Canadians in the November Diamond Previews (shipping 01/10)

Beyond giving out our yearly awards, the CCBCAA’s mandate is to promote the work of Canadians in the industry, so here we go:

Retailers must have their Diamond orders uploaded by 11:59pm, Tuesday, December 1 — yes, that is tomorrow.

Prices in the Diamond catalogue are listed in US$. Every store has their own currency exchange policy, expect the price to vary.

Please note: Don’t expect this list to be complete, instead this is a selection of books that I find interesting. It would be great if retailers took note and ordered some of these great books by Canuck talent. For the most part, I only denote book content in the capacity of writer/artist as listed in Previews. Cover-only work is typically ignored, unless I decide to include a cover I consider noteworthy.

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Page 71 – DC – Batman and Robin #7
art by Cameron Stewart.
32 pgs – Colour – $2.99

Stewart joins Morrison for a wild romp. Awe-some!

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Page 184 – Arcana Studio – Arcana Magazine
96 pgs – Colour – $3.50

Arcana sent us the press release for their new magazine. Looks to be a comic magazine with reviews and previews, sort of CBR in print.

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Page 184 – Archaia Entertainment LLC – Tumor Hard Cover
art by Noel Tuazon.
224 pgs – Colour – $14.95

Tumor was a huge hit on the Kindle, but for everyone out there that likes their books to have some paper, here is your chance. A detective story with a twist, Tuazon provides a gritty, storyboard quality to the book.

A wonderfully creative artist, Noel has been a big supporter of the Shuster Awards. His most recent self-published story Our Own Shadow – A Song, with Carolynn Unknown, comes out in December 2009.

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Page 203 – BOOM! Studios – The Incredibles #6
art by Marcio Takara.
32 pgs – Colour – $2.99

Page 204 – BOOM! Studios – Wall-E #2
story by J. Torres.
32 pgs – Colour – $2.99

A couple of spin off books from the Disney-based movies of the same name. These are kid friendly entries from BOOM! Studios which would fall into that ‘all ages’ reading category, a topic which has been making the rounds lately.

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Page 223 – Drawns & Quarterly – George Sprott Hard Cover
story and art by Seth.
96 pgs – Colour – $24.95

The oversized 10″ x 14″ really pulls you in. Reprints the New York Times Magazine run. A great book, well deserving of your attention.

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Page 270/271 – UDON Entertainment

The Mega Man Megamix and Darkstalkers books I mentioned earlier in the week.

Udon has a niche amongst the nostalgic readers and video game crowd which, if you aren’t, you’d find quite surprising. They are a huge hit in those markets, producing high quality books. And the Manga for Kids line is Awe-Some!

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Page M46 – Marvel – Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #19
cover by Niko Henrichon.
32 pgs – Colour – $2.99

Yeah, it’s just a cover, but man that Niko can draw.

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Page M79 – Marvel – X-men Forever #15 & #16
art by Tom Grummett.
32 pgs – Colour – $3.99

What can I say, I dig this book. Even I don’t entirely know why, but I will say that even with it’s own thick continuity issues, X-men Forever just seems a lot easier to follow than the current X Universe. And for all you retailers looking for all-ages superhero comics that were just like the ones you grew up reading: this is probably the only one that exists.

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Page M93 – Marvel – Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead Premiere Hard Cover
cover and art by Richard Isanove.
176 pgs – Colour – $24.99

Current Toronto resident Isanove leads the way in this career-maker project set in the world of top-seller Stephen King.

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Page M99 – Marvel – Runaways: Escape to New York Premiere Hard Cover
cover and some art by Takeshi Miyazawa.
some art by Adrian Alphona.
144 pgs – Colour – $19.99

Such a great series! The art of Alphona and Miyazawa is top notch and fits the feel of the series.

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Page M111 – Marvel – Ultimatum TPB
cover and art by David Finch.
144 pgs – Colour – $19.99

The jury members of the Joe Shuster Awards decided that the quality of work David Finch put forth on this series was deserving of the 2009 Artist of the Year award.

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Non-Canuck notables that are in the Previews, books/series that and I want to point out).

Page 42 – Dark Horse – Shinjuku Hard Cover
A new book by Amano! This will be a wild ride.
160 pgs – Colour – $24.99

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Page 87 – DC – All-Star Superman volume 2 TPB
The wait ends. The best superhero comic series of the past 5 years. Morrison. Quitely. Buy it. If you don’t have part 1, buy that, too. Issues #5, in volume 1, soooooo good.

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Page 223 – Drawn & Quarterly – 32 Stories: The Complete Optic Nerve Box Set
Everything you’ve heard? Adriane Tomine is that good.
Box Set – $19.95

Darwyn Cooke on Jonah Hex 50

Darwyn Cooke has posted something on his blog about this week’s release of Jonah Hex #50, published by DC Comics.

Hi folks. Next week the 50th issue of Hex hits the stands and while I rarely jump on the net to promote a single issue comic, this is a very special case and it occurred to me that the background on this book may be of interest.

When Jimmy and Justin tapped me for this one, I got somewhat excited about the possibilities artistically. Working with a full script from those two frees me up to stretch some artistic muscles I mightn’t otherwise. My previous outing on Hex was quite rewarding, but very much within the type of work I’m generally known for; brushwork with an economy of line and dense blacks. I really wanted to switch it up for this one, and see if I could come up with something that looked somewhat more fitting technique-wise.

It was quite a challenge. Working with line only and leaving large areas I’d normally fill with black open for colour was a lot of fun for me. I had to forgo all my usual approaches and come up with solutions that worked for this approach, from the panel design on up.

To read the rest of Darwyn’s update (including some stunning colour design by collaborator Dave Stewart, please visit Darwyn’s blog.

JONAH HEX #50
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, Art and covers by Darwyn Cooke
Darwyn Cooke illustrates a double-sized anniversary issue as we hit #50! Jonah Hex discovers a secret being kept by Tallulah Black that could change everything Hex is about. But happiness has no place in the life of Jonah Hex, so what kind of tragedy awaits our disfigured gunslinger? Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Darwyn Cooke), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Darwyn Cooke).
On sale December 2 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Black and white line art to one of the covers to Jonah Hex 50. Scroll down further to the December 2nd releases list to view the colour version.

The Globe & Mail must not review any comics by Canadians

This past weekend, The Globe & Mail released their list of the Top 100 books that they reviewed in 2009. They even have an obscure-ish, vaguely intellectual term to define works of sequential art aka comics and graphic novels - Graphica. Clearly Sequential & the DWA’s Bryan Munn is not pleased as the only three “Graphica” on the list are Asterios Polyp (which I felt was okay, but not great), Logicomix (which I looked at while I was in Indigo last night and was severely unimpressed with, but then again I left with the Bryan Talbot‘s Grandville and a hardcover collection of Star Trek: Countdown – hey, shoot me if I wanted to read the pre-movie backstory to old Spock’s appearance in last summer’s excellent Star Trek XI) and Crumb‘s adaptation of the Book of Genesis, which has been universally been declared as excellent, and definitely deserves to be on these end of the year “Best of” lists.

Of course, what’s wrong with the list is the lack of Canucks – perhaps they are waiting until the 2009 eligible works list is compiled next month, or perhaps they just didn’t review any “Graphica” by Canucks this year (note: see Bryan’s comment to this article – they actually did review some, including George Sprott)… and if they didn’t, well — shame on you Globe & Mail reviewers! You just plain suck for not promoting our country’s excellent creators, and in all seriousness – Bryan is absolutely correct – you have clearly missed the boat. Surely Steve Murray will not allow the National Post to be so lax when it comes to compiling any best of lists they put together, especially with all of that pro-Canadian TCAF coverage they ran back in May.  Hopefully whoever compiles these types of lists at the Toronto Star will also know better… hey, they commissioned work by Darwyn Cooke back in August, and they ran an article on webcomics creators Kate Beaton and Lar De Souza & Ryan Sohmer – so we suspect that someone there knows at least something about Canadians producing comics and graphic novels…

Bryan points out the books that he is upset are missing, and we definitely agree on some (like Seth‘s George Sprott), and not so much on others. We’re clearly disappointed that such well-reviewed works as Richard Stark’s Parker Book 1: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke was not there, or the beloved Bryan Lee O’Malley‘s Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5, Jeff Lemire‘s The Nobody, Sully‘s The Hipless Boy or even Red: A Haida Manga and a bunch of other books which were published in 2009. Then of course there’s the French-language double Governor-General Award winning Harvey. If you want to talk new reprint collections there’s also the gorgeous Prince Valiant Vol.1: 1937-38 hardcover by the late (Canadian Creator Hall of Fame Inductee) Hal Foster published by Fantagraphics.

December 2nd, 2009 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

Jonah Hex #50 Cover by Darwyn Cooke

If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

Blackest Night: Flash #1
DC US$2.99
Variant Cover by Francis Manapul.

Black Panther: The Deadliest Of The Species Trade Paperback
Marvel US$15.99
Artwork by Ken Lashley.

Captain Blood: Odyssey #2
SLG US$3.95
Written by Matthew Shepherd.

Cartoon Network Action Pack #44 Cover by Jay Stephens

Cartoon Network Action Pack #44
DC/Johnny US$2.50
Cover by Jay Stephens.

Dark Avengers Annual #1
Marvel US$4.99
Artwork, Colours and Cover by Chris Bachalo.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles #3
BOOM Studios US$2.99
Covers by Marcio Takara.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

The Incredibles #3 Cover A by Marcio Takara

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep #6
BOOM Studios US$3.99
Colours by Blond.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Electropolis Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$14.95
Written, Artwork and Cover by Dean Motter. Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Essential X-Factor Vol. 3 Trade Paperback
Marvel US$19.99
Cover by Todd McFarlane.

Fall of the Hulks Alpha Cover by David Finch

Fall Of The Hulks Alpha
Marvel US$3.99
Variant Cover by David Finch.
Preview at IGN

Glamourpuss #10
Aardvark-Vanaheim US$3.00
Written and Artwork by Dave Sim.

Dark Avengers Annual #1 Cover by Chris Bachalo

Haunt #1 (3rd Printing)
Image US$2.99
Inks and Cover by Todd McFarlane

Haunt #2 (2nd Printing)
Image US$2.99
Inks and Cover by Todd McFarlane

Haunt #3
Image US$2.99
Inks and Cover by Todd McFarlane
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Hulk: Winter Guard #1
Marvel US$3.99
Reprinted Artwork by Dale Keown.

Haunt #3 Cover by Todd McFarlane

John Byrne’s Next Men Premiere Edition Vol. 2 Hardcover
IDW US$50.00
Written, Artwork and Cover by John Byrne.

Jonah Hex #50
DC US$3.99
Artwork, Cover and Variant Cover by Darwyn Cooke.
Preview at Newsarama

King City #3
Image US$2.99
Cover by Marian Churchland.

The Marvels Project #4
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by Steve McNiven.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

The Marvels Project #4 Variant Cover by Steve McNiven

Mirror’s Edge Trade Paperback
DC/Wildstorm US$19.99
Colours by Jim Charalampidis.

MySpace Dark Horse Presents Vol. 4 Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$19.95
Written and Artwork by Kate Beaton. Artwork by Doug Wheatley. Colours by Dave McCaig.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

North 40 #6
DC/Wildstorm US$2.99
Artwork, Colours and Cover by Fiona Staples.

North 40 #6 Cover by Fiona Staples

Psylocke #2
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by David Finch.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

The Secret History Book 7
Archaia Studios Press US$5.95
Artwork by Igor Kordey.
Preview at Hypergeek

Siege: The Cabal #1 Cover by David Finch

Siege: The Cabal
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by David Finch.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Spawn Origins Collection Vol. 3 Trade Paperback
Image US$14.99
Written and Artwork by Todd McFarlane.

Jonah Hex #50 Variant Cover by Darwyn Cooke

Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 7: Storms Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$17.95
Colours by Brad Anderson.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Vol. 4: Slaves Of The Republic Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$9.95
Artwork by Scott Hepburn and Ramon Perez.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

Psylocke #2 Cover by David Finch

Street Fighter Legends Vol. 2: Chun-Li Trade Paperback
UDON Entertainment US$12.95
Written by Ken Siu-Chong. Artwork, Colours and Cover by Omar Dogan.

Street Fighter Vol. 1: Round One: FIGHT! Trade Paperback
UDON Entertainment US$12.95
Written by Ken Siu-Chong. Artwork by Alvin Lee.

The Incredibles #3 Cover B by Marcio Takara

Street Fighter Vol. 5: Kick It Into Turbo! Trade Paperback
UDON Entertainment US$13.99
Written by Ken Siu-Chong.

Superman: World of New Krypton #10
DC US$2.99
Cover Colours by Brad Anderson.

Sweet Tooth #4
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by Jeff Lemire.

United Free Worlds #6
Devil’s Due Publishing US$3.50
Colours by Blond. Cover by Steve Skroce.

Sweet Tooth #4 Cover by Jeff Lemire