Looking Back to 2010 from A-Z

A Year of Mish-Smash!

Worlds of Wonder
By KALEON RAHAN

TIME flies when you are having fun in the world of comic books. From hodge-podge Avengers to rainbow-coloured Lanterns, we enjoyed them all. It’s that time of the year again as we reflect on the year’s “What’s Hot” and “What’s Not” in alphabetical order. Happy New Year, people, and here’s to another exciting one ahead.

A – Avengers assemble!

With a star-studded cast assembled for a 2012’s movie debut, Marvel streamlined its Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ roll call. You get a wide range of offerings. Whatever your preference, be it just plain Avengers, New Avengers, Young Avengers, Secret Avengers, Pet Avengers or theAvengers Initiative, it’s certainly raining Avengers over at the Marvel Universe.

B – Blackest Night to Brightest Day

Still on building up to the movies, the same goes in the DC Universe as two-Green Lantern-esque limited series – Blackest Night and Brightest Day – dominated the headlines. The former uprooted a hushed prophecy, offering an emotional dimension to the Green Lantern mythos while the latter focused on the second chance granted to a dozen resurrected characters. Ryan Reynolds certainly has a lot of reading to do!

C – Captain America reborn (#1-6)

Steve Rogers’ return was never a doubt and he did it in time-travel fashion via this six-parter. While the script wasn’t exactly vintage Brubaker but it did help set the tempo for Siege, Secret Avengers andSuper Soldier.

D – Devil’s dare (Daredevil #508-512, Shadowland #1-5 and tie-ins)

After doing the unthinkable by joining the Hand as their new leader, Matt Murdock @ Daredevil fortified his presence over Hell’s Kitchen by killing Bullseye and building a monstrous fortress named Shadowland. Obviously to reinstate everything back to status quo, Murdock would have to do his usual “fall from grace” act, which he does and even gets a replacement “Man Without Fear” in the process.

E – Emo-Man of Steel (Superman #700 onwards)

It’s not only kryptonite that can bring the Man of Steel to his knees as an emotional encounter with a widow tugs into his conscience – prompting him to embark on a “walkathon” across the United States. However, the pace set by the Grounded story-arc seemed too tedious for even writer J. Michael Straczynski, who left midway by detouring to do other (DC) projects.

F- Fall of Asgard (Siege #3)

To think that the Rainbow Bridge’s destruction two decades ago (Thor #351) was the ultimate demolition act. But this year’s “Asgard plummets to Midgard scene” certainly tops ’em all. Courtesy of the Sentry (under the Osborn influence), expect a new Asgard before next year’s movie outing.

G – Grudge match (Batman Under The Red Hood Animated Movie)

While Jason Todd @ Robin 2’s returned to the land of the living nearly five years ago, nothing beats watching him torment Batman and the Joker in animated form. My pick for animated movie of the year!

H- Hickman (Fantastic Four #571-586)

Remember the name: Jonathan Hickman! It will soon be associated with the man who transformed the fantastic quartet into a threesome. With “a death in the family” plot scheduled in two months’ time, Hickman has delivered the most thought-provoking FF-stint since John Byrne migrated Attilan to the moon.

I – Iron Man

While I would have loved to allot this alphabet to Ip Man instead of the armoured Avenger, truth is, the creative team of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have performed brilliantly with Tony Stark’s character. From lobotomising his brain to establishing Stark Resilient, it’s too bad that the creative duo were not involved in the movie sequel.

J – Joe the Barbarian

Not related to a certain Cimmerian, meet Joe, a diabetic teenager, who can “teleport” into a fantasy world whenever he enters a state of hypoglycemia. It’s like Dave Lizewski-meets-Conan as Joe leads two different missions – topple King Death and fix his blood sugar. Grant Morrisson redeems himself after the damage he had done on Batman.

K – Kick Ass

Definitely the comic book movie of the year, even though it had Nic Cage in it! While comic fans already had first dips on the secret life of Dave Lizewski, not since 300 has there been a comic book movie so true-to-label (albeit the minor tweaks to the original plot). Of course ... Hit Girl! Nuff said!

L – Losers at the box office

Still on movies, DC-Vertigo’s Losers was worth watching (as long as you don’t benchmark it against The A-Team) but Jonah Hex should have an “L” branded on his forehead instead of a scarred face. When will they ever learn that Megan Fox’s presence alone doesn’t guarantee success?

M – Mark (Kick Ass, Nemesis, Superior and Old Man Logan) Millar

While Garth Ennis dominated the last two decades with his “no holds barred” storytelling approach, Millar has repackaged Ennis’ style in kick-a** fashion. He’s definitely the most sought-after writer for artists to strike it big! Need to tidy up on meeting the deadlines, though.

N – New duds (Batman Inc, Amazing Spider-Man #350 and Wonder Woman #600)

Probably an attempt to avoid rising cotton prices, the wardrobe changes by the “Big guns” (Batman, Spidey and Wonder Woman) drew contrasting reactions. Alteration to the Bat-suit was aligned to the movie, Wonder Woman’s new look drastically reduced the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction but Spidey’s “stealth suit” seemed more of an excuse for an action figure gimmick.

O – One million dollars! (Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27)

On Feb 22, Action Comics #1 became the most expensive comic when it fetched US$1mil at an auction. However, the record lasted a mere three days, as Detective Comics #27 (first appearance of Batman) garnered US$1.075mil. That too lasted a month as Action Comics #1 reclaimed pole position by fetching US$1.5mil! Time to start cleaning up the garage!

P – Punished to the MAX! (Punisher Max #1-9)

Just when you thought that Frank Castle has explored all possible punishment methods, Jason Aaron’s new Punisher title boldly ventures into territory where even Garth Ennis didn’t dare. From the explicit exposure of Kingpin’s past to Bullseye’s fetish for Castle, going through Aaron’s run was very punishing to the mind.

Q – Quixotic (Spidey’s One Moment In Time – #638-641)

It felt as if the Man of La Mancha orchestrated Pete and MJ’s separation as Marvel opted for a lame excuse but aptly named story “One Moment In Time @ OMIT” to explain the truth behind the Parkers’ splitsville. Mephisto must have inherited some poor quality souls from La Mancha.

R – Riverdale Revamp (Archie #602-616)

The cheeky solution towards the Archie-Betty-Veronica triangle dominated Riverdale’s headlines and to cap off a year of milestones, we have appearances by President Obama and Sarah Palin! What will they think of next?

S – Siege (#1-4)

Marvel’s main event title pleased on many fronts, namely “dethroning” Norman Osborn’s dark reign and reuniting Cap, Iron Man and Thor. Of course, these came with a price in the form of large casualties – a spectator-filled stadium, Asgard’s population, Ares and the Sentry. But Osborn’s downfall alone is worth it!

T – THE big show (Singapore Toys Games & Comics Convention)

This month’s Singapore Toys Games and Comics Convention (STGCC) has certainly set the benchmark for regional conventions, courtesy of its jaw-dropping list of top-notch creative talents such as David Lloyd, Salvador Larroca, Leinil Yu, Esad Ribic, Matt Fraction, Alex Maleev, etc.

U – Unwritten (The Unwritten)

DC-Vertigo’s response to Harry Potter offers a stranger than fiction take on Tom Taylor – the inspiration behind a successful children’s fantasy novel line. The blend of fantasy and comic book reality makes this series Vertigo’s flagship title – especially in the absence of Y The Last Man andEx Machina.

V – Value for money

All major publishers joined in the bandwagon by re-releasing their hits for a mere buck! Notable releases included Sin City, Green Lantern Rebirth #1, Batman #608, Liberty Meadows #1, Umbrella Academy #1 andWanted #1. Even better news came in the form of DC’s recent decision to lower the price of 80% of its titles – now, here’s an act I would love to see the House of Ideas top!

W – Wayne’s World! (Batman; Return of Bruce Wayne, Batman Inc)

After a two-year hiatus from present day continuity, Bruce Wayne makes his inevitable return and introduces a host of changes. The most drastic alteration is Wayne’s decision to globally franchise the Batman concept!

X –X-ci-THING! (Fantastic Four #584)

For once, I will deny the Children of the Atom this enigmatic alphabet asFantastic Four #584 gets my pick for “Best Single Issue of the Year.” The plot is so touching that the emotions alone are enough to slice through Ben Grimm @ The Thing’s rock-hide. Ben gets a chance to live a normal life for a week, with Johnny Storm offering him a guys’ week out. Deviating from the usual tasteless pranks, Johnny grows up ... and the Ben-Alicia Masters reunion is simply priceless! Jack Kirby would have loved this!

Y – Young & Dangerous (Morning Glories #1-5)

This Runaways-meets-Lost series brings a new dimension to “ragging” conducted at boarding schools as six unique teenagers fight for their lives in a prep school. Deviating from the usual sexy and cyber looks that Image Comics is accustomed to, this down-to-earth tale might just stand out as its long elusive flagship title.

Z –Zombies

While Marvel Zombies recorded its fifth series, the Walking Dead walked away with this year’s Eisner for “best continuing series” and a debut TV series that has received a much deserved second season

Under the Christmas Tree -- Gift Recommendations, Pt. 3

New York Times Top Ten List of Graphic Novels for 2010


By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES

It’s been another exciting year for graphic books. It began in January, when Yen Press announced it would print 350,000 copies of its adaptation of the novel “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Readers later witnessed the struggles of a Jewish rug maker in “Market Day,” by James Sturm. They were treated to Dash Shaw’s stylized “Bodyworld.” And they met the misanthrope known as “Wilson” in the latest from Daniel Clowes. The year closes with a mix of social issues, superheroes, slackers and Shakespeare.


The 33 pages of story in THE NIGHT BOOKMOBILE (Abrams ComicArts, $19.95) leave one longing for more. The story, written and illustrated by Audrey Niffenegger, the novelist behind “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” is about a woman who stumbles upon an old Winnebago filled with everything she has ever read. The volumes conjure long-forgotten memories — “Here was ‘A Distant Mirror,’ by Barbara Tuchman, which I remembered reading in a coffee shop while waiting for a blind date who never showed up” — that are sure to be echoed by readers when they ruminate on their own experiences with books. The author plans to explore the world of the bookmobile, and its enigmatic librarian, further in “The Library.”


KILL SHAKESPEARE (IDW, $19.99) Volume 1 brings together the playwright’s heroes, including Hamlet and Juliet, and pits them against a pack of adversaries led by Richard III and Lady Macbeth, all of whom want to find a wizard named William Shakespeare. The story, written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, with art by Andy Belanger, is gripping, violent and dark fun, even if you’re not fully versed in Shakespearean lore. If you are — as one of my colleagues, Steven McElroy, is — rejoice: “There is the allure of familiarity and the joy of being on the lookout for who might show up next — even Parolles (still a coward) makes an appearance,” he said.


Societal woes are deftly handled in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN (Little, Brown, $14.99) and HEART TRANSPLANT (Dark Horse, $24.99). “Unemployed Man,” written by Erich Origen and Gan Golan, and illustrated by a legion of artists, is a satirical look at politics, the economy and superheroes — though not necessarily in that order. One of the highlights is a parody of the origin of the Incredible Hulk: David Tanner is bombarded with Fox News rays and transforms into White Rage. “Heart Transplant,” written by the crime novelist Andrew Vachss with artwork by Frank Caruso, tells the story of Sean, a boy from a broken home who is bullied at school. His father figure teaches him to fight back. Their relationship is tender and richly conveyed in the words and images.


My experience with manga has largely failed to yield great fruit. However, that was not the case with Moto Hagio’s DRUNKEN DREAM AND OTHER STORIES (Fantagraphics Books, $24.99). This 10-story anthology shifts from young romance to supernatural mystery to kitchen-sink drama, so there will probably be a touchstone tale for everyone. “Iguana Girl” — about two sisters, one human and one reptilian — is oddly appealing and surprisingly bittersweet. And its message about acceptance is subtle, not saccharine. The stories are black and white, save for the science-fiction tale “A Drunken Dream,” which is rendered in muted watercolors.


Superman’s beginnings have been revisited many times, in comics, film and television, so aside from his downtown threads, SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE (DC Comics, $19.99), by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis, is not breaking a lot of new ground in showing a younger Clark Kent, unsure of his place in the world. But this adventure does put an aggressive spin on his origin (Krypton’s explosion was intentional, not accidental) that gives Superman new interstellar enemies and a fresh mission: to avenge his home world. What’s best is DC’s commitment to producing an original graphic novel rather than releasing this story in single issues. The Earth One line is introducing a number of DC’s heroes to a new generation, and next year Batman will receive its treatment from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN (Archaia, $24.95), by Jim McCann and Janet Lee, takes place in a world named Anorev, which is inhabited by robots and children and where the concept of time has been forgotten. Ayden, a boy, and Zoe, a robot, realize their destiny when 314 mysterious Dapper Men descend upon them. Some of the writing is lyrical and reads like a forgotten fairy tale: “Until, one day, there was no tock. With no tock, there could be no tick. And all that was left was No.” The artwork is often stunning, with a texture and depth that, according to a how-to section at the end of the book, reflects Ms. Lee’s use of decoupage, a combination of paper-doll-like cutouts and wood boards.


It is a testament to the writing ability of Scott Snyder that his story in AMERICAN VAMPIRE (Vertigo, $24.99), illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, is more compelling than one in the same volume written by the master of the macabre Stephen King. Thank goodness it’s not a competition. Mr. Snyder is chronicling the life of Pearl Jones in 1920s Los Angeles; she longs to be an actress but finds herself turned into a bloodsucker. The old rules are invalid, because of new vampires who are not put off by sunlight. Mr. King takes on the story of Skinner Sweet, the first of the new breed that causes the evolutionary shift, set in the days of the Wild West. Pearl is an engaging character, and the series, particularly with its ability to peek at different generations, seems like the next franchise possibility for the DC imprint Vertigo.


If you enjoyed the criminally underappreciated film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, you’ll love the source series. SCOTT PILGRIM’S FINEST HOUR (Oni Press, $11.99), the last of six installments by Bryan Lee O’Malley, finds the title hero mourning his lost love, Ramona, and acting as immature as ever. He tells his other love interest, Knives, who has recently turned 18: “Do you want to have sex? I think we should have sex. Casual sex.” Despite his many flaws, Scott remains a character you want to see succeed. The final volume is filled with the video-game imagery and breaking-the-fourth-wall asides that were evident in the previous tales. During his confrontation with Gideon, his ultimate barrier in reuniting with Ramona, Scott says: “I don’t even want to fight you! The secondary characters made me do it!” The complete series is available in SCOTT PILGRIM’S PRECIOUS LITTLE BOXSET for $72.


Darwyn Cooke revisits Parker, the antihero created by the novelist Richard Stark, in THE OUTFIT (IDW, $24.99). This book has everything the first had: tough guys, capers and a 1960s vibe that feels like an underworld version of “Mad Men.” Among the high points of this installment — Mr. Cooke plans to adapt four Parker novels in all — are the heists arranged against the criminal syndicate Parker despises. The six-page sequence about a heroin operation wonderfully, and incongruously, juxtaposes tense Mamet-like verbal sparring grit with an almost whimsical visual style. The coda promises “Parker will return in 2012.” Let the countdown begin.

Under the Christmas Tree -- Gift Recommendations, Pt. 2

A Review By The
New York Times

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

”Doonesbury” has a centerfold, and it’s not Boopsie.


If you pick up the latest collection of comic strips by Garry Trudeau, you will be impressed by its heft — at nearly 11 pounds, it is not the floppy little compilation that fits neatly atop the toilet tank. The new 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective (Andrews McMeel, $100) gives this venerable comic the luxe treatment. Not just a coffee-table book, it could come with legs and be a coffee table.


Even so, the work here comprises just 13 percent of the 14,000 strips Trudeau has made in the last 40 years. Let that roll around in your head for a while: it’s been 40 years — 10 years longer than a standard mortgage, and rarely subprime.


Trudeau’s creation, which started as a jokey commentary on campus life at Yale, has evolved into a sprawling masterwork with a cast of characters big enough to make Tolstoy wonder if he was trying hard enough.
Which brings us to that centerfold. Four pages wide, it displays a chart that purports to make sense of all the major relationships in the strip, linking characters via lines and symbols, with all the clarity of the Tokyo subway map.


It didn’t start out that way, of course. The early strips orbited around B. D. — a football-playing student based on the Yale celebrity quarterback Brian Dowling — and his roommate, Mike Doonesbury, a weenie at large. The story and its roster of players grew as the outside world leaked in: Vietnam; gullible, shallow newsmen; and, of course, Richard M. Nixon, whose panel-by-panel demolition helped earn Trudeau a Pulitzer Prize in 1975. (“Doonesbury” was, for kids like me, what “The Daily Show” is today for a lot of young viewers: a smart take on the news by somebody standing in as your hip older cousin.)


The characters didn’t age, but the strip did, and Trudeau took it offline in 1982 to regroup. When he revived it nearly two years later, his settings spread out to the rest of the country, and by the late 1980s, the comic had 40 recurring characters. As Trudeau writes, the second wave experienced more than a little “midlife sprawl.” But he juiced things up with the lives of a new generation, including Mike Doonesbury’s brilliant and neurotic daughter, Alex, and Jeff Redfern, who fecklessly winds up with the C.I.A. in Afghanistan and, failing upward, recreates himself as the mythical Red Rascal. (“FREEDOM is my mistress!”)


The comic remains amusing, and most of us would still check in now and then if that were all Trudeau offered. But in 2004, he served up a stunner: B. D., who had returned to active military service and headed to Iraq, was gravely wounded. In the April 21 strip, B. D. is stretched diagonally across the frame, his head to the upper right corner, where the eye usually goes first. What many readers initially noticed, with shock, was that B. D. had his helmet off for the first time in over 30 years. Mystery revealed! Good hair — he wasn’t hiding a bald dome!


That’s when we took in the rest of the frame and saw that B. D.’s left leg was gone at the knee.


For many fans, it was like finding out that a buddy from high school we’d fallen out of touch with had suffered a personal tragedy. The subsequent strips, informed by cooperation from military sources, constitute a moving recovery narrative. But even more important, they show the pain and confusion that arise from war.


Remarkably, this stuff is still funny. There are laughs through the tears, and Trudeau continues to find time to taunt George W. Bush and Barack Obama — and, as it happens, himself. He scatters longer profiles of the major characters throughout the book, in which we learn that J. J., Mike Doonesbury’s ex-wife and a deeply annoying, narcissistic artist, is, Trudeau confesses, something of a stand-in for him — or at least for someone dealing with the “improbable success” that he seems mildly amused at having survived. Unlike J. J., he writes, he “waited anxiously for the jig to be up” and made Paul Simon’s “Fakin’ It” a personal soundtrack.


After 40 pretty amazing years, it’s safe to say he can find a new song.

Omnibus & Absolute Editions

Omnibus & Absolute Editions

A word about omnibus and absolute editions…  These are collections of comic book runs ranging anywhere from 25-50 issues.  These issues are collected in a nice hardback cover.  Though they often are priced retail at $100 or more, you can get them from Amazon for anywhere from $40-65.  Even though they are not inexpensive, they are a delight to any collector.  There is nothing like being about to read a large run by your favorite author/artist. 

I have put together a list of these editions that I feel I can recommend.  All the recommendations are linked to Amazon.com.  As with my list on graphic novels, there is no order to this list.  Enjoy your persuing.

Cheers,

Steve

DC Comics

Absolute All Star Superman

The Green Lantern Omnibus Vol. 1

Absolute Justice

Geoff Johns' The Flash Omnibus, Vol. 1

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Vol. 1

The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 1

Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth

Absolute Dark Knight

Absolute DC: The New Frontier

Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween

Absolute Superman: For Tomorrow

Crisis on Infinite Earths (Absolute Edition)

Absolute V for Vendetta

Absolute Kingdom Come

Absolute Batman: Hush

The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1

Wednesday Comics

Watchmen (Absolute Edition)

The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus

Marvel Comics

The Death of Captain America Omnibus

Captain America Lives Omnibus

Thor by J. Michael Straczynski Omnibus

Wolverine Omnibus, Vol. 1

The Mighty Thor Omnibus, Vol. 1

Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1

The Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 2 

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1

The X-Men Omnibus, Vol. 1

Secret Wars Omnibus

The Incredible Hulk Omnibus

Astonishing X-Men Omnibus

Fantastic Four Omnibus, Vol. 1

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Omnibus, Vol. 2

Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Vol. 1

Captain America by Jack Kirby Omnibus

Tomb of Dracula Omnibus, Vol. 2

Tomb of Dracula - Volume 3

The Immortal Iron Fist Omnibus

Daredevil by Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark Omnibus, Vol. 2

Ghost Rider by Jason Aaron Omnibus

Graphic Novel Recommendations: A Guide to Getting Back Into Comics

I got a note from a friend of mine today and he was asking about how he could get back into comics after taking a long break since his teens.  I could immediate relate.  Back in 2004, I became interested in comics again.  I hadn't read a comic since 1976.  What had I missed in the meantime?  My first step was to go to my local comic store and strike up a friendship with the owner.  I told him about my dilemma and how I wasn't sure what to read.  He told me about graphic novels and trades (collections of single issues stories into a larger format).  He began to suggest key books and story lines that I might be interested in.  I took in suggestions and soon began to buy story lines that interested me.  For about six months to a year, I reacquainted myself with comics through the medium of graphic novels and trades - then I decided to take the plunge back into single issues.  

I know that my friend and I are not alone in our dilemma.  So I thought I might offer some recommendations of my own to help anyone who has been away from comics to find his or her way back.  These recommendations are not organized in any way but by publisher.  I have read many or most of the books that I recommend.  The rest I know from recommendations of others.  Some are relatively new, others are older.

So here is my list.  I hope you enjoy perusing these books.  All the recommendations are linked to Amazon.com for your shopping pleasure.

Cheers,

Steve Rhodes

DC Comics

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Batman: The Killing Joke

Superman: Earth One

V for Vendetta

Batman: Year One

Batman: Hush

Watchmen

Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Batman Reborn

Batman: The Long Halloween

Absolute All Star Superman

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned

Batwoman: Elegy

Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

Green Lantern: Rebirth

The Flash: Rebirth

Wednesday Comics

Kingdom Come

300

Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas

Infinite Crisis

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Identity Crisis

Ex Machina, Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days

Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country

Power Girl: A New Beginning

Jonah Hex Vol. 1: Face Full of Violence

Blackest Night

Green Lantern: Secret Origin

Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: To Be a Lantern

Superman: Brainiac

Gotham Central Book One: In the Line of Duty

DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 1

All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder, Vol. 1

Marvel Comics

Kick-Ass
Wolverine: Old Man Logan

Powers: The Definitive Hardcover Collection, Vol. 1

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Captain America Vol. 1: Winter Soldier

The Death of Captain America, Vol. 1

Captain America: Reborn

Civil War

Ultimate Spider-Man: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1

Thor, Vol. 1

Incognito

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Vol. 1: The World According to Peter Parker

Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, Vol. 1

Secret Invasion

Siege

Avengers Disassembled

New Avengers, Vol. 1

Mighty Avengers, Vol. 1

Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Vol. 1

Spider-Man: The Gauntlet, Vol. 5

Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection - Book 1

Daredevil: Hell to Pay, Vol. 1

The Ultimates Vol. 1: Super-Human

Secret Warriors, Vol. 1: Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing

Hulk, Vol. 1: Red Hulk

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1

Other Publishers

The Walking Dead: Compendium One
40: A Doonesbury Retrospective

Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Return of the Dapper Men

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

Chew Volume 1: Taster's Choice

Irredeemable: Volume 1

Incorruptible Vol. 1

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

Invincible: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1

Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (v. 1)

Hellboy: Masks and Monsters

I Kill Giants

Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152

Conan Volume 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter And Other Stories

B.P.R.D., Vol. 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories

Echo Volume 1: Moon Lake