Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for March 6 2013

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
DEC120017 FCBD POLYPROPYLENE ECO SHOPPING BAG $1.99

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
JAN130968 ADVENTURE TIME FIONNA & CAKE #3 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99

DEC121347 AL CAPP LIFE TO CONTRARY HC $30.00

DEC121221 ALICE I/T COUNTRY CLOVER CHESHIRE CAT WALTZ GN VOL 04 (MR) $13.99

JAN131309 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (NEW) TP VOL 01 $9.99

NOV120859 ARCHIE #641 ARCHIE MEETS GLEE PT 1 [DIG/P+] $2.99

DEC120817 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #238 DOUBLE DOUBLE (NOTE PRICE) [DIG/P+] $5.99

JAN131241 ASTERIX TP VOL 08 ASTERIX IN BRITAIN NEW PTG $10.95

DEC121282 BAKUMAN TP VOL 18 $9.99

DEC121280 BARRAGE TP VOL 01 $9.99

DEC121321 BEST OF ZENESCOPE SPECIAL ED #1 (MR) $6.99

JAN131209 BROADCAST GN (JUN101062) $13.99

DEC121302 BTOOOM GN VOL 01 (MR) $11.99

DEC121168 CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT SPECIAL $3.99

DEC120784 CAVEWOMAN OASIS #1 (MR) $3.75

DEC120785 CAVEWOMAN OASIS #1 DEVON MASSEY SP ED (MR) PI

JAN130906 CROSSED HC SGN ED VOL 05 (MR) $39.99

JAN130905 CROSSED HC VOL 05 (MR) $32.99

JAN130904 CROSSED TP VOL 05 (MR) $24.99

JAN130908 DAN THE UNHARMABLE #11 (MR) $3.99

JAN130909 DAN THE UNHARMABLE #11 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

JAN131216 DANCE CLASS HC VOL 04 ON THE WAY TO PARIS $10.99

NOV121127 DARK SHADOWS #14 $3.99

DEC121286 DEMON LOVE SPELL GN VOL 02 $9.99

MAY121127 DF CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 DECONNICK SGN PI

SEP121068 DF INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #1 WAID SGN ED PI

NOV121151 DF STAR WARS #1 ROSS SGN CVR $29.99

JAN131192 DOWNTOWN HC $23.95

DEC121148 ESTHER ONE SHOT $3.99

DEC121150 EXODUS ONE SHOT $3.99

JAN130951 FAIRY QUEST #2 [DIG] $3.99

JAN131015 FANNY & ROMEO GN $20.00

JAN130922 FASHION BEAST #7 (MR) $3.99

JAN130923 FASHION BEAST #7 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

DEC121322 FLY VOL II #5 A CVR ERIC J (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99

DEC121323 FLY VOL II #5 B CVR LAM (MR) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99

DEC121297 FUSHIGI YUGI GENBU KAIDEN TP VOL 11 $9.99

JAN131220 GERONIMO STILTON HC VOL 12 FIRST SAMURAI $9.99

NOV121276 HARVEY HORRORS CHAMBER OF CHILLS SOFTIE TP VOL 02 $24.99

JAN131185 HEAVY METAL LORNA LEVIATHAN AZPIRI HC (MR) $14.95

JAN131225 HELHEIM #1 (MR) $3.99

DEC121278 HEROMAN GN VOL 03 $10.95

JAN130963 HYPERNATURALS #9 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99

JAN131203 IN THE SOUNDS AND SEAS GN $12.95

OCT121030 KEVIN SMITH BIONIC MAN #17 $3.99

NOV121245 KOLCHAK AND DR MOREAU [DIG/P+] $5.99

DEC121152 LAST CONVERT OF JOHN HARPER ONE SHOT $3.99

JAN130875 LEGEND O/T SHADOWCLAN #2 BILLY TAN CVR $3.99

JAN130874 LEGEND O/T SHADOWCLAN #2 DIRECT MARKET CVR $3.99

OCT120979 LOOKOUTS RIDDLE VOL 01 #4 $3.99

JAN131186 LORNA DART-AN-GOR BY AZPIRI HC (MR) $14.95

DEC121141 LUMINOUS INCAL DLX HC (MR) $79.95

DEC121222 MAYO CHICKI GN VOL 02 $12.99

NOV121172 MESSAGES IN BOTTLE TP COMIC STORIES KRIGSTEIN $35.00

DEC121153 MOSES ONE SHOT $3.99

DEC121142 MUSE DLX HC (MR) $34.95

NOV121253 NANCY DREW & CLUE CREW GN VOL 02 SLEUTHS $7.99

NOV121254 NANCY DREW & CLUE CREW HC VOL 02 SLEUTHS $11.99

DEC121163 NEGIMA OMNIBUS GN VOL 06 (MR) $19.99

JAN130863 NEW CRUSADERS RISE O/T HEROES TP $14.99

NOV120806 NFL RUSH ZONE GUARDIANS OF THE CORE TP $14.95

NOV120807 NFL RUSH ZONE SEASON O/T GUARDIANS #1 $3.99

NOV120808 NFL RUSH ZONE SEASON OF THE GUARDIANS PACK $125.00

DEC121281 ONE PIECE TP VOL 66 $9.99

DEC121298 ORESAMA TEACHER GN VOL 13 $9.99

DEC120953 PEANUTS TP VOL 02 $13.99

JAN130955 PLANET O/T APES CATACLYSM #7 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99

JAN131338 POKEMON ADVENTURES TP VOL 15 $9.99

JAN131339 POKEMON THE MOVIE KYUREM VS SWORD OF JUSTICE GN $9.99

DEC121294 PSYREN GN VOL 09 $9.99

JAN131193 R.I.P. $17.95

DEC121295 ROSARIO VAMPIRE SEASON II TP VOL 11 $9.99

OCT121176 ROY THOMAS PRESENTS PHANTOM LADY COLL WORKS HC VOL 01 $47.99

OCT121177 ROY THOMAS PRESENTS THE HEAP HC VOL 02 $47.99

JAN131303 SHADOWMAN (NEW) #5 PULLBOX BLACKOUT ZIRCHER CVR $3.99

JAN131302 SHADOWMAN (NEW) #5 REG ZIRCHER CVR $3.99

DEC121288 SKIP BEAT 3-IN-1 ED TP VOL 04 $14.99

DEC120829 SONIC SAGA TP VOL 02 ORDER FROM CHAOS $11.99

DEC120826 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #246 [P+] $2.99

JAN130930 STITCHED #12 (MR) $3.99

JAN130932 STITCHED #12 GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

JAN130931 STITCHED #12 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

DEC121287 STROBE EDGE GN VOL 03 $9.99

DEC121402 STUCK ON STAR TREK HC $19.95

SEP121198 TANK GIRL EVERYBODY LOVES TANK GIRL HC (MR) $19.95

DEC121275 VALIANT MASTERS NINJAK HC VOL 01 BLACK WATER $24.99

DEC121299 VAMPIRE KNIGHT TP VOL 16 $9.99

NOV121060 VAMPIRELLA #27 $3.99

JAN131046 VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #3 CVR A JOHNNY D $3.99

JAN131047 VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #3 CVR B NEVES $3.99

NOV121109 WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #23 (MR) $3.99

DEC121242 WESTWARD #4 $3.50

DEC121292 WINX CLUB GN VOL 06 $6.99

MAGAZINES
DEC120890 BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE #3 (MR) $4.99

JAN131398 COMIC SHOP NEWS #1342 PI

JAN131420 DIABOLIQUE #14 $9.98

NOV120736 DISNEY JUNIOR MAGAZINE #12 $4.99

DEC121359 DR WHO MAGAZINE #457 $9.99

NOV121485 HOBBY JAPAN FEB 2013 $16.60

NOV121422 ILLUSTRATORS MAGAZINE #2 $24.99

JAN131424 MONSTER BASH #18 $8.99

JAN131426 SCARY MONSTERS 2013 YEARBOOK MONSTER MEMORIES $8.95

DEC121378 SF&F MODELLER PRESENTS 21ST CENTURY MODELLER #2 $27.99

DEC121388 SFX #232 $10.99

JAN131441 WALKING DEAD MAGAZINE #3 NEWSSTAND ED (MR) $9.99

JAN131442 WALKING DEAD MAGAZINE #3 PX ED (MR) $9.99

BOOKS
JAN131223 ARMY OF GOD JOSEPH KONYS WAR IN CENTRAL AFRICA GN $14.99

JAN131293 ASSASSINS CREED ENCYCLOPEDIA HC 2ND ED $49.95

JAN131383 BRUCE COLERO NAKED DESIRE SC (MR) $14.95

JAN131417 CATS OF TANGLEWOOD FOREST HC $17.99

AUG121382 FRAZETTA SKETCHBOOK DLX SLIPCASED ED $69.95

AUG121383 FRAZETTA SKETCHBOOK HC $39.95

NOV128066 GAME OF THRONES POSTER COLLECTION $24.99

NOV120941 GLENN FABRY SKETCHBOOK SC (MR) $12.99

JAN131384 HEAVENLY BODIES ART OF BRUCE COLERO SC (MR) $14.95

DEC121383 SIGNS OF JAMES BOND SEMIOTIC EXPLORATIONS IN WORLD OF 007 $40.00

JAN131449 STNG ON BOARD USS. ENTERPRISE 3D TOUR HC W CD ROM $18.99

JAN131419 TIMMY FAILURE YR HC $14.99

DEC121876 WARHAMMER 40K DEATH OF ANTAGONIS TP $12.99

DEC121877 WARHAMMER 40K PATH OF THE INCUBUS MMPB $8.99

DEC121879 WARHAMMER VAN HORSTMANN TP $14.00

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Review: BARRAGE Volume 1

BARRAGE, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Kouhei Horikoshi
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
LETTERS: James Gaubatz
EDITOR: Hope Donovan
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5275-0; paperback (February 2013); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN

Barrage is a shonen manga series from creator Kouhei Horikoshi. The series is set on the planet of Industria, where peace has been disrupted by an influx of alien races. The alien activity causes planetary instability and begins the Warring Planets Period.

Enter Astro, a 15-year-old slum kid living in the capitol city, also called Industria. He struggles with low-paying jobs to support his surrogate family of six younger stray children. Fate brings him into contact with Prince Barrage, the son of the King of Industria. Barrage looks exactly like Astro, so the prince, who wants to be footloose and fancy free, demands that Astro take his place and also Barrage’s royal responsibilities.

In Barrage, Vol. 1 (entitled The Piercer; Chapters 1 to 7), Astro becomes Prince Barrage. He also takes possession of Orgue. This spear and royal relic turns into the Piercer and activates when the wearer is threaten. Now, Astro/Barrage is under the tutelage of Lord Tiamat, the legendary knight who is Prince Barrage’s guardian. The King sends Barrage and Tiamat to go on a journey to save the people of the planet, but not all his reasons for ordering this journey are unclear.

The Barrage manga is one of the series that can leave the reader delightfully surprised, as it did to me. It is more than it seems – a shonen manga (comics for teen boys) that mixes science fiction with the spirit of Saturday morning cartoons. Barrage reminds me of some of those OEL manga/graphic novels that TOKYOPOP produced before the company expired (or whatever). It also makes me think of Dark Horse Comics’ short-lived Rocket Comics imprint.

The character and concept design are not only inventive, but are also infused with a sense of youthful adventure. It is as if creator Kouhei Horikoshi opened up his sketchbooks and let his imagination run wild. Visually, Barrage rarely repeats itself, as it seems that practically every other page offers something new. The graphical storytelling moves like a battle manga and an anime. Horikoshi pushes “the importance of family” theme past the breaking point, but that does not hurt this entertaining series.  Young readers will like the Shonen Jump Alpha title, Barrage.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


Otomen: Jewel (Sachihana) of His Eye

I read Otomen, Vol. 14

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Book Review: 1356: A Novel

1356
HARPERCOLLINS – @HarperCollins

AUTHOR: Bernard Cornwell
ISBN: 978-0-06-196967-6; hardcover (January 2013)
432pp, B&W, $28.99 U.S.

Bernard Cornwell is a British author of historical novels. Cornwell is best known for his cycle of novels starring Richard Sharpe, a rifleman in the Napoleonic Wars. This series was adapted into the Sharpe television movies.

1356: A Novel is Cornwell’s latest novel. This is the fifth book in Cornwell’s “The Grail Quest” series, which focuses on a 14th century English archer, Thomas of Hookton. 1356 is the first Hookton novel since Heretic (2003).

1356 is set in France. The story finds Thomas of Hookton leading a company of mercenary archers and ravaging the countryside of Gascony. Hookton must complete a crucial task before joining Edward, Prince of Wales, a real-life figure. He is now better known as the Black Prince and was the eldest son of King Edward III of England. In 1356, the Prince’s army will fight in what is known as the Battle of Poitiers, a real-life event. Fought on September 9, 1356, it was a major battle in the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.

The novel opens in September 1356. In the besieged town of Carcassonne, Fra Ferdinand, a Black Friar, secretly finds La Malice, a legendary sword shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that the sword could decide the outcome of a war.

Across France, the English army is destroying, when it isn’t plundering and raping. Towns close their gates, and the countryside stands alert for danger. The French army and its Scottish allies, embittered by the defeats handed to them by the English, await the order of King Jean of France to start a war. Is the French King, however, ready to fight the Black Prince and his forces?

Meanwhile, Thomas of Hookton (also known as le Bâtard) is determined to find La Malice. His quest for the sword will take him on a quest to unravel the mystery of an obscure saint. He will become embroiled in the tumultuous marriage of the violent, vindictive, and vulgar Count of LaBrouillade and his wife, Bertille. Thomas will find himself targeted by William, Lord of Douglas, a Scot who is in France specifically to fight the English, and Douglas’ allies, the ambitious Louis Bessières, Cardinal Archbishop of Livorno and Papal Legate to King Jean. With his wife and child in tow, Thomas leads his feared army of men-at-arms and archers, the Hellequin, on his greatest quest since his search to find the Holy Grail.

Without going into extravagant purple prose, Bernard Cornwell paints the world of 1356 to life. Although I had never before read one of his books, I found myself standing in the middle of walled towns under siege. The landscape of France, from vineyards to small valleys and hills were before my eyes. The attire and costumes and the armor and weaponry, all unfamiliar to me, sprang to life in my mind. It seems that Cornwell’s gift is to set a table, unfamiliar as it may be to readers, and make them feel welcomed.

There is a cover quote on 1356 from George R.R. Martin (the creator of A Game of Thrones) that reads, “Bernard Cornwell does the best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present.” I haven’t read enough to agree with that, but I must admit that from strategy and troop movement to sword thrusts and intestines on the ground, Cornwell is the real deal. He does not do the empty-calorie manliness of Hollywood battle scenes that one might find in films like Braveheart and Gladiator (both good films). Cornwell gets to the heart of the matter – victory is survival, and some of those seven deadly sins are the fuel that drives a combatant to victory.

Still, I have higher praises for Cornwell and 1356. I really did not want this book to end. Whenever I returned to it, after having to stop reading, I felt like I was returning to old friends as soon as I opened the book. I was there, off to the side (of course), but watching everything. With 1356: A Novel, Bernard Cornwell takes the reader to another time and makes the reader never want to leave, no matter how bloody and gory the action becomes.

A

www.bernardcornwell.net

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


Friday, March 1, 2013

Tenjo Tenge: The Final Full Contact

I read Tenjo Tenge, Vol. 11

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics.)

I Reads March 2013

This blog marches on.  It's pun time in March 2013!

Welcome to I Reads You, a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). We blog about the things we read: mostly comic books, comics, and related books. Sometimes, we’ll write about or link to other topics: typically books, politics, and entertainment.

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