Several people have pointed out the problems with DC’s recent reading guide, the DC Entertainment Essential Graphic Novels and Chronology 2013. Most obviously, the women of the DCU get all of two pages. That’s all of them together, Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Batgirl, all get as much space as Green Arrow does. (But then, HE’s got a TV show! Which is what seems to matter.)

Personally, I wonder about a “reading guide” that feels the need to subtitle itself a “chronology”. Things shouldn’t be that complicated — but then, when you have a recent reboot and you’re still trying to sell the older books, without coming right out and saying “these don’t count any more (except when they do)”, I guess you’ve got a difficult tightrope to walk. I gave up trying to read the guide, because I found it both confusing and badly written, and I wasn’t all that interested in finding out what the company, DC Entertainment let’s remember, wants me to read when I have shelves and shelves of what I already know is the good stuff.

For instance — J. Caleb Mozzocco has put together his own list of recommended Wonder Woman reading, which is a much better selection. First, though, he gets in a few jabs of his own, such as this one:

DC Comics is the wrong entity to be championing that backlist, given the amount of time and energy they’ve expended telling the world that’s the old, lame stuff: The good stuff is all these shitty comics that look like bowdlerized videogame designs drawn by artists from 1993, the ones where the writers change every arc or so and everything’s so ill-considered we’re retconning stuff by the time we collect it in trade.

The Wonder Woman books Caleb recommends are all historical or out-of-continuity special-event volumes, but they’re easier to read than the current series and other recent attempts to make the character popular. His post is worth reading just for the image of the Wonder Woman library bookmark he starts with. Wish I had one, it’s lovely.

(Disclaimer: My husband KC edited the Adventures in the DC Universe comic, a collected volume of which Caleb recommends.)

Artifice

This week marks the release of the graphic novel, written by Alex Woolfson and illustrated by Winona Nelson. If you’re curious, you can still read the story online or visit the publisher’s website.

It’s the story of Deacon, an artificial person in custody because his corporation thinks there’s something very wrong with him. He’s the only survivor of a mission, to destroy a colony and kill all the inhabitants, gone wrong. Jeff, the only colonist left alive, was shunned because he was gay, and Deacon, as someone who seems human but isn’t, sympathizes with his outcast status. As Deacon is debriefed, we find out what really happened.

The collection includes background information on the creation process and answers to various reader questions and comments. Woolfson’s new project is The Young Protectors. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Castle Waiting Volume 2:
The Definitive Edition

However, there were unanswered questions about that release, since it didn’t really have an ending and the author’s name wasn’t anywhere on the cover. Now that that book is out of print, Fantagraphics and Medley have released an updated “definitive edition” that’s gone from 375 pages to 464 to finish off the story. It includes Castle Waiting #16-18, and a few of the chapters have been broken up with new dividing points.

Jain is moving into a new room, with space for her baby, while two Dwarves (although they prefer Hammerlings) come to visit and help with renovations. Although the story is simple, covering how life continues for the inhabitants of the castle, it’s engrossing and beautifully drawn. I was surprised, reading the whole thing at once, how much of what figures in the final chapters was mentioned very early on. It gave me new appreciation for Medley’s long-term storytelling.

Because they’re so cute, I adored the house sprites, a motley collection of beings with their own pigin language. Medley also has a deft hand portraying creative, unusual ways of thinking. Every character has something to recommend him or her, and we learn a lot more about many of the cast’s histories here.

There are page samples and a preview chapter at the publisher’s website. As mentioned when the revamp was announced, those who bought the first version of this book can get the three remaining issues for only $8 total, including shipping.

I wonder about the future of the series. Those new issues came out last year, with the last in November. Since then, there haven’t been any additional issues released or solicited. I like the series a lot, so I hope there’s still more to come. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

@johannadc Suggestions for non-memoir, self-contained, narrative fiction comics / graphic novels about post-college women, created by women?

— Eric Newsom (@ericnewsom) April 3, 2013

That’s a good question. So many of the non-genre graphic novels aimed at adults, particularly women, are autobiographical these days. This was a challenge to answer, but here’s what I came up with.

First, josei manga immediately came to mind, although many of those books are now out of print here. This genre fits all the requirements, except some are serialized (so not all are self-contained).

From the UK, the work of Posy Simmonds fits the bill, particularly Tamara Drewe and Gemma Bovery.

In the US, the long-running comic strip (now ended) Dykes to Watch Out For is a terrific soap opera about all kinds of women. More recently, I enjoyed discovering Picket Line, a fiction work of a character’s self-discovery.

There are genre works that fit the bill, too:

• Galaxion (science fiction)
• Castle Waiting (fantasy)
• Unterzakhn (historical fiction)
• Troublemaker (adventure caper)
• That Kind of Girl (erotica)

Of course, there’s an extensive list of works by women here on the site, but many of them are memoir or co-created with men.

How would you answer this question? Are there other works you recommend by and for adult women?

Avengers: Endless Wartime

New York Times best-selling author Warren Ellis (Secret Avengers, Gun Machine) and chart-topping artist Mike McKone (Amazing Spider-Man) assemble the biggest heroes in the Marvel Universe — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Wolverine, & Captain Marvel — for Avengers: Endless Wartime, a landmark original graphic novel scheduled for release on October 2nd, 2013. This movie-length epic launches an all new original graphic novel line for Marvel Entertainment, featuring the biggest super heroes brought to life by the best creators and debuts in a high-end, oversized format featuring sophisticated packaging and design.

An abomination, long thought buried, has resurfaced in a war-torn land — but now it wears an American flag. Faced with another nightmare reborn, Captain America will not stand for yet more death at the hands of a ghost from his past. Haunted by his greatest shame, Thor must renew the hunt for a familiar beast. Side by side with the great superheroes the world has seen, united to end the threats no one of them could face alone, the Avengers will stare down the greatest threat the team has ever faced. But is even their combined might enough to overcome a force of pure evil?

From the eighth dimension? The book will be available October 1 in bookstores, October 2 in comic shops. To gild the lily, Clark Gregg (who played Agent Coulson in The Avengers) writes an introduction and Stan Lee provides an afterword. Marvel is also going for a global approach, releasing the book simultaneously in Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Brazil, Finland, and Turkey in each area’s primary language due to a collaboration with international publisher Panini. Plus, the book comes with a free digital copy of itself AND “special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app”. There’s no information on what other books might be part of this publishing line, or when the second might appear.

The purpose appears to be to give new readers interested by the movie a single starting point, which is an admirable goal, if the sales outlets and marketing get on board. I guess the “Season One” line wasn’t as attractive, which I can understand — who wants to read another take on the team’s origin when you’ve seen that already? Movie viewers want more of what they liked on-screen.

I’m also glad to see the publisher realize that there may be an audience for longer superhero reads that don’t require following a serial publication, but here’s hoping that they actually keep this book in print instead of treating it like a periodical release, as they do so many others of their book-format comics. And I hope Ellis is able to keep the character interplay in the right voices, since that’s why the movie was so appealing to me. The preview pages suggest the answer is “yes”.

On a grumpy note, wouldn’t it be nice if this PR listed what the authors were really best known for, even if it came from another publisher, instead of sticking in credits based solely on loyalty? Ellis wrote Secret Avengers for all of six issues, if I’ve done the right research, and he’s better known for Stormwatch/Authority and Transmetropolitan. Heck, even at Marvel, his Iron Man is better known than a title that happens to tie into what Marvel’s pushing these days.

Persia Blues

Persia Blues is a character-driven slice of life tale, combining fantastical elements with contemporary politics, while exploring the universal themes of tradition, family, guilt, and freedom.

That link also has a lot of sample art. The publisher, NBM, provided free books to use as Kickstarter prizes and even paid an advance.

The story involves a young woman who’s a kick-butt fighter in a fantasy realm (illustrated in greyscale) but struggling with the laws of Iran in the real world. I’ve read the first half of the book, and I sympathized with Minoo’s struggles against the restrictive roles for women required by her culture and family. The fantasy side was less interesting to me, but I’m curious how Naraghi is going to tie the two together.

Before the book comes out at the end of May (comic market — July for book market), it’s also being serialized electronically at comiXology in four issues. The first is 99 cents, while the other three will be $1.99 each, released every two weeks. So you can get the story digitally for $7, or the book for $13 (or just over $10 with Amazon discount). That seems about right to me.

In the press release, NBM Publisher Terry Nantier is quoted:

“In today’s book market we’re really appealing to a broader potential reader base than ever before. By offering our books serialized through comiXology there’s an opportunity for a reader to try the first chapter for an extremely low price and then decide if they want to continue to follow the series digitally or purchase the physical book. Digital is unquestionably the future, but physical books offer a richer opportunity for design and presentation which allows us to indulge and release a book worth owning physically.”

This is the first of three books planned, so it remains to be seen what techniques will be used on the following volumes. Persia Blues can be ordered from your comic shop with Diamond code MAR13 1230.

Publishers Weekly ran a brief notice about new titles coming in 2014 from Graphix, the graphic novel imprint from publisher Scholastic.

Jimmy Gownley (shown here), who concluded his Amelia Rules! book series last year, will release The Dumbest Idea Ever! It’s described as the story of how he became a self-published comic book artist at age 15. I’m guessing it will cover behind-the-scenes of his slice-of-life series Shades of Gray, which I enjoyed back in the early to mid 1990s. It’s a terrific idea to create a graphic memoir, a popular approach to book-format comics these days, for young readers, particularly with a true story of creativity and artistic accomplishment.

Also acquired was Mike Maihack’s Cleopatra in Space, with new stories for a two-book (so far) series. While the webcomic covered her ongoing adventures, the first book, Target Practice, will be more of an origin story, telling how the teenage Egyptian got to the future and entered the training academy for her heroics. Unfortunately, that means that the webcomic has concluded for now as Maihack works on the new books.

Anything Raina does is a must-buy for me, and I’m glad to see more about her family life.

The first six Toon paperbacks

According to their blog, you can get a free paperback by sending them a picture.

Starting February 12, displays of our new TOON paperbacks will be in all Barnes and Noble stores and a select group of independent bookstores. Send us a picture of those displays and we will send you a new TOON paperback, absolutely free.

If your local bookstore does not have one of displays, you are still in luck. Just send us a picture of TOON Books in ANY store, and we will still give you a paperback TOON.

This offer is good only in February, and the email address is mail@toon-books.com.

Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) is providing art for a production of Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis. They also plan a graphic novel based on the play later this fall.

The production is adapted and directed by Edward Einhorn and presented by La MaMa in association with Untitled Theater Company #61. Music is by downtown indie rocker Aldo Perez (from the band The Renaldo The Ensemble). The play will run from February 14 – March 3 in New York City and also includes puppets. Here’s how the press release describes the play:

Edward Einhorn’s new adaptation reexamines Euripides’ play about democracy versus ochlocracy (mob rule) and the role of religion in popular uprisings, subjects made particularly relevant by Arab Spring.

Masks by Jane Stein are both worn and “puppeteered” as a second self, separating the characters from their classic archetypes and reveling more basic human emotions beneath. Deliberately anachronistic, the production mixes the contemporary with the classical and uses pop iconography of comics to examine the timeless, philosophical elements of the myth.

On February 28, Shanower will conduct a talkbalk discussing the connections between this play and his comic work. For more information, visit the theater site.

This was a period, just before Identity Crisis and the rise of Dan DiDio, where DC was publishing things like Fallen Angel, Gotham Central, Ex Machina, the DC Focus imprint with Hard Time and the others… now, it looks like the last hurrah of diverse superhero titles. These folks had powers — or lived in worlds with those who did — but the stories were about more than just big fights.

I loved Bloodhound, although it sounds like something I wouldn’t. Now comes news, courtesy of Robot 6, that Dark Horse will be releasing a collection in June. (Only it won’t include issue #5, which guest-starred Firestorm (Jason Rusch), whose series Jolley was also writing at the time. It was part two of a story that started in Firestorm (2004) #7.) They’re adding an introduction by Kurt Busiek and an afterword by Ivan Cohen, editor of the series.

Note that they’re also changing the last three issues. Originally, the bad guy was Zeiss, a Batman villain; now, he’s been removed/rewritten.

The Robot 6 interview explains the title’s premise as well as the rights reversion that allowed Jolley to take the series to another publisher. (DC never seemed to care about it, anyway.) After Firestorm and Bloodhound were cancelled in 2005, Jolley pretty much disappeared from comics, but I’m hoping that calling the book Volume 1: Brass Knuckle Psychology implies that we might see more in future.

Digression: Wow, the world we’re living in now. I did a quick Google Discussions search to find my old Usenet mentions of the title, and I turned up reference to a graphic novel called Creased. Sounded interesting, so I popped over to my library’s website and placed an ILL order. When it’s ready at my local branch, I’ll get an email. Reading comics is so easy these days!

1. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me by Ellen Forney
2. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
3. Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
4. A Wrinkle in Time adapted by Hope Larson
5. Economix by Michael Goodwin and Dan E. Burr
6. The Comic Book History of Comics by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey
7. Dirt Candy by Amanda Cohen, Grady Hendrix, and Ryan Dunlavey
8. Between Gears by Natalie Nourigat
9. Please God, Find Me a Husband! by Simone Lia
10. Polterguys by Laurianne Uy
11. Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch
12. Unterzakhn by Leela Corman

What a terrific year! There was a lot of informative non-fiction that used the comic format well (5 of the above, including 3 graphic memoirs), as well as school-set stories that took full advantage of that significant time of life (5 of the above). Most significantly, without even trying, my list includes 8 1/2 works by women.

I’d also like to make a special honorary mention for my favorite comic book, Hawkeye, and my favorite comic strip/webcomic, JL8 (formerly Little League) by Yale Stewart. I love the lengthy reading experience a graphic novel provides, but it’s enjoyable having more frequently appearing great comics to read, too.

Agent Gates and the Secret
Adventures of Devonton Abbey:
A Parody of Downton Abbey

Out in the new year, just in time for the American premiere of the third season of Downton Abbey, is the parody graphic novel Agent Gates and the Secret Adventures of Devonton Abbey. It’s written by Camaren Subhiyah, illustrated by Kyle Hilton, and published by Andrews McMeel at $14.99 (although you can get it much cheaper via preorder). Here’s the back cover copy:

While the Granville family dutifully entertain their guests at Devonton Abbey, an ace team of Secret Service agents camp out as unsuspecting household staff, protecting the Royal Crown and her citizens from impending world war.

Who is aware of the international intrigue concealed below stairs? Will Agent Gates save Britain from her enemies while ensuring Devonton Abbey’s reputation is upheld? Will Lady Margaret secure a proposal from Martin Crawhill, the heir to the estate? Will Thompson and O’Malley ever get lung cancer?

Mr. Jack Gates, the secret agent masquerading as a valet, is hiding a titanium leg via his limp. He uses it to protect both the estate and Great Britain. You can see preview pages at the Amazon link, to the right. It strikes me as a slight joke on which to base 128 published pages, but I’m not a dedicated fan of the show. Those who are may find it a wonderful jape.

Upside Down: A Vampire Tale

Jess Smart Smiley’s Upside Down: A Vampire Tale is out today in comic shops. It’s a cute little graphic novel about a vampire named Harold who loves candy too much, so a visit to the dentist changes his life. Here are four exclusive preview pages. (Click to see bigger.)

You can see more preview pages at the publisher’s website.

It’s rare that an independent comic anthology is so upfront and forthright about the pay rate, or even that they’re paying contributors. After successfully completing the Smut Peddler Kickstarter, Spike is now launching The Sleep of Reason, “a black-and-white horror comics anthology set to debut in the summer of 2013.”

Submissions will be taken through the end of the month, until November 30, 2012. That link has all the details, but some key features are that page rate is $50 for black-and-white scary stories, but avoiding the cliches. No zombies or Lovecraft. No excessive gore. Some contributors have already been announced, including Carla Speed McNeil, Evan Dahm, Jason Thompson, Ross Campbell, and Sophie Goldstein.

We’re giving away a FREE copy of the relevant TOON Book to anyone who sends us a description of how they used one of these five spooky titles with kids. Teachers can use the books in the classroom or parents can use them with their children — all that’s needed to qualify for a free TOON Book is 1) following us on Tumblr, Twitter, or Facebook and 2) sending us a short description of your use of the book with kids.

From Chick and Chickie by Claude Ponti

The titles are Chick and Chickie by Claude Ponti; Jack and the Box by Art Spiegelman; Benny and Penny in Lights Out by Geoffrey Hayes; Stinky by Eleanor Davis; and The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra. Best of all, you can read all those titles for free through links in their announcement.

In advance of this weekend’s New York Comic Con, Dark Horse has announced a movie deal for their upcoming graphic novel The Fifth Beatle. The book, to be published next year, is written by Vivek J. Tiwary and drawn by Andrew Robinson with additional contributions by Kyle Baker.

It’s about the life of Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager. Epstein gained success through the band but made some financially iffy merchandising deals and struggled with his homosexuality (which was illegal in England until after his passing). He died young, at age 32, in 1967, due to an accidental drug overdose.

Tiwary will also be writing and producing a feature film adaptation of the graphic novel, which is being promoted as “the first time a feature film about the band has ever secured rights to include Beatles songs” due to a deal with Sony/ATV. Tiwary is an experienced Broadway producer behind such shows as The Addams Family, American Idiot (based on Green Day’s album), and The Producers.

Graphic Classics, the publisher of anthologies focused on historical creators and genres, has put online a catalog covering their line of books. The file’s 48 pages also includes two stories, “a 5-page adaptation of Ambrose Bierce’s ‘The Race at Left Bower’ by Frank Cammuso and a 9-page adaptation by Milton Knight of Fitz-James O’Brien’s ‘How I Overcame My Gravity’.” If you’re curious as to what’s available from the publisher, this is a great resource.

The PDF file also includes purchasing information and an explanation of public domain, since the books rely on pre-1923 work for source material.

Sorry you missed out on the amazing Smut Peddler Kickstarter? You can now buy your very own print copy of this porn anthology direct from project organizer Spike. It’s $30 (plus shipping) for almost 350 pages of sex-positive, lady-friendly comics, shipping at the end of the month. Or you can still buy a digital copy. Enjoy!