Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater
The eighth book in the imaginative series by Dana Simpson about a girl and her unicorn best friend is also the second original graphic novel (after Phoebe and Her Unicorn in the Magic Storm; the others reprint comic strips), making it a never-before-seen longer story. In Unicorn Theater, Phoebe is headed to drama camp. The unicorn Marigold accompanies her but is distracted by a visit from her sister, making Phoebe jealous and a little lonely. All of her other friends […]
Read more
An Enola Holmes Mystery: The Case of the Missing Marquess
From 2006-2010, Nancy Springer wrote six YA mysteries about Enola Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Serena Blasco, from IDW’s EuroComics imprint, adapts the first. Enola has been living with her mother, Lady Eudora, in the country. On her 14th birthday, her mother disappears. Upon notifying her much older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock, who haven’t visited for ten years, she’s told she will be sent to boarding school to become a proper young […]
Read more
Square Enix Launching New English-Language Manga Imprint
Square Enix, best known in the US as the video game company behind Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts, and Space Invaders, has announced that they will be launching “a new line of English-language manga, novels, and art books” this coming fall. Previously, they have licensed their manga titles to existing English-language publishers, including Fullmetal Alchemist (Viz), Soul Eater (Yen Press), and Black Butler (Yen Press). Their first releases will be a Final Fantasy XV novel, The Dawn of the […]
Read more
DC Comics Super-Villains: 100 Greatest Moments
Review by KC Carlson DC Comics Super-Villains: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights From the History of the World’s Greatest Super-Villains is the third such book written by former DC Comics Editor (amongst many other DC Comics duties) Robert Greenberger (better known in the DC offices as “Bob”). The other two books are Justice League: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes (July 2018) and DC Comics Super Heroines: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History […]
Read more
What I’ve Done at Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) 2019
The show is still going on — I’m taking a short break before my final panel (and the final panel of the show), “History Though Comic Eyes” — but I wanted to take a few minutes to capture TCAF memories so far. First, the workshop went well! I’d been wanting to do a session on how to get publicity for newer comic professionals for a while (based a good amount on my PR: What Not to Do category). I was […]
Read moreComic Market Driven by Kids’ Books and Manga
If you’re interested in the comics business beyond just the superhero-focused direct market of dedicated comic shops, Dallas Middaugh’s look back at 2018 graphic novel sales is a must-read. When you combine Diamond’s unit numbers with those of NPD BookScan, which tracks sales in the general book market, the graphic novel market is up by 11.7%. This is a marked difference from the 1.3% increase seen across all print publishing (not just graphic novels) in the U.S…. This double-digit growth […]
Read more
What’s Coming for DC Ink and Zoom
DC’s younger reader imprints are off to a mixed start, but there are plenty more titles to come. DC Ink is for young adult readers, ages 13 and up. The line launched with Mera: Tidebreaker, followed by Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale, promoted on Free Comic Book Day and out now. Coming up next, as described here, are Teen Titans: Raven, out early July, followed by Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass in early September. The latest announcement is Batman: Nightwalker, […]
Read more
Lion Forge and Oni Press Plan to Merge
File this under a “wow, never saw that coming” label, similar to the IDW/Top Shelf acquisition news four years ago. The New York Times is reporting that Lion Forge and Oni Press will announce later today that they plan to merge as an example of how “smaller publishers are adopting new business strategies to better compete.” The move, the companies say, will strengthen their library of original comics and graphic novels and help them to leverage their characters on other […]
Read more