The Top 100 Selling Grahpic Novels for April 2006

Thanks for checking out this column which is a look at sales of Graphic Novels where I comment on their sales, if they are any good or whatever other snarky remarks come to mind as I look over the sales figures.

So, what is this list? Every month, Diamond Comics (the company that ships comic books to comic book shops) list the sales figures of the previous month so that they can list actual sales through the entire month, but they list it in the form of “average number of copies sold to each comic shop”. Then, the site ICV2 goes through the numbers they post and attempts to turn it into an approximation of the actual number of books sold. This doesn't doesn't list the graphic novels sold in bookstores, just comic book shops which is where the big publishers like Marvel, DC and Image sell most of their books, but Manga publishers sell far more in stores like Barnes and Noble or Borders.

1 HELLBOY VOL 6 STRANGE PLACES TP (MR) $17.95 DAR 6,436

It has been a LONG time since there was a new Hellboy collection. The movie did a decent job of bringing the character to life, and Mike Mignola is just an amazing artist. The story is typical weird pulp stuff mixed with Mignola's love of drawing dark, moody sequences. It's a lot of fun to read, and is recommended for anyone who liked the movie.

2 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 5 CROSSOVER TP $12.99 MAR 6,152

I haven't liked the Ultimate Fantastic Four very much. The charm of the original Fantastic Four was the creativity of Jack Kirby and the humor that Stan Lee infused the comic with, and this updated version has left me cold. This story, however, works. In it, Reed Richards thinks he has found an alternate Universe where the Fantastic Four has been around for almost 20 years. When he brings the rest of th team there, however, things aren't quite what they seem. A well done action story that leads into the series “Marvel Zombies” and is mildly recommended.

3 100 BULLETS VOL 9 STRYCHNINE LIVES TP (MR) $14.99 DC 5,809

This series has a simple premise: A man shows up and gives a person an untraceable gun with 100 bullets. What they do with it is up to them. Even though this is the 9th volume in the series, the continuing aspects don't intrude on the plot. A fine crime noir comic that is highly recommended.

4 SHOWCASE PRESENTS TEEN TITANS VOL 1 TP $16.99 DC 5,751

The “Showcase” series of graphic novels is DC's big, cheap reprint series, and each volume contains about 500 pages of old comics from the 60's and 70's in black and white on cheap newsprint. This volume reprints the first 25 or so Teen Titans comics, and the stories have not aged well. They were written by middle aged men in the mid to late 60's who were trying to have the character's sound “hip” and “with it” and come off as campy at best. The art by Nick Cardy is solid and entertaining, but the only value to these stories is pure nostalgia.

5 ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL 1 HC* $29.99 MAR 5,685

This collects the first 12 issues of this series, written by Joss Whedon (Buffy and Serenity). Reading these stories, it is clear he is a HUGE X-Men fan, and uses that knowledge to write stories that give the characters their best moments in years. However, he isn't just some Hollywood guy writing fan-fiction, but someone who knows how to put together a great super-hero story. If you liked the X-Men movies at all, this is a must buy and is the best super-hero graphic novel of the month.

6 V FOR VENDETTA TP $19.99 DC 5,671

Still selling because of the movie, and it deserves to. As good as the movie was, it was a less complicated version of this very smart, very incendiary graphic novel. It may have been written in response to Reagan and Thatcher, but it's more relevant than ever, and is Highly Recommended.

7 EX MACHINA VOL 3 FACT V FICTION TP (MR) $12.99 DC 5,649

This series, about a super-hero who is elected mayor of New York City, has been very well done, but the second and third volumes haven't been as good as the first. Rather than it being a standard super-hero story, it's more of a political story that has some super-hero trappings in order to get comic book fans to try it. A solid comic and mildly recommended (but the first volume is Highly recommended).

8 X-MEN COMPLETE AGE O/APOCALYPSE EPIC BK 3 TP $29.99 MAR 5,401

The first thing on the list that I find nearly unreadable. In the mid 90's, mainstream super-hero comics suffered from being event driven, and some of the worst art in the medium's history. The prevailing style was for Big Splash Pages and lots of eye candy at the expense of telling a story, and this is a textbook example of it. If you hadn't read the X-Men for 20 years, there was no way you could figure out what was going on in this story, and I have no idea why Marvel is reprinting it. Avoid.

9 STAR WARS CLONE WARS ADVS VOL 5 TP $6.95 DAR 5,335

The comics are telling the stories about what happened between the 2nd and 3rd Star Wars movies. I was not a fan of the “prequels” and had no interest in these stories. They aren't good enough to win me over and are just for Star Wars completists.

10 YOUNG AVENGERS VOL 1 SIDEKICKS TP $14.99 MAR 4,599

When this book was announced, I ignored it. The name of the book is stupid, they pushed it as “From one of the writer's of TV's 'The OC'”, which I don't care for, and Marvel's new series usually only last about 12 issues before they get canceled, never to be heard from again. However, this series is a LOT better than it has a right to be. Creating a group of new characters with connections to underused Marvel characters, and having a complex time travel story to start the book off, this series has worked because it concentrates on making the characters interesting. It's VERY much a super-hero story, and requires a working knowledge of Marvel Comics, but if you have that, it's a surprisingly good comic. Mildly recommended.

11 SPIDER-MAN OTHER HC $29.99 MAR 4,118

This is one Gawd-Awful story. In it, Spider-Man is tracked down by a mystic opponent, kills them while being killed by them, gets better and comes out of it with a couple of new powers. The problem is the horrible pacing, and the fact that Spider-Man rips a guy's throat out with his teeth. That's right, Spider-Man rips a guy's throat out with his teeth before dying. Then he comes back to life after being in a cocoon for a couple of days with new powers. It's just a painfully bad story and I recommend that you ignore it.

12 DECIMATION X-MEN DAY AFTER TP $15.99 MAR 3,878

This is one of the sequels to “House of M” and details what happened in stories that aren't separate mini-series. As a collection, it's pretty uneven, and is pretty much for people who need to fill in their collections. Not really worth getting.

13 ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 7 TP $16.99 MAR 3,863

Marvel's “Essentials” are a great ways to pick up comics. Reprinting around 25 issues in black and white on cheap paper, this reprints most of what was going on in the X-Men comic in the mid 80's. The art doesn't do well in this format, as artists during this time got VERY dependent upon colonists fixing their mistakes, and for comics so recent, the reproduction isn't very good. These stories are about the time when I lost interest in the X-Men, but for some people, these are their favorite stories. Still, for $17, you get DAYS worth of reading of Marvel's best selling comic series.

14 BERSERK VOL 11 TP (MR) $13.95 DAR 3,593
15 OUTSIDERS CRISIS INTERVENTION TP $12.99 DC 3,513

Outsiders is one of those comics I wish was a lot better than it is. Using some of DC's most interesting characters, the stories just come off as generic super-hero stuff. This collection comes off worse than the others, because the books was coming out of a big crossover and was about to enter into another big crossover, making this story a placeholder.

16 X-23 INNOCENCE LOST TP $15.99 MAR 3,484

If I were to say that this story was about a female clone of Wolverine, you'd head for the exits pretty fast. I didn't read it for the exact same reason: It sounds like a stupid idea. However, the story is better than it has a right to be, and while it takes a long time to set up, it doesn't make X-23 into an interesting character I want to read more about. A solid origin story, and I'm interested to see what else they do with the character.

17 FRESHMEN TP $16.99 IMA 3,382

From an idea by Seth Green (actor who was in the Buffy TV series and the Austin Powers movies), this is a series about a group of super-heroes going to a school to learn how to use their powers. It's a pretty standard super-hero idea, but the characters in it make it interesting enough that I kept reading through the entire series.

18 ESSENTIAL WOLVERINE VOL 4 TP $16.99 MAR 3,127

Reprinting about 25 issues of the late 90's issues of this series. By this point, Marvel was so “event focused” that the stories don't hold up well at all. You've got stories with Wolverine losing his Adamantium, but still having claws, lots of crossovers and some REALLY bad art that was dependent upon computer coloring to look good. If you're looking for a good “Essential” for Wolverine, the first one is BY FAR the best.

19 SUPERMAN BATMAN VOL 1 PUBLIC ENEMIES TP $12.99 DC 3,018

Reprinting the first story arc of the new series, and probably the best story arc of this very popular comic. A solid comics and a good introduction to how the characters are being written now, this is mildly recommended.

20 GREEN LANTERN NO FEAR HC $24.99 DC 2,974

I liked this story a lot, but I am a LONG time Green Lantern fan. This story resets the status quo, bringing back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, and setting up the new series. For casual readers, it can get pretty confusing, and Geoff Johns is catering to long-time fans with this book, but if you ARE a long-time fan, or a super-hero fan, this is a great story. Recommended with reservations.

21 INU YASHA VOL 25 TP $8.95 VIZ 2,967
22 TOURIST GN (MR) $9.99 IMA 2,857
23 BATMAN DARK DETECTIVE TP $14.99 DC 2,770

Reprinting the mini-series from last year that brings back Steve Englehart and Marshall Rodgers, who put together one of the best Batman runs on the 70's. This story ignores most of the current Batman trappings and simply picks up where they left off years ago. It doesn't read like a modern comic, but that can be a good thing. Rodgers's art doesn't look as good as it did back in the 70's, and Englehart's writing can tend toward overkill, but out of the HUGE stacks of Batman books on the shelf, this is one of the best for casual readers, and features a Batman who ISN'T a psycho madman. Highly recommended.

24 BATMAN THRILLKILLER TP $14.99 DC 2,704

This reprints a couple of Batman mini-series that were under the “Elseworlds” banner, this one putting Batman in post-WWII Los Angeles, and focusing more on Robin and Batgirl. It's an OK story, but not one that really stands out. It's what I call a “biodegradable comic” in that a couple of days after you read it, you won't quite remember what you read.

25 SUPERMAN RUIN REVEALED $14.99 DC 2,442

This reprints the end of the “Ruin” subplot, which was one of the more interesting Superman villains of the last few years. The story reads like a pretty typical super-hero soap opera, and has more impact for people who've read the Superman books for a long time. An average comic.

26 SUPERMAN BIRTHRIGHT TP $19.99 DC 2,398

Mark Waid and Lenil Yu did a 12 issue mini-series retelling and updating the origin of Superman, and this trade is one of the books that DC is allowing comic shops to get on a returnable basis, so they ordered more of it to have on hand for the Superman movie. Most modern takes on super-hero origins read like leftovers, but this one is probably the best version of Superman's origin and does a great job of making that character seem both interesting and iconic. Highly recommended!

27 IRON MAN DEMON IN THE BOTTLE TP $24.99 MAR 2,391

Reprinting the now famous story from the late 70's of Iron Man's alcoholism. Like most 70s Marvel comics, the character stuff comes in between the fight scenes, and it's all very much over the top, but compared to how most comics (and other mediums to be honest) show alcoholism, it's a good story point and reads as low-level melodrama. Unlike most modern trade paperbacks, this is a solid afternoon of reading, and while it's not a classic, it is a good, solid super-hero comic that tries to do a bit more than just having Hero A beat up Villain B.

28 SUPERMAN IN THE EIGHTIES $19.99 DC 2,383

Another of the books being shipped to ride the Superman Movie buzz. The 80's had some GREAT Superman stories, and this book puts a lot of emphasis on the “revamp” of the mid 80's that made Superman more of a “Marvel style” super-hero with extended fight scenes and soap opera aspects. A good overall collection, but the best Superman story of the 80's is in “The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore” with “Whatever Happened to the Man Of Steel,” and if you want to read the best work on the character in the 80's, pick THAT book up first.

29 WATCHMEN TP $19.99 DC 2,332

I don't have a good explanation for why this book is so high on the list this month. It's been out for almost 20 years, and is one of the best graphic novels to ever see print, but there really isn't a reason it has shot up so much. Normally, it sells around 1000 copies a month, and the only reason I can think of is that so many people read and enjoyed “V For Vendetta” over the last few months, they wanted to read something else by him. Still, this is one of the graphic novels that is always highly recommended.

30 SERENITY TP $9.95 DAR 2,260

A graphic novel bridging the gap between the “Firefly” TV series and the movie, and it's written by Joss Whedon. If you like the TV series or movie, this is a must-read, but if you haven't, the stories don't get a lot of time to fill in readers on characters, so it might just confuse a new reader. But for “Firefly” fans, this is highly recommended.

31 NEW X-MEN CHILDHOODS END VOL 1 TP $10.99 MAR 2,260

New X-Men is a new version of the 80's series “New Mutants”, dealing with a group of teenage mutants, just getting their powers for the first time, and living the in X-Men's school. The series has been given a “soft” re-launch with a new creative team, and this book changes the cast by killing some, depowering other and generally ramping up the violence and action. It's a good START to a story, but doesn't tell a complete story. For X-Men fans, this is a decent launch of a new series, but for other fans, it's more of a first chapter than a complete story.

32 HELLBLAZER PAPA MIDNITE TP (MR) $12.99 DC 2,158

This is a reprint of a mini-series from last year that came out around the time of the movie. It doesn't tie-in with the movie, and doesn't tell a back story that is very interesting, so I can't see who this book is aimed out.

33 ROBIN TO KILL BIRD TP $14.99 DC 2,128

Continuing the reprints of issues of Robin, this one wrapping up all of the loose ends before the One Year Later event. It deals with Robin being recruited by a para-military organization, and comes off as more of a mess than a story. Avoid.

34 FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES PEREZ VOL 2 TP $19.99 MAR 2,034

One of George Perez's earliest assignments was on The Fantastic Four in the 70's, with most of the stories written my Roy Thomas, and when they worked together, they did great work. The stories are some of the better non-Kirby FF, and the only problem with the book is that Perez had trouble with deadlines back then, and since this only reprints the Perez stuff, it jumps around a bit, disorienting a casual reader. However, Perez is one of the best super-hero comics artists, and this is an overlooked gem from his career. Mildly recommended.

35 ASTRO GN $6.99 IMA 1,939
36 WALKING DEAD VOL 1 DAYS GONE BYE TP (MR) $9.95 IMA 1,932

I have been having to say good things about this since the month it was printed a little over a year ago. It sells around 2000 copies a month, and is one of the best selling graphic novel series n print. A GREAT horror series set in a world after the zombies have won, it surpasses just about every zombie movie I've ever seen and is a must buy for any horror fan. And even if you aren't a big horror fan, the story and characters are fascinating enough that I feel this is a solid read for anyone interested in a great story. Highly recommended.

37 GI JOE SNAKE-EYES DECLASSIFIED TP $18.95 DDP 1,924

I was not a big G. I Joe fan. I know that in the 80's, it was Marvel's best-selling comic outside of comic shops, and is probably responsible for a LOT of people becoming comic fans, but the series has always left me cold.

38 FLASH ARCHIVES VOL 4 HC $49.99 DC 1,851

I know that there are some big fans of the 60's DC super-hero stuff, but I was always more of a Marvel guy. This reprints another batch of issues from the early 60's Flash series which usually revolve around a villain with an odd power, and The Flash figuring out a new way to use his super-speed to outwit them. They aren't BAD so much as repetitive and aimed at younger readers. For collectors and hard core fans, this is a beautiful collecting, reprinting these stories better than they've ever looked, but at $50, its for hard-core nostalgia buffs and hard-core fans.

39 SAMURAI DEEPER KYO VOL 18 GN (Of 31) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,844
40 NEW MUTANTS CLASSIC VOL 1 TP $24.99 MAR 1,844

This was the first spin-off of the X-Men, and went back to the original idea of that comic by having a group of young teenagers who have first gotten their powers and need to be trained in how to use them. In many ways, this was a better series than the X-Men in these early issues, and the stories hold up well, if they seem a bit overwritten. Still, for casual readers of the X-Men, this is a solid collection and highly recommended.

41 SUPERMAN ARCHIVES VOL 7 HC $49.99 DC 1,808

Reprinting more of the VERY early Superman comics from the 40's. By this point, they had fallen into the formula that would carry the book into the mid 50's, and still looks very crude by today's standards. Like the Flash archives, this is for nostalgia buffs and hard-core collectors.

42 ULTIMATES VOL 1 TP $12.99 MAR 1,778
43 ULTIMATES VOL 2 HOMELAND SECURITY TP $17.99 MAR 1,727

Reprinting the first Ultimates series, these books have been out for a while. They are a more adult version of The Avengers, and while I don't care for all of the changes made, the story itself is one of the better super-hero stories of the last decade, and has a LOT of big fans. I find it only mildly recommended, but other people love it.

44 RUROUNI KENSHIN VOL 25 TP $7.95 VIZ 1,669
45 TOM STRONG BOOK FIVE TP $17.99 DC 1,655

This is a GREAT series by Alan Moore. Tom Strong is a unique character who seems like a character who has been around since the 40's without seeming dated. Moore's stories are inventive, fun and the art in this series is some of the best in comics. It's a huge shame that the ABC line of books doesn't get more attention, and this collection (and the entire series of books) is Highly Recommended.

46 CHALLENGERS O/UNKNOWN STOLEN MOMENTS BORROWED TIME TP $16.99 DC 1,647

I am a huge fan of writer/artist Howard Chaykin, and his American Flagg and Shadow series are two of my favorite comics of the 80's. This mini-series is a revamp of the old characters from the 60's and while it features some fantastic art, the story leaves a lot to be desired. Other than the art, there's not much here to recommend.

47 FREAK SHOW TP $5.99 IMA 1,647
48 BATTLE POPE COLOR VOL 1 GENESIS TP (MR) $12.99 IMA 1,640
49 WHAT IF MIRROR MIRROR TP $16.99 MAR 1,625

“What If” was one of Marvel's more interesting series in the past, telling stories of what might have happened if Spider-Man's Uncle Ben had lived, or if the Avengers had lost the Kree/Skrull war. The series has come back recently as a group of yearly specials, and this reprints the most recent batch of issues. However, instead of just showing what would happen if there was a small twist, they change major aspects of the characters used...which would be a great idea if each story wasn't limited to 24 pages. There's not enough room to develop the ideas presented, and because of that, the stories seem more like a gimmick than well done stories.

50 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLTD VOL 2 WORLDS GREATEST HEROES TP $6.99 DC 1,604
51 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLTD VOL 3 CHAMPIONS O/JUSTICE TP $6.99 DC 1,596

These are comics aimed at kids who watch the Justice League series on Cartoon Network. They are great books for kids, but most adult readers will get pretty bored as they read through these books.

52 ROZEN MAIDEN VOL 1 GN (Of 4) $9.99 TKP 1,574
53 BLEACH VOL 12 TP $7.95 VIZ 1,553
54 INITIAL D VOL 22 GN (Of 30) $9.99 TKP 1,553
55 LITTLE LULU VOL 9 LUCKY LULU TP $9.95 DAR 1,531

This is probably the best book out there for kids now, since it's also one that adults can read and enjoy. If a reader didn't know these stories were first printed in the 40's there's no way to tell how old they are. I would say that if you liked Peanuts or other comic strips featuring kids but not wholly aimed at kids, you'll really like any of the Lulu books. Highly recommended.

56 MARVEL MASTERWORKS X-MEN VOL 6 HC NEW ED $49.99 MAR 1,523

Reprinting another ten issues of Chris Claremont's X-Men comic. Again, these books are for hard core fans, and these stories are all reprinted much cheaper in Essential X-Men 2 and 3.

57 RUROUNI KENSHIN VOL 26 TP $7.95 VIZ 1,523
58 ELFQUEST GRAND QUEST VOL 14 TP $9.99 DC 1,494

Continuing to reprint the fantasy series from the 80's and early 90's, and by this point, artist/writer Wendy Pini had brought in a bunch of other creators to work on the characters. The stories suffered from that, and while they are decent enough fantasy stories, they pale in comparison to Pinis work on the early issues of the series.

59 OH MY GODDESS VOL 2 RTL TP $10.95 DAR 1,487
60 GIRL GENIUS VOL 4 TP $20.95 STU 1,480
61 FULL METAL PANIC OVERLOAD MANGA VOL 4 TP $9.99 ADV 1,443
62 ART O/LOVING GN (MR) $12.95 DIG 1,429
63 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 18 TP $9.95 VIZ 1,407
64 GET BACKERS VOL 14 GN (Of 26) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,370
65 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED VOL 2 TP (MR) $8.95 ONI 1,327
66 BOYS O/SUMMER VOL 1 GN (Of 3) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,327
67 HOUSE O/M TP $24.99 MAR 1,319

Reorders for Marvel's big crossover series from last summer. For Marvel comics fans, it was a big deal and a must read to know just what is going on in the Marvel Universe. For casual readers, it's all build-up with the payoff actually running through other books, so it's not very satisfying.

68 ANIMA VOL 1 GN $9.99 TKP 1,319
69 BATMAN UNDER HOOD VOL 1 TP $9.99 DC 1,312

Reorders for the first part of the “Red Hood” story that brings back the Robin who was famously killed in the late 80's. The story is solid, and while it seems more like a generic super-hero story rather than a Batman story, it works on a super-hero level. Mildly recommended.

70 MARVEL MASTERWORKS X-MEN VOL 6 HC VAR ED $54.99 MAR 1,312

This is the same as the above version, but with a different dustjacket for only $5 more. And the fcat that people will pay more for this sort of thing shows me that comics fans aren't quite as smart as they make themselves out to be.

71 HG WELLS WAR O/T WORLDS HC $14.95 DAR 1,290
72 KING O/HELL VOL 13 GN (Of 13) $9.99 TKP 1,254
73 WALKING DEAD VOL 2 MILES BEHIND US TP (MR) $12.95 IMA 1,246
74 WALKING DEAD VOL 4 HEARTS DESIRE TP (MR) $12.99 IMA 1,239

As I said above, this series of graphic novels is in the top 100 every month, is highly recommended, and is one of the best selling series of graphic novels in comics now. More people are discovering it every month, and it's probably the only graphic novel series that outsells the monthly comic on an almost 4 to 1 ratio. It won't be the only one for long, though, as more people decide that $3 for a 32 page comic with ads pales before a 144 page trade paperback on better paper for around $13.

75 ANGEL SANCTUARY VOL 13 GN $9.99 VIZ 1,239
76 COMPLETE PEANUTS VOL 5 1959-1960 HC $28.95 FAN 1,232

Oh how I love this series. Peanuts is the best comic strip ever. Period. Most people now have images of the Peanuts strips from the final years, when Schultz was having troubel drawing, and was trying to pull gags out of more minor characters, but now that the first ten yours are available in these incredbly well done hardcovers, it's easy to see why it was the most successful comic strip of all time. Each collection has two years worth of strips, and many fo the early strips haven't seen print since the 60's. Highly recommended.

77 CONFIDENTIAL CONFESSIONS DEAI VOL 1 GN (Of 2) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,210
78 HANA KIMI VOL 11 GN $9.99 VIZ 1,203
79 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED VOL 3 TP (MR) $8.95 ONI 1,203
80 SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS TP $17.95 DC 1,188

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are best known for their stories that follow the early careers of super-heroes, like Batman: The Long Halloween and Spider-Man: Blue. This is their take on Superman, and it seems as if they struggle a bit with the character in the story. I know Superman is hard for their story style of “here's where the hero messed up and learned how to be the icon we now know” since Superman is a hard character to give imperfections to. However, the story itself is very well done, and ranks as one fo the best Superman stories ever done. A great book for someone who is interested in the character because of the upcoming movie.

81 HANK KETCHAMS COMP DENNIS MENACE 1953-4 HC $24.95 FAN 1,159

I have to be honest here I didn't buy these books when they came out. I have never much cared for Dennis the Menace as a comic strip. As a kid I liked the comic books, but the strip always left me cold. But, after a big of nagging from another comics fan I respect, I picked up the first book and was surprised by just how good the book was. Using the same incredible production values of the Peanut's books, these books show that Ketcham's art was loose, expressive and was of a style that is no longer prominent, but was when magazines printed “comic panels.” Each panel is a great gag, both verbally and artistically, and it's fresh and funny in a way the strip isn't any more (or the movie or the cartoons....) A surprising treasure, and highly recommended.

82 ALMOST CRYING VOL 1 GN (MR) $12.95 DIG 1,159
83 BLAME VOL 4 GN (OF 10) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,159
84 GUNGRAVE ANIME MANGA TP $14.95 DAR 1,144
85 DEFENDERS INDEFENSIBLE PREM HC $19.99 MAR 1,130

The team of DeMatties, Giffen and Maguire is a creative team that has never failed to impress me. They first got together twenty years ago on Justice League, and they've brought their “sit-com” approach to a Marvel book, using the classic Defenders lineup of Hulk, Dr. Strange and Submariner. It was HILARIOUS, and while the plot got a bit bogged down in the middle, it's still a funny comic with some of Maguire's best art. There is NO ONE in comics who is better and drawing facial expressions, and without his ability to wring a laugh from a facial reaction, the comic would only be half as funny. Highly recommended.

86 ONE PIECE VOL 10 GN $7.95 VIZ 1,122
87 SCRAPPED PRINCESS VOL 3 GN (Of 3) $9.99 TKP 1,122
88 DEATH NOTE VOL 5 TP $7.99 VIZ 1,115
89 JOHNNY HOMICIDAL MANIAC DIRECTORS CUT SC $19.95 SLG 1,086

This is from the creator of the cartoon “Invader Zim”, and has a huge cult following in the goth and “Hot Topic” crowd. I have a feeling I would like it, but the lettering is SO horrible that I can't make it through the story.

90 JU ON VIDEO SIDE TP $9.95 DAR 1,071
91 LILO & STITCH VOL 1 GN $4.99 WAR 1,071
92 SHRINE O/MORNING MIST VOL 1 GN (Of 4) $9.99 TKP 1,064
93 ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 4 TP $16.99 MAR 1,064

Reprinting the mid 80's issues of this series, and it was really that last batch of issues that I REALLY liked, with art by Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith. I remember that each issue was fun to read, and the characters were like people I knew. The stories and scripting haven't aged as well as I would have hoped, but these are still great super-hero stories and show why the comic was the best selling comic for the last 20 or so years. Highly recommended.

94 BOYS BE VOL 9 GN (Of 20) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,042
95 SUPERMAN GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP $19.95 DC 1,028

Still selling, and while it's not really the BEST Superman stories, it is a good introduction to the way the character has been portrayed through the years. Mildly recommended.

96 WALKING DEAD VOL 3 SAFETY BEHIND BARS TP (MR) $12.95 IMA 1,028
97 FABLES VOL 6 HOMELANDS TP (MR) $14.99 DC 1,020

Fables is a very cool idea, expertly done. Using fairy tale characters and putting them into a contemporary “urban fantasy” world, it is a nice twist on characters we all grew up with, and rather than being some sort of fan-fiction, it comes off as one of the better fantasy comics available. The first book is, of course, the best one to start with, but if you know the basis of the series, you can really jump in with any volume. Mildly recommended.

98 LA ESPERANCA VOL 2 GN $12.95 DIG 1,020
99 KINGDOM HEARTS VOL 3 GN (Of 4) $5.99 TKP 1,020
100 PHD PHANTASY DEGREE VOL 6 GN (Of 8) $9.99 TKP 1,020

And that's it for this month!!

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