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Top 45 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga:
September 2024
This really is an exceptional month, as my PG Tips peak at 43 titles in total. And heading them up has to be Charles Burns’ alluring psychodrama, premiered in three volumes in France and now finally translated in one tome.
Patrick McDonnell’s newspaper strip hits a peak in this affecting storyline, as his captive canine finally finds freedom and friendship.
The music and genius of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt burst off the page in this visual life-story
While Sarah Leavitt expresses her deep grief and even deeper love in this work of remembrance.
This strange-but-true saga recounts the kidnapping of South Korean movie talents, forced to make films for North Korea’s leader.
And from Japan, the idiosyncratic surrealism of Keiichi Koike runs riot. Lots more hand-picked highlights awaiting your delectation below!
The Acme Novelty Datebook 2002-2023
by Chris Ware
Drawn & Quarterly
$49.95
The publisher says:
After over fifteen years deferral, delay and dawdling, the ink-and-paper cheerleader F. C. Ware finally succumbs to imaginary public pressure by concluding his tiresome experiment in reader trust with the third and final volume of secret notebooks and sketches spanning over thirty-seven years of bus rides, airport delays and telephone hold music. Exquisitely crafted fine art doodles, hand-selected meanderings and artisanal rewritings of personal conflict are scattered throughout comic strips unconsciously revealing private hostilities and unflattering portraits of public transportation riders, the whole carefully cleansed of any impugnable or litigious tracery. As a professional adult-picture-book drawer and regular contributor to the New Yorker, Le Monde and the Illinois Cook County Assessor’s office, Mr. Ware’s work in these pages secures his reputation as an reliably unreliable self-narrator, willing to say or write anything to win petty disputes and imagined squabbles. 208 full-colour pages augmented by annotations, introduction and a professional apology, with paper boards and cloth spine of misleading demureness to conceal its native prurience.
All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey
by Teresa Wong
Arsenal Pulp Press
$21.95
The publisher says:
From the author of Dear Scarlet comes a graphic memoir about the obstacles one daughter faces as she attempts to connect with her immigrant parents. Beginning with her mother’s stroke in 2014, Teresa Wong takes us on a moving journey through time and place to locate the beginnings of the disconnection she feels from her parents. Through a series of stories—some epic, like her mother and father’s daring escapes from communes during China’s Cultural Revolution, and some banal, like her quitting Chinese school to watch Saturday morning cartoons—Wong carefully examines the cultural, historical, language, and personality barriers to intimacy in her family, seeking answers to the questions “Where did I come from?” and “Where are we going?” At the same time, she discovers how storytelling can bridge distances and help make sense of a life. A book for children of immigrants trying to honour their parents’ pasts while also making a different kind of future for themselves, All Our Ordinary Stories is poignant in its understated yet nuanced depictions of complicated family dynamics. Wong’s memoir is a heartfelt exploration of identity, inheritance, and the refugee experience, as well as a testament to the transformative power of stories both told and untold. 240pg B&W paperback.
Amazing Grapes
by Jules Feiffer
Michael Di Capua Books
$29.99 / $21.99
The publisher says:
Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer brings the fantastical to life with his signature style in this zany, whimsical adventure about a family on a quest to find their mother and save another dimension. Curly and Perlie, brother and sister, find themselves transported to the Lost Dimension. Soon they are joined by big sister Shirley and their very special Mommy. Marvellous adventures await the whole family in that weird dimension. Come along and see for yourself! Feiffer explains: “Writing for young readers connects me professionally to a part of myself that I didn’t know how to let out until I was sixty: that kid who lived a life of innocence, mixed with confusion and consternation, disappointment and dopey humor. And who drew comic strips and needed friends—and found them—in cartoons and children’s books that told him what the grown-ups in his life had left out. That’s what reading did for me when I was a kid. Now I try to return the favor.” 296pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
Anfield Road: A Story of Coming Of Age in 1980s Liverpool
by Chris Shepherd
Titan Comics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Writer, artist, and filmmaker, Chris Shepherd’s debut graphic novel depicts a beautiful coming of age story centred around growing up in the working-class dynamics of Merseyside in the late eighties. For fans of emotional stories about family and ambition and set in the rich history of Liverpool. As Conor Sterling is about to turn 18, he wrestles with the tough choice to go to art college or look after his sick, dominating grandmother? While life seems to move faster, he falls for a West-Indian girl who his grandmother disapproves of. Conor is torn between doing the right thing for him or submitting to the will of his crazy grandmother. What follows is a funny and poignant coming of age story set in Liverpool in 1989. The land of The La’s, the Hillsborough disaster and Findus Crispy Pancakes. Chris Shepherd is an artist, writer, filmmaker and British comedy legend. He’s done everything - from the 43rd World Stare-out Championships with Paul Hatcher for BBC’s Big Train comedy sketch show, to working on music videos for Reverend and the Makers, Holly Johnson, Lambshop (as HeCTA), and The Wave Pictures. He also worked to create animations for BC Camplight, Sara Pascoe, Nathan Barley et al. 272pgs colour hardcover.
Backflash: A Graphic Novel
by Mat Johnson, Steve Lieber & Lee Loughbridge
Dark Horse / Berger Books
$22.99
The publisher says:
Overwhelmed with grief over the death of his mother, shamed by his failures in marriage and fatherhood, and burdened by massive debt, Devin’s life is spiralling out of control. That is, until he discovers the impossible: nostalgia is his superpower. With a random touch of family memorabilia, he can mentally travel back in time, reliving the best moments of his past while finding relief from the present. With his mother gone, Devin can now investigate her greatest secret: the identity of the father he never knew. But the more Devin “backflashes” into time, the faster his present life falls apart. On this hunt for a truth that was never supposed to come to light, Devin must come to terms with his past if he wants any chance at a future. By Mat Johnson, the author of Pym, Loving Day, and Incognegro, Blackflash is a riveting literary graphic novel thriller laced with sly humour and raw emotion that explores time travel in wild and un-predictable ways. 104pgs colour paperback.
Bald
by Tereza Cechova & Stepanka Jislova
Graphic Mundi / PSU Press
$19.95
The publisher says:
Tereza never thought she would go bald before her boyfriend did. She couldn’t imagine being unable to sweep her hair up in a ponytail or to style it in other ways. But when she lost all her hair in just a couple of months due to alopecia, her perspective on relationships and work―and above all, herself― radically changed. Navigating the particular trauma of female hair loss, Tereza comes to terms with her new reality with humour and self-reflection in this prize-winning graphic memoir featuring eye-catching art by Štěpánka Jislová. Tereza Čechová stopped wearing a wig a long time ago, but she hasn’t stopped talking about alopecia. She studied journalism and media sciences at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague. Together with Štěpánka Jislová, she founded Laydeez do Comics Praha, which promotes the work of female comic book authors. Štěpánka Jislová graduated from the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Pilsen. She is the author or coauthor of seven comic books, including SUPRO and Heartcore, and her short comic stories have been published in several anthologies. 128pgs two-colour paperback.
Before 13th
by Michael Ralph, Jason Piperberg & Laura Molnar
Amistad
$22.99
The publisher says:
A gorgeous full-colour graphic historical novel, sure to become an instant classic, that explores the friendship and feud between Ida B. Wells and Frederick Douglass, offering new insights into slavery and incarceration in the United States. Told from the perspectives of statesman and orator Frederick Douglass, and journalist and activist Ida B. Wells, Before 13th is a story that illuminates the contradictions of freedom. Friends and rivals, Douglass and Wells clashed over how to grapple with the racism and exoticism that defined portrayals of African Americans at the 1896 Chicago World’s Fair, where Douglass was invited to speak after they had initially agreed to boycott the event. It uses the story of this real-life conflict as a lens through which we see the history of slavery and incarceration as never before. Historical anthropologist Michael Ralph joins forces with artist Jason Piperberg and acclaimed illustrator Laura Molnar to reimagine these two influential Black Americans and the controversies surrounding the Thirteenth Amendment—which some contend did not abolish slavery, claiming instead it was used to keep African Americans in a condition approximating bondage in the years immediately following Emancipation. Before 13th boldly takes on this issue, offering a provocative re-thinking that goes back years earlier than the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, to a practice known as convict leasing, an experiment in capitalist innovation and progressive legal reform, whose profound effects continue to be felt today. 176pgs colour hardcover.
Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language
by /Joonas Sildre, translated by Adam Cullen
$26.00
The publisher says:
Between Two Sounds follows the life of world-famous composer Arvo Pärt from his birth in Estonia in 1935 through 1980, when the Soviets forced him to emigrate because of the nonconformist and religious nature of his music. Based on years of research and close collaboration with Arvo Pärt himself, Joonas Sildre paints an atmospheric portrait of a restless artist who does not shy away from confronting state control or his own internal contradictions. Arvo Pärt stormed Soviet-occupied Estonia’s music scene in the 1960s as a brash young man pushing the limits of avant-garde modernism. Then he fell silent, no longer able to express what he felt through the musical language he had inherited. When he reemerged a decade later, he had found, in that silence between sounds, a new musical language inspired by ancient sacred music, the basis of his distinctive tintinnabuli technique. This graphic novel will appeal not just to fans of Arvo Pärt’s music but to anyone who has known the struggle to remain true to oneself whatever the cost. Joonas Sildre is an Estonian comic artist, illustrator, and graphic designer who specialises in biographical books. 224pgs two-colour hardcover.
Born in the USA: The Story of Immigration and Belonging
by Lawrence Goldstone & James Otis Smith
First Second
$29.99
The publisher says:
Who belongs in America? The latest instalment of the World Citizen Comics Line, Born in the USA tracks the history of immigration to the United States, highlighting the twists and turns in the nearly three-hundred year old national debate to decide who gets to call themselves a US citizen. The words carved into the Statue of Liberty make a simple promise―America will provide a home for anyone in search of a better life. However, the true story of immigration to America is full of complication and caveats. Born in the USA reveals how economic interests and political winds have sculpted Americans’ thoughts about who belongs in the USA. From black enslavement to Chinese exclusion and the modern-day debate over birthright citizenship, Lawrence Goldstone and James Otis Smith reveal the dissonance between the American Dream and the American Reality. 240pgs colour hardcover.
Capital & Ideology: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
by Thomas Piketty, Claire Alet & Benjamin Adam
Abrams Comics Arts
$22.99
The publisher says:
Thomas Piketty’s powerful and bestselling Capital and Ideology is now available in this accessible and richly illustrated full-colour graphic novel format. Praised by Piketty himself as a “magnificent adaptation” of his original book, this graphic novel adaptation is perfect for anyone looking to understand the wealth gap and why society is the way it is today. Claire Alet and Benjamin Adam make the original work’s ideas more accessible through the addition of a family saga. Jules, the main character, is born at the end of the 19th century. He is a person of private means, a privileged figure representative of a profoundly unequal society obsessed with property. He, his family circle, and his descendants will experience the evolution of wealth and society. Eight generations of his family serve as a connecting thread running through the book, all the way up to Léa, a young woman today, who discovers the family secret at the root of their inheritance. The book concludes with six compelling proposals for participatory socialism in the 21st century. Friendly and approachable illustrations by cartoonist and children’s book author Benjamin Adam are easy to understand without diluting the subject matter. The material is adapted expertly by Claire Alet, a former journalist at Alternatives Economiques. 176pgs colour paperback.
Crusher Loves Bleeder, Bleeder Loves Crusher
by Thomas Herpich & Patrick Keck
Fantgraphics
$29.99
The publisher says:
A boy loves a bug and a bug loves a boy, but can a bug love a boy for more than his blood? The old-timers in Texas’s Erzsébet county say that nature don’t ask permission, it feeds when it needs. But the bloodsucking bug in this here yarn got to thinking that nature ought not be absolute. Would you believe that this guy would rather dry up ’n’ die than ruin another picnic by taking his thirsty fangs to the softest baby with the deepest veins? And would you believe, just when he’s ready to die of thirst and turn to dust, a sickly human boy named Thum―a kind-hearted crusher done crushin’―finds our starving bug―a big-hearted bleeder done bleedin’―and hatches a plan to invite this feederfly back to where he slumbers? ‘Cause what difference does it make to a deep sleeper if you punch a hole real gentle and slurp-slurp real quiet? When the fully sated feeder’s kin catch wind of his safe space for suckling, he realises that there are matters more complicated than how and when to die. Does Thum’s frail frame house enough blood for the swarm or does devotion to the hive leave Thum a husk? How do you choose between those who are kind to you and those who are just your kind when one lives for the other’s suffering? Better pick quick, little bleeder, or you bet yer butt you’ll regret it. 120pgs B&W with some colour hardcover.
Dear Dad: Growing Up with a Parent in Prison—and How We Stayed Connected
by Jay Jay Patton, Antoine Patton, Kiara Valdez & Markia Jenai
Graphix
$24.99 / $14.99
The publisher says:
A stunning graphic novel memoir about growing up with an incarcerated parent. ” ...Your dad is coming back home.” As far back as nine-year-old Jay Jay Patton can remember, her dad, Antoine has been in prison. Growing up in Buffalo, New York with her mom and younger brother, she’s only been to visit him twice. Instead, the two have sent each other numerous letters. Jay Jay’s letters can take weeks or months to reach her dad, and some never even get delivered. What’s it going to be like having Dad home? This powerful coming-of-age graphic novel memoir tells Jay Jay Patton’s life of growing up with a dad in—and out of—prison. How she and her dad were able to develop a powerful father/daughter bond and create Photo Patch—a life-changing application that connects children to incarcerated parents. Because no child should have to grow up unable to engage with their parents. As Jay Jay says: “It’s not a privilege for a kid to be able to talk to their parent. It’s a right.” 128pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
Dog Days
by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
Drawn & Quarterly
$24.95
The publisher says:
The author of Grass and The Naked Tree returns with a profound tale of family. Yuna never wanted to adopt a dog. But with her partner in mourning—and in desperate need of a boost in morale—she gives in to his humble request. And in the grand tradition of reluctant pet owners, she and their puppy soon become inseparable. The young couple even goes so far as to relocate to soothe their new canine pal’s anxiety. After all, there’s nothing like a move to the country to set yourself right. Right? The idyll of a quiet life soon gives way to a surprising degree of antagonism, including clashes with long-time local residents of a different generation. The culture shock is palpable for all three urban transplants as the isolation of their new environs starts to sink in. They eventually adopt another dog, and still another—all while reckoning with the ups and downs of middle-age and childlessness in an unforgivingly traditional milieu. Dog Days is critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s first foray into contemporary fiction. With the aid of veteran translator Janet Hong, Gendry-Kim’s twenty-first century tale of an unconventional family building trust with one another and their neighbours is a heartfelt exploration of compassion and the unlikely places we find the love we all need. 212pgs B&W paperback.
Downlands
by Norm Konyu
Titan Comics
$29.99
The publisher says:
After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year-old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history, folklore, and ghosts, until he uncovers a deeper secret beyond his darkest nightmares, beyond the sight of most, and beyond the mortal veil. Set in the South Downs of England, a place that has been home to Celts, Romans, and Vikings, James’s story is interwoven with tales from his village that also blur the line between the living and the dead. A wonderfully evocative ghost story in the great tradition of M. R. James and Daphne Du Maurier with a contemporary edge. Perfect for Halloween and illustrated in Norm’s own gorgeous style. 292pgs colour hardcover.
Drafted
by Rick Parker
Abrams ComicArts
$24.99
The publisher says:
Drafted is a graphic novel memoir by Rick Parker, a shy, inexperienced, and overly protected teenager who gets drafted into the United States Army at the height of the Vietnam War. The looming threat of deployment informs every aspect of his life, from the most ludicrous experiences to the grimmest tests of endurance. Initially determined to do his patriotic duty, Parker gradually comes to the realisation that he is just not cut out for a military career and wants nothing more than to serve his time and return to civilian life to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. In telling this story, he shows how Vietnam was the last war in the United States that instituted the draft; how the draft affected those who served; and how we as Americans think of war and our soldiers once they return from service. Parker also shows how being an artist helped him to survive his time in the army. Drafted is a compelling and unique graphic novel memoir, perfect for fans of Joe Sacco and Derf Backderf, and is sure to appeal to Parker’s dedicated followers and new fans alike—already proven by the response to the award-winning short film Rick Parker, I’m Afraid. 256pgs colour hardcover.
Elise and The New Partisans
by Dominique Grange & Tardi, translated by Jenna Allen
Fantagraphics
$29.99
The publisher says:
Fêted French cartoonist Tardi masterfully dramatises the activist and singer Dominique Grange’s gripping first-person account of the powerful student protest movements that rocked France from the ’60s to the ’70s. In May 1968, France exploded. Leftist student groups occupied the streets of Paris, riot police clashed with protesters, and a general strike spread across France like wildfire, threatening to grind government and industry to a halt. And at the heart of it all―Elise. Ten years earlier, Elise came to Paris to try her luck in show business. While she met with success as a pop singer, she soon found herself radicalised by the Algerian War and the poor treatment of Algerian immigrants in Paris. For the next 20 years, she would join the fight against labour exploitation, social injustice, and racism in France―risking it all for progressive causes. The firsthand account of activist and singer Dominique Grange, Elise and the New Partisans is an authentic and exhilarating glimpse into the front lines of the spirited social movements of late-20th century France. Drawn with typical mastery by legendary French cartoonist Tardi, this graphic novel resonates powerfully at a time when the fight against injustice still rages. 176pgs B&W hardcover.
Feast of Grease
by Chris Cajero Cilla
Floating World Comics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Feast of Grease is the latest collection of psychedelic comix artwork by cult cartoonist Chris Cajero Cilla. Including work from Kramers Ergot, Studygroup Comics, and Vision Quest, gathered together in these pages for an all-you-can-eat album of mind melting comics. Journey from outer space to the dumpster behind a liquor store! Spend time with funny animals, freaky humans, ghosts, dirty cops, and other creatures in a world full of chicken fat & junkyard poetry, cartoon daydreams and nightmares. 112pgs colour paperback.
Final Cut
by Charles Burns
Pantheon / Jonathan Cape
$34.00 / £30.00
The publisher says:
The beloved and award-winning author of Black Hole‘s haunting and visually arresting story of an artist’s obsessions, and the value and cost of pushing the boundaries of creativity. As a child, Brian and his friend Jimmy would make sci-fi films in their yards, convincing their friends to star as victims of grisly murders, smearing lipstick on the “bodies” to simulate blood. Now a talented artist and aspiring filmmaker, Brian, along with Jimmy, Jimmy’s friend Tina, and Laurie—his reluctant muse—sets off to a remote cabin in the woods with an old 8 millimetre camera to make a true sci-fi horror movie, an homage to Brian’s favourite movie: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But as Brian’s affections for Laurie go seemingly unreciprocated, Brian writes and draws himself into a fantasy where she is the girl of his dreams, his damsel in distress, and his saviour wrapped into one. Rife with references to classic sci-fi and horror movies and filled with panels of stunning depictions of nature, film and the surreal, Burns blurs the line between Brian’s dreams and reality, imagination and perception. A master of the form at his finest, Final Cut is an astonishing look at what it means to truly express oneself through art. 224pgs colour hardcover.
Fishing Memories
by Miguel Peres & Majory Yokomizo
Blue Fox Comics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Lethe is trapped on a deserted island, with no recollection of how he got there. The only hope he has to save himself is to fish for memories that float in the sea and try to recover his identity in order to escape, in a sensitive story of memory and family, Miguel Peres, one of the most promising writers of the new Portuguese comic book scene, joins emerging Brazilian artist Majory Yokomizo to tell a story that is also a reminder, now more than ever, that we should enjoy the good moments of life, because tomorrow can bring an unpredictable world of chaos. 68pgs colour paperback.
Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography!
by Fumiyo Kouno
Udon Entertainment
$12.99
The publisher says:
Manga symbols—“manpu” in Japanese - are iconic or symbolic expressions used uniquely in manga, such as sweat drops, popping veins, and smoke puffs. Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography! is (probably) Japan’s first guide to this manga iconography, collecting and explaining these symbols, with a short manga featuring the frolicking animals of the famous Japanese scroll Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga to explain each one. 132pgs B&W paperback.
Scott McCloud says:
“Giga Town is the Rosetta Stone of Manga Iconography, a delightful gift to comics scholars everywhere!”
Harvey Kurtzman’s Marley’s Ghost
by Harvey Kurtzman, Charles Dickens, Josh O’Neill, Shannon Wheeler & Gideon Kendall
Ablaze
$19.99
The publisher says:
Marley’s Ghost is the posthumous completion of legendary creator Harvey Kurtzman’s adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol. Kurztman’s ambitious concept for Marley’s Ghost began in the 1950s―as an early “graphic novel”―but was never realised. Now, over 70 years later, writers Josh O’Neill and Shannon Wheeler expand upon Kurtzman’s extensive adaptation notes, while illustrator Gideon Kendall’s outstanding artwork utilises Kurtzman’s breakdowns and stylistic choices to make this long-lost vision a reality. As a bonus, the book also includes a behind-the-scenes back-matter section and the original Charles Dickens prose story. Eisner Award-winner for Best Digital Comic of 2018! 136pgs colour paperback.
Heavenly Days
by Em Frank
Floating World Comics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Annie and Elise meet at a coffee shop in a part of town they are watching change for the worst. Despite the fact that Annie is leaving for Vietnam in a week, they decide to honour their instant connection for what it is: a little unhinged, possibly doomed but full of a weirdly familiar and addictive beauty they can’t quite put their fingers on. A mix between Ghost World, Normal People and Linklater’s The Before Trilogy, Heavenly Days is a deeply emotional trans love story about how some love can feel so life-affirming yet seemingly so hard to live through. Funny, and heartbreaking, Heavenly Days is a book that demands to not be read so much as felt. Em (Emma Jon-Michael Frank) is the author of I Never Found You, Dark Garbage, Is This The Right Color and two collaborative books, Things To Do... with Tara Booth, and The Archway with Patrick Kyle. They live in the US. 208pgs B&W paperback.
I.L
by Osamu Tezuka
Titan Manga
$16.99
The publisher says:
Embark on a mesmerising journey with I.L as Osamu Tezuka, the world-renowned ‘God of Manga’, navigates the divide between his early manga experiments and later, more intricate narratives, while delving into the eternal struggle between fantasy and science. Readers are thrown into the life of Imari Daisaku, a filmmaker whose fanciful creations have fallen of favor in a society dominated by scientific triumphs. However, his life changes forever when he encounters a peculiar group led by Count Alucard, and he receives an extraordinary gift: I.L, a mysterious mannequin with the power of shapeshifting. Together, Daisaku and I.L utilise the transformative abilities to help those in need, and they are propelled into an array of thrilling and haphazard adventures. Each chapter unveils a new client seeking I.L’s unique services, as the protagonists find themselves in an array of scenarios ranging from domestic strife to political unrest. Not only does the reader accompany the duo on these action-packed missions, but they are given an insight into Daisaku’s internal conflict, caused by walking the tightrope between reality and fantasy. This edition is a treasure for fans of Tezuka’s works, including the widely successful Astro Boy, Dororo and Princess Knight, as well as the seminal and titles. I.L is now being published in English for the first time, meaning fans can journey through Tezuka’s innovative and contemporary themes within a classic by the pioneer of Manga. 352pgs B&W paperback.
The Incredible Story of Cooking: From Prehistory to Today, 500,000 Years of Adventure
by Stéphane Douay & Benoist Simmat
NBM
$34.99
The publisher says:
For the first time, a graphic novel tells the story of humanity through the evolution of cuisine. From the discovery of fire to organic cooking, this book is aimed at all curious people and foodies. By the authors of Wine, A Graphic History. As soon as humans mastered fire, they invented cooking. Did you know that Sapiens invented steam cooking and freezing? That the Mesopotamians created soups, bread, beer, ovens? That gastronomy and tableware have been symbols of political power? These great discoveries changed the world, but also the way we eat. From America, the conquistadors brought spices, peppers, potatoes… Portuguese missionaries brought the frying technique to distant samurai who made the first tempuras. These are the beginnings of globalisation. In the 19th century with the industrial revolution, “ capitalist” cuisine emerged: it was the beginning of the food industry. In the 21st century, the organic and buy local movements are shown as a reaction against the harmful effects of this culinary and gastronomic standardisation. To finish in style, find twenty-two recipes for dishes mentioned throughout our story that you can make at home! 240pgs colour hardcover. 240pgs colour hardcover.
In The Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones
by Andrea Chalupa & Ivan Rodrigues
Oni Pres
$24.99
The publisher says:
Can the unrelenting power of truth expose one of Stalin’s greatest crimes to a world that refuses to bear witness? From journalist and screenwriter Andrea Chalupa (host of the hit podcast Gaslist Nation and writer of Orwell and the Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm) and artist Ivan Rodrigues, this powerful new historical graphic novel reexamines the bravery and tragedy that first thrust Ukraine in the international spotlight in the years before World War II. In the early 1930s, Gareth Jones is a young journalist with powerful connections after a groundbreaking interview with Adolf Hitler and his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. This notoriety gains him permission to travel to the Soviet Union for a potential interview with Joseph Stalin. Jones hopes to learn more about the Soviets mass economic gains but finds himself stonewalled and trapped in Moscow. While looking for a way out, he meets new allies that alert him to the growing man-made famine, or Holodomor, happening in Ukraine under the government’s guidance. Jones, seeking the truth in all its ugliness, embarks on a journey of discovery, strife, and a cover-up of the deaths of millions of people. 144pgs colour hardcover.
Kiss The Sky: Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970
by J.V. Dupont & Mezzo
Black Panel Press
$19.99
The publisher says:
Before he became the legendary guitarist, Hendrix navigated a childhood reminiscent of Dickens, evolving into an obscure musician and facing a journey paved with hardships. In this intimate portrait by Mezzo and JM Dupont, authors of the acclaimed Love in Vain, explore the dark and desperate quest for recognition that defined the early chapters of Hendrix’s life. This narrative, a perfect blend of lyricism and realism, delves not only into the tormented soul of the future rock star but also unveils his lesser-known musical odyssey. Join Hendrix on his path as he encounters legendary artists during his formative years – Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner, BB King, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Intriguing and captivating, this book promises a deeper understanding of the iconic figure. Uncover the story behind Hendrix’s rise from obscurity to immortality. 96pgs B&W hardcover.
Lost Letters
by Jim Bishop
Magnetic Press
$29.99 / $24.99
The publisher says:
On an idyllic island where humans and fish coexist on land, young Iode (short for Iodine) waits patiently for a letter he has been expecting, one that seems to be perpetually delayed. Suspecting it might have gotten lost, he takes a trip into town to inquire at the post office. Along the way, he meets a spirited hitchhiker who has been entrusted to deliver a mysterious package by the enigmatic underworld syndicate, “The Octopus.” Their two missions intertwine leading not only to unexpected adventure but deep personal realisations for both of them… The world is not what it seems, and the simple surreality of their little town may not be everything it seems to be. 200pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
Madame Choi and The Monsters: A True Story
by Sheree Domingo & Patrick Spät
SelfMadeHero
$22.99
The publisher says:
The true story of how a famous movie star and her ex-husband director were kidnapped by Kim Jong-il and forced to revitalise North Korea’s film industry. The incredible-yet-true story of celebrated South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee, abducted in 1978 by North Korean secret agents on the orders of their film-crazed future leader Kim Jong-il. Six months later, filmmaker Shin Sang-ok, Choi Eun-hee’s ex-husband, is abducted in turn. Choi and Shin remain unaware of each other’s fates until they meet again at a dinner hosted by Kim Jong-il in 1983. Kim forces Choi and Shin to make films, including the infamous kaiju cult classic Pulgasari (1985), all while convincing the world that they serve North Korea willingly. Choi and Shin’s love rekindles slowly in this reunited captivity. Only at the 1986 Venice Film Festival do they escape, fleeing in a daring car chase to the American embassy. 176pgs colour paperback.
Meschugge: The Madman’s Maze
by Christian Højgaard & Benni Bødker
Fairsquare Comics
$24.99
The publisher says:
Copenhaghen, Denmark, 1905. The small Jewish ghetto is living in fear as a series of murders is shaking the population to their core. A young Jewish secretary is recruited by the Police to help them with their investigation from inside what they perceive as a very closed world. She quickly discovers that the murderer is using old superstitions as his template, leaving Kabbalistic symbols on his victims. Can she take down the monster? Will she become the next victim? The realistic art created by Christian Højgaard, gives a stunning look at Copenhagen with its steep streets and a population living in poverty. The artist does not spare on depicting bloodshed: autopsied corpses, mutilated bodies, scenes in a butcher shop… Social violence meets physical violence. By focusing on the Jewish community, the plot draws a parallel between the violence suffered by the Jewish community then and the rise of anti-Semitism, with its terrible consequences in the 20th and 21st century. Meshugge (“crazy” in Yiddish) lifts the curtain on Scandinavian Jewish Horror like never before. It draws inspiration from both Jack the Ripper and rituals associated with Jewish culture, which are cruelly twisted by the murderer. Following the tradition of “Scandinavian noir,” Meschugge offers a deep dive into horror, making it an appealing read for fans of the genre. 148pgs colour paperback.
Monday: A Comic Apocrypha
by Andy Hartzell
Uncivilized
$34.99
The publisher says:
God created the world in seven days. It’s the eighth day, the beginning of creation’s second work week. Something new is coalescing in the garden, and its former manager, the Snake, is concerned. Will this next-gen creature bring the order crashing down? It’s up to Eden’s first couple to stage an intervention with their Maker before His latest handiwork renders them obsolete. But messing with the creative process is a dangerous business. Monday is a metaphysical slapstick suspense comic, a fable for our unstable age. 166pgs colour hardcover.
Mutts: Breaking The Chain - The Guard Dog Story
by Patrick McDonnell
Abrams ComicArts
$22.99
The publisher says:
From the award-winning syndicated comic strip Mutts, the long-awaited “Guard Dog” story is now collected and presented in full colour along with supplementary material, timed for the 30th anniversary. Guard Dog made his debut in Mutts in 1995 and quickly became one of the strip’s most beloved characters. As a chained dog longing for freedom, he’s played an important role in raising awareness about the cruelty of tethering and has inspired countless Mutts readers to become involved in animal welfare. In October 2023, nearly three decades after his debut, Guard Dog’s freedom story began to unfold in newspapers and online. After being abandoned by his owner, left alone and suffering, Guard Dog was discovered by his animal friends Mooch and Earl, and ultimately rescued by Doozy, a kindly neighbourhood girl, and Ozzie, Earl’s guardian. After years of visiting Guard Dog to provide him with comfort and support, Doozy adopted him—marking the end of a long life of neglect and the beginning of one filled with love and safety. The story line concludes with Guard Dog not only getting a new home but also a new name—Sparky—a nod to Patrick McDonnell’s greatest artistic inspiration, Charles M. Schulz, creator of Peanuts. As Guard Dog found his happy ending, McDonnell received requests from readers all over the world, many of whom had been invested in Guard Dog’s plight for decades, hoping that the long-anticipated story would be made into a book. This collected volume answers the demands of those passionate readers. Brought to life with Patrick McDonnell’s warm and intimate art, and featuring the complete story, now in colour for the first time, Breaking the Chain is an emotionally resonant vignette whose grounding in the real-life animal neglect issues that affect millions of chained dogs worldwide will move both long-time Mutts fans and first-time readers. 192pgs colour hardcover.
Myths of Making
by Julien-G
Beehive Books
$34.95
The publisher says:
From pre-history to postmodernism, the legends that surround beloved artists have always been a weave of fable and fact. Myths of Making explores how true art histories become vivid tall tales, and how the mythologies that surround artists last longer than the realities. In twenty-five short stories about renowned creators like Georgia O’Keeffe, Francis Bacon, Wu Daozi, August Rodin and Jean Michele Basquiat, debut author Julien Guibreteau walks us through a whole global history of art—and the stories we tell about its creators. 372pgs colour hardcover.
My Time Machine
by Carol Lay
Fantagraphics
$24.99
The publisher says:
My Time Machine takes off when Carol Lay’s silver-haired protagonist (who happens to resemble the author) embarks on a foolhardy odyssey that transports her from the politically addled and environmentally anxious America of 2020 to a bleak and distant future. “When I came to, I had that ‘Where am I?’ feeling. Only it was more like, ‘When am I?’” Trapped in a glitchy time machine at the end of the world, a strange creature banging unnervingly at the door, what else is an exhausted amateur time traveler to do but sit back and play her concertina? Having inherited the blueprints designed by the Time Traveler of H.G. Wells’ historical account, our curious and all-too-human adventurer enlists her genius ex-husband to construct a modern version of the time machine. Torn between wanting to fix the past and needing to know what lies ahead, she decides to see how our follies will play out in order to bring back information that might help save civilisation from itself. She anticipates trouble, but it’s far worse―not only has humanity failed to mitigate climate change, but by 2035 the world has succumbed to fascism. Then, by 2045, it has devolved to anarchy. Intrigued by the possibilities detailed in Wells’ book, she decides to visit the year 802,701 to verify the original Traveler’s tale. In that inexplicably lush land she encounters enemies that propel her to the earth’s last, hellish days. Carol Lay’s My Time Machine is serious and funny, a sly cautionary political satire, and a rollicking time travel story full of puzzling paradoxes, edge-of-your-seat suspense, breezy badinage, and a deeply felt wonder at the universe. 168pgs colour hardcover.
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy & Manu Larcenet
Abrams Comics Arts
$26.99
The publisher says:
The first-ever graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize–winning postapocalyptic classic The Road, approved and authorized by McCarthy and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist Manu Larcenet. The story of a nameless father and son trying to survive with their humanity intact in a postapocalyptic wasteland where Earth’s natural resources have been diminished, and some survivors are left to raise others for meat, The Road is one of Cormac McCarthy’s bleakest and most prescient novels. Dedicated to his son, John Francis McCarthy, McCarthy’s The Road is one of his most personal novels. Ranked 17th on The Guardian’s 100 Best Novels of the 21st century, it was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for literature, and the James Tait Black Memorial Award, the Believer Award, and was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. This first official graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s work is illustrated by acclaimed French cartoonist Manu Larcenet, who ably transforms the world depicted by McCarthy’s spare and brutal prose into stark ink drawings that add an additional layer to this haunting tale of family love and human perseverance. Cormac McCarthy personally approved the making of this book before his death, and the adaptation bears the approval of the McCarthy estate. 160pgs colour hardcover.
The Scrapbook of Life and Death
by J. Webster Sharp
Avery Hill
£14.99 / $19.99
The publisher says:
‘Dentist Robs Women of Teeth’ ― ‘Death Chair for Nice Old Man’ ― ‘Mother Feeds Son Like Bird’. The British newspaper clipping collection of egalitarian George Ives, collected between 1892 and 1949, ranged from murder and theories of crime to cricket scores. He was fascinated by the unusual, the gothic, the sexual, and the melodramatic. In this graphic novel, acclaimed cartoonist J. Webster Sharp shares some of the most bizarre stories from his archives in silent comics form. With often shocking, visceral black and white artwork, the strangeness and eccentricity of the Edwardian era provides a backdrop for Sharp’s own struggles with mental health. The Scrapbook of Life and Death is a fascinating, personal window into forgotten historical views of eccentric and socially transcendent and disturbing behaviours―and their resonance in life today. J Webster Sharp began her professional art career as a portrait painter, and she also explored textile sculpture, collage and drawing. Having always been a lover of comics she committed herself to a career in sequential art in May 2021. She’s inspired by the strange, eccentric and the psychology behind unusual imagery. This book contains visual depictions of graphic sex and violence. 88pgs B&W paperback.
Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist’s Perspective of the Japanese American Experience
by Kelly Goto, illustrations by Sam Goto
Chin Music Press
$19.95
The publisher says:
Between 2012 and 2018, Sam Goto drew over 250 multi-panelled Seattle Tomodachi (“friend of Seattle”) comic strips for The North American Post. These comics chronicled the lives and stories of early Japanese settlers and their American-born offspring. Through his work, he captured elements of culture, nostalgia, and history, while infusing his characters—Shigeru Tomo and his alterego Samurai Shigeru—with the samurai values of courage, respect, and continuous improvement and compassion. Design researcher Kelly Goto reflects on her father’s legacy as she brings his work back to life in this collection so that others can be inspired and informed by his witty and wise look at the world. 276pgs B&W hardcover.
Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl
by Rachel M. Thomas
Graphic Mundi / PSU Press
$24.95
The publisher says:
Derided by her high-school peers for being overweight, Rachel finally found a sense of purpose and belonging in a promising career as an EMT―that is, until her body got in the way. Shrink is a work of graphic medicine that depicts the emotional and physical realities of inhabiting a large body in a world that is constantly warning about the medical and social dangers of being “too fat.” This smart and candid book challenges the idea that weight loss is the only path for a fat person and encourages the reader to question the prevailing cultural and medical discourse about fat bodies. Seamlessly weaving the most current research on the fatness debate with her own experiences of living in a fat body, Thomas lays bare society’s obsession with size and advocates for each of us to push back on body weight bias and determine what’s right for our own health and well-being, both physical and mental. 188pgs colour paperback.
Something, Not Nothing: A Story of Grief and Love
by Sarah Leavitt
Arsenal Pulp Press
$24.95
The publisher says:
In April 2020, cartoonist Sarah Leavitt’s partner of twenty-two years, Donimo, died with medical assistance after years of severe chronic pain and a rapid decline at the end of her life. About a month after Donimo’s death, Sarah began making comics again as a way to deal with her profound sense of grief and loss. The comics started as small sketches but quickly transformed into something totally unfamiliar to her. Abstract images, textures, poetic text, layers of watercolour, ink, and coloured pencil—for Sarah, the journey through grief was impossible to convey without bold formal experimentation. She spent two years creating these comics. The result is Something, Not Nothing, an extraordinary book that delicately articulates the vagaries of grief and the sweet remembrances of enduring love. Moving and impressionistic, Something, Not Nothing shows that alongside grief, there is room for peace, joy, and new beginnings. 144pgs colour paperback.
Sound: A Comics Anthology
by various, edited by Budjette Tan & Charis Loke
Difference Engine
$19.50
The publisher says:
Traffic. A crunchy snack. An argument. What does sound look like to you? Difference Engine is proud to present our first comics anthology, Sound: A Comics Anthology. Writers and illustrators from all around Southeast Asia were challenged to push the boundaries of depicting the unseen through the medium of visuals and words, while telling stories important to them. Guest editors Budjette Tan and Charis Loke have put together an intriguing list of stories that showcase the creativity of creators across Southeast Asia―both familiar and new names. In a broad range of genres and topics, this collection of stories is an exciting exploration of what the comics medium is capable of. 288pgs B&W paperback.
Surviving on Mars
by Brandon Graham
Living the Line
$14.99
The publisher says:
If you’re going through hell, KEEP GOING. From daily routines and art-making, to dealing with depression, and living among porn performers in Las Vegas, Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Brandon Graham (King City, Rain like Hammers, Prophet, Moonray) offers a funny and touching look into the life of an artist making his way in the 21st century. Graham, who has been known primarily for his strange far future science-fiction and pun-filled fantasy works, has been making memoir comics for decades. This is the first major collection of this work, exploring Graham’s life in the seedy alien landscape of Las Vegas, while he strives at making art as a tool for surviving the chaotic universe. 116pgs colour paperback.
They Shot The Piano Player
by Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal
SelfMadeHero
$34.99
The publisher says:
An investigation and celebration of the origins of the world-renowned Latino musical samba-jazz movement Bossa Nova, They Shot The Piano Player captures a fleeting time bursting with creative freedom at a turning-point in Latin American history in the ’60s and ’70s, before the continent was riven by totalitarian regimes. Francisco Tenório Cerqueira Júnior, born in Rio de Janeiro, was one of the most recognised musicians of the samba-jazz movement. At 3 a.m. on 18 March 1976, after giving a concert at the Gran Rex in Buenos Aires, the 34-year-old pianist went out to get some cigarettes. He was never seen again. What happened that night? This is the question that moves the narrator of this documentary graphic novel to initiate an investigation into the fateful events that led to the death of a musician destined to change the course of Brazilian music forever. 256pgs colour hardcover.
Three-Body Problem Vol.1
by Cixin Liu & XuDong Cai
Yen Press
$22.00
The publisher says:
Amid China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, a covert military project establishes contact with Trisolaris, an alien planet on the brink of destruction. This sets into motion the Trisolarans’ long and menacing journey to invade Earth. Meanwhile, a secret society is formed by the world’s elite, broken into factions with differing motivations for aiding in the Trisolaran invasion―from saving the lives of their descendants to accelerating the destruction of humanity. Decades later, a group of scientists and a cunning detective investigate a series of mysterious suicides, leading to the discovery of this Earth-Trisolaran Organisation. Humanity’s battle against its greatest threat has begun… 184pgs colour paperback.
Torpedo 1972
by Enrique Sánchez Abulí & Eduardo Risso
Ablaze
$19.99
The publisher says:
From the co-creator and artist of Eisner Award-winning series 100 Bullets comes a reimagining of the crime noir Torpedo! In the 1930s, Lucas Torelli, known as “Torpedo”, was a legend of the suburbs of New York. A tough, trigger-happy Sicilian who only knew how to make friends–anyone else is no longer here to say otherwise. Nearly forty years later, the Big Apple has changed quite a bit. Torpedo, not so much. As a persistent journalist prepares to write an article about the Caputo family, the demons of Torpedo’s past resurface, along with his dirty old habits… Collects the hit series, plus cover gallery and bonus material. 176pgs colour paperback.
Ultra Heaven Vol. 1
by Keiichi Koike, translated by Ajani Oloye
Last Gasp
$24.95
The publisher says:
In the future, any mood you want is just a pump away. People flock to legal “pump bars,” where licensed medical professionals, known as bar doctors, prescribe their customers the perfect pharmaceutical blend.
But when the standard dosage isn’t enough, our protagonist, Cub, turns to an unauthorised source. The results have to be seen to be believed.
Rendered in a richly-detailed, clear-line style, this psychedelic sci-fi manga tears apart the basic fabric of reality. What is the truth and what is a dream? Born in Tokyo, Keiichi Koike won the prestigious Tezuka Award in 1976, when he was 16. His style, similar to Katsuhiro Otomo and Moebius, is marked by vivid representations of psychedelic experiences. Drugs are an important part of his inspiration: “Except peyote, I have tried almost everything: hashish, heroin, cocaine, acid, magic mushrooms… From a strictly graphical point of view, however, LSD is most important by far…” 192pgs B&W paperback.
Weirdo
by Tony Weaver Jr. & Jes & Cin Wibowo
First Second
$22.99 / $14.99
The publisher says:
From rising star Tony Weaver, Jr. comes a middle-grade graphic novel memoir about an awkward preteen who loves all things geeky but struggles with mental health issues and self-doubt, perfect for fans of Jerry Craft’s New Kid. Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr. loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolises the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his new classmates all think he’s a weirdo. Bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt of not being accepted and tries to conform to other people’s expectations. After a traumatic event shakes him to his core, he embarks on a journey of self love that will require him to become the hero of his own story. Weirdo is a triumphant, witty, and comedic story for any kid who’s ever felt awkward, left out, or like they don’t belong. An adolescence survival guide that will give every reader the confidence to make it to the other side. 320pgs colour hardcover / paperback.
