And while we’re on the subject of big BCGF news, how’s this: Cartoonist and editor Zack Soto has announced the launch of Study Group Magazine, with a first issue slated to debut at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival on December 3rd. Spinning out of Soto’s long-running Studygroup12 anthology (the last issue of which debuted at last year’s BCGF) and co-edited by Soto and former Comics Journal editor Milo George, Study Group Magazine will include both comics and comics journalism. On the latter score, the first issue will feature an interview with Craig Thompson by George, an interview with cover artist Eleanor Davis by Soto, and a profile of Brecht Evens by Greice Schneider. As for the comics themselves, look for contributions from Soto, Michael DeForge, Jonny Negron, Trevor Alixopulos, David King, Aidan Koch, Daria Tressler, Chris Cilla, Malachi Ward, and Jennifer Parks. And be sure to visit Soto’s blog for some gorgeous purple-and-yellow two-tone preview art.

Last month, The Cardboard Valise cartoonist Ben Katchor used his strip in Metropolis magazine to envision a world where corporate CEOs were forced to work in their own stores — by which we mean all of them, every day. This month, though, the 1% is striking back. In a strip entitled “Johnny ‘The Pump’ Clematis,” Katchor chronicles a day in the life of the title character, a working stiff hired out by the heads of various multinationals to take out labor-union officials using the massive robotic boom of his cement truck. Hey, I’m sure those unions were a public health hazard, right?

Media reports on the Occupy Wall Street movement tend to express confusion about what the protestors want. This usually leads me to express confusion about whether the authors of said reports have access to Google. But regardless, perhaps OWS should consider implementing the modest proposal advanced by The Cardboard Valise cartoonist Ben Katchor in his latest strip for Metropolis magazine. In it, Katchor imagines a world in which CEOs are mandated by law to work in every store they own for fifteen minutes each, every day. Crunching the numbers and allowing for serious workaholism, that basically maxes major chains out at just under 70 branches, reasonably regionalized. But would it really improve worker conditions? Katchor’s example culminates in a “cleanup in aisle five”-type situation that raises serious questions about the policy’s efficacy in that regard, at least where janitors are concerned…

CLiNT #6

The British Fantasy Society has announced the finalists for the 2011 British Fantasy Awards, which will be presented during FantasyCon 2011, held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Brighton, England.

This year’s Best Comic/Graphic Novel category includes a bit of an oddity, in that CLiNT, from Mark Millar and Titan Publishing, isn’t actually a comic or graphic novel but rather an entertainment magazine that serializes such works as Kick-Ass 2, Superior, The Pro and Turf.

The nominees for Best Comic/Graphic Novel are:

• CLiNT, edited by Mark Millar (Titan)
• Grandville Mon Amour, by Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)
• Neonomicon, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows (Avatar)
• The Mountains of Madness, by Ian Culbard (Self Made Hero)
• The Unwritten, Vols 1 & 2, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Titan Books)

Members of the British Fantasy Society and attendees of FantasyCon 2010 and 2011 are eligible to vote.

Of course, this isn’t surprising. Geek culture and a love of gadgets go hand in hand, and it’s natural that these magazines would lose readership to the internet. Print magazines have a significant turnaround time that keeps them from breaking news, but beyond that, the web has become the gathering spot for fans of individual properties. When you can connect with other fans of Torchwood, Sailor Moon, or RPGs via the internet, paper becomes superfluous. The irony is that the “geek” fan community is probably larger than ever; it’s magazines that have dwindled away to almost nothing.

Four-Color Fear

Welcome to another spook-tacular edition of What Are You Reading? Our special guest this week is writer Sam Costello, who operates and writes horror comics for the site Split Lip. If you’re looking for some spooky stories to read tonight, it’s a good place to start.

To see what Sam and the rest of the Robot 6 crew have been reading lately, click below, if you dare …

*****

Brigid Alverson

Moving Pictures

I really am liking the art in Kathryn and Stuart Immonen’s Moving Pictures, but I’m halfway through the book and still not quite sure what is going on. I get the basics of what people are doing, but the story is elliptical enough that their relationships seem to be just beyond my grasp. The elegant black-and-white style is compelling, and the panels all seem to be composed of geometric shapes that fit together like some futuristic device from the 1930s, at once abstract and concrete. It’s a demanding book, but I’m enjoying the challenge of reading it.

I know I’m late to this particular party, but I have been reading David Hajdu’s The Ten-Cent Plague with great fascination. I was expecting a straightforward narrative but what’s interesting to me is the way the story waxes and wanes—public criticism of comics builds and then fades, only to build again. One of the most interesting aspects, to me, is Hajdu’s interviews with people who took part in comics-burnings. It’s a fascinating reminder that human events are often more complex than they seem—the book-burners often acted out of genuine concern, but the youngsters who participated often felt very mixed emotions, both before and after the burnings—and most went back to comics.

Chris Mautner

This week I read the much ballyhooed Superman: Year One. It was … alright. There certainly were a number of pitfalls a revamp project like this could have easily taken and it manages to avoid most of them. Writer J. Michael Straczynski doesn’t embarrass himself the way he seems to be on the monthly Superman book (based on what I’m hearing, I mean, I haven’t actually read the comics in question). His basic answer to the question of “how do you make Superman relevant for a modern audience” by increasing his insecurity and “alien” feeling, and playing up the sci-fi angle a bit more. There’s a nice twist regarding Kal-El’s origin that comes to the fore midway through, which I appreciated, and I was glad to see Straczynski didn’t feel the need to include every aspect of the mythos, like, say, Lex Luthor, immediately. (Honestly, I might have liked the book more if he had taken even more chances. What would a Superman without Jimmy Olson or the Daily Planet, for example, be like?)

Superman: Earth One

All the same, I don’t feel I can really recommend this book. Part of my problem is I really just don’t care for Shane Davis’ art work — it’s part and parcel of that current trend of overly detailed, stiff, heavily photo-referenced comics where the characters look like they’re models posing for a picture rather than people interacting with their environment. Straczynski’s dialogue, while occasionally ringing true, seemed more concerned with being clever and cute than with creating words and phrases that sound like things people — even superheroes — might actually say. I suppose the bottom line is it struck me as a rather bland Superman story that didn’t engage me very much despite the occasional bright idea. It’s certainly not going to replace All-Star Superman as my “recommended comic for Superman newbies” anytime soon.

DC also sent me copies of two comics that will be out in stores next week: Batman & Robin #16 and Superboy #1. B&R #16 was fun, a relatively satisfying ending to Morrison’s run on the series that also manages to set things up nicely for the upcoming Batman Inc. Frazier Irving’s art is easily the best thing in the issue (Cameron Stewart and Chris Burnham also filling in handily) — his work remains one of the highlights of the series. While #16, like the B&R series as a whole, doesn’t come anywhere near Morrison’s best work, it’s an enjoyable little comic nevertheless that I think will satisfy folks who have been following the series.

As for Superboy #1, I really don’t know what to say yet. The issue sped through so quickly (Superboy meets the Phantom Stranger, talks to his mom, fights the Parasite, the end) that it felt like it was over before it had even started, a common problem in mainstream comics these days. I suppose writer Jeff Lemire and artist Pier Gallo have enough on the ball to make a fun, engaging superhero comic, which seems to be their goal, but honestly, the only thing I can say about the first issue is it failed to make any sort of impression on my whatsoever.

Michael May

I’m working hard at getting through all the collected volumes (so far) of BPRD before Halloween. As of this writing, I’m almost done and am convinced that there’s no better horror comic in existence. Not that I’m THAT widely read, but I don’t know how it’s possible to beat the strong characterization and drama, the creepy chills every few pages, the awesome creature designs and storytelling by Guy Davis, and the insanely entertaining plots featuring giant robots, ancient mummies, Nazis, secret societies, elder gods, mole-people (who, by the way are teaming up with the frog-people), Victorian cyborgs that look like mutant deep sea divers, vampires (the scary kind), were-creatures, creepy little demon-possessed girls, Wendigo, and a Moreau-esque island full of bizarre hybrid-animals. I’m going to be very sad when I reach the end and have to wait for the next volume.

Tim O’Shea

Hulk #26

Missed out on last week’s column, so some catching up at first. The best part of Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman’s Hulk #26 (other than Hardman’s solid sense of panel design) is Parker’s use of Bruce Banner as a supporting cast member in the book.

My one complaint about Jen Van Meter and Javier Pulido’s Black Cat miniseries, which ended with issue 4 last week? It was a miniseries. Here’s hoping editor Steve Wacker can concoct a way for this creative team to a sequel miniseries sometime in the near term. As solid a grasp as Van Meter had on the lead character (only exceeded in quality by Pulido’s gymnastic renderings of Felicia) she made the book an equally engaging read thanks to the miniseries’ supporting cast.

As for this week, Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting give readers a far different Ben & Johnny focused tale in Fantastic Four #584, where the two heroes go out for a day and night on the town. Marvel has given Hickman the keys to the FF universe and he is relishing the chance to shake up the status quo (in the run-up to the upcoming Fantastic Three storyline). His present day tweaking of the Yancy Street Gang has even been impacted by tough economic times in a darker way than some might expect. Another element of this particular issue is just how much Epting loves to draw present day cities. Don’t ask me why, but his recent work in Captain America may have been mostly set in New York
(and was solid enjoyable work), but for the Fantastic Four he seems better able to almost go cinematic in his layouts, making greater use of skyscrapers for incredible backgrounds

Sam Costello

I didn’t plan that I’d only be reading collections of short pieces this week. But there it is, and I suppose it’s fitting for someone who primarily writes short comics himself. If I were writing this in another week or two, I might well have novels, graphic and otherwise, on the list but, for now, it’s all the art of the short.

Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King

The art starts with a long book: Everything’s Eventual, by Stephen King. I haven’t read King’s novels in many years—I generally don’t like most horror novels; things often scare me more when they’re shorter, more distilled—but I enjoy his short stories. “The Road Virus Heads North,” a story about a haunted painting whose subject is inexorably stalking the writer who’s just bought it at a yard sale, is a particular favorite.

Despite being non-fiction, some of the stories in The Best American Crime Reporting 2010, ed. Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook are no less chilling. This anthology of the best crime non-fiction published in American magazines. Each story varies in subject and tone, but they all share fantastic reporting. The relentless parade of misery—from murder to financial fraud, sex crimes to kidnapping—can make it tough going, but I appreciate good journalism and true crime writing, and look forward to this anthology every year.

Continuing with magazines, I’m just beginning to wade into The Believer #75. The Believer is perhaps my favorite magazine thanks to its breadth and depth. Essays, interviews, comics, and columns on books, film, comics, and all other kinds of work make each issue, from lit-journal stars McSweeneys, a sure bet to expose me to new ideas and art, which I find vital.

How could it be Halloween without some horror comics? I’ve been enjoying Four-Color Fear, ed. Greg Sadowski, an anthology of ‘50s horror comics from publishers other than EC. I’m only a couple of stories in and, while none have actually scared me, the oversized, full-color book looks to be a wonderful primer on horror-comics history.

Titan Magazines has released a teaser video for CLiNT Magazine, its new monthly venture with writer Mark Millar. Announced in May, the 100-page publication is set to debut in September in the United Kingdom with a mix of interviews, features about movies, television and video games, as well as four serialized comics. The premiere issue will include the debut of the Kick-Ass sequel, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall.

Yen Plus magazine launched two years ago at San Diego Comic-Con, and at this year’s SDCC, Yen Press relaunched it as a web-only publication.

Subscriptions to the magazine will be priced at $2.99 per month, compared to $8.99 per issue for the print version, and Yen is offering a free trial through September 6, so I thought I’d go in and kick the tires a bit. What I found was a mixed bag: The interface is clean and smooth, and I was delighted to find a short comic by the talented Madeleine Rosca (creator of Hollow Fields), but just as with the print version, I was left wondering who exactly they are editing this magazine for: The signup restricts it to readers over 17, but most of the series (Nightschool, Maximum Ride, and especially Rosca’s Haunted House Call) are more appealing to younger teens, while Jack Frost and Gossip Girl are clearly pitched at older readers—and may make the magazine off limits to younger teens, at least if their parents get a glimpse of the full content.

There are no Japanese manga in this issue, although the Yen folks promise that Yotsuba&! will join the lineup in future issues. One reason for this may be that the Japanese publisher Square Enix has set up its own online manga site (apparently in partnership with Yen Press) and their titles include Black Butler and Soul Eater, two former Yen Plus series. I hope Square Enix is giving Yen a good cut of the take from that website, because Black Butler is one of their most popular series.

Signing up at the Yen Plus site was straightforward, although I was put off by the amount of information required—I shouldn’t have to reveal my full name and mailing address to sign up for a website. As with most websites, the signup process also includes consenting to a lengthy set of terms and conditions. I know that no one reads these things, but it is a legal document and there are two things Yen Press/Hachette should be doing to make it more consumer-friendly: Allow the user to print out a copy, and provide a live hyperlink to the privacy policy, which is mentioned almost as an afterthought. (Here it is. You’re welcome.)

PayPal is the only method of payment accepted, and the subscription fee is $2.99 per month, which is automatically deducted from your account every 30 days. That’s not as consumer-friendly as the model used by Digital Manga and Netcomics, where you buy points or chapters in advance, and when you have used up your allotment, you are prompted to purchase more. That makes each purchase a deliberate choice rather than a passive transaction. Still, we’re all over 17 here so no one should get bored, forget to cancel, and end up paying $2.99 a month for the rest of their life, because grownups don’t do that. Right?

Somewhat more bothersome is what you get for your money: The $2.99 doesn’t buy access to every issue, just the two most recent issues every month. A year’s worth of the online publication is $35.88. Under the old model, a subscription was $49.95, but you got to keep your old issues—which is an important thing when you are reading long story arcs. On the other hand, you don’t have to put up with stacks of old magazines; as always, digital is a two-edged sword.

On to the magazine! The interface is clean and uncluttered, with a browser in the center of the screen and an index to the stories on the right. There are some menus and icons for different things but thankfully they are pushed to the edges, putting the magazine front and center. The magazine displays at half size in this format, so it’s a bit small to read comfortably. The Pop-Out Viewer opens up a new window with nothing but the comic and a few navigational icons; it’s larger, easier to read, and fits nicely into the browser on my 18″ screen. A full-size display option is also available, but it’s too big for my computer. What is missing, surprisingly, is a full-screen option, something that is standard on a lot of comics sites. The navigation is easy and intuitive—you turn the pages by clicking on them, for instance—and overall the reading experience was pretty good.

The selection of comics was very different from what I remember in the print magazine (which, I confess, I didn’t read regularly), and the overall quality was high. In addition to Maximum Ride, which was one of the best-selling manga series in the U.S. last year, the lineup includes the first chapter of another James Patterson manga, Daniel X. Other continuing stories from the original include Svetlana Chmakova’s Nightschool and the lovely Korean comic Time and Again, about a wandering exorcist. I started skipping through the Gossip Girl story but then got pulled in—yes, it’s a soap opera, but it’s a well done soap opera. Aron’s Absurd Armada, which I believe will be online only, is a series of four-panel gag strips about comically inept pirates. This is the first time I have ever seen Korean gag strips; the art is nice, but like Japanese 4-koma, they aren’t exactly thigh-slappers; they’re more goofy than laugh-out-loud funny. Rosca’s short story, Haunted House Call, was a real treat, cute and funny, and her art just gets better and better. As for Jack Frost… well, I’m just not a Jack Frost fan, let’s put it that way, and I feel it’s the odd comic out in this magazine, although the short chapter included in this issue isn’t as egregiously violent or degrading to women as the chapter that appeared in the first print issue. So there’s that.

It’s hard to know what the lineup of the subscription version of the magazine will be, because the page that’s supposed to list the series is blank. However, the official post on the Yen Press site does say that Yotsuba&! will be included in future issues.

I really like the online magazine. The interface is nice, and the comics are good. The parent in me says Maximum Ride does not belong next to Jack Frost, but I have to admit that as teenagers do tend to read up, it’s probably pretty savvy marketing. Similarly, the 17+ prohibition, because it is not enforced at all, guarantees the magazine will be attractive to 13-year-olds, although only those with PayPal accounts will be able to read it.

The question, as always, is whether people will pay to read manga online, where the default price is zero. The fickleness of the market is a huge factor here, but if the question is whether Yen has created compelling enough content that readers would want to spend three bucks a month to read it, then I think they pass that test. I would prefer a more focused magazine, and Yen Plus is missing a few things, but if they bring in Yotsuba&!, that would make a very attractive package indeed.

A pair of off-the-beaten-path comics have surfaced over the past few days that are perfect for readers who like their comics with a pop-cultural flair. First up, there’s Henry & Glenn Forever, a collection of romantic one-panel gags starring those famous star-crossed lovers, Henry Rollins and Glenn Danzig. If you’ve ever wanted to know how the lead singers of Black Flag and the Misfits would maintain a relationship in the face of interference from their Satan-worshipping next-door neighbors Darryl Hall and John Oates, now’s your chance. Henry & Glenn Forever comes to us from Igloo Tornado, a collective consisting of The Blot‘s Tom Neely and his artistic compatriots Gin Stevens, Scott Nobles, and Levon Jihanian, and it’s available for $4 from Microcosm.

Next, Dash Shaw and Jesse Moynihan, the cartoonists responsible for the boundary-shattering webcomics Body World and Forming respectively, have teamed up to create a comic about Lost for the latest issue of the venerable alt-lit journal The Believer. The kicker? It folds out of the mag to a height of almost three feet! According to Moynihan, the strip, called “Spiritual Dad,” is “a story loosely based on things I heard from my dad about his life, mixed in with characters from LOST.” Somehow, doing a Lost-inspired comic about daddy issues feels appropriate to the spirit of the show. Check it out wherever books or magazines are sold!

Mark Millar

After just last month teasing “something pretty damn awesome coming up,” Mark Millar this morning announced CLiNT Magazine, a new monthly venture with Titan Magazines.

The debut issue, which goes on sale in September in the United Kingdom, will feature the launch of his sequel to Kick-Ass — Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall — as well as contributions by TV presenter/comics writer Jonathan Ross (Turf) and comedian Frankie Boyle. The 100-page magazine will include interviews and features about movies, television and games, as well as four serialized comics.

“This is The Eagle for the 21st Century,” Millar said in a statement. “I’ve worked on everything from Spider-Man comics to the Iron Man movie for Marvel in New York, but what really excites me is the gap I see in the UK market at the moment. There are absolutely no comic-books aimed at 16-30 year old guys and I think CLiNT has potential to make an enormous impact, bringing a new type of magazine to a new generation.”

On his message board, Millar underscored that CLiNT is “aimed almost entirely at the UK.”

“It’s obviously massively exciting and I’ve been secretly working on it for a little while with some people I’m very excited about,” he wrote. “Some huge names coming down the pipe-line and the cream of UK journalist talent like Steve O’Brien on for features and interviews. All in all, very cool and I’ll talk about this in a little more detail closer to the time. But this is one of the reasons I’ve been spending a lot of time in London lately. I want to make this big, a cultural phenomenon and a showcase in parts for the UK talent I don’t feel has a wide platform anymore here.”

See the full press release after the break:

Jonathan Ross and Frankie Boyle comic strips feature in new monthly magazine from Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar

Comics by two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities and burgeoning writing talents  – Jonathan Ross and stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle – will feature in CLiNT Magazine, an exciting new joint venture between Kick Ass creator Mark Millar and Titan Magazines. Millar’s sequel to his cult comic and smash hit movie will also feature in the monthly title to form a stunning line-up of stories.

“This is The Eagle for the 21st Century,” declares Millar, whose genre-busting Kick-Ass scooped the number one movie spot in America and whose previous work includes Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. “I’ve worked on everything from Spider-Man comics to the Iron Man movie for Marvel in New York, but what really excites me is the gap I see in the UK market at the moment. There are absolutely no comic-books aimed at 16-30 year old guys and I think CLiNT has potential to make an enormous impact, bringing a new type of magazine to a new generation.

“I want this to be edgy and irreverent, the kind of thing guys will be passing around lunch-halls and common rooms, and there’s nobody I’d rather have creating new characters for CLiNT than Jonathan and Frankie. They’re both brilliant writers and will surprise a lot of people with this stuff. The last thing you’d expect from Jonathan, for example, is a vampire strip, but he pulls it off amazingly. People are going to love this.”

Millar is also launching his sequel to the hit Kick-Ass movie in the first issue of the comic. “Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall” has been scheduled for production in 2011 for a 2012 cinema release, but fans of the first movie can find out what happens two years in advance by picking up CLiNT.

The 100-page magazine will be packed with interviews and features from movies, games and television as well as four serialized comic-strips. The biggest names in entertainment will be featured every month and some will even be sticking around to write sci-fi, humour or horror stories after they’ve been interviewed and quizzed.

“We can’t say who else is involved at this stage,” says Millar. “Jonathan, Frankie and I will have our stories serialized over the first six months, but we have the most insane line-up of creators ready to come in and join us. You’d be amazed how many people who work in film and television want to be comic-book writers. It’s very exciting and we think we’re creating something potentially enormous here.”

Further information on who is involved can be found at twitter.com/clintmag, where future developments will be revealed on a regular basis.

CLiNT #1
On-sale September 2nd in the UK
Available from all good retailers and specialist comic stores.

US subscriptions will be available.

For future exclusive information on CLiNT, join:

http://www.twitter.com/CLiNTmag

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly has been purchased by one of its former publishers, continuing Reed Business Information’s sell-off of its trade publications.

The magazine, which covers the book industry, releases the PW Comics Week e-newsletter and, until recently, played host to The Beat. PW was bought by PWxyz, a company formed by George Slowik, who served as the magazine’s publisher in the 1980s and 1990s.

According to PW, the new owner will retain all employees and remain headquartered in New York City. Cevin Bryerman will continue as publisher, with Jim Milliot and Michael Coffey serving as co-editors.

Reed’s parent company, global-publishing giant Reed Elsevier, attempted to sell its entire magazine division in February 2008, but withdrew its plans when it couldn’t get its asking price. It tried again in July 2009 to unload the publications as a group, but eventually had to resort to selling them separately.

Just last month Reed sold Library Journal and School Library Journal to Ohio-based Media Source Inc. (the School Library Journal website plays host to the Good Comics for Kids blog). Reed still owns Variety, MarketCast, Tradeshow Week and numerous other trade magazines.

Reed Elsevier also owns Reed Exhibitions, which produces New York Comic Con, the New York Anime Expo, BookExpo America and the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Luna Park

Our guest this week is the esteemed critic Ng Suat Tong, who has written some quite memorable pieces for The Comics Journal, but lately can be found as a regular contributor to The Hooded Utilitarian blog.

To find out what Suat and the rest of us are reading, click on the link below. And don’t forget to let us know what you’re currently reading in the comments section.

Daytripper #4

Tim O’Shea: Daytripper: I’ve bought the first four issues of Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá’s Daytripper (Vertigo). but waited until today to read all four issues in one sitting. I’m of two minds: Damn I wish I had been reading each issue as they came out, but then again I’m glad I got to take in the lives of Brás de Oliva Domingos all at once. Looking at the credits, the editors on the series are Bob Schreck & Pornsak Pichetshote. If this 10-issue miniseries is the last Schreck Vertigo project to bear his name, it’s a helluva great way to end his career there. (Aside this reminds me I need to keep an eye out for Shreck’s impact on IDW). The project redefines the term “one and done” given the regular arrival of death at the end of each issue. Finally kudos to Vertigo’s marketing with the book, in the first four issues the cover has been adorned with laudatory blurbs from Gerard Way (no stranger to the creative team, of course), Terry Moore, Jeff Smith and Becky Cloonan.

Marvel Adventures Super Heroes 21: Someday I hope Paul Tobin is the writer on one of the main Avengers books, but in the meantime, I’m quite happy with the tales he tells in Marvel Adventures Super Heroes. In a way, he’s 2010′s Roy Thomas, as evidenced in this issue by his ability to dig up obscure 1940s Marvel characters (Gary Gaunt and Sun Girl) and bring them into the present day story. I’m hoping Sun Girl, at the very least, turns up again in Tobin’s Marvel Adventures work.

Secret Six 19: Gail SImone’s gift for dialogue shines this issue with the lines she gives Rag Doll. The plot and players in this issue left me slightly confused, but I assume things will become more clear (it was the first part of a four-issue arc story) as the story progresses.

Batman and Robin 10: Damn you Grant Morrison, I hated Damian Wayne at first and now he’s my favorite part of the series. It’s almost like you planned it that way — oh wait. I was expecting an artistic letdown with the departure of Cameron Stewart and the arrival of Andy Clarke. Fortunately I underestimated Clarke, he draws a great Batman & Robin. Have no idea who Oberon Sexton/The Gravedigger is, but I really like the simplicity/Victorian Age Updated vibe of his costume.

Every chance I get, I go to bookstores–and on a recent drive through Chattanooga, Tennessee, I hit McKay Used Books, CD’s, Movies, and More. They sell used books/CDs/DVDs and even magazines. That was how I came upon the Summer 2005 edition of Brick:The Literary Journal. I’ve never bought Chris Ware’s work in the past. But after finding (in Brick) the advance excerpt of Ware’s 2007 Acme Novelty Datebook Volume Two: 1995 – 2002, I’m curious to see more of Ware’s sketchbook material: Not for the art necessarily, but more for Ware’s candid diary/text pieces.

On the Odd Hours

Brigid Alverson: On the Odd Hours is one of a series of comics commissioned by the Louvre. It’s a supernatural story that presents an interesting twist on the paintings-come-alive idea, but what intrigued me most is that the main character is deaf, as are a number of the supporting characters. This allows the creator to explore the unique struggles of deaf people to fit in with (or reject) the hearing world, as well as the unique visual characteristics of sign language. The art in this book is absolutely amazing; it looks like creator Eric Liberge threw every technique in the book at these panels, but the result is nuanced rather than chaotic. It’s also very dense, so although it’s a slim volume, it’s taking me a surprisingly long time to read it.

On a much, much lighter note, Calamity Jack is an updated version of Jack and the Beanstalk, with a Native American trickster as the hero. It’s the sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge, and Rapunzel returns to help out in this book as well. The story starts a bit slow but soon picks up steam, and there’s plenty of action to keep things moving. Although it’s a kids’ book, Calamity Jack has a lot to offer adults as well; they will probably appreciate the strange animals and steampunk contraptions more than the intended audience, and Nathan Hale’s superb art make this book truly something out of the ordinary.

Hicksville

Chris Mautner: Finally finished Jeanne D’Arc, but I also managed to get my PS3 fixed after being down for a long while, so I don’t know how many comics will be taking up my time in the next few weeks. I have however, been sticking my nose in the following:

Hicksville –Dylan Horrocks’ masterpiece remains as potent and rewarding a read as ever.

Gahan Wilson: Fifty Years of Playboy Cartoons — I’m in the final stages of transcribing an interview I did with Wilson for CBR, and have been referencing this massive collection as I go along, mainly in the hopes of inspiration striking me when it’s time to write the introduction.

Sand and Fury: A Scream Queen Adventure — Tom’s recommendation last week made me dig this out of the bottom of the review pile.

Footnotes in Gaza — I keep picking this up, reading a few pages, and then putting it back down again for awhile. I hope to have it finished by the end of the weekend though.

Monster Vol. 16

Sean T. Collins: Big reading week for me! Click the links for a more in-depth look at each, if you please…

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster: I finally finished Urasawa’s epic suspense saga, chock full of tangled conspiracies and people shouting about the value of human life. I had my quibbles with the conclusion, but it was addictive stuff.

All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely: Morrisonia quite aside, this is just a magnificently pleasurable superhero comic to read. This was the first time I’d done so all in one go as opposed to its serialized installments, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Two Eyes of the Beautiful, by Ryan Cecil Smith: A member of Baltimore’s Closed Captioned Comics collective pays homage to horror manga master Kazuo Umezu in this fun, freaky minicomic.

Also, inspired by the greenlighting of the HBO series, I started George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. I haven’t read enough fantasy to say for sure whether this is full-fledged revisionism, or “The Sopranos with swords” as the trades are saying, but its blend of Tokienian epic with a Howard-style edge of sexy ultraviolence has been pretty engrossing so far.

Prince Valiant Vol. 1

Ng Suat Tong: I don’t usually read many comics in any one week. Part of this is due to the fact that there are so many other distractions my comics reading list has to contend with (books, movies, computer games, concerts etc.). I’ve read a few articles which have stated that there is so much comics-related material coming out nowadays that it’s hard for one person to keep up with everything. I would suggest, however, that most of it isn’t really worth paying much attention to and even less writing about. But here are two comics which I did read in the last week or so.

Prince Valiant Volume 1 (1937-38; by Hal Foster). I flipped through this book when I first acquired it a few months back from Manuel Caldas in Portugal on the recommendation of Domingos Isabelinho. This was a more detailed reading. I have a near complete set of the earlier Fantagraphics edition and there’s simply no comparison between the new editions and the older ones. The new Fantagraphics and Portugese books are the only way one should read Foster’s masterwork.

Unlike the new Fantagraphics editions of Prince Valiant (which are in color), these volumes have been reproduced in black and white so as to preserve Foster’s linework. It’s the closest thing to seeing what a Hal Foster original looks like in person (huge – some of the largest original art around – and quite impressive). The art for first decade or so of Prince Valiant is also that which is most desired by collectors of original art. I would hazard a guess that almost any art originating from the first year would be a steal at under $20,000. One such piece (the sixth Prince Valiant depicting Horrit the witch which influenced the Old Witch of the EC horror line) has been listed at two succeeding Russ Cochran auctions before being taken down prematurely (presumably because of legal problems). The strips collected in this first volume are from Prince Valiant’s prime period and it should be easy to see why Burne Hogarth and Wally Wood (among others) were admirers of Foster’s work.

This is the only volume which Caldas released in English (the rest are in Portugese). A lovely article by Dan Nadel on the appeal of Prince Valiant can be found at the Comics Comics website.

Luna Park (written by Kevin Baker and drawn by Danijel Zezelj). I read this book quite quickly and haven’t viewed any of the more detailed reviews that can be found online, so these are just the vaguest of impressions.

The main reason for getting this book is Zezelj’s art. He’s an artist who can turn the most prosaic of scenes into something both moody and entrancing. Having said this, Baker’s story is by no means poor. The narrative is reasonably complex but the structural conceits sometimes feel like an excuse to tell a number of short stories (of varying quality) revolving around Russian history. It would be interesting to know to what extent the recursive moments in the imagery were scripted in or deduced by the artist. I also have mixed feelings about the palette chosen which comes through as a sort of perpetual night. It works well in the context of the story and certainly fits Zezelj’s art but it can become a bit monotonous. It may well be a decision which was arrived at through consultations between artist and colorist. In any case, this is a comic which probably bears rereading if only to pick up the pictorial reiterations which reinforce Baker’s themes of violence, fate and despair.

A final note: Chris mentioned being distracted by Jeanne D’Arc on the PSP last week. I’m sort of distracted by the recent release of Final Fantasy 13 in English myself. All the reviews complaining about the game’s horrible linearity and constrictive gameplay are probably correct but the experience has left me wondering why it is often so difficult for Japanese video game writers to take some lessons from their manga counterparts. Articles on the failures of the Japanese gaming industry have been popping up with increasing frequency of late and this is but one of many problems.  Of course, no one actually plays these games for their stories but the gap in quality between manga storytelling and that of video games is pretty huge. Just a thought.

Library Journal

Ohio-based Media Source Inc. announced this morning it has purchased Library Journal and School Library Journal magazines, part of the Reed Business Information empire.

Media Source owns Junior Library Guild and The Horn Book Inc. The School Library Journal website plays host to the Good Comics for Kids blog.

Reed placed Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal and other publications on the block in July following an earlier unsuccessful attempt by parent company Reed Elsevier to sell its entire magazine-publishing division. The global publisher also owns Reed Exhibitions, which produces New York Comic Con, BookExpo America and Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Shortly after news of the sale was released, Publishers Weekly announced Jim Milliott and Michael Coffey as co-editorial directors and Cevin Bryerman as the new publisher. Brian Kenney will continue to edit LJ and SLJ under the ownership. Ron Shank, Reed’s former group publisher, will serve as publisher of the two magazines.

a rejected New Yorker comic by Michael Kupperman

Eustace Tilley’s loss is our gain! Michael Kupperman, writer/artist of Tales Designed to Thrizzle and Twitterer extraordinaire, has posted a slew of comics that didn’t quite make it into the pages of The New Yorker.

His submissions, which can be viewed on his Twitpic account, include a look at Microscopic Goings-On About Town, Pigeons in Film, Slightly Cursed Merchandise, Other Species’ Currency, and the eternal question seen here, How Much Do You Know About Your Mutual Fund Manager? And because he’s that kinda guy, Kupperman has even shared a pair of strips that actually wound up in the mag.

Kupperman’s trip down memory lane was prompted by a request from The New Yorker to pitch them some comics again. The problem there, he tweeted, was that “after years of working for them and other magazines like them, I am in the wrong income bracket to adopt their worldview/sense of humor.” Here’s hoping that at some point soon, the likes of Hendrik Hertzberg and David Denby will once again be guarded by McGritte the Surrealist Crime Dog.

Men’s Non-No magazine

One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the bestselling manga ever and the star of a television series, nine feature films and 27 video games, plus light novels, art books and — well, the list goes on.

Is there anything he can’t do? Apparently not, as this week Luffy adds fashion model to his resume.

Anime Vice reports that he’ll appear on the cover of the new issue of Shueisha’s Men’s Non-No fashion magazine, illustrated by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. It’s the first time the 24-year-old publication has showcased a manga/anime character and the first time Oda has illustrated a cover for a non-manga magazine.

Other members of the Straw Hat Pirates, as portrayed by real models, will be featured inside.

Since One Piece debuted in 1997, the 55 volumes (and counting) of the comedy-adventure have sold a combined 176 million copies — 14.7 million this year alone. For a little perspective on that 2009 figure, I’ll turn you over to blogger David Brothers.

Revolver

Revolver sent out a press release this week about a special issue they’re putting together “celebrating guitarist Dimebag Darrell on the fifth anniversary of his death.” The cover, seen above, is by Hellblazer and Punisher cover artist Tim Bradstreet, who will also have another piece inside the magazine.

Darrell Abbott, who was more commonly known by his alias, played in the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded with his brother Vinnie. He was shot and killed on stage on Dec. 8, 2004. The issue will include interviews with the surviving members of Pantera, as well as Rob Zombie, Scott Ian, Rob Halford and many more.

Alan Moore

Dodgem Logic, the underground magazine published by comics writer Alan Moore, now has a website. The site includes a video interview with Moore talking about the idea behind the magazine and the contents of the first issue, as well as downloadable desktop wallpapers and MP3′s, an “ask the doctor” feature, a store where you can buy the magazine and other assorted but fun oddities. Be sure to click around on the site, including the “admit one” ticket in the upper left-hand corner.

One of the cartoon entries

In addition to that neat Chris Ware strip in this week’s New Yorker magazine (I should note he did the cover too), the venerable magazine is holding a do-it-yourself cartoon contest. Using the cartoon kit provided on the Web site (using art by Alex Gregory), simply create as many gags as you like and send them in by Nov. 22. The top five winners will be featured in a slide show. Yeah, I know, that’s not much of a prize, but still, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, as my father used to say. Oh, if you register the kit (which you have to do anyway to use it) you’ll enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to New York City. Now that’s more like it.

The Comics Journal #300

Tom Spurgeon followed up his initial breaking news yesterday with a quick Q&A with publisher Gary Groth about the proposed changes to the venerable magazine. Among the revelations: The new site should launch next month, the magazine’s staff will stay the same and no changes will be made to the daily Journalista feature or the message board.

Oh, and there will be more Kenneth Smith. Here’s Groth speculating on some of the details:

I suspect that little of the material on the website will be reprinted in the print edition; rather, I’m anticipating that short pieces that appeared on the website may be expanded for the print edition — or the reverse, an excerpt of something we plan for the print edition may be previewed on the website. But there’s going to be a learning curve while we figure out the different editorial requirements for both the website and the print edition. My main goal is to maintain the editorial impetus of the magazine on the website, making it an intelligent and sometimes provocative source criticism and commentary.

The mood on the Internet regarding the planned changes seems tentatively positive, although a certain amount of nostalgia for the magazine as it was once still lingers, judging by the reactions from folks like Alan David Doane, Johnny Bacardi, Heidi MacDonald and folks on the TCJ message board.

UPDATE: Steven Grant considers the Journal’s legacy in his latest column.

The Comics Journal #300

Tom Spurgeon broke the news yesterday that The Comics Journal, Fantagraphics’ long-standing magazine of comics news and criticism, will be altering their coverage and format following the release of their 300th issue.

The announcement came via a letter sent to subscribers that Spurgeon posted online. In it, the staff unveiled a two-fold plan which entailed enhancing the magazine’s Web site considerably and turning the print publication into an elaborate, twice-yearly affair.

Acknowledging the changing role the Internet has played in comics coverage, the letter states the current TCJ site will become “full-service,” with daily updates, and deliver “everything you love about the magazine,” including the interviews, news and “real journalism” the magazine has become known for. The site is currently best known as the home of Online Editor Dirk Deppey’s daily Journalista column.

As for the print magazine, it will become “considerably larger and more elaborate” than the current iteration, and will only come out semi-annually. While the price of the new magazine is still up in the air, individual issues will cost more than they do now, though the letter promises that a single issue will never cost more than $19.99.

Deppey has an update on today’s Journalista with additional information, including a quote from publisher Gary Groth:

I don’t want the magazine to necessarily be all things to all people, but in trying to cover as wide a gamut of comics as we can, the editorial focus has become more diffuse and less idiosyncratic than I’d like. A website with many autonomous voices and a more or less unlimited bandwidth is better able to cover the range of comics on a day-to-day basis, whereas we can devote more resources to refining fewer issues of the print edition of the Journal so that each issue represents a more unified whole, both editorially and in terms of packaging and design.

While Deppey didn’t go into too many specifics, he did reveals that all of the Web site content will be free, that it will include an audio archive of past interviews, and that the new online features will be rolled out slowly.

Full disclosure: I am an occasional freelance contributor to TCJ.