This Week's Comics

A quick selection of stand out titles arriving in comic stores this Thursday: (Wednesday if you’re in the USA):

BIG QUESTIONS #12 by Anders Nilsen

The latest in Andres Nilsen’s ongoing saga of talking birds and stranded humans. I’ve always had a soft spot for Nilsen’s work and ever since I first laid eyes on his comics in Mome, I’ve picked up pretty much everything he’s done. Perhaps not the best starting point for newcomers, but quality comics none the less. In the unlikely event that you haven’t come across Nilsen’s work before, you should seek out a copy of Dogs and Water.

ABSTRACT COMICS – THE ANTHOLOGY by various

Fantagraphics are all set to drop what looks to be a very intriguing anthology. Edited by Andrei Molotiu, the book includes short strips by R. Crumb, Gary Panter, and Lewis Trondheim, and original pieces by James Kochalka and many others. My only quibble with anthologies is that they can often come off as very fragmentary, offering only short snippets that don’t necessarily add up to a clear picture of what each creator has to offer. Done right though, a good anthology can flow like a well composed mix tape, bound together by an overarching sense of style and purpose. It's always a hard balance to get right, but given the theme here, I have a feeling this will have more in common with aforementioned mix tape. Short interview with editor Andrei Molotiu at CBR here.

LOCAS II: MAGGIE, HOPEY & RAY by Jamie Hernandez

More Love and Rockets than you can shake a stick at, packaged into a single oversized hardback to match the original Locas collection. 424 pages of unadulterated Hernandez goodness, collecting Maggie and Hopey Colour Fun Special, Dicks and Deedees, Locas in Love, Ghost of Hoppers and The Education of Hopey Glass. Will also serve as a highly attractive doorstop.

FRANKENSTEIN’S WOMB by Warren Ellis

Another ‘done in one’ graphic novella from Warren Ellis, which offers an interesting take on the inspiration behind Mary Shelley’s famous novel. I adored Aetheric Mechanics, and Ellis has a real knack for hammering out a satisfying story using fewer pages than most, so I have no doubt this will be good. The press blurb promises fear, death, and alchemy.

WEDNESDAY COMICS #5 (of 12) by various

I haven’t been reading this but the format intrigues me, enough to have a good flick through its brittle pages before placing it carefully back on the shelf.