First Comics).
  216 pages, $49.95, in stores on May 24.

  SCARY BOOK VOLUME 2: INSECTS TPB
  Written and art by Kazuo Umezu.
  Kazuo Umezu returns with the second frightening volume of his
Scary Book anthology series. In "Butterfly Grave," a book-length
feature story, ever since the mysterious and untimely death of
her mother when she was still an infant, Megumi has had an
inexplicable, devastating phobia of butterflies. Upon visiting
her mother's grave years after her death, Megumi begins being
haunted by a black butterfly that only she can see and which
seemingly causes waves of destruction and misery to Megumi's
family and friends wherever it appears. But when Megumi's father
decides to remarry, Megumi begins to fear that her new mother is
turning into the very thing she dreads most.
  232 pages, black and white, $13.95, in stores on May 10.

  SPACE PINCHY: THE LABORATORY OF LOVE
  Written and art by Tony Takezaki.
  It seems it's not possible for poor Pinchy to stay out of
trouble. At the beginning of each story, it seems she's in some
kind of fix! But not this time. Nope. Now she's visiting a retro
mecha display of the seemingly undestroyable Captain Star!
However, I'm sure by the time this issue's over, Pinchy will find
some kind of trouble, either with a giant robot, that pesky Robo
King, or something else. For instance, what exactly is this
"laboratory of love"? From the wacked-out manga mind of Japan's
Tony Takezaki comes Space Pinchy, a story about a female space
adventurer who won't accept failure, and will probably never find
a decent alien boyfriend.
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 19.

  STAR WARS: HONOR AND DUTY TPB
  Written by John Ostrander, penciled by C.P. Smith and Luke
Ross, inked by Jasen Rodriguez, colored by Digital Chameleon and
Steve Firchow.
  Watch the fall of the Republic through the eyes of Sagoro
Autem--Senate Guard, mercenary, prisoner, Clone Wars hero, and
Imperial target--in a story that spans from before the Clone Wars
to the first mission of Darth Vader!
  Young Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker -- his
even younger Padawan -- protect a senator from assassination
attempts. Joining the Jedi in their mission is Autem, loyal
Senate Guard. Yet, as Obi-Wan and Anakin fend off a league of
master assassins, Autem discovers a link between the killers that
will change his own life forever--a secret he will not be able to
face until the Clone Wars have come and gone, and he finds
himself on the run from the new Emperor's enforcer, Darth Vader!
Collecting issues #46-48 and #78 of Star Wars Republic.
  96 pages, $12.96, in stores on May 10.

  STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #4
  Written by John Jackson Miller, penciled by Brian Ching,
colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Travis Charest.
  On the run and desperate to clear his name, fugitive Padawan
Zayne Carrick guides his ragtag crew of scoundrels toward a
treacherous asteroid moon, returning to the site of a significant
moment in his Jedi training and to what he hopes will reveal the
reason the entire Republic seems out to get him. The answers only
lead to more riddles, however, and before they can fully
interpret the information they've stumbled upon, the band of
outcasts are assailed by yet another threat. And perhaps most
surprising of all, their party grows by one as a new character
enters the fray!
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 26.

  STAR WARS: REBELLION -- MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY #1
  Written by Rob Williams, art by Brandon Badeaux.
  Seeking to exploit a fatal flaw in the Rebel fleet's escape
strategies, the Empire plants a sleeper agent in the Alliance's
midst and sets into motion a series of events that will have
devastating consequences for Luke Skywalker and his companions.
Meanwhile, Darth Vader's own agenda runs counter to the Empire's
schemes, and he's ensnared Lt. Janek Sunber to carry out a secret
mission that will lead the idealistic Imperial officer straight
into the heart of the Rebellion.
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 12.

  STAR WARS: TAG & BINK EPISODE I -- REVENGE OF THE CLONE MENACE
  Written by Kevin Rubio, art by Luca Marangon.
  Behold, the long-awaited prequel to the Tag & Bink saga! Many a
Star Wars fan has lain awake at night, plagued by suspense and
wondering just how this infamous Rebel pair came to be. Well
wonder no more, faithful readers! Your plague has ended with this
tell-all issue that caps the space-opera legend, courtesy of fan-
favorite Star Wars creators Kevin Rubio and Lucas Marangon.
  The origin story of our hapless heroes begins on their
respective planets, Alderaan and Corellia. These future soldiers
of the Rebel Alliance are sized up for Padawan potential, and we
are treated to a rare inside look at the rigorous mental and
physical training undergone by aspiring Knights in the Jedi
Temple! Mace Windu, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the elder Fett each
have a role in the miseducation of Tag and Bink, but despite all
this schoolin', the two decide that spying on Padme and "the
Chosen One" is a pretty good idea . . .
  32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 26.

  TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 9 TPB
  Written and art by Yasuhiro Nightow.
  This is the story of Nicholas Wolfwood and Livio, two boys for
whom friendship was brief, but still burned deep into their
boyhood consciences. Those bits and pieces, though full of light,
are mere shadows to these men of guns and blood and violence.
  Yes, in this volume of Trigun, our hero Vash takes a bit of a
rest, and he certainly deserves one. So, now we'll study a
boyhood relationship, one that, in this very volume, just might
come to a destructive and angry end. Though, it may be a bit
tough for either one of these "friends" to knock each other off.
They both have secrets up their sleeves, and Livio, well he might
even have an extra sleeve!
  As always, published in the ever-popular non-westernized
format, with Yasuhiro Nightow's commentary in the back and the
comical original black-and-white covers printed on the inside.
  200 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on May 3.

  USAGI YOJIMBO #93
  Written and art by Stan Sakai.
  World-renowned storyteller Stan Sakai explores a very important
part of Japanese culture in this special issue of Usagi Yojimbo.
After an eventful stay, the time has come for Usagi to continue
his wandering travels and bid farewell to the Geishu Province.
Before he goes, he and Tomoe will first partake in the chanoyu--
the formal tea ceremony. But is there something besides tea
brewing between the two of them? Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either
of the pair, arrangements are being made for Tomoe's marriage.
  This unusual issue explores the stylized, spiritual event of
the tea ceremony, which epitomizes the feeling of Zen. Sakai's
attention to the historical details of Usagi's feudal environment
is a hallmark of the series, and this focus is highlighted this
month in "Chanoyu"!
  24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on April 26.
_________________________________________________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
- End of another Issue .. GIVE A KID A COMIC TODAY!

  Yesterday I found out what doughnuts are for. You put them on
  doughbolts. They hold dough airplanes together. For kids, they
  make erector sets out of play-dough.





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