Morning Glories Hot Streak Continues

GLORY BE!

MORNING GLORIES #2 and #3 sell out at distribution level

Morning Glories is one of the hottest books in recent memory, as evidenced by continued demand that has led to four printings of issue #1!

MORNING GLORIES #2 has flown off shelves and reorders surpassed expectations, so Image Comics has already ordered a third printing of the issue. Additionally, MORNING GLORIES #3, which hits store shelves October 20, has already sold out at the distribution level! A second printing of the issue is already in the queue!

Critically acclaimed and universally praised, MORNING GLORIES is written by Nick Spencer (SHUDDERTOWN, FORGETLESS, EXISTENCE), drawn by Joe Eisma (EXISTENCE), and covered by Rodin Esquejo.

Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino exclaims, "We're completely blown away by the demand for this book! We cannot thank the retailers and fans enough for their support!"

MORNING GLORIES: Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country. But behind its hallowed doors, something sinister and deadly lurks. When six brilliant but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and desperately seeking answers in a place where nothing is what it seems to be!

MORNING GLORIES #2 Third Printing (SEP108025), a 32-page full-color comic book for $3.50, will be in stores November 3, 2010. MORNING GLORIES #3 First Printing (AUG100483) will be in stores October 20, alongside the Fourth Printing of MORNING GLORIES #1 (AUG108116). The Second Printing of MORNING GLORIES #3 (AUG108189) will be in stores November 10. Finally, MORNING GLORIES #4 (SEP100493) will be in stores November 17.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Charles Burns at Fantagraphics Bookstore on October 30th

Charles Burns Returns to Seattle on October 30 with Spooky New Book

 

Charles Burns was among a trio of gifted cartoonists to emerge from The Evergreen State College in the mid-1970s. Together, Burns and fellow Evergreen alumni Matt Groening and Lynda Barry altered the course of contemporary comix and left an indelible mark on regional culture. Burns makes a rare return visit to his native Seattle on Saturday, October 30 to celebrate the publication of his amazing new graphic novel X’ED OUT with a slide talk, art exhibition, and book signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. His idiosyncratic horror-story sensibility is perfect for the Halloween-eve occasion.

Burns began his career as a fine artist in Seattle while publishing illustrations and his “Big Baby” cartoon in The Rocket magazine, developing his signature stark-contrast rendering style. Burns also composed covers for Bruce Pavitt’s seminal Sub Pop cassette fanzine, the forerunner to the celebrated record label. On a visit to New York, Burns came to the attention of cartoonist Art Spiegelman, who subsequently published his work in the influential anthology RAW. The rest, as they say, is history. Spiegelman published the collected BIG BABY on his RAW imprint, and Seattle-based publisher Fantagraphics Books produced his influential BLACK HOLE serial, as well as graphic albums SKIN DEEP and EL BORBAH (in addition to reprinting BIG BABY.)

X’ED OUT continues the artist’s examination of the furtive insecurities of adolescence becoming manifested in bizarre and horrific consequences. In a departure from Burns’ prior work, the current graphic novel is presented in full color.

The reception at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale Street, will feature a brief slide talk and book signing. An exhibition of recent fine art prints will be complemented by Burns’ original drawings and related Sub Pop ephemera courtesy of label co-founder Bruce Pavitt.

Please join us to celebrate the lasting legacy of Charles Burns on Seattle’s civic culture and the debut of his graphic novel X’ED OUT on Saturday, October 30 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Spooky Halloween costumes are welcome but not required. All ages, free admission.

Listing Information:
CHARLES BURNS: X’ED OUT
Slide Talk, Print Exhibition and Book Signing
Saturday, October 30, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street, Seattle, WA 98108
206.658.0110
Open Daily 11:30 – 8:00 PM, Sunday until 5:00 PM
http://www.fantagraphics.com/

Kingyo Used Books Has Your Manga

I read Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 2

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

For Your Vampire Knight Eyes Only

I read Vampire Knight Official Fanbook

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).  This is a collection of character profile, concept mythology, and art for fans of the horror romance vampire shojo manga.

Sequart Announces Book about 1960s Batman TV Series

PRESS RELEASE:

Sequart Research and Literacy Organization’s Gotham City 14 Miles: 14 Essays on Why the 1960s TV Series Matters is now available for order through comic shops (use Diamond order code OCT101262). The book, edited by Jim Beard, is currently listed in the books section of October’s Previews catalog (page 332) and is set to hit stores in late December.

A sell out at New York Comic Con, Gotham City 14 Miles offers 14 essays that examine the equally celebrated and derided show from varied, sometimes surprising viewpoints:

*Bats in Their Belfries: The Proliferation of Batmania, by Robert Greenberger. (Covers the genesis of the show and explosion of Batmania.)

*Batman: From Comics Page to TV Screen, by Peter Sanderson. (Delves into Batman’s comic-book roots.)

*Such a Character: A Dissection and Examination of Two Sub-Species of Chiroptera homo sapiens, by Jim Beard. (Compares / contrasts the 1939 Batman with Adam West’s.)

*Notes on Bat-Camp, by Tim Callahan. (An effort to answer that age-old question, “Was Batman truly camp?”)

*Aunt Harriet’s Film Decency League, by Becky Beard. (Weighs the caliber of the show’s most significant guest stars.)

*POW!: Batman’s Visual Punch, by Bill Walko. (Looks into the impact of the show’s visual design.)

*Known Super-Criminals Still at Large, by Chuck Dixon. (Compares / contrasts TV versions with comic-book portrayals.)

*May I Have This Batdance? by Michael S. Miller. (Looks at the most famous TV theme and the songs it inspired.)

*The Best Dressed Women in Gotham City, by Jennifer K. Stuller. (A compelling argument for its female denizens and their place in Batman.)

*Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor! by Michael D. Hamersky. (Addresses the topic of youth culture as presented in Batman.)

*Gotham City R&D, by Michael Johnson. (Examines Batman’s gadgetry.)

*Theatre of the Absurd: Batman: The Movie, by Rob Weiner. (Discusses the 1966 feature film.)

*Jumping the Bat-Shark, by Will Murray. (Delves into the third season of Batman.)

*Some Days You Just Can’t Get Rid of a Bomb, by Paul Kupperberg. (The show’s legacy beyond its original broadcast.)

*Afterword, by Jeff Rovin, co-author of Adam West’s Back to the Batcave. (Offers a few personal anecdotes about the show and working with West.)

*Episode Guide, by Joe Berenato. (A rundown of episodes with airdates and fun facts.)

Don’t miss out on this critical discussion of one of the most influential yet misunderstood TV shows of all time. (Softcover, 6”x9”, 300 pgs, B&W, $22.95 cover price, ISBN 9780578064611.)


NOTE: Don’t assume your comics store will order copies – some stores might not even notice it in the catalog. The best thing you can do is tell your local retailer ASAP (they have to place orders before the end of October) that you want them to order you a copy. And because the book is buried in the catalog, it might help to give them the book’s order code, OCT101262.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Batman and related characters are trademarks of DC Comics. This book is not endorsed by DC Comics.

I Reads You Review: CRUSHING LOVE (Yaoi)

Creator: Ritsu Natsumizu (cartoonist); Issei Shimizu (translation)

Publishing Information: DMP/Juné Manga; B&W paperback, 208pp, $12.95 U.S.

Ordering Numbers: ISBN 10: 1-56970-774-X; ISBN 13: 978-1-56970-774-6

Rated “M” for “Mature Audiences 18+”

Crushing Love is a yaoi manga short story collection from Ritsu Natsumizu. The stories focus on romantic love and passionate affairs. In each relationship, the romance is a burden on or creates a burden for one of the partners more than for the other – a crushing love.

The title story, “Crushing Love,” opens to find rich boy, Keiichiro Kuroda, still smarting over being the jilted lover. When his former lover, desperate for cash, asks for money, Kuroda agrees to give him the money (5 million yen), but he won’t make it easy. Kuroda sets up a game wherein he leaves the money in the park as a test.

The bag with the money in it, however, gets picked up by Kaoru Otowa, who is also desperate for cash. Although he initially plans to turn the money over to the police, Kaoru decides to leave to town for Kyoto in order to pay off his debt to Yukihiko Shingyoji, a shady businessman. Kuroda accosts Kaoru and then, decides to accompany him to Kyoto where a cat and mouse game between Kuroda and Shingyoji ensues – with Kaoru as the prize.

“Crushing Love” epitomizes the stories in this collection, stories in which love is a burden or puts a weight on a lover. In the title story, the weight is on Kaoru as the one who needs the money and because he believes that his debt is what stands in the way of real romance with Kuroda.

A better example of crushing love is “Purity and Tyranny of Love,” which is tied to “Crushing Love” by the character, Yukihiko Shingyoji, who is one of the romantic leads in “Purity.” In fact, this story actually takes place during “Crushing Love” and is a side story. This time, the burden is on Sei Aoyama, the son of a former Shingyoji family servant. Sei loves Yukihiko, and while Yukihiko flirts with Sei and has sex with him, Sei is unsure how real their relationship is.

All these stories play with the idea of uncertain love, in which one lover is unsure of his partner. In these stories, the uke (bottom) is both the girlish bishounen boy and the one plagued with doubts. Meanwhile, the seme (top), who is usually masculine, devilish, and a tease, happily enjoys the sex, but also slyly keeps his uke toy unsure about the seriousness of the relationship.

This collection is a good read, light and frothy. There is plenty of sex, but the drama is not serious. It’s a bit too melodramatic, like a gentle spoof of soap opera romance.

B

VIZ Media to Publish "Vampire Knight Official Handbook"

BECOME AN EXCLUSIVE VAMPIRE KNIGHT EXPERT WITH THE NEW VAMPIRE KNIGHT OFFICIAL FANBOOK FROM VIZ MEDIA

 

Informative Profiles Book Features Color Pages, Character Designs, Interview With Creator Matsuri Hino And More!

 

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of the VAMPIRE KNIGHT OFFICIAL FANBOOK on October 19th. Fans of the hit manga series created by Matsuri Hino won’t want to miss this in depth new guide, rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens with an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN.

Delve into the world of your favorite vampires with this official Fanbook, filled with insider information about the smash hit series. Includes a Cross Academy student ID card, glossy color pages, character design sketches, storyboards and an exclusive interview with Matsuri Hino!

VAMPIRE KNIGHT takes readers to Cross Academy, which is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

VAMPIRE KNIGHT (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) was created by Matsuri Hino, who burst onto the manga scene with her debut title, When This Dream Is Over, in LaLa DX magazine. With the success of subsequent series such as CAPTIVE HEARTS and MERU PURI (both published in the U.S. by VIZ Media), Hino has established herself as a major force in the world of shojo manga. VAMPIRE KNIGHT is currently serialized in LaLa magazine. VIZ Media also offers the VAMPIRE KNIGHT anime series on DVD and episodes are available online through its innovative video streaming web destination at VIZAnime.com.

For more information on the VAMPIRE KNIGHT manga and to read free previews online please visit http://www.shojobeat.com/.

For more information on other titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.viz.com/.