SEPTEMBER 2019

PROMETHEA VOL. 1

ALAN MOORE // J.H. WILLIAMS

Sophie Bangs, an ordinary college student, finds herself inexplicably transformed into Promethea, the living embodiment of The Imagination. Her trials have only begun as she must master the secrets of her predecessors before she is destroyed by Promethea's ancient enemy.

Promethea might be legendary writer Alan Moore's most accessible, entertaining work. Alongside the incomparable J.H. Williams III, this team crafted one of the weirdest, most interesting takes on the superhero mythos in the medium. Promethea is a must-read.

AUGUST 2019

COYOTE DOGGIRL

LISA HANAWALT

Coyote is a dreamer and a drama queen, brazen and brave, faithful yet fiercely independent. She beats her own drum and sews her own crop tops. A gifted equestrian, she’s half dog, half coyote, and all power. Together with her trusty steed Red, there’s not much that’s too big for her to bite off, chew up, and spit out right into your face, if you deserve it.

Lisa Hanawalt is simply one of the best cartoonists on the planet, and probably the funniest. Perfect for fans of westerns, laughter, horses, and also everyone else.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DRAWN AND QUARTERLY

JULY 2019

HIGHEST HOUSE

MIKE CAREY // PETER GROSS

The creators behind The Unwritten, Mike Carey and Peter Gross, invite you into The Highest House, the story of a slave boy named Moth, who makes friends with a powerful entity called Obsidian that promises advancement and happiness.

Highest House is fantasy at its best, executed with a deft hand and stunning, meticulous art. If you're looking to fill the Game-of-Thrones-sized hole in your heart, you couldn't do any better than this.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF IDW PUBLISHING

JUNE 2019

EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES

MARK RUSSEL // MIKE FEEHAN

It’s 1953. While the United States is locked in a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, the gay Southern playwright known as Snagglepuss is the toast of Broadway. But success has made him a target.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles is a surprising, affecting, consistently funny character study from source material that no one was expecting. Mark Russel is proving to be one of the most interesting voices in comic books and this month's selection is the perfect chance to find out why.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF DC COMICS

MAY 2019

THANOS WINS

DONNY CATES // GEOFF SHAW

Ask the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe how they fear the universe will end, and in their most honest moment, they will answer with two words: “Thanos wins.” And now, it looks as though that disturbing thought is about to become a horrific reality! See what happens when the Mad Titan gets his way!

Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw present a big, bombastic, cosmic, time traveling romp that made for one of 2018's best superhero stories. Thanos Wins is not to be missed.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF MARVEL COMICS

APRIL 2019

MISTER MIRACLE

TOM KING // MITCH GERADS

Scott Free is the greatest escape artist that ever lived. So great that he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, the former female fury known as Big Barda.

You might say Scott Free has everything...so why isn’t it enough?

Tom King and Mitch Gerard present a thoughtful, super-humanist character study that challenges the ideas behind what superhero stories are capable of. Mister Miracle is not to be missed.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER

MARCH 2019

ON A SUNBEAM

TILLIE WALDEN

Two timelines. Second chances. One love.

A ragtag crew travels to the deepest reaches of space, rebuilding beautiful, broken structures to piece the past together.

Two girls meet in boarding school and fall deeply in love—only to learn the pain of loss.

With interwoven timelines and stunning art, award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden creates an inventive world, breathtaking romance, and an epic quest for love.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF TILLIE WALDEN

FEBRUARY 2019

UPGRADE SOUL

EZRA CLAYTAN DANIELS

UPGRADE SOUL is the story of an elderly couple who become the guinea pigs of a visionary procedure that aims to revivify them by filtering toxins from their bodies on a molecular level. When the procedure experiences a fatal complication, the couple is faced with severely disfigured, though intellectually superior duplicates of themselves. Soon, it becomes clear that only one version of each individual can survive, and a psychological battle for dominance begins.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF EZRA CLAYTAN DANIELS  

JANUARY 2019

GIRL TOWN

CAROLYN NOWAK

Carolyn Nowak uses fantasy worlds to explore profound truths. Her solo debut, Girl Town, collects the Ignatz Award-winning stories “Radishes” and “Diana’s Electric Tongue” together with several other tales of young adulthood and the search for connection.

Here are her most acclaimed mini-comics and anthology pieces, enhanced with stunning new colors and joined by brand-new work.

-SYNOPSIS COURTESY OF TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS  

DECEMBER 2018

ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN VOL. 1

KYLE STARKS

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
There's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines everyday

Jackson, the mysterious, unbeatable hobo, and his ward Pomona Slim are searching for the legendary Rock Candy Mountain. On their heels are federal agents, angry train-car riders, and the devil himself. Kyle Starks writes and draws one of the best books of the year with gut punching humor, humanity, and lots of actual gut punches. End 2018 on a high note and ride the rails with us. 

NOVEMBER 2018

ISOLA VOL 1

BRENDEN FLETCHER /KARL KERSCHL /MSASSYK

The captain of the Royal Guard has fled the capital city with the Queen of Maar, suffering under the effects of an evil spell. Captain Rook’s only hope of returning Queen Olwyn to her throne and saving the kingdom from impending war lies on an island half a world away—a place known in myth as Isola, land of the dead.

All copies of Isola Vol. 1 on sale are exclusive Vault of Midnight variants, available for a limited time while supplies last!

-Description provided courtesy of the publisher.

OCTOBER 2018

INFIDEL VOL 1

PORNSAL PICHETSHOTE/AARON CAMPBELL

One of the most celebrated and terrifying books of the year, Infidel (italicize) has been called 'a haunted house story for the 21st century.' Aisha, an American Muslim, finds herself and her family haunted by a being that seems to feed off of the racism and xenophobia that already infests her family and everyday life. But what's real, and what is the product of Aisha's imagination? And what's the difference?

Don't sleep on Infidel; you won't be able to sleep after you finish it.

SEPTEMBER 2018

YOUR BLACK FRIEND AND OTHER STRANGERS

BEN PASSMORE

In Your Black Friend and Other Strangers, Ben Passmore masterfully tackles comics about race, gentrification, the prison system, online dating, gross punks, bad street art, kung fu movie references, beating up God, and lots of other grown-up stuff with refreshing doses of humor and lived relatability.

The title comic earned Passmore an Eisner nomination, Ignatz Award for “Outstanding Comic”, and a coveted spot on NPR’s 100 Favorite Graphic Novels list.

The comics in this 120-page collection include works previously published by The Nib, VICE, and the As You Were anthology, along with brand new and unreleased material.

These comics are essential, humorous, and accessible, told through Passmore’s surreal lens in the vibrant full-color hues of New Orleans.

-Silver Sprocket Publishing

AUGUST 2018

BRAZEN:  REBEL LADIES WHO ROCKED THE WORLD

Pénélope Bagieu

Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit.

With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies.

JULY 2018

SUPERGIRL:  BEING SUPER

MARIKO TAMAKI // JOELLE JONES

Kara Danvers isn't any different than any other teenager in her hometown. Problems with school. Problems with boys. Problems with friends. But while growing pains shake up Kara's world, a series of earth-shaking events hits her hometown, leaving her with with the choice of blending in with the crowd or being different. Being an outcast. Being super. 

This reimagining of Supergirl will appeal to fans of all ages and readers new and old, as the Girl of Steel flies face-first into the struggles that every teenager faces. 

JUNE 2018

PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER

JEN WANG

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

MAY 2018

THE BEST WE COULD DO

THI BUI

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.
 
At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home.
 

APRIL 2018

GOODNIGHT PUNPUN VOL 1

INIO ASANO

This is Punpun Punyama's coming-of-age story. His parents’ marriage is falling apart. His dad goes to jail, and his mom goes to the hospital. He has to live with his loser uncle. He has a crush on a girl who lives in a weird cult. Punpun tries talking with God about his problems, but God is a jerk. Punpun keeps hoping things will get better, but they really, really don’t.

Meet Punpun Punyama. He’s an average kid in an average town.

He wants to win a Nobel Prize and save the world.

He wants the girl he has a crush on to like him back.

He wants to find some porn.

That’s what he wants, but what does he get…?

MARCH 2018

INCOGNEGRO

MAT JOHNSON/WARREN PLEECE

In the early 20th Century, when lynchings were commonplace throughout the American South, a few courageous reporters from the North risked their lives to expose these atrocities.

They were African-American men who, due to their light skin color, could "pass" among the white folks. They called this dangerous assignment going "Incognegro."

FEBRUARY 2018

ASTERIOS POLYP

DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI

Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames.

In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about?