Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 22 2012

DARK HORSE COMICS

NOV110050 AFRIKA HC $15.99
NOV110044 CHRONICLES OF KULL TP VOL 05 DEAD MEN O/T DEEP & OTHER STORIES $18.99
DEC110075 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #9 MIGNOLA CVR $7.99
DEC110076 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #9 YEATES VAR CVR $7.99
OCT118164 KATSUYA TERADA THE MONKEY KING TP VOL 01 $16.99
OCT110057 OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 20 $11.99
AUG110018 STAR WARS DARK TIMES OUT O/T WILDERNESS #4 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV110033 STAR WARS JEDI VOL 01 DARK SIDE TP $18.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 22 2012

IMAGE COMICS

DEC110481 BETWEEN GEARS TP $19.99
DEC110549 BULLETPROOF COFFIN DISINTERRED #2 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
SEP110456 CHEW #24 (MR) $2.99
DEC110499 INVINCIBLE ULTIMATE COLL HC VOL 07 $39.99
OCT110557 LIL DEPRESSED BOY #9 $2.99
NOV110366 MONDO #1 (OF 3) (MR) $4.99
OCT110561 MORNING GLORIES #16 (MR) $2.99
DEC110508 NEAR DEATH TP VOL 01 $9.99
DEC110476 NO PLACE LIKE HOME #1 JORDAN CVR (MR) $2.99
DEC110566 PROPHET #22 $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for February 22 2012

COMICS

SEP111101 AMAZING MYSTERIES BILL EVERETT ARCHIVES HC VOL 01 (RES) $39.99

NOV111085 AMPNEY CRUCIS VILE BODIES TP $19.99

DEC110813 ARCHIE #630 (ARCHIE MEETS KISS PT 4 ) $2.99

DEC110812 ARCHIE & FRIENDS DOUBLE DIGEST #13 $3.99

OCT111204 ATOMIC ROBO GHOST OF STATION X #5 (OF 5) $3.50

DEC110819 B & V FRIENDS DOUBLE DIGEST #222 $3.99

DEC110901 BART SIMPSON COMICS #68 $2.99

NOV111029 BLOODY MONDAY GN VOL 04 $10.99

AUG110829 BROKEN PIECES #2 CVR A KANESHIRO $3.50

AUG110830 BROKEN PIECES #2 CVR B BENITEZ $3.50

NOV111001 BUDDY DOES SEATTLE GN (NEW PTG) $19.99

DEC111205 CHICK AND CHICKIE IN PLAY ALL DAY HC $12.95

DEC111192 CHICO & RITA GN $24.95

OCT111163 COMPLETE CAPTAIN ACTION TP $28.95

OCT111070 DF LORD OF THE JUNGLE #1 EXC VIRGIN CVR $5.00

DEC111060 DF WOLVERINE #300 ROMITA SR SGN ED $69.99

NOV110701 EXPLORER THE MYSTERY BOXES HC $19.95

NOV110700 EXPLORER THE MYSTERY BOXES SC $10.95

SEP110982 GARTH ENNIS JENNIFER BLOOD #9 (MR) $3.99

NOV110962 GENTLEMENS AGREEMENT RABBIT & WOLF GN (MR) $12.95

NOV111159 GFT ALICE IN WONDERLAND #2 A CVR SEJIC (MR) $2.99

NOV111160 GFT ALICE IN WONDERLAND #2 B CVR GARZA (MR) $2.99

AUG111045 GLITZ 2 GO TP (MR) $19.99

NOV110967 GOLIATH HC $19.95

NOV111033 GON GN KODANSHA ED VOL 04 $10.99

DEC111199 GOOD VS EVIL YR GN ALIEN SNOW $4.95

DEC111198 GOOD VS EVIL YR GN AWAKENING $4.95

DEC111201 GOOD VS EVIL YR GN DIVER DOWN $4.95

DEC111200 GOOD VS EVIL YR GN DUNGEON OF SEVEN DOOMS $4.95

DEC110882 HECTOR UMBRA HC $26.99

NOV110745 HEROES OF THE NORTH DARK ORIGINS ONE SHOT (MR) $5.99

DEC111249 HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 17 ATONEMENT ARC PT 3 $11.99

DEC110918 INCORRUPTIBLE #27 $3.99

NOV110994 IS THAT ALL THERE IS HC (MR) $35.00

JUN111049 JIM BUTCHER DRESDEN FILES FOOL MOON #5 $3.99

NOV111167 JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #2 A CVR AGUILERA $2.99

NOV111168 JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #2 B CVR CACAU $2.99

NOV110824 KEY OF Z #1 (OF 4) NYCC VARIANT (MR) $9.99

NOV110959 KIZUNA GN VOL 05 (OF 6) DLX ED (MR) $19.95

NOV111023 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #183 $5.99

DEC111083 KOLOR KLIMAX NORDIC COMICS NOW GN (MR) $29.99

OCT110949 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) HC VOL 01 (MR) $32.99

OCT110950 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) HC VOL 01 SIGNED ED (MR) $39.99

OCT110948 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) TP VOL 01 (MR) $24.99

NOV110694 LAST ZOMBIE NEVERLAND #1 (OF 5) $3.99

DEC110881 LONG DAY OF MR JAMES TEACHER HC $7.99

MAY110807 MEGAMIND DIGEST GN VOL 02 WHY SO BLUE $6.95

MAR110836 MEGAMIND MEGA COLLECTION TP $14.95

DEC111250 MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA GN VOL 11 $11.99

OCT111223 MODESTY BLAISE TP VOL 21 LIVE BAIT $19.95

NOV110676 MY FRIEND DAHMER HC $24.95

NOV110675 MY FRIEND DAHMER SC $17.95

DEC111251 NABARI NO OU TP VOL 09 $11.99

NOV111123 NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 19 $12.99

NOV110695 NAZI ZOMBIES #1 $3.99

DEC110856 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD HC VOL 03 (MR) $27.99

DEC110855 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD TP VOL 03 (MR) $19.99

DEC111252 OMAMORI HIMARI GN VOL 06 (MR) $11.99

NOV110955 PATRICIA BRIGGS ALPHA & OMEGA CRY WOLF VOL 01 #5 $3.99

JUL111127 PHANTOM COMP SERIES HC CHARLTON YEARS VOL 01 $49.99

NOV111059 POSSESSIONS GN VOL 03 BETTER HOUSE TRAP $7.99

OCT110963 RASL #13 (MR) $3.50

AUG110977 RED SONJA #64 $3.99

DEC110972 RED SONJA WITCHBLADE #1 $3.99

DEC111187 ROBOY RED GN $14.95

AUG110790 SHREK DIGEST GN VOL 02 $6.95

MAY110808 SHREK TP VOL 01 LTD ED COLL $14.95

DEC111152 SIXTH GUN #19 $3.99

DEC111253 SOUL EATER TP VOL 08 $11.99

NOV110752 SOULFIRE VOL 3 #7 CVR A FABOK $3.50

NOV110753 SOULFIRE VOL 3 #7 CVR B FRANCISCO $3.50

DEC111254 SUMOMOMO MOMOMO TP VOL 11 (MR) $11.99

NOV110844 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #72 DLX ED (MR) $19.99

NOV111124 TENJO TENGE GN VOL 05 (MR) $17.99

DEC110934 TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN CUTIE ISLAND TP (MR) $17.99

OCT110776 VICTORIAN SECRET WINTER WARDROBE ONE SHOT $3.99

OCT111208 WAR OF THE INDEPENDENTS #2 $2.99

JAN121165 ZEN OF STEVE JOBS GN $19.95

DEC111206 ZIG AND WIKKI IN THE COW $12.95

MAGAZINES
DEC111275 ALTER EGO #107 $8.95
NOV111234 CINEMA RETRO #22 $11.99
NOV111183 CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG #166 MAGIK $14.00
NOV111184 CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG #167 BEETLE $14.00
NOV111182 CLASSIC MARVEL FIG COLL MAG SPECIAL NORTHSTAR & AURORA $28.00
DEC111298 COMICS REVUE PRESENTS FEB 2012 $19.95
NOV111186 DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #100 RAVAGER $14.00
NOV111187 DC SUPERHERO FIG COLL MAG #101 MON-EL $14.00
NOV111201 DR WHO MAGAZINE #443 $8.99
JAN121396 FANGORIA #311 $9.99
DEC111355 LOCUS #613 $6.95
NOV111227 SCI FI & FANTASY MODELLER VOL 24 $27.99
DEC111356 STAR TREK MAGAZINE #39 NEWSSTAND ED $9.99
DEC111357 STAR TREK MAGAZINE #39 PX ED $9.99
JAN121437 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #47 SUPER BATTLE DROID $14.00
JAN121438 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #48 ZAM WESELL $14.00
MAR111463 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #79 SEBULBA PODRACER $18.00
MAR111464 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #80 ANAKINS PODRACER $18.00
OCT111358 VIDEO WATCHDOG #166 (MR) $8.95

Tenjo Tenge: "F"

I read Tenjo Tenge, Vol. 5: Full Contact Edition 2-in-1

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

43rd NAACP Image Awards Winners in Literary Categories

The 43rd NAACP Image Awards winners were announced in a ceremony, February 17, 2012 and broadcast live on NBC.

The 43rd NAACP Image Awards winners - Literature Categories:

Fiction: Reshonda Tate Billingsley, "Say Amen, Again" (Gallery Books)

Nonfiction: Hill Harper, "The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place" (Gotham Books)

Debut author: Lyah Le Flore, "The Strawberry Letter" (Ballantine/Random House)

Biography/autobiography: Harry Belafonte, "My Song" (Knopf)

Instructional: T.D. Jakes, "The T.D. Jakes Relationship Bible: Life Lessons on Relationships from the Inspired Word of God" (Atria Books)

Poetry: James Golden, "Afro Clouds & Nappy Rain: The Curtis Brown Poems" (iUniverse)

Children: Tony Dungy (author), Ron Mazellan (illustrator), "You Can Be A Friend" (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing - Little Simon)

Youth/teens: Jeff Burlingame, "Jesse Owens: I Always Loved Running" (Enslow Publishers, Inc.)

Review: The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY
VIZ MEDIA

WRITER: Studio Ghibli
ARTISTS: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Hayao Miyazaki, Ai Kagawa, Akihito Yamashita, Studio Ghibli
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Takami Nieda
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3064-2; soft cover
248pp, Color, $34.99 US, $39.99 CAN, £25.00 UK

The Secret World of Arrietty, a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy film, opens in the United States today. Known as The Borrower Arrietty in Japan, it is the latest animated feature film from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation and film studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Miyazaki is known for such animated films as the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, the Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle, and also Princess Mononoke. The Secret World of Arrietty is based upon The Borrowers, the 1952 children’s fantasy novel by Mary Norton.

Although he drew key art sketches and co-wrote the screenplay, Miyazaki is not The Secret World of Arrietty’s director. That honor goes to rising star Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who also did the concept and rough character sketches for Arrietty. Now, readers can take a look behind the scenes of the production of The Secret World of Arrietty in a new book, The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty.

The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty is a full color collection of preliminary concept sketches and rough character sketches, concept sketches, concept art, background art, and character sketches and designs. The book also includes film stills and the complete voice-over script, illustrated with black and white images from the film.

The television campaign to promote The Secret World of Arrietty’s release to theatres is quite good, the best that I’ve seen for a Studio Ghibli movie since the U.S. release of Princess Mononoke. One could also view The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty as promotion for the film; just thumbing through it is enough to convince someone to see the movie. All the beautiful art, sketches, and assorted graphics from the books are tempting samples from the film.

Certainly, fans of the animated films of Studio Ghibli will want this book. Not only is The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty a behind-the-scenes look at the drawing and visual storytelling process of creating The Secret World of Arrietty, but it is also a dreamscape showing off the tremendous artistic and film talent that works at Studio Ghibli.

The Art of the Secret World of Arrietty also has several pages of sketches produced by the master himself, Hayao Miyazaki. These concept sketches have an impressionistic quality, as if Monet had created them as studies for paintings he would later produce. $34.99 is a bargain just to have the Miyazaki sketches.

A

Leroy Douresseaux Reviews: Lucille graphic novel

LUCILLE (OGN)
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

CARTOONIST: Ludovic Debeurme
TRANSLATOR: Edward Gauvin
LETTER: Christopher Ross
ISBN: 978-1-60309-073-5; paperback
544pp, B&W, $29.95 U.S.

Rated: Mature (18+)

Born in 1971, Ludovic Debeurme is a French comic book artist. After studying at the Sorbonne (University of Paris), he was published in the anthology, Comix 2000, and later went on to become an acclaimed graphic novelist. Debeurme’s breakthrough work was Lucille, a graphic novel published by Futuropolis in 2006 and honored at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. Top Shelf Productions gave Lucille its English-language debut in 2011.

The novel is set in rural France and centers on two teenagers from families that are dysfunctional to one degree or another. Lucille Flavinsky is a 16-year-old and suffers from anorexia. Abandoned by her father, Lucille battles her mother’s attempts to get her medical help.

Arthur is a teenaged boy whose father, Vladamir, is a fisherman and an alcoholic. Arthur strongly resists inheriting his father’s profession and his father’s family’s traditions. After two chance encounters, Lucille and Arthur become a couple, star-crossed lovers soon on the run to Italy. However, they cannot run away from their families’ complex legacies, nor can they outrace their own personal complexities.

Lucille has a broad reach and scope, playing like both modern fiction and like some potboiler genre piece. Its creator, Ludovic Debeurme, excavates the nuances and intimate details of the lead characters and also reveals essential moments in the lives of many of its supporting characters. That is why Lucille is definitely not a comic book and is certainly a graphic novel. Lucille is complex, and the narrative flows naturally, always frustrating our expectations, but rewarding our patience – so much so that I must wonder if the narrative did not also frustrate its creator.

Several years ago, I was briefly acquainted with a young woman who was suffering from anorexia. She thought she was fat (though she was not) and unattractive (again, not true, at least from my perspective). She had that pale, young waif look that some young women are lucky or opportunistic enough to turn into a career as a model and/or starlet. I found her more pitiful than I felt pity for her. I have to admit to not exactly being sympathetic to women suffering from anorexia, but I’m working on that. This is the reason why my feelings about Lucille fluctuated so much. She annoyed me as much as she intrigued me.

Like the larger narrative, however, Lucille the character is fascinating and mysterious. She is subtle and yet powerful, like Debeurme’s simple line work and evocative compositions. Lucille is tender and stubborn, both the book and its title character. This is a mesmerizing work, and I started out not wanting to read it. I felt obligated because Top Shelf sent me a review copy, but now I can’t act as if this stunning book has not touched me. I am still thinking about it, and because this is the first chapter of a longer story, I want to read on.

A-

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/