Best of
Graphic-Novels-Comics

1997

Batman: The Long Halloween


Jeph Loeb - 1997
    Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon, Batman races against the clock as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month. A mystery that has the reader continually guessing the identity of the killer, this story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman's deadly enemy, Two-Face.

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut


Jhonen Vásquez - 1997
    Dark and disturbingly funny, JTHM follows the adventures of Johnny (you can call him Nny), who lives with a pair of styrofoam doughboys that encourage his madness, a wall that constantly needs a fresh coat of blood, and--oh, yeah--his victims in various states of torture. Join Nny as he frightens the little boy next door (Todd, known to fans of Vasquez's work as Squee), thirsts for Cherry Brain Freezies, attempts suicide, draws Happy Noodle Boy, and tries to uncover the meaning of his homicidal existence.

Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust #1


Neil Gaiman - 1997
    In the 1720s, a liaison occurs between a young mortal and a fairy girl, setting off a chain of events that will culminate in a grand love adventure.

The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 7: The Castafiore Emerald / Flight 714 to Sydney / Tintin and the Picaros


Hergé - 1997
    These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists.This repackaged hardcover volume contains 3 classic Tintin stories, including: The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714 to Sydney, and Tintin and the Picaros.

Cats and Dogs: Mutts II


Patrick McDonnell - 1997
    Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human guardians and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Mutts explores the special bond between animals and their guardians, and the endearing friendship of Earl, the dog, and Mooch, the cat. It strikes a delicate balance between joy, fun and responsible social commentary. Mutts has been recognized for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor and compassionate advocacy for animal issues.

More Shtuff - Mutts III


Patrick McDonnell - 1997
    Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human guardians and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Mutts explores the special bond between animals and their guardians, and the endearing friendship of Earl, the dog, and Mooch, the cat. It strikes a delicate balance between joy, fun and responsible social commentary. Mutts has been recognized for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor and compassionate advocacy for animal issues.

Hellblazer: Freezes Over


Brian Azzarello - 1997
    Reprinting issues #157-163 of the series, HELLBLAZER: FREEZES OVER collects the ...Freezes Over storyline illustrated by Marcelo Frusin (HELLBLAZER: GOOD INTENTIONS) as well as the one-shot ...And Buried? illustrated by Steve Dillon (PREACHER) and the 2-part Lapdogs and Englishmen illustrated by Guy Davis (SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE). In these three episodes, after another unwelcome meeting with FBI Agent Turro, Constantine continues his journey through America's back roads. For more information, see the feature article. (STAR MATURE READERS SC, 7x10, 168pg, FC

Flaming Carrot Comics: The Wild Shall Wild Remain! (Flaming Carrot Collected Album No. 2)


Bob Burden - 1997
    Now that's a superhero! This big fat book is hot off the press, chock-full of a second installment of the Flaming Carrot's undisputed gallantry and certitude. Such acts of bravado as inserting carrot sticks up fat dope-dealers' noses, defending the world from a communist plot that changes women's cellulite into a weapon of mass destruction, and unraveling the conundrum of a diabolical technology that turns a Republican governor's head into a...baby head! And all our champion of justice wants in return for his efforts is money to buy golf balls the size of hail! FC just keeps getting sillier and sillier, and better and better. Oh, and as usual, there's lots of provocative women in cutoffs and tight tops…

Complete Dykes to Watch Out For, Vol. 1


Alison Bechdel - 1997
    

The Best of Little Nemo in Slumberland


Winsor McCay - 1997
    As astonishing today as when it was published almost a century ago, Little Nemo is considered by many critics and artists to be the greatest comic strip of all time. Though the strip only ran intermittenly from 1905 to 1927, Winsor McCay continues to be honored as the master of the art form for his brilliant concept, color, and design. Drawn in art nouveau style, the weekly strip detailed the dreams of a six-year-old boy whose fantasy world was filled with adventure, humor, joy, fear, monsters, princesses, and surprises at every turn. Each page is a self-enclosed episode where Little Nemo encounters memorable characters, unbelievable joys, and menacing dangers, all within a stunning landscape of beauty and majesty called Slumberland. In The Best of Little Nemo, editor Richard Marschall has selected close to 200 of the very best strips written and illustrated by McCay. All are reproduced in color, in an oversized format to fit the scale of their original newspaper layout, and printed exactly as they first appeared. Also included are homages to Winsor McCay written by such creative masters as Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes), Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Maurice Sendak, animator Chuck Jones, and several others.

Flaming Carrot Comics: Man of Mystery! (Flaming Carrot Collected Album No. 1)


Bob Burden - 1997
    Moon goons raid a redneck picnic. An Advanced Scientific Weapon turns Martians into door-to-door salesmen. A notorious villain grinds innocents up with a lawnmower, then goes home to eat vanilla wafers in the bathtub. No, it's not The Collected Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, it's the mid-'80s icon of tomfoolery, the Champion of Justice, the Dreadnought of Chicanery...the Flaming Carrot. A gun in one hand, a knife in the other (and, naturally, a fiery carrot for a head), 'FC' tackles terrorist death squads, communist hordes, and road hogs from outer space in this wonderful trade reissue of FC comics #1-3, plus previously unreleased material. Cited as "more fun than a Toyota-thon tent-sale with free hot dogs," this guy throws stink bombs, climbs walls with toilet plungers, and wears scuba flippers; and his nuclear-powered pogo stick enables him to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Okay, maybe it's not as important as The Collected Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, but seriously, what would you rather have on your bookshelf? The back blurb says it all: "Life's not worth living without banana bread, white-wall tires, and Flaming Carrot Comics!" —Edward Lee

The Seventh Garfield Fat Cat 3-Pack


Jim Davis - 1997
    This omnibus edition starring everyone's favorite fat cat contains volumes 19- 21 of the widely popular Garfield book series: Garfiled Hangs out (volume 19) Garfield Takes Up Space (volume 20) Garfield Says a Mouthful (volume 21)

Life of the Party


Mary Fleener - 1997
    In a gloriously straightforward manner, Mary Fleener illustrates her oftentimes decadent social experiences in this complete collection of her autobiographical comics work. The tableaux she weaves are a candid take on the party scene of Southern California, but what is most distinctive isn't her storytelling--it's her art. She has developed a unique style that she calls "cubismo": a blend of underground comix and cubism. She uses this style to convey changes in mental states--specifically, changes in the subjective fields of experience--whether from anger, frustration, or drug use. A truly remarkable achievement.

Cryptic Writings of Megadeth #1


Dave Mustaine - 1997
    "Skull Beneath the Skin" written by Brian Pulido and illustrated by Justiniano. "Rattlehead" written by Mike Flippin and drawn by Robert E. Brown. "Looking Down the Cross" written by Roy Young, penciled by David Brewer, and inked by Livesay.

Scud: The Disposable Assassin Vol. 4 - The Yellow Horseman


Rob Schrab - 1997
    This book finishes your Scud collection with HORSE. Scud and Sussudio battle The Producer, the evils of Middle Earth, jocks, and utter damnation all in the final five Scud books.

The Wolfrider's Guide to the World of Elfquest


Theresa Robeson - 1997
    An exhaustive and encyclopedic compilation of every known fact, figure, and statistic pertaining to the 20-year (and ongoing) saga of the Wolfriders and their many friends and foes, it is arranged by general topic, indexed, and has color plates by Wendy Pini.

Ballads


Charles VessDelia Sherman - 1997
    A collection of short graphic narrative adaptions of Scottish, English, and Irish ballads written by respected authors in the fantasy and mystery book field and drawn by award winning artist Charles Vess.

As Naughty As She Wants to Be (Adventures of Midge the Bitchy Bitch)


Roberta Gregory - 1997
    The lead character in most is Bitchy Bitch, the perma-nently PMS'd and PO'd embodiment of the female id, who also stars in her own series of cartoon shorts on the Oxygen Network's X-Chromosome animated series.The raunchiest collection, focusing on Bitchy's sexual excapades.

Underworld, Vol. 1: Cruel and Unusual Comics


Kaz - 1997
    The lead character in most is Bitchy Bitch, the perma-nently PMS'd and PO'd embodiment of the female id, who also stars in her own series of cartoon shorts on the Oxygen Network's X-Chromosome animated series.The raunchiest collection, focusing on Bitchy's sexual excapades.