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April 25, 2012
Atomic Books Comics Preview - April 25th, 2012
In the weekly Atomic Books Comics Preview, Benn Ray highlights notable new comics and graphic novels.
Benn Ray is the owner of Atomic Books, an independent bookstore in Baltimore. The Mobtown Shank is his blog, and his comic Said What? is syndicated weekly in the Baltimore Sun's B-Paper.
Atomic Books has been named one of Bizarre Magazine's 51 geekiest places on the planet, as well as one of Flavorwire's 10 greatest comic and graphic novel stores in America.
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
by Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel's autobiographical Fun Home was crazy-acclaimed. It won (deservedly so) all kinds of honors. That book focused primarily on the cartoonist's relationship with her closeted gay father. One of the things that most people I've talked to who have read that book say is, "We want to see more of her relationship with her mother." And here, Bechdel delivers that beautifully.
Batman: Knightfall Volume 1
by Chuck Dixon / Graham Nolan
Consider this preparatory reading for the new Christopher Nolan Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises. 600+ pages of it.
Cyclical
by Shia LeBeouf
Let's Fucking Party
by Shia LeBeouf
Stale N Mate
by Shia LeBeouf
Yes, you read that right. Shia LeBeouf. Of Transformers. Of Indiana Jones. Of HBO's Project Greenlight. (Was that one too obscure?) LeBeouf's entry into the world of alterna-comics has created a lot of fascinating debate within the community. Regardless, LeBeouf's books provide an interesting glimpse into the mind of the young actor, and his work reveals a familiarity with the language that is alternative comics. I hope he continues putting books out and I would love to see him get deeply autobiographical. How many movie stars, for example, do you know of who produces daily diary comics? Right?
Folly: The Consequences of Indiscretion
by Hans Rickheit
Rickheit is one of the finest and most interesting illustrators putting ink to paper today. This book collects his early, self-published books.
Frazetta: Funny Stuff
by Frank Frazetta / Craig Yoe
Another fascinating book from the archival machine that is Craig Yoe. This book focuses on the work of Frank Frazetta - a man whose influence could be seen on the airbrushed sides of 1970s conversion vans all across the country once upon a time. Here Yoe collects Frazetta's funny comics work.
Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
by Guy Delisle
Master travelogue cartoonist Delisle returns with a journey through Jerusalem. The charm about Delisle's work is his ability to look at how a region works - and this book sheds light onto a region regularly in the news.
Pterodactyl Hunters In The Gilded City
by Brandon Leach
This book came out in a different format a few years ago - as a free newspaper. But copies went very quickly, and ever since then, people have been asking for the comic. This beautiful, over-sized edition tells the story of a group of pterodactyl hunters in the early 1900s - a dinosaurs meets steampunk sort of tale that really is quite charming.
Questions, concerns, comments or gripes – e-mail benn@atomicbooks.com. If there’s a comic I should know about, send it my way at Atomic, c/o Atomic Books 3620 Falls Rd., Baltimore, MD 21211.
Atomic Books & Benn Ray links:
Atomic Books website
Atomic Books on Twitter
Atomic Books on Facebook
Benn Ray's blog (The Mobtown Shank)
Benn Ray's comic, Said What?
also at Largehearted Boy:
other Atomic Books Comics Preview lists (weekly new comics & graphic novel highlights)
the list of online "best books of 2011" lists
52 Books, 52 Weeks
Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists)
Book Notes (authors create music playlists for their book)
guest book reviews
Largehearted Word (weekly new book highlights)
musician/author interviews
Note Books (musicians discuss literature)
